Latest Stories from Flo
Is it possible to detach from your phone?
The growing dependency on tech is driving us apart. But there are ways to prevent being swallowed by your phone. ‘84% of Americans say they are online either several times a day or ‘almost constantly,’ writes Christina Caron. I must amidst I didn’t even bat an eyelid at that statistic – which says it all, really. I’ve used 2025 as a sort of ‘health kick’ year. Newly single and determined to...
Is our obsession with the gym making us boring?
Wellness culture has turned exercise into a personality, as young people trade in joy, spontaneity, and a social life for punishing self-optimisation. We’re living through a fitness fever dream. Scroll any social feed and you’ll see it: a never-ending carousel of cold plunges and step counts. For many young people, the gym has become a temple where workouts are both religious rituals and social performances. We might be physically fitter...
Ultra-processed foods sabotage weight loss on even ‘healthy’ diets
When ready meals nick scraps of time, they may also rob us of fat‑loss – according to a groundbreaking new study, at least. The other evening I found myself perched on my kitchen floor, surrounded by grated parmesan, a pot of burnt chickpeas, and more dishes than I care to admit. I’d committed myself to a homemade Ottolenghi feast, not because I love washing-up, but because I wanted to wow the friends...
Hounslow’s Lime Bike ban is a blow for green social mobility
As Hounslow Council evicts Lime in favour of rival operators Forest and Voi, is stricter enforcement coming at the cost of freedom, flexibility, and sustainability. In a significant shakeup to London’s urban mobility landscape, Hounslow Council has confirmed it will ban the use of Lime e-bikes from 11 August, awarding an exclusive borough-wide contract to competitors Forest and Voi. The move comes after a wave of complaints about ‘dangerous’ and inconsiderate...
Trump’s policies are costing the US $29 billion in lost tourism
As global tourism drops, the US faces the financial consequences of aggressive immigration and trade policies, putting millions of jobs at risk. The United States was once a haven for tourists. From the sweeping mountains of the midwest, to the bustling cities of the east coast and the beaches of California – North America has some of the most diverse landscapes and communities in the world. But it now faces a dramatic...
What is the Japanese walking trend?
Health experts are torn on this popular wellness routine. But is it worth the hype? Self-optimisation might be the biggest trend of 2025. Whether it’s journaling, cutting down on screen time, or feeding your gut, everyone is obsessed with their wellbeing. This fixation is at times – ironically – unhealthy. If fad diets were the rage in the ‘90s, then fad wellness routines are their post-millenium counterpart. But as an unprecedented...
The paradox of vintage fashion hauls
Gen Z may have an affinity for second-hand clothing, but that won’t change their longstanding love of overconsumption. When I was growing up in rural England, second-hand shopping meant reluctantly traipsing around a charity shop with my mum and hoping nobody from school spotted me. The clothes smelt like damp and usually had more than one dubious stain. Needless to say, it wasn’t the height of fashion. Things started to change...
How should we honour the Lionesses?
There’s a stark contrast in the way we respond to female versus male sporting victory. It’s time we asked ourselves why. When England’s Lionesses clinched a historic back-to-back UEFA Women’s Euro title with their 2-1 victory over Spain on Sunday, celebrations erupted across the country. Fans flocked to Trafalgar Square, brands rushed to post congratulatory graphics, and news channels cleared their schedules to show the game live on not one, but...
Is this summer’s Love Island UK the most misogynistic yet?
The show’s male contestants have repeatedly bullied, belittled, and gaslit. On a show plagued by mental health crises and online abuse, how thin is the line between entertainment and intervention? I love staying in the loop. Maybe it’s the nature of my job, but keeping up with current affairs is a major part of my daily routine. That might mean reading the newspaper or listening to The Rest is Politics...
Opinion – the ‘baby bust’ panic tells us more than the numbers
Falling birthrates are reshaping the modern world. But the loudest voices framing it as a crisis reveal deeper anxieties about power, tradition, and who gets to inherit the future. It has become a familiar refrain: people aren’t having babies, and the world as we know it is on the brink. In the UK, the fertility rate dropped to 1.49 children per woman in 2022, from 1.55 in 2021. Besides the...
