Episode Description:

In this week’s episode of The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up, Karissa and Arielle dive into the world of ethical social media and environmental justice. First, Karissa explores decentralized platforms like Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup, which challenge big tech by prioritizing privacy, transparency, and community governance. Then, Arielle shifts our focus to New Zealand, where Taranaki Mounga has been granted legal personhood, marking a monumental step for Indigenous rights and environmental protection.

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Transcript:

[Theme Music]

Karissa: Hello and welcome to The Optimist Daily’s Weekly Round-up! I’m Karissa.

Arielle: And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.

Karissa: How are you doing this week?

Arielle: I am feeling great, actually, because I’m finally recovering from a week-long sickness. You know that feeling after being sick for a while, and then suddenly you feel better? It’s like a whole new world.

Karissa: Yeah, absolutely. That’s great to hear.

Arielle: And how about you? How have you been?

Karissa: Doing well over here—though maybe I’m coming down with something. My throat’s been feeling a little scratchy. I hope not!

Arielle: Oh no!

Karissa: I’ve definitely been referring to some Optimist Daily solutions from the past—lots of good herbs and remedies that might help. So, I’ve been loading up on turmeric shots! Other than that, winter is rolling along, and February is here.

Arielle: Hopefully, you can ward off any cold or flu with some of the solutions we have on our website. Speaking of solutions, do you have anything you’d like to share that’s particularly interesting?

Karissa: Yeah, absolutely! So, I guess I’ll dive into my solution: The rise of ethical social media: can open-source alternatives challenge the tech giants? This was a really interesting article we shared this week, in my opinion.

For years, social media has been dominated by a handful of tech giants, each offering a seemingly inescapable ecosystem of content, connection, and controversy. But now, cracks in the foundation are definitely beginning to show. TikTok has faced temporary shutdowns, and that situation still isn’t resolved in the United States. Meta has scaled back on its fact-checking efforts, and debates over content moderation continue to rage on.

And, in case you didn’t know, I’ve mentioned this on the podcast before—I also manage social media for the Optimist Daily. Lately, I’ve been feeling so frustrated with it! I just want to delete it all so badly! But, of course, I can’t, because it’s part of my job to stay on top of the social media landscape and share these solutions.

Arielle: Yeah, I definitely don’t envy you, Karissa. Especially since we’ve covered so many stories on the Optimist Daily about the downsides of social media. I’ve definitely felt them in my own life. It can be really addictive.

Karissa: Mm-hmm.

Arielle: And you can end up scrolling when you’re supposed to be doing something else.

Karissa: Oh yeah.

Arielle: And then there’s all that unhealthy comparison that comes with scrolling through the highlight reel of somebody else’s life. I actually ended up deleting my social media—or at least my Instagram—and that felt really good. I’m still not on it.

Karissa: That’s huge! It’s kind of hard to do in this day and age. I remember you mentioning that a while ago—so freeing! Social media can be so overwhelming. Like you said, we can all agree that there are a lot of cons that come along with it. But it’s also such an inescapable part of life these days. There are definitely benefits too—the interconnectedness, the instant access to information—it’s so complex. It’s definitely a nuanced conversation. But yeah, social media and our society are intertwined, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

And with all the negative news out there, it’s really nice to be able to put something positive out into the world.

Arielle: Mm-hmm.

Karissa: But anyways, against this really controversial backdrop, a new wave of ethical, decentralized alternatives is emerging—promising users a radically different way to engage online, one that prioritizes privacy, transparency, and community-driven governance.

Arielle: Yeah, I’m actually so interested in learning more about this because this article definitely caught my eye, but I haven’t had a chance to do a deep dive. So, tell us—what kind of alternatives are out there?

Karissa: Leading the charge is Canadian developer Daniel Supernault, whose open-source platforms aim to put control back into the hands of the people. Through a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, Supernault has raised over $75,000 to further develop three innovative social media alternatives: Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup, each designed as an ethical counterpart to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, respectively.

Arielle: Alternatives to three of the biggest social platforms out there right now worldwide—how are they operating, and what is setting them apart from the leading giants?

Karissa: Well, let me start with the kind of easier-to-explain alternative first. So, I mentioned Loops, which is the TikTok alternative. It takes on the challenge of ethical short-form video. It’s currently in its alpha testing phase, and the platform supports 60-second videos with plans to introduce sound remixing tools and pinned profile videos. Unlike TikTok, Loops relies on a trust-based moderation system, where content undergoes review before publication—a measure designed to curb misinformation and harmful trends.

Arielle: OK, that’s good to hear, especially considering how big a problem misinformation is, and it’s only going to get bigger.

Karissa: Absolutely. So yeah, that’s a good alternative for TikTok on the rise. And also, there’s Sup, which is an alternative to WhatsApp and is still in development. There aren’t too many details on this yet, but the platform is expected to follow the same core principles as its counterparts: no venture capital influence, a strict focus on privacy, and community-driven decision-making. But there is one platform in this trio that’s really starting to make some waves, and that is Pixelfed. Have you heard of it, Arielle?

Arielle: Yeah, I have heard a little bit about it! I know that it’s decentralized, ad-free, and an alternative to Instagram. There’s a huge emphasis on privacy and content ownership, and yeah—no algorithmic manipulation with the feed. I think that’s basically all I know on it though.

Karissa: I would say I know about the same as you. I’ve kind of just seen it popping up. But Pixelfed is really the most developed so far out of this trio of alternatives, and it was launched in January as a privacy-focused alternative to Instagram. It offers features like photo filters and albums while firmly rejecting ad-based revenue models, user tracking, and data selling.

Supernault explains: “We’ve built Pixelfed to be free of the surveillance capitalism that dominates social media today.” The platform’s main instance, Pixelfed.social, already boasts over 200,000 users and ranks #6 in Apple’s App Store for social media—making it the second-largest Fediverse platform after Mastodon.social.

Arielle: Very fascinating. But maybe could you explain exactly what the Fediverse is for those who may not have heard that term?

Karissa: Yeah! So, the Fediverse is kind of a confusing topic that I personally didn’t know much about before researching this article. But essentially, it’s a network of interconnected social media platforms that can communicate with each other using common protocols. This allows users to interact across different platforms, creating a decentralized social media ecosystem where you can follow and engage with people on different servers.

So, for example, a Pixelfed user can follow and interact with someone on Mastodon, which is a decentralized alternative to X—formerly known as Twitter. It creates a more interconnected and user-controlled ecosystem.

Arielle:Okay. Yeah. And I’ve also heard that it works in a similar fashion to how email works across different providers. So, for instance, I have a Gmail address, but I can still send an email to an Outlook email account or a Hotmail account—for the OGs.

Karissa: Yeah, exactly. Precisely. So, the Fediverse is certainly on the rise but still has some ground to cover. But, you know, with all of our solutions, this seems to me like it could be a very promising new path that users will turn to in the future of online social interaction.

Arielle: Yeah, I find that interconnectedness quite attractive. So, different companies are working on their own, yet they’re still under one umbrella in a way.

Karissa: Yeah, exactly. This structure also means that users aren’t trapped in a single company’s policies. As Supernault notes, if you don’t like how one community is run, you can move to another without losing your followers. This flexibility starkly contrasts with mainstream platforms, where leaving often means starting over from scratch. For influencers and creators, this could be a game-changer, especially in light of recent platform blackouts—like the TikTok fiasco—that left many questioning their reliance on corporate-owned networks. You could lose everything overnight.

Arielle: Yeah, this all seems great, especially for someone like you who deals with social media for work. But with every solution, I’m sure there are challenges to overcome.

Karissa: Yeah, absolutely. Despite its promise, decentralized social media isn’t without challenges. The complexity of these systems can deter mainstream users, and rapid growth could also strain server resources.

Arielle: Right.

Karissa: Supernault acknowledges these concerns and has earmarked funding from his Kickstarter to bolster infrastructure and moderation capabilities. These hurdles arise in an era where platforms are really under fire. For companies and brands, decentralized networks could offer a way to maintain direct relationships with communities without being at the mercy of algorithm-driven invisibility. And as more developers explore these ethical alternatives, the Fediverse is rapidly expanding.

BlueSky, a Twitter alternative now with over 30 million users, is even preparing to launch its own photo-sharing app, Flashes, in the coming weeks. And I guess this is our official podcast announcement that we are also on BlueSky now @OptimistDaily! I know with all this controversy, we’ve been getting a lot of requests from users to follow us on different platforms—first it was Threads, now it’s BlueSky. So, we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on all of it and, of course, trying to get as much positivity out there as possible.

Arielle: All right. Well, change can be a great thing, and I can definitely foresee a lot more people choosing these alternatives that offer greater control, privacy, and transparency.

Karissa: I would say that the early success of Pixelfed and the growing interest in decentralized networks suggest that this movement is more than just a passing trend. So, the real question now is whether the social media giants will adapt to the changes we want to see, or if the future of online connection lies in the hands of the people and these emerging platforms.

Arielle: Right. I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.

Karissa: Yeah, very exciting. And I’m sure we’ll report on this again in the future.

Arielle: OK, well, we’re going to pivot away from tech and move into my solution, which is all about nature.

Karissa: Go for it. Yeah, I’m excited to hear about this one.

Arielle: OK, so today I’ve got a story that’s part legal milestone, part cultural victory, and a whole lot of environmental significance. The title of the article we’re talking about is Māori rights and environmental protection: Taranaki Mounga gains legal personhood.

So, Taranaki Mounga, a stunning volcanic peak in New Zealand that is deeply sacred to the Taranaki Māori, has been given the same rights and protections as an individual under New Zealand law. This means the mountain and its surrounding peaks now have a legal identity, making it easier to protect and manage in ways that align with Indigenous values.

Karissa: That’s amazing. But also, how does that work? What does it really mean?

Arielle: So, basically, it means that this mountain gets legal guardians. A governing body made up of representatives from the Crown and Taranaki iwi will advocate on behalf of the mountain, ensuring that its interests are protected. This move is part of a bigger shift in New Zealand towards recognizing natural features as living entities. Te Urewera was granted personhood in 2014, and the Whanganui River followed in 2017.

Karissa: Oh, that’s amazing. New Zealand is basically leading the way in treating nature with the same legal respect as people—I love to see it. And also, I’m kind of jumping ahead to some of the other solutions we shared this week on the Optimist Daily, but Ecuador also granted legal rights to coastal ecosystems this week. So lots of advancements for nature being made this week! But anyways, back to this. Let’s hear a little bit more, Arielle.

Arielle: Yeah, it is really exciting to see and hear about all of these developments. But this decision in particular wasn’t just a bureaucratic move—it was an emotional moment for the Taranaki Māori.

Karissa: Mm-hmm.

Arielle: When the law passed, hundreds of iwi members gathered in Parliament, filling the public gallery with waiata—traditional songs—to celebrate.

Karissa: I love that image. It really just shows how much this means to the community.

Arielle: Yeah, it’s huge. Jamie Tuuta, one of the chief negotiators, called it bittersweet. He said, “After generations of hope being discarded and effort from those who are no longer with us, it is a sad time. But it is also a day that we can come together as iwi of Taranaki to celebrate.”

Karissa: That really just hits the heartstrings. Yeah, it’s not just about one mountain—it’s about a long history of injustice and making things right.

Arielle: Exactly. This recognition is tied to a 2016 settlement that addressed historical injustices by the British Crown.

Karissa: Right.

Arielle: Back in the 19th century, 1.2 million acres of Taranaki land, including the mountain, were confiscated. That displacement had devastating consequences for the Taranaki Māori, cutting them off from their land, resources, and sacred sites.

Karissa: Yeah. So, this sounds like it’s a step toward healing some of those wounds.

Arielle: That’s the idea. It’s not about returning the land outright, but it’s a powerful acknowledgment of Māori sovereignty and cultural heritage. Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, put it beautifully when she said, “Today, Taranaki is freed from the shackles of injustice, ignorance, and hate.”

Karissa: Wow, that’s beautiful.

Arielle: Right? It’s a major step forward. And beyond its cultural significance, this has real implications for conservation. Giving the mountain legal rights means stronger protections, more sustainable management, and shifting the way people interact with it.

Karissa: OK, so what happens next? Can people still hike Taranaki Mounga, or is it hands-off now?

Arielle: Great question. Visitors will still be welcome, but with new guidelines that promote respect and sustainability. Tuuta said they’re hoping for a broader cultural shift, where people start treating the mountain the way you would treat, well… basically, a respected elder.

Karissa: That’s a good way to put it. So, no carving your name into rocks or leaving trash behind.

Arielle: Precisely. The goal is to foster a sense of guardianship rather than just, tourism.

Karissa: Yeah, I really love this approach, and it’s something different. It’s setting a global precedent, I would say, right? I mean, other countries should definitely follow suit.

Arielle: Absolutely. New Zealand is showing the world that legal systems can evolve to better reflect Indigenous perspectives and environmental responsibility. Recognizing nature as a living entity isn’t just a feel-good idea—it has real legal and ecological benefits.

Karissa: I couldn’t agree more with that. This is about protecting the land and honoring Indigenous wisdom at the same time.

Arielle: And I think I speak for everyone when I say more of this! I think we should all move through the world with this mindset. So, the next time you walk through the woods or swim in the ocean, remember to treat them with the kind of respect you would an elder, or basically any human being!

Karissa: Exactly. It’s about being more mindful. And it’s just so true because our world is living.

Arielle: It is our oldest ancestor, I guess you could say.

Karissa: Exactly. I really love this, and I definitely feel optimistic from this. Well, Arielle, I think that was a great roundup of solutions this week from the Optimist Daily.

Arielle: Yeah, me too. We have a lot of diverse solutions that you can check out from this week at optimistdaily.com. And they include:

Karissa: Why we can sense when someone is staring at us—that’s an interesting one. Hope through art: ANGEL ART auction returns to uplift wildfire victims. Ecuador extends rights of nature to coastal ecosystems—like I mentioned earlier, definitely a cool one. And we also have How vertical farming transforms urban spaces and breathes new life into empty offices.

Arielle: Celebrating Black History Month around the world. Neighbors to the rescue: how local heroes shape disaster response. UK companies embrace the four-day workweek: a new era for work-life balance. And 6 habits to break for better mental health: what therapists want you to know.

Karissa: If you want to start your week off right next week, make sure to subscribe to our free daily newsletter to get our solutions straight to your inbox.

Arielle: We also have a lot more on our social channels. You can find us @OptimistDaily on all of our platforms—that includes Threads, Pinterest, and all of the traditional ones like X

Karissa: Yeah, basically (laughs).

Arielle: But there, we are known as @OdeToOptimism. But as Karissa mentioned before, we’re also on BlueSky.

Karissa: So, wherever you get your social media feed, we’re definitely there—so go find us! And we are a small team of optimists working hard to bring you positive news. If you want to support our mission of putting good into the world, click on the link in the show notes to find out how.

Arielle: And support doesn’t always have to be financial. You could just recommend our podcast to a friend, leave a positive review on Apple or Spotify, forward a link, or share a post on your socials—that would be a huge help!

Karissa: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I’m feeling a lot more optimistic from all this great news we were able to share today Arielle, and I can’t wait to be back next week with more!

Arielle: Yes! But until then, we hope all of our listeners have a wonderful weekend.

Both: Bye!