Episode7: HOW THE FOLK DEVILS OF THE 1980s CONTINUE TO HAUNT US

Every generation confronts insecurities and fears through an obsession with cultural "folk devils." The 1980s had no shortage of folk devils and moral panics - satanic cults, "crack" babies and the serial killer. Cultural obsession with serial killers launched a massive book industry and Hollywood cashed in a big way with the slasher movie genre. 

And yet, the 1980s failed to understand the rise of a new phenomenon one that haunts us to this day - the mass shooter. 
This episode looks at how we responded to fears of the 1980s. The episode ends with a reflection on the 1980s fear of dystopian future symbolised by 1984. Digital computers promised us freedom from dystopia and mass surveillance. How wrong we were.