A unique look into young people's online experience on social media and
the industry behind it.
Finding solutions to address the impact of social media on young people is currently at the top of the agenda. The Toxic Triangle project helps decision-makers navigate these challenges and seek effective solutions—ones that truly work, rather than temporary fixes like media bans or age verification.
When young people’s personal information and social lives meet attention-driven technologies, powered by a huge commercial market, a toxic triangle forms. These forces fuel each other, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that is difficult to break.
The Toxic Triangle is a 30–90-minute interactive experience that offers a unique opportunity to see inside the toxic triangle and take a deep-dive into the systems that drive it. Designed as a closed-door session for decision makers, foundations, journalists, and NGOs advocating for change, it provides an over-the-shoulder look into the experience of young people using AI and social media. It offers a behind-the-scenes view on why the toxic triangle happens and explores how the technologies work, and how the system is monetised.
THE TOXIC TRIANGLE IS CREATED BY THREE ELEMENTS:
Youth Sphere: The sociological layerAn online ecosystem where identity, trends and belonging are formed
and performed, shaping youth culture for an entire generation.
Attention Machine: The technological layerA sophisticated algorithmic system that is designed to be
addictive. It learns from people’s behaviour to maximise engagement.
Marketplace: The economic layerAn economy made up of platforms, content creators, advertisers and
actors of all kinds that turn engagement into different social and
real-world currencies.
Contact us to host the Toxic Triangle interactive experience!
What is included in THE TOXIC TRIANGLE experience?
This three-dimensional perspective forms a critical base for thinking about possible solutions and strategies for response
1. The Interactive Experience
The experience starts with an over-the-shoulder view of what young people see online. It invites people to witness the online environment young people find themselves in every day and brings to life the issues that are currently being fiercely debated in public discourse but often only understood on a theoretical level.
It offers six storylines exploring social media and AI tools that are frequently used by young people, followed by supporting animations explaining how the algorithms work and how the system is monetised.
The storylines are as follows:
Thinosphere: What happens after one week when a teen searches 'weight loss' on TikTok?
Manosphere: What happens when a teen searches terms such as 'dating advice for boys', 'masculinity', and 'fitness'?
Sadness: What happens after one week when a teen searches 'weight loss' on Instagram?
AI Cartoons: What happens after one week when a teen searches 'kids cartoons' on TikTok?
AI Companions: This sequence explores the readily available and social media-integrated tools that offer users the ability to interact with AI-generated companions.
AI Deepfakes: This sequence explores various easily available and low-cost technologies that enable quick and easy generation of AI deepfakes.
2. Faciliated discussion on solutions
Decision-makers need to navigate a complex web of solutions with competing political, social, and economic interests on all sides of the debate. Our initiative helps decision-makers to find the right way for them.
After exploring the interactive experience, participants will have the opportunity to engage in a facilitated discussion about potential solutions and response strategies.
The Toxic Triangle experience is flexible and customizable. It can be part of an extended one-day workshop advancing the capacity and professional development of decision-makers.
3. POP-UP EXHIBITION AND ACTION CARDS
In addition to the online experience, we are offering action cards and a pop-up exhibition that can be used for large-scale meetings and conferences, and as a base for workshops.
The posters take a deep dive into the three systems that govern the toxic triangle: the youth sphere, the attention machine and the marketplace. They give insights into the impact on entire generations of young people, how the technology is designed for addiction, how the system works, and ask who is responsible.
The action cards are designed to provide on-hand information, research methods, findings, quotes, infographics, possible solutions, and strategies for response inspiring debate.
Contact us to host the Toxic Triangle interactive experience!
