Fight Disinformation

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View this email online Fighting disinformation is just one of the many ways NPR is strengthening democracy. NPR's dedicated disinformation team has broken stories, revealed business models that fuel disinformation, elevated possible solutions, and educated listeners about how to spot and respond to manipulative media—resulting in 66 stories with over 23.5 million views. Please don't take this work for granted. Your donations ensure important stories across the NPR Network are reported while remaining freely accessible to all. Donate Now Everywhere news is, we are: NPR Network reporters work around the world and around the clock to publish the in-depth, quality journalism you expect. We count on your support to make it happen. From radio to podcasts, the website, the NPR app, and beyond. The difference you can make by taking just a few moments to donate now is very real. Grassroots support is the foundation of public media because it's powerful. Support people-powered media by donating today.   Donate Now You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy

Let's stop making innocent strangers go viral

Plus: Late-night hosts, doppelgangers, Beyoncé and a fall preview

View this email online by Linda Holmes Welcome! It was the week when Natasha Lyonne offered to solve a crossword puzzle with you. It was the week when two shows that normally have writers claimed they could wing it. And it was the week when there was NSYNC again. (Lots more at the news quiz.) Let's get to it. Opening Argument: Let's stop making innocent strangers go viral It's challenging to explain the problem of people thoughtlessly making other people into social media content, because if you provide examples, you only draw more attention to something that shouldn't be happening in the first place. Or, worse, you confuse your point and sound like you're being critical of people who film police or otherwise try to document dangerous situations. Suffice it to say that on a regular basis, a photo or a video will go by in some social media feed or another in which a totally ordinary person doing a totally ordinary thing -- eating lunch, walking down the street, talking to friends -- is removed from all context and made into a snotty comment about how the world is. "Why are they on their phone instead of looking at the beautiful sky?" "Why are they talking to their friends too enthusiastically about that movie I didn't care about?" "Why are they wearing those shoes?" "Why are they walking like that?" Delmaine Donson / Getty Images And if you look at the numbers on the post, it will turn out that some totally ordinary and unwilling person has been viewed in this quite dehumanizing context by a million people. In fairness, this was a pretty predictable result of everybody having a camera with them at all times. Who hasn't wished they had a camera to document the amazing "small person walking huge dog" moment they spontaneously got to enjoy? Or a video of the man giving his friend a speech about ... whatever, Robert De Niro or whether people should roll up the cuffs on their pants? Curiosity happens, and surprise happens. The observation of and interest in other people in public is not inherently exploitative; it's often lovely, actually. Surveillance of them, not so much. This isn't to say surreptitious video of people engaged in some sort of harmful or dangerous treatment of somebody else is wrong, or that you need to ask permission to film somebody who's harassing the clerk at Target. But if the person isn't doing anything wrong, if you are purely using someone as a curiosity, what exactly is the reason you know not to say, "Can I take your picture?" Deep down do you know the person might not want you to? That they would not allow it if they knew about it? "Can I take a picture to use you as an example of how boring I think your clothes are?" Nobody says that. What is that person doing by wearing those shoes that entitles you -- not legally, but personally -- to do something using their image that may be a deeply unpleasant experience for them? Is the answer to walk around with your head down, ignoring the world of hilarious weirdness that's often around you? Of course not. Here's one answer: Become a storyteller. Instead of publishing a photo of those three people you saw wearing almost identical yoga pants and tank tops to demonstrate how basic you think that is as a standard uniform, put a little effort into describing them with words in a way that doesn't allow anybody to identify them. This is what language is for! You are telling a little story about something that you saw. You can be just as cutting as before, maybe more so. You're just not making anybody famous without their consent. We need an etiquette of pictures and videos of strangers, I think. We're far enough into the "practically everybody has a camera" age that we know how it goes, how much people often do not welcome attention they never asked for, and how you just never know when your post you expect to be a small deal will become a big deal, bigger for someone else than for you. There are digital stickers you can put over somebody's face if you don't know whether they want their picture on your feed. There are ways to offer descriptions and preserve anonymity. There is your group chat to share things with; there are your texts. We're all finding our way through a very different environment than existed maybe 10 years ago. But bear in mind: Standing there with your phone out taking a picture of people who are innocently eating lunch might qualify as pretty weird behavior to some people. And one of them might also have a phone. Newsletter continues after sponsor message We Recommend The Netflix film Love at First Sight is the kind of solid romantic comedy that used to be thick on the ground and now requires a little more tracking down. Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy are very charming as a couple who meets on a plane and then has to figure out how to reunite once they land. PCHH favorite Rob Delaney is a delight as Richardson's loving dad. (Do they dance together? They do.) A swell, cozy watch. I've just started reading Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein, and if you just said to yourself, "Wait, which one is Naomi Klein again?" then you know what the book is about. Also: Coming this week, dropping on Wednesday on Apple TV+, the series The Super Models, about Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, is the latest entry in the genre of documentaries about people made by those people, and it should be taken as such. With that said, I found a lot of what these women and the people who worked with them had to say quite interesting, and if you remember the height of the supermodel era, you might, too. Listen to the Podcast Sponsor-Free Support your favorite pop culture junkies AND listen without sponsor interruptions with a subscription to Pop Culture Happy Hour+! Learn more and sign up at plus.npr.org/happy. Learn More What We Did This Week Hulu; Peacock; Apple TV+; Tubi TV; Keri Anderson/Prime Video; Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment NPR's sharp TV critic Eric Deggans joined me to talk about the state of late-night and the Strike Force Five podcast that several late-night hosts recently launched. (Eric also wrote this week about how to help fix streaming.) Aisha talked to Reanna Cruz and Shar Jossell about Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour. Stephen chatted about Olivia Rodrigo's album GUTS with Anamaria Artemisa Sayre and Cyrena Touros. And Glen, Aisha, Stephen and I talked about some of the things we're excited for this fall in our fall preview. I have always found The Morning Show very frustrating but fun to write about, and I wrote this week about the third season and how much better I think it would be if it would let the lead characters just be bad. Some of the PCHH team also helped with NPR's fall streaming guide, which I hope helps you make your way through the very crowded landscape. What's Making Us Happy Every week on the show, we talk about some other things out in the world that have been giving us joy lately. Here they are: Glen Weldon: Stephen Fry, Mythos, but specifically the audiobook Aisha Harris: Victoria Monét, Jaguar II Stephen Thompson: The Beaches, Blame Your Ex Linda Holmes: Why We Love Baseball Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+. Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free episodes. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: pchh@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Books, Daily News and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Pop Culture Happy Hour emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy

🫠 Oops! I called my boss ‘dude’

✅ Advice on dealing with workplace dilemmas

View this email online Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR It can be hard to know how to act at work. I want to be my relaxed, authentic self — but sometimes that comes off as way too casual.  For example, I once called my boss “dude.” She’s not that much older than me, so I slipped into a more laid-back attitude that should probably be reserved for peers. I instantly felt like I had taken a step over that invisible line that divides the professional from the unprofessional. Since then, I’ve made a concerted effort to button up a little.  Luckily, Life Kit is here to help with these awkward workplace dilemmas. Earlier this summer, we asked you to send in your work-related questions, from dealing with a boss who has different political views to tackling age discrimination. Then we asked career coaches from the leadership training organization Embrace Change to weigh in and give concrete advice. Here is a selection of questions and answers. They have been edited for length and clarity.  🗳 I have worked for my boss for over 30 years. During the 2016 election, he messaged me on Facebook about who I was supporting. After his rant, I stopped him by saying I am a lifelong Democrat. He has treated me differently ever since. I am 60 years old and I can't retire until I'm 65. I don't want to quit my job because of my age. I would have trouble getting hired elsewhere. —Nancy Advice from career coach Brandon Johnson: I would ask you: What is within your control? Can you limit direct contact with this person? Can you avoid things that trigger his rants? Depending on your comfort level, you could also request a meeting with him to discuss workplace boundaries. Express that you're interested in co-creating a positive environment by keeping discussions about personal information like political beliefs out of the workplace. Read the full response here. 🕰 I'm 56 and trying to reenter the workforce in clinical nutrition. I have had many Zoom interviews that I thought went well. I think my age is the issue. There are so many younger professionals who I am up against. Any suggestions? —Marcy Advice from Johnson: I'm sorry you've had this experience. Companies are responsible for preventing bias from seeping into their hiring processes, but we all know they don’t all live up to that expectation. In the case of age discrimination, there are tactics you can employ to help you beat the bias. Approach your job interviews and networking from a place of energy instead of experience. At the interview stage, employers already know you bring lots of experience because they've seen your resume and cover letter. Use your interview to show your motivation to mesh with the culture, work with diverse groups and star in your role. Read the full response here. 📚 I've hit a wall in my line of work. When is it time to step back from my job to advance my education and therefore my earning potential? —Talia  Advice from Johnson: Ask yourself: Is it really education that's holding me back? Or something else?  Make sure it's not other factors such as burnout, your company's culture or your manager. If you're sure it's schooling, then maybe it is time to go back. However, going back to school is a big undertaking, so you want to make sure it's the right solution. You may be better off searching out a new organization that offers greater growth opportunities and support for your development. Read the full response here. 👀 I recently went on medical leave from my job due to mental health issues, and after a few months, I decided I couldn't continue working there and resigned. While I'm enjoying the break, I'm having difficulty talking about my situation with friends and family. How can I talk about my in-between career state without inducing shame or criticism? —Kara Advice from career and personal empowerment coach Payal Shah: Firstly, congratulations on listening to yourself and making a courageous move in line with your values and wellbeing. I'm glad that the journey since your leave has felt liberating. At the same time, it's normal to experience anxiety and other emotions in the process. How do you feel when you share your news? Are you coming from a place of apology, uncertainty or lack of confidence? Or enthusiasm and conviction? Know that people may respond differently to different energies, and the energy and emotions behind our words may play a role in how others react to us. Read the full response here. Thankfully, it’s Friday, so we all get a break from thinking about work. Come Monday… you got this, dude. —Julia Carney, podcast coordinator   P.S. What would you have done if you called your boss "dude?" Email us at lifekit@npr.org with your thoughts and we may include it in next week's Life Kit newsletter. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Listen Sponsor-Free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening AND that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with making a difference. You can also check out loads of other NPR+ podcasts with benefits at plus.npr.org. Explore Life Kit+ Print out this free poster! Kaz Fantone/NPR Sweet, gooey poop and a taste for grapes: 7 wild facts about the spotted lanternfly An entomologist shares surprising insights about the invasive bug, which is wreaking havoc on crops and trees across 14 U.S. states. Our illustrator Kaz Fantone designed some of these facts into a cool poster that you can download and print at home. Get the poster here — and read the article. Your health  Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images The new COVID boosters are coming: Here's what you need to know Updated versions of the mRNA vaccines roll out this week. Experts say they offer good protection against current COVID variants. Who should get them, and when's the best time to roll up your sleeve? Read the article and listen to our episode.   David McLain/Dan Buettner Habits for a healthier life, inspired by the world's longest-lived communities Compared with Americans, residents in Okinawa, Japan, are about three times more likely to reach their 100th birthday, according to decades-long research from Dan Buetnner, a journalist, author and National Geographic fellow. These centenarians garden, cook, sing, laugh and play. While a move to Okinawa probably isn’t feasible, there’s a lot we can learn from their simple habits and customs. One tip? In lieu of an afternoon espresso, take a nap. The most recent science shows that a 20-minute nap can make up for an hour of lost sleep and helps keep you sharp later in the day. Read the article.   David McLain/Dan Buettner Scarfing down your food? Here's how to slow down and eat more mindfully Eating more deliberately can help you make better choices about nourishing your body, says Lilian Cheung, a mindful eating lecturer at Harvard. She shares how to enjoy meals while paying attention. Read the article.   In case you missed it  🖼️ How to make the most out of your next trip to the art museum 💍 Why you shouldn’t be afraid of getting a prenup 💸 Fight "lifestyle creep" — the urge to spend more after your income goes up   Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy