How capitalism turned hobbies into personal brands
In an age obsessed with niche interests and self-optimization, community has become collateral damage. There was a time when hobbies were simply things we did. You ran because you liked running. We watched films because we liked them. We read books because we fancied reading books. These activities stitched meaning into...
Current in People
UK secondary schools to proactively tackle misogyny in 2026
The impending measures include teacher training to spot misogyny in classrooms and the enrolment of ‘high-risk’ pupils into corrective behavioural courses. The British government has thrice delayed its elusive strategy to prevent the radicalisation of young men into the ‘Manosphere’, but is now starting to show its hand. Teachers will...
Should we all be working less in December?
It’s time to embrace a slower pace – at least until January. December is a funny month. Things are usually amping up in your personal life and winding down in your professional one – and this imbalance strikes up a range of issues. It can be hard to focus; you might...
Opinion – Japan’s ‘carnivorous women’ talk is oppressive
In Japan, ‘carnivorous women’ and ‘herbivorous men’ are less to do with what’s on people’s plates, and more about what the different genders can bring to the table. Is this a reclamation of women’s right to consume in a free market, or is it yet another iteration of patriarchal...
Should ‘work-life harmony’ replace ‘work-life balance’ as a lifestyle goal?
A modern twist on work-life balance encourages a more ‘realistic’ and fluid approach to juggling our daily commitments. From the moment we start working, the question of balancing that work with our personal commitments becomes a lifelong fixation. And as modern capitalism demands more labour, time, and skills for comparatively...
Financial abuse has been declared a ‘national emergency’ in the UK
A new report reveals millions of mums and children face quietly pervasive economic coercion – with family budgets being used as tools for domestic abuse. Abuse isn’t always obvious – least not when it takes place in the domestic sphere. But new figures from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) show that...
Women are bearing the fertility burden with invasive treatments
Lack of research and misdiagnosis is forcing couples, disproportionately women, into gruelling fertility treatment. When a couple struggles to conceive, you would expect both partners to be treated equally during the process of diagnosis. But fertility care still leans heavily toward invasive focus on the woman and little attention on the man. Not only does this imbalance place the onus of fertility struggles onto women, who then face an isolating sense...
How did Gen Z influence Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory in NYC?
On November 4, 2025, 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani was elected as the first Muslim mayor in New York City. And this is largely due to the influence of Gen Z. After four long years of subpar mayoral leadership, New Yorkers, especially Gen Z, are ready for a change. As of November 4, 2025, Zohran Mamdani is the change New York so desperately needed. The significance of the 34-year-old's mayoral win extends beyond...
The UN warns that women face rising online abuse
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, UN Women reveal a disturbing rise in violent abuse toward women in digital spaces – with little consequence for perpetrators. A few years ago, someone described the internet to me as ‘the world’s biggest public square,’ which sounded charming until I remembered that public squares throughout history have also hosted witch trials, duels, riots, and the occasional beheading. The past year...
Eswatini is Africa’s first nation to roll out HIV prevention shots
Eswatini has taken a historic step in Africa’s HIV response by approving the twice-yearly anti-HIV injection, lenacapavir, offering protection to its citizens. We are getting clearer data on where 15 to 24 year olds are most likely to be living with HIV. The numbers show that young people in Africa are affected far more than anywhere else, according to organisations like UNICEF and the WHO. Eastern and Southern Africa's...
