Allan Boyd Talks to Experts About Things

Dr Rob Nicholls - expert in Media and Communications at RMIT, talking with RTRFM’s Allan Boyd about the recent landmark social media case against Google and Meta in the United States.  == INTRO: A recent US court case saw big tech giants, Meta and Google, pay out six million dollars to a single plaintiff for mental health damage - citing dangerous and addictive design features in the social media...

Dr Lisa Given - Professor of Information Sciences at RMIT University - talks with RTRFM’s Allan Boyd on the latest report on Australia' teen social media ban. Professor Lisa Given - Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University == INTRO: It’s been four months since Australia banned under-16s from social media, and now the online regu...

Controversial Sydney radio duo - Kyle and Jackie O - have been in the news recently after Jackie O left the show following claims of online bullying by co-host Sandilands. Sandilands has since been suspended and their 200-million-dollar national contract is in doubt. What’s going on? On The Record’s Allan Boyd spoke with a media expert to find out…  Dr Denis Muller - Senior Research Fellow, Centre...

Are you scrolling right now? The endless “infinite scroll” design is built into just about every social media and news app we use. But is it just a harmless habit, or is there something more going on beneath the surface? RTR’s Allan Boyd brought in an expert to find out how it works—and how we can take back control. Sharon Horwood - Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Deakin University Source:  Can’t s...

Many Australians use AI Technology daily. We use it to offload our difficult tasks, plan our lives and think less. And it seems these handy tools, like ChatGPT - are becoming ubiquitous. But can we become dependent on these things and are they eroding our critical thinking skills? RTR’s Allan Boyd spoke to a memory expert to find out more. Dr Misia Temler - Research Affiliate, Psychology, Universi...

With 24/7 news access on our devices and the pull of algorithms to keep us there, what can we do to cope with the onslaught of news media? RTR’s Allan boyd caught up with an RMIT expert to find out how we can balance the need to stay informed with what’s best for our mental health. Alex Wake , Professor of Journalism at RMIT.  Source: RMIT Send me a message

Continuing his deep dive into the Manosphere, On The Record’s Allan Boyd catches up with an expert about manfluencers, incels, trad wives, black-pills, third spaces and what works to curb the growth online extremism. Dr Vivian Gerrand Research Fellow in the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies, Deakin University; Associate Lecturer, Australian National University Source: The internet makes...

Once confined to the dark corners of the internet, the so-called Manosphere is rapidly infiltrating mainstream culture. In a series of interviews on the Manosphere, RTR’s Allan Boyd caught up with an expert on how the disturbing cabal of male supremacists is becoming more and more prevalent. Claudia Young - PhD Candidate in Media and Communications, The University of Melbourne Source: ‘I want some...

Alarming new research into gender attitudes reveals that a large percentage of teenage boys believe women lie about domestic violence, and some 17 percent of Australians believe that feminism should be resisted with violence. To unpack this concerning rise of misogyny, RTR’s Allan Boyd caught up with one of the study’s authors… Dr Sara Meger - Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University...

What is the Manosphere? A new Netflix documentary lifts the lid on so-called “man-fluencers” – spilling violence, misogyny and extremist views into the real world - turning boys into male supremacists. But how does anti-feminism even exist in 2026? RTRFM’s Allan Boyd spoke with an expert to find out more. Professor Steven Roberts - Professor of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, Monash Universi...

ANDREA CARSON - Professor of Political Communication, at La Trobe University -- INTRO: Lately, we’ve seen One Nation support surge in the polls - with immigration being one reason for voter dissatisfaction - despite current migration numbers falling. But analysts say higher support doesn’t always mean more seats, and questions remain about the party’s credibility and future influence. RTR’s Allan...

Interview with Dennis Desmond , Lecturer in Cyber-intelligence and Cyber-crime at the University of the Sunshine Coast – by Allan Boyd RTRFM INTRO: Every day, more of us are installing smart doorbells. These devices promise safety and convenience. And may even find your lost pet.  But cyber-experts warn these A.I. incorporated tools are quietly creating a vast surveillance network, one that’s not...

Larissa Hjorth -  Sessional Academic, Faculty of Law, Monash University  INTRO: Graphic videos of violence are increasingly showing up in our social feeds, exposing us to traumatic events almost in real time. But what does this kind of constant witnessing do to our mental health? How do we deal with it? On The Record’s Allan Boyd spoke with a cultural studies and grief expert to find out more… Con...

Margarita Vladimirova - Monash University INTRO: Did you know Bunnings and other major retailers are on the verge of rolling out controversial A.I. Facial Recognition in their stores. And they may not even need to tell you that you’re under surveillance. Or what they will do with your facial data. RTRFM’s Allan Boyd caught up with a tech law expert to find out more… Conversation Article: Bunnings...

Dr Gabrielle Appleby - Professor at the Law Faculty of University of New South Wales INTRO: As we know, the 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum was not the result many Australians wanted. The authors of a new book examine the reasons why the proposal may have failed. RTR’s Allan Boyd caught up with one of the editors… Conversation Article: Why the Voice referendum failed – and what the government...

Dr Ramona Vijeyarasa - Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney INTRO: Many of us use a voice assistant every day on our phones and home devices. We might ask Siri to start a timer, or Google for the weather. But is the assistant’s default female voice an example of gender subordination? RTRFM’s Allan Boyd caught up with an expert to find out more… Conversation Article: Most AI a...

Dr Bruce Schneier - Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School INTRO: Are you ready for paid advertising in your ChatGPT? To recuperate the rising costs of Artificial Intelligence, it seems Big Tech is now poised to introduce advertising into your chatbot – whether you want it or not. RTRFM’s Allan Boyd spoke to a cyber-security guru to find out more… Conversation Article: Could ChatGPT con...

Hammond Pearce - Senior Lecturer, School of Computer Science & Engineering, UNSW Sydney  INTRO: In the immediate wake of the Bondi terrorist event, we saw a flood of misinformation trolling across our social media feeds. Much of it false and most of it toxic.  Indeed, with all the online confusion and fake media in our faces every day, even real content is doubted – as false accounts, chatbots...

Richard Morris - Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand  INTRO: Most of us have used Chatbots. They are pretty much a staple of online life - whether we like it or not. And we are aware that AI programs like ChatGPT use a lot of resources to run. But does typing “please” and “thanks” really add to energy usage? RTRFM’s Allan Boyd spoke with a...