Short Reads Social #16 (+costume contest!): Are we living in an age of fear?

Short-Read Socials are back! Come meet with like-minded and unlikeminded people to talk about the topic of the month. This time, we're thinking about fear. Are people more fearful now than they were in the past or are we just scared of different things? Are people truly safer now? Has our media consumption helped us deal with our fears or exacerbated our ability to cope?
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***Note: this event and future events (at least until 2027) will be on second and last Wednesdays! we won't be there on Tuesday :(
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How does it work?

• The event is casual. You can talk to anyone there with or without our prompt sheets, either about the month's topic or about whatever you want.
• Open philosophical discussion, including for controversial topics, is welcome but be respectful. Every has had different experiences so aim to have good-faith discussions :)
• If you've read/watched/heard anything related to the topic of the month, feel free to bring it in! Not necessarily physically, but you can if you want...
• If not, here are some thought-provoking reads to start you off (read as many or as few as you want):
• Waiting for the End of the World
• Why We’re Living in the Age of Fear (without paywall here)
• How a True-Crime Podcast Became a Mental-Health Support Group (without paywall here)
• Why Kidnapping Conspiracy Theories Are Everywhere
• (I linked part two above, but you can listen to part one if you want too)
• Feel free to post other recommendations (blogs, movies, tv episodes, video essays, etc.) in the comments!

ALSO, we will be doing a costume contest this night! There will be a prize!
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Finally, Short Read Socials have a 'pay what you can' policy. They'll always be free to attend--but if you've been having a good time with us and want to pass along a couple of bucks to help cover Meetup platform costs for future events, there is a contribution bucket on the table that night and a Paypal link :)