Kisscams, ratcams, Barbra Streisand
On this week's Endless Thread, host Ben Brock Johnson and producer Grace Tatter bring us two stories about the power of livestreams – one from the Coldplay concert box seats,...
Thinking Outside the Dox: What 'consensual doxing' can teach us about internet privacy
A handful of creators on TikTok are making 'consensual doxing' content to encourage viewers to think more deeply about what they post online, and where.
There's a new emoji for sadness :(
What does the thumbs-up emoji mean to you? Or the wilted rose? The meanings of emojis are limitless and can differ across social groups or generations
Why it feels like it rains every weekend
If you feel like it's been raining a lot on the weekends this summer, you're not alone.
Episodes We Love: How to Fight a Shark
When Endless Thread producer Grace Tatter heard a friend assert that she could ward off a shark because of TikTok, Grace was both concerned for her friend's safety, and curious....
Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson dig into the internet's vast and curious ecosystem of online communities to find untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL.
Got a story for us?
Get in touch!
Email: endlessthread@wbur.org
On Reddit: u/endless_thread
"Condiment Claire" wants you to get creative with what's in your fridge
This week on Endless Thread, we're raiding our refrigerators and rating our favorite condiments with TikTok creator and author "Condiment Claire" Dinhut.
Can pizza orders around the Pentagon predict U.S. military action?
In the hours leading up to Israel commencing its June missile strikes on Iran, X users were posting about pizza. Specifically, how pizza places around the United States Pentagon were...
Pics or this episode didn't happen
A picture's worth a thousand words, or in this case, a podcast episode.
What happens to social media when the government is monitoring it?
Jeffrey Ngo is from Hong Kong. He used to talk about politics all of the time with his friends in group chats and on social media, from casually sending memes,...
How Derek Guy tailors mens fashion advice to a diverse, online audience
Men's fashion might seem like a niche topic. But people of all genders and sartorial sensibilities follow Derek Guy on X for his clothing takes... even if they're not quite...
Get inked! Or... not: Stories from the Internet about tattoos
Ben tells Amory about the r/tattoos community's reaction to a man whose friends made him self-conscious about his flowery tattoo. Amory tells Ben about the science behind why tattoos stay...
Group chats are the 'dark matter of American politics'
Endless Thread sits down with journalist Ben Smith to discuss the private group chats shaping American politics.
The bots are taking over
The bots are here to stay, and they're everywhere. The trouble is, learning how to spot them.
Encore: The internet's fight over dinosaur emoji
Last month, a White House memo lambasted NPR for spreading "woke propaganda" and linked to our story as an example. This is that story.
Bring tapestries back! And other rants
It's rant season. Or is it? When is it *not* rant season? In this week's episode of Endless Thread, Ben and Amory discuss two very different, very viral, rants from...