

INFLUENCE
Matt Silverman
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 29, 2023 • 58min
255 How 'Grand Theft Auto' Roleplaying Helped This Twitch Streamer Come Out
Meet Jubby. He fell in love with Grand Theft Auto Online for way more than just "cops and robbers" shenanigans. There's a huge roleplay scene across countless private servers, some of which have become very inclusive LGBTQ+ communities. On "No Pixel" where Jubby spends most of his day playing and streaming, he took up the mantle of organizing in-world Gay Pride events, fashion shows, and music festivals. These days, he's a Twitch partner who credits these virtual communities with empowering him to come out of the closet IRL.Alli and Lindsey talk with Jubby about virtual drag shows, the in-world and out-of-world resources required for these big events, and the future of the LGBTQ+ community inside massively popular video games like GTA.Follow Jubby: https://www.twitch.tv/jubbySupport 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

May 22, 2023 • 1h 18min
What Qualifies as "Free Speech" on the Internet? [Encore]
Where in the world is Alli Goldberg? As she continues her adventures in Asia, we have another fan favorite encore episode for you!-- Original Show Notes from July 11, 2022 --The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from abridging free speech and the press. And Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act prevents common carriers (like telephone companies) from being held liable for the speech of their users. But social media isn't quite either of those things, especially when a small handful of tech companies make huge profits by amplifying dangerous misinformation. So, what IS protected speech on the Internet, and what models of regulation are available to preserve open communication and a digital "public square," while curbing weaponized information?Alli and Lindsey talk with Paul Singer, a partner at the law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and former Texas Associate Deputy Attorney General, who has been focused on consumer protection on the Internet since the days of MySpace. Paul explains why regulating online speech is incredibly complex, especially at the speed of tech. But he remains optimistic that the history of telecommunications — specifically radio — might guide us toward a legal balance.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

May 15, 2023 • 14min
254 They Don't Ask Too Many Questions at CVS
By the time you hear this, Allie will be in Singapore! Before she goes, she and Lindsey discuss dating each other's exes, disappearing friends, and the benefits of boosting at CVS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 8, 2023 • 1h 39min
253 Why Would Anyone In Their Right Mind Post on r/RoastMe?
Hateful comments on the Internet are nothing new. But there's one special place where it's not only tolerated, but highly encouraged.r/RoastMe is a 3 million-strong subreddit where people ask to be verbally obliterated by Internet strangers. Commenters can be as hateful, racist, and misogynistic as they please, as long as they follow the golden rule: It has to be funny. So who would open themselves up to something like this, and why?Alli and Lindsey speak with Michael McElroy, arguably the most-roasted person in the subreddit's history, and Adyasha Mishra, a graduate student who is studying the social dynamics of this hilarious community.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

May 1, 2023 • 1h 14min
252 Schools Are Suing Social Media Over Kids' Mental Health. Can They Win? (w/ Samantha Murphy Kelly, CNN)
Social media emerged as a way to democratize information and amplify marginalized voices. It empowered a new creative class, and fueled social justice movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. But as social apps are designed to squeeze profit from our attention, the dark side is now well studied. We've all felt the doom scroll addiction, anxiety, and depression that comes along with our constant need to see what others are doing — not to mention the privacy concerns. Now, consider the kids.Citing massive spikes in teen suicides, bullying, and depression, some school districts are striking back at tech companies like Meta, Snap and TikTok for these abusive practices with class action lawsuits. So, do they have legs? And could any of these cases lead to stronger social media regulation?CNN senior tech writer Samantha Murphy Kelly has been covering these lawsuits, and brings Alli and Lindsey up to speed on what they might mean for the future of how kids use the Internet.Follow Sam's work here: https://twitter.com/HeySamanthaSupport 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

Apr 24, 2023 • 1h 11min
Autcraft: The Minecraft Server for Kids With Autism [ENCORE]
We've got two fresh interviews cooking for the weeks ahead, but for now, please enjoy this inspiring encore from about a year back!-- Original Show Notes from May 16, 2022 --Autistic children love Minecraft as much as anyone, but they're often bullied by other kids on multiplayer servers. When software developer and dad Stuart Duncan learned of this, he set out to create a private, safe Minecraft server exclusively for autistic kids and their families. The moment he shared it, he got 300 emails from parents who desperately wanted in,Today, Autcraft has a community of 15,000 kids with autism and their parents, and Stuart quit his job to run the server fulltime and meet the needs of his players. He shares how the server changed the lives of kids and parents, Autcraft's accessibility features that Minecraft has implemented into its game for all players, and why social scientists study the server for autism research.Learn more about Autcraft and support Stuart's efforts on Patreon: https://www.autcraft.com/https://www.patreon.com/autcraft/postsSupport 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

Apr 17, 2023 • 1h 8min
251 Her Epic Swag Collection Grows With Every Failed Tech Company (ft. Christina Warren)
The Internet startup landscape is fraught with questionable business models, fickle users, and boatloads of misplaced venture capital. For every TikTok and Door Dash, there are thousands of spectacular failures. And most of them had the hubris to make (and sometimes sell) branded swag -- t-shirts, mugs, bags, and more.That's where collector Christina Warren comes in. For years she's been hunting for authentic swag from tech and media companies that have gone bust: Quibbi, CNN+, Gowalla, Theranos, Enron and more.Her collection has garnered international media attention and speaks to the hubris of companies who believe they're the next big thing ... until they're gone.Alli and Lindsey chat with Christina about her days covering startups as a journalist, the extremely online landscape, the swag she's most proud of, and the "white whale" that continues to elude her collection.Follow Christina: https://twitter.com/film_girl https://www.instagram.com/film_girl/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

Apr 10, 2023 • 1h 17min
250 Let's Go Inside a Catfishing Factory
It's a tale as old as time: Boy meets girl, boy sends dick pic to girl, girl turns out to be a journalist writing a story about catfishing.But these days, it's not just dating apps and Craigslist where lonely men are tricked online. A "Catfishing Industrial Complex" has emerged, with all the bells and whistle of modern customer service call centers, where multiple low-wage sex workers (of any gender) pretend to be attractive women sending intimate messages that men are eager to pay for.Niamh McIntyre and Jasper Jackson went under cover at one of these operations to find out how they work and expose their abusive practices in a piece for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism entitled: "Please Acknowledge the Dick: Inside a Catfishing Factory." They chat with Alli and Lindsey about the horrors they discovered, and why this kind of sex work could be a positive force if it was more transparent and fair.Read their story: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023-02-14/please-acknowledge-the-dick-inside-a-catfishing-factorySupport 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

Apr 3, 2023 • 31min
249 Roast Alli as Hard as You Can
Alli has an interesting way to start her stand-up set, and needs YOU to make fun of her as brutally as possible. Send a text, call the voicemail line, email, or drop your most devastating roasts into the Discord and we'll share them on a future episode!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

Mar 27, 2023 • 1h 4min
248 "Data Is Power" | Inside the Wild World of Excel Esports
Many of us use Microsoft Excel to track expenses and run basic reports at work. But there are some who walk among us with super-human spreadsheet skills. The best of the best compete for cash prizes in Excel esports, an elite world that congregates online — and sometimes on ESPN.Alli and Lindsey meet Oz du Soleil, a competitive Excel commentator, YouTube creator, and educator who specializes in "cleaning messed up data." He shares how he got into the wild world of Excel esports, how the community found each other online, and the fundamentalist factions at war in the Excel ecosystem.Subscribe to Oz on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZgOVykPoRbSZQfY9YysiRQShout out to the excellent People Make Games: https://youtu.be/N2QC6VQXo8USupport 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