Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world

Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world

Author: Gareth King Language: English Episodes: 30
It’s a question that nags at anyone who’s ever felt a pang of nostalgia or a wave of digital fatigue: are we better or worse off because of our constant connection? Hosted by Gareth King, Ruined By The Internet? digs into that uneasy feeling, moving beyond simple headlines to explore how our online world actively moulds society, culture, and the texture of daily life. This isn’t about reviewing apps or gadgets; it’s about treating the digital realm as the pervasive environment it has become. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with leading thinkers and researchers from around the world, dissecting the real evidence behind our shared anxieties and hopes. You’ll hear nuanced discussions that ask whether the casualties we often blame on technology are inevitable, or if we’re simply misdiagnosing deeper societal shifts. This podcast provides a space for considered reflection, offering listeners a clearer lens through which to view their own place in a world that is, for better or worse, thoroughly wired.
Episodes
Human Resources: The Era of Digital Reductionism? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:01
The internet promised to make human resources more efficient, objective, and data-driven. But has it instead turned a human-centric discipline into an automated, impersonal system - introducing new ethical concerns, work…
Video Games: From Finished Art to Perpetual Product? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:21
Through predatory monetisation, rushed development, and profits placed firmly over player enjoyment, has the internet turned one of the world's great creative mediums into a subscription-driven, microtransaction-riddled…
Journalism & News: From Fact-Checking to Attention-Seeking? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:22
The internet promised unlimited reach, direct engagement, and a more informed world. But has it instead devalued expertise - creating a clicks and outrage economy where speed reigns over accuracy, and trust in journalism…
Broadcast Television: The Digital Dismantling of an Entire Industry? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:46
By replacing linear, scheduled programming with vast libraries of on-demand content, has the internet toppled the business models and power structures of traditional television for good - or just created a new set of gat…
The Job Hunt: Built to Harvest Data, not People? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:33
It was once a very human-centric process. But has the internet transformed looking for work into an automated, opaque, and intensely competitive digital gauntlet - where algorithms screen you out before a human ever read…
Dating & Relationships: A Dehumanising Paradox of Infinite Choice? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:49
The internet promised unprecedented connection. But has it instead damaged the quality and authenticity of dating - offering endless choice, a shopping mentality, and a reduced emphasis on the kind of genuine, in-person…
Magic & Illusion: Secrets Killed 60 Seconds at a Time? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:21
By demystifying the craft, exposing its secrets, and reducing complex tricks to bite-sized content, has the internet eroded the very foundation of magic - mystery itself?We're joined by Cosentino - Australia's most succe…
Child Safety: Public Platforms Full of Private Predators? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:01
Many people - especially parents - feel that the internet has seriously compromised the safety, wellbeing, and innocence of young people, exposing them to risks the offline world struggles to contain. But is that really…
Attention Spans: A Short-Form Destruction of Focus? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:29
Thanks to the constant stream of information, endless notifications, and explosion of rapid-fire short-form content, are we losing our capacity for sustained focus and deep concentration - or is that just the latest mora…
Ruined By The Internet? - Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:33
Is the internet actually ruining everything, or are we just looking at it wrong?Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.Through…