Finding the self online: Identity, algorithms, and the digital mirror

Finding the self online: Identity, algorithms, and the digital mirror

Author: Charts & Leisure March 26, 2025 Duration: 47:15

In this special crossover episode with Never Post, Unravelling host Kurt White joins writer and digital media expert Mike Rugnetta to explore how the internet shapes identity, self-perception, and mental health. From TikTok trends to the eerie accuracy of algorithmic recommendations, they unpack the tension between authenticity and performance in online spaces. How does the internet reinforce or distort who we are? What happens when our digital selves feel more real than our offline ones?

They also explore surprising parallels between online spaces and therapy, both offering structured spaces for identity exploration, while discussing the dangers of rigid self-concepts and the necessity of relationships in making sense of our experiences. Ultimately, this episode offers a hopeful perspective on engaging with the digital world: with awareness, playfulness, and the power to shape our own narratives.

Listen to Never Post, A Podcast About and For the Internet: https://www.neverpo.st/


There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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