Is Gen Z running out of friends?
New research in the UK has found that young people are now five times more likely to have ‘no close friendships’ compared to 2014. Experts believe it is a mix of austerity, economic hardship, TikTok, and a loss of self-esteem that has caused a perfect storm of isolation. What...
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dystopian sports betting farms + gta gooners run riot online
the beautiful game, it aint There are certain things you stumble on when mindlessly scrolling that are so dystopian you assume they’re either made up for engagement or grossly exaggerated. Sports betting farms were that for me. In a curtained-off gym or warehouse, four young blokes are playing a two vs two...
Did Meta fail to protect Gen Z?
here’s to a better Meta (supposedly) Mark Zuckerberg’s tech firm Meta - the owners of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook - has agreed on an $18 billion USD settlement to resolve claims that its platforms actively harmed children. Was it right to do so? Meta, the tech company that owns Instagram, WhatsApp,...
£29bn of oil, £336bn of damage + Cat in the Hat stalkers
deal or no deal? I didn’t want to read about it, you don’t want to read about it, but it’s the biggest news of the week. So let’s bathe in existential dread together. Doomscrolling is all 2000-and-late, but occasionally we have to bear witness. Climate change is among the sorest of...
Does ‘nickel-and-diming’ make Gen Z stingy?
‘I’m bad at maths, let’s just split it three ways!’ After a delayed train you rock up later than your pals to the bar, and see everyone is already tucking into posh burgers with added Canadian bacon. Having had a hearty breakfast, you opt for a handful of mozzarella sticks...
looksmaxxing wasn’t so toxic? + doing better for kid stars
When did ‘we’re gonna make it, brah’ become ‘you’re chopped’? This isn’t what Zyzz wanted for us. There are certain historical figures whose importance only becomes apparent years after their death. Van Gogh. Kafka. That bloke from the ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ video. I’m throwing Aziz Shavershian, known to everyone other than his...
Studying the social media spectacle of a solar eclipse
glasses at the ready, everyone A major solar eclipse set social media ablaze this week, as Europeans geared up for a ‘once-in-a-generation’ celestial event. Opinions were mixed, with some left disappointed. Has everything become pre-packaged as online content? Did you watch the solar eclipse this week? Europeans were treated to a rare, near-total block of the sun on Wednesday, as the most intense solar eclipse since 1999 swept over Europe and some parts of...
social change comedown + gen z go mute
right here, right now! or whenever… I ain’t gluing myself to Oxford Street or throwing orange paint at the Lamborghini dealership. I’ve got bills to pay. Remember in the late 2010s when Gen Z was synonymous with social change, a broad catch-all term encapsulating the desire for a more equitable and just world? In 2026, that link has become tenuous at best, and you’re more likely to associate the cohort with...
Why is Gen Z fixated on… frozen yoghurt?
slather my dessert in chocolate and call it wellness, baby Frozen yoghurt has been rebranded on TikTok as a luxury ‘wellness’ food. Its newfound popularity reflects Gen Z’s spending habits and growing appetite for premium experiences beyond boozy pubs. Frozen yoghurt is making a comeback, at least in the UK and US. According to data first reported by Bloomberg several months ago and cited by Morning Brew, The Times, and Fortune, frozen...
gen z scale back socialising + ariana grande quits public life
thank u, next If your weekend plans involve anything more expensive than a stroll around a National Trust park, chances are your Gen Z chums will mentally run the numbers the second you pop up in the group chat. ‘Will I still be a reasonable level of skint come Monday?’ Given the cohort is synonymous with moderation on just about everything, whether it’s sex, alcohol, or nights out – anything but...
