Overthinking about misinformation
This week's Magical Overthinkers ep... a day early and ad-free!
We live in an era where misinformation spreads faster than ever—shaping our beliefs, fueling our anxieties, and making it nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction. Why are our brains so susceptible to false narratives even when we know better? How do we resist falling for this stuff? And also, where is the line separating misinformation from harmless ~lore~ anyway?
In this special episode, host Amanda Montell (@amanda_montell) reads an exclusive excerpt from her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, diving into the psychology behind misinformation, revealing some mistakes of her own, and exploring the linguistic tricks that make debunking a falsehood so much harder than believing it in the first place.
Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING by Amanda Montell, read by the author. Copyright © 2024 by Amanda Montell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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Overthinker Corrections:
From our episode on toxins, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has faced controversy over the years, with critics arguing that it overstates chemical risks, relies on flawed methodologies, and promotes an organic marketing agenda. Despite these concerns, EWG defends its work as being rooted in a mission to protect public health and empower consumers to make safer choices. For those seeking alternative resources to the EWG, consider exploring Consumer Reports for independent product testing and safety insights, and Made Safe for certified non-toxic product recommendations.
A couple of points made in our fertility interview—namely, the study about birth control pills disrupting pheromones and the implication that hormonal IUDs and birth control pills can cause the same side effects—are debated. Listen to Science Vs the Pill to learn more. Thanks for your listenership and thoughtful engagement! Overall, we hope this episode inspires more critical conversation and self-advocacy, and less shame, about the thought spiral-inducing subject of fertility
