FULL EPISODE: The Comfort Audio Club - April 27, 2026

Media personality and reality TV aficionado Caitlin Green gives the scoop on the current drama with Summer House, and says why Gen Z is swapping doomscrolling for 'comfort audio' and are going one month phone-free. (Listen to Caitlin co-hosting The Jann Arden Podcast here⁠⁠.) Given the cost of everything going up with inflation, Bela Gandhi from the Smart Dating Academy explains how to date without throwing away your money. AI ethics researcher Oluwaseun Sanwoolu discusses how AI companions can give constant support, but distort ideas about what a relationship really is. Psychology professor Manos Tsakiris shares details of his study finding 12 to 17 year-olds are willing to engage with democracy, but feel anxious, unheard, and distrustful of politics. Management professor Lawrence Houston III reveals how surprisingly, voluntarily disclosing former incarceration may help one's job prospects. Lecturers who teach video game design and production Alan Stewart and Peter Howell cover the power of video game nostalgia, and how it only works if developers understand the psychology behind it. Assistant professor of management Jeffrey Thomas outlines how telling people they might lose motivates more than telling them they might win. Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:12) Caitlin Green pt. 1 (10:00) Caitlin Green pt. 2 (20:00) Bela Gandhi (30:00) Oluwaseun Sanwoolu (39:50) Manos Tsakiris (49:50) Lawrence Houston III (59:50) Alan Stewart & Peter Howell (1:09:50) Jeffrey Thomas (1:19:07) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices