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Taylor Lorenz’s Power User

Taylor Lorenz’s Power User

By: Taylor Lorenz
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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.Taylor Lorenz Economics Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Elon Musk's God Complex
    Dec 24 2025

    SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/taylorlorenz

    Buy a subscription to my Tech and Online Culture newsletter, User Magazine to support my work!!!! 🙏 https://www.usermag.co

    As Elon Musk's influence has grown, so too has a darker, more troubling side of his persona: his rampant egomania.

    Faiz Siddiqui is a former colleague of mine at The Washington Post and he's the author of the new book Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk.

    In this episode of Power User we break down exactly how Musk's narcissism has evolved throughout his career, and the key moments that reveal just how deeply Elon's self-obsession has shaped his life and the future he claims to build.

    (This episode originally ran in June)

    ***** Buy a subscription to my Tech and Online Culture newsletter, User Magazine to support my work!! 🙏 https://www.usermag.co *****

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    21 mins
  • Is There A Vibe Shift in Silicon Valley? [PATREON EXCLUSIVE]
    Dec 22 2025

    [PATREON EXCLUSIVE] Subscribe on Patreon to listen to this and other bonus episodes of Power User!!

    SUPPORT ME ON PATREON.

    Buy a subscription to my tech and online culture newsletter, User Magazine to support my work!!!! 🙏

    Over the past few years, Silicon Valley startups have been becoming more and more dystopian. Crypto, gambling, AI friends, and other products that sound like they've been ripped from Black Mirror. But lately, there's been a little bit of backlash.

    Marc Andreessen tried to dunk on the Pope asking for safety in AI development and got dragged, and more founders are talking about building things with purpose. Is Silicon Valley having a vibe shift?

    John Coogan is the host of TBPN, a daily live show that's like sports center for the tech world. He is the go-to guy for what's going on in Silicon Valley. He joined me to discuss current Silicon Valley founder mindsets, what current trends are coming out of the tech world that you probably haven't heard of yet, and what the rightward shift in Silicon Valley really reveals.

    Follow me:

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    4 mins
  • Social Media Addiction Isn't Real— Here is What's Really Happening
    Dec 19 2025

    SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/taylorlorenz

    Buy a subscription to my Tech and Online Culture newsletter, User Magazine to support my work!!!! 🙏 https://www.usermag.co

    <<< FREE SPEECH FRIDAY>>>

    People cannot stop claiming they are "addicted" to social media. Lawmakers continue to compare social media use to drug or alcohol addictions, while the media pushes an addiction framework for quitting social media.

    But last week, a big new research paper dropped that debunks all of these narratives. The studies found that not only are a lot of our perceptions around social media and addiction completely wrong, just framing social media use as addiction *itself*is actually extremely harmful and makes it even HARDER to moderate your use of tech products.

    Ian Anderson is one of the researchers at the California Institute of Technology who conducted the study. He's joined me today to break down what the research on social media and addiction actually says, how the media's framing of technology use as addiction is causing enormous harm, and what we can all do to actually fight back against big tech. He also gives tips on how to cut down on your own social media use.

    Follow me:

    https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz

    https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz3.0

    https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorlorenz


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    28 mins
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