Hypercommunication

Caitlin Begg

Exploring a more human everyday amidst technological modernity with host Caitlin Begg (Authentic Social founder and sociologist). New episodes Mondays. Formerly known as "Progression to Analog"!

  1. Jul 27

    We Have Too Many Friends Online with Ruby Justice Thelot

    We discuss connection bloat, unfollowing, the 'timeline acquaintance', unread messages, ambient copresence, Instagram Close Friends, cultural obsession with quantification, the realm of the facial hyperreal, AI looksmaxxing apps, online checkpoints, shock of alteration/deletion, digital memory, and more.  Ruby Justice Thelot is a designer, artist & cyberethnographer based in new york city. He is a Professor of Design and Media studies at NYU and the author of A Cyberarchaeology of Checkpoints.  His recent essay for Mozilla Foundation, Everyone Has Too Many "Friends" Online, can be read here.  Ruby's Instagram Ruby's Substack Ruby's YouTube

    We Have Too Many Friends Online with Ruby Justice Thelot

  2. Jul 13

    Psychology of AI with Professor Steve Rathje

    How is AI affecting our relationships? Our problem-solving capabilities? Our confidence? Steve Rathje and I chat about some of his recent research on AI sycophancy to explore these questions and more.  A preview: people HATE disagreeable chatbots; humans are influenced by flattery even if we know it is insincere; AI has a bias toward AI-generated text... Steve Rathje is an incoming Assistant Professor of Human Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon. As of July 2026, Steve's important research on psychology of technology and related topics have been cited over 7,000 times. Some of his notable research includes Out-group animosity drives engagement on social media (2021) and Sycophantic AI increases attitude extremity and overconfidence (2025). Steve received his PhD from the University of Cambridge (Trinity College), where he was a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Previously, he studied Psychology and Symbolic Systems at Stanford University. Keep up with Steve on TikTok, Instagram, and at stevenrathje.com. If you missed it, also be sure to tune into Steve's first appearance on Progression to Analog from 2025, "Psychology of Virality".

    Psychology of AI with Professor Steve Rathje

  3. Jun 29

    Cultivating a Learning Lifestyle with Bella Dane

    I speak with content creator Bella Dane about how to cultivate a learning lifestyle... we cover topics like the importance of curiosity, how to rethink your relationship with learning, the role consistency and systems play in our everyday lives, and more. Follow Bella on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Substack.

    Cultivating a Learning Lifestyle with Bella Dane

  4. Jun 1

    Get a hobby with Kerry Hurlbut

    We discuss the science behind analog hobbies, decluttering digital and physical lives, and more. Kerry Hurlbut, DNP, CPNP-PC is the founder of Pointed Positivity, a needlepoint wellness brand. She is also a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Philadelphia.

    Get a hobby with Kerry Hurlbut

  5. May 25

    Creator Mental Health with Shira Lazar

    Shira Lazar is the Co-Founder of What's Trending and the Founder of Creators 4 Mental Health. Creators 4 Mental Health brings mental well-being tools to the creator economy through individual support, community connection, and collective advocacy. Shira recently won a Shorty award for Creator Advocate of the Year! We speak about her latest study on creator mental health, important statistics on suicidal ideation in creators, negative wellbeing associated with checking analytics consistently, ways to improve mental health, creator access to mental health care, and more. We also touch on topics like technofeudalism, therapy, the contentification of everyday life, trust in platforms, and more. The important information in this episode is a great way to wrap Mental Health Awareness Month. For more information on Creators 4 Mental Health, go to creators4mentalhealth.com. You can also follow Shira Lazar on Instagram and TikTok.

    Creator Mental Health with Shira Lazar

  6. Apr 13

    Tech, language, “reality”, & vibes with Adam Aleksic (@etymologynerd)

    Adam and I chat about the commodification of identity, language trends for 2026, how language shapes our shared realities, technology's effect on conversation, the analog movement, the return of vibes, Dutch conveyor belts, and more.  You can keep up with Adam on: InstagramTikTokYouTubeSubstackHis latest book, Algospeak, is available now... and he is currently writing a second book - working title Reality Drift.

    Tech, language, “reality”, & vibes with Adam Aleksic (@etymologynerd)

  7. Apr 6

    Design Responsibly with Alex Wolf

    From founding BossBabe at 21 and coining the term “millennial pink” to a career in tech philosophy spanning companies like Snap and LVMH... Alex Wolf has spent years at the intersection of community, culture, and technology. In this episode, we discuss all things tech: her four qualifiers of human-friendly technology, tech's effect on everyday life, why it’s important to design responsibly, fashion and tech, why a fully analog life isn’t realistic for many people (with some tips for your balance). Alex's mini-documentary "Attention For Sale" can be viewed here. You can follow Alex on Instagram and on LinkedIn, and visit her website here.

    Design Responsibly with Alex Wolf

  8. 11/18/2025

    Cyber Celibate with Tiffany Ng

    New York-based technology and culture writer Tiffany Ng and I sit down to speak about all things ⁠Cyber Celibate⁠, Neo-Luddism, whimsy, 'rawdogging vacation', chaining her phone to a wall for a week, ⁠HTML energy⁠, and her MIT Technology Review article "⁠How to break free of Spotify's algorithm⁠". ⁠Cyber Celibate⁠ Tiffany's ⁠Instagram⁠ (@tffanyng) and ⁠TikTok⁠ (@cybercelibate) Some of Tiffany's other interesting articles... WIRED: ⁠The Best Programming Language for the End of the World ⁠MIT Technology Review: ⁠Recapturing Early-Internet Whimsy with HTML⁠MIT Technology Review: ⁠Meet the man building a starter kit for civilization⁠It's Nice That: ⁠Work better this year (or don't, it's your life)

    Cyber Celibate with Tiffany Ng
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Trailers

4.8
out of 5
36 Ratings

About

Exploring a more human everyday amidst technological modernity with host Caitlin Begg (Authentic Social founder and sociologist). New episodes Mondays. Formerly known as "Progression to Analog"!

Information

  • Creator
    Caitlin Begg
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Caitlin Begg
  • Show Website
    Hypercommunication

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