ICYMI

There are some controversies that can only happen on Threads. Discussions about mermaid trauma, for instance, or Pepsi having to apologize for their post about Wild Cherry. The platform is home to particularly unhinged users, but why? On today's show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by creator, podcaster, and reluctant Threads lover Franchesca Ramsey to discuss why Threads got its reputation, and how it still manages to be the best alternative to Twitter.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comment sections are dying. At least, when it comes to digital media. Platforms like Twitter have become the new place for discourse, and apps like TikTok are changing what the comment section is even for. Slate's comments, however, are special. On today's show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by staff writer Luke Winkie, who dove into the lore of Slate's decades-old commenter community, and even called up his biggest hater to find out what keeps him coming back. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dumbphones are a popular recommendation for people looking to reduce their screen time, but it's not as simple as it looks. When writer Stephanie Murray made the switch, while she found it did solve many of her problems, it created them for pretty much everyone else around her. On today's show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Murray, who wrote about her experience for The New York Times, to discuss how the outside world is also too smartphone-dependent, and what people should know before taking the dumbphone plunge. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from Kevin Bendis. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like clockwork, another article has created a moral panic about so-called “sickfluencers,” or people—usually women—who share online about their illnesses and disabilities. Critics argue that the rise of these diagnoses and creators is some kind of social contagion, with participants faking their symptoms for social media attention. But these fears are not just overblown—they're harmful. On today's show, host Kate Lindsay is joined by social psychologist Devon Price, author of Unmasking Autism and Laziness Does Not Exist, to discuss the realities of this trend, and why so much of the criticism is rooted in sexism. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A former Anthropic employee claimed AI would lead to the end of humanity, and soon. In the weeks since, the “whistleblower” has done a full press tour, with even Anthropic and OpenAI themselves seeming to cosign this claim. As a result, hysteria has ensued—and that's exactly what these AI companies want. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Better Offline host and #1 AI Hater Ed Zitron to debunk the doomsdayers, and explain why, exactly, these companies are so interested in the end of the world. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pregnant werewolves and surprise quadruplets are just two of the tropes you might find while watching what might be the next evolution of TV: vertical microdramas. Told in 90 second clips, these stories are soap operas for the smartphone era, and are keeping the industry afloat during an otherwise turbulent time for Hollywood. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Yahoo senior culture reporter Kelsey Weekman to hear why dedicated fans are tuning into such ridiculous stories, and how AI is already threatening to bring this rare good thing to an end. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Curtain for Zoosha! K-smog and Batboy caught flipping a grunt.” If that's also what every headline sounds like to you, then you're in the right place. Alex Earle and Stella Lefty are taking over For You Page discourse, but are two pop culture figures we somehow know everything and nothing about. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Hip Replacement's Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick to get to the bottom of exactly who these women are, and how the ambient, “nothing” nature of their digital footprint is precisely the point. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from Evan Campbell.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How many apps does it take to raise a child in 2026? Not only are parents navigating countless WhatsApp groups and summer camp platforms, there's also a whole world of Reels, subreddits, and Facebook groups filled with advice. Often, however, the answers just lead to more questions. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by What Next: TBD host Lizzie O'Leary to talk about the parenting side of the internet, and how understandable anxieties play out online. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many women are hiding their boyfriends online, or losing followers if they hard-launch. Some go as far as to say having a boyfriend “feels republican.” Is this heterofatalism gone too far, or a long-overdue correction to the patriarchy? On today's encore episode host Kate Lindsay was joined by writer and content creator Josh Lora, who also goes by TellTheBees. Josh's Substack essay, Boyfriendland, was cited in the viral Vogue article written by Chanté Joseph, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rise of AI has led to a rise of distrust, but the “tools” used to identify AI and plagiarism are perpetuating preexisting biases. Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor who was found dead in his home last month, is the latest in a string of headline-making scandals targeting writers and academics of color, while white infractors fall quickly out of the news cycle. In today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by The Drey Dossier to discuss why plagiarism and AI accusations are our weapon of the moment, and why institutions, not individuals, should bear the brunt of our frustrations. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember the last time you had fun online? In recent years, it's felt like social media has become overridden with hot takes, discourse, and something called “bean soup theory,” and it's making the internet a frustrating place to be. In today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by social strategist Carmen Vicente to talk about why TikTok is starting to feel like Twitter, and if every social media platform is doomed to the same fate. But the real question is: Is it because of us, or them? This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

True crime has always been entertainment, but social media has turned tragedies like the Lindsay Clancy trial into monocultural moments. It's not enough to read the news, many people who are especially tuned-in are also spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories as part of participating in the larger fandom. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Leah Carroll, a true crime writer and author of the book Down City: A Daughter's Story of Love, Memory, and Murder, to discuss the impact of social media's obsession, and how Leah's own experience with family tragedy informs her perspective on true crime. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The WNBA has finally taken center stage, but the fandom is going through it. New eyes on the sport have brought new scrutiny, which has resulted in racist and transphobic trolling that pulls focus from the actual games. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay talks with WNBA online commentator Angela Perry about the needless controversies that have dominated sports media, and the ways players are using the internet to tell their own, much-needed stories instead. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Technology keeps trying to “fix” every small inconvenience in our lives, which has rendered us completely unable to endure basic hurdles such as sitting in silence, navigating unfamiliar social social interactions, and doing any kind of creative thinking. To reverse this, Kathryn Jezer Morton, writer of The Cut's “Brooding” column and author of the new book The Story of Your Life, proposes we “friction-maxx.” On today's encore episode, Kathryn joins host Kate Lindsay to figure out how to rebuild our tolerance for the very things that, it turns out, make us human.This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a small business in Nantucket put a “no influencers” sign in their store, creators accused it of being sexist. The issue divided the internet, when really, both things can be true: Influencer culture is harmful, and “influencer” has become a pejorative word for any woman who posts online. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay talks with writer Kat Tenbarge about how the word “influencer” has belittled female creators since the beginning, and how male creators have escaped the same scrutiny.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hank Green is finally burning out. After creating for the internet for almost 20 years, the YouTuber (and one half of Vlogbrothers) confessed to having a “not healthy” relationship with AI, relying on the tool to help him create more and more content. Viewers, however, feel betrayed, and worry they can no longer trust Hank's work to be his own. In today's episode, host Kate Lindsay talks with creator Charlotte Moore-Lambert, who is mutuals with Hank on TikTok and made her own video about the controversy, about how we got here, and why there's no such thing as ethical AI. Note: While preparing this episode, Hank Green dropped a new video about this controversy on the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel. You can watch it here.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We don't know how to talk about bodies online. When a popular content creator named Samyra posted a TikTok accusing The Cheesecake Factory's “Skinnylicious” menu as fatphobic, the internet couldn't stop itself from berating her about her size. But when Ariana Grande releases a new music video and people express alarm about her weight loss, suddenly it's inappropriate to discuss other people's bodies. Today, we're joined by Sesali Bowen, author of Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes From a Trap Feminist to help make sense of all this and why it seems like it's open season to litigate on fat people's bodies.Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The internet is never not nostalgic for the past, but something about the 90s is different. While previous trends like Y2K and “millennial optimism” have been mostly about the hair and clothes, 90s nostalgia is all about the tech. Or rather, lack of tech. Host Kate Lindsay and showrunner Daisy Rosario talk about what social media gets right about the decade, and what's just “nostalgia slop” trying to sell us something. Plus, Slate favorite Dan Kois has a challenge for listeners: Party Like It's 1996!This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women's health is being yassified online, from ill-advised marketing campaigns by companies trying to go viral to creators pushing anti-abortion agendas under the guise of “natural” birth control. It feels like there's no one to trust when it comes to sexual health, and it's playing right into conservatives' hands. Writer Noelle Perdue experienced this first-hand, and joined host Kate Lindsay on today's episode to talk about the real-world harm of this online rhetoric. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a matter of days, Jimothy the raccoon went from a neighborhood mascot to a viral sensation. But unlike the internet animals who came before him, Jimothy has no owners, and isn't protected by a zoo. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Garbage Day researcher and editor Adam Bumas to talk about how Jimothy stole the hearts of the internet (except for Kate) and what that could mean for his future. Not only has he had to adapt to his disability in the wild, but now anyone hoping to catch a glimpse could find him, and potentially harm him in pursuit of their own viral moment. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is AI romance inevitable? And who are the people in these relationships? Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls On The Internet, joins us to talk about her new audiobook Love At First Prompt, where she speaks to real people who have found solace and comfort with AI chatbots.Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The app-ification of dating has made meeting people even more difficult. But no one ever talks about what comes after: when you are in a relationship with someone, and have brand new digital etiquette to decipher. When do you hard launch? How much should you post each other? And is it really that bad if they're still liking other people's thirst traps? On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior editor Tony Ho Tran, whose long-term relationship took place mainly online before the pair could live in the same place. While there are still plenty of digital minefields out there, could the thing that ruined dating actually be responsible for making relationships…better?This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with production assistance from Kevin Bendis. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

***GET TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE!!!!***An uncomfortable amount of the internet has been influenced by Barstool Sports. Many prominent online figures, particularly women, hail from the website, and the media company has planted its flag in everything from internet culture to crypto. Upon reading founder Dave Portnoy's memoir, however, all Scaachi Koul found was an angry man made up of grudges. In this episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Koul to talk about Barstool's legacy, its secret influence on the internet, and why, despite this, Dave Portnoy is so bitter about it all.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have expanded from letting people bet on just sports to everything from political events to reality TV, and even the weather. But by injecting financial incentives into things like disease outbreaks, we're even more susceptible to bad actors and manipulation. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by creator Austin Evans to talk about the spread of prediction markets, and how a tool once believed to help us make sense of society ended up making everything even more chaotic. ***GET TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE!!!!***This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GET TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW HERE!!!!As even more countries adopt social media bans for under-sixteen-year-olds, not only does one recent survey confirm they're not even effective, but they also risk ruining the best parts of the internet. In today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined again by internet culture and tech writer Tatum Hunter to discuss how kids have been responsible for defining so many of the memes and apps we enjoy online. Without them, our entire online experience will be worse, and without properly addressing the root cause of the internet's harm, kids won't be better off, either. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from Kevin Bendis. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kylie Jenner and Mark Zuckerberg are trying to rebrand Meta Glasses as some kind of girlboss fashion accessory, even though women are the ones most likely to be the victims of their invasive technology. While Meta plows forward with this new collaboration, the glasses continue to be abused by users taking advantage of its covert filming capabilities, often by filming women without their knowledge and posting it online. On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by A Bit Fruity host Matt Bernstein to discuss why sinister companies keep giving themselves girlboss makeovers—but also why it's not working. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Get tickets to our live show here!Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As sex becomes more online, not only does it become more solitary, but also more surveilled. For instance: Back in December, OpenAI announced that they'd allow adult users to have erotic conversations with ChatGPT. On today's encore episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by porn historian Noelle Perdue, author of the Porn World newsletter. While advances in AI and sex surveillance are intended to divide us, Noelle is confident that AI's attempted sex-takeover will fail. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help today from Kevin Bendis. Get tickets to our live show here!Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick, creator of The Trend Report, to talk about how so many of our favorite influencers have started to retire. Glitter and Lazers deleted her entire digital footprint, and longtime vlogger Zoella has not posted since January, and parasocial fans are having to reckon with the fact that anyone they love online could just disappear. What do these creators owe their fans, if anything? And how can we prepare for this to keep happening?This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from Kevin Bendis.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Will Oremus, tech writer at The Atlantic and author of “The Feel-Good Story of the World Cup Is Too Good to Be True.” While our social media feeds have been flooded with thousands of viral and wholesome moments from the World Cup, Will discovered that a number of accounts behind some of the biggest posts aren't what they seem. Some are using AI to write exaggerated stories, and others have become so mysteriously popular so mysteriously quickly that users are becoming suspicious. Is a Japanese tourist really writing odes to chips and salsa on X? And who is Freddy? Please say Merlin the duck is really a duck!This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, in collaboration with No Such Thing, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph to talk about payment apps, and how they've changed the way we think about money. Plus, Kate reveals her own payment app predicament, and, with the help of the boys and a handful of experts, brings an unspoken, decade-long Venmo feud to a close. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from No Such Thing.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Bridget Read, a features writer at New York Magazine whose recent piece “What If It All Came Out?” reports on the hackers who are weaponizing our extensive digital footprints against us. While public figures have long dealt with embarrassing leaks and exposed group chats, regular people have started grappling with the same problems thanks to the trove of information our devices have amassed without our knowledge. As scams get more sophisticated, and the risk of exposure grows, we'll have to change everything about how we behave online. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate staff writer Nitish Pawha to discuss his piece “Your TV Is Not Safe.” Apps like Instagram, Substack, and Spotify are making the leap from smart phones to smart TVs, as TVs attempt to compete against scrolling, and the nature of entertainment is changing. But giving over our TVs to these companies even further changes our relationships with technology, and even more, how we spend time with each other. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from A.C. Valdez.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay speaks with Rachel Barker, host of Girl on Film on YouTube. The internet has been rich with horror content for decades, but only recently have iconic creepy stories and their creators finally gone mainstream. With movies like Obsession and Backrooms breaking box office records, are YouTubers the next breakout stars for Hollywood? Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Editorial support from A.C. Valdez.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Rachel Karten, a social media consultant and the writer of Link In Bio. Storytimes and other caught-on-camera content frequently goes viral on social media, but now companies have started manufacturing their own skits to secretly advertise themselves. Countless “ambassadors” are telling the same fake stories all over TikTok, with links to brands in their bios but not disclosing that they are trying to get viewers to buy products. Even worse, people keep falling for it. The more we earnestly engage with these made-up scenarios, the more we push the secretly-sponsored content into people's feeds. Will anyone stop them?This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from A.C. Valdez. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer Stephanie McNeal to discuss the internet phenomenon of “boy moms.” As an internet culture expert, and recent mother of a boy herself, Stephanie helps break down the reaction to a recent viral post from actress Jenny Mollen, who has publicly compared her sons to “toxic exes” and is already mourning losing them to their eventual marriages. But she is far from the only example of this trope on social media, and the more mothers fall into this trap, the more they legitimize a problematic dynamic.This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Angelina Mazza whose recent piece in The New York Times details how publishers are “modernizing” previously published books like Pretty Little Liars and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by replacing outdated references to pop culture and technology with artists like Billie Eilish and apps like TikTok. While publishers claim this is to keep younger readers engaged, others argue it's not just patronizing, but also disrespectful to the art of storytelling. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Ed Zitron, host of the podcast Better Offline and a certified hater of AI. After yet another AI writing scandal, this time involving the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story prize, Kate and Ed take a closer look at tools like Pangram that claim to detect AI writing with 99% accuracy. But if we can't ever be sure, then no one knows what's true at all—and that's exactly how these institutions like it. This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by New York Magazine features writer Lane Brown whose latest piece breaks down the “clipping economy,” which has become the backbone of the entire internet. Cheaper than traditional advertising, people and companies employ bots and users to generate fake hype for everything from music to TV shows to SNL performances. The internet has become so saturated with this content that now almost everyone has to do it to compete. But if you take away clipping, does any real internet remain? And if everything is marketing, is anything online real?This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer Daysia Tolentino to discuss whether influencers serve us at all in 2026. James Charles faced backlash for publicly mocking a recently laid-off woman who DMed him for support. And in response, some users are questioning why they even support influencers. While some creators offer niche content or services, many in the A-list are now simply famous for being famous. Meanwhile, the average American is struggling with the rising cost of living. Which begs the question: can we any longer be entertained by watching privileged people doing privileged things? This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and comedian Matt Buechele to talk about how the etiquette around phones is shifting, with previously phone-free spaces now welcoming them into the room. In almost all cases, this makes the experience worse for everyone else, but rather than rebelling, people are starting to accept this as a fact of life. Enough! Let Kate watch Hokum in peace!This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer of Garbage Day and host of Panic World, Ryan Broderick. Ryan has been tracking the metrics of prominent right-wing creators like Ben Shapiro and Tim Pool over the past year or so, and noticed a surprising trend: once lauded as an unbeatable force of political influence, these creators are struggling with both their views and finances. Is this a sign of the tide turning, or was the right wing media ecosystem never as powerful as we thought it was?This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by journalist and creator Princess Weekes to discuss the ethics of consuming leaks. Ten years ago, a fan with access to leaked material from their favorite artist or creator was considered elite. But now, fandoms like Avatar: The Last Airbender worry that watching the now-leaked most recent film is a slap in the face to the artists. But if the choice is between exploiting an artist's work, and being exploited by the streaming services and corporations that are making ethical consumption even more expensive, then does anyone win? This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.