Why Japan’s government created a state-mandated dating app
In light of the country's low national birth rates and worsening lonely deaths epidemic, a government-mandated dating app has been created for Japanese citizens. Can the state's involvement solve the cultural issues driving these worrying trends?Β The declining birth rate in Japan has been declared by the countryβs former prime...
Current in Culture
New NTIA study shows young people βpriced outβ of nightlife
Fresh research by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) shows that young people in the UK are going out less than they were a year ago.Β It seems like Gen Z may be unable to go out in the evenings due to financial pressures. New research conducted by Obsurvant on behalf...
Are Gen Z phasing out the one night stand?
Is the decline in casual sex among Gen Z a sign of conservatism, or are young people simply seeking deeper connections? In the latest attempt to paint young people as far more wholesome (and dare I say boring) than their predecessors, a new report by The Times claims Gen...
Taylor Swift becomes biggest female artist of all time in the UK
Taylor Swift has now become the biggest female artist of all time in the UK, with the most UK No 1 albums ever. The record means she has officially surpassed Madonna. The rise and cultural dominance of Taylor Swift continues with no real end in sight. She has just broken...
We need to talk about βAlmond Mumsβ
How the fascination with our mothersβ diets has permeated social media and changed the way we think about food.Β There are few social trends as pervasive as the βalmond mumβ. Sheβs slim, sheβs usually wearing yoga leggings, she shops at Whole Foods. And according to the thousands of videos featuring...
Googleβs Gemini AI advert coughs out incorrect cheese facts
In the first version of its latest advert for AI, Googleβs Gemini can be seen providing incorrect information on cheese. Itβs an excellent example of why we shouldnβt rely entirely on AI to do the thinking for us. Honey, the Large Language Model (LLM) AI program is hallucinating again! It...
Ed Sheeran street concert shut down by police in India
In widely-shared footage online, a police officer can be seen unplugging Ed Sheeranβs microphone at a street performance in India. Ed Sheeran had his street performance in India cut short over the weekend, despite reportedly asking permission before starting. A police offer unplugged his microphone and ushered him away, leaving onlookers disappointed. The incident occurred before Ed was scheduled to play in the city of Bengaluru later that evening. He...
Hawk Tuah girl returns after crypto scam controversy
Haliey Welch went viral last year for her βhawk tuahβ TikTok interview moment. Since then, sheβs amassed over 2 million Instagram followers, launched a podcast, and faced controversy for a pump-and-dump crypto currency scheme. Sheβs now returned after two months offline. βHawk Tuahβ girl is back, everyone! 22-year-old Haliey Welch went viral last year for a street interview she did with TikTok content creators Tim Dickerson and DeArius Marlow. When...
The artist vs person debate at the heart of the Emilia Perez scandal
Backlash against lead Karla Sofia GascΓ³n points to the morality minefield of consuming an artist's actions alongside their work. Karla Sofia GascΓ³n is the first trans woman to be nominated for Best Lead Actress at the Oscars for her role in Netflix underdog Emilia Perez. I use the term underdog because the film itself, which focuses on the story of a cartel kingpin transitioning to live as a woman, features an...
Exploring Reggaeton’s roots and political history
Reggaeton is widely recognised by its uptempo beats and raunchy lyrics, but there is another side to the genre we see less often. Through live events and powerful lyrics, reggaeton artists have used music as a tool to call out political corruption, discrimination, and to generate a feeling of solidarity. Reggaeton, a blend of reggae, hip hop, and dancehall, first began in Panama in the late 1980s. Starting out as a...
