
INFLUENCE
What does it really take to make a living (and an impact) on the Internet today?Join Matt Silverman (who has been covering online culture for 15+ years) in conversation with YouTubers, musicians, podcasters, streamers, journalists, TikTokers and more about turning creativity into a job, building community on ever-changing platforms, and their complex relationships with huge online audiences.INFLUENCE is the relaunch of 2 GIRLS 1 PODCAST, a weekly comedy/interview show about fascinating online communities, which ran for 7 years and nearly 300 episodes.
Latest episodes

Nov 27, 2023 • 30min
278 The Most DAY OFF Day of the Year
We gear up for Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving, and look ahead to the chillest, most do-nothing day of all: Christmas Eve if you're Jewish.Also, where are all the Thanksgiving songs, and could we write a hit and become instant millionaires? We also ponder whether former 2G1P co-host Jen really listens to the show every week...Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 20, 2023 • 1h 5min
277 What President Biden's Executive Order on AI Means for the Internet's Future
President Joe Biden recently issued an executive order that attempts to put standards and guardrails on how AI should be used, specifically when it comes to government agencies (law enforcement, housing, etc.). It comes at a time when algorithmic and generative technologies show increasing bias and harm, while congress seems ineffective at regulating ... anything.So, what even IS an executive order? Will it be effective without legislative power behind it? And how might these new guardrails affect the private sector, especially the tech and Internet companies that determine so much of what we do online?Alli and Lindsey speak with Jon Keegan, an investigative data journalist at the non-profit technology news site The Markup. Jon breaks down the ramifications of an executive order, why the Biden administration took this kind of action, where it might inform the direction of AI, and why it's still lacking without broader bi-partisan urgency.Read Jon and his colleagues' breakdown of the order on The Markup: https://themarkup.org/news/2023/11/01/the-problems-bidens-ai-order-must-addressSupport 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 13, 2023 • 40min
276 A CAPTCHA for Ignorance
Alli proposes a test for social media users to determine if they are qualified to post about politics online, and Lindsey explains an unhinged British reality dating show that's mostly just shots of people's genitals. Also, a Halloween costume recap and Thanksgiving plans.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 6, 2023 • 1h 3min
275 The Explosive Growth of Computer Keyboard Mod Culture (with Hipyo Tech)
Like many of us, Hipyo was bored and laid off during the pandemic. When he needed to find a better keyboard to play PC games, he uncovered a rabbit hole of key cap enthusiasts, mostly on Discord and Reddit. With a bit of research into what people wanted from "keyboard content," he started a YouTube channel. Three years (and more than 500 videos) later, his reviews, modifications, and DIY challenges have garnered millions of views and a thriving community of keyboard fanatics in search of the perfect "click," "thoc," or no sound at all.Alli and Lindsey talk with Hipyo about the sudden growth of keyboard mod culture, and how he fell into a gaggle of prolific creators who push the limits of what PC keyboards can look, feel, and sound like.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 2023 • 30min
274 Regular Dumb or Dangerous Dumb?
Alli shares some news about her live show format and Lindsey updates us on her dating life. Also, a big eureka! moment, the disappointment of Ryan Lochte, and gearing up for spoopy season in our Discord! Also, Elon Musk is still a dum dum!Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 23, 2023 • 1h 12min
273 Will AI Supercharge or Destroy Wikipedia As We Know It?
Explore the impact of AI on Wikipedia, concerns about accuracy and biases. Discuss the role of Beutler Ink in improving Wikipedia articles. Examine the evolution of public relations and its relationship with Wikipedia. Emphasize the importance of instilling empathy and truth in AI systems. Discuss the potential of AI tools on Wikipedia and concerns about false information. Debate whether AI chatbots can learn to cite sources and the need for transparency. Highlight the negative effects of social media addiction and frustration with algorithms.

Oct 16, 2023 • 42min
272 In Which We Try Very Hard to Not Talk About the Middle East
Since there's definitely nothing important going on in the world this week, we talk about Halloween costumes, learning sine and cosine in high school, evolutionary psychology, how to end a bad date, and...probably other things?If you're in NYC this week, you can get tickets to Lindsey's show here: https://www.frigid.nyc/event/6897:544/Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 9, 2023 • 1h 3min
271 Wikipedians Are at War Over the Inclusion of Roads and Highways
What makes something notable? What kind of sources are needed for a thing to have a Wikipedia article about it? These philosophical issues are discussed by volunteer Wikipedia editors constantly to ensure that the non-profit encyclopedia is accurate and relevant.But a community of self-described "Road Geeks" has been at odds with Wikipedia's standards for some time. They're on a mission to catalog every road in North America, but other Wiki editors claim that this content is too granular, or has no secondary (journalistic) sources. But why would these sources exist when roads just...exist? And when should primary research — looking at a map, or even out your own window! — be considered for inclusion in the world's largest knowledge base?Tired of having their road articles deleted or modified, the Road Geeks have now "seceded" from Wikipedia to create their own Wiki on a sympathetic site called AARoads. While this may seem like a bunch of semantic nerds fighting on the Internet, it actually has fascinating implications for who gets to decide what is important, and what Wikipedia is supposed to be.Alli and Lindsey talk with Ben, a longtime Wikipedia editor and road enthusiast who is part of the movement to carve out a home for the historical and cultural value of road knowledge online. You can find the new wiki here: https://wiki.aaroads.com/Take our quick, anonymous survey to help us make the show the best it can be! https://form.jotform.com/232267699994075Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 2, 2023 • 49min
270 The Greatest TV Theme Song Ever Written, According to Science*
Alli is spending time in the "real world" with her live show, so Lindsey and Matt catch up on her recent thrifting adventures in Portland (Oregon), watching weird birds go down a chimney, spoopy kids' books, unhinged NYC weather, and conclusive evidence of the best TV theme song ever written.Support 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 25, 2023 • 1h 16min
269 How "Bama Rush" TikTok Became a Bizarre Social Media Reality Show
At the University of Alabama, rushing for a sorority has become a cottage industry, thanks to social media. Centering on "blindingly White" college students and their influencer aspirations. "RushTok" is now a cultural phenomenon, complete with management deals, style consultants, and a massive audience of Internet onlookers who are seriously invested in whether these girls get into the house of their choice. In a way, it has become an influencer-led "reality show," distributed across the Internet, where audience perception (rather than a TV producer) decides the heroes and villains. Bama Rush fans even refer to the content as "seasons."Alli and Lindsey talk with journalist Fortesa Latifi, who covered the phenomenon for Teen Vogue. She discusses why the trend has enraptured millions, and the problematic institutions it unwittingly perpetuates. She also explains why interviewing some of the Internet's favorite rushers lead to an unhinged backlash from the fandom.Read Fortesa's piece here: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bama-rush-tiktok-is-getting-more-relatableSupport 2G1P on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/2G1PJoin the 2G1P Discord community: http://discord.gg/2g1pJoin the 2G1P Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2girls1podcast/Email us: 2G1Podcast@gmail.comCall the show and leave a message! (347) 871-6548 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices