About this podcast
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.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 831 episodes
- Is intelligence overrated? · 30 minWe all think we’re smart. But are we really that intelligent, and why does it even matter? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by…
- When hobbies take over your life · 30 minIf you've optimized your free time so much that it feels like work, maybe it’s time to rethink how you craft and kayak. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by…
- When AI agents run your life · 31 minWhat you gain, and what you give up, when you let AI agents take control. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch…
- The quest for the perfect baby · 30 minMen and women are trying to maximize their reproductive health due to anxieties around declining fertility trends. But are we taking “embryomaxxing” too far? This episode was…
- The cost of loving your pet · 30 minOur emotional relationships with our pets have only grown since the pandemic — and so has the financial price we pay. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by…
- Mass-produced fashion slop · 31 minHow algorithms and instant fashion killed style — and how to get it back. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch…
- The end of etiquette · 31 minIt’s not just about being nice. Manners allow us to peacefully coexist at work, in transit, and out in the wider world. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by…
- We should party more · 31 minWe’re lonely, isolated, and bored. The solution may be as simple as an invite and killer playlist. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Jenny Lawton…
- How to date IRL · 30 minPeople are getting tired of the dating apps and turning to a more old-fashioned way of finding love. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Ariana Aspuru, edited by…
- How to survive a flop · 30 minIn the streaming era, success is public, failure is viral, and everyone's one release away from a flop era. How do you come back? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh…
- Why everyone's an introvert now · 27 minMove aside extroverts. In this episode — which aired last year — we explore personality types and whether they are set in stone. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt…
- Why can’t I remember being a baby? · 29 minEven if we have little to no memory of our first few years, our earliest experiences still matter. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Avishay Artsy…
- Vacation? In this economy? · 30 minGas is expensive and Europeans want us to stay home. How can you still make use of that precious PTO? This episode was produced by Denise Guerra, edited by Jenny Lawton…
- Going broke on wellness · 31 minAmericans spend billions on healthcare products, from green powders and cold plunges to costly gym memberships. Last summer we asked: what good do they do? This episode was…
- The perimenopause moment · 30 minWomen’s health and hormones have been misunderstood by the medical establishment for decades. That’s changing. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny…
- What's in a name? · 30 minJalen and Olivia and Liam and Ailany. We look at what makes a name top the popularity charts. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked…
- Tanning is back · 30 minNever mind skin cancer. Summer 2026 is all about tanmaxxing. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by…
- Can we cheat death? · 30 minThe trick to living a longer, happier life. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Michelle Hirsch, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and…
- How to beat mosquitoes · 30 minThey’re the deadliest animal on the planet. Now even Google is getting into the extermination business. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny Lawton…
- The lost art of handwriting · 31 minHow our relationship with writing has changed, and how that’s changed us. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch…
- DIY or don’t? · 30 minYouTube has advice for how to do everything from plumbing to electrical work. Should you take it? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jenny Lawton…
- Why people cheat · 30 minOur fears about infidelity reveal a lot about us. And so do our reasons for cheating. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jenny Lawton…
- Prepping for doomsday (or Tuesday) · 30 minHow to prepare for the worst while still living your best life. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by…
- Chems in your cosmetics · 30 minFrom lotions to hair extensions, the products that make us look good may also make us feel bad. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by…
- The cost of “I do” · 30 minLove 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. This episode was…
- Burnout sandwich · 30 minHow to manage the squeeze of taking care of your kids and your parents at the same time. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Jenny…
- How to fight burnout · 29 minWe've been stuck in cycles of burnout for decades. Have Gen Z workers found a way out? This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Danielle Hewitt, edited by Jenny…
- Why you have to be optimistic · 30 minWhen the world is on fire, it’s difficult to stay hopeful. But our future depends on it. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by…
- Can someone explain these prices? · 30 minFrom the gas station to the café to the grocery store, we break down why things cost so much these days. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Avishay Artsy…
- Your accent… explained · 30 minHow you talk reveals where you’re from and who you’d like to be. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered…
- The book of Mormon influence · 31 minFrom TikTok to reality TV, Mormons are having a big moment in pop culture. This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto and Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by…
- Sugar crash · 30 minWe’re obsessed with sugar. And Big Sugar is obsessed with us. How do we make a break? This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny Lawton…
- Your clutter is holding you back · 30 minYou won’t wear those jeans again. Or use that pasta maker. So why can’t you get rid of them? This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru with Avishay Artsy, edited by Jenny…
- You, me, and ADHD · 30 minIt’s not just for school kids anymore. Why more adults are getting diagnosed with the disorder. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked…
- Make credit cards work for you · 30 minAmerica runs on credit. Those plastic cards we carry around can get us into big trouble — or score us free vacations. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by…
- No one will save us but ourselves · 30 minWhen crises hit, neighbors turn to mutual aid. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Avishay Artsy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by David…
- Living in a winter bummerland · 31 minThe 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…
- Surviving online cringe · 30 minThe internet is forever. So how do we handle posts from our past selves? This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by…
- Battling brain rot · 31 minBland 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? This episode was…
- Sexy TV is back · 31 minWhy we’re obsessed with Heated Rivalry and hooking up on the small screen. This episode was produced by Kelli Wessinger, edited by Jenny Lawton and Avishay Artsy, fact-checked…
- Why everyone is sick right now · 30 minHow this season’s flu got supercharged — and why viruses may make you healthier. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa…
- Internet bad · 30 minOnce 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? This episode was…
- Is your brain lying to you? · 30 minOur brain constructs the world we hear, see, and feel — but tinnitus shows how that superpower can backfire. This episode is made in collaboration with Vox's Unexplainable. Hear…
- Let AI replace you · 29 minIf 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. This episode was produced by Hady…
- The rise of the introverts · 27 minTurns out those personality tests you’re taking online are all wrong. This episode was produced by Danielle Hewitt, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch…
- Talk turkey to me · 30 minHow this big, lean bird became the staple of the most American of meals. This episode was produced by Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jenny Lawton, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch…
- The case for renting forever · 29 minHousing prices aren't coming down, and that's challenging us to redefine the American dream. Maybe renting isn't so bad? The episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Kelli…
- Why your health insurance is so expensive · 30 minIt’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?…
- That text is a scam · 31 minYou 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. This episode was produced…
- Paging Dr. ChatBot · 30 minPatients and doctors both are turning to AI for help with diagnosing ailments and managing chronic issues. Should we trust it? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited…
