Hi all,
This is my email of things found over the last month of interesting reads/ listens/ watches.
We can’t trust our eyes anymore. The world we were raised to survive in is so weird that we don’t know what to do with it. We look for a human - when a human is not there. We view decay with a detached involvement - we don’t change it; we experience it. Part 1, Part 2. (An excellent read for after watching these - Deep Fakes will break democracy - The Walrus)
China has a blossoming industry of human-robot relations and A.I. partners. The majority of this article focuses on 25-year-old female white-collar workers. Hot take, men are shit at understanding women, ai’s are better… Jokes aside, some alarming quotes, “If I can create a virtual character that... meets my needs exactly, I’m not going to choose a real person.” The Straits Times.
Linking: Young Chinese people are renting out their spare time to offer friendship at a cost. It seems people want to vent to the opposite sex about their problems. Nikkei.
We are entering the Enshittocene. “The services that matter to us, that we rely on, are turning into giant piles of shit. It’s frustrating. It’s demoralising. It’s even terrifying.” If this doesn’t sell you on this article, I don’t know what will. Financial Times.
Nicely segwaying into the latest shopping cart abandonment rates shows that in January 2024, 73% of all online shopping carts failed to make it to the checkout stage. In other words, more than seven out of every 10 online shopping baskets are ditched without completing the purchase process. This follows the inspiring and equal behaviors we have seen in our studies. Oberlo.
Linking to Apple’s Vision Pro, it tries to resolve the conflict and fundamental limit to technology—the digital vs. material world—but “a headset is a pair of spectacles, but a headset is also a blindfold.” Many people are returning them. The Verge.
Something that has kept me entertained for days is watching TikToks on the Doritos theory, linking Doritos to unhealthy social media habits – doom scrollings. It is such an unsatisfactory behaviour that we have to keep doing it to chase any kind of satisfaction or ‘fullness’. The U.S. Census Time Use survey shows that every year, we spend less time with our friends, partners, and children in favor of being alone- basically on their phones, instead. You have the control, people; put the phones down. Forbes.
Creative deceleration is showing signs from all angles. But this week, it is on TikTok. It’s becoming like 2004 on there, and according to the Gen Z’ers, it is the Millenials' fault—shocking twist. “I believe the old are in charge now.” Though it might not be an unfair claim, according to PEW, the app's 30-49-year-old demographic is growing faster than its 18-29-year-old user base. Wired.
Are you thinking about how to win with DINKS - a dual-income couple with no kids? They are not to be snubbed in their 30’s and where the money is in travel, booze, food, homeware, fashion, luxury, etc. Business Insider.
Younger generations have a complicated relationship with Capitalism, and as much as they denounce it publicly and privately, they very much support it. In countless studies, they support private ownership, competition, profit, and the right to decide how to use one’s wealth, and most see entrepreneurs and small businesses as a force for good. Safety capitalism is growing in interest, and no, it is not Socialism. Fast Co.
One place not taking loneliness seriously is retailers and malls - as more and more ban teens. They don’t like how long teenagers “want to sit and hang out.” Reading these policies and looking at the location of a lot of these spaces and the demographic they serve, as well as being ageist, it is racist. Curbed.
I am sure the ban in places like malls links to how teen subcultures are dying because of a lack of a scene. Instead, their ‘cores’ and ‘vibes’ are centered around viral aesthetics, “cultural atmospheres.” The poles of style, art, politics, and music around which wound so many ribbons of teenage meaning have largely collapsed,” N.Y. Times.
Perhaps Standom is the 2020’s version of subculture? Super fandom creates a sense of belonging, a community to share their interests, and a connection. “The more people feel isolated from their community, they tend to become obsessed with some things whether it's drugs, alcohol or fandom culture.” Salon.
A very concerning investigative report on parental-run teen girl Instagram accounts found that there are a large number of accounts that offer the sale of photos, exclusive chat sessions, and even worn leotards to mostly unknown followers. Meta found that 500,000 child Instagram accounts had “inappropriate” interactions every day. As these children get to own their accounts as they become 12, they will have to manage the pedophilic predators DMing themselves. And with nearly one in three preteens lists influencing as a career goal, where the fuck is all this heading. N.Y. Times.
As a late 30-something woman, I am nudged to think about aging daily. But as tweens start using retinol, what does age look like anymore? Sadly, this feels like a female issue. Dazed.
Linking: Gen Z’s relationship with cosmetic procedures is heavily intertwined. Byrdie.
Last week, LVMH announced the creation of its newest division–22 Montaigne Entertainment—which will release film, TV, audio, and other entertainment narratives around its 70 luxury brands. This bold move demonstrates that brands must adjust to traditional advertising channels being less effective. BOF.
Are luxury beliefs eroding society? Rob Henderson coined the term "luxury beliefs" to describe views that provide status to the upper classes but are costly to the lower classes. For example, tech company CEOs create technology yet do not allow their children to use it. What I found most provoking in this thinking is the question: Are beliefs supposed to be status markers? Culture.io.
As legacy media grapples with new formats and audience consumption habits, an unlikely battleground has emerged between journalists and influencers—Jinfluencers. The concern about the closure of publishing platforms and the rise in people getting news from social media is that with power comes responsibility. Once an influencer crosses the threshold to become a ‘Jinfluencer,’ they have become the conveyors of truth… The Drum.
A few projects I have really liked:
One Minute Focus - been using it a week, works.
We Transfer Wild Memory - lovely coding.
Saint Laurent, Babylone - a new retail venture in Paris that sells rare books, magazines, and out-of-print records.
I recently read Self Made by Tara Isabella Burton. I enjoyed it. It contained some excellent observations and theories about our never-ending need to curate ourselves.
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I hope you found an interesting link or two.
Paying subscribers, you will receive my thought piece on the Enshitification of Culture at the end of March.
For those who haven’t decided if you want to subscribe financially yet, below, I have opened up a little more of this month-long read on Gen Z for you to sample.