What happens to dating when every misstep has the potential to go viral? That’s what happened in 2022, when social media posts warning about a few bad dates with a man named “West Elm Caleb” blew up on TikTok in 2022, and became a cautionary tale on the culture of public shaming. In this episode, Morgan speaks with tech journalist Tanya Chen and culture writer Magdalene Taylor about the rise of the “dating panopticon” — a world in which love, gossip, and surveillance collide. From ghosting to the hacked “Tea App,” they explore how online whisper networks meant to protect women have turned into digital minefields, and what it takes to opt out of turning our romantic lives into content.

Guests: 

Magdalene Taylor, writer, culture critic, and senior editor at Playboy

Tanya Tianyi Chen, independent tech writer and editor

Further reading/listening:

Reject the Digital Dating Panopticon — Magdalene J. Taylor, Many Such Cases

Gender Relations Have Made Dating a Hostile Act — Magdalene J. Taylor, Many Such Cases

Women’s ‘red flag’ app Tea is a privacy nightmare — Tanya Tianyi Chen, The Verge    

West Elm Caleb: The TikTok mob's latest target might not deserve its wrath. — Madison Malone Kircher, Slate 

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

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Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio engineering by Brian Douglas. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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“Clacky,” “Poppy,” and "Thocky" may sound like the latest cereal elves, but they’re actually terms to describe the sounds of typing on a mechanical keyboard. What started as a niche hobby blew up during the pandemic, with a huge influx of creators posting tutorials, reviews, and soothing ASMR videos on social media. Many hobbyists are so enthusiastic about achieving the perfect sound, feel and response from their personal keyboards that they design and build their own, sometimes spending hundreds of dollars on custom parts.

Lately though, the industry has been hitting some serious roadblocks. In this episode Morgan examines how the mechanical keyboard craze took off, and why it may now be starting to fade. We’ll hear from creators about how tariffs and the end of the de minimis rule are affecting everyone — from consumers to indie designers, to content creators. 

Guests: 

Frank Lee, keyboard streamer and organizer of KeebLife

Hipyo Tech, YouTube creator

Betty Van, YouTube creator

Further reading/listening: 

The Twitch streamer behind Tfue’s custom $3,500 mechanical keyboard — Nick Statt, The Verge

Looming tariffs are making it extra hard to be a tech geek — Scharon Harding, Ars Technica

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Audio Engineering by Brendan Willard and Brian Douglas. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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AI delusions, chatbot psychosis, AI-induced religious mania… The phenomenon goes by many names, but the common thread is the same: someone starts talking to an AI chatbot, the conversation turns spiritual, and then they seem to lose touch with reality. 

In this episode, we’re exploring how AI and religion are colliding like never before — from biblical AI apps to self-proclaimed prophets who claim spiritual awakenings through chatbots. KQED’s Rachael Myrow joins to talk about the rise of AI-driven theology apps and why so many people are turning to chatbots to answer life’s biggest questions. Then, Rolling Stone reporter Miles Klee shares his investigation into AI-fueled spiritual delusions and their devastating consequences for those affected and their families. And we’ll look into how all of this is becoming fodder for the social media content machine.

Guests: 

Rachael Myrow, senior editor, Silicon Valley News Desk at KQED

Miles Klee, culture writer at Rolling Stone

Further reading/listening: 

People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone

Should We Really Be Calling It 'AI Psychosis'? — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone

Are You There ChatGPT? It’s Me, Rachael — Let’s Talk About God — Rachael Myrow, KQED

What happens when chatbots shape your reality? Concerns are growing online — Angela Yang, NBC News 

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Brendan Willard is our Audio Engineer. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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What is a “groyper?” The term began trending on Google in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death. Kirk, the right-wing podcaster and Turning Point USA co-founder, was fatally shot last Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. 

Major news outlets quickly reported that authorities had found bullet casings engraved with a series of seemingly inscrutable messages, including, “Notices bulge, OwO, what’s this?”;  “Hey fascist! Catch!” followed by arrow symbols; “Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao”; and “If you read this you are gay LMAO.” For most, the phrases seemed bizarre and incomprehensible. But for Aidan Walker, an internet researcher and meme historian, the messages told a clear story which many media outlets had missed.

On today’s episode, Aidan joins Morgan to break down what the messages may tell us about the alleged shooter, how a fringe extremist group known as “groypers” might be involved, and what the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death portends for our political and media landscapes.  

Guests: 

Aidan Walker, independent writer, content creator, and internet culture researcher

Further reading/listening: 

a theory of groyperfication — Aidan Walker, How To Do Things With Memes

Suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting texted roommate he 'had enough of his hatred,' officials say — Doha Madani & Corky Siemaszko, NBC News

Charlie Kirk was killed by a meme — Ryan Broderick & Adam Bumas, Garbage Day

Wall Street Journal quietly walks back false claim Charlie Kirk shooter had pro-trans messages on his bullets — Christopher Wiggins, Advocate 

Conservatives Are Doxxing Innocent People Over Charlie Kirk — Taylor Lorenz, User Mag 

Charlie Kirk Assassination Sparks Social Media Crackdown — Ken Klippenstein, Ken Klippenstein 

Where Charlie Kirk Stood on Key Political Issues — Ashley Ahn & Maxine Joselow, The New York Times

Charlie Kirk in his own words: ‘prowling Blacks’ and ‘the great replacement strategy’ — Chris Stein, The Guardian 

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Chris Egusa. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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When 23andMe filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, it set off alarm bells among privacy experts and consumers alike. According to a 2025 survey, about 1 in 5 Americans has taken a home DNA test. Among those who haven’t, privacy ranks as one of their top concerns. As with so many things having to do with data, there’s a trade-off between confidentiality and the ability to access services that can improve our lives. The fallout from 23andMe’s bankruptcy and an earlier data breach has left consumers more wary than ever and has underscored the need for stronger data privacy laws. In today’s episode, we’ll hear from someone whose life was transformed by a 23andMe test, and from a genetic data and privacy researcher who explains the risks of handing over our DNA to a corporation.

Guests: 

Trine Gallegos, Media Coordinator and 23andMe user

Anya Prince, professor and genetic privacy researcher at the University of Iowa College of Law

Further reading/listening: 

I Tried to Keep My Pregnancy Secret — Anya Prince, The Atlantic 

Judge OKs sale of 23andMe — and its trove of DNA data — to a nonprofit led by its founder — John Ruwitch, NPR

California AG says 23andMe sale ‘does not comply’ with state law — Tyler Katzenberger, Politico

23andMe is for sale. Here’s why companies might want your genetic data — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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The Close All Tabs team is taking the week off, but we wanted to share something else we think you’ll be into: a new mini series from MIT’s TeachLab Podcast. It’s called The Homework Machine, and it dives deep into how teachers and students are navigating the arrival of generative AI in schools. 

Episode one is titled “Buckle Up, Here It Comes.”

In late November of 2022, ChatGPT was released to the public as a free research preview. Pretty quickly, students figured out ChatGPT was really good at doing their homework for them. Schools scrambled to figure out what to do: Ban it? Embrace it? Teachers and students found themselves adapting to a new reality. 

Hosts Jesse Dukes and Justin Reich share stories of teachers and students reacting to the arrival of an exciting, alarming, and strange new technology.

Further reading/listening: 

TeachLab Presents: The Homework Machine – TeachLab from MIT

Teachers Strike Back Against AI Cheating – Close All Tabs

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

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Cheating in school isn’t new. But with AI making it easier than ever, teachers face a new challenge: where to draw the line and how to make sure students are still learning. In this episode, we’ll take a look at three different approaches educators are adopting to deal with AI in their classrooms.

First, Morgan sits down with Max Spero, founder of the AI detection company Pangram Labs, to discuss how detection tools should, and should not, be used in the classroom. Then, we hear from KQED reporter Marlena Jackson Retondo about the return of the iconic “blue books,” and the benefits of “analog” learning. Finally, Morgan calls up her cousin, Jeremy Na, who happens to be an English teacher in San Jose. He explains how he adapted his teaching style to focus on the process of learning, rather than a final grade — and why his method has kept AI out of his classroom (for the most part).

Guests: 

Jeremy Na, Bay Area-based educator

Max Spero, CEO of Pangram Labs 

Marlena Jackson-Retondo, engagement producer and reporter for KQED

Further reading/listening: 

Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College – James D. Walsh, NYMag

Taking Exams in Blue Books? They're Back to Help Curb AI Use and Rampant Cheating – Marlena Jackson Retondo, KQED’s Mindshift

They Were Every Student’s Worst Nightmare. Now Blue Books Are Back. – Ben Cohen, The Wall Street Journal 

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Additional editing by Chris Hambrick. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva and Brendan Willard. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Thousands of writers in Kenya make their living ghostwriting academic papers for wealthy Western students.  It’s an industry known as “contract cheating” or “essay mills,” and is the subject of a new documentary, “The Shadow Scholars.” Directed by Eloise King, the film follows Kenyan-born Oxford Professor Patricia Kingori as she investigates this hidden industry and seeks to understand the essay writers working in the shadows of the educational system. 

Morgan talks with Patricia and Eloise about the world of academic cheating, and how these writers are adapting to a world in which AI-generated essays are just a click away.

Guests: 

Patricia Kingori, professor of global health ethics at the University of Oxford

Eloise King, director of “The Shadow Scholars”

Further reading/listening: 

The Shadow Scholars — Directed by Eloise King 

Kenya’s “Fake Essay” Writers and the Light they Shine on Assumptions of Shadows in Knowledge Production — Patricia Kingori, Journal of African Cultural Studies 

How writing essays for American students has become a lucrative profession overseas — Farah Stockman, The Independent 

Georgia Bans Commercial Cheating Services — Derek Newton, Forbes 

Companies that use AI to help you cheat at school are thriving on TikTok and Meta — Chris Stokel-Walker, Fast Company  

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Maya Cueva. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Have you heard of the “Gen Z stare”? It’s the blank look some Gen Zers seem to give instead of the usual greetings or small talk—and it’s the latest skirmish in a years-long generation war between Gen Z and Millennials. Internet culture researcher Aidan Walker joins Morgan to trace the origins of this rivalry, unpack what behavioral quirks like “the Gen Z stare” and “the Millennial pause” reveal about each generation’s relationship with technology, and explore why everyone seems to forget about Gen X.

Guests: 

Aidan Walker, independent writer, content creator, and internet culture researcher

Further reading/listening: 

Is the ‘Gen Z stare’ just a call to look inward?  — Manuela López Restrepo and Mia Venkat, NPR

Have you been a victim of the ‘gen Z stare’? It’s got nothing on the gen X look of dread — Emma Beddington, The Guardian

Gen Z is staring at you. It may be more than just a quirk. — Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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Social media creators started using words like “unalive” and “seggs” to dodge algorithmic filters that might suppress “inappropriate” content. But these workarounds aren’t staying online. They’re leaking into real life — like last year, when the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture explained on a placard that Kurt Cobain “unalived” himself. 

In his new book Algospeak, linguist and online creator Adam Aleksic argues that algorithms are shaping language in unprecedented ways, and it’s happening quicker than ever. He joins Morgan to explain why euphemisms keep transforming, how “all words are now metadata,” and what his social media persona says about the power of the algorithm to shape the way we speak.

Guests: 

Adam Aleksic, linguist, creator and author of Algospeak

Further reading/listening: 

Algospeak — Adam Aleksic

The resurgence of the r-word — Constance Grady, Vox

How Sign Language Evolves as Our World Does — Amanda Morris, The New York Times

The Harvard-Educated Linguist Breaking Down ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Rizz’ — Callie Holtermann, The New York Times

Read the transcript here

Want to give us feedback on the series? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

You can also follow us on Instagram

Credits:

This episode was reported and hosted by Morgan Sung. Our Producer is Maya Cueva. Chris Egusa is our Senior Editor. Jen Chien is KQED’s Director of Podcasts, and also helps edit the show. Sound design by Chris Egusa. Original music, including our theme song, by Chris Egusa. Additional music from APM. Mixing and mastering by Brendan Willard. Audience engagement support from Maha Sanad. Katie Sprenger is our Podcast Operations Manager. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is our Editor in Chief.

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