Episode 4: Game On

No generation has been as exposed to online hate and violent content than today’s young people. In this episode, leading extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss speaks with parenting expert and New York Times columnist Jessica Grose, who gives practical advice for parents, caregivers, and educators on navigating online spaces with their children. She also talks to three young people — Lexi, Jennings, and Seannie — about their online lives, what they think about the types of extreme content they’re exposed to every day, and their advice for adults on how to talk to kids about these issues.Host:Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Founding Director of The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American UniversityGuests:Jessica Grose, journalist, author, and editor. Lexi, college studentJennings and Seannie, college studentsRead more in Miller-Idriss’s book, “Man Up: The New Misogyny & the Rise of Extremism” published in 2025 by Princeton University Press, available here.

Online media that promotes misogyny often also includes gender policing around LGBTQ+ issues. In this episode, leading extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss explores the erasure of gender nonconformity with Kaitlyn Tierney, co-founder of the nonprofit Diverting Hate, and speaks to Christopher and Tobi Lennertz for a family’s perspective on their real, lived experiences. Host:Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Founding Director of The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American UniversityGuests:Kaitlyn Tierney, policy advocate and CEO & Co-Founder of Diverting HateChristopher & Tobi Lennertz, Father and sonRead more in Miller-Idriss’s book, “Man Up: The New Misogyny & the Rise of Extremism” published in 2025 by Princeton University Press, available here.

Online games can be a positive space with rich storytelling and social connection for young people. But they can also be a powerful influence – one where parents and caregivers often don’t have visibility into what their children are experiencing. In this episode, leading extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss explores the potential real-world effects of online hate by looking at the world of online gaming. She talks to Rachel Kowert and Galen Lamphere-Englund  — two of the world’s leading experts on the intersections between gaming, misogyny, and extremism — about what it’s like to be a young person online, how bad actors can take advantage of these spaces, and how we can build a better gaming world together.Host:Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Founding Director of The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American UniversityGuests:Rachel Kowert, Research Psychologist, founder of Psychgeist® multimedia content production studio  Galen Lamphere-Englund, Co-founder of the Extremism and Gaming Research Network (EGRN), Senior Advisor and Consultant at Englund ConsultingRead more in Miller-Idriss’s book, “Man Up: The New Misogyny & the Rise of Extremism” published in 2025 by Princeton University Press, available here.

Media headlines often focus on sensational cases of sexual abuse and online conspiracy theories about false child trafficking claims — while simultaneously ignoring the everyday realities of domestic violence and sex trafficking happening just beyond the headlines. In this episode, leading extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss speaks to journalist and author Rachel Louise Snyder and activist Kaethe Morris Hoffer, Executive Director of the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, about the real epidemic of sexual violence in the U.S.Host:Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Founding Director of The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American UniversityGuests:Rachel Louise Snyder, Professor of Literature and Journalism at American University, New York Times Contributing Opinion Writer, author of No Visible Bruises: What We Don't Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill UsKaethe Morris Hoffer, Activist and Executive Director, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) Read more in Miller-Idriss’s book, “Man Up: The New Misogyny & the Rise of Extremism” published in 2025 by Princeton University Press, available here.If you believe you’re a victim of domestic abuse, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. If you believe you’re a victim of sexual assault, please call the national Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. You can find more support and resources here.

Social media algorithms are targeting the feeds and insecurities of boys at alarming rates — but this type of manosphere content is also striking a chord with many men. In this episode, leading extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss speaks to Mark Greene, Executive Editor for the Good Men Project and co-founder of WalkingTalkingMen.org. They discuss the corrosive effects of man box culture, and explore how to redefine a healthy masculinity that counters misogyny and addresses the loneliness crisis for men and boys.Host:Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Founding Director of The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American UniversityGuests:Mark Greene, Executive Editor for the Good Men Project, co-founder of WalkingTalkingMen.orgRead more in Miller-Idriss’s book, “Man Up: The New Misogyny & the Rise of Extremism” published in 2025 by Princeton University Press, available here.

Misogyny is a foundational aspect of many forms of hate — but it’s often overlooked, serving as a type of gendered blind spot. This first episode explores that blind spot through the issue of antisemitism. Leading extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss speaks with Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, about the rise of antisemitism and its intersection with misogyny, examining events like the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville through a new lens.Host:Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Founding Director of The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American UniversityGuest: Amy Spitalnick, CEO of Jewish Council for Public AffairsRead more in Miller-Idriss’s book, “Man Up: The New Misogyny & the Rise of Extremism” published in 2025 by Princeton University Press, available here.

“Man Up: Conversations on Gendered Hate in the Digital Age” is an original podcast produced by Long Story Short Media featuring leading extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss as she explores the overlooked role of gender in fueling online hate and creating gateways to real-world harm.The podcast features honest conversations with experts, parents, and young people that reveal how misogyny is infecting our feeds and affecting our daily lives — from our social media to our online games — and what we can all do together to counter it.Host:Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Founding Director of The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American UniversityRead more in Miller-Idriss’s book, “Man Up: The New Misogyny & the Rise of Extremism” published in 2025 by Princeton University Press, available here.