This Machine Kills Patreon Preview – 436. Panic! Attack the User
Dec 17, 2025
The hosts dive into the moral panics surrounding vaping in schools, highlighting how it triggers a boom in bathroom surveillance. They argue that schools prioritize punitive measures over supportive responses, ignoring the root causes of youth vaping. The discussion reveals how vape design targets young users with high nicotine levels. The conversation also connects current vaping trends to historical tactics of the tobacco industry. Anecdotes and immediate reactions provide a personal touch to the complex issues at hand.
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Surveillance Replaces Support In Schools
- Schools are choosing surveillance and punishment over treatment when confronting student vaping.
- Jathan Sadowski argues this mirrors broader shifts toward punitive techno-solutions rather than addressing root causes.
Policy Favors Punishment Over Help
- The public response to vaping prioritizes punitive measures like expulsions over counseling or education.
- Edward Ongweso Jr. and Jathan note this reflects a 'satanic path' of authoritarian policy choices.
Bricking Vapes And Hiding Devices
- Edward imagines bricking every vape device to stop youth usage, highlighting extreme frustration.
- Jathan suggests hiding a friend's vape to observe withdrawal-like behavior as a quick real-world test.