Order a copy of Amanda's new book The Age of Magical Overthinking! Catch Amanda on tour!!! Stereotypes say that homeschool kids are a little, well, ~quirky~ but is that because they grew up in a "cult" of sorts? The American homeschool landscape is currently undergoing an especially fraught *paradigm shift* with upwards of 2 million kids being taught at home as of 2023. This surge is fueled by a range of sociopolitical factors, from the relatable (school shootings are scary!!!!) to the undeniably sinister (ahem, IBLP… ahem, Lord of the Flies-style unschooling practices that overlap with the troubled teen industry???). Homeschooling—with its insular communities, lack of regulation, and sometimes radical approaches to child-rearing—can add up to something eeeeeeeerily reminiscent of a fringey, paranoid sect. To help parse it out what “cult category” homeschooling falls into, Amanda is chatting with her pal (and homeschool *survivor*) Justina Sharp. This is delicate subject matter, and everyone’s experiences are different, so if you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out the resources below! Thanks to all the culties who called in to share their personal experiences on the topic! Sources: Home schooling is surging, but lax regulation can leave kids vulnerable to abuse: https://www.npr.org/2024/01/18/1225324564/home-schooling-is-surging-but-lax-regulation-can-leave-kids-vulnerable-to-abuse Coalition for Responsible Home Education: https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/ Home schooling’s rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/homeschooling-growth-data-by-district/ ‘Unschooling’ Isn’t The Answer To Education Woes—It’s The Problem: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2020/05/25/unschooling-isnt-the-answer-to-education-woes-its-the-problem/?sh=7541bc55543c Thank you to our sponsors, who make this show possible: Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to joinbilt.com/cult. Go to StickerGiant.com/cult and use code CULT at checkout to get 25% off your first order. Shop the SKIMS T-Shirt Shop at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, select "podcast" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. Visit BetterHelp.com/CULT today to get 10% off your first month. Head to Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, go to https://www.squarespace.com/CULT to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
I am so excited to tell you culties about June's journey, a free to play hidden object mobile game where a shadowy figure is spreading devious gossip and revealing dark secrets.
Join the intrigue and immerse yourself in the vibrant 1920s community filled with untold mysteries and hidden truths.
Mark the 7th anniversary with exclusive themed events, haunting milestones, and tantalizing giveaways.
You can engage in special activities all month long that promise thrilling adventures and dark twists.
One of my favorite things about June's journey is not only that it is a fun and challenging game, but it's beautiful to look at.
You can celebrate in style with masquerade themed events and decorations.
My favorite time to play June's journey is when I am in between work tasks and I need a beautiful chef's kiss of a game to relax to to stimulate my mind to.
It's perfect for that.
Dive into the mystery and celebrate June's journey's 7th anniversary.
Download it for free on iOS and Android today and gear up for thrilling new adventures.
Hey, wake up.
You have to get tickets to see all your favorite podcasters on tour together.
Hello, it's me, your sounds like a cult host, Amanda Montel here to invite you to this extravagant and very exclusive live variety show that I'm putting together on April 12 in Brooklyn, April 13 in Boston, and April 16 in Philly.
My inner theater kid is exploding out, letting its inner freak flag fly by, putting together this over the top live podcast hullabaloo featuring special guests like Kira and Griff from petty Crimes and Kelsey from normal gossip as well as drag performances, musical guests exclusive merch only available at these three live shows.
There will be cute drinks, meet and greet opportunities, and at each show we're going to be talking about the topic of parasocial relationships in the spiciest way.
The tea that we're going to be spilling is so piping hot.
If you live in or around Brooklyn, Boston or Philly, you can find ticket links and more information as well as as discount codes at the links in our show notes or@amandamontel.com events.
I am not doing more of these shows, it is just these three and I would absolutely love to see you there.
I know all my special guests would too, so check out those links to get your tickets now.
The views expressed on this episode, as with all episodes of sounds like a cult, are solely host opinions and quoted allegations.