Social media consultant Rachel Karten on the death of the follower, micro-dramas, and being “algorithmically ungovernable”
About this episode
Rachel Karten discusses the evolution of social media and its implications for creators and brands.
Social media consultant and “Link in Bio” newsletter author Rachel Karten joins Mixed Signals to explain what social media actually is in 2026. Max and Ben ask Rachel how the shift from follower-based to algorithm-driven distribution broke the contract between platforms and creators, why brands are quietly building their own shows without telling anyone they’re behind them, and what the regulatory gap around paid content is actually doing to the feed. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media For more from Think with Google, check out ThinkwithGoogle.com. Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com
Topics covered
- social media
- algorithm-driven distribution
- content creation
- branding
- regulation
- digital marketing
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