The Great RomCon?

The Great RomCon?

por Jim Clark
RelacionesTecnología
Temporada 2

Anxious Generation: What impact is technology having on young people?

What effect are devices and platforms having on children and young people? The American social scientist, Jonathan Haidt, published his seminal 2024 study on the cohort effect of the use of technology, particularly on girls. I am hoping today’s guest, Nina Moyano, will be able to shed some light on this from her experience of working with children and parents. She is an ICF and EMCC-Accredited Coach - founding Life Coach London. Nina’s work focuses on digital wellbeing, confidence and mindset. In particular, she supports individuals and organisations in navigating the challenges of digital overload and screen addiction to create healthier, more intentional relationships with technology - such as managing screen time, improving focus and attention, or creating a culture that values disconnection and balance. You can see more of Nina's work on LinkedIn and Instagram. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T2 · E2
22 sept 2025
56:07

Silver Vixen: How can you find love later in life?

The traditional romantic story has a couple in puberty, not their pension. However, finding love later in life has become more and more prevalent due to increased divorce rates and longer life expectancies. Using tech platforms and dating apps can feel daunting, however. Can a leopard change its spots, and have fun being single at 60? That's what I will be asking Fiona Lambert, an author and entrepreneur. After a successful career in fashion, including working in senior positions at brands at Asda, M&S, River Island and Next, she took to the pen and the punchbag to get fit. Her 2024 book, ‘Invincible not Invisible - Change Your Body and Mindset in 90 days’, I hope, she has left the boxing gloves at home, as we are here to discuss her new book: ‘SAS: Sexy and Single - Your Survival Guide to Dating’. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T2 · E1
18 ago 2025
54:05
Temporada 1

Open Source to Empire: Can AI ever be an ethical actor?

Ever since the Hal 3000 supercomputer in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ went rogue, the public has worried about the practical and ethical implications of a new race of intelligent machines. Can a computer, that doesn’t know what a person really is, really be trusted to make ethical decisions in high-moral-implication sectors, such as healthcare and crime & justice? Machine learning may be able to accurately predict what I might be interested in watching next on Netflix, but can we trust AI to pick who I might want to be friends with, or even love? That’s what I want to discuss with our guest, Joe Parker. We talk about the effect that technology is having on young people on this podcast so much that I thought that I’d better finally speak to one. Joe is a student and a Zoomer (Gen Z). His undergraduate degree was in Philosophy and Politics at the University of Southampton, and he is currently pursuing a Master’s in ‘Legal and Political Theory’ at UCL, where his dissertation focuses on AI ethics and its impact on individual behaviour and our ability to act. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T1 · E10
14 jul 2025
50:28

People and Publications: How do in-person events build connection and community?

While we once enjoyed community and literature in person, perhaps through a book club, now, with online platforms, people are finding more like-minded individuals online, as shown by the popularity of 'BookTok' on TikTok. However, can you form a real bond with someone on a shared passion online? To help us explore this, I went on the road to speak to Richard Kilgariff. Richard is a former television journalist, producer and television executive. He then moved into the world of books, running a series of initiatives (Books For Breakfast, bookomi., Author Insights) that discuss wide-ranging topics in a collaborative conversation with the author and the audience. We discuss the beginnings of digital television (long before YouTube), social media regulation, the attention economy and the magic of in-person events for connecting and sharing insights. Books and programmes we referenced during the conversation include: The Social Dilemma, Smartphone Nation, Tiny Experiments, Love Factually, and Why Information Grows. Produced by me!
T1 · E9
7 jul 2025
1:11:08

Divine or Devil: How tech platforms are shaping our lives and relationships

Tech platforms have changed our lives, in many ways for the better. Email and digital platforms have revolutionised business, as social media and dating apps have transformed our personal lives. While tech solutions have promised to make our lives easier, they have also affected wider society - and not always positively. That’s what I want to discuss with today’s guest, Russ Shaw CBE. Russ had a high-profile career in telecoms, before founding Tech London Advocates in 2013 to promote and support startups and scale-ups and be an independent, grassroots voice for the community. This went global in 2015 with Global Tech Advocates (GTA), which is now present in over 40 hubs around the globe, with over 40,000 members. In 2019, Russ launched the inaugural GTA Festival, taking place in China and bringing the international network together for the first time. The second edition of the Festival was held in India in 2022. Russ has been championing London and the UK as a global tech hub and campaigning to address some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing tech companies in the UK. Russ will be speaking and hosting events at the upcoming SXSW London and London Tech Week conferences, so look out for him there. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T1 · E8
30 may 2025
46:17

Swipe No More: Why we need to be careful what we wish for online

Hope and excitement are powerful human emotions. We all hope for a better tomorrow, whether in our personal or professional lives. Dating apps and social media play into our optimism by showing us aspirational lifestyles, complete with the people that we might want to live them with. But sometimes this promise can turn disappointing, and even dark. That’s what I want to discuss with today’s guest, Jemma Forte (Instagram, X). Jemma is an author, broadcast journalist, presenter, and public speaking coach. She writes about romance and relationships, having published five books: Be Careful What You Swipe For (2020), Me and Miss M (2020), Mad Wife Crisis (2020), When I Met You (2015), and From London With Love (2011). Jemma also works as a broadcaster and a fellow podcaster (satirical current affairs and social media show: The Trawl), appearing regularly on TV politics and current affairs shows Jeremy Vine, Sky News, LBC, BBC Papers, Talk TV and Good Morning Britain. She started her presenting career at Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel, where she was an anchor for five years and interviewed everyone from Britney Spears to David Beckham. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T1 · E7
13 may 2025
52:43

Who Killed the Night: Are our cities providing the right canvas for forming new relationships? 

Are our cities and their nightlife changing for the worse, or just evolving to meet modern tastes? When they were first launched, dating apps were originally intended to augment and supplement the existing ways that we might meet someone. One of the challenges of this is that some of the places that would traditionally be fruitful hunting grounds in the West for looking for a date - bars, pubs and nightclubs - have seemingly been in decline. I’m expecting a forthright debate with today’s guest, Julieta Cuneo. Julieta is a public policy expert, specialising in cities and the night-time economy. She has worked as a journalist and in several think tanks researching and developing urban policy. She has also worked in Parliament and currently works for the Mayor of London on night-time policy and strategy. I want to ask her about how much government should intervene in sculpting the spaces that are often the backdrop to city life and love. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T1 · E6
14 abr 2025
33:59

Get Over It: How can therapy help in recovering from relationship trauma? 

Introspection and self-reflection may have become modern-day virtues, but at times we will require an independent, impartial sounding board to truly understand how our past affects our current feelings and behaviour. This is the role of the therapist. We have all experienced painful memories that have harmed our relationships. So, how can we come to terms with trauma and move forward positively? This is what we will be exploring with our guest, Sue Cowan-Jenssen. Sue is an integrative psychotherapist and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitation and Reprocessing) consultant with over twenty years of experience working with adults. Sue has worked at the Trauma Unit of Watford General Hospital, specialising in trauma and bereavement. She is a member of the Relational School and the London Psychotherapy and Trauma Centre. Sue has also written about a wide range of issues from how psychotherapy works, to understanding the impact of our competitive culture on our sense of self. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T1 · E5
7 abr 2025
53:15

Online Isolation: Are digital platforms making us lonely?

In our modern society, we have unparalleled access to other like-minded people and limitless potential for social connection through technological platforms. Yet there is widespread concern that our society is becoming more fragmented and lonely, with time spent on social media making us feel depressed. Dating apps now play a huge role in looking for love, but are they hampering the making of genuine connections? To discuss this, my guest for this episode is Dr Carolina Bandinelli. Carolina is an Associate Professor in Media and Creative Industries at the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies at the University of Warwick. Her research has focused on the analysis of discourses and the digital culture of love, investigating digital technologies of love and the ways in which these shape emerging cultural tropes in the dimensions of romance, sexuality and intimacy. In 2021, she curated the series of events entitled ‘Summer of Love: dialogues on digital romance', hosted by Warwick's Centre for Digital Inquiry. Some of her papers include: ‘Romantic opportunism: Doing the work of structures in post-feminist creative industries (2024)’, ‘Bye bye romance, welcome reputation: An analysis of the digital enclosure of dating’ (2023), and ‘Dating apps: towards post-romantic love in digital societies’ (2022). Dr Bandinelli has also published on the organisation and significance of work in the creative industries: self-branding, coworking and collaborative economies. Some pieces include: ‘Social Entrepreneurship and Neoliberalism: Making Money While Doing Good’ and ‘The Production of Subjectivities in Neoliberal Culture Industries: The Case of Coworking Spaces’. She also published a book last year: ‘The post-romantics: on new ways of loving’, where Dr Bandinelli makes the case that, ‘The new ideal is that of a love that does not hurt. But how can we love without ever suffering?’ Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T1 · E4
31 mar 2025
42:47

Putting your 'Worst' foot forward: How can we make dating apps more honest?

When we are looking for a date, people often say how important it is that they can make you laugh. This is especially true when looking for a long-term relationship - you want to be with someone who is funny if you are in for the long haul! But wit is often difficult (and sometimes dangerous) to get across online, where tone, timing and accentuation are lost. How can humour win you love, and can you 'laugh someone into bed'? These are among the serious and silly questions that I will address with our guests, Jonny Ford and Jared Fryer. They are professional writers and comedians who formed their business by providing comedy writing workshops to copywriters and creatives in the advertising sector: Just Ad Comedy. Who doesn't enjoy a funny ad? For this episode, I also wanted to focus on the lack of honesty often displayed by users on dating apps. Jonny and Jared believe that they have found the solution to this, with their dating app 'Worst'. Produced by the Bloomsbury Institute London.
T1 · E3
24 mar 2025
51:34
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