In this episode, Dara is reckoning with his Instagram addiction. Why does the algorithm keep sending him such juicy morsels? Why is it so enjoyable, yet so insubstantial? And who are these women who convince so many men that a great parasocial relationship is about to begin? And what was that one comment that prompted the substance of this episode?
Dara considers the nature of ‘real’ men and women. What are they? Who qualifies and who doesn’t? Is it purely aesthetic, or is there another way to differentiate the real from the unreal? Perhaps it’s just another absurd reflection of online discourse. What is and isn’t real can be a very subjective experience.
Dara has been telling himself a story for over thirty years that has felt very real. It is a destructive and harmful story that his brain keeps convincing him to return to, no matter that there is substantial evidence that should lead in an entirely different direction. He considers the power of the stories that create our neural pathways. They are as habitual as any addiction. What makes them so alluring? Why are they so comfortable? And can they be changed?