A group of middle schoolers has been using Spotify podcast comment sections to conduct secret group chats, bypassing parental restrictions on social media apps.
Middle Schoolers Used Spotify Comment Sections as Secret Group Chat to Evade Social Media Bans
According to a report from This American Life, the activity was initially mistaken for bot behavior by an NPR staffer after observing incoherent and clipped comments on a podcast episode. However, further investigation revealed that the users—many of whom are "Gen Alpha"—were using the platform to connect because they were not allowed to use traditional social media like TikTok at home.
To facilitate these discussions, the users employed a specific system: creating Spotify playlists with names such as "chat here" and linking them to a single podcast episode. Other users would then find these playlists and use the podcast's comment section to communicate.
One 14-year-old participant explained that the group often seeks out podcasts with low comment volumes to avoid being noticed. The practice highlights how younger generations are repurposing existing digital tools to create social spaces where they are permitted.
Sources
- Kids turned low-traffic NPR Spotify comments into a secret group chat （Hacker News Frontpage, 2026-09-28）