In this episode we deep dive into the relationship between social media and our perceptions of body image. We examine how social media platforms influence body image for people of different genders, ages, and communities and look at some social media trends which may be problematic.

Dougherty & Krawczyk (2018): Gender differences in media exposure and trait appearance comparison.

Ryding & Kuss (2020): Meta-analysis of 40 studies showing passive, image-based social comparison.

Lonergan et al (2020): Social media posting and editing behaviours and eating disorder risk among adolescents

Bodywhys: The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland - bodywhys.ie

Jigsaw: The National Centre for Youth Mental Health - Jigsaw.ie

HSE: https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/mental-health/eating-disorders/useful-links/

This episode takes a look at how cybercriminals use psychology to manipulate people through online scams. From phishing emails and phone fraud to romance scams, sextortion, and the rise of AI-driven deepfakes, it unpacks why these scams work and why no one is completely immune. Real-world examples illustrate just how convincing scammers can be, and we discuss the emotions, cognitive biases, and principles of persuasion they exploit. The episode also explores practical ways to recognize these tactics and protect yourself, reminding us that victims are never to blame—awareness is the key defense.

Resources:

Romance scams

https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/fraud/am-i-a-victim-of-a-romance-scam-.html

Sextortion

https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/sexual-crime/sextortion-advice-if-you-are-a-victim.html

Money muling

https://www.garda.ie/en/about-us/organised-serious-crime/garda-national-economic-crime-bureau/money-muling.html

Cyber Crime – advice on other crimes

https://www.garda.ie/en/crime/cyber-crime/

News stories:

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/ireland-red-c-win-phishing-scam-survey#:~:text=The%20Worldwide%20Independent%20Network%20of%20Market%20Research,higher%20than%20the%20global%20average%20of%2034pc.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/aug/04/experience-scammers-used-ai-to-fake-my-daughters-kidnap

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68705913

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/fell-into-a-trap-student-money-mule-to-speak-in-schools-after-smishing-scam-court-case-1806411.html

In this episode we dive into ASMR! We discuss the ASMR, the similarities to other auditory and visual trends online. We focus on the content of videos that can induce ASMR, what makes them successful for ASMR-tists and the potential concerns that we might have from an online safety perspective. We review the research on our responses to ASMR triggers and our psychological responses behind why ASMR is the most watched content in 2025!

Resources and Episode Video Examples

• ASMR Reddit
• Vintage Jewelry Counter ASMR
• ASMR Role Play Examples

Research

• Buechele et al., (2025)
• Hozaki et al., (2025)
• Poerio et al., (2018)
• Poerio et al., (2022)
• Jiang et al., (2024)
• Greer et al., (2025)