Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world

The internet has given us unprecedented connection. But thanks to relentless data retention and the constant tracking of our every digital move, is it now virtually impossible to shed our old identity and start a new life undetected?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Lachlan Jarvis - private investigator, digital forensics expert, and Director of Lyonswood Investigations - who spends his career finding people who don't want to be found, and understands better than most just how permanent our digital trails really are.

In this episode we investigate how the digital landscape has made true anonymity virtually impossible, examine the difference between active and passive digital footprints and what each reveals, explore the right to be forgotten and why it rarely works in practice, and ask whether reinventing yourself in a world that never forgets is still genuinely possible.

(00:00) Introduction to private investigation in the digital age

(01:48) How digital growth transformed the art of investigation

(04:13) Understanding digital footprints: what you leave without knowing it

(08:04) The interplay between online and offline data trails

(11:32) The right to be forgotten: what it promises and what it actually delivers

(17:50) The future of investigation in the age of AI

(20:32) The challenge of truly disappearing in a connected world

(22:16) The art of disappearing: is it still possible?

(23:00) Digital privacy and security measures that actually work

(24:29) Understanding malware and the digital threats most people ignore

(25:28) Identity theft and its real world consequences

(27:08) Creating a new identity in a world that never forgets

(28:46) The role of technology in helping - and hindering - disappearance

(30:13) Government surveillance and digital IDs: how much do they know?

(31:53) The risks of centralised information and who controls it

(33:25) Practical steps for digital hygiene you can take today

Key takeaways:

• The Myth of Truly Disappearing: True digital erasure is practically impossible. Once data, photos, or personal information enter the internet, they are permanently archived, cached, or stored by third parties, meaning an individual's digital footprint can almost always be recovered.

• Democratisation of Surveillance: The internet has turned everyday citizens into passive data-gatherers. With open-source intelligence (OSINT), public social media feeds, and digital breadcrumbs, a significant portion of modern investigative work is now conducted entirely from a keyboard rather than through traditional physical tailing.

• Algorithmic Deception and Deepfakes: The integration of AI into the digital landscape has compromised the reliability of visual evidence. The rapid proliferation of highly convincing deepfake videos and manipulated media makes distinguishing objective truth from digital fabrication a hurdle for modern investigators.

• Being Deliberately Boring: In an era of aggressive data-scraping, the ultimate defence of personal privacy is radical obscurity. Safeguarding your real-world identity requires individuals to strictly limit what they share, actively audit their digital permissions, and choose a low-profile online presence.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

The Internet: A Corporate Hijacking of Digital Freedom?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MmIzMDA0ZTQtMDA1Ny00OTE1LTkyY2QtNjhhM2NlMzJmODdh

Child Safety: Private Platforms Full of Private Predators?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/M2U3MWEyMGEtM2I3NC00ZjUxLTk0YzItYTY3NDhmZjUwNTBm

Decentralisation: Freedom or Fragmented Control?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NTA5ZDJiM2YtZjc1NC00MzQzLWFkMTQtYjQ0N2M3ZGI4YWU1

Guest links - Lachlan Jarvis

Website: https://www.investigators.net.au/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/Lyonswood_PI

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyonswoodinvestigations/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LyonswoodInvestigations

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lyonswoodinvestigations

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

With its constant presence and insatiable demand for attention, has the internet invaded our offline spaces - diminishing our ability to be truly present and eroding the quality of our in-person experiences?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Emily Toner - clinical psychologist and international expert in mindfulness, eco-psychology, and mental health - who understands better than most what we lose when we're physically present but digitally elsewhere.

In this episode we investigate how constant digital distraction is eroding the quality of our in-person relationships, examine the concept of phubbing and what it's actually doing to the people around us, explore the tension between the state of doing and the state of being in a world that never switches off, and ask whether genuine presence is still possible in a digitally saturated life.

(00:00) The internet's impact on social interaction and presence

(05:06) Why social connection matters more than we admit, and what technology is costing us

(09:55) How our definition of social interaction has shifted in the digital age

(14:51) The distraction of technology in social settings: what we're missing

(20:03) Phubbing: the new social norm nobody wants to talk about

(24:48) The state of doingness versus beingness, and why the internet keeps us stuck

(28:09) The importance of community connections in a digitally fragmented world

(35:37) How digital interactions are changing the nature of real relationships

(39:22) AI and the future of human connection: comfort or catastrophe?

(46:25) Practical strategies for healthier social interactions in a tech-driven world

Key takeaways:

• Staggering Biological Toll of Loneliness: Research indicates that structural social isolation increases premature mortality risk by 29%, packing a physical health hazard equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and carrying twice the mortality risk of obesity.

• Slower-Aging Power of Real Connection: Maintaining robust, lifelong face-to-face relationships - known as "cumulative social advantage" - manifests as tangible physical health benefits. Individuals anchored in deep personal and community networks exhibit significantly lower baseline inflammation markers and experience demonstrably slower cellular and biological aging.

• Slow Friction Leak of Digital Alternatives: While video calls and messaging apps maintain visual contact, they ultimately strip away the nuanced multi-sensory feedback required for true neural resonance - leaving people feeling drained where in-person exchanges leave them energised.

• Silent Disruptor of "Phubbing": This phenomenon of "phone snubbing" (phubbing) constantly derails executive functioning, signals to our companions that an algorithm is more valuable than their presence, and damages text communications through the total absence of tone, body language, and shared physical environment.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Self Improvement: Progress Replaced With Performance?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NTI5M2Y0OWItNWMzNy00OGMxLTljZTgtOTk5MjI2MGM1YzRj

Dating & Relationships: A Dehumanising Paradox of Infinite Choice?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NDAyYjM4YjItNjgxYi00NWEyLTlkZTQtZWY1NTk0N2E3YjFi

Deeper Connection: An Algorithmic Illusion of Intimacy?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZGFiZDU5OTEtYjY5NS00M2ZmLWE1YzYtMjcxYzQzMzFjOTg2

Guest links - Emily Toner

Website: https://www.emilytoner.com

Podcast: https://pod.link/1828836798

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilytoner_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilytonerconsulting/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-toner-27413336/

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

The internet promised to empower artists and give listeners infinite choice. But has it instead turned music into a disposable commodity - replacing human curation with algorithms, and making it virtually impossible for most artists to earn a sustainable living?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Charlie Hooper-Williams - critically acclaimed composer, pianist, creative coder, and one of the developers behind music identification app Shazam - whose new album The Book of Fixed Stars is out now on The Way Beyond Music. He's seen the music industry's digital transformation from both sides, and understands better than most what's been lost and what's still possible.

In this episode we investigate how streaming platforms devalued music while promising to democratise it, examine the TikTokification of music and what it's doing to artistic ambition, explore the role of algorithms in deciding what gets heard and what disappears, and ask whether AI is the final chapter in the story of music's commodification - or the beginning of something genuinely new.

(00:00) Introduction to Charlie's musical journey and digital transformation

(01:31) How digital technology changed everything about the music industry

(02:33) The TikTokification of music: what it means for artists and listeners

(04:17) The devaluation of music as an art form in a streaming world

(05:32) Streaming platforms: exposure versus earnings, and who really wins

(08:06) Spotify's role in reshaping the music industry

(08:51) The challenges of discoverability when algorithms control what gets heard

(12:17) How the artist-fan relationship has evolved, and what's been lost

(17:52) Technology's role in music creation and distribution today

(20:04) Navigating the modern music landscape as an independent artist

(22:56) Live performance in the age of technology: what still can't be replicated

(25:46) The role of algorithms and AI in music: creative tool or existential threat?

(34:50) The future of music in a digital age

(40:46) Advice for aspiring musicians trying to survive the internet economy

Key takeaways:

• Rental Model Value Drain: Shifting from physical ownership to streaming devalues music, creating severe economic inequality by locking independent creators into fractions-of-a-cent payouts controlled by tech giants.

• Algorithmic Cultural Flattening: Streaming algorithms prioritise safe, generic background music to maximise user retention - systematically squeezing out complex, avant-garde, and challenging artistic expressions.

• Dismantling the Creative Middle Class: Centralised platforms heavily amplify the top 1% of globally recognised artists, destroying the local and mid-tier touring circuits that historically supported sustainable professional careers.

• Reclaiming Autonomy Through Physical Formats: Artists are bypassing corporate tech gatekeepers by returning to vinyl, self-managed platforms like Bandcamp, and intimate live performances to foster genuine consumer relationships.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Video Games: From Finished Art to Perpetual Product?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YWNlNzQ1ZDMtMzE1Ny00ZTM4LWIyMzUtMjBhMGY5YzBmODBk

Ayahuasca: From Ancient Ritual to Instagram Aesthetic?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MWMyYjAxNjktYTg4OS00MDk0LThiNDktZGU2NWNjYThhNDg4

The Taxi Industry: A Data-driven Destruction of Dignified Work?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZjFmM2RlN2EtZTNjMC00MTVmLTg3YzgtNTk5Y2NjMWNkNzMy

Guest links - Charlie Hooper-Williams

Website: http://charliehooperwilliams.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliehooperwilliams

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CharlieHooperWilliams

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

The internet promised to modernise an age-old activity, bringing new convenience to a quick thrill. But has it instead delivered a predatory, 24/7 addiction machine - one that exploits our psychology with algorithms and has created what many now consider a serious public health crisis?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Mark Kempster - gambling reform advocate and member of Australia's Alliance For Gambling Reform's Voices of Lived Experience program - who has seen the human cost of online gambling firsthand, and is fighting to make sure others don't pay the same price.

In this episode we investigate the addictive design built into digital platforms, examine how data and algorithms are used to target vulnerable people at their most exposed moments, explore the normalisation of online activity among young people, and ask whether regulation can ever keep pace with an industry that has turned a public health crisis into a business model.

(00:00) The rise of online gambling and its real world impact

(06:55) The addictive design deliberately built into digital platforms

(11:48) Regulatory challenges and the industry's influence over reform

(15:59) How data and algorithms are used to target vulnerable people

(23:38) The future of reform in Australia: what needs to change

(25:33) The pervasiveness of the problem among young people

(27:57) The specific dangers of in-play betting and real time exploitation

(30:46) How online culture has normalised what was once considered a serious risk

(34:49) The role of technology in accelerating addiction

(39:03) The urgent need for regulation and corporate accountability

(43:33) Advocacy for change and what hope for the future looks like

Key takeaways:

• Frictionless Dopamine Architecture: Mobile apps use psychological design tactics (hiding the time, complicating withdrawals, and employing predatory "VIP managers") to trap users in continuous betting loops.

• Targeting Vulnerable Demographics: Tech-driven inducements like bonus bets target 18-to-34-year-olds with developing impulse control, radically normalising gambling to the point that young children routinely debate match odds.

• Exploiting Instant Urges: Erasing traditional physical barriers, real-time in-play betting capitalises on immediate emotional impulses, allowing vulnerable users to bypass natural urge dissipation windows and lose thousands in seconds.

• Regulatory Capture and Failure: Meaningful reform is blocked by powerful sporting and gambling lobbies in Canberra, while a $50 billion industry exploits loopholes to register in the Northern Territory under a regulator with zero full-time staff.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight for Shelter As A Service?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZDU3ZjAzYjktMmZiZi00NmM3LTg4M2ItYTE4OGI1ZWQ2YTFl

Job Security: Optimised For Our Own Obsolescence?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGM2ZmUwZDQtMWEzNS00NWNmLWIyNjAtZmMwMzkxMTRmOGQ3

The Job Hunt: Built to Harvest Data, Not People?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NTEzYzdjODgtNzYyMS00MzY2LWE5ZmQtN2YzMWMwODE5Njhi

Guest links - Mark Kempster

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_kempster

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kempster-2925317b/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/OffOdds

Alliance For Gambling Reform: https://www.agr.org.au/

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

The internet promised a world of self-expression and genuine connection. But has it instead encouraged us to build performative versions of ourselves - curated by algorithms and validated by likes - until we've lost track of who we actually are?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Colin Corby - Digital Detox Coach, Technologist, and CEO of Technology Wellbeing - who helps people reclaim their identity from the platforms designed to reshape it, and understands better than most the psychological cost of living online.

In this episode we investigate how social media has separated our online and offline selves, examine the psychological toll of performing an identity for algorithmic approval, explore the role of influencers in reshaping how we measure our own self-worth, and ask whether AI is accelerating the identity crisis - or offering a way out of it.

(00:00) The internet's impact on human identity

(02:49) Curating online versus offline selves, and the gap between them

(05:46) The psychological effects of social media on who we think we are

(08:51) The role of influencers in shaping identity and self-worth

(11:57) The stress of maintaining an online performance indefinitely

(14:44) AI and the future of human identity: help or accelerant?

(17:46) The case for digital detox and what it actually achieves

(21:00) The psychological toll of a permanent online record

(24:05) Empathy in the digital age: is it surviving?

(27:00) AI's role in the workplace and what it means for professional identity

(30:07) The future of human identity in a technology-driven world

(36:19) Cyborgs and the evolution of human identity

Key takeaways:

• Curated Online Personas: Because our digital footprints create an unerasable, lifelong record, users routinely self-censor and curate flat, two-dimensional versions of themselves online.

• Migration of Primal Social Instincts: Human biological needs for safety and group status have migrated onto social media platforms. Digital currency such as likes and shares exploits these instincts, causing profound mental health issues and inadequacy.

• Illusion of Easy Success: Influencer culture propagates the false appearance that everything in life is effortless. In reality, maintaining this endless content treadmill induces severe stress and burnout, forcing a growing number of influencers to temporarily step away from their online identities.

• Outsourcing and the AI Detox: As corporate tech pushes for agentic AI to automate tasks and mirror human behaviours online, humanity risks outsourcing critical thinking and problem-solving skills – defaulting to the "new average" generated by technology

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Empowerment: Objectification Rebranded As Agency?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YTVjZDI5NjYtOWUzZC00ZDQ4LWFkZWUtYWViZjlmMjRmYjUx

Self Improvement: Progress Replaced With Performance?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NTI5M2Y0OWItNWMzNy00OGMxLTljZTgtOTk5MjI2MGM1YzRj

Social Interaction: The Digital Erasure of Presence?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ODYyNDQ1MzAtMzdlNy00NjEzLWE4ZWEtYjgxMjMzNTJjOGJk

Guest links - Colin Corby

Website: https://thedigitaldetoxcoach.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_digital_detox_coach

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedigitaldetoxcoach

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colincorby

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

The internet promised to make human resources more efficient, objective, and data-driven. But has it instead turned a human-centric discipline into an automated, impersonal system - introducing new ethical concerns, workplace surveillance, and privacy risks that nobody signed up for?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Dr Justine Ferrer - Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management at the Deakin Business School - whose research sits at the intersection of people, technology, and the ethics of how organisations treat the humans inside them.

In this episode we investigate how automation and AI have reshaped HR practices, examine the tension between efficiency and the human touch in people management, explore the surveillance and data privacy risks that digital HR systems have introduced, and ask whether AI can ever be genuinely unbiased in hiring - or whether it simply encodes existing inequalities at scale.

(00:00) The internet's impact on human resources and people management

(02:57) The shift toward strategic HR, and what got left behind

(06:00) Balancing automation and the human touch in a digital workplace

(08:47) Workplace surveillance and the erosion of employee trust

(11:53) Data privacy and security challenges in modern HR systems

(14:48) How small businesses are navigating HR technology without the resources

(17:57) AI, algorithmic bias, and the future of hiring

(20:55) The skills HR professionals need to survive the automation wave

(23:43) Building an ethical framework for AI in human resources

(26:50) The future of human resources in a technology-driven world

Key takeaways:

• Strategic Shift vs. Wellbeing: Historically focused on employee welfare, modern HR has transformed into a strategic corporate function that increasingly leverages technology to drive efficiency over traditional human-centric care.

• Automation as Liberation or Reductionism: While systems can automate menial administrative tasks to free up staff for more meaningful work, the total automation of processes risks reducing unique, complex human beings to mere commodity data points.

• Care vs. Coercion: While marketed under the guise of employee care and health monitoring, invasive employer surveillance tech solutions often manifest as a coercive cultural force that breeds deep worker cynicism and distrust.

• Demands of the Analytical Skill Set: Rather than completely replacing the workforce, the rise of autonomous programs and generative AI demands a massive upskilling in human data interpretation. HR professionals must possess critical thinking, analytical skills, and prompt engineering expertise to actively audit algorithms for data errors and inherent biases.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Brand Trust: The Era of Algorithmic Enshittification?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YjBkYzg1OTktMWQ5OC00N2JmLWEwNjMtNWIwMDkxZmQ2N2I1

Reputation Management: A New World of Digital Life Sentences?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NjRlNGY5YjEtNmQ5YS00NGY1LTg0Y2QtNTAwNTcwNDI3Nzg5

The Taxi Industry: A Data-driven Destruction of Dignified Work?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZjFmM2RlN2EtZTNjMC00MTVmLTg3YzgtNTk5Y2NjMWNkNzMy

Guest links - Dr Justine Ferrer

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/justineferrer

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

Through predatory monetisation, rushed development, and profits placed firmly over player enjoyment, has the internet turned one of the world's great creative mediums into a subscription-driven, microtransaction-riddled shadow of what it once promised to be?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Steve Wright - owner and Editor-in-Chief of Stevivor.com, Australia's leading independent video games outlet - who has covered the gaming industry's digital transformation from the inside, and understands better than most what's been gained, what's been lost, and what the industry refuses to admit.

In this episode we investigate how games-as-a-service transformed player relationships with the medium, examine the rise of microtransactions and subscription models and who they really serve, explore the democratisation of development through indie games and what it's produced, and ask whether the internet's connectivity has saved gaming culture or simply created new ways to exploit it.

(00:00) Introduction and Steve's journey to video game journalism

(02:22) The internet's impact on gaming: the good, the bad, and the predatory

(04:31) Games as a service: how consumer behaviour changed and why

(07:19) From local to online: how connectivity changed the community experience

(11:49) The evolution of game design and storytelling in a connected world

(15:38) Quality control in the age of day-one patches and rushed releases

(17:59) Community feedback and developer response: does it actually work?

(21:27) Indie games, nostalgia, and the democratisation of game development

(27:02) Navigating healthy versus toxic gaming communities

(29:03) Esports, competitive gaming, and how it affects the casual player experience

(34:18) Finding your place in a modern gaming landscape designed to monetise you

(36:46) The financialisaton of gaming: microtransactions, early access, and subscriptions

(41:00) The future of gaming: subscription models, ownership, and AI-driven experiences

(46:10) The positive impact of connectivity on gaming culture

Key takeaways:

• The Rise of Games as a Service (GaaS): The industry has heavily shifted toward free-to-play models (like Fortnite and Destiny) that rely on microtransactions and season passes to encourage continuous spending.

• The Decline of Local Co-op: "Couch co-op" and split-screen gaming have largely faded as developers prioritise utilising full hardware processing power for high-fidelity, individual online experiences.

• Rushed Releases and Patch Culture: Driven by late-stage capitalism and rigid quarterly goals, publishers frequently rush unfinished games to market, relying on the internet to deploy post-launch patches for bugs found by the public.

• Subscription Models vs. Ownership: Services like Xbox Game Pass operate like a "Netflix for gaming", offering massive convenience and a way for indie games to find an audience, but at the cost of players losing true digital ownership of their games.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Music: An Algorithmic Burial of Human Artists?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGEwYmZiOTUtMTAyNS00ZDA1LTlkNmMtNjlhYjhkNzBjMmQz

Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight for Shelter As A Service?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZDU3ZjAzYjktMmZiZi00NmM3LTg4M2ItYTE4OGI1ZWQ2YTFl

Retail: Convenience That Costs Everything?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZGU0YTkzMjAtNGExNi00ZjlkLWFkYTMtOTRmMWFkYjBiMjM3

Guest links - Steve Wright

Website: https://stevivor.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stevivor.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/stevivor

Facebook: http://facebook.com/stevivor

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/stevivor

Discord: https://discord.gg/7YXk6DcS

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/stevivor

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

The internet promised unlimited reach, direct engagement, and a more informed world. But has it instead devalued expertise - creating a clicks and outrage economy where speed reigns over accuracy, and trust in journalism has never been lower?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by John DeDakis - award-winning novelist, writing coach, public speaker, and former CNN Senior Copy Editor - who spent his career at the sharp end of broadcast journalism and understands better than most what the internet did to the craft, the industry, and the public's ability to tell truth from noise.

In this episode we investigate how the internet transformed journalism from a trusted institution into a clicks-driven economy, examine the rise of citizen journalism and what it costs when everyone is a reporter, explore AI's role in accelerating both the misinformation crisis and potential solutions, and ask whether media literacy is enough to save an informed society - or whether the damage is already done.

(00:00) John's journey through journalism and what it taught him

(02:16) How the internet fundamentally changed what journalism is

(03:52) Scepticism, trust, and why digital news is so hard to believe

(06:25) The challenges facing editors in a speed-over-accuracy culture

(08:48) The shift toward clickbait and what happened to investigative journalism

(11:35) The rise of citizen journalism: democratisation or dangerous free-for-all?

(13:55) The role of AI in journalism: tool, threat, or both?

(16:37) The future of content creation in a world of infinite noise

(19:14) The ethics of AI in journalism: where are the lines?

(21:19) Substack and the future of individual journalism: salvation or fragmentation?

(24:08) How journalism has evolved in the digital age - for better and worse

(30:15) Media literacy and education: is it enough to save us?

(37:08) The role of public broadcasting in a fractured media landscape

(42:50) Is there genuine hope for the future of journalism?

(45:18) Curiosity as the most important skill a writer - or reader - can have

Key takeaways:

• Scepticism and Fact-Checking in the Digital Age: The fundamental shift brought by the internet is global connectivity, but digital information can easily be a pipeline for state-level misinformation, deepfakes, and conspiracy theories.

• Erosion of Trust and Rise of "New Media": Public trust in traditional institutions is breaking down as lines blur between rigorous journalism and unverified "citizen journalism" by content creators who focus on maximum reach rather than editorial accuracy.

• Financial Strain on Investigative Journalism: Because the public initially expected news to be free online, many newspapers were slow to establish paywalls, damaging their business models.

• Threat of Generative AI to Human Writing: While AI can serve as a basic research tool, it currently lacks genuine human creativity and often relies on copyright infringement by scraping authors' published works without permission or compensation.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Trust In Information: The End of Believing Our Own Eyes?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGMwN2YyNzItZmU3Yy00Njk0LTkxNWYtYmU5NDdkN2VkY2Y3

Common Ground: From Dialogue to Digital Battlefield?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ODkzNWY5Y2UtYTFmMy00NGQxLTk1YWMtMjk2ZDNkYjg0NDU4

Broadcast Television: The Digital Dismantling of an Entire Industry?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/OTc0YmNmYzItMTI4ZC00OTcwLTk0YWYtYjdjNjY2MTYxYmFj

Guest links - John DeDakis

Website: https://johndedakis.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002BM6WM0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedakisjohn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.dedakis

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johndedakis.bsky.social

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

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By replacing linear, scheduled programming with vast libraries of on-demand content, has the internet toppled the business models and power structures of traditional television for good - or just created a new set of gatekeepers in different packaging?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Amanda Lotz - award-winning author, professor, and research leader at Queensland University of Technology's Digital Media Research Centre - whose work on the post-network era makes her one of the world's leading authorities on what the internet did to television, and where it's heading next.

In this episode we investigate how on-demand viewing dismantled the traditional broadcast model, examine Netflix's role in reshaping audience expectations and industry metrics, explore what the fragmentation of television means for local content and public broadcasting, and ask whether we're living through a golden age of television - or just an age of overwhelming choice.

(00:00) The evolution of television and how media studies has tried to keep up

(03:02) The internet's impact on traditional broadcast television

(05:34) The post-network era explained: what it means and why it matters

(08:12) How audience behaviour and viewing habits have fundamentally changed

(10:34) The role of technology in reshaping the viewing experience itself

(13:21) Why on-demand viewing was always inevitable, and what that tells us

(15:45) Netflix's influence on the streaming landscape and viewer expectations

(18:14) The Australian broadcasting landscape in a global streaming world

(20:41) How success is measured in a fragmented, algorithm-driven market

(25:02) Understanding Netflix's viewing patterns and what they reveal

(27:17) Traditional broadcasters versus streaming disruption: who survives?

(30:59) Are we really living through a new golden age of television?

(33:22) Local content quotas in Australia: protection or futile resistance?

(37:05) The future of traditional broadcasting: slow decline or reinvention?

(42:50) The evolution of video consumption and where it ends up

Key takeaways:

• Technology Affordances Shifted TV Models: The transition from broadcasting (a one-to-many, non-excludable signal) to internet distribution broke the historical constraints of spectrum scarcity. This shifted the industry from a rigid, linear programming schedule to an on-demand library model.

• Delayed Disruption in Australia: Unlike the US, which experienced a massive multi-channel shift via cable in the 1980s, Australia had very low cable adoption. Local networks didn't face severe financial destabilisation until 2009, when digital free-to-air multi-channels diluted advertising revenue across higher programming costs.

• Illusion of Streaming "Hits": Being number one on a streaming platform today is numerically incomparable to a top-rated broadcast hit from the pre-digital era. Streaming data is heavily aggregated globally and cumulatively over time, and a daily "Top 10" list only accounts for roughly 2% to 3% of a platform's total viewing.

• Rise of Personal Media Streams: Instead of pushing audiences toward completely atomised, AI-generated custom content, the internet has shifted behaviour toward short-form social video feeds. These personalised streams maximize efficiency during limited modern leisure windows, acting as a supplement to traditional movies and series.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight for Shelter As A Service?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZDU3ZjAzYjktMmZiZi00NmM3LTg4M2ItYTE4OGI1ZWQ2YTFl

The Taxi Industry: A Data-driven Destruction of Dignified Work?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZjFmM2RlN2EtZTNjMC00MTVmLTg3YzgtNTk5Y2NjMWNkNzMy

Retail: Convenience That Costs Everything?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZGU0YTkzMjAtNGExNi00ZjlkLWFkYTMtOTRmMWFkYjBiMjM3

Guest links - Amanda Lotz

Website: https://amandalotz.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/Amanda-D.-Lotz/author/B001JSDEIW

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adlotz/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/drtvlotz.bsky.social

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

It was once a very human-centric process. But has the internet transformed looking for work into an automated, opaque, and intensely competitive digital gauntlet - where algorithms screen you out before a human ever reads your name?

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

We're joined by Edan Haddock - Global Head of Talent and People Experience at Movember - who works at the meeting point of human connection and hiring technology, and is exactly the right person to ask about what happens if recruitment becomes a purely digital process.

In this episode we investigate how AI and automation have reshaped the recruitment process from both sides, examine the ethical implications of algorithmic hiring and the biases it encodes, explore what it takes to maintain genuine human connection in a virtualised hiring environment, and ask whether the future of recruitment will be more human than ever - or less.

(00:00) Introduction to Movember and Edan's role in talent and people experience

(03:07) The evolution of talent acquisition: how technology changed everything

(05:20) The impact of digital communication on interviews and what gets lost

(08:12) Building genuine human connections in a digitalised hiring process

(10:55) The application process: quality versus quantity and who wins

(13:21) The biggest misconceptions in talent acquisition today

(15:49) The role of AI in recruitment: where it helps and where it doesn't

(18:34) The AI arms race in hiring: candidates versus algorithms

(22:47) Addressing bias in AI recruitment: can it ever be truly fair?

(26:56) How AI can enhance rather than replace the candidate experience

(32:36) Practical strategies for candidates trying to stand out in a digital pile

(35:09) Creative approaches in recruitment that cut through the noise

(37:16) The future of job searching and recruitment: more human or less?

Key takeaways:

• AI Replaces Gatekeeping, Not Connection: Rather than using technology to rank and filter candidates out via rigid skills-matching keywords, Movember uses tools to summarise dense CVs. This frees up time to focus on candidate authenticity, such as embedded Spotify tracks and custom trivia questions.

• Intimacy Shift of Remote Interviews: Transitioning from formal, intimidating corporate panel interviews to video calls has flipped the power dynamic. By entering a candidate's home environment, the interaction becomes a safe space that encourages genuine warmth, unique talking points, and less performative "acting".

• Hyper-Personalisation Crushes "Spray and Pray": High-volume, low-effort tactics like using automated AI tools to blast hundreds of generic resumes overnight, are highly ineffective. The recruiters who care about cultural values want deliberate, tailored applications that highlight a deep personal connection to the organisation's core mission.

• Agentic Screening Multiplies Opportunity: Movember implemented a conversational AI agent named ‘Joel’ to conduct initial 20-minute phone screens. Instead of rejecting hundreds of applicants at the resume phase due to human time constraints, this allows every single applicant an equal, unbiased opportunity to pitch their potential on an opt-in basis.

If this episode got you thinking, check out:

Sleep: Screens Stealing Our Slumber?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/N2NlNGQ3ZmItYTk1Yy00MjRlLTk5YjAtMmUyODM0OTRlNTQz

Dating & Relationships: A Dehumanising Paradox of Infinite Choice?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NDAyYjM4YjItNjgxYi00NWEyLTlkZTQtZWY1NTk0N2E3YjFi

The Human Identity: Authenticity or Algorithmic Performance?

https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YzU1NjhlYzYtMDVjNC00ODJkLTgzYjQtMzBhNDcwN2RkZTJi

Guest links - Edan Haddock

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/edan-haddock-total-talent/id1833735442

Join the investigation

Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/

Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow