Social Media

Kids Are Using NPR Podcast Comments as Secret Group Chats

Teenagers barred from social media are turning obscure corners of the internet into makeshift chat rooms.

Reem Ibrahim | 9.29.2026 4:38 PM

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Some teens have been using the comments section of an NPR podcast as a group chat to communicate with one another.

Ella, 14, is not allowed on social media. She is, however, allowed on Spotify. She and about 20 friends, most of whom were girls with parents who didn't let them on social media, decided to communicate with one another by creating playlists on Spotify, naming them something along the lines of "chat here," adding one podcast, and telling their friends to chat in the comments.

When asked why they chose NPR shows to chat under, Ella said that they "just looked for podcasts that didn't have many comments." Ouch.

The discovery was made by Dave Blanchard, who runs NPR's Wild Card and keeps an eye on the comments that people post about the show. Last year, he noticed new comments on an episode: "Gilgamesh quit and I'm crying," "Last........

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