Can social media make us social again? | Council of Tech and Social Cohesion and the Neely Center event

​Social media was built to connect us — so why does it so often leave us more divided, distracted, and alone? At the 2026 Global Expo: From Harm Mitigation to Intentional Design, the panel "Bringing the Social Back to Social Media" sparked more engagement than any other Expo session shared on our channels — a clear sign this question resonates. This webinar picks up where that conversation left off, with more room to dig into what a healthier social media ecosystem could actually look like.

​Join us for a conversation on what it would take to build — and scale — social platforms designed for genuine human connection rather than engagement at any cost.

​We'll explore:

• ​What would a genuinely well-designed social media platform look like in practice?

• ​Are there real-world examples of healthier platforms succeeding — and can they compete with engagement-driven incumbents?

• ​Which business models best align with human-centered design, at local and global scale?

• ​How can policymakers, funders, and practitioners help promising alternatives succeed?

​Moderator:
Lena Slachmuijlder (Search for Common Ground / Council on Technology and Social Cohesion)

​Panelists:

• ​Filip Gaman (Monnet)

• ​Vardon Hamdiu (Sparkable)

• ​Jonathan Stray (MySky)

​Following the panel discussion, we'll open the floor for live audience Q&A.

​📅 Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
🕒 Time: 6:00 PM Belgium 12:00 PM ET 9:00 AM PT
💻 Format: Webinar via Zoom — link shared upon registration