#373 Why Smart People Fall For Online Manipulation | Phoenix Hayes

#373 Why Smart People Fall For Online Manipulation | Phoenix Hayes

From The Alisa Childers Podcast by Alisa Childers

April 30, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

In this episode, Alisa Childers and Phoenix Hayes discuss the tactics used by influencers and media to manipulate beliefs and how to resist such deception.

Why do so many people believe things that aren’t true? In this episode, I’m joined by Phoenix Hayes to expose the tactics influencers, media voices, and online personalities use to persuade people without evidence. We break down how emotional framing, fear, motive-assuming, and conspiracy storytelling can bypass critical thinking and drive millions of views. We also talk about how to spot manipulation fast, ask better questions, think clearly in a noisy culture, and make strong arguments without becoming manipulative yourself. If you want to sharpen your discernment, resist deception, and stop falling for viral nonsense, this episode is for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------ This video is sponsored by: WE HEART NUTRITION From Our Family to Yours, Whole Supplements for Every Age and Stage. Go to http://www.weheartnutrition.com for more information. Use my code: ALISA GOOD RANCHERS American Meat Delivered Go to https://go.goodranchers.com/alisa for more information. Use my code: ALISA FOUNDATION WORLDVIEW Foundation Worldview creates curriculum series that will empower your child to think Biblically in a deceptive world. Go to…

People in this episode

Host: Alisa Childers

Guest: Phoenix Hayes

Topics covered

  • online manipulation
  • critical thinking
  • emotional framing
  • deception
  • discernment

Keywords

  • manipulation
  • influencers
  • media
  • critical thinking
  • deception

Sponsors

WE HEART NUTRITION, GOOD RANCHERS, FOUNDATION WORLDVIEW

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Beauty from the Ash

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