logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
42m 16s

579. Are You Caught in a Social Media Tr...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode
Economists have discovered an odd phenomenon: many people who use social media (even you, maybe?) wish it didn’t exist. But that doesn’t mean they can escape. 
Up next
Oct 9
690. It’s Show Business, Baby!
Podcasting started as a niche-nerd pursuit. Now it’s a $9 billion industry. Is that a lot? The strange economics of this thing we do. SOURCES:Jim Bankoff, chairman and C.E.O. of Vox Media.Ben Davis, head of digital at WME.Will Page, former chief economist at Spotify and author of ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2
689. Here’s Why Your Hamburger Just Got So Pricey
An economist calls America’s beef industry a “miracle.” An antitrust scholar calls it “broken.” Maybe they’re both right? SOURCES:Austin Frerick, agriculture antitrust expert, fellow at Yale University, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry ... Show More
49m 25s
Sep 25
688. When Is a Bet Not a Bet?
That’s the question at the heart of a battle between Kalshi and state gambling regulators. As prediction markets boom, there are other questions, too — about insider trading, market manipulation, and whether the public has turned against them. (Part two of a two-part series.) SOU ... Show More
50m 32s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
How Social Media Attacks Your Attention Span
What's the longest amount of time you've spent away from social media? For many of us, the answer is "not long." Across the planet, billions of people are caught in an endless cycle of posting, reposting, commenting, liking, and reacting to a constant stream of ephemera -- a neve ... Show More
1h 5m
Apr 2017
Ep. 68: Schadenfacebook
<p>Millions of people around the world use social media every day to stay in touch with friends and family. But ironically, studies have shown that people who spend more time on these sites feel more socially isolated than those who don't. This week on Hidden Brain, we explore th ... Show More
25m 12s
Nov 2022
39 - Is Social Media Stealing Our Happiness?
Are we living too much in our phones? This episode we discuss our relationship with social media and how it has affected our mental health over the years. We all know social media isn’t going anywhere but we’ve given you some tips on navigating the balance of our phones and real ... Show More
40m 31s
Oct 2020
22. Why Do We Buy Things We’ll Never Use?
<p>Also: how is social media like a knife?</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p> 
31m 28s
Jun 2025
Freakonomics
Explores unconventional topics through an economic lens, challenging widely accepted beliefs. The text examines incentives and data patterns to explain various social phenomena, such as cheating among schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers, the reasons behind the decline in crime rate ... Show More
24m 54s
Nov 2024
218. Why Do Parents Overshare on Social Media?
tail spinning
34m 37s
Dec 2022
Being Shady On Social Media
What does it mean if they heart your story? Why haven't they followed you back? Why did they unfollow you? In this episode, we unpack and try to make sense of all of the social media rules that rule our experience on the internet and in our social circles. Hope you enjoy! Learn m ... Show More
32m 14s
Apr 2021
the instagram illusion
This week Emma is talking all things Instagram. Social media can have a lot of pros, but it can also have a lot of cons. From the benefits and why we’re so drawn to it, to the negative effect it can have on our self-esteem and our perceptions of others. How we can manage our use ... Show More
1h 13m
Jun 2023
Is Social Media Ruining Your Studies? - Study Motivation
tail spinning
9m 17s