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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
TikTok finally admits it has an ‘AI slop’ problem
the rise (and potential fall) of TikTok slop After years of churning out new tools as fast as possible, it seems TikTok has recognised it has an ‘AI slop’ problem. The company has announced new measures to detect automated content, with options to filter and prioritise human creators. Does TikTok have an ‘AI slop’ problem? The short-form video platform has never been shy of controversy. From privacy concerns to a one-day US...
‘uk poo’ hits socials + earnest isn’t entertaining
the sun goes down, my zoot comes up I have frankly no cause to spend the amount of time I do on Twitter (not calling it X). It feels like overegging the pudding to call it a guilty ‘pleasure’, but it somehow remains my social app of choice. This week, however, has been a stark reminder of why, having turned 30 many moons ago, I need to bin Twitter off for...
Why FIFA embraced IShowSpeed at the World Cup
we did it, chat Gen Z streaming star IShowSpeed performed at this year’s World Cup final, marking a major shift in mainstream media; online creators have become so influential that they’re impossible to ignore, especially if legacy institutions wish to attract a younger audience. Well, the World Cup has been and gone. There was heartbreak (for us England fans, the pain of that Argentinian loss can’t be overstated) and elation in equal...
odyssey’s anti-woke boycott fails + pokémon traders get strapped
nolan is too goated to ‘go broke’ This ain’t no little live-action Disney remake. It’s Christopher Nolan. In the least surprising turn of events this summer, the masses flocked to see The Odyssey on opening weekend across the globe. The movie already boasts a 95% critic score and a 97% user score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the most critically revered Nolan project to date, though it is early days, granted. In terms of the...
