Cults, Control, and the Death of Critical Thinking

unMasking Pod - A podcast by unMasking Pod

Ever feel like reality is glitching? You’re not alone.

In this episode of Unmasking, we dive into the terrifyingly casual collapse of critical thinking — from TikTok echo chambers and AI hallucinations to modern politics that feel more like cults than campaigns.

📉 A wild Columbia Journalism Review study found that AI tools cite fake news over 60% of the time. We break down how the internet is quietly (and not-so-quietly) radicalizing us — and why your algorithm might be gaslighting you.

🧠 @yewleea breaks down how far-right movements use cult-like psychology to gain power, while Masha shares personal run-ins with TikTok conspiracy theorists — and the chaos of trying to stay sane in a world where no one reads past the headline.

Also in this episode:

📲 Signal’s spicy rebrand

🧃 Media literacy 101

📉 Why facts alone won’t save us

Masha

Yulia

YouTube

Glossary:

AI search engines cite incorrect news sources at an alarming 60% rate, study says

Hands Off – Save the U.S. Protest on April 5th

What are AI Hallucinations?

The Invisible Battles of Ukrainian Military Medics — a powerful doc on the frontline heroes you never see on the news.