INFLUENCE

The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from abridging free speech and the press. And Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act prevents common carriers (like telephone companies) from being held liable for the speech of their users. But social media isn't quite either of those things, especially when a small handful of tech companies make huge profits by amplifying dangerous misinformation. So, what IS protected speech on the Internet, and what models of regulation are available to preserve open communication and a digital "public square," while curbing weaponized information?

Alli and Lindsey talk with Paul Singer, a partner at the law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and former Texas Associate Deputy Attorney General, who has been focused on consumer protection on the Internet since the days of MySpace. Paul explains why regulating online speech is incredibly complex, especially at the speed of tech. But he remains optimistic that the history of telecommunications — specifically radio — might guide us toward a legal balance.

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You might assume that men drinking breastmilk is yet another kink — and it can be. But Mikalah says it's often a comfort and a lifestyle for many in the community. She would know, as she's a professional lactation consultant who also found a partner who breastfeeds from her regularly.

Alli and Lindsey speak with her about the extraordinary misconceptions about breastfeeding, how anyone at ANY age can induce breastmilk (including men!), the barriers to selling milk online, and the medical reasons why she found herself to be a leading voice in the ABF community.

For more info, check out Mikalah's podcast "Lactation Station": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lactation-station/id1485681584

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We're off this week, but sharing another one of our favorite episodes about turning fandom into something amazing on the Internet.

-Original Show Notes // December 6, 2021 -

The only thing bigger than "Bachelor Nation" is "Bachelor Instagram." That's usually where the contestants, stars, villains, and conversations around the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises go during each season. But educator Suzana Somers had a fresh idea. When she had to start learning Excel for her job, she got bored crunching pivot tables, so she inserted data from The Bachelor instead: How much screen time did each contestant get? Age ranges? Race and ethnic backgrounds? Roses awarded? Instagram followers? The results, which she visualized on Instagram, have been intriguing thousands of fans ever since. @BachelorData has become a big voice in the reality show conversation, and Suzana has turned it into an educational resource for those who want to improve their spreadsheets skills in a non-boring way.

Alli and Lindsey chat with Suzana about the origin of the account, the online Bachelor community, and the fascinating conclusions she's drawn from analyzing the franchise over many seasons.

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Fandom is the essential glue that holds most online communities together. But Kaitlyn Tiffany says the One Direction fandom ⁠— particularly fangirls ⁠— have a lot to do with with how modern social media culture is structured today.

The author and journalist returns for her second appearance on 2G1P to discuss how the Internet fervor around 1D has influenced everything from commerce to politics to activism online. Her new book, "Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It," digs into the obsessive fan culture that could only be fully realized through the power of the Internet.

Check out her book: https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Need-Get-You-Fangirls/dp/0374539189

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TikTok might seem like a bastion of youth, fun dance moves, and fun challenges. But like most social media, it's rampant with misinformation and weaponized disinformation, especially about the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, joined TikTok for the same reasons we all did: We were bored during the lockdowns. What she found on the platform was so horrifying, she had to step up and fight it.

Alli and Lindsey talk with Dr. Kat about her rise to social media fame as a newly minted science communicator. Her TikTok videos debunk persistent myths about the pandemic, explain how viruses and vaccines work, and call out other medical professionals who insist on spreading dangerous content. She maps why human bias, poor educational standards, and algorithms that only serve sensationalism created a perfect storm of misinformation on TikTok, and what scientists (and regular people) are doing to fight back.

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If you need a break from the world crumbling around us, this episode is for you. Alli and Lindsey try as HARD AS THEY CAN to only talk about good things, and they almost manage to do it!

UFOs are getting a rebrand, hummingbirds are dope, Katy Perry concerts are fun, Zac Efron continues to be attractive, and Ukrainians made an original song about U.S. missiles.

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We have another one of our favorite classic episodes for you this week, so kick back, relax, and enjoy this wholly unnecessary diversion.

--Original Show Notes: September 28, 2020--

Matty Benedetto is a product designer by training, but his sense of humor led him to a life of hilarious content creation instead. Benedetto builds Unnecessary Inventions, ingenious products that solve urgent problems you don’t actually have — like a drink holder for your shoe, or an alarm clock that snoozes itself so you won’t be bothered in the morning. His fake products (and their crisp photos and videos) are so popular that he’s garnered 4 million followers across social media, and a vast community of invention enthusiasts who either really want to buy these ridiculous items, or can’t stop suggesting bad inventions.

Alli and Jen talk to Benedetto about where his weekly inspiration comes from, why it’s so hard to think of a problem that doesn’t exist, and what happens when real brands get involved in the fake product business.

https://www.unnecessaryinventions.com/

https://www.instagram.com/unnecessaryinventions/

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The Bible can be pretty dense and outdated by today's storytelling standards. But what if you could hear the story of Lot, or Judah, or Abraham, expertly recounted by a cool dude at the barstool next to you, with all the hot goss about incest, murder, and rape?

What started as award-winning Reddit comments on politics articles has morphed into The Woke Bible, an entire subreddit devoted to getting high and retelling Bible stories with modern vernacular, reality TV show references, and hip-hop lyrics.

Jason Washington grew up in a fundamentalist family with a strict religious education. But despite leaving the church later in life, he continues to find messed-up Bible stories fascinating ⁠— and so do tens of thousands of Redditors. Alli and Lindsey talk with Jason about his growing community, and how he's educating thousands about what the Bible really says.

Subscribe to The Woke Bible on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWokeBible/

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Autistic children love Minecraft as much as anyone, but they're often bullied by other kids on multiplayer servers. When software developer and dad Stuart Duncan learned of this, he set out to create a private, safe Minecraft server exclusively for autistic kids and their families. The moment he shared it, he got 300 emails from parents who desperately wanted in,

Today, Autcraft has a community of 15,000 kids with autism and their parents, and Stuart quit his job to run the server fulltime and meet the needs of his players. He shares how the server changed the lives of kids and parents, Autcraft's accessibility features that Minecraft has implemented into its game for all players, and why social scientists study the server for autism research.

Learn more about Autcraft and support Stuart's efforts on Patreon: https://www.autcraft.com/

https://www.patreon.com/autcraft/posts

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Lindsey is on vacation this week, so Alli and Matt check the newspaper to see if there's anything going on in the good ol' USA this past week (Spoiler alert: There was!).

We also discuss the philosophical pros and cons of a more "decentralized" Web, and Alli pooped in a hole somewhere in Utah (good luck, Geocachers!).

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