In this episode Julius, Sage, and Hanna talk to tech journalist, former Chief Digital Officer of New York City, Columbia University, and the Met, and founder of Digimentors, Sree Sreenivasan to discuss misinformation. The conversation traces the problem from email scams and WhatsApp forwards all the way to AI-generated "slop," it's global ramifications, and examines why Silicon Valley's tech moguls are to blame. Yet Sree remains a techno-optimist. He makes the case that improving your media literacy is now a fundamental civic duty.
Key Takeaways from Sree:
- Own your role. Every time you doom scroll or share without thinking, you are part of the problem. Every time you put the phone down, read a local newspaper, or correct a bad forward in a group chat, you are making a difference.
- Stay literate about new technology. The speed of change is only accelerating. Experiment with new tools, test AI by asking it about things you know well, and stay curious about what's coming next.
- Participate. A handful of Silicon Valley oligarchs are betting that your vote doesn't matter — prove them wrong. The damage being done right now flows from an election margin of 1.5%. Your vote, your voice, and your willingness to make "good trouble" matter more than you think.
Find out more about Sree on:
Some of the texts, and resources we refer to in this episode:
Sree’s Media Diet
Meat and potatoes:
Outlets: X, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal
Junk Food: YouTube shorts
This podcast is part of CAPT’s efforts to encourage open and diverse intellectual exchange. The ideas presented by individuals on the podcast are their own and do not represent Purdue University, which adheres to a policy of institutional neutrality.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send us feedback to captivatedpod@gmail.com
