Is Alcohol Actually Bad for You? The Truth About Drinking, Social Media & Diet Soda

16 snips

Apr 23, 2026

Guest

Taylor Lorenz

Guest

Dean Stattmann

Taylor Lorenz, journalist of internet culture and author of Extremely Online, explains why social media’s harms are complex and not simply addictive. Dean Stattmann, GQ reporter who tested sobriety for three months, recounts how quitting alcohol affected his relationships and wellbeing. They discuss social drinking’s role in connection, the real science behind social feeds, regulation risks, and practical ways to manage vices.

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INSIGHT

Balance Health Metrics With Social Value

Net value of moderate drinking must weigh physical biomarkers against social and psychological benefits like connection and joy.
Stattmann concluded reintroducing moderate drinking was a net positive given his lifestyle and priorities despite fitness tradeoffs.

ADVICE

Inventory Life Before Quitting Vices

Don't assume removing a small vice will automatically improve life; inventory what you're trading off before changing behavior.
Michael Easter recommends honest self-assessment to see if drinking causes major life problems or simply enables connection.

INSIGHT

Social Media Is Compulsive Not Clinically Addictive

Taylor Lorenz argues social media is compelling but not clinical addiction; compulsive use lacks typical addiction physiology like detox withdrawal.
Distinguishing compulsive engagement from addiction matters when making policy or clinical claims.

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Everyone has a vice. Drinking, smoking, social media, diet soda. And the modern wellness internet will tell you that if you want to live a long, healthy life, you need to cut every single one of them out. But is that actually true?

In this episode of Two Percent, we take a nuanced look at vices and whether some of them might actually enhance your life when you use them the right way. We don't have to live like monks to live a good life.

First up is Dean Stattmann, a GQ reporter who spent three months sober and wrote a now-viral piece titled "Why My 2026 Resolution Is to Start Drinking Again." His Whoop scores got better, but his friendships, his marriage, and his mood got worse. Dean explains what alcohol actually does for human connection, what anthropologists call "costly signaling," and why moderate drinking might not be the villain the internet has made it out to be.

Then Taylor Lorenz, author of Extremely Online and host of the Power User podcast, joins to argue something that sounds heretical in 2026: social media is not addictive. We break down the real science on dopamine (spoiler: it's probably cortisol), the recent California Meta verdict, Section 230, KOSA, looksmaxing, Clavicular's overdose, and what's actually driving the teen mental health conversation.

Finally, Michael opens up about his own personal vice, a five-a-day habit, and explains why the science on aspartame, cancer, and the gut microbiome isn't nearly as scary as the internet would have you believe.

Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today’s episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager.

Substack Post from Dr. Vinay Prasad: https://www.drvinayprasad.com/p/alcohol-good-or-bad-why-reductionist

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