This week on Conspiracy Theories: Book Club, we are joined by tech journalist and author Taylor Lorenz to discuss the creator economy, social media, and what it means to be extremely online.
After the interview, we’re joined by Carter for a wrap up conversation, where we discuss social media’s influence on our own lives. (22:41)
The audiobook edition of Ext ... Show More
Oct 7
Panic in the Streets: The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
On Halloween Eve, 1938 Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds aired on CBS radio. It detailed an alien invasion so realistic that, according to legend, it caused widespread panic among listeners. People really believed aliens were invading Earth. The mass hysteria is an important pa ... Show More
47m 40s
Sep 30
Did a Psych Experiment Turn Ted Kaczynski into the Unabomber?
On April 3, 1996, Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski – better known as the Unabomber – was arrested, ending a 17-year-long bombing spree that left 3 dead and 23 injured. He promised to end his campaign of terror only after outlets published his 35,000-word manifesto; in his view, technolog ... Show More
42m 36s
Dec 2023
Influencers with Taylor Lorenz
“The creatures outside looked from influencer to human, and from human to influencer, and from human to influencer again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”Taylor Lorenz, author of Extremely Online, takes Sarah on a horror- and nostalgia-filled ride through th ... Show More
1h 1m
Dec 2023
"Extremely Online" with Taylor Lorenz
Washington Post tech columnist Taylor Lorenz talks to host Ben Brock Johnson about her new book, "Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet," where she argues that we've been paying too much attention to the Elon Musks of the world, and not ... Show More
19m 26s
Jun 2024
Phones Are Good, Actually with Taylor Lorenz
This week, Taylor Lorenz fights our latest moral panic. Are phones really making kids anxious, or are kids just good at noticing what's going on? Listen to Taylor's podcast, Power User Read Taylor in the Washington Post ...and her book, Extremely Online Support You're Wrong About ... Show More
59m 11s
Feb 2021
Lauren Oyler Talks About Deception Online
<p>Lauren Oyler’s debut novel, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/books/review/lauren-oyler-fake-accounts.html" target="_blank">“Fake Accounts,”</a> features a nameless narrator who discovers that her boyfriend has a secret life online, where he posts conspiracy theories ... Show More
1h 7m
Sep 2020
#218 — Welcome to the Cult Factory
In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Tristan Harris about the ways in which social media is fracturing society. They discuss the rise in teen depression and suicide, political polarization, conspiracy theories, information warfare, the decoupling of power and re ... Show More
47m 22s