139 episodes

Under the Influence is a deep dive into social media, a place haunted by aspirational marketing where it feels like every other person is a social media influencer trying to sell you something, all while posed in perfect houses that never seem to get messy. And behind this airbrushed perfection is money, so much money. Billions and billions of dollars. Journalist and mom Jo Piazza looks at how we got here, what it all means and how the commodification of every single aspect of our lives is driving everyone (but mostly women and mothers) a little insane.

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza Jo Piazza

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.4 • 722 Ratings

Under the Influence is a deep dive into social media, a place haunted by aspirational marketing where it feels like every other person is a social media influencer trying to sell you something, all while posed in perfect houses that never seem to get messy. And behind this airbrushed perfection is money, so much money. Billions and billions of dollars. Journalist and mom Jo Piazza looks at how we got here, what it all means and how the commodification of every single aspect of our lives is driving everyone (but mostly women and mothers) a little insane.

    Beach Reads to Grab Now (Spice and Thrills and No Throbbing Members)

    Beach Reads to Grab Now (Spice and Thrills and No Throbbing Members)

    For mom summer is often the season of no affordable childcare. But it is also the season of trying to ignore your children at the beach or public pool. So today I am joined by my friend Jane Rosen, author of the new hit beach read Seven Summer Weekends, to talk about what we plan on reading this summer. We are also joined by some very special author guests to chat about their books AND we are talking about the very cool thing Jane and other authors with books launching on June 4th did to support one another. Life takes a village people!

    • 29 min
    ADHD Help for Women on Social Media: The Good and the Bad

    ADHD Help for Women on Social Media: The Good and the Bad

    As we know, there is an influencer for everything. And ADHD (particularly ADHD for women) is one of those things that now has a ton of influencers. There is a lot of misinformation and a lot of useful information. Many women are telling their own stories of ADHD for the first time ever on social media which is incredible. Today we are joined by Meredith Carder, whose account Humming Bird ADHD has more than 170k views. Meredith only found out she had ADHD when her daughter got diagnosed. After that she took courses to become an ADHD coaching course to help other women in her situation. We are talking about what makes someone an ADHD coach or an ADHD influencer, what kinds of content on social may be helpful for women with ADHD and what might be hurtful.

    • 43 min
    Confessions of a Recovering Helicopter Mom

    Confessions of a Recovering Helicopter Mom

    Today we are talking to a self-described "recovering helicopter mom," to discuss the challenges and transformations in her journey away from "perfect" and overprotective motherhood. From dealing with childhood trauma to striving for supermom status, Cari Fund shares her poignant story of how she faced her toxic childhood straight on and vowed to be a different kind of parent to her own kids. We're talking healing, self-care, and redefining what it means to be a mother in a society that often demands unrealistic perfection.

    • 36 min
    Is Social Media Breaking Our Brains? Let's Ask a Neuroscientist!

    Is Social Media Breaking Our Brains? Let's Ask a Neuroscientist!

    Screens and social media are allegedly giving us anxiety, shortening our attention spans and changing our brains in ways that may be irreversible....at least according to the articles I have read. But I want to parse fact from fiction and click-bait headlines from actual scientific studies. Here to answer all of my burning questions about whether social media is breaking my brain and if so how I can fix it is our new resident UTI neuroscientist Brett Abrahams.

    • 45 min
    How to Help Kids Navigate the Dangers of Social Media and Screens

    How to Help Kids Navigate the Dangers of Social Media and Screens

    Today we have a no B.S. guide to what is happening right now with kids and teens and screens and social media. Joining us is Dr. Alison Yeung, a physician and mom who is giving parents a balanced, data-driven approach to the effects of social media and screens. From the alarming trends in kids' mental health to the impact of smartphones on young minds, we explore the complexities of parenting in the digital age without being judgey or preachy.

    • 41 min
    Does Instagram Ruin Travel?

    Does Instagram Ruin Travel?

    A small town in Japan is trying to build an Instagram block wall to keep tourists from overrunning their village to take the "perfect" Instagram shot. This seems to be happening more and more lately. Social media doesn't just hurt locations that can't handle thoughtless social media posters, it can also cause disappointment and anxiety for travelers.

    Join me and award-winning travel writer Jordi Lippe as we delve into the intersections of travel, social media, and the quest for authentic experiences. This episode explores the transformative power of travel, the impact of social media on our travel expectations and experiences, and how to navigate the digital world responsibly.

    • 46 min

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
722 Ratings

722 Ratings

melissarobinson1118 ,

Great analysis of social media trends

I am really enjoying this podcast. As a researcher and someone who consumes and teaches a lot about social media, Jo is giving me lots of great discussion topics for the classroom.

RenAiRater ,

Omg

So inspid…I can’t believe this person actually podcasts without looking up how to pronounce words

ellie3327 ,

Too judgmental

Where’s the actual discussion on influencing and creators and not just personal judgement? Not interested in listening to Jo and her friend go off on people they don’t like and have different views.

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