Close All Tabs

How internet trends, memes and digital culture shape real-world society AI summary

KQED Visit website › Technology · EN · 97 episodes · latest 2026-11-11

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What it is about

Ever wonder where the internet stops and IRL begins? Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor. From internet trends to AI slop to the politics of memes, Close All Tabs covers it all. How will AI change our jobs and lives? Is the government watching what I post? Is there life beyond TikTok? Host Morgan Sung pulls from experts, the audience, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the memes. And she’ll wrestle with as many browser tabs as it takes to explain the cultural moment we’re all collectively living. Morgan Sung is a tech journalist whose work covers the range of absurdity and brilliance that is the internet. Her beat has evolved into an exploration of social platforms and how they shape real-world culture. She has written for TechCrunch, NBC News, Mashable, BuzzFeed News and more. We love listening to shows about technology and culture like Power User with Taylor Lorenz, ICYMI, Wow If True, Hard Fork, There Are No Girls On the Internet, Endless Thread, Uncanny Valley from Wired, It’s Been a Minute, and You’re Wrong About. If you like them too, then trust us–you’ll like Close All Tabs.

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Latest episodes

Sickfluencers, the Covid-Conscious Lesbian Bar and the Algorithmic Ableism Trap E

2026-11-11 · 41 min

When viral stories like the Last Ditch bar masking controversy and the “sickfluencer” debate whipped the internet into a frenzy, disabled people found themselves in the crosshairs. Researcher and creator Jess Rauchberg…
Cinema Is So Back. And Gen Z Is Behind It.

2026-11-04 · 38 min

In 2020, movie theaters were on their last legs. Lockdowns and years of declining interest had forced historic cinemas to shutter, including an LA icon, the Cinerama Dome. But recently a new generation of cinema-lovers…
Cursed All Tabs: Portals, Creepy Caves, Jumpscares and Haunted Objects E

2026-10-28 · 1 hr 8 min

In this special Halloween edition of Close All Tabs, we’re diving into creepypastas: horror stories that spread online until they become urban legends on their own. What happened to the girl who fell into a mirror in…
“Sister, yesss!” What’s Behind the Viral Nun Podcast?

2026-10-21 · 38 min

This year’s internet breakout star was an order of Catholic sisters with a podcast. Within weeks of launching, Dominican Sisters Open Mic went mega viral. Clips and fan edits of host Sister Miriam saying “Sister,…
Are Chatbots Harming Our Relationships? | Close All Tabs Presents

2026-10-14 · 26 min

Humans are complicated, and relationships can be messy, so it may be no surprise that people are falling in love with chatbots. They are available 24/7, hang on your every word and never ask anything of you. Amelia…
Influencers Are Peddling Peptides, but Is Tanmaxxing Worth the Risk?

2026-10-07 · 41 min

Seems like everywhere you turn these days, influencers are gushing about their peptide use and how it’s done wonders for their appearance and health. One of the more popular ones, Melanotan II, also known as the…
Can We Cool Data Centers With… Pee?

2026-09-30 · 35 min

People really seem to hate data centers. And the more people learn about the amount of resources these server-packed buildings need, the bigger the backlash grows. Perhaps that’s why the viral music video and beverage…
AI, Artists, and the Future of Creative Work from Life, Automated | Close All Tabs Presents

2026-09-23 · 52 min

While the Close All Tabs team churns out our next few episodes, we bring you this must-listen from Life, Automated. Generative AI is able to conjure new images, stories, and songs at lightning speed. So what does this…
Save or Scroll: Fake NFL Players, Girly Coding, AI Music Scams and Community Garden Drama

2026-09-16 · 42 min

Host Morgan Sung and the Close All Tabs team pull up the stories they can’t stop thinking about. From a fake NFL player catfishing women on dating apps, to femme creators reclaiming tech, indie musicians fighting AI…
Close All Tabs Presents Snap Judgment: Runaway Car

2026-09-09 · 43 min

Close All Tabs is on break this week, but we’re sharing a captivating episode about technology gone wrong from our friends at KQED’s Snap Judgment. A 19 year old picks up his family’s car from the auto mechanic shop,…

Episode details from the publisher’s feed. Playback happens at the publisher.

Publisher details

Oldest episode in feed: 01/2025 · over a year
Typical length: 35 min
Format: Episodic Newest first, episodes stand alone

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