Hussein Kesvani
The Independent
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Hussein:
I used to love conspiracy theories – here’s why we get seduced by them
It’s important to remember that disinformation exists because there’s a demand for it → Read More
Elon Musk has an agenda for Twitter – and it’s not free speech
Owning Twitter grants Musk a power few of his contemporaries have: the power to decide what’s worth paying attention to → Read More
The new digital divide: people who can afford to log off, and those who can’t
I fear that logging off for as little as half an hour might mean a missed project or work opportunity, and a lot of people are in the same boat → Read More
Don’t understand the hype over Julia Fox and ‘Goblin Mode’? You’re not supposed to
The hyper-personalisation of news makes it harder for us to understand anything – just look at the hot takes around Will Smith or Julia Fox → Read More
Forget Russell Brand – tech companies are to blame for the spread of conspiracy theories
Conspiracists like Russell Brand aren’t that different from others who desperately appeal to the anxieties of their audiences for clicks → Read More
TechScape: want to ‘be your own boss’ online? Here’s why it’s not so simple
In this week’s newsletter: the ‘Creator Economy’ is billed as a way for artists to directly monetise their work – but in reality it simply puts more power in the hands of big tech → Read More
Experiencing ‘emotional contagion’ around the conflict in Ukraine? You’re not alone
Like it or not, the way that most people now consume information online means that highly emotive, personalised interpretations of current events will be a default → Read More
Clickbait, conspiracy theories and hate speech: Facebook has become a hellscape – and there’s no way out
In its desire to control the entirety of information flow on the internet, Facebook has instead created an alternative world: one that bears little resemblance to reality → Read More
We have dangerously overestimated Joe Rogan’s influence
Attributing too much influence to Rogan absolves Spotify of its social responsibilities → Read More
LinkedIn seems to be on a mission to kill off good writing
Just as tech companies have changed the way we watch, listen and observe art, the rise of ‘broetry’ may also force a cultural shift, where we value writing based only on the number of ‘likes’ and shares → Read More
On an app that’s all about communication, why can’t I talk to anyone at Instagram?
Thousands have found themselves in Instagram’s imposed state of limbo, from small retailers to creators and influencers, some of whom have paid hackers tens of thousands of dollars in order to restore their accounts → Read More
The person who got me through 2021: LayedBakDFR captured the perfect joy of discovering a great song
I was shaken out of my musical apathy by the rapper, whose video channel shows him listening to others’ tracks for the first time → Read More
Now Andrew Neil has left GB News, I’m selflessly volunteering to replace him
Neil was an analogue artefact struggling to break through in an online world, says digital culture journalist Hussein Kesvani → Read More
Abolishing online anonymity won’t tackle the underlying problems of racist abuse
Both mandatory ID verification and ending anonymity raise their own problems, says author Hussein Kesvani → Read More
The future of social media is sharing less, not more
We may never leave social media completely. But we will control which aspects of our identities we share, and with whom → Read More
There’s a darker side to English businesses citing Magna Carta to defy lockdown
Shops using the charter may seem funny – until you look at the online culture behind it, says Hussein Kesvani, author of Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims → Read More
The Plant Thots Are Stalking Your Instagram Feed
Cooped up in quarantine, guys on Instagram create thirst, serene vibes and influencer clout by thotting it up with plants → Read More
I Astral-Projected My Way Out of Quarantine
Astral projection guide, stories and expert techniques: I joined Reddit's Astral Army and learned how to astral-project my way to an out-of-body experience → Read More
The College Kid Behind Blistering Parody 'Capitalism Is Good' Is Caught in a Culture War
Boston Roundface is a new generation of Chinese YouTuber: educated, fluent in irony, disillusioned by America and apathetic to China → Read More
What Lockdown Silence Is Doing to My Voice
There’s no real science on what happens to speech after long periods of silence. Is it worth training your voice to sound more authoritative on Zoom? → Read More