Join Kate Lindsay twice a week as we gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back.Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI—plus ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the our show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes
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38 min
The “Tradwife” To Girlboss Pipeline
The “tradwives” are retreating. Nara Smith went on Call Her Daddy to renounce any association with the term, and has been in the middle of a full-on rebrand as the promotes her new…
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34 min
The Toxic FB Groups For Estranged Parents
The latest internet “trend,” apparently, is adult children cutting off their parents. And while there are plenty of spaces on the internet where both children and parents can seek…
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33 min
The Labubufication of AI Agents
The new AI agents from Meta and OpenAI have one thing in common: they look like children’s cartoons. At the same time these companies are warning that AI will kill us all, they’re…
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40 min
How The Pussyhat Unraveled
Ten years ago, the world was gearing up to welcome the first female president. Instead, Donald Trump’s surprise victory went on to alter America’s entire political landscape. It’s…
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46 min
Jane Doe Deserves Better From The Internet
As soon as Jane Doe filed her civil suit against Cornell University, the internet was up in arms. Everyone from Florence Pugh to Love Island contestants took to social media to sha…
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37 min
The Conspiracy Theory Your Parents Are Falling For
What if I told you there was a machine that, using powerful energy and frequencies, could cure everything from common colds to cancers to missing limbs? Well, I’d be lying. And yet…
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51 min
WTF Is Happening On Threads?
There are some controversies that can only happen on Threads. Discussions about mermaid trauma, for instance, or Pepsi having to apologize for their post about Wild Cherry. The pla…
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36 min
The Revenge Of The Comment Section
Comment sections are dying. At least, when it comes to digital media. Platforms like Twitter have become the new place for discourse, and apps like TikTok are changing what the com…
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38 min
No Phones? No Problem
Dumbphones are a popular recommendation for people looking to reduce their screen time, but it’s not as simple as it looks. When writer Stephanie Murray made the switch, while she…
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36 min
The “Sickfluencer” Witch Hunt
Like clockwork, another article has created a moral panic about so-called “sickfluencers,” or people—usually women—who share online about their illnesses and disabilities. Critics…
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42 min
Don't Worry, There’s No “AI Apocalypse”
A former Anthropic employee claimed AI would lead to the end of humanity, and soon. In the weeks since, the “whistleblower” has done a full press tour, with even Anthropic and Open…
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34 min
Forbidden Alphas & Cursed Billionaires: The Rise Of Microdramas
Pregnant werewolves and surprise quadruplets are just two of the tropes you might find while watching what might be the next evolution of TV: vertical microdramas. Told in 90 secon…
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46 min
Who TF Are These Women?
“Curtain for Zoosha! K-smog and Batboy caught flipping a grunt.” If that’s also what every headline sounds like to you, then you’re in the right place. Alex Earle and Stella Lefty…
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38 min
Parenting Apps, Subreddits, & Group Chats—Oh My!
How many apps does it take to raise a child in 2026? Not only are parents navigating countless WhatsApp groups and summer camp platforms, there’s also a whole world of Reels, subre…
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46 min
Yes, Having a Boyfriend Is Embarrassing
Many women are hiding their boyfriends online, or losing followers if they hard-launch. Some go as far as to say having a boyfriend “feels republican.” Is this heterofatalism gone…
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39 min
The Hypocrisy of Plagiarism & AI Accusations
The rise of AI has led to a rise of distrust, but the “tools” used to identify AI and plagiarism are perpetuating preexisting biases. Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor wh…
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36 min
Will Social Media Ever Be Fun Again?
Do you remember the last time you had fun online? In recent years, it’s felt like social media has become overridden with hot takes, discourse, and something called “bean soup theo…
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47 min
It’s Time To Talk About Lindsay Clancy
True crime has always been entertainment, but social media has turned tragedies like the Lindsay Clancy trial into monocultural moments. It’s not enough to read the news, many peop…
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36 min
Leave The WNBA Alone, Trolls!
The WNBA has finally taken center stage, but the fandom is going through it. New eyes on the sport have brought new scrutiny, which has resulted in racist and transphobic trolling…
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51 min
Get In Loser, We’re Friction-Maxxing
Technology keeps trying to “fix” every small inconvenience in our lives, which has rendered us completely unable to endure basic hurdles such as sitting in silence, navigating unfa…