Latest Stories from Charlie
The rise of ‘grandmaslop’ puts Gen Z’s privacy at risk
which AI platform have you given my likeness to grandma? Old people are generating AI photobooks, photographs of ‘memories’ from decades ago, and fake family scenes that never happened. While it might be fun for grandma, Gen Zers who are more savvy about AI infrastructure are concerned about privacy and consent. The rise (and rise) of AI poses many threats: widespread redundancies, excessive water use, even the potential extinction of...
Is it acceptable to bring an iced coffee into a job interview?
Recruiters are debating on TikTok whether it’s okay to bring iced coffee into a job interview, highlighting discrepancies in professional standards between different generations and industries. Would you bring iced coffee into a job interview? A debate has been underway on social media this week as Gen Zers and older professionals consider whether it’s ‘inappropriate’ or an unnecessary restriction that makes new, potential employees uneasy. It began when TikToker @caitlinrecruiter uploaded...
Google fined by Irish data watchdog for GDPR violations
Tech giant Google has been fined £345 million by the Republic of Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) over misuse of location data following a six-year investigation. Google has been hit with a fine of £345 million by the Republic of Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) over mishandling of location data. The DPC undertook a six-month investigation across three specific features provided by Google: ‘Web and App Activity,’ ‘Location History,’ and ‘Location...
Why are the music charts full of old songs?
someone put on Mr. Brightside, please The UK music charts are full of old artists right now, featuring everyone from Oasis to Michael Jackson to The Goo Goo Dolls. It seems Gen Z is consuming youth culture from the twentieth century as if it were contemporary, leaving pop music in a bizarre position. Have you glanced at Spotify’s ‘Top 50’ song lists lately? Any unassuming observer would expect new music, given that most chart...
Why is Insomniac’s ‘Wolverine’ facing backlash?
Despite reportedly having a budget of $300 million USD, Insomniac’s latest superhero video game ‘Wolverine’ has faced intense criticism for being too forgiving, linear, and patronisingly handholdy to the point of frustration. Is this a warning to other AAA developers? Insomniac, the developer behind the recent, critically acclaimed ‘Spider-Man’ games, is facing criticism following the release of its latest title, ‘Wolverine.’ The game follows a new, original story from the X-Men...
Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after ‘free Palestine’ speech
Rapper and musician Macklemore has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s ‘The Loop’ tour after making comments on stage regarding Palestine. He took to Instagram to explain and defend his position, arguing that ‘there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed.’ Macklemore has reportedly been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s ‘The Loop’ tour following his comments on Palestine during a recent performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmSErSKL874 He had been the opening act for the...
Gen Z’s skills seem to be on the decline…but why?
According to the latest data from the OECD’s 2025 PISA report, Gen Z’s academic skills are falling behind, with literacy, mathematics, and science skills all underdeveloped compared to students from ten years ago. What’s causing the change? New research suggests that Gen Z is struggling to develop basic academic skills compared to students from previous generations. According to the OECD’s 2025 PISA report, published this week, reading levels for teenagers...
Why is Gen Z flocking to historic places and heritage sites?
The National Trust has reported that young people are signing up for new memberships at an exponential rate, with over 50,000 joining last year, a growth of 26% over 2024. What’s causing this growth? More Gen Zers are taking an interest in The National Trust, new data shows. The UK conservation charity says that the number of young people signing up for memberships (which require a donation of £4.20 per month)...
Is Gen Z running out of friends?
New research in the UK has found that young people are now five times more likely to have ‘no close friendships’ compared to 2014. Experts believe it is a mix of austerity, economic hardship, TikTok, and a loss of self-esteem that has caused a perfect storm of isolation. What can Gen Z do? Is Gen Z facing a social crisis? A new report by the Institute for Public Policy...
Booking.com vulnerability exposed by fake Downing Street listing
Researchers from consumer group ‘Which?’ say they’ve successfully listed 10 Downing Street on Booking.com as part of a security test. The property was ‘available’ for two months before being removed. Fancy a stay on Downing Street? Consider yourself a future Prime Minister and need to trial run your accommodation? We’ve got you covered. Well, not really, but consumer group ‘Which?’ says it successfully listed 10 Downing Street on popular property and...
