Spotify is only as powerful as you

When I created Airplane Mode it wasn’t to remind you to be positive, it was to remind you that you’re powerful. There’s no greater evidence of Airplane Mode’s ethos than today’s news that Spotify is in fact only as big as its users. 

The story starts here: Last week, Neil Young threatened to leave Spotify over the platform’s exclusive deal with horse medicine aficionado Joe Rogan because of the host’s repeated lies about Covid-19, vaccines and masks. “Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” Young wrote in a since-deleted letter to his management. He also gave an exquisite ultimatum. “I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” he said. “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.” In the end, Spotify chose the guy who rambles about MMA and aliens over one of the greatest living music legends in history.

Rogan has been called “goop for men” but given the health risks he poses to his listeners and society at large, that analogy doesn't even begin to capture the threat he embodies. The Joe Rogan Experience is arguably one of the most popular podcasts on the planet and 71% of the audience is male. His misleading propaganda prompted 270 doctors and medical experts to write an open-letter to Spotify warning that “the average age of JRE listeners is 24 years old and according to data from Washington State, unvaccinated 12-34 year olds are 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID than those who are fully vaccinated.” In other words, Rogan isn’t just trying to make money off men, his words may slowly kill them.

What happened next: The greatest of all time Joni Mitchell joined Neil Young along with Brené Brown and there’s even rumors swirling that David Grohl from the Foo Fighters might too.

oh c’mon

Even Meghan Markel and Prince Harry who have an exclusive deal with Spotify have joined the chorus of voices demanding action. Many people (hi there) canceled their membership as the hashtags #ByeSpotify and #BoycottSpotify trended on Twitter. If you want to delete your account but you’re not sure where to start or don’t want to lose your precious playlists, here’s a very helpful resource to help you align your values with your powerful wallet. 

In the span of a few days, Spotify lost 4 billion dollars in market value which brings them down to a 25% loss since the beginning of 2022. 

Why this story matters: It’s another strong reminder that you in fact matter. Social media algorithms created with the singular goal of making rich people richer, are disproportionately showing you a lot of bad news. But there’s a lot of progress that doesn’t make it to your feed. This gives us all a skewed perception that things are getting worse and that there’s nothing we can do about it when in fact change is happening everywhere all the time. Tech companies may feel too big to cancel (and the media may play it up) but the truth is that they’re not creating the product, you are the product. You hold the power. Spotify isn’t anything without you using it and Rogan isn’t anything without people listening to him.

Today’s a great day to remember that you’re more powerful than you think. 

*OKAY NOW A DREAM JOB CLUB UPDATE*

After receiving a flurry of gorgeous emails, my ADHD and I are slowly making our way through all of your kind messages and inquiries. I’ve connected some iconic disabled candidates with some inclusive employers but the bread and butter of the Dream Job Club will be profiling candidates and businesses on this newsletter and relying on our splendid community to connect them! So please subscribe if you haven’t yet.

The more you share these profiles with friends and family the more we can get these legends hired. Today, I want to introduce you to Cindy who is looking for a job in Pennsylvania, preferably a paid apprenticeship or entry level jeweler work. Here’s a bit more about Cindy who I think is just lovely. If you or someone you know is hiring please share! If you email dreamjobclub@gmail.com I will personally connect you. And if you want to support her work right now you can visit her Etsy shop!

I first became interested in jewelry and design due to the yarn crafts after leaving school in a STEM field. Crochet led me to think about freeform and patterned design, where I naturally tinkered with using leftover bits of reclaimed fabric, yarn, and leather for earrings and necklaces as a way to reduce my waste profile. I opened up my own Etsy store in 2019 and started taking a metalsmithing class in a neighboring city via a friend's recommendation in 2021. Jewelry has always been a point of joy to me, but creative design has been frowned upon in my life as a 1st generation Asian-American. I want people to find small sparks of hope in their daily life by the way they represent themselves. Ultimately, my hope is to find a mentor and work to help me on my journey to make livable art for others. 

Snag her before someone else does! 

That’s it for me. I hope you’re kind to yourself this week.

Liz-