Taylor Lorenz

“Social media is ‘one of the least influential factors’ in teen depression and anxiety; girls who are already depressed go on to use social media more, not the other way around.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/16/psychologist-candice-odgers-kids-tech-mental-health-social-media-bans

Meta used AI to target ⁠people with ​disabilities or who ​took ⁠medical leave for mass layoffs. https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-07-14/meta-used-ai-to-target-workers-with-medical-conditions-for-layoffs-former-employees-lawsuit-claims

Meta has patented an AI device that tracks your emotions and watches you take your meds. https://www.404media.co/meta-patents-ai-device-that-tracks-your-emotions-watches-you-take-your-meds/

Teenage boys show major declines in suicide across the globe as their social media use grew

83% of countries with reliable reporting show plunging suicide rates by teenage boys as social media proliferated.

https://mikemales.substack.com/p/teenage-boys-show-major-declines

RE: https://mastodon.social/@chatcontrol/116888017864337670

Fight to kill Chat Control NOW!!

A surveillance system sold to fight fentanyl could just as easily track abortion, pregnancy, and gender-affirming care. https://www.celinegounder.com/p/trump-drug-war-medical-data-surveillance

If you’re wondering what the hell the KIDS Act is and why it’s so awful I made a video on it last week. Call your senators and kill this bill! We are running out of time

None of this is about protecting children https://theintercept.com/2026/06/28/age-verification-privacy-surveillance-journalists-whistleblowers/

If you watch one thing today make it this. Absolutely phenomenal debunking of the idea that social media and cell phones are causing a youth mental health crisis, and who that false narrative ultimately serves https://www.ted.com/talks/candice_odgers_what_we_re_getting_wrong_about_teens_and_tech

SCOOP: A pro-AI dark money group backed by a powerful super PAC funded by execs tied to Palantir and OpenAI, has been secretly paying influencers to push pro-AI, anti-China propaganda on TikTok and IG. https://www.wired.com/story/super-pac-backed-by-openai-and-palantir-is-paying-tiktok-influencers-to-fear-monger-about-china/

"Age verification is is inherently a right-wing effort. While these laws are being supported globally by those on the political right and left, they are very much a right wing effort to suppress disliked speech."

https://www.techdirt.com/2026/04/16/the-right-wing-origins-age-verification-laws-dont-disappear-just-because-theyre-going-bipartisan/

How Democrats Are Embracing Dark Money

Democrats are creating obscure new nonprofits to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into politics, raising concerns about ethics and transparency. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/us/politics/dark-money-nonprofits-explainer.html

Surf combines Bluesky, Mastodon, RSS, and other content into customizable open feeds on the web. I’ve been using it and love it. Let’s bring back the open web! https://www.theverge.com/tech/905929/flipboard-surf-fediverse-launch

I'm working on a YouTube mini series explaining the Fediverse!!

Who are the most knowledgeable people in this realm who I should definitely talk to?

What do you think is important to include in my series? I want to hear thoughts!!

Having one of those days where I'm so tired and burned out I can't get anything done. Anyone have any suggestions?? I can't do coffee or any stimulants sadly

The clout apocalypse, YouTube face, Meghan and Harry’s Netflix fallout, MOG World Order, CEO moats, sync music, the debate over influencers on the red carpet, secret billionaire typing patterns, and more!! Subscribe to my newsletter to support my work 👇🏻 https://www.usermag.co/p/burned-out-doesnt-begin-to-describe

FBI is buying location data to track US citizens, director confirms https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/18/fbi-is-buying-location-data-to-track-us-citizens-kash-patel-wyden

I wrote about the House hearing today, how Congress is trying to strip anonymity from the Internet, and the devastating effects that has for journalists, whistleblowers, LGBTQ ppl, immigrants, civil rights activists, abortion providers and anyone challenging power for

https://theintercept.com/2026/03/05/kosa-online-age-verification-free-speech-privacy/

I wrote about Anthropic, OpenAI, the Pentagon, and the mass surveillance of Americans https://zeteo.com/p/anthropic-pentagon-ai-military-openai

I have a piece out in The Guardian today on how the internet is becoming a fully surveilled digital panopticon and why we need to fight back

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/02/ban-children-social-media-biometic-data-surveilled

They're having trouble getting jurors in one of the trials against Elon Musk because "so many people hate him so much" https://www.law360.com/articles/2443845/-hate-for-musk-quickly-narrows-jury-pool-in-twitter-deal-trial

THE FIRST EPISODE OF MY SECTION 230 MINI SERIES IS HERE!!!!! I dive into what the law does, what it actually says, how it works, and how it’s crucial for protecting platforms like Mastodon!

I’ve been asked on TV hits and interviews lately to explain why decentralized social media is better, especially re: Mastodon.

How would you explain the benefits of a platform like Mastodon and the fediverse to someone in just a few sentences? How would you make the argument that platforms like Mastodon allow for more free expression than big tech controlled apps?

Would love to hear people’s thoughts! Trying to make my arguments most effective

New video out on how the UK is exporting mass surveillance laws around the world and why the UK’s censorship and surveillance efforts are so dangerous!

With all the tiktok drama I have been telling people Mastodon is still here and kicking!! I love this app and I really think the decentralized model is the best for social media.

Still, people don’t want to join! What do you think Mastodon’s biggest barriers are to courting new users? What could be done to improve the product and grow the user base in a positive way?

“It should be crystal clear to everyone that the real threat to community safety is the ICE agents harassing, targeting, detaining — and in some tragic cases — killing our neighbors. This violence is unacceptable, it is criminal, and it is against the constitution of the United States.” https://www.portland.gov/council/districts/1/candace-avalos/news/2026/1/8/east-portland-councilors-avalos-dunphy-smith

This anthropomorphized framing of Grok in the media (claiming that Grok has "apologized") only serves the interests of these tech companies. It gives the appearance that some entity has taken responsibility for what is happening, when in reality no one has. https://www.usermag.co/p/is-anyone-going-to-take-accountability

Crusaders pushing social media censorship and banning teens online are admitting that “mental health” is a coverup for suppressing dissent and young people’s progressive politics. https://mikemales.substack.com/p/authorities-are-recasting-young-peoples

I wrote about the unprecedented mass censorship and surveillance laws that Congress is trying to ram through in the name of “protecting kids” and how none of this is about protecting kids. In fact, these laws cause great harm to all of us, for Zeteo https://zeteo.com/p/social-media-children-ban-australia-us

Sora strangulations, Slurmcore, Bearista breakdowns, a skincare line for 3 yr olds, fitness influencers' hotness problem, MrBeast + Dealbook, Rizzwiches, how far ChatGPT will really go, and MORE in today's newsletter https://www.usermag.co/p/right-wing-influencers-earn-higher

AI slop is getting religious, The great lock in, OpenAI's first movie, automated sextortion, Jay Guapo x iShowspeed, Netflix's finsta, Threads blogging, xChat, the doomers who insist AI will kill us all, and MORE -- all in this week's newsletter!! https://www.usermag.co/p/ai-slop-is-getting-religious

SCOOP: Substack sent a push alert promoting a Nazi blog. The alert contained a swastika and prompted users to subscribe to newsletter featuring opinions and news important to the "white nationalist community." Another Nazi blog is being promoted in Substack's "Rising in History" list https://www.usermag.co/p/substack-sent-a-push-alert-promoting-nazi-white-supremacist-blog

$25 covers the purchase and shipment of a pair of femme tucking garments to 1 trans youth.

$50 covers the purchase and shipment of brand-new chest binders to 3 trans youths.

$100 covers the processing and postage to mail garments to 35 trans youths.

When you donate to Point of Pride, your $ goes directly towards funding life saving gender care for trans people in need. Trans rights are under attack, and we need to do everything we can to respond

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/point-of-pride/taylor-lorenz-s-pride-2025-fundraiser-for-point-of-pride

I wrote about how Democrats are frothing at the mouth to bring Elon musk into the fold and why they should absolutely NOT kiss up to Elon Musk https://www.usermag.co/p/democrats-are-already-kissing-up

Texas is trying to making texting and posting about abortion online illegal. Please watch my video with @eff.org's Jennifer Pinsof about this terrifying bill and how free speech and bodily autonomy are intricately connected

Hasan Piker detained at the border and questioned for hours over politics. He was asked whether or not he’d interviewed Hamas, Houthis, or Hezbollah members. He was questioned about his opinions on Trump and Israel https://www.usermag.co/p/hasan-piker-detained-at-the-border-and-questioned-for-hours-over-politics-trump-immigration

"We condemn India's increasingly fascist government for demanding that Meta shut down the popular social media page Muslim, and we call on Meta to reverse its decision to surrender to this bigoted attack on free speech,” said Ahmed Mitchell of the National Council on American-Islamic Relations https://www.usermag.co/p/meta-bans-largest-muslim-news-page-in-india-muslim-news-bjp

SCOOP: Meta bans largest Muslim news page in India. The company is working hand in hand with the government to censor social media influencers and journalists in the region for 'anti-national content' following the terror attack in Kashmir. https://www.usermag.co/p/meta-bans-largest-muslim-news-page-in-india-muslim-news-bjp

“We’re not telling Jewish people that they need to leave. We’re not trying to create a religious supremacist ethnostate. We want democracy. We want democracy from the river to the sea. That’s the [Hamas] position.” https://www.youtube.com/live/B9T4bj81Dgs?si=jwGg_kVs5kCCSI2F

Please do not come in my mentions claiming that the public isn’t engaging in widespread pandemic denialism when you’re referring to Covid in the past tense. That sort of framing is denialism. https://www.salon.com/2024/01/04/leader-says-19-is-still-a-pandemic/

New Power User episode out with 404 Media's

about Massive Blue, the company helping cops deploy AI-powered social media bots to gather intel

Israeli forces have now dropped more explosives in Gaza than fell on London, Dresden, and Hamburg during the Second World War. The region’s hospitals have not been spared; most are no longer functional. Clayton Dalton writes about the devastation. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/04/28/hospitals-in-ruins

Shein village, Jesus Swiftie fancams, a monastery for hackers, TikTok footnotes, Seatopians, the Ice Bucket Challenge returns, Coachella billboards, the rise of the 'infinite fringe', and a free speech activist on child influencer laws -- all in today's newsletter!!!!

https://www.usermag.co/p/a-free-speech-activist-on-child-influencer

Does anyone who follows me have any connections with anyone in the government in Ireland? 🇮🇪 Or any business leaders in/from Ireland? Please reach out ASAP! 🇮🇪☘️

SCOOP: YouTube removes 'gender identity' from hate speech policy. "YouTube quietly removing ‘gender identity and expression’ from its list of protected groups is a major radical shift away from best practices in the field of trust and safety." https://www.usermag.co/p/youtube-removes-gender-identity-from

Kids with smartphones have better mental health, study finds. Inside the Bop House, Tariffluencers, Gen Z's safe space, the latest meme stock, Grok dunking, India's Netflix, Ashton Hall and the rise of isolationist masculinity, and MORE -- all in today's newsletter https://www.usermag.co/p/kids-with-smartphones-have-better

"We tend to assume the reason to use social media is to try to be an influencer, either you're Joe Rogan or you're a failure. But that's the wrong way to think about it," said Ethan Zuckerman, director of the University of Massachusetts' Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure https://www.usermag.co/p/the-secret-side-of-youtube

Viralflation comes to YouTube, Dora the Explorer feet mukbang, IShowSpeed takes China, Big Balls cybercrime ring, 'influencer accent', IvyTok, AI-fueled fan fiction, Ghiblification, and a great new podcast on Section 230 -- All in today's newsletter!! https://www.usermag.co/p/viralflation-comes-to-youtube

Remember “the #Resistance”?! I did a deep dive into 2017-2020 internet, the rise of the movement, its major figures, the resistance’s ultimate downfall, and why it crumbled.

I need to log off for a while and sleep and stop getting upset over the internet.

Idk how to QT this person but a big fuck you to everyone who treats independent creators like this. Every single social app is a Nazi bar & I cannot afford to operate on ghost, which also doesn’t offer many of the features I need. Subscribing to me directly so Substack doesn’t receive a cut has ALWASY been an option, but to punish an independent creator for the platforms they’re forced to rely on by refusing to share their reporting that holds power to account is DEEPLY fucked up and disgusting

I wrote about Helyeh Doutaghi, a scholar who was suspended by Yale Law School after an Israeli AI-generated news website known for spreading disinfo, claimed that she was a member of a terrorist organization. https://www.usermag.co/p/ai-generated-smear-campaigns-yale-university-suspended-helyeh-doutaghi-law-school-scholar-ai-generated-news-website-false-claims

Bonafidemasks.com, which is where I get all my KN95s from is having a 25% off sale + free shipping! They have tons of colors and styles (and full N95s too).

STOCK UP NOW!! 😷 Covid is raging and disabling millions, not to mention all the other airborne disease, pollution, etc. Masking is solidarity https://bonafidemasks.com/

Viral claims about family influencers fleeing the state of California are completely false. TikToks and YouTube videos have amassed millions of views pushing this conspiracy.

My article debunking it only has.... 2 shares. Journalism feels so fruitless sometimes. https://www.usermag.co/p/no-family-vloggers-are-not-fleeing-california-over-a-child-labor-law-viral-tiktok-false

I just need 300 more subscribers to get to 40k on YouTube, which is 40% of the way to my ultimate goal of 100k!

I spend hours every week making videos about tech and online culture. YouTube is the platform I'm most focused on this year, so SUBSCRIBE TODAY!! https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz

Ed Yong is such a real one <3 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/magazine/ed-yong-interview.html?unlocked_article_code=1.y04.Wrq7.R5L0fwPg8N5l&smid=url-share

SCOOP: Ashley St Clair sues Elon Musk for custody of new son. Musk is pictured with his latest baby in a lawsuit filed by St Clair, seeking sole custody and paternity.

I obtained the filings and the first photo of Musk with his new son, who he has only met three times and who he has never once asked St Clair about. https://www.usermag.co/p/scoop-ashley-st-clair-sues-elon-musk

I interviewed Julia Black about the rise of pronatalism in Silicon Valley, plus a new "boring reality" AI, Boomer panic, doom spending, war robot turned DJ, and why there’s no “alt-left pipeline" -- all in today's newsletter!! https://www.usermag.co/p/the-billionaire-baby-boom

I wrote about a private club where Gen Zs pay thousands of dollars to make “old money” content and what it says about online aesthetics, our relationship to wealth, and the political climate https://www.usermag.co/p/old-money-content-private-club-quiet-luxury-tuxedosociety-tiktok-instagram

TikToks promoting "cute winter boots" leverage the TikTok algorithm's preference for product-focused content to amplify reach.

"What the algorithm likes is products. It’s a way to talk about resisting the federal government in a way that will actually reach people," one creator said. https://www.usermag.co/p/tiktok-cute-winter-boots-meaning-explained-algospeak

“The death of ‘websites’ and outlets that value true creativity and diversity in coverage — largely at the whims of ghoulish executives and private equity vulturism — has created in me a stinging grief that I cannot seem to shake.” https://lindseyadler.substack.com/p/ten-years-in-a-crumbling-industry

Seeking help! Does anyone know where I can buy Iota-Carrageenan nasal spray (that doesn’t have saline in it) to be delivered in the U.S.? Looking for same ingredients as Betadine, which has been discontinued.

Do not send any other non Iota-Carrageenan nasal spray, that is not what I need. Iota-Carrageenan only 🙏

How YouTubers pushed young male voters to Trump (with receipts), a Gamergate 2.0 speaks out, pocket cheese, NYT on The Rizzler, MrBeast is hiring, and a Twitter exec reveals why Vine really failed. All in today’s newsletter 👇👇👇 https://www.usermag.co/p/how-youtubers-pushed-young-male-voters

The TikTok ban will deplatform thousands of progressive content creators and skew online discourse to the right. It will consolidate media influence within right-leaning platforms like Meta and X. Over time, I believe this reconfiguration will permanently alter the political landscape of the creator economy https://www.usermag.co/p/the-great-creator-reset

If you, the American public, would like to exercise your First Amendment rights on TikTok, tough luck, you have to use IG or YouTube.

If you’re the U.S. government, however, only TikTok will do. In fact, the cable stresses how crucial and essential the platform is. https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/biden-administration-quietly-carves

I wrote about FreeOurFeeds, a new $30M plan to take back social media from billionaires https://www.usermag.co/p/freeourfeeds-a-30m-plan-to-take-back-social-media-from-billionaires

NEW NEWSLETTER OUT!!! 🚨

MrBeast Luigi arc, the Gen Z jegging, masculinity coaches, Barstool tea, paparazzi fire chasers, a Spotify party boycott at the Grammys, and more https://www.usermag.co/p/should-you-quit-your-job

SCOOP: Instagram blocked teens from searching LGBTQ-related content for months.

Posts with LGBTQ+ hashtags were hidden under Meta's “sensitive content” policy which restricts "sexually suggestive content", Meta said they are fixing this “error” after I reached out for comment. https://www.usermag.co/p/instagram-blocked-teens-from-searching

I wrote about Elon Musk “going to war” with MAGA influencers and major right wing figures and what this could mean for the future of the pro-Trump movement https://www.usermag.co/p/a-maga-civil-war-is-breaking-out

I wrote about the similarities between OpenAI and Visa, and how both companies have sought to build regulatory and legal moats to lock in customers and lock out competitors https://sherwood.news/tech/openai-is-visa/

Misogyny is at the core of these types of smear campaigns targeting women, yet media coverage consistently and intentionally avoids naming it. https://www.usermag.co/p/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-smear-campaign-misogyny-amber-heard-gamergate

Seeking help! No matter how many keywords/names u search related to this story the article doesn't appear on Google

This was a front page A1 story I wrote for WaPo on how smear campaigns and abuse women journalists endure are a press freedom issue. Can someone explain why the article does not appear on Google? https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/02/14/women-journalists-global-violence/

Did I say that I felt “joy” over the healthcare CEO’s death? No, but that hasn’t stopped the media from lying about it. https://www.usermag.co/p/the-part-of-my-quote-piers-morgan

"People don’t cheer for chaos when they feel like justice is possible. But right now, what options do they have? The Supreme Court is corrupt, voting feels useless, and the people in power are funded by the very corporations they’re supposed to regulate. Of course, Mangione gets turned into a meme hero—it’s not him they love; it’s the idea of someone finally fighting back" https://www.thegodpodcast.com/p/those-who-make-peaceful-revolution

Ken Klippenstein has obtained and published Luigi's full manifesto.

"Many have illuminated the corruption and greed... decades ago and the problems simply remain. It is not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play. Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty.” https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/luigis-manifesto

I wrote about the new information landscape and how prediction markets are transforming media into a libertarian fever dream https://www.niemanlab.org/2024/12/prediction-markets-go-mainstream/

Police have taken a suspect into custody for the UnitedHealth CEO's shooting in Pennsylvania. The man was found with a gun, silencer, four fake IDs and other items "consistent" with what police were looking for related to the shooting https://www.tmz.com/2024/12/09/unitedhealthcare-ceo-murder-person-of-interest-detained/

Major health insurance companies have taken their executive leadership pages down following the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson https://www.404media.co/multiple-major-health-insurance-companies-take-down-leadership-pages-following-murder-of-united-healthcare-ceo/

Instead of centering the stories of those harmed by UnitedHealth and the very real outrage that most Americans feel about the way the healthcare system is run today, the media is publishing a tidal wave of breathless articles about the loss of "civility" and "respect" online. https://www.usermag.co/p/yes-we-want-insurance-executives

I wrote about the coverage of the online reaction to the UnitedHealth CEO's death and how the media will always center those in power. https://www.usermag.co/p/yes-we-want-insurance-executives

“To feel like your health is free-falling in a world, a system, a country that does not value disabled people & does not value people without their labor has been clarifying to me on how I want to be able to show up for someone else.” https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/ng-interactive/2024/dec/02/matt-mcgorry-long-covid

"We cannot continue to participate in the social network feed of a man who proclaims the death of the media and therefore of journalists... X is a platform that no longer serves the public interest at all, but the special ideological and financial interests of its owner and his political allies" https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/media/european-federation-of-journalists-to-stop-posting-content-on-x-386598/

Enron is back https://cryptoslate.com/enron-is-back-now-focused-on-decentralized-solutions-to-solve-the-energy-crisis/

“Donaldson will no longer be considered untouchable by fans and other YouTubers. Any future ventures will be highly scrutinized. I think we could eventually see him attempt a full Zuckaissance-style rebrand in order to distance himself from this whole thing.” https://www.usermag.co/p/lets-check-in-on-mrbeast

Dying at this Apple voice note transcription of a message from my friend

The Costco guys were tricked into making white supremacist propaganda for Richard Spencer, Jack Harlow made a Ring camera music video, MrBeast responds to the allegations and more in today’s edition of User Mag.

Subscribe 👇👇👇👇 https://www.usermag.co/p/have-we-reached-peak-touchscreen

I wrote about the great re-buttonization of tech and how we have reached peak touchscreen

https://www.usermag.co/p/have-we-reached-peak-touchscreen

“I saw politics getting a ton of views,” he said, “so I just started having on a lot of political people.” https://www.theinformation.com/articles/rise-of-the-bro-casters

“You want your business to grow, you have employees,” he said. “But as you grow, you need the numbers to go up; the algorithm is addictive. You realize that there are only 100,000 people interested in tech or AI. At a certain point you max out the technology or business market size.” https://www.theinformation.com/articles/rise-of-the-bro-casters

“This younger generation of men—they want to learn, they want to be educated, and they don’t trust the [traditional] media."

I examined the new young male pod-stars and how their economics reflect a changing podcast industry for @theinformation.bsky.social https://www.theinformation.com/articles/rise-of-the-bro-casters

These anti trans bills are huge threats to civil liberties and we should do everything in our power to fight them https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/nancy-maces-federal-trans-bathroom

If we don't fight for change and build systems to amplify more women and progressive voices online, we will be stuck with a media landscape that continues to exacerbate inequality and warps our political landscape for the worse. https://www.usermag.co/p/the-majority-of-news-influencers