Latest Stories from Charlie
The rise of #RichTok, Gen Z’s latest escape
A specific brand of TikTok luxury is doing the rounds online, known as #RichTok. Wealthy creators are unashamedly flexing their expensive lifestyles for millions of followers, showing off homes, jets, meals and branded clothing. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z are using this content as a way to escape, though not everyone is pleased. Ever heard of #RichTok? If you’re an older Gen Zer or millennial, we wouldn’t blame you if you hadn’t....
BBC set to make shows for YouTube in new deal
Amidst Trump’s legal threats and a waning Gen Z audience, the BBC is hoping to gain back some much-needed goodwill with a landmark new YouTube deal. The BBC has struck a deal with YouTube to make brand new content tailored specifically for the digital platform. It comes after months of turmoil for the BBC. Its editing blunder in November saw US president Donald Trump launch a multi-billion dollar lawsuit, and...
Why are people complaining about Lara Croft’s new design?
Gamers online are taking issue with the casting of Sophie Turner for Amazon Prime’s new screen adaption of Lara Croft. Complaints unsurprisingly range from her not ‘looking’ the part to issues with her previous acting. In news that probably won’t surprise many, reactions to Lara Croft’s latest look for Amazon’s Primes adaption have been mixed. Gamers and fans are unhappy with the casting of Sophie Turner, with comments saying that...
How are publishers pushing Gen Z to read?
Recent data suggests that traditional marketing for new books is steadily facing irrelevance with Gen Z. Is it the end times, or simply a shift away into less conventional formats of storytelling? The book industry is facing a dilemma. Recent studies suggest that teenagers and younger Gen Zers aren’t reading many books in full. College students are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT to research, curate and interpret information for...
Nicki Minaj and the rise of right wing grifting
Rapper Nicki Minaj was once considered a gay icon and a strong denouncer of Trump, having previously criticised his immigration policies and campaigns. Over the past year she has made a strong pivot the other way, appearing at right wing rallies with Erika Kirk in a likely attempt to boost her bank account and political standing. ‘I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,’ Nicki Minaj said to...
Why Marty Supreme’s Gen Z marketing worked
Josh Safdie’s latest film stars Timothee Chalamet as a troubled table tennis star on the cusp of greatness. It’s a hit with critics and audiences alike thanks to A24’s viral, new-age marketing campaign that has successfully tapped into Gen Z sensibilities. Marty Supreme, the latest film by Uncut Gems director Josh Safdie starring Timothee Chalamet as a troubled table tennis star, has become a cultural phenomenon. Released on Christmas Day, this...
Why are Gen Z suddenly so nostalgic for 2016?
2016 was the year of Pokemon Go, The Chainsmokers, Snapchat dog filters and skinny jeans. Gen Z are currently on a nostalgia binge, with searches for ‘2016’ having increased 71% in the last year over 2024. What’s going on? We’re not even two weeks into the year, and everything already feels exhausting. Trump is currently threatening to take over Greenland, Iran is in turmoil and Elon Musk’s X platform is under...
Reddit surpasses TikTok in the UK as Gen Z fuel growth
An urge for human-generated content has helped Reddit to push past TikTok in the UK to become the fourth most visited social media site, largely thanks to Gen Z. Reddit is enjoying a period of immense growth right now, at least in the UK. As The Guardian reports, the public forum platform has seen an 88% increase in users and reach across the country, with 60% of citizens now visiting...
New report suggests Gen Z are losing faith in the internet
A new survey by Ofcom has found that those aged 18-34 are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the internet, regarding it as detrimental for their mental health and society at large. It looks as though young people may be less enthusiastic about the internet and its wider consequences than older generations, at least according to a new survey by Ofcom. The organisation found that British Gen Zers are increasingly regarding the...
Millennial optimism? More like Gen Z cynicism
Gen Zers have been making fun of the early 2010s ‘millennial optimism era’ on TikTok this week, highlighting the naivety of the time. Compared to the cynicism of our modern world, it makes for a jarring case of cultural whiplash. Anyone heard of ‘millennial optimism?’ A new trend has been making the rounds this week in which Gen Zers and millennials remember the hopeful romanticism of online spaces in the early...
