Ep. 8: We’ve Lost the Plot
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Teenage looksmaxxing and leaders behaving badly: two clear signs we’ve lost the plot. Plus, are social media companies finally facing accountability? And when it comes to AI, Matti gives credit where credit is due.
TRANSCRIPT
This week, we’re talking about what happens when adults stop acting like adults.
From the rise of “looks maxing” among teenage boys to the growing scrutiny facing social media platforms, we explore how technology, influence, and pressure are shaping the next generation. We also look at a bizarre public feud between the Pope and President Trump, and revisit the debate around AI safety after one company made a surprising decision that actually put caution ahead of profit.
Looksmaxxing and the Pressure to Be Perfect
One story that caught my attention recently was a CBS News report on a growing trend called “looksmaxxing.”
The idea is simple: young men become obsessed with optimizing their appearance, whether that’s building muscle, changing facial features, or chasing whatever version of physical perfection social media tells them they should want.
The story followed a teenager who had begun taking illegal steroids in order to transform his physique as quickly as possible. What struck me wasn’t just the decision itself—it was how casually he talked about the risks.
At one point, he essentially said that if the steroids caused him to have a heart attack at thirty, then so be it.
That comment stopped me in my tracks.
When young people are willing to trade their long-term health for a certain look, something has gone seriously wrong. The conversation around body image often focuses on girls and young women, but this is a reminder that boys are facing enormous pressure too.
More than anything, I found it heartbreaking. This wasn’t confidence. It was a kid carrying around the belief that who he is isn’t enough unless he looks a certain way.
Where Are the Parents?
The report also raised another question: where are the adults?
The teenager’s father acknowledged that he wasn’t happy about what was happening, but seemed unsure how to stop it. That response surprised me.
I’m not a parent, and I know parenting teenagers is incredibly difficult. At the same time, there has to be a line somewhere.
If a teenager is taking illegal drugs and hiding online behavior from their parents, that’s not a situation where adults should simply shrug and step aside. Boundaries matter. Guidance matters.
Sometimes it feels like modern parenting is caught between two extremes: being overly strict or trying so hard to be a friend that authority disappears entirely.
There has to be a middle ground.
Social Media’s Role in All of This
It’s difficult to talk about looks maxing without talking about social media.
Young people spend hours every day consuming content that constantly tells them how they should look, what success should feel like, and what kind of life they’re supposed to be living. For vulnerable teenagers, that’s a powerful influence.
At the same time, social media isn’t entirely bad. It helps people stay connected, discover new ideas, learn skills, and build communities.
The challenge is that the benefits and harms often exist side by side.
That’s why recent legal challenges against major technology companies are so interesting. Earlier this year, a lawsuit against Meta and Google resulted in a verdict against the companies after claims that their platforms contributed to serious mental health harm.
The financial penalties themselves may not mean much to companies of that size, but the symbolism matters. For the first time, it feels like courts and regulators are starting to ask whether these platforms should bear some responsibility for the effects they’re having on users.
Maybe we’re witnessing the beginning of a larger reckoning.
The Case for More Guardrails
Some countries are already moving in that direction.
Australia has explored restrictions aimed at limiting social media access for younger users, and schools around the world are experimenting with phone-free classrooms.
Researchers like Jonathan Haidt have spent years documenting the relationship between smartphones, social media, and rising anxiety among young people. His argument is that meaningful change only happens when parents, schools, communities, and policymakers work together.
One family acting alone can only do so much.
But collective action can shift expectations and create healthier norms for everyone.
Air Force One vs. The Papal Plane
Speaking of adults acting strangely, another story caught my attention recently.
For a brief period, it seemed like President Trump and Pope Leo XIV were exchanging public criticisms through the media over the conflict with Iran.
Regardless of where someone stands politically, it was a bizarre spectacle.
Watching two world leaders trade public jabs felt less like diplomacy and more like a disagreement unfolding in a high school hallway. The image was made even stranger by the fact that both appeared to be speaking to reporters while traveling on their respective planes.
Air Force One versus the papal plane.
It’s funny in hindsight, but also a little concerning.
At a certain point, you just want the adults in the room to focus on solving problems instead of scoring points.
A Surprising AI Safety Win
We can’t go an episode without talking about AI.
A few episodes ago, I was critical of Anthropic, the company behind Claude AI. Their leadership spent months emphasizing the importance of AI safety, only to later suggest they might relax some safeguards if competition became too intense.
That didn’t sit well with me.
Recently, however, the company faced a real test.
Anthropic developed an advanced model capable of identifying security vulnerabilities in software—issues that had gone undetected for decades. According to reports, the technology was so powerful that releasing it broadly could create serious cybersecurity risks.
To their credit, they chose not to release it publicly.
Instead, they limited access to a small group of organizations so the technology could be studied and used responsibly before becoming widely available.
It’s not a perfect solution, and there are still legitimate concerns. But for once, a major AI company took an action that actually aligned with its public statements.
In a world where words and actions often don’t match, that was refreshing to see.
Final Thoughts
This episode covered a lot of ground, but the common thread was surprisingly simple.
Whether we’re talking about social media, parenting, politics, or artificial intelligence, many of today’s biggest challenges come down to responsibility.
Teenagers need adults willing to set boundaries. Technology companies need to take accountability seriously. Leaders need to lead. And industries racing toward the future need to think carefully about the consequences of getting there.
So is it going to be fine?
Maybe.
But it’ll only be fine if adults start acting like adults—because wow, are we really freelancing it right now.
This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.
