Context Collapse

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 nee...

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 a...

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 abou...

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: d...

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 yo...

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 o...

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.