Sludge Escapism and Romance Fraud

where's nev schulman when you need him

Florence Pugh is the new face of Valentino; TikTok is testing an in-app tool that creates generative AI avatars; and what young democrats want from a second Biden campaign (besides a different candidate).

'SLUDGE CONTENT' IS THE LATEST FORM OF ESCAPISM ON TIKTOK, nbcnews
Sludge content is #corecore on steroids: Frenetic videos compiled from two or more unrelated sources — “a popular game component such as Subway Surfers, an automated voice reading a confessional Reddit story time, an ASMR clip such as a bar of soap being cut or a scene from a cartoon or a television show” — are all over TikTok.

NEW GEN Z-CENTERED APP RTRO LAUNCHES WITH CHATGPT AND FOCUS ON MESSAGING, glossy
Launched by executives from a marketing firm called TH Experiential, RTRO — which is not yet in the iOS store as of this morning — aims to become a new “group chat hub” for Gen Z. Its features include a private group chat section, a public section for brands and influencers to send messages to followers, and a ChatGPT integration. The founders say they have attracted several beauty brands to the app including Loops Beauty and Alastin Skincare. 

HOW BEREAL MISSED ITS MOMENT, theverge
The number of people who use BeReal daily has dropped 61 percent from its peak, from about 15 million in October to less than six million in March. The tl;dr from Casey Newton is that to become the next big social app, competitors have to move faster.

GEN ZERS ARE TAKING OVER COLLEGE CITIES — AFTER THEY GRADUATE, insider
U.S. Census data shows that cities with the highest rate of net migration of adults between 18 to 24 had a common thread — most were metros that are socially, economically, and recreationally influenced by colleges. Topping the list is Washington, DC, home to Georgetown University;  Columbia, South Carolina, home to the University of South Carolina, and Boston, where dozens of institutions of higher learning are nestled. Madison also made the top 10.

ROMANCE FRAUD IS SURGING AMONG YOUNG WOMEN & IT’S DOWN TO THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS, r29
Having watched more seasons of Catfish than I’d care to admit, this isn’t altogether surprising, though it’s still quite depressing.

Research from Barclays shows that scammers are using the cost of living crisis to come up with new tactics, with over a quarter (27%) of people admitting they would send money to someone they were dating online to help with bills, food and other essentials. Scam attempts have increased by 60% in the last six months, while 51% of 21 to 30-year-olds are reporting a rise in the number of suspicious messages they receive on dating sites. Furthermore, despite over half (54%) of 21 to 30-year-olds being confident they would not be a victim, they are twice as likely as 51 to 60-year-olds to fall victim to a scam.

PLEATS PLEASE IS THE ULTIMATE ‘IYKYK’ LABEL, elle
Pleats Please Issey Miyake, a line of “amorphous, finely pleated, colorful garments” celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, is suddenly young, cool, and subversive. “Thanks to the internet and Gen Z’s curious nature,” explains one expert, “it’s become a closet mainstay.” (It’s also really comfy, which is not nothing in these perpetually WFH times.) Ssense, whose customer base is primarily hyper-stylish twenty-somethings, was quick to notice its potential, picking up the label in 2017. “It’s universally flattering, easily worn by diverse bodies, ageless, and offers endless styling opportunities,” says Brigitte Chartrand, the store’s vice president of womenswear buying.

WHY LUXURY IS OBSESSED WITH RELAUNCHING OLD BAGS, voguebusiness
In luxury handbags (and beyond), what’s old is new again — again. But how long can the nostalgia obsession last? Retro is only really cool when it’s a novelty, not the norm.

“This passion for vintage is more pronounced now because this generation is growing up with social media and the internet. Everyone has access to so much information, and it’s quite easy to educate yourself about different designers and time periods whereas it used to be more arcane,” says Julie Ann Clauss, a New York-based fashion archivist, with clients including Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Gabriela Hearst and PVH-owned Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. 

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