Embedded is your essential guide to what’s good on the internet, written by Kate Lindsay and edited by Nick Catucci.
Every other week we quiz a “very online” person for their essential guide to what’s good on the internet.
Today we welcome Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, non-profit leader, and former US presidential and NYC mayoral candidate. Today, he launches the first mobile carrier that pays you to use your phone less, Noble Mobile. Andrew finds listening to Bill Simmons therapeutic and says that—other than consolidation, diminution, the death of local journalism, and social media-fueled polarization and echo chambers—everything in media is great. —Nick
EMBEDDED:
What’s a recent meme or post that made you laugh?
ANDREW YANG:
Anything with Tim Robinson from I Think You Should Leave. The hot dog guy meme sticks out.
EMBEDDED:
Do you tweet? Why?
ANDREW YANG:
Yes. I have a pretty big following so it feels like I can drive some value. And I occasionally meet someone really positive.
EMBEDDED:
Do you post on Bluesky, Threads, or Substack’s Notes? Why?
ANDREW YANG:
Yes to Bluesky and Substack. I met the Bluesky team and was impressed. Substack has been a bigger deal for me lately.
EMBEDDED:
What do you use Instagram for?
ANDREW YANG:
Putting out positive images and videos, mainly. Occasionally connecting with people.
EMBEDDED:
What types of videos do you watch on YouTube?
ANDREW YANG:
I watch a lot of movie previews and sometimes reviews to see what I should watch.
EMBEDDED:
Will you miss TikTok if it is eventually banned, and if so, what will you miss most about it?
ANDREW YANG:
I use TikTok to try and spread positive messages. So I’d miss it on that level, but I’m not a consumer or user.
EMBEDDED:
Is TikTok a national security threat if it remains under Chinese ownership?
ANDREW YANG:
They’re definitely going to get data and manipulate what the next generation sees and thinks. Most would consider that a threat.
EMBEDDED:
Where do you tend to get your news?
ANDREW YANG:
I enjoy The Atlantic—they do a lot of quality writing.
EMBEDDED:
How do you keep up with the online discourse? How important is it to you to do this?
ANDREW YANG:
I’m fairly online because I see it as part of my work. And some people care about my point of view so I try to stay current.
EMBEDDED:
What’s the last strong opinion you had about a story, topic, or controversy online?
ANDREW YANG:
Presently the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I wrote something on Substack about it. It makes me very sad and concerned for the future of political violence in this country.
EMBEDDED:
What are your favorite newsletters?
ANDREW YANG:
I like Noahpinion for economics.
EMBEDDED:
How do you think Substack has changed media, if at all?
ANDREW YANG:
Substack has become a haven for journalists and writers and those who want to support them. It’s become a real resource for individual thinkers and creators.
EMBEDDED:
What’s one positive media trend? What’s one negative trend?
ANDREW YANG:
It’s honestly hard to identify positive trends in media unless you like consolidation and diminution. The death of local journalism is very negative. So is social media’s fueling of polarization and echo chambers. Otherwise things are great.
EMBEDDED:
Do you have a take on the “manosphere”? Do you think personalities like Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, and Theo Von have shaped young men’s political leanings?
ANDREW YANG:
I think that men need role models and people speaking to them, and various influencers have occupied that role. They have certainly helped to shape young men’s political leanings. Some of these role models hew toward the positive sides of masculinity, others are more negative, and a lot of them are mixed. Some of my favorites are folks like Scott Galloway who speak to tons of men in a positive way. Categorizing these influencers as uniformly malignant is a mistake; they’re generally individuals expressing a variety of opinions who have found audiences.
EMBEDDED:
Do you believe that the “artificial general intelligence” and “superintelligence” that many AI boosters have warned of actually pose a risk to humanity?
ANDREW YANG:
Definitely. Would you be nice to us?
EMBEDDED:
Are smartphones bad for us? Where do you fall on the Jonathan Haidt-Taylor Lorenz divide?
ANDREW YANG:
Smartphones are demonstrably bad for minors, particularly when using social media. For adults, they’re a mixed bag, where most of us could use much better habits and time away from our screens. I’m friends with Jonathan Haidt and a huge fan of his work. It’s important we wake up and realize what smart phones are doing to us and our kids. I’m old enough to remember when our minds were allowed to rest. Boredom isn’t the worst thing in the world. It’s part of the impetus behind the company I launched today, Noble Mobile. I think the incentives around phone use are designed for us to fail, so I built a company that will pay you to use your phone less.
EMBEDDED:
What’s something that you have observed about the online behavior of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and/or Boomers?
ANDREW YANG:
Gen Xers like me are something of the bridge, where we use smartphones and social media but we grew up without them. For the younger generations they have a hard time imagining life without them because they came of age with these apps. It’s good to have seen both, as I think that social media occupies a larger space for younger generations than it did for mine.
EMBEDDED:
How do you find recommendations for what to watch, read, and listen to?
ANDREW YANG:
I try to listen to smart friends—I interview authors on my podcast so I tend to see a lot of books. I guess that means I get recommendations from my team.
EMBEDDED:
Have you had posts go viral? What is that experience like?
ANDREW YANG:
I’ve had tons of posts go viral, for both positive and negative reasons! It feels like a lot at the time, but then 24 hours later no one cares or remembers.
EMBEDDED:
Who’s the coolest person who follows you?
ANDREW YANG:
Shit, there are a lot of cool people who follow me on different platforms. Don’t want to hurt any feelings here. I’ll say Ben Stiller. Zoolander forever.
EMBEDDED:
Who’s someone more people should follow?
ANDREW YANG:
I enjoy
EMBEDDED:
Which big celebrity has your favorite internet presence, and why?
ANDREW YANG:
Taylor Swift seems to have it down. Went to the Eras Tour and it was truly impressive.
EMBEDDED:
Are you into any podcasts right now? How and when do you usually listen?
ANDREW YANG:
I tend to hopscotch around to different podcasts. I do listen to Bill Simmons for sports—I find it therapeutic.
EMBEDDED:
Have you ever been heavily into Snapchat? Do you miss it?
ANDREW YANG:
Nah, missed that one. I’m married.
EMBEDDED:
When was the last time you browsed Pinterest? What for?
ANDREW YANG:
Missed Pinterest too—I’m not that into decor.
EMBEDDED:
How would you describe Tumblr’s legacy?
ANDREW YANG:
It gave people a sense of creativity and empowerment.
EMBEDDED:
Do you use Slack or Teams for work? What’s the best thing about Slacking with your co-workers? What’s the worst thing?
ANDREW YANG:
I’m on my company’s Slack. It’s instantaneous and feels like a virtual water cooler. The worst thing is probably that it can also feel like the water cooler.
EMBEDDED:
What is your Wordle starting word?
ANDREW YANG:
SLATE
EMBEDDED:
Do any of your group chats have a name that you’re willing to share? What’s something that recently inspired debate in the chat?
ANDREW YANG:
Humans for Utopia
EMBEDDED:
What’s your go-to emoji, and what does it mean to you?
ANDREW YANG:
A smiley face. Spreads happiness.
EMBEDDED:
Do you text people voice notes? If not, how do you feel about getting them?
ANDREW YANG:
I don’t. To each their own, though, however you want to communicate.
EMBEDDED:
Do you pay for a music streaming service, and if so, which one? What’s a playlist, song, album, or style of music you’ve listened to a lot lately?
ANDREW YANG:
I listen to ’80s music a lot. Brings me back and makes me feel good.
EMBEDDED:
If you could only keep one streaming service for TV and/or movies, which would it be, and why? What’s a show that you’re really into right now?
ANDREW YANG:
Netflix is the biggest and broadest, and a lot of stuff turns up there. I like Reacher on Amazon Prime.
EMBEDDED:
What’s your favorite non-social media app?
ANDREW YANG:
I watch a lot of sports, so maybe the sports TV apps.
EMBEDDED:
What’s the most basic internet thing that you love?
ANDREW YANG:
Going to see NBA box scores and trade rumors in the morning.
EMBEDDED:
Is there any content you want but can’t seem to find anywhere online?
ANDREW YANG:
Sometimes I look for an old kung-fu movie and can’t find it.
EMBEDDED:
Is there a site you like for product recommendations? How do you decide, for example, which air filter to buy?
ANDREW YANG:
Amazon and Google reviews.
EMBEDDED:
Have you recently read an article, book, or social media post about the internet that you’ve found particularly insightful?
ANDREW YANG:
The Anxious Generation is a bestseller for a reason.
EMBEDDED:
What’s the last thing that brought you joy online?
ANDREW YANG:
An old WWE clip of Jimmy “the Gigolo” Del Rey doing his dance. Gets me every time.
Thanks Andrew! Check out his new mobile carrier.
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