There Are No Girls on the Internet

Is Drunk Elephant the new Barbie? Skincare is at the top of the holiday wish list for tweens, even though there’s no need for it. And social media might be part of the reason why. 

Let's escape December's darkness with a mental vacation to some exotic travel locales. Tulum! Bali! Lisbon! Millions of people visit these popular tourist destinations, but why? Is it for personal growth and discovery, or are we just chasing social rewards by notching another iconic photo on our Instagram page? Maybe it's both! 

The idea that "social media has ruined travel" gets brought up a lot by grumbly Internet curmudgeons, but is it true? Bridget took a look at what social science has to say about it and discussed what she found with Producer Mike. 

Read the research article by Drs. Lauren A. Siegel, Iis Tussyadiah, and Caroline Scarles

Last year Bridget hosted a roundtable on racialized disinformation attacks with three incredible experts. They talked about the long historical foundations that bad actors have built on to amplify divisions and racial divisions, and the ways tech platforms and other institutions have been used to not only perpetuate disinformation but also make record profits doing it. While marginalized people are disproportionately at risk, disinfo affects everyone. These narratives were a huge problem leading up to the election, and I'm sad to say they will remain a huge problem going forward.

The roundtable was part of a video project with the great production company Exposure Labs. We're grateful to them and showrunner Josh Clark for the opportunity to be part of it, and for DCP Entertainment for making it possible. 

And special thanks to the incredible panelists for sharing their prescient insight: Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, Founder of the National Black Cultural Information Trust; Liz Lebron, Founder & President of Blue Nexus Group; and Jaya Savita Aiyer, Director of the Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network.

We’re back with an update about what’s been going on with Bridget, and exploring a new low for the use of AI.

Hi There Are No Girls On The Internet Fans! Take a listen to the trailer of our newest show, Weird Little Guys.

About the show: Investigative journalist Molly Conger takes you beyond the headlines to examine some of the worst people on the planet, most of whom you’ve never heard of. These are the weird little guys trying to ruin life as we know it.