babblings, formerly known as "Babblings of a Twentysomething" is a podcast hosted by Ali (she/her) covering all the woes that come with being a twentysomething like dating, friendships, and living alone. But it's more than just another twentysomething spouting about life, babblings is dedicated to bringing you more extensive topics like current events, hot takes on pop culture, and breaking down large scale societal norms that are actually eating away at our autonomy and creativity. Ali's here to share the nuggets of wisdom she honestly wished she didn't have, so hopefully we can learn our lessons together.
babblings is an extension of the babblings substack which combined together is the ever evolving self portrait Ali wants to share with the world.
xoxo :)
babblings.substack.com (https://babblings.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Hi babblers! Extremely excited to finally be dedicating an episode to something I’m extremely passionate about CULT PSYCHOLOGY! About 8 years ago I started down the rabbit hole of understanding how cults work, mind control, & how truly fallible the human mind is. It unlocked language and ideas about how understanding cult psychology and undue influence can help us understand ourselves, the world, and societal conditioning. It transformed how I think about the gut instinct, and how we’ve been taught to ignore it and instead exist in the cerebral realm. The realm most easily manipulated. I hope you enjoy this week’s episodes it’s years in the making and the foundation of a lot of my personal methodology and ethos.
LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE!
xoxo, Ali Ann
GO DEEPER/Reference, Resources, & more: https://babblings.net/the-cult-episode/ (https://babblings.net/the-cult-episode/)
Time Stamps:
0:00 INTRO
1:55 babblings.net (http://babblings.net) updates
2:54 nature nonfiction spring reading club
12:00 Current Events
15:06 Main Topic Cults
29:47 My Thesis Statement/Cult Examples
34:45 Defining Cults
37:39 Rober Lifton 8 Criteria for Cults
47:57 intentional indoctrination, control, & manipulation
52:09 Types of cults
56:30 how do people join cults?
01:00:35 BITE Model - undue influence/mind control
01:16:51 How To Avoid Cults
01:21:35 TAKE AWAYS
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliannreed/ (https://www.instagram.com/aliannreed/)
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@babblings20 (https://www.youtube.com/@babblings20)
Podcast Links: https://babblings.net/category/babblings_pod/ (https://babblings.net/category/babblings_pod/)
Blog: https://babblings.net/ (https://babblings.net/)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit babblings.substack.com (https://babblings.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
20 Mar 2026
So You Want To Talk About The Literacy Crisis.....
Hi babblers! If you’re reading this then it is officially spring! Pat on the back to us all for making it through, though we still have a couple weeks till the last frost.
Through tiktok debates, bad movie adaptation discourse, & popular headlines I’ve noticed a pattern of using the so called, literacy crisis, to diminish people’s opinions or as a vague term to virtue signal and separate yourself as an intellectual. But what even is the literacy crisis? And how easily can we fall into elitist rhetoric instead of investigating the intersectionality and root of a problem? So let’s chat about the literacy crisis!
Special thanks to my mom, Sarah Hawley, for joining me to have a deep discussion about education, the literacy crisis, and the American school system with her first hand 20+ years experience as an educator.
REFERENCES & MORE INFO: https://babblings.net/so-you-want-to-talk-about-the-literacy-crisis/ (https://babblings.net/so-you-want-to-talk-about-the-literacy-crisis/)
Time Stamps:
5:20 Current Events Corner
6:24 Jon Lemon & Georgia Fort - Journalist Arrested
10:37 Remembering Wael Tarabishi - ICE targeting people w/ disabilities
14:21 US/Israel v Iran
16:49 Main Topic: The So Called Literacy Crisis
20:17 The Reading Wars & Literacy Politics
24:04 Literacy Crisis or Critical Thinking Crisis?
25:16 Let’s Talk To An Expert
INTERVIEW STARTS:
26:30 What are the challenges to teaching kids how to read?
37:35 Understanding Literacy Crisis Data
49:55 Phonics vs Whole Language
56:05 The American School System
1:00:06 The Importance of Reading & Complex Texts
1:20:14 Reading & Empathy
1:24:50 AI and Future Crisis
1:26:46 JUST READ!!
1:28:23 Outro
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliannreed/ (https://www.instagram.com/aliannreed/)
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@babblings20 (https://www.youtube.com/@babblings20)
Podcast Links: https://babblings.net/category/babblings_pod/ (https://babblings.net/category/babblings_pod/)
Blog: babblings.net (http://babblings.net)
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/sounds-from-space (https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/sounds-from-space)
License code: HFCWEOEYJ9AUOI6C
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit babblings.substack.com (https://babblings.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
1 Jan 2026
why are we so afraid of aging?
Hello babblers! I'm so excited to finally get this aging episode out to you all. Despite sickness delays and the holidays I felt this needed to come out before the 1st of the year. I hope you enjoy and may it be the start of healing for us all the fear of aging!
GO DEEPER (References/Resources): https://babblings.net/whys-everyone-afraid-of-aging-podcast/ (https://babblings.net/whys-everyone-afraid-of-aging-podcast/)
Time Stamps:
0:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY) HELLO! Happy Holidays :)
5:35 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=335s) NO NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
8:23 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=503s) Current Events Corner
9:04 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=544s) Pantone Color of the Year????
13:05 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=785s) The Met Gala Theme
17:47 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=1067s) Met Employees Move to Unionize
22:09 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=1329s) Resources for the understanding crisis in Sudan
23:28 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=1408s) WHY’S EVERYONE AFRAID OF AGING??
25:12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=1512s) I like getting older! Experiencing death young, not being afraid of dying
31:57 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=1917s) We take aging for granted
34:55 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=2095s) Fear of loosing attractiveness & the beauty industry
39:19 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=2359s) Subliminal Messaging In Media
40:34 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=2434s) The real underlying fears of aging
42:12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=2532s) Our fear and view of death
44:08 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_TlzRlRAMY&t=2648s) AGING IS NOT A DISEASE
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit babblings.substack.com (https://babblings.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
4,902
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
53
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
0
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