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PODCAST

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User

Taylor Lorenz explores how technology and the internet are upending our lives and the world around us. Each week, she explores everything from online fame to emerging platforms, viral phenomena, the creator economy, and much more. Tune in every Wednesday for regular episodes and every Friday for "Free Speech Friday," her series on tech policy and the fight for civil liberties online.

technology

All Episodes

00:25:33

Musk’s DOGE Antics Could Be the Downfall of Tesla

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/03/27

Over the past few weeks, Tesla has been crumbling. The company's stock, which was once considered invincible, has now plunged to around $250 a share, down from nearly double that in December. Sales are plummeting, dealerships are overrun with protests, and Teslas on the street are being subject to petty vandalism. All of this is happening because of Elon Musk. Since Trump took office and appointed Musk as the head of the very poorly named Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has facilitated the

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00:54:23

Trump Official Brendan Carr's War on Free Speech

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/03/20

Chair of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr has quietly positioned himself as one of the most dangerous figures in the Trump administration’s ongoing war on free speech.Carr is using his government position to intimidate journalists, punish media outlets, and pressure tech companies into cracking down on free expression. And he has done all of this while building his profile as a "free speech" influencer on X. If left unchecked, Carr’s censorship crusade could fundamentally

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00:43:37

The Right-Wing Plot to ‘Murder’ a Free Press

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/03/13

In 1964, the Supreme Court passed a landmark case called The New York Times v Sullivan, that established the right to a free press by protecting the media against erroneous lawsuits. The ruling has been instrumental in allowing journalists to scrutinize public figures, powerful corporations, and political leaders without undue fear of litigation.But now, that landmark decision is in jeopardy thanks to a coordinated right wing legal effort that's been decades in the making. David Enrich's

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00:51:35

How Pop Culture News is Radicalizing You

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/03/06

Have you been bombarded with non stop content about Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni? The Misogyny Slop Ecosystem is a sprawling network of online creators and communities that manufacture and boost smear campaigns against women who speak out for women's rights, or have been victims of gender-based crimes like sexual assault, harassment, or abuse. Though you might have never heard of it, the misogyny slop ecosystem has radically transformed the online landscape and the content that you see. It plays a

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00:27:57

How the 00s changed the tech world forever

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/02/27

The 2000s were a formative decade for tech. From the dot com bubble to the rise of social media, to the chaotic days of early blogging, the iMac, and emergence of the PayPal Mafia, the 00s shaped our online world in ways we’re still reckoning with.Colette Shade is the author of the brand new bestselling book Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the Future That Never Was). Today she joins Taylor to unpack the lasting impact of the 00s on our tech landscape. Colette gives a nostalgic but

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00:28:56

Elon Musk and the Billionaire Baby Boom

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/02/20

Last week, it was revealed that Elon Musk had welcomed his 13th child into the world several months ago with a conservative influencer. But he’s not the only tech mogul fixated on boosting birth rates. In this episode, journalist Julia Black joins Taylor to discuss the rise of pronatalism in Silicon Valley—a growing movement encouraging people to have as many babies as possible. They unpack why tech billionaires are so suddenly obsessed with having children and how their vision of the future is

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00:31:21

How Spotify is Ruining Music: ‘It’s About How Power...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/02/13

No platform has had more of impact on what we listen to over the past decade than Spotify. This week, Taylor is joined by journalist Liz Pelly, to discuss her new book "Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist."They discuss the profound impact Spotify has had on the music industry, culture, and the way we consume sound.Pelly reveals the truth about so-called "ghost artists" and other tactics the company has employed to squeeze artists and upend the

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00:29:38

Meet the zoomers aiding Musk’s government takeover

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/02/06

Over the past week, Elon Musk has been engaged in a near wholesale takeover of key areas of the U.S. federal government. Working under the newly minted "Department of Government Efficiency" aka DOGE, Musk and a group of young Gen Z loyalists have begun wreaking havoc on our institutions. Online culture journalist Ryan Broderick joins Taylor to break down who exactly these young men are, what their backgrounds say about the people Musk is hiring, and what the billionaire is currently

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00:52:27

Why a MAGA influencer turned on Trump

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/01/30

Clarkson Lawson was a prominent MAGA influencer on TikTok who amassed over 31 million likes on his videos. He built a platform as an outspoken Gen Z conservative making pro-Trump content. But in the months leading up to the election, something changed. Despite building a massive audience on pro-Trump messaging, he had a change of heart and voted for Kamala Harris. Lawson announced his political pivot in a video titled "Why I left MAGA." Taylor sits down with Clarkson to talk about the

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00:30:57

The Truth About Child Influencing

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/01/23

Family vlogs are a huge category of online content. At their best, they show real parenting and the entertaining and relatable moments of family life. However, the content category has been plagued by accusations of child exploitation and new laws targeting creators claiming to protect children. Fortesa Latifi covers the space in-depth and joins Taylor to set the record straight.

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00:36:19

Doxxed, harassed and silenced: the fallout of...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/01/16

Remember Gamergate? Well… it's happening again. After writing an exposé about how a video game consultancy was attacked, journalist Alyssa Mercante found herself in the crosshairs of a targeted harassment campaign.Alyssa joins Taylor to discuss what it's like being at the center of an organized smear campaign, how she's fighting back.

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00:35:35

Patreon’s CEO on the existential threat to creators...

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2025/01/09

Social media as we know it is in chaos. The landscape is becoming more decentralized and creators are facing more challenges than ever. On top of all that, the very notion of a follower is dying and there's uncertainty about what that means for the future.Jack Conte, the CEO and co-founder of Patreon, joins Taylor to discuss how to better serve creators.

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40:55

What defined the internet in 2024?

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/12/19

2024 was wild! "Brain rot" was the Oxford word of the year. TikTok's days away from being banned. The CostCo Guys and the Hawk Tuah girl were everywhere. Taylor is joined by Sam Sanders, host of the Sam Sanders Show on KCRW to break down the biggest online moments of 2024.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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00:39:10

What defined the internet in 2024?

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/12/19

2024 was wild! "Brain rot" was the Oxford word of the year. TikTok's days away from being banned. The CostCo Guys and the Hawk Tuah girl were everywhere. Taylor is joined by Sam Sanders, host of the Sam Sanders Show on KCRW to break down the biggest online moments of 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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42:41

Is TikTok really dead?

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/12/12

Last week, TikTok lost its challenge to stop a ban or forced sale in the United States. WIRED senior business editor Louise Matsakis joins Taylor to discuss what happens next and if this is really the end of the road for TikTok.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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00:40:56

Is TikTok really dead?

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/12/12

Last week, TikTok lost its challenge to stop a ban or forced sale in the United States. WIRED senior business editor Louise Matsakis joins Taylor to discuss what happens next and if this is really the end of the road for TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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34:35

The case against cell phone bans in school

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/12/05

A moral panic about kids' social media and smartphone use in schools has been sweeping the country. But are cell phones really the problem? And is removing them entirely the best approach?Taylor chats with educator Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, president of education media company Mrs. Wordsmith, about how smartphones can be used in the classroom, and how a ban would impact marginalized students the most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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00:32:50

The case against cell phone bans in school

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/12/05

A moral panic about kids' social media and smartphone use in schools has been sweeping the country. But are cell phones really the problem? And is removing them entirely the best approach? Taylor chats with educator Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, president of education media company Mrs. Wordsmith, about how smartphones can be used in the classroom, and how a ban would impact marginalized students the most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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00:14:16

Could the 4B movement ever happen in America?

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/11/21

Are women abstaining from sex to protest Donald Trump’s re-election? That’s the impression you’d get if you spent time reading the media over the past few weeks. Since the election, the “4B Movement” has been gaining traction online. But where did it come from, how does it work, and could something like this really take off in America? The Cut’s EJ Dickson joins Taylor to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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16:01

Could the 4B movement ever happen in America?

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User ·

2024/11/21

Are women abstaining from sex to protest Donald Trump’s re-election? That’s the impression you’d get if you spent time reading the media over the past few weeks. Since the election, the “4B Movement” has been gaining traction online. But where did it come from, how does it work, and could something like this really take off in America? The Cut’s EJ Dickson joins Taylor to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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150 results

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