There Are No Girls on the Internet

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 https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2086451  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Check out the entire Disinfo Dialogue here at DCP Entertainment: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRl4XDBfORqgbg7vB_I1JrJnrQxw-EDqgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back with an update about what’s been going on with Bridget, and exploring a new low for the use of AI. AI-written obituaries are using technology to compound people’s grief and run roughshod over their privacy: https://www.fastcompany.com/91162990/ai-written-obituaries-are-compounding-peoples-grief Bridget has had it with digital scammers eating away at our humanity, just so they can make a lousy buck.  She has a very special set of skills.  And this time, it's personal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An update about Bridget and the show. TLDR: We're going on hiatus for a bit while Bridget focuses on some family matters, but we'll be back with new episodes soon! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.