Touching Grass cover art

Touching Grass

Touching Grass

By: The New World
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In online culture, to tell someone to touch grass is an encouragement to get off their screen and get back in touch with reality. In this podcast, The New World's Gen Z-er Lucy Reade and Millennial James Ball try to explain what's happening on the internet to people with much healthier lives - and each other. Expect confusing discourse, culture wars and bizarre influencer scandals.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New World
Episodes
  • Starmtroopers over here, Looksmaxxers over there

    Starmtroopers over here, Looksmaxxers over there
    Jun 23 2026

    Welcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week, Lucy Reade tells us about the cult of the Starmtroopers and how they’re coping with the prime minister’s departure, while James Ball discusses why the online Looksmaxxers need some serious lessons in biology.


    Links to Starmtrooper posts:


    https://x.com/NondescriptRed/status/2069016131419914646?s=20

    https://x.com/ChristianHeiens/status/2069204137191825571?s=20

    https://x.com/fortnitebigboss/status/2068987930853380444?s=20

    https://x.com/orm0nde/status/2068017037507514483

    https://x.com/mikeysmith/status/2069118961149460740?s=20


    Clavicular post:


    https://x.com/Clavicular0/status/2069045565766185289


    Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade


    Produced by Matt Withers


    Subscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here


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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Should the UK government be banning social media for under-16s?

    Should the UK government be banning social media for under-16s?
    Jun 16 2026

    Welcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week is A Very Special Episode ™️, as Lucy Reade and James Ball discuss the recent UK government announcement that social media will be banned for under-16s.


    Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade


    Produced by Matt Withers


    Subscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Phone bans at concerts, and Pattie Gonia v Patagonia

    Phone bans at concerts, and Pattie Gonia v Patagonia
    Jun 9 2026

    Welcome to Touching Grass, where two extremely online people attempt to explain internet discourse to people sensible enough to spend their time offline. This week, Lucy Reade and James Ball argue over phone-free concerts, as well as discuss the age-old story of the evil multinational corporation taking on the plucky independent creator… or is there more to the story than meets the eye?


    Links to Tiktok and X:


    https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRvpx1Qu/ https://x.com/alexasversionn/status/2062924867108753783?s=20

    https://x.com/inherentvibes/status/2063752210358685791?s=20


    Links to Pattie Gonia v Patagonia:


    https://business.cch.com/ipld/PatagoniaEntrepreneurEnterprisesComplaint20260121.pdf

    https://bsky.app/profile/kathryntewson.bsky.social/post/3mnbattd6x22e


    Presented by James Ball and Lucy Reade


    Produced by Matt Withers


    Subscribe to The New World for just £5 for five weeks here

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
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