The Guilty Feminist 481. The Algorithm with Aoife Dunne and Adele Zeynep Walton - part two
May 4, 2026
Aoife Dunne, comedian and lively co-host, and Adele Zeynep Walton, author and campaigner on online harms, dive into social media’s addictive design and cultural FOMO. They debate generational device habits, manosphere dangers and decline porn. They discuss regulation, activism like Pull the Plug, practical Logging Off Club tips, AI risks and how to make being offline socially normal.
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Episode notes
Design Choices Drive Social Media Addiction
- Addictive social features like infinite scroll and autoplay are design choices that dramatically increase usage.
- Adele and Deborah link those features to FOMO and cultural shifts where sharing online replaced private updates.
Young Man Monetised Misogyny He Didn't Fully Believe
- Adele describes Harrison who copied misogynistic influencers to monetize while not fully believing the ideology.
- He told her Andrew Tate made him feel worthless and taught that only a few men can 'become' valuable via money and status.
Push Regulation Not Tech Goodwill
- Use regulation and legal action to force change from tech companies rather than relying on their goodwill.
- Adele Zeynep Walton urges supporting lawsuits, joining campaigns like Pull the Plug, and pressuring governments to act.
