The hottest new hangout for middle schoolers is NPR’s comment section?
Middle school students have turned the podcast comment sections of National Public Radio shows on Spotify into an underground group chat. Producers noticed an influx of out-of-context messages on shows like Planet Money, Up First, Throughline, and Wild Card. Messages included inside jokes, typos, all-caps text, and shout-outs to teachers. Showrunner Dave Blanchard deleted a thread and shared screenshots, while producer Hannah Chin identified the users. The trend highlights how young people find alternative digital spaces when traditional social media and messaging applications are restricted.
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- ✓ Producers at NPR noticed weird messages filling the comment sections of Spotify shows like Planet Money, Up First, and Throughline over the summer.
- ✓ Messages included phrases like anyone else from period 3 and skibidi check in if u have mr. davis.
- ✓ A Gen Z colleague helped figure out the mystery after NPR staffers initially flagged the strange comments as bots.
- ✓ Showrunner Dave Blanchard deleted a thread on Wild Card and shared screenshots after students used the episode comment section as a makeshift chat.
What changed
NPR staff realized that the strange comments flooding their Spotify podcast episodes were coming from middle school students rather than bots.
Live updates
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Middle Schoolers Turn NPR Spotify Comments Into Secret Group Chat
Middle school students have turned the podcast comment sections of National Public Radio shows on Spotify into an underground group chat. Producers noticed an influx of out-of-context messages on shows like Planet Money, Up First, Throughline, and Wild Card. Messages included inside jokes, typos, all-caps text, and shout-outs to teachers. Showrunner Dave Blanchard deleted a thread and shared screenshots, while producer Hannah Chin identified the users. The trend highlights how young people find alternative digital spaces when traditional social media and messaging applications are restricted.
Why it matters
Parents have spent years trying to keep kids off social media through bans and parental controls. As a result, children have adapted by using unexpected platforms like public radio comment sections where adults do not typically look. This phenomenon was featured in an episode of This American Life hosted by Ira Glass, examining the team behind NPR's Wild Card podcast.
What is confirmed
- Producers at NPR noticed weird messages filling the comment sections of Spotify shows like Planet Money, Up First, and Throughline over the summer.
- Messages included phrases like anyone else from period 3 and skibidi check in if u have mr. davis.
- A Gen Z colleague helped figure out the mystery after NPR staffers initially flagged the strange comments as bots.
- Showrunner Dave Blanchard deleted a thread on Wild Card and shared screenshots after students used the episode comment section as a makeshift chat.
Still unconfirmed
- Producer Hannah Chin identified the participating kids as people who also used Google Docs for communication.
What to watch next
- Further response or policy changes from Spotify or NPR regarding podcast comment moderation
- Additional details from This American Life regarding youth adaptation around digital restrictions
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (15)
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