The Anti-Social Media Movement: Taking Back Our Towns from Big Tech

In this raw, on-the-go episode recorded under a full Arkansas moon, I reflect on my journey away from big tech and toward something better for local communities.

Four months ago, I sold my iPhone and switched to a device without social media apps. Six weeks later, I deleted my Meta account entirely—no more Facebook, no more Instagram. This from someone who built his business helping companies run Facebook ads.

The irony isn’t lost on me. But neither is the relief.

In this episode, I open up about:

• Why I’ve grown to dislike companies like Facebook and Google (even while still using some of their products)
• The moment I realized Facebook had “killed the follow”—how the algorithm replaced genuine connection with manufactured engagement
• My recent discovery of a tea house in Booneville that’s been open for two years, and how it mirrors businesses in Russellville that have been around longer than I’ve been alive—yet people still don’t know they exist
• Where everyone’s attention actually is (spoiler: we all know the answer)
• What my team and I have been building for the past two and a half years: Town Square, a platform designed to reconnect residents with their local anchors—businesses, churches, clubs, and organizations
• How AI and modern development tools are finally making it possible to build what seemed impossible before
• The “neighbor” system: turning everyone into local journalists, content creators, and authentic influencers
• Interactive experiences and gamification that incentivize people to engage with their actual community instead of doom-scrolling
• Why this isn’t about competing with Facebook or Google—it’s about going deeper than either could ever go on a single community

This episode is about reclaiming attention from the platforms that siphon it, and redirecting it toward the places and people that actually matter.

Key Quotes

“The platforms are free because you are the product. Advertisers are the customers. Your attention is the commodity being bought and sold.”

“I’ve lived in Russellville my whole life. There are businesses that have been there longer than I’ve been alive that are telling me the same thing: people are blown away when they come inside and say, ‘I didn’t even know you were here.’”

“Facebook and Google could fix this in a day if they wanted to. But they’re not, and I don’t see that they ever will unless pressure is put on them.”

“I can’t expect [the average person] to care about local economy and communities and businesses the same way that you and I do. So what can we do about that? We can incentivize them. We can build experiences, games, and rewards that get them interacting locally.”

“With AI and modern frameworks, anything is possible. It always has been, but now I truly can do anything. It’s just a matter of: should I? Is it solving a real problem? Is it worth the time? Am I passionate about it?”

Links & Resources

• Town Square Website: rvtownsquare.com
• Contact: 479-397-4600 | tal@rvtownsquare.com | team@rvtownsquare.com
• Listen to More Episodes: shows.rvtownsquare.com
• Recorded at: Co-Create Innovation Hub, Russellville, Arkansas

Supporters

Special thanks to our collaborators who make this podcast possible:

• Rubio Accounting
• Wooten Customs
• Jonathan Fontes

Tags

#AntiSocialMedia #BigTech #LocalBusiness #CommunityBuilding #RussellvilleAR #TownSquare #DeleteFacebook #LocalFirst #CivicTech #AI #SmallTown #LocalEconomy #Arkansas

Episode Length

Approximately 29 minutes

Episode Date

November 8, 2024