State of the Pod

609: Who Wants to Live Forever?: What it Means to Age in the 21st Century

Is the fountain of youth finally in our grasp? From fictitious movies to ancient mythologies, the desire for immortality has permeated almost every facet of human society. Today, an increasingly powerful anti-aging industry has instilled the idea that growing old is undesirable. But does living longer really mean living better? Join us as we dive into the sociological and ethical implications of treating aging as a disease to be cured. Produced: Emily Hart, Sayuri Pfeiffer, Julian Park, Gargi Rao The post 609: Who Wants to Live Forever?: What it Means to Age in the 21st Century [https://stateofthepod.com/2024/05/04/609-who-wants-to-live-forever-what-it-means-to-age-in-the-21st-century/] first appeared on State of the Pod [https://stateofthepod.com].

608: iKids: Beyond the Camera

Child and family influencers are some of the hottest channels on YouTube. But what are the risks of living your childhood on camera? We argue, child influencing is child labor, and with this comes a myriad of unethical conditions and potential childhood trauma. Tune in to explore the mechanisms that drive this industry, and how platforms benefit from this damaging cycle.  Written, Edited, and Produced by: Adele Williams, Anona Joshi, Diego Valdez Art by Angelina Rappa Special thank you to Brooke Aaron Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Cornell University for speaking with us. Additional thank you to the Investigative Biology Department at Cornell University for our recording equipment. Sources: Masterson, Marina. “When Play Becomes Work: Child Labor Laws in the Era of ‘Kidfluencers.’” SSRN, 14 Aug. 2021, papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3650376 [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3650376].   McKen, Jordy. “10 Family YouTuber Scandals: Articles on Watchmojo.Com.” WatchMojo, WacthMojo, 21 Sept. 2023, www.watchmojo.com/articles/10-family-youtuber-scandals/ryan-s-world [http://www.watchmojo.com/articles/10-family-youtuber-scandals/ryan-s-world].   Muppalla, S. K., Vuppalapati, S., Reddy Pulliahgaru, A., & Sreenivasulu, H. (2023). Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management. Cureus, 15(6), e40608. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.40608 [https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.40608] Riggio, Amanda G. “The Small-er Screen: YouTube Vlogging and the Unequipped Child Entertainment Labor Laws.” Seattle University Law Review, vol. 44, no. 2, Winter 2021, pp. 493-530. HeinOnline, https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/sealr44&i=497 [https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/sealr44&i=497]. Vogels, Emily A. “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 10 Aug. 2022, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/ [http://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/].   Music: “Darren Curtis – It’s In The Fog” is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0). Darrencurtismusic. Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://bit.ly/b-in-the-fog  The post 608: iKids: Beyond the Camera [https://stateofthepod.com/2024/05/04/ikids-beyond-the-camera/] first appeared on State of the Pod [https://stateofthepod.com].

607: Environmental Issues faced by the Shinnecock Nation

This podcast discusses the many environmental issues the Shinnecock Nation on Long Island currently faces and how they may worsen as climate change becomes more severe. It covers topics ranging from ocean acidification and shoreline erosion to cultural practices that have suffered as a result of global warming to local governments’ efforts toward mitigating these damages. Produced by: Rewa Phansalkar, Grace DePaull Names and titles of all interviewees: Shavonne Smith (Environmental Director of Shinnecock Nation), Wiley Gifford (Cornell Environment and Sustainability major, class of 2024), Joey Armstrong (Cornell Chemical Engineering major, class of 2025), Kadijat Alakiu (Cornell Environmental Engineering major, class of 2024) Citations for any sources cited in the episode: INDIGENOUS RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE: CONTRASTING U.S FEDERAL ADAPTATION EFFORTS WITH TRIBAL APPROACHES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST – a thesis by Rewa Phansalkar The post 607: Environmental Issues faced by the Shinnecock Nation [https://stateofthepod.com/2024/05/04/608-environmental-issues-faced-by-the-shinnecock-nation/] first appeared on State of the Pod [https://stateofthepod.com].

606: Health or Hype? The Supplement Industry’s Deficiencies

Join us as we dive into the unregulated world of the vitamin and dietary supplement industry. With over 85,000 supplement products on the market and minimal FDA oversight, learn about the hidden dangers lurking in your daily pills and powders. We talk to Harvard researcher Dr. Pieter Cohen to uncover the shocking truth about supplement contamination, mislabeling, and overdosing risks that companies don’t want you to know. Discover if your supplements are a path to better health or simply overhyped, and what you can do to stay informed and safe. Written and Produced by Isabella Ciocca, Rma Polce, Matthew Kiewski, and Angelina Rappa Edited by Rma Polce Art by Angelina Rappa Citations: 1. Kleerekoper, M. (2014). How Placebo Effects Work to Change Our Biology & Psychology. ScienceDirect. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123869609000022#sec0105 [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123869609000022#sec0105]. 2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Supplement Your Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/supplement-your-knowledge [https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/supplement-your-knowledge]. 3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Supplement Your Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/media/158340/download?attachment [https://www.fda.gov/media/158340/download?attachment]. 4. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. (n.d.). Realize Safety Issues Exist. Retrieved from https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/supplement-connect/realize-safety-issues-exist/ [https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/supplement-connect/realize-safety-issues-exist/]. 5. Tomlinson, T. (2014). Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. JAMA, 159(8), 850. PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/279019758/]. 6. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/ [https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/]. 7. Cohen, P. A., & Maller, G. (2013). Assessment of DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) in supplements. JAMA Internal Medicine, 173(10), 919-922. PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18088161/]. 8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Consumption of dietary supplements containing DMAA among servicemembers—Fort Bliss, Texas, 2010. National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr183.pdf [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr183.pdf]. 9. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2015). Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/dietary-supplements-unregulated-children-health/ [https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/dietary-supplements-unregulated-children-health/]. 10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Facts About Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/rumor-control/facts-about-dietary-supplements [https://www.fda.gov/news-events/rumor-control/facts-about-dietary-supplements]. 11. Kleerekoper, M. (2014). How Placebo Effects Work to Change Our Biology & Psychology. ScienceDirect. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123869609000022#sec0105 [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123869609000022#sec0105]. 12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Supplement Your Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/supplement-your-knowledge [https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/supplement-your-knowledge]. 13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Supplement Your Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/media/158340/download?attachment [https://www.fda.gov/media/158340/download?attachment]. 14. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. (n.d.). Realize Safety Issues Exist. Retrieved from https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/supplement-connect/realize-safety-issues-exist/ [https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/supplement-connect/realize-safety-issues-exist/]. 15. Tomlinson, T. (2014). Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. JAMA, 159(8), 850. PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/279019758/]. 16. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/ [https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins/]. 17. Cohen, P. A., & Maller, G. (2013). Assessment of DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) in supplements. JAMA Internal Medicine, 173(10), 919-922. PubMed [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18088161/]. 18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Consumption of dietary supplements containing DMAA among servicemembers—Fort Bliss, Texas, 2010. National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr183.pdf [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr183.pdf]. 19. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2015). Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/dietary-supplements-unregulated-children-health/ [https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/dietary-supplements-unregulated-children-health/]. 20. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Facts About Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/rumor-control/facts-about-dietary-supplements [https://www.fda.gov/news-events/rumor-control/facts-about-dietary-supplements]. 21. Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Dietary Supplement Safety. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/dietary-supplement-safety [https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/dietary-supplement-safety]. 22. American Medical Association. (2019). Dietary Supplements: Underregulated, Unknown, and Maybe Unsafe. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/dietary-supplements-underregulated-unknown-and-maybe-unsafe [https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/dietary-supplements-underregulated-unknown-and-maybe-unsafe]. 23. EatingWell. (2021). Supplements: OPSS Scorecard. Retrieved from https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7922214/supplements-opss-scorecard/ [https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7922214/supplements-opss-scorecard/]. 24. ResearchGate. (2014). Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279019758_Stop_Wasting_Money_on_Vitamin_and_Mineral_Supplements_vol_159_pg_850_2013#fullTextFileContent [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279019758_Stop_Wasting_Money_on_Vitamin_and_Mineral_Supplements_vol_159_pg_850_2013#fullTextFileContent]. 25. The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2023). Stronger Federal Oversight of Dietary Supplements Will Protect Consumers From Unsafe Products. Retrieved from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2023/01/26/stronger-federal-oversight-of-dietary-supplements-will-protect-consumers-from-unsafe-products [https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2023/01/26/stronger-federal-oversight-of-dietary-supplements-will-protect-consumers-from-unsafe-products]. 26. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Food Defect Levels Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredients-additives-gras-packaging-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-defect-levels-handbook#commodities [https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredients-additives-gras-packaging-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/food-defect-levels-handbook#commodities]. 27. The New York Times. (2013). Herbal Supplements Are Often Not What They Seem. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/herbal-supplements-are-often-not-what-they-seem.html#:~:text=Of%2044%20herbal%20supplements%20tested,which%20are%20used%20as%20fillers [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/herbal-supplements-are-often-not-what-they-seem.html#:~:text=Of%2044%20herbal%20supplements%20tested,which%20are%20used%20as%20fillers]. 28. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.). Kava. Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/news/alerts/kava [https://nccih.nih.gov/news/alerts/kava]. 29. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (n.d.). Kratom: A Legal Drug That’s Dangerously Addictive?. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/kratom-a-legal-drug-thats-dangerously-addictive/ [https://childmind.org/article/kratom-a-legal-drug-thats-dangerously-addictive/]. The post 606: Health or Hype? The Supplement Industry’s Deficiencies  [https://stateofthepod.com/2024/05/04/health-or-hype-the-supplement-industrys-deficiencies/] first appeared on State of the Pod [https://stateofthepod.com].

601: Sex Sells: But at what cost?

The portrayal of women in media is strikingly one-dimensional, often reduced to either objects of desire or figures to be fetishized. This phenomenon extends across diverse platforms—from your go-to fashion magazines to the grittiest video games, where women frequently find themselves cast as subservient and hypersexualized entities. In this episode, we dive into the pervasive nature of this hypersexualization and its roots in larger patriarchal systems. Through a discussion on various media forms, we unravel the profound impact of these portrayals on consumers. The result? A dire outlook on the world, shaped by the affliction imposed by these depictions. The aim of this episode, therefore, is to provoke a deeper understanding of systemic inequalities ingrained in media and to empower consumers to reshape their perspectives. By doing so, we can collectively strive for a more inclusive and equitable media landscape. Produced and written by Adele Williams, Thoranna Bender, Eve Iulo Edited by Adele Williams Art by Anjelina Gonzalez Citations: [1] PBS NewsHour. (2013, December 21). The sexualization of young girls: What we lose and gain. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/social_issues-july-dec13-sexualization_12-21 [2] UNICEF USA. (2021, January 11). Not an object: The sexualization and exploitation of women and girls. Retrieved from https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/not-object-sexualization-and-exploitation-women-and-girls-0 [3] Blagburn, B. (n.d.). A Feminist Approach to Reclaiming Sex, Sexuality, and Sensuality. Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame IN). Retrieved from https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Saint_Mary’s_College_(Notre_Dame_IN)/Literature/Chimamanda_Adichie%3A_A_Research_Guide/04%3A_Critical_Analyses/4.01%3A__A_Feminist_Approach_to_Reclaiming_Sex_Sexuality_and_Sensuality_By_Brittany_Blagburn [4] SSAIC. (2022, April 13). Emily Ratajkowski on Taking Back Her Body. Retrieved from https://ssaic.ca/emily-ratajkowski-on-taking-back-her-body/ [5] Hirsch, J. S., & Larson, K. (2020, February 1). ‘Angels’ in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria’s Secret. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/business/victorias-secret-razek-harassment.html [6] Masters of Media. (2020, September 28). “You Can See Me Naked After the Paywall”: How OnlyFans Transforms the Online Sex Industry. Retrieved from http://mastersofmedia.hum.uva.nl/blog/2020/09/28/you-can-see-me-naked-after-the-paywall-how-onlyfans-transforms-the-online-sex-industry/ [7] SpringerLink. (2020, January 2). Back That Sexism Up: An Analysis of the Representation of Women’s Bodies in Music Videos. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-29855-5_5  [8] ScholarsArchive. (2017, May 17). Women in Refrigerators: The Objectification of Women in Comics. BYU ScholarsArchive. Retrieved from https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/awe/vol2/iss2/9/  [9] Tulane University Journal. (2022). The World’s Oldest Profession Gets a Makeover: Sex Work, OnlyFans, and Celebrity Participation. Retrieved from https://journals.tulane.edu/ncs/article/view/3661  [10] Cardoso, & Scarcelli. (2021). The bodies of the (digitised) body. Retrieved from https://recil.ensinolusofona.pt/bitstream/10437/12305/1/CARDOSO%2c%20SCARCELLI%20-%20%20%20The%20bodies%20of%20the%20%28digitised%29%20body_PUBLISHED.pdf  [11] Kite, L. (2011). From Objectification to Self-Subjectification: Victoria’s Secret as a Do-It-Yourself Guide. Retrieved from https://www.morethanabody.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Kite-Lexie-NCA-Paper-Victorias-Secret.pdf [12] ScienceDirect. (2023). Comparing and self-objectifying: The effect of sexualized imagery posted by Instagram Influencers on women’s body image. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144523000980?via%3Dihub  [13] Emerald Insight. (2023, January 17).Sociomaterial influence on social media: exploring sexualised practices of influencers on Instagram. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ITP-03-2022-0215/full/html  [14] Wiley Online Library. (2019, February 19). Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gwao.12354  The post 601: Sex Sells: But at what cost? [https://stateofthepod.com/2023/12/07/sex-sells-but-at-what-cost/] first appeared on State of the Pod [https://stateofthepod.com].