Latest Stories from Flo
Opinion – ‘Taste’ is Gen Z’s new buzzword
Acquiring it, demonstrating it, refining it – why is everyone so obsessed with taste these days? When I started working in marketing, fresh out of uni and riddled with too much anxiety to question any of the corporate jargon clogging up my inbox, I soon learnt that society is built on buzzwords. Back then, the term everyone was flinging about was ‘culture.’ Tapping into culture, connecting with culture – we were...
Toy Story 5 comes for big tech, but does the moral lesson land?
The latest instalment in the beloved franchise tackles a new villain: the iPad. But what does ‘Toy Story 5’ get wrong about kids and screentime? Since the first film dropped way back in 1995, Toy Story has warmed hearts and raised minds with its ragtag group of friends. Each iteration of the franchise – like every good kids movie – has presented a moral lesson, often taught with the assistance of a...
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent
The recent heatwaves across the UK and Europe were only possible due to climate change. Yet, despite the alarming conditions, adaptation to this new normal is happening far too slowly. You might’ve noticed things are a little warmer across Europe this week. Whether you’re escaping to the office just for AC, or battling a sweaty commute on public transport, cities across the continent have been grappling with temperatures of 37...
Olivia Wilde’s experience reflects the misogyny framing age gaps
The actor Olivia Wilde spoke out about the response to her relationship with singer Harry Styles, which involved years of public shaming and criticism. Olivia Wilde has enjoyed a highly successful career as both an actor and filmmaker. But, as is often the case for high-profile women, it is a celebrity relationship that many will know her for. From 2021 to 2022, after working together on Wilde’s second directorial project...
Gen Z’s fear of being cringe is holding them back
Young people are sacrificing professional and personal opportunities for fear of being perceived. It reflects a culture that celebrates emotional repression and thrives on isolation. Embarrassment is a part of teen angst. In the halcyon days of youth, we all felt that bottomless pit of despair at the slightest inconvenience. Making a fool of yourself at a party or being turned down by a crush is crucial to the harsh...
Why Elon Musk’s trillionaire status is unsettling
His exorbitant wealth reflects a broken economic system both funded and relied on by everyday people. There are milestones that tell us something profound about society. Like the first person to walk on the moon, or the invention of the internet. And then there’s the world’s first trillionaire – a title won by tech entrepreneur and far-right commentator Elon Musk. A trillion dollars is a figure so obscenely large that it defies...
Do we really need all these brand trips?
Influencers and celebrities are being shipped off on elaborate holidays, ostensibly to promote products. But are these lavish stunts a marketing tool or a wasteful display of wealth? Markers of extreme wealth become more normalised as the 1% grow exorbitantly richer. Take private jets, once revered as an exclusive mode of transport for royals and political leaders, now a daily staple for celebrities and influencers. The more we’re exposed to these...
A Gen Z love letter to the tiny ‘tini
A diminishing appetite for booze has ushered in a new, downsized, era for the cocktail. It’s been reported for some time now that young people are drinking less. Our parent’s generation were privy to the 80s cocktail goldrush, whetted with Piña Coladas and Blue Lagoons. And millennials have held up national drinking standards having come of age in the alcopop era. But for many people my age (I sit on the...
New study finds arts engagement to slow biological ageing
Research from UCL suggests engaging with arts and culture improves overall health outcomes. These days, the fountain of youth is marketed as some kind of AI-backed, biohacked offshoot of the billionaire class. Health and wellness has crept further into a digital landscape – one often shaped by far-right thinking – and traditional concepts of longevity have been replaced with elitist alternatives. So you’d be surprised to learn that arts and culture (yes,...
Hundreds were arrested following the Champions League final
French authorities arrested over 400 people due to clashes between football fans following the Champions League final. More than 400 arrests were made across France following Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)'s victory over Arsenal on Saturday evening, with clashes erupting between fans and police in Paris and other cities. Vehicles were damaged and businesses vandalised, officers injured and tear gas deployed. As is often the case after major league games, by...
