Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world

Gareth King
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Fortnightly

Is the internet really ruining everything, or are we just looking at it wrong? Ruined By The Internet? uses technology as a lens to investigate its effects on society, culture, and modern life. Not products. Not industry news. The human costs of the digital world we all inhabit - whether we wanted them or not. Through conversations with psychologists, musicians, political scientists, FBI investigators, anthropologists, economists, researchers, and experts from every field technology has touched, each episode takes a social or cultural focal point and examines it from every angle. How is social media changing us? Is AI reshaping human behaviour? And what are the real consequences of our very online lives? Ruined By The Internet? is created, hosted and produced by Gareth King. New investigations drop regularly - follow or subscribe wherever you listen. Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow/

  1. Conspiracy Theories: Weaponised From the Fringe to Your Feed? | Misinformation, Radicalisation & the Attention Economy

    5 days ago

    Conspiracy Theories: Weaponised From the Fringe to Your Feed? | Misinformation, Radicalisation & the Attention Economy

    The internet gave us a way for conspiracy theories to find their audiences, connecting people and building communities around often-fringe ideas. But has it also supercharged them, turning once-fringe ideas into powerful forces of polarisation, division and radicalisation that reach far beyond the screen? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We’re joined by Dani Mercy, host of The Rabbit Hole: Conspiracy Theories podcast, where she dives deep into conspiracy theories both past and present. With such wide-ranging investigations of her own, there are very few people who've gone deeper into this world than she has. In this episode we investigate how the internet transformed conspiracy theories from fringe curiosity into an industrialised ecosystem, examine the psychological and emotional machinery that makes them so effective in a digital environment, explore the role of monetisation and outrage in keeping them alive, and ask whether AI is the most dangerous amplification tool the conspiracy world has ever had. (00:00) The rise of conspiracy theories in the digital age (03:12) Understanding the rabbit hole phenomenon and how it works (05:54) The role of social media in spreading and amplifying conspiracies (09:03) How technology has changed what people believe and why (12:08) Why debunking rarely works, and sometimes makes things worse (15:03) Political polarisation and the conspiracy theory ecosystem (18:10) COVID-19 as a case study in digital conspiracy at scale (21:08) When digital conspiracies produce real-world consequences (21:59) How conspiracy theories themselves have evolved in the digital age (24:40) The monetisation of outrage: who profits and how (29:21) Historical context: confirmed theories, debunked ones, and everything in between (31:52) The role of AI in creating and spreading conspiracy content (34:39) How to navigate conversations with people who believe (38:25) Technology's dual impact: conspiracy accelerant and potential antidote Key takeaways: • Weaponising the Label: Originally popularised by the CIA after the JFK assassination to protect official narratives, the "conspiracy theorist" label is heavily used to stifle nuance, shut down debate, and deepen social polarisation. • Turbocharged by Algorithms: Platform monetisation and algorithms explicitly reward emotional outrage, giving fringe ideas unprecedented velocity and global reach compared to the pre-digital era. • AI Trust Crisis: As deepfakes and generative AI make it nearly impossible to distinguish real content from fake, the public is becoming deeply cynical, shifting to isolated, sceptical research loops because they can no longer trust their eyes. • Sunk-Cost Rabbit Hole: Pulling someone out of an online rabbit hole is incredibly difficult due to the psychological cost of the time commitment. People naturally resist being proven wrong after investing massive energy into building an alternative narrative. If this episode got you thinking, check out: Truly Disappearing: Powering Our Own Perpetual Surveillance? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZGMxOTZlZTMtMTM4Yi00MmI4LWI0YTgtNzU3YjE5N2Q3Y2Nl Ayahuasca: From Ancient Ritual to Instagram Aesthetic? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MWMyYjAxNjktYTg4OS00MDk0LThiNDktZGU2NWNjYThhNDg4 Common Ground: From Dialogue to Digital Battlefield? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ODkzNWY5Y2UtYTFmMy00NGQxLTk1YWMtMjk2ZDNkYjg0NDU4 Guest links – Dani Mercy Website: https://www.stayskeptical.com Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1PmE4keGf6zPlTtJ2BHpew?si=02f8fdd7d74449a1 Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    43 min
  2. Job Security: Optimised for Our Own Obsolescence? | AI, Automation, Future of Work & Job Displacement

    2 June

    Job Security: Optimised for Our Own Obsolescence? | AI, Automation, Future of Work & Job Displacement

    It promised to make us more productive, more employable, and more economically secure. But as AI begins replacing not just tasks but entire professional roles - including ones that took many years to reach - is technology making job security itself an obsolete concept? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We’re joined by Nick Jain, a Harvard-trained former private equity investor, and co-founder of Eagle Rock CFO, who builds systems to replace the leadership that used to require a senior executive, giving him a front row seat to a transformation that's rapidly coming for every industry, whether they're ready or not. And he's under no illusions about what that could mean for the rest of us. In this episode we investigate how AI is displacing not just entry-level roles but senior professional positions that people spent careers building toward, examine the J curve of productivity, and why the short-term pain of technology adoption is being distributed so unevenly. We also explore the gap between AI's actual capabilities and the hype being sold to businesses and workers, and ask whether Universal Basic Income is a genuine safety net for what's coming - or a way of making worker displacement politically acceptable. (00:00) The gap between what technology promised and what it's actually delivering (03:09) The J curve of productivity: why things get worse before they get better (05:57) AI and job displacement: which roles are most exposed and why (08:52) Optimism versus pessimism about the future of work: what the evidence actually supports (12:03) The role of creativity in surviving an AI-driven workforce (14:51) Where the real opportunities for growth are, and which industries face the hardest road (18:10) Hollywood as a case study in what AI disruption looks like in practice (21:01) AI washing: separating genuine capability from marketing noise (23:06) What AI can actually do in the workforce right now versus what we're told it can do (30:11) The human cost of job displacement beyond the economic argument (37:24) Universal Basic Income as a response to automation: solution or sticking plaster? (42:12) What the future of work looks like as AI capabilities continue to evolve Key takeaways: • AI and the always-on work culture: Technology promised liberation from the workplace but created a prisoner's dilemma where competition drives everyone to work more, not less • AI displacement is structural, not temporary: Like auto industry automation, displaced white-collar workers are unlikely to successfully retrain - roughly 60% face permanent displacement • AI washing is real: Many corporate layoffs framed as AI-driven efficiency are either premature or cover for offshoring, but the end result for workers is identical • UBI is inevitable but minimal: AI-driven displacement will force democratic governments toward Universal Basic Income, but only enough to prevent civil unrest - not enough for genuine prosperity If this episode got you thinking, check out: The Taxi Industry: A Data-Driven Destruction of Dignified Work? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZjFmM2RlN2EtZTNjMC00MTVmLTg3YzgtNTk5Y2NjMWNkNzMy The Human Identity: Authenticity or Algorithmic Performance? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YzU1NjhlYzYtMDVjNC00ODJkLTgzYjQtMzBhNDcwN2RkZTJi The Job Hunt: Built to Harvest Data, Not People? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NTEzYzdjODgtNzYyMS00MzY2LWE5ZmQtN2YzMWMwODE5Njhi Guest links – Nick Jain Website: https://www.eaglerockcfo.com/ Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    44 min
  3. Retail: Convenience That Costs Everything? | E-Commerce, Consumer Behaviour & the Future of Retail

    20 May

    Retail: Convenience That Costs Everything? | E-Commerce, Consumer Behaviour & the Future of Retail

    The internet promised to bring the world's stores directly to us. But in chasing convenience over everything, has it killed the high street, gutted retailers, and replaced the experience of shopping with a transaction? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We're joined by Joe Zahaitis, a payments industry strategist with over 30 years experience in the high-velocity digital marketplace - giving him an insider's view of what happens when we trade a sensory, social experience for an impersonal digital one that leaves most retailers in a tech-driven race to the bottom. In this episode we investigate how e-commerce dismantled the high street and the community spaces built around it, examine the psychological effects of instant gratification and what it's done to our relationship with shopping, explore the trust and transparency challenges of buying in a world you can't touch or see, and ask whether AI and personalisation can ever replace what’s been lost. (00:00) The transformation of retail in the digital age (03:02) How e-commerce reshaped society beyond just shopping (06:08) The rise of instant gratification and what it costs us (08:49) Customer service in the digital age: better or worse? (12:07) The future of local retail: survival or slow death? (14:46) Trust and transparency in online shopping (18:04) The role of AI in shaping consumer experiences (21:01) The psychological effects of online shopping on behaviour and identity (23:52) Digital payments and the friction they remove - and create (26:54) Where online retail goes from here - and what gets left behind Key takeaways: • The Cost of Frictionless Consumption: The over-optimisation of e-commerce has systematically stripped away the natural consequences of consumer behaviour. • The Monopolistic Playbook: Once competitors are forced into obsolescence, market power consolidates completely into entities that face little genuine accountability for rising fraud, counterfeit goods, or declining systemic customer service. • The Loss of Relationship and Community: Where consumers once built long-term trust and value with local proprietors, modern systems rely on relentless, programmatic outreach and defensive customer service architectures. • The Decrementing Value of Cashless Economies: the digital payments ecosystem demands that a network fee be scraped from every transaction layer by intermediaries, deeply diminishing capital’s true purchasing power. If this episode got you thinking, check out: Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight For Shelter As A Service? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZDU3ZjAzYjktMmZiZi00NmM3LTg4M2ItYTE4OGI1ZWQ2YTFl Gambling: Optimised For Frictionless Financial Mayhem? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NmY5NjZmYTktYzc4Mi00MWFlLThiMjAtNmE0OTM0MTc2MTVk Broadcast Television: The Digital Dismantling of an Entire Industry? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/OTc0YmNmYzItMTI4ZC00OTcwLTk0YWYtYjdjNjY2MTYxYmFj Guest links – Joe Zahaitis Website: https://www.zahaitis.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joezahaitis/ Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    38 min
  4. Sleep: Screens Stealing Our Slumber? | Screen Time, Sleep Science & Digital Wellbeing

    6 May

    Sleep: Screens Stealing Our Slumber? | Screen Time, Sleep Science & Digital Wellbeing

    The internet promised us connection that never sleeps. But has it also been sabotaging our rest - leaving us locked in a nightly battle with a digital world that refuses to turn off? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We're joined by Chelsea Reynolds - sleep researcher and clinical psychologist - who is exactly the right person to ask about what happens when bedtime becomes screen time, and whether our screens are the problem, or the solution. In this episode we investigate how screens and digital habits are disrupting our sleep biology, examine the sleep displacement hypothesis and what it actually means for how we rest, explore the psychology behind why we choose screens over sleep even when we know better, and ask whether the same technology keeping us awake could ever genuinely help us sleep. (00:00) The internet's impact on sleep and why it matters (04:59) Sleep biology and exactly where technology interferes (09:57) The sleep displacement hypothesis: are screens stealing our hours or just our quality? (15:00) Navigating sleep aids in a world full of digital solutions (20:01) How the blurring of work and personal life is destroying sleep boundaries (25:04) The bright light hypothesis and how screen wavelengths affect sleep patterns (25:09) Understanding sleep routines and where technology fits in (30:36) Teenagers, sleep needs, and the specific risks of digital exposure (33:00) The risk factors most people don't know are affecting their sleep (35:30) How to transform technology from sleep disruptor into sleep aid (37:23) Practical sleep strategies for a screen-saturated world (39:44) The nuance of technology's role in sleep: it's not all bad Key takeaways: • The Screen Light Myth vs. Reality: While the general rule to avoid screens an hour before bed is a safe way to wind down, the idea that blue light completely destroys sleep biology is overblown. • Four Psychological Drivers of Late-Night Tech Use: Dr. Chelsea Reynolds outlines four distinct frameworks behind why we can't put down our devices at night. • The Trap of Sleep Trackers and the "8-Hour Rule": A major irony of modern sleep health is the tendency to turn to new technology to solve problems supposedly caused by technology. • Expert Recommendations for Better Sleep: Instead of relying on rigid rules or digital tracking metrics, clinical practice emphasizes individual flexibility and behavioural conditioning. If this episode got you thinking, check out: Attention Spans: A Short-form Destruction of Focus? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/M2M2NzYwY2ItMTI0OC00MzNhLWJkNmUtNWVlNmE5YzkwNTky Social Interaction: The Digital Erasure of Presence? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ODYyNDQ1MzAtMzdlNy00NjEzLWE4ZWEtYjgxMjMzNTJjOGJk Self Improvement: Progress Replaced With Performance? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NTI5M2Y0OWItNWMzNy00OGMxLTljZTgtOTk5MjI2MGM1YzRj Guest links - Chelsea Reynolds Website: https://www.bedtimewindow.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-reynolds-29b43191/ Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    42 min
  5. Empowerment: Objectification Rebranded as Agency? | Digital Monetisation & the Attention Economy

    26 Apr

    Empowerment: Objectification Rebranded as Agency? | Digital Monetisation & the Attention Economy

    When it comes to empowering ourselves, we were told the internet would give us back control. But instead, has it simply delivered a more efficient way for us to become products, and successfully rebranded objectification as agency? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We’re joined by Courtney Kocak - writer, comedian, and author of the memoir ‘Girl Gone Wild’ - to investigate one of the most uncomfortable questions about what technology has done to identity, autonomy, power, and the people caught in between. In this episode we trace the journey from early 2000s media to today's self-monetisation platforms, examine how the attention economy and algorithms have reshaped desire and self-perception, investigate the rise of online male communities and their generational impact, and ask whether AI is accelerating the problem - or simply making it harder to see. (00:00) The Internet's impact on empowerment and objectification (03:10) From early 2000s media to today's self-monetization platforms (07:50) The evolution of pop culture and its increasingly explicit direction (09:12) Tracing the cultural roots of today's online extremity (13:28) The influence of the attention economy (14:37) The rise of the manosphere and its impact (16:29) The generational difference: navigating online life and authenticity (20:13) Shifting attitudes toward sex work and societal acceptance (23:29) The influence of explicit online content (25:34) How online validation shapes our self-perception (27:13) Authenticity and the rejection of algorithm-driven content (30:18) The potential and pitfalls of AI in digital content and society (34:47) The impact of AI-generated actors and content on creative industries (36:57) The slow political response to AI and digital regulation (38:15) The importance of nuanced conversations (39:41) Concerns about technology's societal effects Key takeaways: • The Evolution of Digital Empowerment: While early-2000s entities like Girls Gone Wild commodified young women to enrich a few male executives, modern platforms like OnlyFans represent a genuine shift in financial and creative control. • The Rise of "Honest" Pop Culture: While turn-of-the-century media used humour to mask toxic behaviours and normalise sexual assault, modern internet culture and art are arguably more explicit but far more honest, allowing women to remain in control of their own sexuality. • Algorithmic ‘Brain Rot’: Modern digital platforms rely on attention-economy algorithms that trap creators and audiences in loops of outrage, hot takes, and hyper-fixation—transforming real human lives into content mills designed to feed the product. • The Looming Threat of AI Scale: As AI-generated bot content and virtual figures surpass 50% of online material, individual human creators face an unsustainable battle for attention against automated systems. If this episode got you thinking, check out: Self Improvement: Progress Replaced With Performance? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NTI5M2Y0OWItNWMzNy00OGMxLTljZTgtOTk5MjI2MGM1YzRj Dating & Relationships: A Dehumanising Paradox of Infinite Choice? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NDAyYjM4YjItNjgxYi00NWEyLTlkZTQtZWY1NTk0N2E3YjFi The Human Identity: Authenticity or Algorithmic Performance? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YzU1NjhlYzYtMDVjNC00ODJkLTgzYjQtMzBhNDcwN2RkZTJi Guest links — Courtney Kocak Website: https://www.courtneykocak.com/ Podcast: https://www.privatepartsunknown.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneykocak/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneykocak Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    43 min
  6. Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight for Shelter as a Service? | Airbnb, PropTech & the Housing Crisis

    13 Apr

    Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight for Shelter as a Service? | Airbnb, PropTech & the Housing Crisis

    The internet was supposed to make the rental market more efficient and transparent. But has it instead turned the basic human need for shelter into a frantic, dehumanising battle with technology - where algorithms, platforms, and data have more power than the people looking for a home? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We're joined by Thomas Sigler - Deputy Head of the School of the Environment and Associate Professor of Human Geography at the University of Queensland - whose research sits at the intersection of urban geography, technology, and how we live. In this episode we investigate how short-term rental platforms hollowed out housing supply, examine the role of PropTech in reshaping how we search and apply for homes, explore the data privacy implications of digital rental applications, and ask whether the technology that promised transparency has simply handed more power to landlords, platforms, and property influencers. (00:00) Introduction to the Rental Market Crisis (02:57) The Impact of Short-Term Rentals (06:04) Understanding the Rental Market Dynamics (08:47) The Role of PropTech in Rental Searches (11:55) Community Resistance and Transient Populations (15:02) The Rise of Digital Nomadism (17:51) The Transparency of Digital Platforms (21:07) Privacy Concerns in Rental Applications (24:09) Regulatory Challenges in the Rental Market (26:45) The Influence of Property Influencers (29:56) FOMO and the Property Market (33:10) Crisis in the Housing Market (36:05) The Future of Housing and Technology (38:59) What renters can actually do Key takeaways: • Corporate Consolidation: While short-term rental platforms were originally marketed as a way for everyday moms and dads to rent out a spare room, the market has undergone massive institutional consolidation. • Neighbourhood Decay: The financial incentive to chase high nightly yields over stable monthly tenancies erodes the traditional social fabric of neighbourhoods, drives up local baseline rents, and replaces community stability with hollowed-out tourist corridors. • Algorithmic Rent-Setting and Artificial Pricing Floors: The traditional, relationship-driven negotiations between local property managers and tenants have been largely replaced by dynamic, algorithmic pricing software. • Information Asymmetry and Tenant Vulnerability: While landlords have total transparency into a prospective tenant's rental history, financial standing, and digital footprint, tenants remain completely blind to the algorithmic metrics denying them housing. If this episode got you thinking, check out: Job Security: Optimised For Our Own Obsolescence? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGM2ZmUwZDQtMWEzNS00NWNmLWIyNjAtZmMwMzkxMTRmOGQ3 The Taxi Industry: A Data-driven Destruction of Dignified Work? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZjFmM2RlN2EtZTNjMC00MTVmLTg3YzgtNTk5Y2NjMWNkNzMy Gambling: Optimised for Frictionless Financial Mayhem? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/NmY5NjZmYTktYzc4Mi00MWFlLThiMjAtNmE0OTM0MTc2MTVk Guest links — Thomas Sigler: https://environment.uq.edu.au/profile/9602/thomas-sigler Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    45 min
  7. Self Improvement: Progress Replaced with Performance? | Social Media, Algorithms & Personal Growth

    1 Apr

    Self Improvement: Progress Replaced with Performance? | Social Media, Algorithms & Personal Growth

    The internet promised to make self-improvement accessible to everyone. But has it instead turned it into a spectator sport - replacing process with performance, and pushing us to consume playbooks rather than actually build habits? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We're joined by Justin Leff - behavioural coach and founder of Solilium Coaching - who helps people with discipline, wellness, and self-understanding, and has seen firsthand what happens when the algorithm becomes the self-improvement plan. In this episode we investigate how algorithms and social media have reshaped our goals and motivation, examine the danger of social comparison in a world of curated success, explore how digital overload creates decision fatigue, and ask whether AI is finally the personalised self-improvement tool we were promised - or just a more sophisticated version of the same one-size-fits-all problem. (00:00) The Impact of the Internet on Self-Improvement (03:12) Globalisation of Ideas and Goals (06:07) The Dangers of Social Comparison (09:08) The Role of Role Models in the Digital Age (12:03) Chasing Status vs. Genuine Self-Improvement (15:12) The Journey of Self-Discovery (18:05) The Process Over Quick Fixes (21:14) The Impact of Digital Overload on Motivation (24:08) Navigating Decision Fatigue in a World of Options (28:03) The Future of Self-Improvement Without Social Media (30:41) AI's Role in Tailored Self-Improvement (35:08) Finding Authentic Peer Support in Self-Improvement (37:13) The Importance of Community in Personal Growth Key takeaways: • The Optimisation Trap: reading endless books, listening to podcasts, and watching motivation videos tricks the brain into feeling productive while delaying the uncomfortable real-world action required for genuine change. • Flawless Online Archetype Illusion: Social media platforms elevate curated, hyper-disciplined aesthetics into unrealistic standards of human perfection, forcing everyday users into toxic loops of comparison and shame. • Commercialisation of Existential Discontent: The modern wellness and self-improvement economy operates by intentionally pathologising normal human emotions and rebranding them as systemic optimisation problems to fix. • The Ceiling of Digital Community: Digital-only connections hit a psychological ceiling; lasting personal transformation and fulfillment ultimately require grounding yourself in physical, local communities. If this episode got you thinking, check out: Sleep: Screens Stealing Our Slumber? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/N2NlNGQ3ZmItYTk1Yy00MjRlLTk5YjAtMmUyODM0OTRlNTQz The Human Identity: Authenticity or Algorithmic Performance? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YzU1NjhlYzYtMDVjNC00ODJkLTgzYjQtMzBhNDcwN2RkZTJi Empowerment: Objectification Rebranded As Agency? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YTVjZDI5NjYtOWUzZC00ZDQ4LWFkZWUtYWViZjlmMjRmYjUx Guest links - Justin Leff Website: https://www.soliliumcoaching.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soliliumthoughts/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoliliumThoughts Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    40 min
  8. The Taxi Industry: A Data-Driven Destruction of Dignified Work? | Uber, The Gig Economy & Worker Rights

    21 Mar

    The Taxi Industry: A Data-Driven Destruction of Dignified Work? | Uber, The Gig Economy & Worker Rights

    The internet promised to revolutionise how we get around - delivering a modern, efficient, and affordable alternative to the old ways. But did the revolution simply replace one system with an unstable, exploitative gig economy, offering the illusion of flexibility with almost zero protections? Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation. We're joined by Rod Barton - former Victorian Member of Parliament and founder of the Transport Matters Party - who fought the regulatory battle for taxi drivers firsthand, and understands better than most what happens when platforms disrupt an industry and governments struggle to keep up. In this episode we investigate how rideshare platforms dismantled the traditional taxi industry, examine the safety and insurance gaps that opened up in the process, explore the rights of gig economy workers caught between flexibility and exploitation, and ask whether government regulation has any hope of keeping pace with the platforms rewriting the rules. (00:00) The internet's impact on the taxi industry (03:01) What the taxi industry looked like before rideshare (05:52) The regulatory framework rideshare bypassed (08:57) Safety and insurance gaps in rideshare services (12:13) Gig economy workers — flexibility or exploitation? (15:05) Customer service in the age of algorithmic dispatch (17:50) Where the gig economy is heading (21:00) The role of government in regulating platform transport (23:55) What a fair path forward looks like for drivers and riders Key takeaways: • Innovation via Regulatory Arbitrage: The rapid ascent of rideshare giants was less an achievement of superior technology and more a deliberate exploitation of legal loopholes. • Destruction of Intergenerational Equity: The sudden de-regulation and refusal of state governments to protect taxi licences stripped working-class operators of their financial security. • Exploitative Architecture of the "Gig Economy": The shift from traditional employment or stable independent contracting to a platform-based model systematically offloads all operational risk from the corporate entity onto the individual worker. • Erosion of Local Corporate Accountability: The gig economy allows foreign entities to funnel local economic wealth out of the country, and remain largely detached from the long-term social health of the communities they operate in. If this episode got you thinking, check out: Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight for Shelter As A Service? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ZDU3ZjAzYjktMmZiZi00NmM3LTg4M2ItYTE4OGI1ZWQ2YTFl Broadcast Television: The Digital Dismantling of an Entire Industry? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/OTc0YmNmYzItMTI4ZC00OTcwLTk0YWYtYjdjNjY2MTYxYmFj Music: An Algorithmic Burial of Human Artists? https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGEwYmZiOTUtMTAyNS00ZDA1LTlkNmMtNjlhYjhkNzBjMmQz Guest links — Rod Barton Website: https://rodbarton.com.au LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rod-barton Facebook: https://facebook.com/RodBarton08 Join the investigation Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow

    33 min
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Is the internet really ruining everything, or are we just looking at it wrong? Ruined By The Internet? uses technology as a lens to investigate its effects on society, culture, and modern life. Not products. Not industry news. The human costs of the digital world we all inhabit - whether we wanted them or not. Through conversations with psychologists, musicians, political scientists, FBI investigators, anthropologists, economists, researchers, and experts from every field technology has touched, each episode takes a social or cultural focal point and examines it from every angle. How is social media changing us? Is AI reshaping human behaviour? And what are the real consequences of our very online lives? Ruined By The Internet? is created, hosted and produced by Gareth King. New investigations drop regularly - follow or subscribe wherever you listen. Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Share your thoughts: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow/

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