Megan Garber on the Impact of Internet Culture with “Screen People” [Extended Interview]

In this extended interview, Megan Garber, author of 'Screen People: How We Entertained Ourselves into a State of Emergency,' explores the profound cultural shift brought about by internet culture, where people increasingly see themselves and others as characters in a performance rather than as complex, fallible humans. She argues that the digital environment—especially screens and algorithms—has flattened human identity, turning us into images and narratives, eroding our capacity for humility, mistake, and grace. Drawing on insights from reality TV, the 'coconut effect' in radio, and the psychological phenomenon of online disinhibition, Garber illustrates how digital spaces encourage cynicism, surveillance, and dehumanization. Yet she also acknowledges the revolutionary potential of digital tools for self-expression, connection, and collective creativity. The conversation ends on a note of cautious hope, as young people begin reclaiming analog experiences and demanding ownership over their data, signaling a possible reckoning with the screen-dominated world.