Commercial social networks treat human interaction as an extractive, zero-sum game: one person wins while everyone else loses, much like a game of musical chairs. This artificial scarcity forces people into competing over a tiny set of predefined opportunities. Algorithms prioritize conflict, rivalry, and vanity metrics over meaningful human engagement.
Common-good economics dismantles this paradigm. Drawing on non-zero-sum cooperation models, we build spaces designed for mutual benefit. When we openly share knowledge, ideas, and resources, one person’s success is not another’s loss, but an advancement for the entire ecosystem. We must stop structuring digital spaces around aggressive competition and start building platforms where shared growth can flourish.
