Empowerment: Objectification Rebranded as Agency?
From Ruined By The Internet? - Uncovering the human cost of our digital world by Gareth King
April 26, 2026 · 43 min
About this episode
This episode explores the rebranding of objectification as agency in the context of internet culture and empowerment.
When it comes to empowering ourselves, we were told the internet would give us back control. But instead, has it simply delivered a more efficient way for us to become products, and successfully rebranded objectification as agency? We’re joined by Courtney Kocak - writer, comedian, and author of the memoir Girl Gone Wild - to investigate one of the most uncomfortable questions about what technology has done to identity, autonomy, power, and the people caught in between. Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not. Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation - new episodes regularly. Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/ Help us investigate ourselves: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/ Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishow In this episode we trace the journey from early 2000s media to today's self-monetisation platforms, examine how the attention economy and algorithms have reshaped desire and self-perception, investigate the rise of online male communities and their generational impact, and ask whether AI is accelerating the problem - or simply…
People in this episode
Host: Gareth King
Guest: Courtney Kocak
Topics covered
- empowerment
- objectification
- internet culture
- social media
- self-perception
- monetization platforms
- hyper-connected world
Keywords
- empowerment
- objectification
- internet culture
- social media
- self-monetization
- Girls Gone Wild
- OnlyFans
- hyper-sexualization
- algorithms
- identity
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ruined By The Internet?, OnlyFans, Girls Gone Wild, Private Parts Unknown, Instagram, TikTok, Buy Me A Coffee
Books & works: Girl Gone Wild
More episodes of Ruined By The Internet? - Uncovering the human cost of our digital world
- Job Security: Optimised for Our Own Obsolescence? · June 2, 2026 · 44 min
- Retail: Convenience That Costs Everything? · May 20, 2026 · 38 min
- Sleep: Screens Stealing Our Slumber? · May 6, 2026 · 42 min
- Rental Markets: A Frantic Fight for Shelter as a Service? · April 13, 2026 · 45 min
- Self Improvement: Progress Replaced with Performance? · April 1, 2026 · 40 min
- The Taxi Industry: A Data-Driven Destruction of Dignified Work? · March 21, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Ruined By The Internet? - Uncovering the human cost of our digital world podcast page.