Rivera and Reeves
Rivera and Reeves
Meseidy Rivera and Rachel Reeves
Ep. 225 | The Analog Comeback Is Real — But AI Is Already Here
1 hour 14 minutes Posted Apr 21, 2026 at 10:00 pm.
pm, get ad-free access the moment we publish, plus our monthly live unfiltered stream every last Saturday at 11:30 AM EST.Subscribe nowChapters00:00 Intro & Virginia redistricting vote04:00 Why we’re skipping the Iran news cycle07:40 The analog comeback: tin cans, vinyl & Gen Z14:45 Wait Until 8th and keeping kids off smartphones26:00 AI is different — and it’s moving faster than anything before41:20 What AI is actually doing to how we think and work54:30 Is AI inevitable? Where Meseidy and Rachel disagree1:10:30 Good news: Oklahoma principal crowned prom kingAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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The kids want tin can phones. Gen Z is buying vinyl at rates we haven’t seen since 1983. And somewhere in the middle of all that, AI quietly became everything.Meseidy and Rachel skip the Iran cycle this week to talk about what’s actually shifting underneath it — the pull back toward analog, and the tech disruption that’s moving faster than any generation before has had to process. They don’t agree. Meseidy’s cautiously optimistic that AI frees up time for real human connection. Rachel wants to know what gets lost in the trade. They push each other, they leave it unresolved, and they’re honest about the fact that nobody — including the people building the tools — really knows where this lands.Also in this one: Virginia’s redistricting vote, a 90s-week family experiment, the wait-until-8th movement, and the Oklahoma principal who tackled a school shooter and got crowned prom king.Episode HighlightsWhy Gen Z is driving a $1.4B vinyl resurgence and snapping up disposable cameras — the analog comeback isn’t a trend, it’s frictionThe “tin can” phone rundown: how Rachel’s daughter is actually talking to her friends again, and why wait-until-8th pacts are catching onA 90s-week family experiment with six kids, one shared laptop, and zero personal phones — the resultsWhere Meseidy and Rachel split on AI: useful tool vs. something we don’t understand fast enough to trustThe CEO of Anthropic’s own admission that AI is moving faster than any previous tech — and why that matters for parents, schools, and workersWhy the left’s next climate-panic energy is going to land on AI (and what that’ll look like)A feel-good close: the Oklahoma principal who tackled a school shooter getting crowned prom kingGet more from Rivera and Reeves in the Substack appAvailable for iOS and AndroidGet the appFollow Us On Youtube!YouTubeHit play, grab your coffee, and catch up on what’s actually happening. If this episode earns a share, send it to someone who’s been repeating the same three talking points since Saturday. They need this more than they know.Not a paid subscriber yet? Join us LIVE Tuesday & Thursday at 12:30 pm, get ad-free access the moment we publish, plus our monthly live unfiltered stream every last Saturday at 11:30 AM EST.Subscribe nowChapters00:00 Intro & Virginia redistricting vote04:00 Why we’re skipping the Iran news cycle07:40 The analog comeback: tin cans, vinyl & Gen Z14:45 Wait Until 8th and keeping kids off smartphones26:00 AI is different — and it’s moving faster than anything before41:20 What AI is actually doing to how we think and work54:30 Is AI inevitable? Where Meseidy and Rachel disagree1:10:30 Good news: Oklahoma principal crowned prom kingAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy