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the internet is not-so-divided over this murderous ivy leaguer
Hello to all of you wonderful people 💞
Global news during this last week has been especially wild, from the murder of a healthcare company’s CEO in NYC, to intense rebel activity in Syria, and ongoing political instability in South Korea.
With the latest edition of our newsletter, I hope to shed a little bit of light on your week. This week we’ll be exploring the value of screenless hobbies, the revival of analogue technology, football-fashion activism, and much more.
Let’s dive in!
🥐 Culture + lifestyle
Slow and screenless hobbies – brave enough (via substack)
Each of us has experienced burnout from too much screen time at least once. This article is an ode to the activities, hobbies, and adventures that wait to enrich us when we finally find the willpower to pull away from our many devices.
For best results, Caoilainn recommends hobbies that involve time, dedication, and practice – her personal choice being the complex world of raising and baking sourdough loaves. Imagine all the fun, quirky, and useful skills we could acquire if we cut out scrolling from time to time? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.
Thirty minutes of exercise boosts your brain for 24 hours – telegraph
A study by the University College London and University of Oxford found consistent improvements in memory tests the day after moderate to vigorous exercise. The good news? Anything that gets your heart rate up counts, whether that’s a brisk walk or climbing sets of stairs.
Some research groups have found that even five minutes of exercise can have a significant impact on our physical and mental equilibrium. More research is underway, but let’s just say that any movement is always better than none!
🥷🏼 News + society
Rather than condemning Luigi Mangione, the now-identified-and-arrested gunman responsible for the death of a healthcare company’s CEO, millions of Americans perceive the shooting as a warning about the US health system’s failures. Seen as somewhat of a vigilante by many, Mangione represents a character that millions of uninsured Americans can relate to, but could never see themselves becoming.
Nowhere else is this way of thinking better reflected than online, where responses have sparked a New Yorker article titled: A Man Was Murdered in Cold Blood and You’re Laughing? Well, this Reddit thread suggests they’re doing a lot more than that.
Why Gen Z loves the digital cameras Millennials used to covet – npr
Bored of only seeing themselves through the len of their smartphone camera, Gen Z is moving to document their memories with anything but their iPhones. Whether it’s polaroid snaps, 35mm film, or a digital handheld camera, this generation is reaching for novel ways to see themselves – even if that means sacrificing a few megapixels.
When you’ve grown up with a handheld computer in your hand, analogue devices offer a much-needed breath of fresh air.
🤎 Style + fashion
Fontaines D.C. sponsors football team’s new kit to raise money for Palestine – huck
The lead singer of Fontaines D.C., an Irish post-punk band, was the only celebrity to raise awareness about injustice while accepting a Rolling Stones Award. Grian Chatten stated in his speech ‘It’s kind of weird that these words haven’t been said yet… Free Palestine.’
Now, the band has sponsored the latest away kit for Ireland’s Bohemian FC to raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). It’s pretty fresh, so be sure to check out the photos.
What else would you expect from SKIMS x The North Face? – high snobiety
Skims, the shapewear brand launched by Kim Kardashian, has moulded its brand identity around its range of staple skin-shaded undergarments.
So, when the $4 billion company announced a collaboration with outerwear brand The North Face, were fans foolish to anticipate a deviation from the brand’s beige, brown, and black colour palette? Indeed, they were. This collection has ‘Yeezy-inspired’ written all over it… and fans haven’t been shy in pointing that out.
🤳 Technology + AI
Google CEO says easy AI gains are over – futurism
Let’s face it, technology is in its flop era. The rapid improvements of generative AI injected a dose of excitement (and paranoia) into our increasingly online lives with platforms like ChatGPT and Midjourney, but now, developments are clearly plateauing. Google’s CEO has even admitted this, saying ‘the low-hanging fruit is gone’ and that progress in improving the capabilities and sustainability of AI models will get harder.
It really is that damn phone – the gen zer (via substack)
Is cheeky to promote my colleague’s work? Not if the article is actually worth reading, I’d say. In this piece, Jeremy writes about how the year 2012 was a turning point for humanity, a year that changed the world irrevocably.
To offer some evidence: birth rates started falling, chart-topping songs became more explicit, and mental health issues became more widespread. Uncoincidentally, 2012 was the year that world’s majority acquired the smartphone.
🧠 Recommendations
A lot of you will come for my neck with this one… but the hype is warranted.
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.
Until next time,
