What are the main drawbacks of relying on Twitter for content distribution?

Twitter's drawbacks include fostering anxiety and distraction, the addictive nature of checking metrics, and generally low conversion rates for valuable outcomes like book sales. Most users don't build significant audiences either.

Are Twitter followers truly valuable for creatives?

No, Twitter followers are significantly less valuable than organically acquired followers from platforms you own, like email lists or podcasts. While Twitter followers might convert at a minuscule rate, owned audiences can have conversion rates upwards of 10%.

How does Conan O'Brien's career illustrate the limits of Twitter virality?

Conan O'Brien's tweeting gained him followers, but he realized this attention was less valuable than directing it to his own owned platform, his podcast. This shift led to deals worth tens of millions, far exceeding potential gains from Twitter.

What's the difference between Twitter's virality and valuable virality?

The less valuable virality on Twitter is when your own tweet goes viral. The incredibly valuable virality is when third parties spread news about your excellent work (like an article or movie), which is often impeded by self-promotion on Twitter.

Why did Twitter add view counts to tweets, and is it positive?

Twitter added view counts to provide a more dynamic and salient intermittent reinforcement indicator, similar to likes and retweets. This encourages users to check the platform more often, contributing to engagement and potentially addictive behavior.

How does Tick Tock manipulate user attention?

Tick Tock directly manipulates view counts through its algorithm, artificially inflating or deflating them to create a slot machine effect. This cynical strategy keeps users engaged by making them think they might have a viral hit.

What makes Twitter different from other social media platforms regarding vanity?

Unlike platforms that play on average user vanity, Twitter specifically targets the attention vanity of 'above-average' users—journalists, creatives, politicians, and experts. This attracts high-quality content, making the platform compelling for others to consume.

Should independent researchers use Twitter?

The speaker suggests that for researchers, paying for academic articles is a no-brainer, but Twitter is likely unnecessary. The attention gained on Twitter is less valuable than focusing on producing excellent work and using owned platforms to capture attention when it arises.

Is social media important for career success?

The speaker argued in a 2016 op-ed that social media presence is overestimated for career success. Traditional methods of producing good work and building a reputation still exist and are often more reliable than relying on social media metrics.

Do federated networks like Mastodon stand a chance against centralized platforms like Twitter?

The speaker believes federated networks like Mastodon are not the answer because they replicate Twitter's format. Instead, the focus should be on independently produced media like podcasts and blogs, which offer more control and better long-term value.

What are the pros and cons of a four-day work week?

A four-day work week might offer indirect benefits by creating scarcity, reducing long meetings, and increasing flexibility. However, it doesn't address the core issue of overload in knowledge work and might just shift work into fewer days.

Key Moments

Ep. 241: The Myths Trapping You On Twitter

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

People & Blogs3 min read70 min video

Mar 27, 2023|5,731 views|130|12

Cal Newport Deep Work Deep Life Deep Questions TimblockPlanner Deep Questions Podcast twitter trap virality cal newport interview cal newport slow productivity cal newport digital minimalism deep questions cal newport

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Creatives overuse Twitter due to virality myths; owning platforms and organic audiences are more valuable.

Key Insights

Twitter's perceived virality benefit is largely a myth; most users don't build significant audiences.

Organic followers from owned platforms (like email lists) are far more valuable than Twitter followers for conversion.

Large Twitter followings often result from pre-existing fame, not Twitter's discovery engine.

The most valuable virality comes from third-party endorsements of good work, not self-promotion on Twitter.

Owning your platform (website, podcast) offers control over eyeballs and audience, which Twitter does not.

Federated social media like Mastodon is unlikely to succeed as it replicates Twitter's flawed paradigm without its network effects.

THE WASHINGTON POST EXPERIMENT: A BETTER MODEL

The episode opens by highlighting the Washington Post's experiment with a live blog for a baseball game, contrasting it with traditional game coverage on Twitter. This shift to a live blog offers a superior format for readers, allowing for longer, more organized updates without the distractions of Twitter. Crucially, it keeps eyeballs on the publication's own platform, enabling better audience control, monetization through ads and subscriptions, and a more controlled environment for reporters, free from Twitter's anxiety-inducing distractions.

THE MYTH OF TWITTER VIRALITY FOR AUDIENCE GROWTH

The core question explored is why creatives rely on Twitter despite the advantages of owning their digital press. The primary allure is perceived virality through the retweet mechanism, promising rapid audience growth and influence. However, this episode argues this benefit is largely a myth for several reasons. Firstly, most professionals never achieve a significant Twitter following, yet still suffer from Twitter's negative aspects like distraction and anxiety, including the fear of negative virality.

THE LIMITED VALUE AND EXTERNAL ORIGINS OF TWITTER FOLLOWERS

Secondly, Twitter followers are presented as significantly less valuable than organically acquired followers from owned platforms. Unlike subscribers to an email list or podcast who have demonstrated trust and appreciation, Twitter followers rarely convert well to sales or other desired actions. Thirdly, the growth of large Twitter followings is often attributed to external fame and exposure (like celebrities or well-known figures) rather than Twitter's internal discovery mechanisms; people follow these individuals because they are already famous and happen to be on Twitter.

THE DIFFERENTIATED VALUE OF VIRALITY AND PLATFORM OWNERSHIP

The fourth objection to Twitter's virality is that it's more effective when it benefits work created externally, rather than self-promotion on Twitter. When a book, article, or movie goes viral organically, it's invaluable. However, self-promotion on Twitter, even with audience growth, is a weaker form of virality and comes at the cost of platform control, audience ownership, and freedom from distraction. The example of Conan O'Brien illustrates this: his pre-existing fame and talent, directed towards his owned podcast, yielded massive financial returns, far exceeding any benefit derived from his Twitter activity.

TWITTER'S UNIQUE APPEAL TO ABOVE-AVERAGE USERS

The discussion delves into why Twitter is effective, noting its unique business model that targets the 'attention vanity' of above-average users—experts, journalists, creatives, and politicians. Unlike platforms focused on personal vanity of average users, Twitter attracts those with genuine expertise or unique perspectives, creating a high-quality content pool. This content, curated by Twitter's algorithm, then engages the broader user base, making it compelling. This focus on above-average contributors is what distinguishes Twitter and makes its clones less successful.

ALTERNATIVES AND THE FUTURE FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS

The episode advocates for creatives to focus on producing excellent work and releasing it on platforms they own (websites, blogs, podcasts). This allows for steady, loyal audience building and better capture of any organic virality. The existence of federated networks like Mastodon is seen as unnecessary, as they merely replicate Twitter's format without its network effects. The true alternative lies in independent media channels that offer greater control over audience and engagement, moving beyond the confines of platform monopolies and their addictive mechanisms.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Books

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Creatives often rely on Twitter for the perception of virality and faster audience growth. However, this myth is debunked as Twitter followers are less valuable, virality is rarely potent, and external fame drives most Twitter success, not the platform itself.

Topics

Content Creation Mindset & Self-Improvement Technology & Innovation Attention Economy Work-life Balance Social Media Addiction Career & Skills Digital Presence Platform Monopolies Alternatives To Social Media

Mentioned in this video

Media

The Washington Post

A news publication whose experiment with live blogging a baseball game instead of using Twitter highlights the advantages of owning one's platform and audience.

Started From The Bottom

A new Pushkin Industries podcast hosted by Justin Richmond, featuring interviews with successful individuals from humble beginnings.

Deep Questions

The name of the podcast, focusing on living and working deeply in a distracted world.

People

Donald Trump

His election is cited as a turning point thatshifted mainstream intellectual thought towards skepticism and hostility regarding social media's impact.

Jason Fried

Co-founder and CEO of Basecamp, who responded to concerns about the four-day work week by stating that people reduce their workload, not just squeeze it into fewer days.

Mackenzie Gore

A baseball player whose performance was covered by the Washington Post's live blog experiment, illustrating a case for why live blogging is superior to Twitter for game coverage.

Elon Musk

Mentioned as an example of a prominent business leader whose time on Twitter is baffling to those who know him, suggesting addiction and vanity over productive work.

Francis Ngannou

Mentioned as an early guest on 'Started From The Bottom', described as an MFA champion and terrifying fighter.

Barack Obama

Mentioned as an example of someone with a large Twitter following due to their existing fame, not their skill on the platform.

Justin Richmond

Host of the new podcast 'Started From The Bottom', interviewing individuals with humble origins who achieved success.

Cal Newport

The host of the podcast, discussing the downsides of social media platforms like Twitter and advocating for deeper work and control over one's digital presence.

Jamie Kilstein

A comedian who discussed the obsessive checking of metrics like retweets after posting on Twitter, illustrating the addictive distraction of the platform.

Conan O'Brien

Used as a case study to illustrate how pre-existing fame and aiming attention towards owned platforms (like his podcast) is more valuable than building an audience on Twitter.

Ezra Klein

Mentioned as an example of someone who emerged from early Web 2.0 by consistently producing content on his political blog.

Software & Apps

Basecamp

A company that experimented with a four-day work week, finding that it indirectly improved the work environment by creating a scarcity mindset and reducing time-wasting.

Academia.edu

A platform mentioned by a listener as a place for independent researchers to access academic papers, contrasted with the perceived uselessness of Twitter for this purpose.

WordPress

Mentioned as an example of an independently produced media platform that offers a better alternative than platform monopolies like Twitter.

ResearchGate

A platform mentioned by a listener as a place for independent researchers to access academic papers, contrasted with the perceived uselessness of Twitter for this purpose.

Mastodon

A federated social media network discussed as similar to Twitter, but ultimately deemed unnecessary given the existence of better independent media alternatives.

Books

Digital Minimalism

Cal Newport's book, where he discusses the dynamics of social media like Facebook and the unintended consequences of features like the 'like' button.

Companies

Facebook

Discussed in relation to the invention of the 'like' button and its unintended consequence of creating intermittent reinforcement and potential addiction.

Cambridge Analytica

Mentioned in the context of disinformation stories that contributed to a shift in mainstream perception of social media towards skepticism.

Twitter

A social media platform discussed as a primary communication tool for creatives, with its virality engine and attention model being central to the discussion.

Pushkin Industries

The podcast network behind the new podcast 'Started From The Bottom'.

Instagram

Mentioned as a platform that adopted the 'like' button, contributing to the trend of intermittent reinforcement and behavioral addiction.

Discussed as potentially valuable for independent researchers if used strategically for tertiary network connections, but cautioned against getting lost in its social features.

Organizations

New York Times

The publication where Cal Newport's 2016 op-ed questioning the importance of social media presence for career success was published.

The Guardian

The publication source for the article about Australian Senators backing legislation for a four-day work week.