Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

Taylor Lorenz on the moral panic around kids and phones, and how she logs 17 hours of screen time

August 28, 2026·37 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Internet reporter and YouTuber Taylor Lorenz joins Mixed Signals to make the case that the bipartisan push to get kids off social media is less about child safety than it looks. Max and Ben ask Taylor where the actual line is between moral panic and legitimate concern, why she thinks the academic consensus on social media and youth mental health is being drowned out, and her at times surprising anti-anti-AI stance. Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media  Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com

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