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the latest trends are in
Good day beautiful people!
Hope you’re all doing well and have a great week to look forward to.
This edition of our newsletter is touching on developments in culture, tech, social trends, and world news, including: conspiracy theories about McDonald’s increasingly grey aesthetic, Amazon’s move to ditch privacy for its Echo devices, what Gen Z is really looking for in a marriage partner, plus Israel’s violation of the Gaza ceasefire and increasing military activity in Taiwan.
💬 Culture
Conspiracy theorists on why McDonald’s restaurants are all grey now – screenshot
The world’s most popular fast food chain completely dropped its colourful, for-kids aesthetic years ago, refurbishing its 36,000 global establishments into depressing shades of brown, grey, and cream. But why? Conspiracy theorists think McDonald’s stopped designing their restaurants in fun and colourful designs because people are having less kids, so there are less kids around. Others believe the borderline brutalist architecture adopted by the company is linked to a rise in global affinity for communism. Did McDonald’s simply fall victim to the Millennial grey trend or does its drab appearance signal something more sinister?
I’m sick of hearing about your boyfriend – girl with the silver earring (via substack)
I’m guilty of it, everyone I know is guilty of it, heck, you’re probably guilty of it: meeting up with friends and spending the majority of the time together talking (or complaining) about the guys we are dating. This incredible and relatable piece by Asli asks young women not to de-center men from their lives entirely, but to stop questioning our value when men are treating us badly, or aren’t in our lives at all. She writes, “I don’t want to talk about men and their wrongs anymore. I don’t care. We have been talking about it for decades. It’s up to them to fix themselves now, not us. I want to talk about women instead. I want to talk about myself, and my girlfriends. I want [us] to be so happy in their relationships that we never have to talk about boyfriends again.” Amen.
📲 Tech
Everything you say to your Echo will soon be sent to Amazon and you can’t opt out – wired
If you were wise enough not to invite smart devices into your home, you can keep scrolling. Otherwise, you might want to pay attention. From March 28, Amazon is scrapping its longstanding data privacy feature and will keep track of every command and question you give to your Echo. Amazon says it’s using this data to bolster its new Alexa+ subscription assistant, but of course, this raises questions about how else this data could be used by the company.
Meta is trying to silence a former executive. Here’s why – business insider
Former Meta worker Sarah Wynn-Williams has had her memoir blocked from release by the tech giant. The book reportedly contains details about her experiences working in global public policy for the company between 2011 and 2017 and describes a culture built on power, deference, and secrecy. Details include Mark Zuckerberg’s employees allegedly letting him win at board games, executives courting members of the Chinese government, and claims that Meta’s top policy executive, Joel Kaplan, sexually harassed the author. The tell-all was an unexpected and revealing documentation of the Meta’s internal operations. The company has since won a ruling barring Wynn-Williams from promoting the book.
🤑 Society
Why marrying for money is coming back into fashion for Gen Z – telegraph
With socioeconomic mobility in the UK now virtually impossible, young people are looking for any feasible opportunity to move up a class rank. Choosing a well off partner to shack up with is now becoming one of the more popular approaches. A growing number of Gen Zers admit to keeping an eye on hints and cues that the person they’re dating comes from generational wealth: a mention of annual skiing holidays or calling parents ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’ being among them. Marrying up, it seems, is the only way to secure a comfortable future in today’s tough economic climate.
Self-care wasn’t originally intended for the self – thred
The self-care industry has drifted far from its origins, promoted by Black radical feminists as a way to recharge and build up energy to fight for justice and uplift communities during the Black Panther Movement. It is now, instead, a highly individualistic and consumerism-focused practice promoted by influencers and the broader capitalist machine. Eighteen-step skincare routines, spa breaks, and cutting ‘toxic’ people off indeed serves to protect and coddle the self in the short term, but only isolates us further from others, uses excess natural resources and creates waste, nevermind that it is contributing to the destruction of our planet. You don’t need another fun drink or $60 serum babe, you probably just need a good chat with a loved one.
💄 Beauty
Why urea is the unsexy hero of skincare – the guardian
Urea is a nitrogen molecule, and a chemical byproduct of the body’s metabolic breakdown of proteins. It serves as a humectant when used in beauty products, meaning it helps retain moisture in the top layer of the skin. When used on the face, it can create a plumping, hydrated look. When higher concentrations of it are used on drier skin areas like feet and elbows, it can eliminate rough skin almost entirely. It’s basically a completely safe miracle chemical, but it has struggled to rise in popularity… because some people think it comes from urine. So… does it?
Phenol peels: the truth about the dangerous beauty procedure – dazed digital
First used in the 1920s, phenol peels surpass any other at-home or in-office skin peel, completely obliterating wrinkles, scars, blemishes, and UV damage. The downside? You could die after getting one. Phenol, otherwise known as carbolic acid, offers deep exfoliation but is also highly poisonous and rapidly absorbed by the skin. This can lead to kidney and liver damage, heart arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, coma and even death. Still, it hasn’t stopped the treatment from going viral online. As Kishi Lal writes: “When we’re willing to gamble with our own lives, it’s time to forgo the question of whether beauty is pain. The bigger question now is: would we really rather die than be imperfect?”
🌏 World
More than 400 Palestinians killed as Israel resumes strikes on Gaza – al jazeera
More than 400 Palestinians have been killed after Israel launched extensive airstrikes on Tuesday morning (March 18). The strikes hit targets in northern Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. An Israeli statement said it carried out the strikes after Hamas refused to release hostages held in the Gaza Strip, and rejected a truce deal proposed by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. The surprise attack broke a period of relative quiet during the holy month of Ramadan and increased fears that the 17-month assault would fully resume. These fears aren’t unfounded, as Israeli spokespersons promised to use ‘increasing military force’ in a recent statement.
China warns Taiwan as it expands military drills near the island – euronews
Chinese military drills near Taiwan have ramped up in recent days, with 43 Chinese drones and ships entering the island’s air defence identification zone. The Taiwanese ministry said it monitored the situation and deployed aircraft, navy ships and coastal anti-ship missile defences in response, but no confrontations were reported. Beijing launches such missions on a daily basis, with the aim of wearing down Taiwanese defences and morale. Still, the vast majority of Taiwan’s 23 million people reject China’s claim of sovereignty over the island. On Saturday, China rejected accusations from G7 diplomats, who called Beijing’s aggressive maritime activities a serious threat to regional stability.
🎞️ Recommendations
I’m not usually one to watch comedy series, but “Mo” completely stole my heart in just a few 20 minute episodes. The series is loosely based on the main actor’s own life as a Palestinian refugee descendant living in Houston, Texas and was renewed only for a second season. You can watch the rollercoaster of a series in a single weekend, if that’s your thing.
Check out the trailer below.
Thanks for reading and make sure to subscribe for the latest news on Gen Z and youth culture. Also, don’t forget to check out The Gen Zer for a weekly roundup of more trending insights, stories, and discussions.
