Despite society’s progress on gender norms, there is a historic divide on the "boy-girl internet," which recently has started to reemerge — the charge being led by Gen Z influencers. This week, writers Rebecca Jennings and Luke Winkie join us to answer the question: Are the kids all right?

Our guests are Rebecca Jennings, a senior correspondent at Vox who also runs the Rebeccacore newsletter, and Luke Winkie, a staff writer for Slate who also runs the On Posting newsletter. You can follow their engaging posts (and engagement) at @rebexxxxa and @luke_winkie.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

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He’s conquered YouTube, but can he conquer traditional media? And also burgers and snack bars, for some reason. Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson of Endless Thread join the show to help us figure out how we should feel about Mr. Beast, and how much is simply too much to know about the influencers we love (and love to hate).

Our guests Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson are the hosts of Endless Thread — the professional version of this podcast — where they dig into untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other wild stories from online.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan and our producer Grant talk about the recent brush with politics sweeping across an unexpected community—or is it?—PerfumeTok.

Full episode can be found at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld

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Part of the reason Republicans ran away with the 2024 election is because they used misinformation to make millions of people think that the government was trying to forcibly transition their kids. So, this week we’re investigating some of the origins of that scaremongering by looking at the conspiracy theory that Tumblr turned an entire generation trans. How did this theory spread? And what did Tumblr actually do to our brains? Vera Drew joins us to speak to her experience navigating the internet as a trans person, and the impact online communities like Tumblr had and continue to have on young queer folks.

Our guest Vera Drew is the director and star of The People’s Joker. You can look for screenings or purchase the film (plus merch!) at https://www.thepeoplesjoker.com/.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude, hit them up here: ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan and our producer Grant dig into the election and have some comments about whether or not we can simply create the "liberal Joe Rogan."

Full episode can be found at: https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld

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From shooting themselves up with boys’ blood to starting their own countries, “techno-optimism” has taken a decidedly dark turn. It turns out Silicon Valley is going through a midlife crisis — and while us peasants might address that with a motorcycle or a long vacation, the dudes in the PayPal Mafia are facing their mortality by inflicting pain on the rest of us. Taylor Lorenz joins the pod to dissect what’s caused so many billionaires to lose their minds, and the implications for humanity.

Our guest Taylor Lorenz is a journalist. She hosts the podcast Power User, and writes about tech and online culture for her Substack, User Mag https://www.usermag.co/. You can follow her everywhere else @taylorlorenz.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Donald Trump being brought back into the White House, we might only be seeing the beginning of another decade of QAnon. How did we get here?

Our story today starts in 2016, when Wikileaks released tens of thousands of private emails from John Podesta. By the 2020 election, thanks to “Q” and the QAnon movement, conspiracy theories were front and center. While many originated from right-leaning people and platforms, by the 2024 election both sides now have their own conspiracies to make themselves feel better, or demonize the other team—and there’s so many they’ve become ambient noise. Travis View joins us to talk about the proliferation of conspiracy theories and how they've impacted the way we think and approach politics.

Our guest Travis View is the host of QAA (QAnon Anonymous). Check out the podcast wherever you listen, and follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @travis_view or Bluesky @travisview.bsky.social.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

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Tide Pods were the king of the forbidden candies. The items that looked delicious despite being disgusting, or poisonous, if you actually bit into one. For a few months in 2018, it seemed like the biggest threat to American teenagers was the temptation to participate in the "Tide Pod Challenge," i.e., bite into the Gushers-like laundry pod on camera before calling poison control. Local news was all over the story, police were making videos warning teens of the dangers, an NFL star made a PSA. But, was this actually a real problem? Were teens across the country really this gullible? Was anyone actually being hurt or dying because they ate a Tide Pod?

Our guest PJ Vogt is the host of Search Engine. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can follow him otherwise @PJVogt.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

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The Blair Witch Project stands alone in the kind of panic it caused. No film before or since has quite hit the same fevered pitch, where many people actually thought it was real. What made it so magical? How did it come to be, and why did it freak us out like it did?

David Sims joins us to talk urban legends, predecessors to The Blair Witch Project, and the found footage films that have since tried to recreate its culture-gripping moment since.

Our guest David Sims is a culture writer at The Atlantic, and also hosts the podcast Blank Check. Follow his work @davidlsims and find @blankcheckpod wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Caroline Calloway became internet famous for living a fantasy, at least that's how it appeared on Instagram. Then, she became infamous when the public turned on her. We talk with Caroline about the long history of the women and teenage girls this has happened to before, and what it's like for this generation's version of E Girls, the Simp Queen.

Our guest Caroline Calloway is an author. You can buy her new book Elizabeth Wurtzel and Caroline Calloway's Guide to Life online at https://carolinecalloway.com/ or at your local bookseller, and you can and should follow her @carolinecalloway.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does it feel like this election isn’t really happening? Why does Chappell Roan feel like the biggest story?

Our theory? We live in a Pop Crave world. The tabloid X account is pretty much the modern day AP. Ryan is joined by Akilah Hughes to figure out how this happened and the ramifications for all of us, and especially for the Midwest Princess.

Our guest Akilah Hughes is a writer, comedian, and reporter. You can find her work at https://itsakilahobviously.com, and follow her @akilahobviously on YouTube and X, or on Instagram @akilahh.

Want even more Panic World content? Like ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the Garbage Day Discord? Sign up for a membership at https://www.patreon.com/PanicWorld.

Want to sponsor Panic World? Ad sales & marketing support by Multitude ⁠http://multitude.productions⁠.

Credits

- Host: Ryan Broderick

- Producer: Grant Irving

- Researcher: Adam Bumas

- Business Manager: Josh Fjelstad

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices