Context Collapse

Ghostly Host Productions

5.0 (8)
Society & Culture
Updated Biweekly

A podcast where a therapist and a social scientist dig into the complexities inherent in making content online.

Jul 30

Self-branding, part 2

Wait no longer, part 2 of our episode on self-branding is here!
Jun 30

Self-branding

We live in a capitalist hellscape, so it's not just online creators who engage in self-branding. Let's talk about what it means to (sort of) present yourself as a product and how much work really goes into it. Part 1 of a 2-parter because we had a lot to say about this. Some questions we address include: What's the difference between actual authenticity and perceived authenticity? Why does Kim need to be diligent about cleaning her bottle of olive oil? Will we ever have an episode where Michele doesn't reference Alice Marwick?
Jun 16

"Guys, we're not friends" with Chris Zou

It's our first interview episode! In this episode, we chat with the hilarious and insightful Chris Zou - storyteller extraordinaire who posts on TikTok and Instagram as @storiesofcz We talk to Chris about how he's kind of nailing to Context Collapse approach to creating content, how his audience is shockingly insightful about his life, and why you shouldn't get a PhD OR become an influencer. We also address important questions like: Should Chris start making dance videos? Why doesn't he need you to take b-roll footage for him at this event? Is he going to doxx Kim? Listen on to find out. --- Follow us online at @contextcollapsepod or email us at contextcollapsepod@gmail.com.
Jun 2

The responsibility of the platform

Having an online audience can feel really intangible. But, like it or not, when people are giving you their attention, there's an element of responsibility that comes along with it. Let's take a little time to talk about what that looks like so everyone can decide for themselves what that responsibility means to them. Listen on for answers to important questions such as: Why are they talking about peep holes so much? Am I a bad person if I don't support someone's crowdfunding request? What are those things hanging along the streets of Chapel Hill? Why are we talking about Christmas decorations in June? At the end of the episode, we shout out Dr. Jess Maddox - follow her stuff (TikTok: @drjess21; Instagram/Threads: @jessmaddox21) for educational and interesting content about being a creator.
May 19

Deciding how much to share about yourself online

Gather around, parasocialites, and let's learn about boundaries. Or hard lines. Or, sometimes, slightly wiggly lines that may need to be redrawn every now and then. In this episode, we're discussing the subtle art of thinking about your online persona as separate from your full self. We also get into some worst-case scenarios to illustrate why thinking ahead is important. Listen on to find out: does Michele have any clue what her degree is actually in? What injury did Kim used to fantasize about getting? Why did your favorite #relationshipgoals couple announce a divorce when you thought they were perfect? Check in with yourselves and listen along with us. Note: this is a re-release of the third episode, as it was originally published with a slight error included.
May 5

A deep dive into internet fame

Join us for a dive into the research about fame, parasocial relationships, and the behind-the-scenes world of content creators. We're taking you into the deep end for a spell so that going forward, we can all be on the same page as we talk insights and solutions. Some questions we explore include: How is an a-list actor different from a high profile Renaissance scholar? What's it like to serve your fans coffee? Are all parasocial relationships toxic and pathetic? Listen to find out. (The first version of this episode went out with truncated audio. This is the full episode.)
Apr 21

Welcome to Context Collapse

Hey there, citizens of the internet, we're Michele (PhD) and Kim (LICSW) and we want to talk about how weird and complicated and messy it is to make content online. We grew up next door to each other and have been best friends as long as Kim has been alive (Michele is older so she had a few lonely Kimless years. We don't talk about those dark times). In this, our inaugural episode, we introduce ourselves, our podcast, and our vision of what we'd like to talk about going forward. Answered questions include (but are not limited to): what is an "online creator" anyway?; what does "context collapse" even mean?; who or what is a "business ghost"?; what is "scandoval" and why doesn't an alleged media expert know about it? Join us, won't you?
Apr 17

Introducing Context Collapse

Making content online is way more difficult to navigate than it seems on the surface. We're a therapist (Kim) and a social scientist (Michele) and we want to try to help.

1 Trailer

7 Episodes

Trailer

Introducing Context Collapse

Making content online is way more difficult to navigate than it seems on the surface. We're a therapist (Kim) and a social scientist (Michele) and we want to try to help.

5

out of 5

8 Ratings

A podcast where a therapist and a social scientist dig into the complexities inherent in making content online.

Creator

Ghostly Host Productions
Years Active

2026
Episodes

8
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026
Show Website

Context Collapse