Alexis Ohanian

Early on, people were often very confused why someone would spend so much of their free time moderating a community for free, essentially community management. And I'd often frame it, I grew up here in the United States, I was a Boy Scout, there were parents who were often involved volunteering for the Boy Scouts.

Early on, people were often very confused why someone would spend so much of their free time moderating a community for free, essentially community management. And I'd often frame it, I grew up here in the United States, I was a Boy Scout, there were parents who were often involved volunteering for the Boy Scouts.

They'd be there for camping trips, they'd be there for meetings, they'd be helping out volunteering their time and energy. for community. And so I really took for granted the fact that if people wanted to do this offline for whatever organizations, faith groups, et cetera, that online these connections matter just as much, even though they may not feel as real.

They'd be there for camping trips, they'd be there for meetings, they'd be helping out volunteering their time and energy. for community. And so I really took for granted the fact that if people wanted to do this offline for whatever organizations, faith groups, et cetera, that online these connections matter just as much, even though they may not feel as real.

And in fact, you can scale your time so much more efficiently, right? You can build a community of literally millions of people from your home. And that gives you a sense of purpose and a feeling of, you know, being able to create the sense of belonging for people. And that's, that's really meaningful. I mean, that is something that I've just seen continue to impress people.

And in fact, you can scale your time so much more efficiently, right? You can build a community of literally millions of people from your home. And that gives you a sense of purpose and a feeling of, you know, being able to create the sense of belonging for people. And that's, that's really meaningful. I mean, that is something that I've just seen continue to impress people.

I did not realize the full scale to which that would actually be working. And then probably the other side of it is just how important creating that sense of why for people is. I remember reading the book Bowling Alone, which talked a lot about a generation of adults who used to be a part of bowling leagues and these other things, but you saw this decline.

I did not realize the full scale to which that would actually be working. And then probably the other side of it is just how important creating that sense of why for people is. I remember reading the book Bowling Alone, which talked a lot about a generation of adults who used to be a part of bowling leagues and these other things, but you saw this decline.

And people, in this case, it was men, but in general, people needing to find more and more of that connective tissue in their community and not having that sense of belonging. And I feel like in a lot of ways, the internet has created great versions of it. But at the same time, it's also created these

And people, in this case, it was men, but in general, people needing to find more and more of that connective tissue in their community and not having that sense of belonging. And I feel like in a lot of ways, the internet has created great versions of it. But at the same time, it's also created these

know the sort of dystopian versions of it where you can spend all of that time absorbed in a world that is online and miss out i think we have a generation of young people who i'm generalizing here but a lot of whom don't have the same muscle that they've they have not exercised the same muscles that we had growing up when it comes to relating and connecting to their fellow humans sitting across from them and you know as the father of two kids it's something i think about a lot

know the sort of dystopian versions of it where you can spend all of that time absorbed in a world that is online and miss out i think we have a generation of young people who i'm generalizing here but a lot of whom don't have the same muscle that they've they have not exercised the same muscles that we had growing up when it comes to relating and connecting to their fellow humans sitting across from them and you know as the father of two kids it's something i think about a lot

I've already had these conversations with Olympia and she just turned seven. And I try generally, I think my wife and I both, we try not to talk about

I've already had these conversations with Olympia and she just turned seven. And I try generally, I think my wife and I both, we try not to talk about

down to our kids like i really will explain a concept not like i would explain it to another 41 year old but at least like i i want her to to ask that follow-up question of like well what is that or why or how or so i you know and we've had versions of this conversation

down to our kids like i really will explain a concept not like i would explain it to another 41 year old but at least like i i want her to to ask that follow-up question of like well what is that or why or how or so i you know and we've had versions of this conversation

she does not understand the internet i mean do i does anyone but there have been little glimpses that i have given her into it um but very very very tightly controlled really the only time she's ever online

she does not understand the internet i mean do i does anyone but there have been little glimpses that i have given her into it um but very very very tightly controlled really the only time she's ever online

right now at seven is playing roblox which she will do either with me and her mom or some friends from school she knows the internet basically as this this basically roblox yeah and a place where she has fun and runs around and that's it but that's the extent of interacting with folks i would like to put off social media now yes

right now at seven is playing roblox which she will do either with me and her mom or some friends from school she knows the internet basically as this this basically roblox yeah and a place where she has fun and runs around and that's it but that's the extent of interacting with folks i would like to put off social media now yes