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Social media addiction and safety, Big Bear eagle Jackie dies, friendslop gaming and more
In this photo illustration, the Facebook and Instagram apps are seen on the screen of an iPhone on Oct. 4, 2021 in San Anselmo, Calif.
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Justin Sullivan
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Getty Images
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Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle discusses whether social media impulses should be classified as addiction, what makes social media safer, Big Bear eagle Jackie's death and why so many people connected with her, California ballot counting and friendslop gaming.
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Meta trial asks: is social media addiction really a thing?
The topic:
Social media company Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, faces another legal case — this time in Oakland, California — to determine if its platforms are addictive.
Science is slow: Meta’s main argument is that social media addiction is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM. But many people in the field of psychology and psychiatry believe that people can become addicted to social media and that the DSM has not caught up.
The question: Should impulses toward social media be classified as an addiction? A disorder? Or just a bad habit? What do you think? Call (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
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Guests:
- Elias Aboujaoude , clinical professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. He is also the Director of the OCD Clinic and the Impulse Control Disorders Clinic at Stanford Medicine. He’s also on the faculty at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Douglas Gentile, professor of psychology at Iowa State University
- Ian Anderson, postdoctoral scholar research associate in Computational Neuroscience of Social Media and Emotion at Caltech
What actually makes social media safer?
A California law requires big social media companies to disclose harassment policies on their platforms.
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stnazkul
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Multiple countries have instituted social media bans or restrictions for minors. In New Mexico, a court ordered stricter age verification, mandatory time-use limits for minors and the elimination of nighttime push notifications, among other safeguards.
The research says: Right now, research is inconclusive about what actually works and even what success means, but cell phone bans are popular among parents and Americans generally.
The question: What would make social media less harmful? Do you have thoughts as a parent, teacher, child or social media user? Call us at (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
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Guests:
- Jane Shawcroft, assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University; she studies the social and emotional role of technology in kids’ lives and families
- Sunny Liu, director of research at the Stanford Social Media Lab
- Andrew Zack, policy director at the Family Online Safety Institute, an international non-profit
Why so many people felt connected to Big Bear’s famous bald eagle Jackie
Jackie, the 14-year-old bald eagle from Big Bear whose livestreamed life captured the heart of fans around the world, has died.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley and Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam
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The topic:
Jackie, the bald eagle whose livestreamed life with her partner Shadow won the hearts of fans worldwide, has died, rescuers announced Monday. The famous raptor, believed to be 14 years old, was receiving intensive care at the Ojai Raptor Center for severe anemia. She ultimately succumbed to her condition after a team of veterinarians struggled for weeks to figure out what was causing it.
Growth in interest: Jackie was the matriarch of the famous Big Bear bald eagle nest since around 2017. She’s believed to be the first bald eagle chick hatched in Big Bear Valley in recent history, according to the nonprofit.
Join the conversation: What made you feel deeply connected to Jackie and why? Share by calling (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
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With files from LAist
Guest:
- Makenna Cramer, LAist reporter who’s been following this; her latest story is titled Big Bear’s famous bald eagle Jackie has died
Can California’s ballot counting be sped up and at what cost?
Ballots are sorted the day after California’s primary election at the L.A. County Ballot Processing Center, June 3, 2026, in City of Industry.
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Jae C. Hong
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AP Photo
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The topic:
California has become notorious for its ponderously slow vote counts that can drag on for weeks and sometimes longer, largely the result of multiple changes over the years that were intended to increase turnout but have done little to achieve that. Today on AirTalk, we look at some possible solutions.
Voting late: Many voters waited until the final days to make a decision in a wide-open and chaotic race for governor. According to state data, 148,241 mail ballots were rejected in the June election, or a rate of 1.73% of all mail ballots, with lateness accounting for 93,479 rejected ballots.
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Solutions: From shortening signature curing timelines to providing more funding to election offices, there’s a number of proposed changes that the nonprofit and nonpartisan organization California Voter Foundation is arguing can speed up our count.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
- Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization focused on improving the voting process
What multiplayer game makes you feel connected to your friends?
Big Walk is a cooperative multiplayer adventure about teamwork and talking, developed by Australian studio House House and published by Panic.
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Courtesy House House and Panic
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The topic:
Shooting your bud in Fortnite is fun, but it’s not exactly a venue or activity that lends itself to deep conversation. Today on AirTalk, we ask listeners about the multiplayer games that transcend gaming as media, and get people to feel more like friends than players.
Background: Multiplayer games have been around since the dawn of gaming, but many focus on competitive elements. With the recent advent of collaborative multiplayer games like Helldivers and Lethal Company, this focus on competition has been examined and tossed to the side.
Friendslop: A bit cheeky, a bit pejorative, the term “friendslop” refers to a new burgeoning class of often hastily-made games centered on getting together a group of friends to complete a goal. Games like Peak and RV There Yet? simply tell the players to climb a mountain, or go camping, with neat gimmicks.
Friendgems: While friendslop games are having a real moment, it’s in spite of and not because of their low effort nature. Big Walk, which came out the first week of August, has received rave reviews by seizing on this appetite for cooperative multiplayer games while also being an actual good game.
Join the conversation: So what friendslop or friendgem game have you been playing lately, and what about it made it not just a multiplayer game, but a multiplayer experience? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Nic Perez, AirTalk producer
-
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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