In 2022, social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt wrote a piece for The Atlantic entitled “Why the past ten years of American life have been uniquely stupid”. Since that time, the country has seen the continue rise of unregulated social media, intense, and often violent political partisanship, and a further erosion of public civility played out at school board meetings, sporting events, and even at the local grocery store. Recent polling has measured a growing distrust of media, a concern over political bias in general, and a partisan feud over what regulation of social media content would even look like. On the latest episode of You Need to Listen, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi look at the years since 2022 and offer their unique perspectives on how we got here, the current state of our dysfunctional culture, and what, if anything, we can do to reverse course. This week on the You Need to Listen Podcast, Kristin and Steve take on the question, Are we in the era of stupidity? Scaffidi and Brey are also the cohosts of Point Taken, which airs 10-Noon, weekdays on 620WTMJ.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, speaking to the press in the aftermath of the assassination of conservative activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk, called social media a “cancer” and said it “played a direct role in political violence”. In the hours and days after the killing, millions of social media users posted content on their own pages both condemning, and in some cases, celebrating, the death of Kirk. Notably, some users found themselves in the center of a social media firestorm when their content was highlighted, reposted, and in some cases, resulted in the termination of their employment. The desire by some social media users to immediately react and respond to news events, and the negative reaction to those posts, is causing some to reconsider their commitments to social media platforms. In the latest episode of You Need to Listen, Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey tackle one of the biggest questions of the always-on, social media world. Is it finally time to get off social media? Scaffidi and Brey are the cohosts of Point Taken, which airs from 10-Noon, Monday through Friday on 620WTMJ. https://wtmj.com/point-taken/ You Need to Listen Pocast is available on the podcast page at wtmj.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Add a new word to your dating vernacular. Shrekking, which is, for lack of a better description, the lowering of your dating standards in the attempt to be treated better, only to experience relationship disappointment still. Inspired by the movie Shrek, this is just one of the dating trend that exemplifies the superficial nature of modern dating. Another example? The 666 rule, which refers to men who are 6 feet tall, have six-pack abs and make over six figures. In this latest episode of the You Need to Listen Podcast, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi explore the evolving (or devolving) standards of dating and explore the problems facing singles. How do you match up, get along, and let's be honest, get it on?
Professional football player Travis Kelce and his brother Jason host the popular podcast New Heights. Travis is also the boyfriend of pop music superstar Taylor Swift. On a recent episode, Swift joined the two brothers for a conversation about her music , their lives, and offered a glimpse into what may be a re-defining moment in the dynamics between men and women. Can a football player known for playing a very violent sport and his songwriting, mega-artist girlfriend really rewrite the standard operating procedures when it comes to relationships? Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi explore the metrics of men and their masculinity on this week's episode of the You Need to Listen Podcast. Brey and Scaffidi are also the co-hosts of Point Taken, which airs 10-Noon, weekdays, on 620WTMJ.
In an interview with Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame, legendary talk show host Johnny Carson uttered these words. "Why do you think that just because you have a Tonight Show, that you have to deal with serious issues?", telling Wallace why he chose to stay out of politics on his show, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1992. Jay Leno, in a much more recent interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, echoed Carson's comments, saying, "talk show hosts that skew too much one way or the other politically can alienate viewers." On this week's edition of You Need to Listen, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi ask the question, are late night television hosts focusing too much on politics, and driving viewers away from their shows? Comedy and Politics, on this week's edition of YNTL. Scaffidi and Brey are the co-hosts of Point Taken on 620WTMJ, which airs Monday through Friday from 10:00 - Noon.
Just prior to winning The Open Championship in Ireland, professional Golfer Scottie Scheffler surprised a group of reporters with a lengthy, heartfelt answer about fulfillment and the point of being the best at what he does. He's repeatedly said that faith and family are his top priorities and golf comes in third. What does fulfillment actually mean and how does it change as we mature? Does professional success impact your personal satisfaction and happiness in life? Should it? Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi explore the connections between our work, our families, and our lives on this week's edition of You Need to Listen. Brey and Scaffidi are also the co-hosts of Point Taken, which airs 10-Noon, Monday through Friday on 620WTMJ.
A new Pew Research survey https://www.deseret.com/business/2025/07/07/americans-wont-pay-for-news/ says only 1% of people will pay for a news service that requires a payment up front. Is this creating a news and information desert or are people finding other ways to get their “news”? Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi take on the real question on this week’s edition of the You Need to Listen Podcast. Are news consumers turning off legacy media and turning on to alternative news sources? Brey and Scaffidi are the hosts of Point Taken, which airs 10-12, Monday to Friday on 620WTMJ.
On this week’s episode of the You Need to Listen Podcast, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi go back to the future and a look at a political world without Donald Trump in it. Who will step up for Republicans and where will their party go next? It’s the You Need to Listen Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts, or at WTMJ.com. Steve Scaffidi and Kristin Brey are also the cohosts of Point Taken, which airs Monday to Friday on 620WTMJ, from 10 a.m. to Noon.
The definition of empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Except, of course, when it comes to politics. Recently, Elon Musk, tech titan and the richest person in the world, said this, "the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy". Some leaders of the Christian Right have said that empathy could be a sin. Have we lost our way when it comes to understanding that there may be a place for empathy in our current political environment and that the failure to understand that basic concept just might be making things worse? Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi, host of the You Need to Listen Podcast, explore the mine field of relationships in the realm of politics on this week's episode of YNTL.
An estimated 80% of US television viewers watch Reality TV shows, with 65% of us engaging with these shows online. What’s the impact of this viewership on our culture and on our understanding of what is, and more significantly, what isn’t important in our daily lives? You Need to Listen’s Kristen Brey and Steve Scaffidi explore the underbelly of Reality TV, from our incessant desire to see the worst of human behavior to our absolute fascination with the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”. Exploding the myths, and the popularity, of Reality TV on Episode 10 of You Need to Listen! Steve Scaffidi and Kristen Brey are also the hosts of Point Taken on 620WTMJ, which airs from 10-12 weekdays.
Recent studies show that Americans have fewer close friends than they used to, and many psychologists correlate that decline to growing concerns over mental health and physical well -being. META CEO Mark Zuckerberg has an idea on how to fix that problem, and it's designed to make it easier for people to establish friend relationships using artificial intelligence. Zuckerberg told podcaster Dwarkesh Patel recently, "As the personalization loop kicks in and the AI starts to get to know you better and better, that will just be really compelling." But who should regulate and administer the rise of platforms and technology designed to link humans and artificial intelligence? And what are the consequences for the future when an individual's sole connection to the world consists of chatbots and A.I.? Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi explore the world of artificial intelligence and relationships on Episode 9 of the You Need to Listen Podcast. Brey and Scaffidi are also the hosts of Point Taken, which airs weekdays, 10-12, on 620WTMJ in Milwaukee.
In Episode 8 of the You Need to Listen Podcast, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi explore their own journeys of faith and the opportunities and challenges ahead for Catholics after the passing of Pope Francis. What legacy does Pope Francis leave to members of his faith? Do Catholics move forward with a more inclusive and accepting doctrine, or does his passing signal a return to the more conservative traditions of the church? With 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and 53 million in the United States, it is still one of the largest faith groups in the world. Join the conversation as Kristin and Steve explore the power and reach of faith and faith leaders. Steve and Kristin are co-hosts of Point Taken, which airs 10 - 12 each weekday morning on Newsradio 620WTMJ.
Onlyfans is a subscription-based, social media platform primarily known for its user-provided content. 98% of the content on the site is sexually explicit, with 305 million subscribers across the globe. On this week's episode of the You Need to Listen Podcast, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi look at the changing landscape of social media, and public perceptions and acceptance around Onlyfans sexual content, and its link to the pornography industry. From sex workers to selling sexual content for money, YNTL takes on the rise and the power of Onlyfans, its role in social media, and its impact on our culture. Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi are the hosts of Point Taken on 620WTMJ, heard Monday through Friday, from 10 AM - 12 PM.
Should parents be held responsible for the deaths of their children when the circumstances involve withholding life-saving medical treatment or exposing them to unlocked, loaded firearms in the house? Recently in Texas, the parents of a child who died from measles told an anti-vaccine group that they wouldn't recommend the vaccine to other families, after the death of their own child. In Michigan, a couple is serving a 10-15 year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter, for their role in their son's killing of four students at his high school. Their conviction was the first of its kind in the nation. A new Netflix series, Adolescence, explores what happens in a family after a horrific murder, how it relates to the issues of male isolation and violence, and the roles that parents play in their children's lives. What are the limits to parental responsibility and where is the line when it comes to criminal prosecution? In Episode 6 of the You Need to Listen Podcast, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi explore the perils of parenting in the age of unrestricted access to social media and the internet and the rise of school shootings, in a country where individual freedoms often seem to trump common sense.
Is all politics personal? The phrase has its origins in the feminist and civil rights movements of the late 1960's, connecting personal experience with societal and political agendas. In today's hyper-partisan and incredibly polarized political environment, how much weight do political policies and parties have on the daily lives of all of us? Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi take on the challenge of sorting out the complexities of politics - and the personal - on Episode 5 of the You Need to Listen Podcast. Kristin Brey is the host of Spanning the State, 1 -3 p.m., Monday through Friday on Newsradio 620WTMJ. Steve Scaffidi is the host of the Political Power Hour, 9 - 10 a.m., Monday through Friday on Newsradio 620WTMJ.
There are currently about 750 Billionaires in the U.S., with 10 working in the new Trump administration. One of those ten is Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, who is currently overseeing the office of D.O.G.E., Department of Government Efficiency. On Episode 4 of the You Need to Listen Podcast, Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi take on the subject of wealth, power and influence, and what responsibilities or obligations the richest among us have. Kristin offers up a “wealth tax” proposal that Steve finds “just a little bit crazy”. With their usual razor sharp wit and a ready supply of humor, the two take on the question, Are Billionaires Bad? Kristin Brey is the host of Spanning the State on 620WTMJ, 1- 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Steve is the host of the Political Power Hour on 620WTMJ, 9 – 10 a.m., Monday through Friday.
Is marriage on the decline, or just evolving? In this episode, Steve and Kristin, both happily married, dive into the ever-shifting dynamics of modern relationships. With dating apps and social media rewriting the rules of romance, is technology making it easier or harder to find the one? From dwindling marriage rates to the debate over housework and child rearing equality , we discuss how love, commitment, and cohabitation have changed over the years and where it's going with this new conservative pro-natalist administration. It’s a fun, thought-provoking conversation you won’t want to miss—so grab your headphones and hit play! Don’t forget to subscribe and follow us for more.
Social media platforms like X, Facebook, and TikTok are a topic of significant debate almost anywhere a conversation takes place. With users totaling in the billions, every aspect of our daily lives are impacted by what is posted, commented on, or in some extreme cases, acted upon by the members and followers who willingly, and sometimes unknowingly, share their personal data. Should social media be regulated like radio and TV? The You Need to Listen Podcast explores that issue and tries to answer that question and more. Kristin Brey and Steve Scaffidi take on the power and peril of the largest media platforms in the world on this week's edition of YNTL.
Political ideology is more complicated than Left or Right, Democrat or Republican. Sometimes people lean into their political identity while others are uncomfortable with any sort of label. For two people who offer their thoughts and opinions on a daily basis, Steve and Kristin also recognize that a lot of people project their own labels onto them. For episode one of their new podcast, Steve and Kristin both took Pew Research’s Political Typology Quiz to see where they landed on the political spectrum. Listen to this inaugural episode to find out how far apart they actually are and some surprising issues they agree on. You can take the quiz for yourself here: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology Let us know if your results surprised you and if you have suggestions for future You Need To Listen topics, shoot us an email: Kbrey@goodkarmabrands.com or sscaffidi@goodkarmabrands.com