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Do influencer parents trade in their kids’ privacy for the hope of financial security?

Kids are everywhere on the Internet – and not just playing on Roblox. They're the stars of many family influencing pages that document kids’ lives: from the intimate details of their births, to starting school, to going through puberty. That can come with a host of problems – but also a ton of money. So what happens when parents trade their kids' privacy for the hope of financial security? And how does that content play into feedback loops about what family life should look like?

Brittany gets into it with Fortesa Latifi, senior writer at Yahoo! and author of Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of Childhood Online.

For more episodes on parenting, kids, and modern life, check out:
The fear & shame of modern parenting
Are children a marginalized group?
The real meaning of "6 7"

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What gives a pop star staying power?

In our frenetic music landscape, it's clear that a lot of pop stars that defined the millennial "hopecore" sound -- think Lizzo and Katy Perry -- are no longer resonating with audiences.  So who are listeners gravitating to these days, and how does that reflect the times we're living in?  Brittany talks to music writer and critic Brittany Spanos on whether we're seeing a generational shift in music taste, and how legacy acts can stay relevant too.

Want more pop music analysis? Check out this episode:

The D-List pop star purgatory

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Are we spending too much on other people’s weddings?

Going to a friend's weddings can be so fun and meaningful… but it can also really hurt your wallet. A survey by LendingTree found that 31% of people who had been to a wedding in the past five years had accrued debt to attend. So what’s driving up the cost of weddings for guests? And what makes it so hard to say no to these expenses?

Brittany breaks it down with Allyson Rees, senior analyst at trend forecasting firm WGSN, and Annie Joy Williams, assistant editor at The Atlantic.

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Love Island USA, the reality show where attractive singles compete to find love, is in full swing. Over the course of its eighth season, there’s been everything from romance and friendship to betrayal and heartbreak. And what goes on inside the Love Island villa has sparked a lot of discourse outside of it. To understand this microcosm of modern dating and why the season's villains are finding defenders online, Brittany chats with Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox's Explain it to Me podcast, and Marcus Jones, Awards Editor at IndieWire, to get into it.

For more episodes on reality television, check out:

How to Enter Your Sporty Era

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Reality dating and professional sports are not as different as you’d think.

Brittany is in her Sporty Spice era – she watched the NBA playoffs, she’s following World Cup games, and she’s watching the New York Liberty play their WNBA season. These games are daily – and so is the reality dating show Love Island. And she noticed that the two formats are not very different at all. Defector.com staff writer and co-owner Kelsey McKinney came to the same conclusion – so the two of them discuss why these games of athleticism and love can bring us together… and why they get valued differently in our culture.

(00:00) Brittany enters her Sporty Spice era
(02:02) 'Love Island USA' vibe check
(05:07) Why 'Love Island' is sports
(07:47) The 'Terrible Son' theory for sports fandom
(11:39) How sports and reality TV bring people together
(14:25) Is sports fandom open to everyone?

For more episodes on sports and reality TV, check out:
Get rich or die trying: how sports betting is changing our love of the game
Is this the end of reality TV?
The ugly truth of America's expensive homes

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