Kids turned an NPR podcast's comment section into a secret group chat
Middle schoolers, likely blocked from other apps, used the Spotify comment section under an NPR podcast episode as an improvised group chat, a story explored in a new episode of This American Life.
A recent episode of This American Life, hosted by Ira Glass, uncovered how a group of middle schoolers turned the Spotify comment section beneath an episode of NPR's Wild Card podcast into an unlikely group chat.
The kids, apparently restricted from using other apps and social networks, found a creative workaround. When Glass asked one of them why they chose that particular podcast, the answer was simple: they looked for podcasts with few comments, giving them room to chat undisturbed. Glass admitted the response stung a little.
From suspected bots to a kid discovery
Showrunner Dave Blanchard initially believed the flood of comments came from some strange kind of bot. The posts looked clipped, incoherent, and packed with emoji and shorthand, so he deleted them. Almost immediately, one of the accounts posted that its comment had been deleted. Blanchard then shared screenshots of the exchange in NPR's internal Slack channel.
Producer Hannah Chin quickly recognized the pattern as something else entirely: kids being kids. Chin recalled using odd corners of the internet as a child not for their intended purpose but to talk with friends, including once carrying on conversations through a shared Google Doc.
A similar episode reportedly occurred last year involving NPR's Ted Radio Hour, suggesting this kind of improvised digital hideout isn't a one-off phenomenon among young podcast listeners.
