Ira Glass Reveals Youngsters Used NPR Podcast Comments for Online Chat
Children too young for social media circumvented restrictions by posting on NPR's Spotify comment sections, a finding shared by the 'This American Life' host.
Public radio host and podcaster Ira Glass has shed light on a peculiar phenomenon: children using the comment sections of NPR podcasts on Spotify to communicate online. The unusual activity was initially flagged by an NPR producer who suspected bots were responsible for a series of nonsensical posts.
Examples of these comments included phrases like 'Aw ok mh,' 'Gilgamesh quit, and I'm crying,' and 'Last Friday, I broke up with my gf.' Glass noted that the posts appeared to be interactive, suggesting a conversational element.
However, a Gen Z NPR staffer, Hannah Chinn, identified the real culprits: children too young to have social media accounts. These youngsters were using the comment sections as an alternative space to chat.
Glass recounted a conversation with one of the minors involved. When asked why they chose NPR's podcasts for their online interactions, the child explained that they looked for podcasts with few comments. The implication, as humorously noted by Glass, was that they selected NPR because it didn't seem very popular.
Glass, who himself worked at NPR for 17 years, expressed mock disappointment, telling the child, 'I do a public radio show, and that hurts a little to hear it.' The child responded with an apology and a laugh.
The full story and context were shared in a promotional clip for the upcoming episode of Glass's web show, 'This American Life,' which airs on Sunday.