Peter Pomerantsev, a contributor at The Atlantic and author of This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality,... more

With digital spaces regularly evolving and updating, and the infinite scroll beckoning to us at all times, this episode questions... more

Games can serve as an escape from reality—but they can also shape our understanding of trust, collaboration, and what might... more

With smartphones in our pockets and doorbell cameras cheaply available, our relationship with video as a form of proof is... more

This episode explores the web’s effects on our brains and how narrative, repetition, and even a focus on replaying memories... more

While the vibrance, innovation, and cacophony of online life can feel completely unlike anything humanity has ever created before, its... more

Social media has made it easier to build more parasocial relationships with celebrities and influencers. What impact are those connections... more

What is “real life,” now that the internet and AI are integrated into so much that we do? In the... more

It can be tough to face our own mortality. Keeping diaries, posting to social media, and taking photos are all... more

Time can feel like a subjective experience—different at different points in our lives. It’s also a real, measurable thing. The... more

Between making time for work, family, friends, exercise, chores, shopping—the list goes on and on—it can feel like a huge... more

Before laptops allowed us to take the office home and smartphones could light up with notifications at any hour, work... more

Many of us complain about being too busy—and about not having enough time to do the things we really want... more

Co-hosts Becca Rashid and Ian Bogost explore our relationship with time and how to reclaim it. Why is it so... more

Why can it feel like there’s never enough time in a day, and why are so many of us conditioned... more

A lot of people are plagued by the feeling that society used to be better, that neighbors were more helpful,... more

The values of individualism that encourage us to go it alone are in constant tension with the desire for community... more

Are commitment issues impacting our ability to connect with the people who live around us? Relationship building may involve a... more

What motivated two families to engage in the organized chaos of shared living and how did they learn to talk... more

The terms of friendship are both voluntary and vague—yet people often find themselves disappointed by unmet expectations. In this episode... more

Coffee shops, churches, libraries, and concert venues are all shared spaces where mingling can take place. Yet the hustle and... more

Making small talk can be hard—especially when you’re not sure whether you’re doing it well. But conversations are a central... more

On How to Talk to People we explore the barriers to relationship building and why—in a world of endless potential... more

Holy Week: The story of a revolution undone. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, is... more

We often follow a misguided formula for happiness—pushing us toward material wealth and other worldly successes. But when our expectations... more

The mandates of modern parenting can be dizzying. But in the effort to optimize our parenting, we may lose sight... more

From how we build our cities to how we shop, it can seem as though our natural human tendency is... more

We try to use our time wisely—both at work and in leisure—but we often waste it. We may blame work... more

Dating apps show us what we want—a relationship—without always accurately reflecting the experience of it. Our expectation that tech will... more

When the behaviors we thought would make us happy don’t, we’re forced to bridge the gap between where we are... more

In our pursuit of a happy life, we build, we structure, and we plan. Often, we follow conventional wisdom and... more

When we regret our past, it can feel like we’re incapable of changing our future. But it may be our... more

In the post-social-distancing era, some of us can’t remember how to make a new friend. But for many, making friends... more

Romantic relationships often show us the deep divide between expectations and reality. For any relationship struggling to overcome conflict, the... more

In a society dominated by romantic couples, it can be hard to accept your unpartnered state for what it is.... more

Some families have the frictionless ease of unconditional love and understanding, but for many the stalemate of family tensions can... more

A professional change in midlife can provide a much-needed reset—at least when you’re looking for a career that more closely... more

In this series, Atlantic staff writer Olga Khazan analyzes what it takes to change our relationships, our work, and our... more

In adulthood, many of us are forced to recalibrate our relationship with joy. As responsibilities multiply exponentially, time grows limited,... more

As we wind down this series, a paradox remains in our pursuit of happiness—joy comes to those who have known... more