Unplugged Minds Podcast is a Gen Z examination of all the things that have kept us plugged in, and asks the question, how do we get out? Because your parents were right, it is those damn phones.
This four-part series created by journalism students at the University of Kings College in Halifax, Nova Scotia features experts and local Haligonians on their journeys to unplug from their devices to embrace offline hobbies, physical media and in-person community.
In the last decade, Netflix monthly subscription prices have nearly doubled. No matter where we turn, it seems like subscription based pricing just keeps going up. Streaming models were built to make media more accessible—but is an ad littered library we have no control over really the future we dreamed of?
In episode three of this limited series, journalism students Talia Freedhoff and Luke McNabb jump into the world of physical media—and the consumer autonomy that so often comes with it. With so many subscription based models, it can feel like we lack any agency as consumers. But when you own your media, you’ll never have to worry about your favorite show getting taken down out of nowhere again. This episode features interviews from field experts Dr. Hanieh Shakeri from Dalhousie University and Professor DeNel Rehberg Sedo from Mount Saint Vincent University, with voices of Haligonians reclaiming their consumer autonomy through physical media—whether at a modern day record store, by purchasing physical copies of the news, or curating a 1200-strong VHS collection.
Unplugged Minds Podcast is a Gen Z examination of all the things that have kept us plugged in, and asks the question, how do we get out? Because your parents were right, it is those damn phones.
Talia Freedhoff and Luke McNabb are our hosts. Talia is also a writer on this episode. Barley Burns is the producer; Marielle Godfrey was the team’s lead researcher and also helped with editing along with Samuel Hodd and Owen Starling. Dylan Hay composed our music; Mark Pineo was our studio engineer and Pauline Dakin was our podcasting instructor at the University of King’s College.
27 Mar 2026
Episode 1: A Great Big Problem
How many hours this week have you spent doomscrolling? In this day and age it can feel like everything is all doom and gloom. We’re lonely, prices just keep going up, and somehow our phones have become the most essential and most hindering piece of technology we own.
In the first episode of this limited four-part series, journalism students Talia Freedhoff, Luke McNabb and Owen Starling take a look at how we got here. Right now it feels like we can’t go anywhere without our phones, but instead of doomscrolling until we die, Unplugged Minds seeks to find an answer and most importantly, a way out. This episode features clips from streeters and cognitive scientist Mark Miller of the University of Toronto and Hokkaido University in Japan.
Unplugged Minds Podcast is a Gen Z examination of all the things that have kept us plugged in, and asks the question, how do we get out? Because your parents were right, it is those damn phones.
Talia Freedhoff and Luke McNabb are our hosts. Owen Starling is the episode’s writer and Samuel Hodd is the episode’s producer, Marielle Godfrey was the team’s lead researcher and also helped with editing along with Samuel Hodd and Owen Starling. Dylan Hay composed our music, Mark Pineo was our studio engineer and Pauline Dakin was our podcasting instructor at the University of King’s College.
27 Mar 2026
Episode 2: Reclaim your time
What’s your screen time? When we asked our team, the answer ranged from two hours to eight and a half. In some cases, that’s nearly half your time spent awake. Since the technology emerged, people have been trying to warn us it would be a problem. And now, decades later, here we are. It’s clear we have a problem, but how do we fix it?
In episode two of this limited series, journalism students Talia Freedhoff and Luke McNabb take a look at the value of offline hobbies, and how to find better things to do with yourself than scrolling for hours and hours on your phone. This episode features interviews from field experts Professor DeNel Rehberg Sedo of Mount Saint Vincent University and Mark Miller of the University of Toronto, along with testimony from local Haligonians trying to break away from constantly scrolling on their phones. Whether through flip phones or swing dancing, we find out how people are trying to leave their smartphones behind.
Unplugged Minds Podcast is a Gen Z examination of all the things that have kept us plugged in, and asks the question, how do we get out? Because your parents were right, it is those damn phones.
Talia Freedhoff and Luke McNabb are our hosts. Owen Starling is the episode’s writer and Samuel Hodd is the episode’s producer, Marielle Godfrey was the team’s lead researcher and also helped with editing along with Samuel Hodd and Owen Starling. Barley Burns provided research and reporting. Dylan Hay composed our music, Mark Pineo was our studio engineer and Pauline Dakin was our podcasting instructor at the University of King’s College.
27 Mar 2026
Episode 4: It all comes back to community
Six years after the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems virtual alternatives to in-person events are more common than ever, but is that good for us?
In episode four of this limited series, journalism students Talia Freedhoff and Luke McNabb take a deep dive into all things community. With the decline of third spaces and a growing culture of solitude as a result of AI ‘connections’, is it even possible for us to rebuild a sense of community? And why is having one so important? This episode features interviews from field experts Professor Michael G MacDonald from Cape Breton University and Professor Carla Heggie from Dalhousie University, and highlights Halifax locals seeking to rebuild their in-person connections—be it through Magic the Gathering, Karaoke, or…a virtual AI ‘friend’.
Unplugged Minds Podcast is a Gen Z examination of all the things that have kept us plugged in, and asks the question, how do we get out? Because your parents were right, it is those damn phones.
Talia Freedhoff and Luke McNabb are our hosts. Talia is also a writer on this episode. Barley Burns is the episode’s producer; Marielle Godfrey was the team’s lead researcher and also helped with editing along with Samuel Hodd and Owen Starling. Dylan Hay composed our music; Mark Pineo was our studio engineer and Pauline Dakin was our podcasting instructor at the University of King’s College.
26 Mar 2026
Unplugged Minds Trailer
Unplugged Minds Podcast is a Gen Z examination of all the things that have kept us plugged in, and asks the question, how do we get out? Because your parents were right, it is those damn phones. This four-part series created by journalism students at the University of Kings College in Halifax, Nova Scotia features experts and local Haligonians on their journeys to unplug from their devices to embrace offline hobbies, physical media and in-person community.
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