GoKawiilKids repurpose NPR podcast comment sections as makeshift group chats
NPR staff discovered that middle schoolers were using the Spotify comment section under an episode of its Wild Card podcast to chat with friends, initially mistaking the flurry of cryptic, emoji-laden posts for bot spam. This American Life host Ira Glass investigated the phenomenon, learning that kids sought out podcasts with few existing comments specifically to use as a private-feeling space. NPR says a similar pattern occurred previously on an episode of Ted Radio Hour.