Restoring Sanity in the Digital Age With Mark Weinstein

Mark Weinstein is a pioneering tech entrepreneur, privacy advocate, and one of the original inventors of social networking. His 25-year journey includes founding three award-winning social media platforms, such as SuperFamily and SuperFriends, both recognized in PC Magazine‘s Top 100 Sites. As a leading privacy expert, Mark delivered the landmark TED Talk “The Rise of Surveillance Capitalism” and authored Restoring Our Sanity Online: A Revolutionary Social Framework, which presents a bold vision for transforming social media. His work has earned endorsements from industry leaders like Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Steve Wozniak, reflecting his commitment to ethical technology and user empowerment.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [05:29] Mark Weinstein discusses the early days of social networking and the vision behind it
• [07:59] Why Mark left the business world to launch social media platforms
• [10:53] Lessons learned from Steve Wozniak and Sir Tim Berners-Lee
• [19:57] The collapse of Web1 and the birth of surveillance capitalism
• [22:50] Practical steps to protect privacy and reduce social media addiction
• [29:25] Mark’s rules for managing technology use in daily life
• [34:35] The role of AI in shaping online interactions and privacy concerns
• [38:05] Facebook’s controversial approach to handling revenge porn in Australia
• [41:11] Why Mark wrote Restoring Our Sanity Online and his vision for the future of tech

In this episode…

The internet was once seen as a tool for connection, but today, it often feels like it’s controlling us. From social media algorithms that manipulate our thoughts to privacy invasions that track our every move, the online world has shifted in ways few anticipated. So, how can we reclaim our digital autonomy and create a healthier relationship with technology?

Mark Weinstein, a social media pioneer and privacy expert, offers insights into the hidden dangers of surveillance capitalism and how users can protect themselves. He explains how algorithms are designed to exploit human psychology, keeping people hooked while collecting vast amounts of personal data. He shares actionable steps, such as limiting screen time, avoiding AI-driven recommendations, and choosing privacy-focused platforms. Mark also stresses the importance of critical thinking, teaching children to discern fact from manipulation, and advocating for ethical tech policies to reshape the future of online interactions.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Mark Weinstein, author of Restoring Our Sanity Online, about the urgent need for ethical social media and enhanced digital privacy. Mark discusses the evolution of social media, the rise of surveillance capitalism, and the impact of AI-driven algorithms on user behavior. He also shares practical strategies for protecting personal data, reducing social media addiction, and fostering critical thinking in the digital age.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Mark Weinstein on LinkedIn | Website
• Restoring Our Sanity Online: A Revolutionary Social Framework by Mark Weinstein
• Mark Weinstein: “The Rise of Surveillance Capitalism”

Special Mention(s):

• Steve Wozniak on LinkedIn
• Sir Tim Berners-Lee on X
• Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other by Sherry Turkle
• Sherry Turkle
• Raj Sisodia
• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter
• Marshall Goldsmith

Related episode(s):

• “The Pixar Story: The Letter of a lifetime That Started Everything With Alvy Ray Smith, Co-Founder of Pixar” on the Inspired Insider Podcast
• “Atari & Chuck E. Cheese Founder Nolan Bushnell Opens up about Low times and Proud Moments” on the Inspired Insider Podcast
• “How To Start From Scratch With a Food Product Business with Peter Rahal Founder of RxBar” on the Inspired Insider Podcast
• “[Sweet and Snack Show Series] Creating a Positive Impact with Rob Nelson Founder of Big League Chew” on the Inspired Insider Podcast

Quotable Moments:

• “Social media was really visionary at the time. The vision was very pure and very beautiful.”
• “Surveillance capitalism has become an integrated part of our lives and very, very creepy.”
• “AI now supercharges the algorithms. These companies can anticipate your thoughts before you think them.”
• “Disagreement is the backbone of democracy. We don’t hate our neighbors or people with different opinions.”
• “We’ve got to stop believing everything we see and read on social media from either side.”

Action Steps:

1. Limit social media use with intentional boundaries: Setting screen time limits and designated phone-free zones helps prevent digital addiction and promotes real-world engagement.
2. Be mindful of the information you consume: Social media platforms are filled with bots and trolls that amplify misinformation and divisive content.
3. Advocate for privacy-focused technology: Choosing platforms that respect user data and avoiding those that thrive on surveillance capitalism can push the industry toward ethical innovation.
4. Teach children healthy digital habits: Kids mimic adult behaviors, so setting rules like ‘no phones at the dinner table or in bedrooms’ teaches balance.
5. Stay engaged in the fight for ethical AI: Advocating for regulations and transparency in AI ensures technology serves humanity rather than exploiting it.

Episode Transcript

Intro: 00:00

You are listening to Inspired Insider with your host, Dr. Jeremy Weisz.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 00:22

Dr. Jeremy Weisz here founder of inspiredinsider.com where I talk with inspirational entrepreneurs and leaders. Today is no different. I have Mark Weinstein and he wrote the book and we’ll see his amazing background restoring our sanity online, which is a revolutionary social framework. You can check out his website at Markweinsteininventor.com, which will pull up in a second.

But Mark, before I formally introduce you, I always like to point out other episodes of the podcast people should check out. I kind of was thinking about this interview today. Mark, I was like this. Mark’s really been a pioneer in the industry and was like, what other pioneers have I had on that were interesting for people to check out. And so I had the co-founder of Pixar, Alvy Ray Smith.

That was an interesting one. The founder of Atari, Nolan Bushnell. That was also very interesting. The founder of Rxbar. And the founder of Big League Chew. Some of those were just really amazing stories and journeys. You can check those out. This episode is brought to you by Rise25. Rise25. We help businesses give to and connect to their dream relationships and partnerships.

How do we do that? We do that by helping you run your podcast. We’re an easy button for a company to launch and run a podcast. You know, we do the strategy, the accountability and the full execution. So, Mark, we call ourselves the magic elves that run in the background, that make it look easy for the host so they can create amazing content, amazing relationships, and most importantly, run their business.

You know, for me, the number one thing in my life is relationships. I’m always looking at ways on how I can give to my best relationships, and I found no better way over the past decade to profile the people and the companies I most admire and share with the world what they’re working on. So if you thought about podcasting, you should. If you have questions, you can go to rise25.com or email us at support@ rise25.com. I am excited to introduce Mark Weinstein.

He’s a tech thought leader privacy expert. He launched social media networks, believe it or not, back in 1998. That’s why he’s definitely one of the pioneers of social media. It was called Super Family and Super Friends. Actually, the sites were named PC magazine’s top 100 sites for three consecutive years.

He actually went on to found MeWe, which is the first social network with a user privacy bill of rights. They gained nearly 20 million users without any paid marketing campaigns. He is the author, as I mentioned, of the book Restoring Our Sanity Online: A Revolutionary Social Framework. And Mark, it’s pretty amazing. You know, some of the people who endorsed this book, you look at the list and these are a list of OGs.

Okay, so we’re talking Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee. And I was just looking at his Wikipedia page. It’s unbelievable. He was if people don’t know who he is. English computer scientist, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web, the HTML markup language, the URL system and HTTP.

Like, holy cow, that’s amazing. Dr. Marshall Goldsmith I love his book. What Got You Here won’t Get You There. And also Raj Sucedio, which is he’s the co-founder of Conscious Capitalism. So it’s pretty remarkable. Mark, thanks for joining me.

Mark Weinstein: 03:53

Thank you Jeremy. It’s great to be here, man. Thank you. And you know, there’s another guy I know really well a great guy, Kelly Slater. You know, world champion surfer who is another one of the endorsers.

And I think you and I talked offline before, Jack Canfield, of course, the, you know, the world’s success coach and the one of the greatest transformational leaders of all time. And thanks, man. Listen, this is a big conversation, everybody. You know, I’m one of the guys who invented social media. One of there’s a whole bunch of us that did it at the same time back in the 90s.

And social media was really visionary at the time, and it was just an amazing moment where this idea that we could use the web to connect with each other, with our friends and family and like-minded people around the world, stay connected, bring us closer together, bring the human family closer together. It was really an extraordinary time, very visionary. And the vision of social media was very pure and very beautiful. And that’s how it starts. Jeremy.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 05:04

Talk about that time. You know, visualizing in that era, who else was. Who else were you collaborating with and seeing in 1998? I mean, I don’t even know what was online at that time. Who were some of the other people in the space that you were, you know, collaborating with or working with or seeing, you know, launch things?

Mark Weinstein: 05:29

So in 1998 was a very robust time. You know, this was Web1, and it was, you know, the new economy and it was flying. And the social space, we were all in beta at the same time. There were things like Ivillage, my family, E circles, Egroups the globe, you know, lots of places where we’re teaming up, you know, and we were very specifically Super Famicom was all about, you know, your family and your extended family and these, you know, really sort of websites within the website for you and your family. You shared photos, you had family newspaper, we had a fridge.

Everybody could put sticky notes on it for everybody else. It was a lot of great tech back, even in the late 90s. People don’t realize it, you know? And then back then, you know, you upload all your family photos and then we’d send them over to Walgreens for you, and then you go pick them up. It was really it was a crazy time, but the vision was very pure.

There were no bots and trolls. There was no boosted content. There was nobody paying a website to push content into your newsfeed. There was no algorithm deciding what it decided you should see first. So the purity of the experience was really extraordinary.

And it was birthed out of this vision of, you know, we could already work and live anywhere in the world at that point. And, you know, we had cell phones. They were already, you know, coming and about. But we weren’t using the web to stay in connection, to expand the human connectivity, the human connection. So it was great.

And there were certainly a lot of people. And of course everything was going on then Drugstore.com was going on and Pets.com all these, you know, you know, it was really quite the revolution. That was really the beginning of the tech revolution.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 07:29

What made you decide to launch those sites like now? It’s obviously a bit sexier to be an entrepreneur and that than it wasn’t. Right. I mean, how do you even find the engineers to engineer this thing? I mean, it’s like really early on.

Why did you what made you decide to start this as opposed to I know you were philosophy, sociology. You went out to get your MBA at UCLA. You could have just gone in the business world and done your thing.

Mark Weinstein: 07:59

And, you know, I was also a car nut. I still love cars. Great hobby. But, you know, look, I got really interested in tech and tech was really birthing it. And then really, you know, the idea of communication really, this is one of those things that comes out of the mouth of babes, so to speak.

You know, the children I was took a hike with my ten-year-old nephew, you know, on a family vacation in the middle of nowhere in Stanley, Idaho. And we were talking about this conversation was like, Uncle Barky, wouldn’t it be great if we could dot, dot, dot, fill in the dots? What he how he wanted to stay in touch because we were on a family vacation with our extended family, and we lived around the country and, you know, all of this traveled around the world, and he was like the birth of this idea. Ten minutes in the conversation, I said to my nephew, I’m going to start a company. I’m going to give you 10% of what I own it.

And literally it was one of those awarenesses, you know, everybody, you have these moments in your life where whether you do it or not, you feel something, you’re like, oh, I should do that, or oh my God, this is this is really important, or this is it, or this is for me or whatever it is. You have that feeling once in a while. It could be, you know, maybe once in a lifetime or once every few years. That’s how it starts. Now, Jeremy, your other question about how do you find the engineers?

Now, listen, everybody, that’s really the point here is, you know, no design for the web in 1997, 1998, and nobody knew how to design for a website that was a communication website that would load on dial up for everybody who doesn’t know what dial up is. The way we got to the internet, there was through a phone line and that was called dial-up. That was the only way you could get to the internet back in the day in the late 90s. So, I mean, if you had a company, you could plug in a T1 line. They were called T1, which were great super speed, super-fast, super broad.

But in your house you couldn’t install a T1. They were very expensive, like a thousand bucks a month. So, you know, you had a phone line. So anyway, the first designers, graphic designers and engineers that I hired, you know, I remember the first beautiful pages for the website wouldn’t load. So you couldn’t you couldn’t, you know, no one ever gets them.

So, you know, I ended up I was in New Mexico. I went to the labs, Los Alamos labs, Sandia Labs. I recruited engineers out of the labs. That’s how I did it.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 10:35

That’s amazing. Talk about some of the lessons. I know. You know, we mentioned, You know, Steve Wozniak and Sir Tim Berners-Lee from Steve Wozniak. Talk about, I don’t know, any lessons learned from him.

Obviously, he gave a great endorsement of the book. What have you learned from Steve?

Mark Weinstein: 10:53

Well, was Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web? Everybody, you know was the co-founder of Apple. Raj Sisodia, the co-founder of Conscious Capitalism, Sherry Turkle, a brilliant scholar and MIT scholar, author of many books, including Alone Together, about the impact of technology on human beings and on our relationships. All of these and many others. Jack Canfield, you mentioned, have been advisors over the years.

And, you know, so it’s almost like, you know, somebody pinch me. And it’s also so humbling that such extraordinary, you know, ethical, authentic, brilliant human beings Would come to my side and whisper in my ear and say, look, here’s a way to do this, and here’s a way to do that. Or, you know, thank you for doing this because, you know, I mean, in web two, you know, when I came into web two and launched MeWe, you know, to really to compete with Facebook and many people called us the Anti-facebook because we didn’t have boosted content. Your timeline was Newsline-ordered. We had a privacy bill of rights so that everything that you did, you know was yours.

You know, it wasn’t ours. We didn’t aggregate your data. We didn’t have an algorithm trying to figure out what you should see or what we should sell you. There were no ads. There was no, you know, so this this idea and the fact that I took this on and I liquidated my retirement account and I started that second company that, you know, in in 2000 when we launched, maybe in 2016, after, you know, several years raising money and running a beta A project, having these such incredible people support me and then having, you know, Sir Tim and Wise and Raj and Jack, all these wonderful people endorsed the book and not just endorse it, but Jeremy, as you saw, you know, Sir Tim Berners-Lee says it’s a vital read.

Lars says it’s a must-read. And it’s not just about the read. We’ve got to talk about this stuff and we’ve got to do it. It’s like, you know, this is a book about taking action because our power is in our action. It’s not just sitting around reading, but it’s reading it and being inspired and taking action to be part of the solution.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 13:19

Well, definitely talk about, you know, some stories from the book. I have some notes here of questions I have. Back to was for a second. What’s the advice that he gave you? It could be with the book.

It could be with me. What sticks out to you as some advice that he gave you throughout the years.

Mark Weinstein: 13:37

Well, here’s the thing about was, was is a huge supporter of the mission of the vision. And so was really, you know, I think was his message to people, if I could just, you know, say how I see it is to stay on course when you’re doing something really important and really good, stay with it, you know, because you know, what was is all about, you know, the human condition, you know, and you know this everybody by you know, when you learn about was is a fascinating and wonderful and extraordinary human being. And he’s all about humanity. So, you know, I think just being supported by was is just spectacular. You’re being supported by Sir Tim, who also, you know, it was able, you know, to give good advice about privacy and, you know, engineering possibilities and where we can go.

And Sir Tim is so inspiring to me and has been for years. I’ve met with Tim many times. And, you know, look, he’s invented a new system called Solid Pods and Solid Wallet is his company. Inrupt is developing these protocols so that have data interoperability. So we could port our data from one site to another.

So if we’re on a site and we don’t like what they’re doing, then we can just pull our data down, move it and put it up, you know, somewhere else. And that would inspire the free market. I mean, Sir Tim is just an extraordinary, incredibly great human being, and he sees where we’ve got to go next. He sees the problems that have been created that he didn’t intend for and didn’t anticipate. None of us anticipated what happened to social media and to the web.

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