Sunday, June 29
9:00am - 9:45am
Going Viral: How Young People are Thinking About Humanism and Skepticism
How the Next Generation Is Fighting the Religious Right, One Algorithm at a Time
For many young people today, platforms like TikTok and YouTube have become as influential as any classroom. And if you're online at all, you've seen just how quickly bad ideas like White Christian Nationalism, science denial, and glamorizing religious gender roles (we’re looking at you, tradwives), spread.
But here’s the good news: humanists are the moral majority. And more and more, we’ve got the tools to reach the millions of people who already share our values even if they don’t know the word “humanist” yet.
Join Drew McCoy (Genetically Modified Skeptic), Taylor Leigh (The Antibot), and a few of the brilliant AHA interns helping move this movement, for an honest conversation about fighting fundamentalism on the new media battlefield. We’ll talk about what’s working, what’s not, and why the next generation of humanists isn’t waiting around to be saved—they’re building something better in real time.
Speakers
Gabriella Cohen
Gabriella Cohen is an Education Intern at the American Humanist Association and rising Junior at Yale University, where she studies Anthropology and Education Studies. As such, she enjoys examining far-right pipeline Tik Tok as a purely ethnographic and educational endeavor. Gabriella is passionate about exploring how digital culture can be leveraged to guide young people toward more dignified and progressive online communities.
Lineth García
Lineth García is a Policy Intern at the American Humanist Association and a rising senior at Gettysburg College, where she majors in Psychology with minors in Spanish and Sociology. She is passionate about social justice, immigrant rights, and legal advocacy, and has been actively involved in community initiatives ranging from ESL education to food access programs. Lineth is also interested in the intersection of psychology and media, particularly how digital platforms influence perceptions of identity, justice, and community. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, journaling, and exploring new cities.
Taylor Leigh
Taylor Leigh is a former Evangelical missionary kid who runs The Antibot YouTube channel. On her channel, she comments on modern-day Evangelicalism, talks about life and relationships after leaving the church, and touches on current culture and politics. Her work received coverage in Salon magazine in both April and May 2025.
Drew McCoy
Drew McCoy is the creator of the Genetically Modified Skeptic YouTube channel. On his channel, you can learn “How to Go to Hell in Every Religion,” how Evangelicals have rebranded LGBTQ conversion therapy to avoid bans on the practice, how ancient theology has been reborn in popular science fiction, and much more. Drew was raised as an Independent Fundamental Baptist, but left religion in 2016 and has been a full time atheist content creator and activist for the past 7 years.
Cate Pringle
Cate Pringle is an Organizing Intern at American Humanist Association, and a rising Senior at The College of William & Mary. She is a Kinesiology major, with a concentration in Public Health, and a Biology minor. In her free time she loves to jog and do crosswords, and is working on becoming better at cooking. She is very interested in digital media and exploring how social media shapes the lifestyle choices of children and teens.
Daniel Schechter-Saavedra
Daniel Schechter-Saavedra is an Education Intern at the American Humanist Association and is completing a BA in Philosophy with a minor in Jewish Studies & Social Justice at the University of San Francisco, expected Summer 2025. As a Pell University Fellow at the JFCS Holocaust Center, he contributed to educational programming on Holocaust & genocide memory and helped moderate intergenerational dialogue initiatives with survivors. His experience also includes work in interfaith programming and trauma-informed community care.
Jake Via
As the Organizing Director for the American Humanist Association, Jake Via is dedicated to building and mobilizing a strong grassroots network to advance humanist values across the country. With nearly two decades of experience in community engagement, program development, and leadership at the YMCA and Playworks, Jake has a deep understanding of how to bring people together around shared values.
A firm believer in the power of connection, Jake specializes in empowering individuals and local groups to take meaningful action, whether through community building, advocacy, or acts of service. He is currently leading efforts to expand and activate AHA’s membership base, ensuring humanists have a strong network and voice in their local communities and on the national level.
Jake holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University. He is passionate about the power of play, believing that shared play experiences foster empathy, strengthen communities, and break down barriers. Throughout his career, he has championed play as a tool for engagement, inclusion, and personal growth.
Jake lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his wife, Anabel, and their three dogs. When he’s not working to organize humanists, you can find him exploring new ideas, writing, or dreaming about sailing.