Building a Shield for Your Mind Against Digital Manipulation

Building a Shield for Your Mind Against Digital Manipulation

Author: BKBT Productions August 25, 2025 Duration: 40:39
Sumona Banerji, founder of MindShield [https://www.mindshield.org/] and PhD candidate in cyber psychology, joins us to discuss building cognitive resilience in an age of exponential technology and algorithmic manipulation. George K and George A talk to Sumona about: * Truth is fragmented - Everyone only sees a piece of it, creating space for better discussion * The TAR framework - Trigger, Analysis, Response for emotional regulation with manipulative content * Expanding the amygdala - How meditation literally grows brain regions for critical thinking * Algorithm curation - Your feeds mirror your choices; conscious curation transforms your information diet From documentary filmmaker to tech psychology researcher, Sumona's unconventional path offers unique insights into protecting our cognitive capacity as knowledge workers navigating an increasingly complex information landscape. ------------- Got an idea or topic you'd like us to cover? Drop us a line at contact@bareknucklespod.com

There’s a lot of noise in the world of technology talk, but Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks cuts through it with a focus on the people behind the products and the societal currents shaping our digital landscape. Hosts George K and George A steer conversations that are less about specs and hype, and more about real-world consequences. You’ll hear them dig into topics like the messy rollout of new AI tools, the often-invisible backbone of digital infrastructure, and why communities adopt or reject certain technologies. This podcast regularly features guests from various fields who offer unvarnished opinions on what’s genuinely functional and what’s fundamentally flawed in our tech-saturated lives. The discussions move beyond simple commentary to challenge the standard narratives promoted by the tech industry, examining the cultural and social ripples of every new development. It’s a show for anyone who feels that technology coverage often misses the human element-the frustrations, the adaptations, and the ethical dilemmas. Tune in for a grounded, critical, and consistently engaging dialogue that connects the dots between code and culture. This production from BKBT Productions lives up to its name, getting down to the brass tacks of how technology is built and used, with a bare-knuckle honesty that’s increasingly rare.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
Podcast Episodes
Confronting Big Tech's Abuses as a Question of Human Rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:36
Hannah Storey, Advocacy and Policy Advisor at Amnesty International [https://www.amnesty.org], joins the show to talk about her new brief that reframes Big Tech monopolies as a human rights crisis, not just a market comp…
Can Ethical AI Democratize Therapy and Higher Quality Care? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:03
Clinical psychologist, Dr. Sarah Adler, joins the show this week to talk about why "AI Therapy" doesn't exist, but is bullish on what AI can help therapists achieve. Dr. Adler is a clinical psychologist and CEO of Wave […
So, Are We Gonna Cure Cancer or Just Double Down on Mining Attention? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:59
This week George K and George A switch formats to tackle the AI revolution's messiest questions—from autonomous coding agents to digital actresses and deepfake scams. The hosts examine what happens when innovation moves…
Stalkerware Being Sold on TikTok & Monetizing our Worst Instincts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:09
A stalkerware economy is thriving on TikTok, and it's generating hundreds of thousands in sales. Journalist Rosie Thomas from 404 Media joins the show this week discuss her investigation into GPS trackers being sold as r…
Robot Brothels, AI Therapists, and the Future of Human Intimacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:43
This week on the show: some seriously cutting-edge territory. George A talks about what he saw at the Love and Sex with Robots conference in Montreal. Then George K and George A discuss AI companions, embodied LLMs, and…