Kids turned the comment section of an NPR podcast into a group chat
News Source
β’2026-09-26T13:32:35-04:00
π° What Happened
Middle schoolers turned the comment section under an NPR podcast episode into a group chat. The podcast is Wild Card, and the comments appeared on Spotify.
The show's team first thought the odd posts were bots. The messages were short, strange and full of emoji. So they deleted them. Then one account replied that its comment had been removed.
A producer worked out the posts were not bots but children. Many young people are blocked from social media apps, so they look for other places to talk.
π The Backstory
This American Life host Ira Glass looked into the story. One child said they chose that podcast because it did not have many comments.
Staff shared screenshots and quickly worked out what was going on. One producer said that as a kid they talked with friends through Google Docs, because that tool was not made for chatting.
A similar thing happened last year with another NPR show, Ted Radio Hour.
π― Why It Matters
Kids find ways around blocks on apps. It shows that bans alone will not keep young people off the internet, and that they will use whatever tools they can find.
Middle schoolers turned the comment section under an NPR podcast episode into a group chat. The podcast is Wild Card, and the comments appeared on Spotify.
The show's team first thought the odd posts were bots. The messages were short, strange and full of emoji. So they deleted them. Then one account replied that its comment had been removed.
A producer worked out the posts were not bots but children. Many young people are blocked from social media apps, so they look for other places to talk.
This American Life host Ira Glass looked into the story. One child said they chose that podcast because it did not have many comments.
Staff shared screenshots and quickly worked out what was going on. One producer said that as a kid they talked with friends through Google Docs, because that tool was not made for chatting.
A similar thing happened last year with another NPR show, Ted Radio Hour.
Kids find ways around blocks on apps. It shows that bans alone will not keep young people off the internet, and that they will use whatever tools they can find.