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.

Society & Culture
Politics
Education
1
Why people cheat
Our fears about infidelity reveal a lot about us. And so do our reasons for cheating.
26 min
2
Prepping for doomsday (or Tuesday)
How to prepare for the worst while still living your best life.
26 min
3
Chems in your cosmetics
From lotions to hair extensions, the products that make us look good may also make us feel bad.
27 min
4
The cost of “I do”
Love is in the air, but only if you’ve got thousands to throw at it. How couples are navigating the pressures and expenses of planning their perfect wedding.
26 min
5
Burnout sandwich
How to manage the squeeze of taking care of your kids and your parents at the same time.
26 min
6
How to fight burnout
We've been stuck in cycles of burnout for decades. Have Gen Z workers found a way out?
26 min
7
Why you have to be optimistic
When the world is on fire, it’s difficult to stay hopeful. But our future depends on it.
26 min
8
Can someone explain these prices?
From the gas station to the café to the grocery store, we break down why things cost so much these days.
26 min
9
Your accent… explained
How you talk reveals where you’re from and who you’d like to be.
26 min
10
The book of Mormon influence
27 min
11
Sugar crash
We’re obsessed with sugar. And Big Sugar is obsessed with us. How do we make a break?
26 min
12
Your clutter is holding you back
26 min
13
You, me, and ADHD
It’s not just for school kids anymore. Why more adults are getting diagnosed with the disorder.
26 min
14
Make credit cards work for you
America runs on credit. Those plastic cards we carry around can get us into big trouble — or score us free vacations.
26 min
15
No one will save us but ourselves
When crises hit, neighbors turn to mutual aid.
26 min
16
Living in a winter bummerland
The days are shorter and colder, and can leave us feeling listless and drained of energy. When do the winter blues tip over into seasonal affective disorder, and how do we make the most of the season?
27 min
17
Surviving online cringe
The internet is forever. So how do we handle posts from our past selves?
26 min
18
Battling brain rot
Bland colors, AI summaries, and declining literacy rates have lots of us worried that we’re losing our intelligence to the modern world. Can we get it back?
27 min
19
Sexy TV is back
Why we’re obsessed with Heated Rivalry and hooking up on the small screen.
27 min
20
Why everyone is sick right now
How this season’s flu got supercharged — and why viruses may make you healthier.
26 min
21
Internet bad
Once a place of serendipity and discovery, the internet now thrives on feeding us toxic rage bait designed to piss us off. Can we get the good internet back?
26 min
22
Is your brain lying to you?
Our brain constructs the world we hear, see, and feel — but tinnitus shows how that superpower can backfire.
26 min
23
Let AI replace you
If AI handles all our busy work and optimizes our resources, it may also give us the one thing there never seems to be enough of: time.
25 min
24
The rise of the introverts
Turns out those personality tests you’re taking online are all wrong.
23 min
25
Talk turkey to me
How this big, lean bird became the staple of the most American of meals.
26 min