Morality in the Twitter era. Plus: China’s language revolution

The podcast explores the weaponization of morality on social media and its impact on individual behavior and broader culture. Dan Brooks discusses how morality has shifted from a private matter to a public performance, leading to passivity and a focus on appearing good rather than genuinely being good. He uses the example of choosing between a black and white cookie and an apricot bar to illustrate how everyday decisions can be over-moralized, obscuring more immediate concerns. Jing Tsu discusses China's digital power and how the standardization of the Chinese language 60 years ago influenced its technological advancement. She explains the complexities of the Chinese language and how its standardization has played a role in both cyber governance and censorship within China.