Should the UK government be banning social media for under-16s?

Welcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week is A Very Special Episode ™️, as Lucy Reade and James Ball discuss the recent UK government announcement that social media will be banned for under-16s. Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade Produced by Matt Withers Subscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here

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Phone bans at concerts, and Pattie Gonia v Patagonia

This week, Lucy Reade and James Ball argue over phone-free concerts, as well as discuss the age-old story of the evil multinational corporation taking on the plucky independent creator… or is there more to the story than meets the eye?

Crying on LinkedIn and the latest Bonnie Blue controversy

This week, James Ball explores the latest LinkedIn phenomenon: people publicly sharing videos of them crying about their jobs. Meanwhile, Lucy Reade unpacks the newest Bonnie Blue controversy, which has sparked fresh debate around the pro-life movement.

Can you fall in love with AI, and the great UK v US food debate

This week, Lucy Reade unpacks what happens to people in love with AI when their chatbots’ coding is changed, and the rise of AI relationships among younger generations, while James Ball has accidentally waded into the great UK vs US debate on food and the weird politics which accompany it.

The fascist video game row, and why are teens obsessed with New Labour politicians?

This week, James Ball dives into the debate over whether video games can be fascist, while Lucy Reade unpacks the baffling teen obsession with New Labour politicians – and their love lives.

Touching Grass - Coming Soon

Welcome to Touching Grass, the new podcast on online culture from The New World.Telling someone to 'touch grass' means they need to get off their screen and get back in touch with reality - an insult which has been levelled many times at Lucy Reade and James Ball. This podcast is essentially two people who […]