Moderation Below The Line

Below the Line: The Structural Violence of News Comment Sections

Comment sections are designed – both algorithmically and editorially – to reward anger, blame, and divisive language. This erodes civic trust, reduces democratic participation, and fosters cynicism towards both media institutions and social solidarity.

Low and High Culture

Taste and Distinction: How Class Shapes What We Like

How does social class shape taste? This article explores Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital, Goffman’s impression management, and contemporary critiques of taste hierarchies, gatekeeping, and cultural gentrification.

Digital Feudalism

Beyond Weber, Marx, and Orwell: The Rise of Digital Neofeudalism

Has the modern world outgrown Weber’s iron cage, Marx’s alienation, and Orwell’s surveillance state—only to enter a new form of control? In an era where tech monopolies act as digital landlords, individuals no longer own but rent, their lives dictated by algorithmic oversight and data extraction. Is this progress, or have we simply traded one system of domination for another?