Explain It to Me
Should I buy a house? Why do I say “like” so much? Should Gen Z bother to save for retirement?
Explain It to Me is the hotline for the issues that matter to your life. Send us your questions about health, personal finance, relationships, and anything else that matters to you. Host Jonquilyn Hill will take you on a journey to find the answers, whether it's to the halls of Congress or the local bar. You’ll get the answers you were looking for, and sometimes ones you didn't expect — and always with a dose of humor. New episodes every Sunday. Part of Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
1
Talk turkey to me
How this big, lean bird became the staple of the most American of meals.
26 min
2
The case for renting forever
Housing prices aren't coming down, and that's challenging us to redefine the American dream. Maybe renting isn't so bad?
25 min
3
Why your health insurance is so expensive
It’s open enrollment season, and new health insurance premiums are causing sticker shock around the country. So how do you pick a health care plan that won’t break the bank?
26 min
4
That text is a scam
You know those annoying scam texts offering an easy, remote job? We find out how they work, why they're so ubiquitous and the dark world behind them.
27 min
5
Paging Dr. ChatBot
Patients and doctors both are turning to AI for help with diagnosing ailments and managing chronic issues. Should we trust it?
26 min
6
Why (some) food tastes better abroad
We tell the stories of three ingredients that can shine outside the US: beef, bread, and tomatoes.
26 min
7
Should we give toddlers phones?
What we know about early childhood and screens, including a surprising argument for introducing tech at a tender age.
26 min
8
Is empathy toxic?
Society teaches us empathy is a good thing. But some are now saying the opposite, and science is complicating our assumptions too.
26 min
9
Who is the modern American dad?
Young men are more interested in becoming parents than young women are, and there's a growing number of single dads by choice. A look at modern fatherhood.
25 min
10
A nation of jerks
Americans seem to be getting ruder. Are our attempts at making ourselves better actually making us worse?
26 min
11
Why horror kills at the box office
Hollywood has always made money from vampires and brain-eating zombies. But this year's a record-breaker thanks to sequels, hilariously unlikely creators, and pure thrills.
26 min
12
The United States is Southern now
From #rushtok to country music, American culture is getting more and more southern.
26 min
13
The golden age of exercise
Americans are flocking to gyms and fitness classes. It wasn't always that way.
27 min
14
Hacking our health
We track our steps and our sleep, guzzle supplements and protein shakes, and even inject hormones – all in the name of wellness.
27 min
15
What wellness costs us
Americans are investing billions in their health and wellness. What good do all these green powders and costly club memberships actually do?
26 min
16
America’s high-speed rail fail
26 min
17
Is tipping fair?
From raising the tipped minimum wage to "no tax on tips," we look at the challenges of remaking tipped work.
27 min
18
The summer I turned into a bookworm
Summer. Time for pools, BBQs, and the beach read. But why do we read "summer books"?
27 min
19
Chat BFF
More and more of us are interacting with chatbots. Can we have real relationships with AI, and can AI teach humans to be better people?
27 min
20
Our complicated relationship with the flag
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar openly celebrate the American flag. But a lot of Black Americans feel differently. What does that tell us about identity today?
27 min
21
Can we ever know our dogs?
So many of us believe we understand what our pets are feeling. Are we fooling ourselves?
27 min
22
Sleepaway camp's nostalgia economy
Unpacking the American rite of passage that so many children love — but that isn't right for everyone.
27 min
23
Let's fight over bike lanes
A caller asks why it's so hard to make biking safe in LA. We bike around different US cities to get the answer.
27 min
24
The recession indicator game
Press-on nails, new music from Katy Perry, and an uptick in Klarna purchases: signs of an economic downturn or no?
27 min
25
How Gen Z found religion
For the first time in decades, American Christianity is not in decline. What are young people looking for–and finding–at church?
27 min