Yeah, But It's Not As Simple As That

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Latest Episodes:

Should We Let Tracking Devices Make Our Decisions For Us? Apr 19, 2017

This week we speak to Yuval Noah Harari about his book Homo Deus, and ask whether we are now at a point where our technology is starting to know us better than we know ourselves. Should we just hand over decision-making power to our fitbits, Facebook and other devices that track our health and personality?

We also hear from a company that has created a kegel tracker that goes inside your vagina, and talk to Vice regulars about whether whether there is any point in resisting technological advances that make our lives better.

Could You Have Sex With A Stranger Tonight? Apr 05, 2017

It's never been easier to have sex with a stranger, if you're single and on Tinder you could basically go home with someone every single night. But most of us don't do that, and not because we don't like having sex but because the people we meet somehow don't live up to our standards. Of course some people are simply tactless or cruel, but mostly it's little things that upset us. Tiny little dealbreakers – a goatee, bad footwear, the word "lush" – that stop us going home with someone. This week we're just talking about dealbreakers: awful restaurant selection, dodgy politics and other things that would make you have a "sudden emergency" after one drink.

Can You Love Someone When You Don't Love Yourself? Mar 29, 2017

This week, we look at some of the difficult questions around mental health and relationships. Can you break up with someone who's depressed? Should you tell a tinder date about a mental health problem? How does anxiety affect your sex life?

We hear a couple that broke up because of issues around sex and wellbeing, Emily Reynolds wrestles with the hard questions of dating with mental health problems and the artist Hannah Perry makes a case for rethinking our attitudes to "mad" behaviour.

Should You Quit Your Crappy Job? Mar 22, 2017

Unemployment is a real problem for a lot of people and one we spend a lot of time talking about. But there's also the more niggling, first-world, problem of being stuck in a job that was just supposed to be a stop-gap, feeling undermotivated, wanting to quit but fearing the lack of security. When's the right time to quit your job? We hear from people who tried it with wildly varying results, then Joel Golby give us his Cosmo-style "Should you quit your job?" quiz.

Is Social Media An Addiction? Mar 15, 2017

Most of us accept we're a bit hooked on social media, but for a lot of people it goes further than that. This week we hear from three people whose lives have been changed by social media: a junkie who can't quit Instagram, a writer who didn't like it when Twitter turned on him and a Vice writer who has unusual relationship with her Facebook stalker.

Is Smoking Weed Effectively Legal Now? Mar 07, 2017

Some police forces have stopped prosecuting people for possessing small amounts of cannabis, instead diverting them into government programmes if they're caught. Does that mean weed is basically legal now? We hear from the police, weed smokers and people who've got caught to find out the legal status of weed in the UK.

We'll Be Back Soon Jan 13, 2017

We are making a few changes to the podcast, we'll be back soon.

Is Christmas Just For Kids? Dec 22, 2016

It's the last podcast of the year, so we're heading to the pub to talk about the pains and pleasures of Christmas in your 20s: relentless drinking, bonking in your childhood bed and drunk parents. Also, Oobah asks people when they found out Santa wasn't real, and we enjoy a problematic Christmas quiz.

Was 2016 Really That Shit? Dec 13, 2016

It's our review of the year, 2016. We discuss why everyone saying "2016 is shit" is shit, and we're joined by John Madden, the man behind the Sun Apologises twitter account, to talk about fake news and misreporting this year.

All that, plus Vice's human guinea pig Oobah reflects on his year bothering the general public in outlandish ways.

Do Teenagers Worry About The Same Things As Adults? Dec 06, 2016

We're constantly reading that this generation of young people are going to be worse off than their parents, but how does that make them feel? In this week's podcast we spoke to a group of 15 and 16-year-olds about the problems they face as they see them. What they told us was surprising: they've never been to a houseparty, they photoshop their selfies and they're still not sure whether it's ok to be openly gay in school. We discuss everything from Islamophobia to sexting. Plus, Charlotte Church, John Lydon and Stormzy reveal what they think the problem is with young people.

Has Everything Been Done Before? Nov 29, 2016

Anyone who has ever tried to be creative – in music, the arts, in their filing system at their shit temp job – has at some point felt the sinking feeling that they will never come up with anything new; that everything has been done before. And this feeling only intensifies as the internet continues to give us free, easy access to every cultural product in recent human history.

So has originality really died for good?

In this week's podcast, performance artist Marina Abramovic, PC Music's Danny L Harle and a big TV commissioner tell us how they deal with the question of originality. Then visual artist Matthew Stone discusses how 2016 may have messed up our feelings towards newness, and explains why, sometimes, it's not all about being first.

Is It OK To Masturbate To Facebook Photos? Nov 22, 2016

Our lives are full of moral grey areas, things our parents' generation never had to worry about. Is it ok to send the same line to 10 different people on Tinder? Is it better to tell all your previous sexual partners about an STI individually, or on a group thread? Is it wrong to sleep with someone who's already in a relationship, even if they tell you they're "basically broken up" anyway. This week on the VICE podcast, our team of Vice contributors discuss modern moral quandaries, from cancelling plans at the last minute to wanking over Facebook photos. as we vote on what is and isn't ok anymore.

Is My Mental Health Problem Affecting My Job? Nov 15, 2016

Our jobs and our mental health are obviously linked: if you're suffering from anxiety or depression, it can affect your ability to work, while the stresses of work itself can be a trigger for mental health issues. It's in bosses' interests to have a mentally healthy workforce, yet most chose to look the other way: 56 percent of employers say they wouldn't hire someone with depression if they knew about it.

This week on the podcast, we're joined by Alastair Campbell, the spin doctor during Blair's years in Downing Street, to talk about what can be done to change attitudes to mental health at work.

Is It Sustainable To Live Your Whole Life In Debt? Oct 26, 2016

Most of us don't worry about living in our overdraft. But is that sustainable? What happens if you end up living your whole adult life in debt? This week on the VICE UK Podcast we're talking about money, inheritance and what we should call a generation of people who have no money but still take Ubers everywhere. We hear from a Wonga user about their relaxed attitude to debt and talk to broadcaster Miquita Oliver about what happens when bankruptcy becomes your only option.

Can you ever take drugs completely safely? Oct 18, 2016

The term "harm reduction" is being used more and more by academics, politicians and pharmacists. It's encompasses everything from testing pills for purity to having festival councillors to talk people down from their trips. But what does it mean for the legalisation debate? And will it actually make your drug-taking experience any better? This week we kicks off series two of the VICE UK Podcast, with drug tester Guy Jones, government drugs advisor Professor Alex Stevens, and VICE staffers Matt Shea and Joe Bish.

Do We Still Need The Music Industry? Sep 19, 2016

The two biggest selling new artists this year, Jack Garrett and Zayn Malik, had fewer combined album sales than the new Rick Astley album. What can be done to save new music, and is there any need for a music "industry" anymore? We speak to grime artist Novelist, plus superstar MIA and new musician Laura Doggett. Plus, were the Mercurys actually good this year? And what's it like to date Sean Paul.

Is The Labour Party Full Of Bullies? Sep 05, 2016

For the second time in a year, Jeremy Corbyn is contesting a Labour leadership election. But a lot has changed in that year. The hope and enthusiasm of Labour members has been tested, as Corbyn has suffered a number of high-profile controversies. Meanwhile in the party grassroots, lives have been changed, people who rose to the top in the New Labour years have found, not only their politics, but their social lives and careers threatened. We hear from them, as well as London Young Labour leader Benjamin Butterworth about what it's been like in Labour.

Do Young Women Feel Powerless? Aug 29, 2016

There was this kind of depressing survey last month that revealed that 75% of women aged 17-21 felt powerless. In this episode, we spoke to young women about why that was, and heard stories of cat calls, dodgy sex ed and playground bitching. We also spoke with writer Sophie Heawood talks about how gender politics is changing in the UK, sort of. Plus: weird conspiracy theories and the confusing success of Mrs. Brown's Boys.

Is University Still Worth It? Aug 22, 2016

Tuition fees are rising, maintenance grants have been scrapped, and course sizes have ballooned, all as the average wages of graduates have tumbled. We speak to academic and journalist Richard Seymour about the future of higher education and head on campus to ask international students what they make of British student culture?