Why do so many once-beloved internet platforms end up toxic, predatory, and unusable? In an age where tech giants have monopolized our attention, privacy, and livelihoods, how can individuals claw back some agency?
Every other Thursday, Actually Useful co-hosts Ariel and Josh talk with creators of radically useful consumer tech to explore what it takes to build and protect the loveliest parts of the internet. If you’re exhausted by parasitic products and feel trapped in an ecosystem of unethical, undelightful tech, this one’s for you.
We chat about the rise of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), how they’re being used by law enforcement, and the effects of anti-Flock activism.
Say hi on:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/actuallyusefulpod/) | TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@actuallyusefulpod) | Substack (https://substack.com/@actuallyusefulpod) | Email (mailto:heyactuallyuseful@gmail.com)
Episode links:
Deflock.org (http://deflock.org)
HaveIBeenFlocked.com (http://haveibeenflocked.com)
404 Media’s article on Darth Vader & Flock (https://www.404media.co/darth-vader-spoke-in-support-of-flock-at-san-diego-city-council-meeting/)
All of 404 Media’s Flock coverage (https://www.404media.co/tag/flock/)
10 Sept 2026
The Books We’re Losing to AI
We chat with Charlie Becker, a second-generation used and rare bookseller, about AI buying up used books, the challenge of knowing how rare a book is, and what kind of stewardship should be required before a book can be destroyed. In Falcon Mode, we discuss the enshittification of printers.
Say hi on:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/actuallyusefulpod/) | TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@actuallyusefulpod) | Substack (https://substack.com/@actuallyusefulpod) | Email (mailto:heyactuallyuseful@gmail.com)
Episode links:
charliedbecker.com (http://charliedbecker.com)
valib.app (https://valib.app/)
404 Media’s article tracking the books Amazon bought (https://www.404media.co/we-tracked-a-shipment-of-rare-books-it-ended-at-an-amazon-ai-training-facility/)
27 Aug 2026
Everything is Worse on Purpose
We chat with Keyana Sapp, creator of Worse on Purpose, about the enshittification of physical consumer goods, brands that are riding on nothing but legacy reputation, and how his work can help consumers find products that are actually useful. In Falcon Mode, we open up a real can of worms by trying to avoid shady monetization mechanics in mobile games.
Say hi on:
Instagram | https://tinyurl.com/2ezu9vb8 (https://tinyurl.com/2ezu9vb8)
TikTok | (https://tinyurl.com/2ezu9vb8)https://tinyurl.com/2fjpfuv2 (https://tinyurl.com/2fjpfuv2)
Email | (https://tinyurl.com/2ezu9vb8)https://tinyurl.com/9d5pvpcc (https://tinyurl.com/9d5pvpcc)
Episode Links:
- Worse on Purpose
https://www.worseonpurpose.com/ (https://www.worseonpurpose.com/)
- The Brand Ledger
https://ledger.worseonpurpose.com/ (https://ledger.worseonpurpose.com/)
- Jason Hickel’s book
https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more (https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more)
Inside a recent episode
Meta’s Exploitation of Kids Has No Limit
Published 9 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Obviously lost sleep, you know, mood, anxiety, depression. And one of the pieces of evidence in the LA case, there's a internal document. It was an email where a meta employee said, like, our goal state is that kids are sneaking views of their phone under their desk at chemistry class. Like that's, it's really exploitative. But then the kind of other side of that coin is that With that dependency comes a lot of other vulnerabilities. If you're heavily dependent and influenced by your social feed, and like the example I talked about in the Washington State testimony you mentioned, this young man named Mason Edens, went to his device in the wake of a breakup. […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
