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Darin Johnson "The Digital Coup: Who Really Controls Our Future?" content  type - Interview primary  goal - Educational   Summary This conversation explores the rise of digital coups, their impact on democracy, and how individuals and governments can resist manipulation through technology. Dr. Darin Johnson shares insights from his new book 'Digital Coup' and discusses strategies for fostering critical thinking and digital resilience. Parenting for the Future: Understanding the Digital Coup and Raising Critical Thinkers This episode features Petal Modeste in conversation with Darren Johnson, professor of law at Howard University School of Law and author of Digital Coup. They explore how social media, disinformation, and algorithmic manipulation are being used to weaken democratic systems and fuel real-world instability. The discussion also turns practical, with a focus on how parents can help children become more critical, resilient digital citizens.In this episode: Darren Johnson explains how his time as a Pentagon officer during 9/11 shaped his view of public service, law, and national security. He traces the origins of his research on digital manipulation to the 2016 election and the Mueller investigation. He defines a digital coup as an attempt to undermine democratic institutions, processes, or elections through digital means. He argues that authoritarian actors first learned social media's power during movements like the Arab Spring, then turned those tools toward disruption. He describes a coalition of authoritarian states, led by Russia, that has used similar tactics in places like Ukraine, the U. S., the U.K., Burkina Faso, Moldova, and Taiwan. He breaks down the four major tactics in the book: Digital deception Digital division Digital radicalization Digital manipulation He explains how fake personas, troll farms, influencers, bots, and private companies now form a kind of digital coup economy. He warns that generative AI can massively scale the problem by creating more convincing false identities and manipulative content. He outlines how countries like Ukraine and Taiwan have built strong cross-sector responses through journalism, civil society, government, academia, and pro-democracy hackers. He connects digital manipulation to parenting, arguing that media literacy, skepticism, and offline relationships are essential for helping children resist emotional manipulation online.      keywords digital coup, misinformation, social media, democracy, AI, digital manipulation, disinformation, digital resilience, social media regulation, critical thinking    key  topics The rise of digital coups and their impact on democracy Tactics used in digital manipulation and disinformation campaigns Strategies for individuals and governments to resist digital coups   Chapters 00:00 The Digital Age: A Double-Edged Sword 02:42 Darin Johnson's Journey: From Military to Law 05:53 Understanding the Digital Coup 08:30 The Rise of Digital Manipulation 11:19 The Coalition of Authoritarian States 14:16 Attacks on Democratic Institutions 16:47 The Financial Incentives Behind Digital Coups 19:28 Social Media: The Battlefield for Digital Coups 22:13 Tactics of Digital Coups: Deception and Division 24:58 Radicalization and Real-World Violence 27:49 Cyber Militias and Their Impact 31:42 The Rise of Digital Extremism 32:27 Generative AI: A Double-Edged Sword 34:34 Building Individual Resilience Against Digital Manipulation 36:24 Governmental Responses to Digital Threats 39:59 Community Strategies for Combating Disinformation 43:19 Racism as a National Security Threat 45:57 Empowering the Next Generation: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking 52:24 Emotional Resilience in the Digital Age   Resources Darin Johnson's Book 'Digital Coup'  https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889837138/Digital-Coup   Guest links: https://www.darin-johnson.com https://www.facebook.com/darin.johnson.10420 https://www.linkedin.com/in/darin-johnson-5305ab https://profiles.howard.edu/darin-johnson https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/digital-services-act-keeping-us-safe-online-2025-09-22_en   Music Atributions:   Tease Digital Deception: The 2016 Election Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: T99JRP0IVEQA1OPK   Clips -  digital_coup_ weaponizing social divisions Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RNKPGM8VALXGPN0Q   Shorter version of ^ Russia's Strategy to Weaponize American Divisions Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: 1TEM9PTM9UTKQSSX   Social Media's Dual Role in Democracy and Dissent Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: RKIWS2DSL3KEPCTT   The Digital Coup Era: How Democracy is Undermined Online Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: DMMDWGNYCKFINBSQ   Title: "The Digital Coup: Who Really Controls Our Future?" Guest: Professor Darin Johnson    Episode  Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: HWTIKKGUOQ6QWS9A

This conversation explores how funding, partnerships, tutoring, and sport can work together to expand opportunity for kids in underserved Brooklyn neighborhoods.   We discuss Nzinga's upbringing in a Caribbean household, the influence of her mother, and how fencing shaped her discipline, academic path, and leadership.    Petal also asks how parents can help children build confidence, find their gifts, and stay grounded in a distracting world. Nzinga Prescott: Building PISTE Through Fencing, Discipline, and Community Access Nzinga Prescott shares how she turned elite fencing success into a community-based youth development model through PISTE, the Prescott Institute for Sport, Teamwork and Education.  Nzingha Prescod USA Fencing Olympics results Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork and Education (PISTE)  US Antidoping Agency Key topics In this episode, Nzinga explains how PISTE is funded through a mix of corporate sponsors, foundation grants, government grants, individual donors, school program budgets, membership fees, and events. She describes how early support from Bally's, Ernst & Young, the Olympic and Paralympic Committee network, and a storefront partnership helped PISTE grow. Nzinga outlines how the organization now reaches about 600 kids each year across schools, the academy, summer programming, and citywide events. We discuss how her mother shaped her through black excellence, discipline, tutoring, and intentional exposure to successful Black role models. Nzinga shares how fencing developed her focus, mental stamina, time management, and ability to perform under pressure. She explains why the sport's culture pushed her toward academic excellence, including the expectation of high achievement and access to specialized schools. Nzinga describes how Peter Westbrook's foundation modeled a family-like, high-expectation environment that directly influenced the design of PISTE. We discuss the structure of PISTE's fencing academy, including its focus on youth from targeted Brooklyn neighborhoods, long-term commitment, attentiveness, and technical foundation. She explains the summer Fencing in the Park program as a pipeline into the academy, especially for children who start young. Nzinga details the tutoring and enrichment model, including Stuyvesant student tutors, specialized high school mentorship, chess, architecture, financial literacy, urban farming, workforce development, and school exposure workshops. She talks about school partnerships across New York City and how short-term introductory fencing programs help children try something new, build confidence, and stay active. Nzinga also shares how brand partnerships and community clinics help make fencing more visible and accessible in neighborhoods where the sport is not widely known. Her advice to young athletes is to trust themselves, stay introspective, and avoid being distracted by what others are doing. Her advice to parents is to expose children to many experiences, follow their interests without bias, and create opportunities for representation and excellence.   Timestamps (0:00) Breakpoint and production reset (0:16) How PISTE stays affordable through sponsorships and community support (1:31) Ernst & Young, Bally's, and other early funding relationships (2:31) Building an organization with accounting, HR, and project management help (3:22) Team effort, parent support, and community buy-in (4:09) Why fencing becomes a social and developmental space for kids (4:59) Six revenue streams and the reality of nonprofit funding (6:07) Annual reach across schools, the academy, and citywide events (7:11) What parents need to know about raising kids in a complex world (8:19) Nzinga's advice to young athletes: trust yourself (9:26) Introspection, gut instinct, and learning to listen to your body (10:13) Why balance matters beyond sport (11:59) Parenting approach: expose children to what they show interest in (12:54) Representation matters, even for very young children (13:36) Loving the sport and the process, not just winning (15:03) Single motherhood, capacity, and what she learned from her own mom (16:31) How listeners can engage with PISTE (21:33) Peter Westbrook's foundation as a family and a model of excellence (23:10) Why PISTE was built to bridge the access gap in Brooklyn (26:02) Combining elite training with scholarship support and academic access (27:16) PISTE's mission and its five year round programs (28:08) Who gets into the fencing academy and what commitment looks like (34:26) Fencing in the Park as the main pipeline into the academy (37:16) Tutoring, Stuyvesant student mentors, and specialized high school exposure (38:54) Saturday enrichment, chess, architecture, financial literacy, and workforce development (40:58) School partnerships and fencing classes across New York City (44:05) Brand partnerships, street fairs, and fencing clinics

In this episode, Dr. William Tarpeh shares his innovative work on transforming wastewater into valuable resources, emphasizing sustainability and circular economy principles. Discover how his research can revolutionize water management and environmental health. 00:00 Introduction to Dr. William Tarpeh's Work and Its Importance 02:28 William's Background and Influences 06:46 Early Interest in Water and Global Perspectives 08:14 Why Wastewater is a Valuable Resource 12:20 Mining Resources from Wastewater 15:13 Electrochemical Separation of Nitrogen 17:35 The ECAB System for On-site Resource Recovery 24:58 Pilot Project in Kenya and Urine-derived Fertilizer 27:48 Impact on California Farms and Future Applications 36:09 The Role of Community and Collaboration in Innovation 44:34 Encouraging Curiosity and Problem Solving in Children 45:35 Imagining a Sustainable Future for Our Children

The importance of creative confidence in children The influence of teachers and mentors in nurturing gifts The role of curiosity in lifelong learning How growth mindset fosters resilience and innovation The impact of community and environment on creativity The significance of self-signing and pride in work The connection between storytelling and emotional growth The influence of cultural and family background on creativity The importance of play and art as a safe space for exploration The power of small acts of encouragement and belief

This interview with Erin Williamson from Love 146, delves into the organization's efforts in survivor care, prevention education, and community engagement to combat human trafficking. We discuss the complexities of trafficking, the role of traffickers, the importance of prevention programs, and practical tips for parents to protect children online. This episode features Erin Williamson from Love 146 discussing the realities of child trafficking, risk factors, warning signs, and how communities can work together to prevent and respond to this grave issue. Learn about survivor care, prevention programs, and how to empower children and caregivers with vital safety information.

In this Episode you will learn about: The state of women's health in the US The role of instinct in staying healthy QUILT – the way to tell your story to your doctors and medical providers How to make a "Family Medical Tree" What we can do to advocate for more and broader funding for Research into Women's Health

In this Episode you will learn about: Navigating bigotry as part of a multiracial, multi-religious and multi-ethnic family  The power of parental values  Why all "isms" are actually connected The role of fear in amplifying all "isms" How to be actively antiracist in your everyday life Why we should not be afraid of sharing true history with our kids A surprising lesson from M&Ms The tribal myth Why what we don't do, don't read and don't talk about shape our kids How we can incentivize enough people to whisper, so that collectively we create a loud roar against racism and oppression

In this Episode you will learn about: Promly: Social media for Gen. Zs by Gen. Zs Public Benefit Corporations The Gen. Z suicide crisis   Why the Gen. Z voice is pivotal in policy impacting Gen. Zs The Kid Online Safety Act Shadow's Edge – Gaming for Mental Health Stockpile – A money app for families How parental values shape changemakers How loss can spur life-saving innovation

In this Episode you will learn about: The history of the Fresh Air Fund  Not defining children based on the communities from which they come The Fresh Air Fund camps and summer curriculum How the Fresh Air Fund serves children year-round  How the Fresh Air Fund develops young leaders How families influence the work of the Fresh Air Fund Corporate partners and their role in the work of the Fresh Air Fund How you can support the Fresh Air Fund Why green space and time in the outdoors can change a life for the better

In this Episode you will learn about: The Microschool movement  Colossal Academy Non-traditional learners and microschools How every learner can thrive in microschools How microschool students perform on standardized test The global education gap Why Microschooling may be the future of learning "Optimistic Edu-futurists"

In this Episode you will learn about: The Onyx Family origin story How Onyx built a multi-million-dollar YouTube franchise The role of faith in building a business for positive impact AI and the entertainment industry Opportunities to have positive impact on social media  The importance of "finding your lane" Beyond YouTube – how to build a sustainable, scalable entertainment brand Why the world needs more entertainers who spread love

In this Episode you will learn about: The number of children around the world who are grieving the death of a parent or caregiver  How children experience grief Ramifications of unaddressed grief How families and communities can support grieving kids What schools can do to better support grieving children Strategies parents and caregivers can use to help their kids understand and accept the inevitability of death Weekend camps for grieving families Resources created by grieving kids for grieving kids The work of Experience Camps to allow grieving children to embody lives full of hope and rich with possibility

In this Episode you will learn about: The definition of "bias" Surprising forms of bias The roots of biases The ages biases begin to emerge Culture-based Counter Transference The Crawford Bias Reduction Theory The LETUP model Strategies parents can use to reduce bias

In this Episode you will learn about: • How hope, love and connection are the most wonderful gifts from stories • How stories can shape our experience in the world • How a change of scenery can change one's life • Why we should read aloud to our kids • The authors who most profoundly influenced Kate DiCamillo • How parents can raise children who have an insatiable love of reading

In this episode you will learn about: Philosophy – what it is and how it can help us navigate a complicated world How racism shaped the Philosophical Canon The Less Commonly Taught Philosophies (LCTPs) Immanuel Kant's influence on the Philosophical Canon Why teaching Indigenous, African, East Asian, South Asian, and LGBQ+ philosophical traditions can help solve complex problems How philosophy helps us disagree without demonizing How to help your kids develop a philosophical mindset