PODCAST · science
The Cave Project
by Jenny and Greg Swan
Since 2023, The Cave Project with Jenny and Greg Swan has explored the tensions of tech, culture, and life as they collide. Inspired by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, each episode helps you make sense of the shadows, including AI, social media, digital habits, psychology, and modern identity, with humor, curiosity, and a few swear words.
Episodes
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Our Teens Hate AI. They Love This AI Agent.
Our teens will tell you they hate AI. They also read the email our family agent sends every morning, and it keeps catching things we would have missed: a homecoming dance nobody mentioned, a pickup nobody was covering, and two hotels booked for one trip and zero for the other. AI agents went...
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The Privilege of Logging Off
In this episode of The Cave Project, Jenny and Greg Swan dig into the privilege of opting out of screens, social media, and AI, and why “just put your phone down” is not the moral flex people think it is. From working parents using tablets as survival tools to social media becoming job...
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The Feed Is Fake, But We’re Still Watching the Clips
When everyone online suddenly loves the same band, meme, creator, or viral moment… is that culture happening naturally, or is someone manufacturing it behind the scenes? This week, Jenny and Greg Swan dive into the strange world of “clipping,” bot networks, manufactured virality, and the growing...
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We’re Not Mad Teens Are Online. We’re Mad They’re Not Online Like Us.
Teens are not using social media wrong. They’re just using it in ways that make adults feel ancient, confused, and mildly attacked. In this episode of The Cave Project, Jenny and Greg Swan unpack new data on teen social media habits, why parents keep side-eyeing Snapchat, TikTok, and group chats,...
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The Truth About Chatbot Romance: You're Not Dating AI. You're Dating Yourself.
We rewatched Her. Listened to Esther Perel do couples therapy with a chatbot. And had a fight about whether AI can love you back. Inside: the "flirty voice" debate, the mannequin reframe, and the question that would not leave us alone. Who is the robot? 🎧🤖
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Doom, Hope, Doom, Hope, Sushi: What the AI Apocaloptimist Doc Got Right (and Wrong)
Is the AI industry even talking to the rest of us? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan unpack The AI Doc, or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. It's a new documentary that puts the biggest names in AI in one room and asks: is this good or bad? Should we be having kids? And does anyone actually have…
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What if screen time isn't the villain?
In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan pull up their real Screen Time stats on mic, break down the American Academy of Pediatrics’ newest guidance, and watch the Toy Story 5 trailer to ask the obvious question: are we really doing “tech bad” again? We talk about why we don’t feel guilty, why we’ve...
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This Is How Reality Ends: Not With a Bang, But a Bunny on a Trampoline
Are we absolutely sure that what we’re seeing is even real? In this episode, we dig into the increasingly blurry line between real and fake online—from AI-generated bunny videos to deepfakes of ourselves, and the billion-dollar platforms that are encouraging all of it. We explore how tech…
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This Feels Bad, Because It Is Bad: When the Internet Is Too Much
Are we all just… not okay? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan unpack the emotional and digital overwhelm of the past few weeks — from political violence and algorithmic trauma to school shootings and the unbearable pressure to post through it all. They dig into the cultural churn, social…
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Are We Being Mean to Robots? The Rise of ‘Clankers,’ AI Slurs, and the Ethics of Punching Down
Are we being mean to robots? Is it just internet snark or the start of something deeper and more dangerous? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan explore the sudden rise of “clanker” as an anti-robot slur. They dig into whether discrimination toward AI is harmless fun, a new moral frontier, or…
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Is ChatGPT Making Us Dumb or Are the Headlines?
Did an MIT paper really prove that ChatGPT is scrambling our brains? Or did 54 Boston adults + a flashy press push just scramble the headlines? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan tear into the now-viral “Your Brain on ChatGPT” study. Along the way they tackle moral panics, blue-book nostalgia,...
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AI Is About to Invade the Toy Box
What happens when Barbie gets a large-language-model brain? Jenny and Greg Swan crack open Mattel’s new deal with OpenAI and take you on a 50-year joyride through “smart” toys—from the Speak & Spell to Teddy Ruxpin to the Furby that the NSA literally banned. Then they unbox Gabo, a $99…
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Why Tech Needs More Whimsy, with Guest Dr. AnnMarie Thomas
What if joy, whimsy, and surprise weren’t distractions—but design principles? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan sit down with educator, engineer, and deep sea explorer Dr. AnnMarie Thomas to talk about the power of play—and why we all need more of it. AnnMarie has helped LEGO invent new tools...
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Innovating Our Relationship
Jenny and Greg Swan have been married five times—to each other. In this raw and funny episode, they unpack how tech, therapy, and shared calendars helped them redesign their relationship instead of ending it. It’s not about making it work. It’s about making it work better. -- 🔥 Follow &…
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The Busy Trap
Everyone says they’re busy. But what does that even mean anymore? In this episode, Jenny and Greg Swan dig into the cultural chaos of “The Busy Trap”—from calendar overload and contaminated time to why canceled plans are basically a love language. Inspired by Tim Kreider’s now 13-year-old viral...
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🤠 SXSW 2025: Anxiety, AI, and the Future We’re Choosing
South by Southwest 2025 just wrapped, and this year wasn’t just about what’s next in tech—it was about how much of it we’re actually okay with. AI chatbots are getting really personal. Deepfake fraud is up 2137%. Social media is broken (again). And even the people building the future are freaking...
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📺 The Free TV That Watches You Back: A Telly Experiment
This week, Jenny and Greg Swan put their living room (and their personal data) on the line in the name of science. Meet Telly—a free 55-inch TV that comes with a mandatory second screen running ads 24/7. The catch? If you unplug it, move it, or refuse to connect it to WiFi, you get charged…
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🧠 Brain Rot, Holiday Gifts, and How AI Helped Us Buy a Car
This episode, we’re tackling three big themes—tech, gifts, and the state of our brains in 2024. Buckle up (or turn on adaptive cruise control)! 🚙 Buy a Car via Text in 2020 vs. Buying a Car with AI in 2025 Remember when buying a car via text felt revolutionary? Fast forward to now: AI tools like...
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AI in the Classroom: Tool or Cheating Device?
In this episode of The Cave Project, Jenny and Greg Swan dig into the AI dilemma in education: is it a powerful learning tool or just an easy way to cheat? As schools struggle with this digital shake-up, they explore how generative AI is rewriting the rules—from boosting homework help to sparking...
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Moral Panic or Just Reality? Navigating Phones and Kids in 2024
From TikTok bans to school cell phone policies, Jenny and Greg Swan break down the chaos and contradictions of raising kids in a tech-driven world—minus the overwrought reactions. Be sure to subscribe for future episodes, follow us on Instagram (@the.cave.project), and sign up for updates at...
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From "I'm a Snake" to Wendy's social media fame: an interview with Matt Keck
In this episode of The Cave Project, we sit down with stand-up comedian and creative director Matt Keck to chat about the human side behind viral social media phenomena. Known for his witty contributions to the Wendy's Twitter persona and his viral "I'm a Snake" video, Keck shares insights on...
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A Modern Paradox: Putting Humans Back in Social Media (recorded LIVE at Social Media Breakfast)
Social media can both connect us and also push us apart. In this live recording of The Cave Project podcast, hosts Jenny and Greg Swan discuss the social media dilemma, its impact on our daily lives, and how we can reclaim our digital spaces with a human-centric approach. Special thanks to Social...
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Lasting Pixels: Navigating Death in the Digital World
We're sorry for your loss. This episode of The Cave Project explores the management of digital legacies, the role of AI in recreating memories of the deceased, and how these advances affect our mourning practices. Join Jenny and Greg Swan for a thought-provoking discussion on the ethical dilemmas...
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The Future is Generation Alpha
As the first generation to be fully born into the 21st century, Generation Alpha is the most technologically integrated group of humans ever — growing up in a world of advanced digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence. And they are already getting a bad rap about their…
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How to Cope With Being Extremely Online
If 85% of the population uses the internet (and are online an average of 7 hours per day), how is it that we’re still having conversations about whether being online is good for us or not? Instead, let’s talk about how to be extremely online in a healthy way. Join Jenny and Greg Swan for a...
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Why Are (Some) Social Media Marketers So Anti-Social Media?
Social media marketers can be a paradox. Evangelizing the marketing power of social media during the day and then decrying its negative effects at night. Or even further, restricting their own kids from social media when it’s paying the bills at home. Join Jenny and Greg Swan for a conversation...
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Make Your Dumb Home a Smart Home
Our dumb homes can be smart homes with a few tech purchases, but which are the right ones? Join Jenny and Greg Swan for a conversation about the technology that fuels their home, how Greg “bricked” their smart fridge, how Jenny’s robot vacuum army led to a dog poop fiasco, and how to reconcile...
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The Case for Screen Time on the Holidays
The holidays are a catalyst for increased screen time. And like It or not, the competition for your family's attention are those screens. But what if you flip the script and look for ways to incorporate screens into your together time instead of vilifying them? Join Jenny and Greg Swan for a...
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Your kid won't be an astronaut. Don't fight them about being an influencer
“American kids would much rather be YouTubers than astronauts!” was the click-bait headline in the hype cycle of 2019 as parents like Jenny and Greg Swan tried to grapple with the reality that maybe all that iPad time was warping their kids’ career prospects. But today, the tech-forward couple…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Since 2023, The Cave Project with Jenny and Greg Swan has explored the tensions of tech, culture, and life as they collide. Inspired by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, each episode helps you make sense of the shadows, including AI, social media, digital habits, psychology, and modern identity, with humor, curiosity, and a few swear words.
HOSTED BY
Jenny and Greg Swan
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Cave Project have?
The Cave Project currently has 29 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Cave Project about?
Since 2023, The Cave Project with Jenny and Greg Swan has explored the tensions of tech, culture, and life as they collide. Inspired by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, each episode helps you make sense of the shadows, including AI, social media, digital habits, psychology, and modern identity, with...
How often does The Cave Project release new episodes?
The Cave Project has 29 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Cave Project?
You can listen to The Cave Project on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Cave Project?
The Cave Project is created and hosted by Jenny and Greg Swan.
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