Shows
PsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldYour Data Is Already Breached: Why Age Verification Makes It WorseThe 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 verification systems aimed at protecting children online. Highlighting global legislative attempts and their unintended consequences, Poston argues that these measures often exacerbate digital risks while failing to address root causes such as inadequate parental capacity, literacy deficiencies, and systemic economic struggles. The episode challenges the moral panic around social media's impact on youth mental health, pointing out that true protection requires structural change...
2026-01-2717 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldWhy Does Debating Bad Ideas Make Them Stronger?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 often function as tools to distribute and legitimize harmful ideas rather than dismantling them with facts. Poston discusses psychological principles such as social proof, the illusory truth effect, and the continued influence effect to explain why debates can amplify bad ideas. She advocates for alternative approaches such as weight of evidence framing, pre-bunking tactics, and audience-centered harm reduction to effectively combat misinformation and reduce harm.
2026-01-1919 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldWhen "No" Stops Mattering: The Psychology of Stolen ConsentThe 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 consequences. Key topics include non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery, the mass theft of creative work to train AI systems, the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for social media content, and the influence of manosphere ideology on young men. Poston explores the dehumanization and objectification that results from these trends, the psychological theories behind them, and provides insights into moral disengagement and learned helplessness. The episode concludes with strategies for resisting t...
2026-01-1227 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldGoing No Contact: Why Adult Children Are Choosing Their Mental Health Over FamilyNavigating Family Estrangement During the HolidaysIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the trending issue of family estrangement, especially relevant during the holiday season. With so many adults experiencing estrangement, Poston dives into the research findings from the Cornell Reconciliation Project and other studies. The episode discusses the perspectives and reasons behind estrangement both from adult children and the parents' viewpoints, highlighting cultural shifts and the need for emotional intelligence. The show also covers the misconceptions around 'Parental Alienation Syndrome,' the impact of estrangement during holidays, and potential pathways to reconciliation.00:00...
2025-12-2315 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldLimerence: When Obsession Masquerades as LoveUnderstanding Limerence: The Psychological and Neurological PerspectivesIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the phenomenon of limerence, a state of intense, often obsessive longing that is frequently mistaken for love. Leslie explores how limerence manifests and differs from love and lust, particularly in neurodivergent individuals and those with trauma. The discussion covers the impact of modern technology and social media in intensifying these feelings. Practical advice is offered for managing and overcoming limerence, emphasizing the importance of grounding oneself in reality and seeking support when needed.00:00 Introduction to Limerence00:42 Understanding...
2025-12-0218 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldHow to Spot Weaponized Therapy SpeakTherapy Speak: Understanding Its Positive Impact and Identifying Its MisuseIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the mainstream adoption of 'therapy speak,' explaining its beneficial role in self-understanding and mental health awareness. The script discusses the expansion of psychological terminology into everyday conversations and its revolutionary impact on self-diagnosis, especially among marginalized communities. However, it also addresses the potential misuse of therapy language in relationships, politics, and workplaces to avoid accountability and manipulate others. Leslie outlines how to spot these manipulations and emphasizes the importance of using psychological awareness responsibly to facilitate growth...
2025-11-2420 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldFrom Entropy to Action: Hope, Tactics, and Knowing When to Step Up (E5 of 5 in Series)Finding Reasonable Hope in the Entropy AgeIn this final episode of the 'Entropy Age' series on PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores strategies for maintaining hope and taking action amidst systemic chaos and decay. She discusses the psychological underpinnings of hope, the impact of systemic entropy on the nervous system, and the concept of tactical whimsy. Poston emphasizes the importance of building small, supportive rituals and finding your role in collective action. The episode offers insights into balancing self-care with social resistance, aiming to empower listeners to make meaningful changes even in turbulent times.00:00 Introduction...
2025-11-2116 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldLiving in Entropy: Power in the Entropy Age, or Who Thrives When Things Fall Apart (E4 of 5 in Series)Psychological Patterns of Power in the Entropy AgeWelcome back to PsyberSpace with Leslie Poston. In this fourth episode of a five-part series on living through the entropy age, we dig into the psychology of power in chaotic times. We explore how social dominance orientation, hoarding mindsets, and authoritarian tendencies allow some leaders to thrive amidst instability. We also discuss mechanisms of moral disengagement that turn harmful actions into perceived necessities, and the psychological costs of this behavior on society. This episode provides insights into how these patterns shape the behavior of power-holders and offer a lens...
2025-11-2115 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldLiving in Entropy: Epistemic Entropy, When Truth Stops Feeling Solid (E3 of 5 in Series)Understanding Epistemic Entropy: Navigating Information Chaos in the Digital AgeIn the third part of the PsyberSpace series on entropy, host Leslie Poston delves into 'epistemic entropy,' exploring how your sense of reality is impacted by chaotic information systems and media. The episode discusses the brain's role as a prediction machine, the strain caused by conflicting information, and the concept of epistemic injustice. Leslie also examines how digital platforms shape our thought processes and offers practical advice for maintaining clarity and agency in an environment overwhelmed by biased and manipulative information streams.00:00 Introduction to...
2025-11-2014 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldLiving in Entropy: System Decay and Psyches Under Late-Stage Capitalism (E2 of 5 in Series)Navigating System Decay: Understanding Institutional Betrayal and Capitalist RealismIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the concept of the 'Entropy Age' and its impact on mental health. The discussion covers how the decay of institutions like governments, healthcare, education, and information systems affects people's mental models and trust. Key topics include collective trauma, institutional betrayal, and capitalist realism. The episode explains how layered systems' failures and short-term survival thinking contribute to psychological stress, influencing individuals' perceptions of stability and future possibilities.00:00 Introduction to the Entropy Age Series00:51 Understanding Institutional and...
2025-11-1817 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldLiving in Entropy – When the Future Stops Feeling Real (E1 of 5 in Series)Emotional Entropy: Coping with Psychological Strain in the Entropy AgeHost Leslie Poston of PsyberSpace introduces a five-episode series on the 'entropy age,' focusing on the psychological impact of living in an unstable world marked by late-stage capitalism, technological upheaval, and rising authoritarianism. This episode explores the concept of 'emotional entropy,' comparing it to physical entropy to describe the fraying of our inner lives. Key topics include existential anxiety, mortality, freedom, isolation, meaning, ontological insecurity, and anticipatory grief. Poston aims to validate the feelings of uncertainty and confusion that many experience, framing them as rational...
2025-11-1715 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldWe're All Living in Different Realities (Literally)The Brain's Reality: How Our Perception Shapes Our WorldIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores how our brains create different realities through predictive processing. The discussion includes concepts like the McGurk effect, the role of attention, and the impact of body states on perception. Poston explains how memory is a reconstruction influenced by current priors and how culture and language shape our prediction engines. The episode also addresses the implications for clinical settings, media influence, and the rise of DeepFakes. With practical tips for improving our prediction accuracy and updating our beliefs, this episode...
2025-11-0444 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldThe Bystander Effect Revisited: Courage Against “Inevitable” HarmUnmasking the Bystander Effect: Courage in the Face of ThreatsIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston revisits the classic psychology concept of the bystander effect, challenging the common narrative of human apathy in groups. Starting with the infamous case of Kitty Genovese, Leslie digs into how exaggerations shaped public perception and spurred psychological research. The episode highlights recent studies showing that people often do intervene in emergencies, especially under clear and urgent threats, and how community ties and moral identity play pivotal roles in fostering collective courage. It emphasizes the power of individual actions to...
2025-10-2725 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldThe Psychology of Better Work: Why Remote Work, Rest, and Shorter Weeks Help Us ThriveRevolutionizing Work: Psychology's Role in Shaping the FutureIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the psychology and future of work. The discussion highlights the benefits of remote and flexible work, shorter work weeks, universal basic income, and the importance of rest in creating healthy and productive work environments. Leslie explains how outdated work models are being challenged by new data and psychological insights, emphasizing that autonomy, flexibility, and psychological safety are key to higher productivity and well-being. The episode also critiques the motivations behind return-to-office mandates and the misuse of AI for layoffs...
2025-10-2024 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldWhy Your Surgeon Wears Special Socks: The Psychology of Talismans and Lucky CharmsThe Power of Talismans: Mind Over MatterIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the fascinating world of talismans, lucky charms, and rituals. While these objects may seem irrational at first glance, psychological and anthropological insights reveal they significantly alter how our brains handle risk, uncertainty, and stress. From ancient warriors to modern surgeons and athletes, humans have always used symbolic objects to manage anxiety and enhance performance. This episode dives into the neuroscience of belief, the anthropology of ritual, and the line between helpful superstition and harmful compulsion. Discover how these practices, whether physical...
2025-10-1226 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldThe Psychology of Everyday Aesthetics: Why Your Surroundings Shape How You FeelThe Psychology of Everyday Aesthetics: How Our Surroundings Shape Our Well-beingIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the psychological impact of everyday aesthetics on our emotions, focus, and overall well-being. From cozy cafes to well-lit offices, Leslie delves into the science behind how environmental cues like color, light, form, and texture affect our mental state and cognitive performance. The episode also discusses the importance of creating supportive environments, especially for those who are neurodivergent, chronically ill, or recovering from trauma. Learn how to leverage aesthetic principles to create spaces that promote safety, comfort, and...
2025-10-0621 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldThe AI Transparency Trap: Why Honesty About AI Use Destroys TrustThe Transparency Trap: How AI Disclosure Erodes TrustIn this special episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores a new study revealing that people who disclose AI use in professional settings are trusted significantly less than those who keep it a secret. This phenomenon is linked to identity protective cognition and professional identity threats. The discussion delves into how legitimacy and social norms shape trust dynamics, the role of cognitive dissonance, and systemic issues that exacerbate the AI transparency crisis. Poston also offers potential strategies to address these challenges, emphasizing the need for a cultural shift in...
2025-10-0428 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldFrictionless and Forgettable: How Tech Undermines Friendship and CreativityThe Cost of Convenience: How Technology is Redefining Connection and CreativityIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the impact of technological convenience on our emotional and cognitive lives. Inspired by a conversation with Jason Miller, Leslie explores how platforms like Facebook and generative AI tools are stripping away meaningful friction from our interactions, creativity, and mental tasks, leading to reduced emotional investment and cognitive development. The episode discusses concepts like emotional labor, effort justification, intermittent reinforcement, and the importance of cognitive friction for real connection and growth. Leslie also addresses the balance between...
2025-09-2924 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldStuck in the In-Between: The Psychology of Liminal SpacesExploring the Psychological Depths of Liminal SpacesIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the concept of liminal spaces — those transitional zones, both physical and psychological, where we feel suspended between the past and the future. The discussion explores various examples such as airports, traffic jams, dead malls, subways, hospitals, and even digital environments. These spaces challenge our sense of time, memory, and self, creating both potential for transformation and risks like anxiety and disorientation. By understanding and navigating these in-between moments, we can harness their power for creative breakthroughs and personal growth....
2025-09-2225 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldMicrojoys and Mini-Moments—The Psychology of Tiny PleasuresThe Power of Micro Joys: Building Psychological Resilience through Tiny PleasuresIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the concept of micro joys—small, spontaneous moments of delight that contribute significantly to our mental well-being. Contrary to the cultural emphasis on major achievements and peak experiences, micro joys provide a sustainable foundation for psychological resilience. Backed by research in positive psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science, the episode reveals how these tiny positive experiences can help manage stress, depression, and burnout. Leslie discusses how to identify and savor these moments, emphasizing that they are accessible to ev...
2025-09-1625 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldWhen Hate Speaks: The Psychology of Stochastic TerrorismPsyberSpace: Understanding the Psychology of Stochastic TerrorismIn this special episode of PsyberSpace, hosted by Leslie Poston, the focus is on the psychology of stochastic terrorism, particularly in the wake of the shooting of political pundit Charlie Kirk. The episode explores how public figures use mass communication to incite violence indirectly through loaded language and dehumanizing rhetoric. It looks into the mechanisms behind this phenomenon, including moral disengagement and emotional manipulation. The episode also discusses the global impact of American stochastic rhetoric and offers strategies for resistance, such as cognitive inoculation and media literacy. Leslie emphasizes the...
2025-09-1339 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldSneaky Grief - The Losses That Linger, the Systems That Ignore ThemUnseen Grief: Navigating Disenfranchised and Ambiguous LossIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the often overlooked and invalidated forms of grief that extend beyond traditional mourning. Discussing the concept of 'disenfranchised grief,' the episode delves into how economic systems and societal norms suppress acknowledgment of certain types of loss. From the unexpected death of a first love to ongoing ambiguous losses, Poston examines how these unacknowledged forms of grief affect our mental and physical health. She highlights the limitations of traditional grief models and emphasizes the need for more inclusive and validating support...
2025-09-0823 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldHoarding Power: The Billionaire Brain and the Psychology of PossessionBillionaire Hoarding: A Psychological ExplorationIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the provocative idea that billionaire behavior may resemble a form of hoarding disorder, typically seen in people unable to part with physical objects. The discussion gets into the clinical understanding of hoarding, its evolutionary basis, and how similar psychological patterns might drive compulsive accumulation of wealth, power, and resources at a global scale. The episode critically examines society's celebration and protection of billionaire behaviors as opposed to recognizing their potentially pathological impact, drawing parallels between individual and systemic hoarding while proposing cultural and...
2025-09-0128 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldWhy Some People Want the World to BurnThe Psychology Behind Apocalyptic Thinking and Why It’s DangerousIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the growing phenomenon of apocalyptic thinking, exploring its psychological, sociological, and cultural roots. The episode examines why some people are drawn to the idea of societal collapse and how this mindset is manifesting in modern times through various ideologies and policies. Leslie discusses historical and contemporary examples, the role of trauma, and the disturbing impact of repeated COVID-19 infections on cognitive functions. The episode also highlights the commodification and monetization of despair online and argues for collective ac...
2025-08-2523 minPsyberSpace: Understand Your WorldThe Comfort Trap: Why Ease Is the Enemy of ProgressThe Comfort Trap: How Familiarity Hampers Growth and ProgressIn this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores the concept of comfort and how it acts as a hidden barrier to personal and societal growth. Despite its allure, comfort can prevent individuals from taking risks, learning, and embracing change. The episode digs into the psychological and neurological reasons behind our preference for comfort, and its impact on behaviors, relationships, and social structures. Poston argues that comfort not only stifles innovation and accountability but also perpetuates systemic issues like racism and inequality. She urges listeners to build their...
2025-08-1825 min