PsyberSpace: Understand Your World

Leslie Poston, Research Psychologist: Applied Psychology, Media Psychology, Organizational Psychology
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If you've ever wondered what makes "reply guys" tick, why we fall for emotionally manipulative language in politics, why meetings suck, or how music can reshape your brain, we have the answers! Tune in to PsyberSpace® every Monday morning and understand your world a little better each week. PsyberSpace explores the evolving landscape where psychology, media, culture, and digital technology converge. Each episode unpacks the impact of tech on our minds, our culture, our work, and our society. We explore pressing topics like the ethics of virtual spaces, misinformation and disinformation, media psychology and marketing, the psychology of business in the age of AI, the influence of social media on mental health, and the implications of digital trends for leaders and organizations. Join us as we provide insights for harnessing tech for positive change in personal lives and within the workplace.

  1. 2 HR AGO

    Forever Wars Shrink the Future: What Endless War Does to the Human Mind

    Forever War and the Stolen Future Host Leslie Poston examines a hidden psychological cost of “forever wars”: they don’t just create fear and grief, they change how people relate to time—shrinking hope, planning, and the ability to believe in tomorrow. She explains how chronic threat and recurring escalation can trap individuals and whole societies in emergency mode, erode trust in institutions, and create a sense of democratic powerlessness, citing January 2026 U.S. polling from Quinnipiac showing over 85% of voters opposed military action against Iran. The episode also explores how constant media exposure, moral implication in state violence, and the normalization of instability shape adults and children alike. Poston closes by arguing that resilience isn’t enough without public conditions that restore agency—real ceasefires, accountability, and functioning community supports that make a future feel livable again. 00:00 Welcome and Setup00:48 War Shrinks Tomorrow02:11 Defining Forever War03:19 Powerlessness and Consent04:26 Future Orientation Explained06:22 Foreshortened Future08:17 Time Disorientation09:57 Cascading Social Damage13:14 Politics and Authoritarian Drift14:16 Media Exposure and Implication16:19 Children Inherit Instability18:10 Expanding the Future Again20:14 Closing and Call to Action ★ Support this podcast ★

    21 min

  2. 23 FEB

    What the Epstein Network Tells Us About Power, Complicity, and the Psychology of Betrayal

    Losing Our Heroes: The Epstein Files, Elite Complicity, and the Psychology of Looking Away Host Leslie Poston discusses the psychological impact of seeing the names of people you once admired or trusted in the Epstein files. Poston examines why revelations connected to the Epstein files can feel psychologically destabilizing, especially when they involve admired public figures and trusted institutions. Drawing on research in power and social perception, implicit cognition, moral disengagement, parasocial relationships, and betrayal trauma, the episode explores how people and systems can minimize harm, avoid accountability, and sustain “looking away,” and discusses grief, anger, and disillusionment as part of responding clearly to what the files document. 00:00 Welcome + Content Warning: Losing Our Heroes in the Epstein Revelations00:50 What the Epstein Files Really Represent (Not a ‘Scandal’)02:30 The Eugenics Ideology Behind the Network’s Power03:34 Why It Went On for Decades: Power, Attention, and Elite Blindness05:11 Implicit Cognition & ‘Motivated Not Knowing’ Among Ethical Public Figures08:25 How Media & Religion Train Us to Soften Abuse (Moral Disengagement)11:25 Parasocial Grief, Cognitive Dissonance, and Identity Shame13:57 Betrayal Trauma: Survivors, Institutions, and Why Accountability Matters16:02 Recovering After Disillusionment: Grief, Anger, and Clear-Eyed Demands18:06 Closing ★ Support this podcast ★

    18 min

  3. 16 FEB

    Courage is Contagious: The Psychology of Collective Efficacy

    Sustained Resistance: How Communities Keep Showing Up Under Repression Host Leslie Poston closes PsyberSpace’s three-part series on American authoritarianism by focusing on the psychology of sustained resistance. Drawing on findings that real-world bystander intervention occurs in most incidents, she distinguishes one-time helping from long-term collective action and uses Minneapolis as an example of ongoing community response to state violence. She reviews research suggesting risk can increase commitment when paired with anger at repression and a belief that participation matters, and argues effective resistance relies on pre-existing collective efficacy built through repeated small acts of trust and mutual aid. She references Havel’s idea of “living in truth,” where refusing to perform compliance with obvious lies creates a growing space where propaganda fails. Poston also outlines factors that sustain activism under repression: emotional solidarity, alternative information/documentation sources as “epistemic infrastructure,” tactical flexibility, and the belief that others share one’s perception of reality. She also discusses the danger of pluralistic ignorance and discusses Erica Chenoweth’s research on civil resistance, including the higher historical success of nonviolent movements and cautions about overinterpreting the 3.5% threshold and changing success rates in the 2010s. Poston emphasizes diverse roles and tactics (street protest, documentation, legal support, sanctuary, labor action, and local noncooperation) and ends with practical guidance: build community relationships before crisis, maintain reality-testing against gaslighting, and choose an appropriate role to make dissent visible. 00:00 Welcome Back + What This Finale Covers01:05 Beyond the Bystander Effect: What Sustained Resistance Requires02:41 Risk, Anger, and Why Danger Can Fuel Commitment03:47 Collective Efficacy: The Trust Built Before the Crisis05:41 “Living in Truth”: Refusing to Perform the Lie07:35 4 Keys to Staying Engaged Under Repression10:17 Mass Participation, Nonviolence, and Diversity of Tactics12:15 Practical Takeaways: Build Community, Protect Reality, Find Your Role14:29 Series Wrap-Up + Final Thoughts and Next Episode Tease ★ Support this podcast ★

    15 min

  4. 9 FEB

    The War on What You Saw: The Psychology of Gaslighting at Scale

    The Power and Purpose of Obvious Lies in Authoritarian Regimes In this episode of PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston explores why authoritarian regimes tell obvious lies that contradict available video evidence and their psychological impact on the public. The discussion digs into how such lies serve to dominate rather than persuade, sorting the population, degrading shared reality, and forcing individuals to either accept the lie, stay quiet, or openly reject it. The episode also touches on concepts like institutional gaslighting, epistemic violence, and moral injury, highlighting the social costs and potential resilience strategies against these tactics. The upcoming part three will focus on the psychology of resistance and collective action. 00:00 Introduction to Authoritarian Lies00:36 The Psychology Behind Obvious Lies01:44 Propaganda and Domination02:25 Sorting the Population03:08 Degrading Shared Reality03:37 Forcing a Choice04:22 Institutional Gaslighting05:05 Epistemology of Ignorance06:32 Racist Gaslighting08:02 Moral Injury and Exhaustion10:14 The Cost of Dissent12:27 Social Connection as Resistance14:22 The Power of Documentation14:53 The Vulnerability of Obvious Lies15:24 Looking Ahead: The Psychology of Resistance15:46 Conclusion and Sign Off ★ Support this podcast ★

    16 min

  5. 2 FEB

    When They Come For You: The Psychology of Expanding Violence

    Understanding American Authoritarianism Short Series Part 1 of 3: Expansion of State Violence In the first part of a special three-episode series on PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston examines the psychology of authoritarianism with a focus on the expansion of state violence in the United States. Highlighting the significance of understanding how psychological patterns predict such outcomes, Leslie discusses recent events involving federal immigration agents and names the victims to humanize the statistics. She delves into various research by black scholars and others on moral exclusion, implicit bias, police violence, and the mechanisms behind systematic racism. The episode underscores the importance of recognizing and acting against the contraction of the moral circle and prepares the audience for the next episode on the psychology of manufactured reality. 00:00 Introduction to American Authoritarianism01:11 Documenting State Violence03:02 Moral Exclusion and Dehumanization05:43 Intersectionality and Systemic Racism06:37 Expanding Carceral State11:21 Survivor Psychology and Clarity13:13 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview Research will be added to PsyberSpace later this week ★ Support this podcast ★

    14 min

  6. 27 JAN

    Your Data Is Already Breached: Why Age Verification Makes It Worse

    The Illusion of Digital Safety: How Age Gates and Digital IDs Miss the Mark In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the ineffectiveness and risks of age gates and digital ID verification systems aimed at protecting children online. Highlighting global legislative attempts and their unintended consequences, Poston argues that these measures often exacerbate digital risks while failing to address root causes such as inadequate parental capacity, literacy deficiencies, and systemic economic struggles. The episode challenges the moral panic around social media's impact on youth mental health, pointing out that true protection requires structural change rather than symbolic, ineffective solutions. 00:00 Introduction and Data Breach Experiment01:09 Global Push for Age Gates and Digital ID Verification02:24 Moral Panic and Media Influence02:51 Scientific Evidence on Social Media and Youth Wellbeing07:02 The Real Issues: Parenting Capacity and Literacy Crisis09:35 The Illusion of Control: Age Gates and Surveillance14:09 Effective Solutions and Structural Change15:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts ★ Support this podcast ★

    18 min

  7. 19 JAN

    Why Does Debating Bad Ideas Make Them Stronger?

    The Hidden Dangers of Debate: Why It Can Legitimize Bad Ideas In this episode of PsyberSpace®, host Leslie Poston explores the unintended consequences of debate formats in media, arguing that they often function as tools to distribute and legitimize harmful ideas rather than dismantling them with facts. Poston discusses psychological principles such as social proof, the illusory truth effect, and the continued influence effect to explain why debates can amplify bad ideas. She advocates for alternative approaches such as weight of evidence framing, pre-bunking tactics, and audience-centered harm reduction to effectively combat misinformation and reduce harm. 00:00 Introduction to Debate Content01:14 The Unseen Consequences of Debates02:06 The Psychology Behind Debate Failures04:13 False Balance in Media05:44 The Illusory Truth Effect07:43 Debate as Entertainment09:38 Incentives and Bad Faith Tactics14:13 Strategies for Harm Reduction16:20 Practical Tips for Responding to Misinformation18:30 Conclusion and Final Thoughts ★ Support this podcast ★

    20 min

  8. 12 JAN

    When "No" Stops Mattering: The Psychology of Stolen Consent

    The Erosion of Consent in the Digital Age In this episode of PsyberSpace®, Leslie Poston discusses the systematic erosion of consent both online and offline, and its devastating psychological consequences. Key topics include non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery, the mass theft of creative work to train AI systems, the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for social media content, and the influence of manosphere ideology on young men. Poston explores the dehumanization and objectification that results from these trends, the psychological theories behind them, and provides insights into moral disengagement and learned helplessness. The episode concludes with strategies for resisting these harmful practices and emphasizes the importance of maintaining and teaching respect for consent. 00:00 Introduction to the Erosion of Consent01:15 Understanding Objectification and Its Harms02:25 AI and Non-Consensual Imagery05:20 Data Colonialism and Creative Theft07:52 Exploitation for Social Media Clout11:01 Manosphere Ideology and Consent14:52 Surveillance and Privacy Violations18:46 Psychological Consequences of Consent Erosion23:08 Paths to Resistance and Hope26:36 Conclusion and Call to Action Research will be added to the PsyberSpace.com main website ★ Support this podcast ★

    27 min
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About

If you've ever wondered what makes "reply guys" tick, why we fall for emotionally manipulative language in politics, why meetings suck, or how music can reshape your brain, we have the answers! Tune in to PsyberSpace® every Monday morning and understand your world a little better each week. PsyberSpace explores the evolving landscape where psychology, media, culture, and digital technology converge. Each episode unpacks the impact of tech on our minds, our culture, our work, and our society. We explore pressing topics like the ethics of virtual spaces, misinformation and disinformation, media psychology and marketing, the psychology of business in the age of AI, the influence of social media on mental health, and the implications of digital trends for leaders and organizations. Join us as we provide insights for harnessing tech for positive change in personal lives and within the workplace.

Information

  • Creator
    Leslie Poston, Research Psychologist: Applied Psychology, Media Psychology, Organizational Psychology
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Leslie Poston, All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    PsyberSpace: Understand Your World