PsyberSpace® - we help you understand your world

Leslie Poston, Research Psychologist: Applied Psychology, Media Psychology, Organizational Psychology

English Science Social Sciences Technology

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Episodes 116

Avg. Duration 21m

Activity Highly Active

Apple Rating ★ 5.0 (5)

Since Apr 2024

Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule

Weekly

Format

Episodic

Consistency

70%

Hosting

feeds.transistor.fm

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About This Podcast

PsyberSpace® is a weekly psychology podcast for curious people who want to understand why the world feels the way it does, online and offline. The show helps you name what you’re seeing and feeling, understand the science behind it, and figure out what to do next. If you've ever wondered what makes "reply guys" tick, why we fall for emotionally manipulative language in politics, why meetings suck, why comfort can keep us stuck, why limerence hits so hard, or how music and media reshape your brain, you’re in the right place. New episodes drop every Monday to help you understand your world a little better each week. PsyberSpace looks at how psychology, media, and big systems shape everyday life. Some weeks it’s algorithms, AI, and social platforms; other weeks it’s work culture, gender and power, climate anxiety, grief, or the way capitalism sets the baseline for what “normal” looks like. Each episode breaks down how these patterns show up in real people’s bodies and minds—and what you can do to respond with more clarity, care, and agency in your own life, work, and community. 2025 Webby Award Honoree 2026 Women in Podcasting Award Nominee 2025 Women in Podcasting Award Nominee 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Nominee

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Recent Episodes

S3E21 Sounds Deep, Says Nothing: The Science of Bullshit Receptivity

Jun 11, 2026 15m Transcript

Bullshit Receptivity: Why We Trust the Wrong WordsHost Leslie Poston discusses “bullshit receptivity,” a peer-reviewed construct describing susceptibility to impressive-sounding but meaningless…

S3E20 The Credibility Trap: Why We Trust Confident Wrongness

Jun 05, 2026 18m Transcript

The Credibility Trap: Why Confidence Beats CorrectnessHost Leslie Poston is back after a hiatus to move PsyberSpace to a new weekly Thursday schedule and explains why people often trust confident…

S3E19 Propaganda: Nobody's Immune

May 11, 2026 12m Transcript

How Propaganda Uses Your Values Against Your Brain: The Passport Revocation ExampleHost Leslie Poston explains that no one is immune to propaganda, using her own initial approval of a proposal to…

S3E18 Moral Licensing: How Doing Good Gives People Permission to Be Worse

May 04, 2026 12m Transcript

Moral Licensing: Why Doing Good Can Make Us Behave WorseHost Leslie Poston explains the phenomenon of moral licensing: after people do something that affirms their identity as a good person, the…

S3E17 The Death of Serendipity: What Algorithmic Personalization Is Doing to Your Mind

Apr 27, 2026 19m Transcript

The Cost of Losing Serendipity in Algorithmic DiscoveryHost Leslie Poston discusses how algorithmic recommendation systems have replaced everyday accidental discovery, reducing serendipity and…

S3E16 From the Rape Academy to Your Living Room

Apr 20, 2026 14m Transcript

Semantic Derailment and the Social Permission That Sustains Organized Sexual ViolenceHost Leslie Poston discusses a CNN investigation into an “online rape academy,” including a Telegram group called…

S3E15 When TV Makes Harm Look Normal: Why We Keep Watching

Apr 13, 2026 18m Transcript

The Ethics of Reality TV: Deception, Conflict, and What We NormalizeHost Leslie Poston examines the ethical and psychological costs of reality and reality-adjacent TV that relies on deception or…

S3E14 The Psychology of AI Slop: How Synthetic Junk Erodes Attention, Trust, and Meaning

Apr 06, 2026 18m Transcript

AI Slop and Your Brain: Attention, Fatigue, and the Erosion of MeaningHost Leslie Poston explains how “AI slop” is industrial-scale synthetic content optimized for volume and fast reactions rather…

S3E13 Meta Lost. Now What?

Mar 29, 2026 13m Transcript

Meta Verdicts, Kids’ Harm, and the Push for Age VerificationHost Leslie Poston reviews two jury verdicts finding Meta liable for harming children: a New Mexico case ordering $375 million in civil…

S3E12 The 100% Myth: Why Giving Everything Is Costing You Everything

Mar 23, 2026 23m Transcript

Why “Give 100%” Is Corrosive: Sustainable Performance, Burnout, and Reserve CapacityHost Leslie Poston examines the phrase “give 100%” in American work culture, tracing it to Protestant work-ethic…

S3E11 Why Common Sense Isn't Common

Mar 16, 2026 24m Transcript

Common Sense or Power Move? The One Question That Reveals the DifferenceHost Leslie Poston argues that “common sense” is often used to end conversations and universalize one person’s perception…

S3E10 Your AI Best Friend Is Lying To You

Mar 09, 2026 22m Transcript

When AI Becomes a Confidant: Loneliness, Engagement Incentives, and the Risks of Chatbot “Support”Host Leslie Poston examines why so many adults and teens are using LLM chatbots like ChatGPT and…

S3E9 Forever Wars Shrink the Future: What Endless War Does to the Human Mind

Mar 02, 2026 20m Transcript

Forever War and the Stolen FutureHost Leslie Poston examines a hidden psychological cost of “forever wars”: they don’t just create fear and grief, they change how people relate to time—shrinking…

S3E8 What the Epstein Network Tells Us About Power, Complicity, and the Psychology of Betrayal

Feb 23, 2026 18m Transcript

Losing Our Heroes: The Epstein Files, Elite Complicity, and the Psychology of Looking AwayHost Leslie Poston discusses the psychological impact of seeing the names of people you once admired or…

S3E7 Courage is Contagious: The Psychology of Collective Efficacy

Feb 16, 2026 15m Transcript

Sustained Resistance: How Communities Keep Showing Up Under RepressionHost Leslie Poston closes PsyberSpace’s three-part series on American authoritarianism by focusing on the psychology of sustained…

S3E6 The War on What You Saw: The Psychology of Gaslighting at Scale

Feb 09, 2026 16m Transcript

The Power and Purpose of Obvious Lies in Authoritarian RegimesIn this episode of PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston explores why authoritarian regimes tell obvious lies that contradict available video…

S3E5 When They Come For You: The Psychology of Expanding Violence

Feb 02, 2026 13m Transcript

Understanding American Authoritarianism Short Series Part 1 of 3: Expansion of State ViolenceIn the first part of a special three-episode series on PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston examines the…

S3E4 Your Data Is Already Breached: Why Age Verification Makes It Worse

Jan 27, 2026 17m Transcript

The Illusion of Digital Safety: How Age Gates and Digital IDs Miss the MarkIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the ineffectiveness and risks of age gates and digital ID…

S3E3 Why Does Debating Bad Ideas Make Them Stronger?

Jan 19, 2026 19m Transcript

The Hidden Dangers of Debate: Why It Can Legitimize Bad IdeasIn this episode of PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston explores the unintended consequences of debate formats in media, arguing that they…

S3E2 When "No" Stops Mattering: The Psychology of Stolen Consent

Jan 12, 2026 27m Transcript

The Erosion of Consent in the Digital AgeIn this episode of PsyberSpace®, Leslie Poston discusses the systematic erosion of consent both online and offline, and its devastating psychological…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does PsyberSpace® - we help you understand your world have?

PsyberSpace® - we help you understand your world has published 116 episodes since April 2024, covering topics in Science, Social Sciences.

Is PsyberSpace® - we help you understand your world still active?

PsyberSpace® - we help you understand your world is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 21m.

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