IRL: Online Life is Real Life - Podcast Rankings and reviews

I’ve learned so much from this podcast. The internet and staying secure while using it, is a challenge for everyone. This show gives me lots of easy to understand, practical tips to help. Thanks so much!

I love love LOVE the new host Manoush and the way she weaves tech reporting, her genuine curiosity and human stories into episodes that really elevate my understanding of the tech world and its impact on everyday people. IRL has really upped its game in a year when tech is under siege for betraying the trust of users. Wonderful first few episodes. Can’t wait for the rest of the season.

I am a retired political scientist. I live in Washington, D.C. I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast. Information on electoral politics has gone a long, long way since I left the undergraduate classroom in 2002. This bundle of online journalism is FANTASTIC. Today’s generation of students, regrettably, is more likely to consume podcasts like this, because THEY DON’T HAVE TO READ. The podcast enables them to passively consume information WITHOUT having to put forth much effort. Let’s call this “passive information consumption,” which does not involve very much effort. The empirical questions are (1) how closely have the listeners listen?; and (2) what have the listeners learned? Does this medium more effectively facilitate learning than more traditional active reading? This is an empirical question for media savvy learning theorists, which I am not. While I like this podcast-based approach, learning involves WORK and putting forth effort, e.g., close listening and note taking. It’s analogous to listening to a more traditional lecture. The positive is that you can replay the podcast to check your recollection. The world is changing; I like the new model of information dissemination.

Really love their insights and helping me navigate the virtual/real world. Seems questions I’ve always wondered about keep getting answered here - uncanny.