Babes and Brains make a lockdown comeback! Most of us are aware of the oppressive influence of social media and panic (social dilemma?) is starting to emerge. Is our fear justified? How can we stop ourselves from becoming addicted to our smartphones? Is social media the “evil force” behind political polarisation and emergence of mental health difficulties? We chat about all of that while trying to survive the hermit lifestyle aka Lockdown 2.0.

(1:41) Introduction & our personal (often excessive) social media usage (4:43) The dark side of social media. Social media = scary? Is it taking away our power? Are we losing our agency? (14:01) Is there hope? Solutions from education to regulations (20:11) Your phone knows your secrets and is tracking your every move! (25:57) How to get out of your social media echo chamber? Outsmarting the algorithms and fake news across the political spectrum (38:00) Is fear mongering about social media justified? The difficulty of science communication (40:53) Concluding remarks. Getting away from your screen and into the forest!