Disconnected

Episode 13 of Disconnected marks the start of an engaging, entertaining, and deeply insightful new co-host format with some new and familiar faces.

Returning to the podcast from past episodes are Ben Wiggins (E3) and Felina Tan (E12), and joining us to complete the lineup is MD of The Giles Agency, Jennifer Campbell. 

We kick off with a look at Donald Trump’s imminent social media venture, Truth Social, an upcoming government campaign against end-to-end encryption, owning virtual land next to Snoop Dogg in the Metaverse, and answering Jen’s burning question on the game played globally by millions: How do you Wordle…?

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• The huge imminent impact of Donald Trump’s new platform, Truth Social
• Ins & outs of the government’s new campaign opposing end-to-end encryption
• The Metaverse, and how we could see real life economic principles translate into the virtual world
• Bad science, fake news, and whether it should be censored online
• Kicking the addiction to our smartphones
• Wordle: a game borne from marital commitment that’s permeating current culture

Ben Wiggins:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bewiggins/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

Influencers have changed the internet forever - can we trust them to do so for good?

Modern social media is awash with brand deals, collaborations, and audiences hanging on every word of these internet personalities. 

This week I’m joined by career marketeer Felina Tan to look back at how exactly we got here, and what the future holds for influencer marketing; who’ll police the bad apples, will the positive influencers win out, and what should platforms be doing to clamp down on misinformation and misleading content?

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• The birth of the influencer in 1760, and today’s evolution of influencers
• Shining examples of how influencers use their power for good
• Warning signs of online personalities abusing their influence
• What platforms can do to sway influencers’ behaviour

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

WhatsApp’s initial dream of safe, encrypted, ad-free private messaging is far from intact…

In 2009, WhatsApp’s creators Brian Acton and Jan Koum shared a passion for creating a free, global instant messaging app without the nuances that plague its current, Meta-owned definition of ‘encryption’. 

Needless to say that Acton & Koum have started their own ventures since WhatsApp’s takeover. So what changed? What’s keeping users on the app in spite of its public misgivings, and what might the future hold for the platform? Learn the illuminating history behind WhatsApp on this episode of Disconnected.

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• The moral compass that guided WhatsApp’s original owners
• How the monetisation model evolved with Facebook’s takeover of WhatsApp
• The power of ‘network effect’, and why it keeps us on the platform
• What Facebook/Meta have planned for the future of the app

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

The introduction of the smartphone to India is irreversible - but has it been for the better?

For many in the country a smartphone presents their first calculator, camera, gaming device, and notably their first always-on portal to the constant stream of internet information.

The implications are far-reaching, but journalist and fellow podcaster Mahathi Rangarajan is scrutinous in observing the encouraging benefits of making more social connections, as well as the unfortunate drawbacks resulting from regulation, censorship, and life-threatening misinformation. 

Mahathi joins me on Disconnected this week as we discuss the evolution of technology’s societal impact in India, building trust between the public & service providers, and how network journalism both helps and hinders the news world.

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• The cultural and societal impact smartphones have had on India
• Impacts of low digital literacy levels and trust in unverified sources
• How prolific, unchecked false news is proving dangerous & deadly
• Government involvement in regulation and censorship
• The good, bad, and ugly side of network journalism

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

It’s time to reset our relationship with technology, and the platforms to which we give our time, energy, and data.

We’re often able to drill down into the nitty-gritty of malicious practices that impact our lives, but to apply it on a societal level takes a big picture perspective. Elizabeth Uviebinené is the multi-award winning author of The Reset, a book which offers us an opportunity to reconsider the effects of our digital lifestyles.

In this deep and insightful episode of Disconnected, we take a look at the constant battle we face against apps designed to keep us there, the tech tools that are obliterating employer-employee trust, our untapped ability to create caring communities from scratch, and much more...

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• Spending more fulfilling time away from our phones
• The battle against apps designed to keep us on them
• Always-online culture & the decay of trust in us to work from home
• Social media’s power to create communities for those most in need
• Accountability and anonymity online

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Photo by Annie Harmeston

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

We’re being scored with secret formulas we don’t understand, with no course for appeal if things don’t go our way.

Data scientists are writing code that learns from our every move, click, post and payment, and it’s tangibly changing the future of our tech-driven world. 

One the one hand, we’re served posts tailored to preferences we may not know we had. On the other hand, mortgages, insurance, jail sentences and job interviews are increasingly at the mercy of code - and it’s not free from bias…

In this week’s Disconnected, we’re uncovering the fundamental issues and historical bias that permeate the systems controlling what you can and can’t do, and why we should be demanding accountability from the tech titans behind it all. 

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• How algorithms correlate and analyse your every move
• The 2 key ingredients behind every predictive algorithm
• Who loses out when unconscious biases are carried forward in data

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

It's never been easier to fall foul of Cyber Attacks than right now…

As the world continues its perpetual shift to an always-online ecosystem, even those with no coding skills can initiate a hack within minutes. Whether it's small-scale leaks of your personal files, or a coordinated attack on HBO demanding $6m for Game of Thrones' final season not to be released to the world, it seems like the risk of being hacked looms ever-closer.

It's time to arm yourself with the tools to fight back. In this episode, we'll be looking at the biggest dangers to be aware of, who's most at risk, and the 10 things you should do RIGHT NOW to protect yourself. 

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• The distressingly vast range of ransomware available to hackers
• Who's most at risk of being targeted
• 10 tips to protect yourself online right now

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

China’s technological progression has been nothing short of meteoric in recent decades, integrating systems long before we’re ready to do so in the West. But how well founded are our fears? Is China’s collective embrace of revolutionary technology being used and abused, or is our trepidation holding us back?

The perfect man to answer these questions is one Blake Stone-Banks, who’s been living in Beijing since 2006 and seen how life in the capital has changed - and where our expectations and their reality differ.

We take a deep dive into China’s use of facial recognition, their openness to change, the prevalence of their WeChat platform, and whether their Social Credit system really lives up to the scepticism we’ve had since the Black Mirror episode that warned us against such a system...

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• China’s rapidly growing use of technology
• The prevalence of WeChat as an almost-universal platform
• How facial recognition tech has impacted life in China
• Drawing a distinction between personal and business platforms
• The reality of China’s Social Credit System, and how it compares to THAT Black Mirror episode

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

Three letters are taking the world by storm - N. F. T. 

Non-Fungible Tokens are a growing phenomenon built on the emerging blockchain technology with far-reaching impacts on currency, art, collectibles, brand integration, and undoubtedly a number of other applications yet to present themselves.

Here to demystify the world of NFTs and blockchain on this episode of Disconnected is Chris Ghent, a trailblazer in the NFT space. We dive into what an NFT truly is, why marketing teams are embracing their own NFTs, and how blockchain will affect the future of digital ownership and currency.

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• What NFTs are, and how they’re made
• Why marketing teams are embracing NFTs
• The relationship between NFTs and Blockchain
• Entry points into NFT tech and art

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/

Apple and Facebook are two of the largest behemoths in the tech space, influencing every facet of software development and hardware design alike, and with iOS 14.5 the two are at war for the internet…

As the ripple effects of Apple’s changes to privacy begin to emerge for us as users, small business owners, and the giant, influential players in the technology space, it’s time to break down this battle.

What can and cannot now be tracked, who has the moral high ground, and is our data really safer now than it was before? Discover these answers, and so much more, in this episode of the Disconnected podcast.

This episode of Disconnected covers:

• How IDFA numbers help track your activity and serve you tailored ads
• Apps building up location data through access to your camera roll
• Key stances from Apple and Facebook on their iOS 14.5 update
• Pros and cons to small businesses of Facebook’s ad targeting
• Apple’s walled garden, and how they keep you in their ecosystem
• The deeper prize to be won in this battle for the internet

Links and references at: https://disconnectedpodcast.com/

Jag Sharma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagsharma
https://www.instagram.com/jagsharma/

Jen Campbell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-campbell/

Jason Kapadia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkapadia/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkapadia/

Felina Tan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/felinagabrielletan/

Matt Webster:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwwebster/