INFLUENCE

Matt Silverman
  • 4.5 (111)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
INFLUENCE

What does it really take to make a living (and an impact) on the Internet today? Join Matt Silverman (who has been covering online culture for 15+ years) in conversation with YouTubers, musicians, podcasters, streamers, journalists, TikTokers and more about turning creativity into a job, building community on ever-changing platforms, and their complex relationships with huge online audiences. INFLUENCE is the relaunch of 2 GIRLS 1 PODCAST, a weekly comedy/interview show about fascinating online communities, which ran for 7 years and nearly 300 episodes.

  1. 5D AGO

    48 What to Do When AI Ads Steal Your Face and Voice

    This week on INFLUENCE, the double-edged sword of YouTube's ContentID systems, and the explosion of AI-generated ads and voices which have no shame in cloning content creators for profit. Plus: Some changes to the Patreon so you can get more for less! Links discussed in this episode: How to subscribe to a private Patreon RSS feed: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041347732-How-to-use-your-audio-RSS Why YouTube apologized for age-gating Balatro videos: https://www.theverge.com/news/645257/youtube-balatro-univeristy-videos-age-gated-localthunk POV: You Got Deepfaked: https://news.thepublishpress.com/p/pov-you-got-deepfaked This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min

  2. APR 9

    47 Talking About Sex With Internet Strangers Is Beautiful and Terrifying | Zoë Ligon

    Like many of us, Zoë Ligon worked a retail job after college. But in her case, it was a sex toy shop, where she would have fascinating interactions with customers. Talking sex with random strangers changed her perspective on sex education, and she began writing about her own experiences on Tumblr – back when Tumblr was still a safe haven for NSFW content. Her blogging became paid gigs, which lead to a social media following, and one of her posts in particular catapulted her to worldwide attention. These days, she’s a sex “edutainer” across many platforms, anchored by more than 260,000 followers on Instagram. She’s leveraged this online following to launch an online sex toy store called Spectrum Boutique. She’s also branched out to online sex work via OnlyFans, brand partnerships, and consulting. This week, the self-proclaimed “Dildo Duchess” joins Matt to discuss how she built her empire. Zoë explains why normalizing kinks and sexual wellness on social media is so important, and why meaningful sex education is so difficult on modern social platforms. She also shares the origin of her book, “Carnal Knowledge,” and the family tragedy that became the catalyst for her business. Follow Zoë: https://www.instagram.com/thongria/ Check out Spectrum Boutique: https://spectrumboutique.com/ Read her book, “Carnal Knowledge: Sex Education You Didn’t Get In School:” https://spectrumboutique.com/products/carnal-knowledge-sex-education-you-didnt-get-in-school Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 16m

  3. APR 2

    46 How a Minecraft Server for Autistic Kids Became the Best Place on the Internet (Encore)

    -Original Show Notes from May 20, 2022- Stuart Duncan is the dad of an autistic son, and he's also autistic himself. So when he learned that autistic Minecraft players were being bullied on popular servers, he set out to create a safe and inclusive virtual space for the autism community. The moment he announced it, parents lined up in droves, hoping their kids could join. Today, the server has 15,000 members, and Stuart has quit his job as a software developer to manage, moderate, and customize the server for kids (and their families) who communicate and play their own way. Stuart joins us to discuss the origins of Autcraft, why he still relies on the Java Edition of Minecraft to serve his community, and the power of safe, custom virtual worlds for neurodiverse players. If you're as moved as we are by Stuart's story, you can support Autcraft on Patreon to keep "The Best Place on the Internet" going for years to come: https://www.patreon.com/autcraft https://www.autcraft.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 59m

  4. MAR 26

    45 Shocker: Mental Health Information On TikTok Is Wildly Inaccurate (and Might Make You Feel Worse)

    A peer reviewed study from the University of British Columbia analyzed the most popular ADHD-related videos on TikTok and found that very few of them contain information that aligns with medical diagnostics. Even more interesting, people who consume this kind of content perceive the diagnosis to be far more widespread - and symptoms far more intense - than in reality. Social media is warping our sense of reality and self?! Inconceivable! Plus: New bi-partisan legislation aims to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The 1996 law shields websites from litigation if their users upload harmful content. This protection is integral to how the modern Web functions, and erasing it could lead to over-moderation and fear-based censorship. While harmful user content is always a concern, the true problem with social media is not that the content exists, but its weaponization by tech companies in the name of profit. In this case, Congress is fixing the wrong problem, and the consequences could damage online speech for years to come. A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0319335&_bhlid=eba84bf6525fc0863f3276ea4a45eb0891dac351 TikTok is full of ADHD advice — just don't trust it for a diagnosis: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5336303/adhd-symptoms-adult-tiktok Lawmakers are trying to repeal Section 230 again: https://www.theverge.com/news/634189/section-230-repeal-graham-durbin This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min

  5. MAR 19

    44 The Big Ideas That Changed YouTube Forever | Mike Rugnetta

    Here’s an idea: Around 2012, YouTube was undergoing a profound transformation from a novelty economy to a loyalty platform. This was largely driven by vlog culture, but another format was emerging: The video essay. But would Internet audiences (notorious for their ShOrT aTeNtIoN sPaNs!!!) watch longform, Socratic discussion of math, democracy, quantum mechanics, and Pokémon? Turns out: Yes. Through the power of public broadcasting, an extremely innovative YouTube show emerged called PBS Idea Channel. It was produced by a talented team of writers, researchers and producers, and its host – Mike Rugnetta – became the face of Internet curiosity during its 5 year and 400 video run. Today, you can’t swing Schrödinger's dead cat without hitting a video essay with millions of views. Their popularity can be traced back to Mike and his colleagues, who in-turn credit the vloggers and comedians who inspired them in the early days of Web video. Mike joins Matt to discuss this rare time for Internet creativity, what it was like to build a large and intellectually curious community on YouTube, why he returned to his first love of audio design, how modern social media makes us so passive, and why he’s thrilled that his many ongoing podcasts don’t pay the bills. Connect with Mike: https://rugnetta.com/ Mike’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikerugnetta/ Subscribe to Mike’s excellent podcasts: Reasonably Sound: https://reasonablysound.com/ RIP Corp: https://ripcorp.biz/ Never Post: https://www.neverpo.st/ Fun City: https://funcity.ventures/ This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 30m

  6. MAR 12

    43 This Lawyer/Comedian Might Be Our Secret Weapon Against Trump | Elizabeth Booker Houston

    Elizabeth Booker Houston got a law degree and a master's in public health, with a focus on pandemic policy. Too bad that wasn’t very useful OH WAIT During the Covid lockdowns, she became fascinated by the health misinformation perpetuated by Trump’s first administration and weaponized by social media. So she took to TikTok (as you do) to share her public health expertise and make fun of anti-vaxxers. Elizabeth’s combo of rapid-fire facts, myth debunks, and brutal punchlines drew a huge audience. And these days, she makes as much money from Instagram as she does from policy law. Elizabeth joins Matt to discuss her lo-fi content style, unpacking extremely complex topics for tiny attention spans. interviewing members of Congress, that time the Kamala Harris campaign winked back, her own political aspirations, cussing about politics for a living, and her fierce determination to call out Trump 2.0’s legal bullshit. Follow Elizabeth's work: https://www.instagram.com/bookersquared/ https://linktr.ee/Bookersquared This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 20m

  7. MAR 5

    42 How "Minesweeper" Changed the Internet As We Know It (w/ Kyle Orland)

    Hi friends! Excited to share this interview from my *other* show, Colette & Matt Have Entered the Chat, where we cover video games and their communities. This one is about the extraordinary legacy of "Minesweeper," which changed the Internet in more ways than you might think. Enjoy! -Original show notes from March 24, 2023- Get the full episode here (or in your favorite pod app): https://haveenteredthechat.com/episodes/100-minesweeper-kyle-orland-diablo-4 When "Minesweeper" and "Solitaire" were first bundled with Microsoft's Windows operating system in the early '90s, they introduced millions of people to PC gaming, many of whom had never used a mouse before. "Minesweeper" in particular became a favorite addiction of many Microsoft programmers, including Bill Gates. Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor at Ars Technica, has written an upcoming book about the legacy of the grey, tiled Roguelike that paved the way for a more robust ecosystem of PC games and eventually the Xbox brand we know today. The ubiquity of these casual pack-in games rivaled the scale of current "Candy Crush" obsessions, and also caused moral panic among business and political leaders, who decried office workers frittering away their productivity on addictive games. Kyle dives into the curious exploits that competitive Minesweepers discovered when they were finally connected to the Internet, and how Microsoft missed its chance for "Solitaire" to become the "Fortnite" of the Windows Store. He also shares stories from his early days curating a Super Mario Bros. fan site when he was 15, interviewing Shigeru Miyamoto, and why "Bubble Bobble" desperately needs a 3D reboot. Plus, we absolve Colette's guilt about giving Blizzard money for the "Diablo IV" beta and why a new Tactics + Roguelite + RPG + Tower Defense + Diabloish game has got its hooks in Matt. Pre-order Kyle's book "Minesweeper" from Boss Fight Books: https://bossfightbooks.com/products/minesweeper-by-kyle-orland Or on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Minesweeper-31-Boss-Fight-Books/dp/B0BRSKKLGV/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 6m

  8. FEB 26

    41 How "No Kings Day" Became a Huge Anti-Fascist Protest Across All 50 States | Glo Sahay, 50501

    If your Reddit feeds seem different lately, you're not alone. Massive "default" subreddits like r/pics — once home to heartwarming photos, hilarious memes, and stunning landscapes — have become a hotbed of anti-Trump and anti-fascist activism. Users there are sharing photos from recent public protests, which you may not have seen on the news, but are tens of thousands strong across every U.S. state. The sea change in political activism is largely attributed to a grassroots affiliation of civil and human rights organizations now called 50501: 50 States, 50 Protests, 1 Movement. And on February 5 (Presidents Day), they rallied everywhere in the U.S. to proclaim "No Kings Day" in response to Donald Trump and Elon Musk's executive overreach, racist rhetoric, and apparent Nazi salute. This week, longtime activist Glo Sahay joins Matt to discuss how political protest is taking shape in a time that feels very disempowering. They discuss the Internet's role in political organizing, the goals and outcomes of "radical non-violence," and what we all can do right now to support the movement. Learn more at: https://www.fiftyfifty.one/ Check out Glo's activist site: https://pol-rev.com/ Keep tabs on the 50501 movement via Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/ This show is made possible by listener support: https://www.patreon.com/influencepod Listen & subscribe wherever you get podcasts: 🍎 https://apple.co/44FeACS 🟢 https://spoti.fi/3UGQjrN ⏯ https://amzn.to/3wCdueF Join our Discord community! https://discord.gg/influencepod Call the show and leave a message: (347)-871-6548 Email me with guest & trivia suggestions! influencepod69@gmail.com (NOICE) Follow me: 🦋 https://bsky.app/profile/mattsilverman.bsky.social 🧵 https://www.threads.net/@matt_silverman 📸 https://www.instagram.com/matt_silverman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    54 min
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4.5
out of 5
111 Ratings

About

What does it really take to make a living (and an impact) on the Internet today? Join Matt Silverman (who has been covering online culture for 15+ years) in conversation with YouTubers, musicians, podcasters, streamers, journalists, TikTokers and more about turning creativity into a job, building community on ever-changing platforms, and their complex relationships with huge online audiences. INFLUENCE is the relaunch of 2 GIRLS 1 PODCAST, a weekly comedy/interview show about fascinating online communities, which ran for 7 years and nearly 300 episodes.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Silverman
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    371
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 445657
  • Show Website
    INFLUENCE

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