Latest Stories from Flo
The decline of London’s public transport has far-reaching consequences
Experts suggest the disappearance of London’s iconic red buses will hit the poorest the hardest. Like most major cities, London is built on a sprawling public transport system. Boasting the tube, black cabs and an iconic route of red bus services, England’s capital is one of the most famous and efficient transport hubs in the world. But experts warn it’s at risk of rapid decline. Outside of zone 1, red buses...
PM announces specialist courts for rape cases in England and Wales
Alleged victims will be granted new measures including private entrances and waiting rooms, along with specialist ‘trauma-enforced training’ for court staff. Andy Burnham has announced the rollout of new specialist rape courts in England and Wales, building on measures that are currently only available in limited locations. At least one courtroom in every Crown Court will be dedicated to handling rape and cases involving serious sexual offences over the next...
The rise of ‘thinkfluencers’ and why they’re everywhere
From Substack to explainer TikToks, everyone’s craving thought-provoking content. But is our hankering for brain food a reaction to AI or evidence of a deeper desire for fulfillment in the modern age? What is a ‘thinkfluencer’? Consider them the talking head in your pocket: a bastion of knowledge on often niche topics, sharing facts and figures with the help of a teeny tiny handheld mic. These types of influencers have...
Girls are aware of beauty standards by age three, study finds
The value of personal attractiveness is established much younger than you might think. But what does this mean for girls growing up in an image-obsessed era? We check our appearance around 38 times per day. That pastime was once reserved for mirrors, and now extends to every reflective surface in our vicinity. Phone screens are the obvious preference – whether via their front-facing cameras or shiny black lock screens. Social media...
How inflammation became another wellness buzzword
It seems everyone and everything is inflamed, but is that really such a bad thing? From cortisol to caffeine, the wellness world loves a scapegoat for stress. It’s easy to blame life’s problems on some controllable symptom that can be stifled with the right pill or lavish morning routine. The latest buzzword to take charge of the health conversation is ‘inflammation’. To look at any wellness page is to feel as...
The pros and cons of a UK tourist tax
A charge on overnight stays could give Britain’s cities more money to spend on the people who visit them. But with holidays already feeling like a luxury, is this really the moment to make them more expensive? There are few things more reliably British than complaining about something we secretly love. Sure, the weather is one – but what about tourists? In a blinding bit of great news for crowd-haters,...
How the internet turned its back on the tradwife trend
Between a Nara Smith rebrand and a New York Times bestselling novel, it seems the glory days of tradwifery are behind us. Nara Smith is best known for her scratch cooking videos. Or maybe it’s the extravagant couture she wears while cooking. No wait, it’s her famous model husband Lucky Blue Smith (once tumblr’s ultimate it-boy). Ah! Got it. It’s the weird and wonderful names of her children: Whimsy Lou,...
How YouTube is shifting the media hierarchy
People are flocking to the platform as online alternatives replace mainstream media. But Gen Z already knew that. Which chat show host has the monopoly on late-night entertainment? Ask anyone under the age of 35 and they’ll tell you it's not a TV presenter, but a YouTuber. Amelia Dimoldenberg, the mastermind behind breakout show Chicken Shop Date, has said her YouTube show is finally being taken seriously in the industry, as...
What is ‘soft socialising’ and why is everyone doing it?
Gen Z are choosing gentler forms of fun thanks to stressful work schedules and marketing fatigue. Have you recently vowed to delete the dating apps (again)? Join the club. Modern life has made socialising – romantic or otherwise – a largely digital task, and in so doing has made one of our most fundamental instincts just that: a task. Don’t get me wrong, introverts will tell you that meeting new people has always...
Vinted users complain AI is causing unfair suspensions
The resale app is the latest platform facing backlash for its use of automated tools. Thousands of Vinted sellers have said they were suspended unfairly or permanently banned after automated fraud detection deemed them to be using the app inappropriately. The BBC reported that several users feel the platform’s integrated AI tools are failing to monitor the resale platform appropriately, leaving some – including those who for whom Vinted is...
