Soft Clubbing and Aesthetic Vulnerability

"the lamest generation"

Sabrina Carpenter scored her first-ever No. 1 debut single with “Manchild”; Emma Chamberlain's latest Chamberlain Coffee launch is inspired by (and in partnership with) Pinterest; Reese Witherspoon’s daughter Ava Phillippe designed a collection for Bloomingdale’s; and Lewis Pullman — Bill Pullman’s son and Kaia Gerber’s boyfriend — is in talks to star alongside his dad in the upcoming Spaceballs sequel.

GEN Z AND GEN ALPHA BROUGHT A RAW, MESSY AESTHETIC TO SOCIAL MEDIA. WHY DOES IT FEEL AS INAUTHENTIC AS EVER?, theguardian
In a new op-ed, brand strategist Eugene Healey argues that Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s embrace of “raw” and “messy” social media aesthetics — photo dumps, finstas, crying selfies, etc. — has become its own performance, a kind of perfectionism of imperfection. “Vulnerability-as-aesthetic” has replaced the millennial polished feed, but both are shaped by constant self-surveillance. Brands have since co-opted this faux authenticity, with corporate accounts mimicking Gen Z’s sardonic, chronically online tone in comment sections. For young people today, Healey says, building a personal brand is no longer optional but a survival strategy in an economy that rewards visibility over privacy.

SOFT CLUBBING IS THE NEW GOING OUT, thecut
“Soft clubbing” is the latest evolution in nightlife (or early evening life, really) as Gen Z and young millennials seek out low-stakes, not-too-late events in unconventional venues like hair salons. AM.RADIO and TellSomebodyPresents have cultivated a new kind of party culture: one that ends by midnight, often happens in daylight, and values intimacy over intensity. A recent pop-up drew 1,600 RSVPs, though The Cut’s commenters remain unconvinced…

WHO ARE THE GEN ZERS OBSESSED WITH WELLNESS?, morningconsult
Gen Z wellness lovers — defined by Morning Consult as young people between the ages 18-27 who prioritize healthy eating and exercise weekly — are emerging as hyper-engaged, high-spending consumers who overindex on platforms like Pinterest and TikTok and enthusiastically seek out trend-driven products. They’re more likely than their peers to be employed full time and earn over $50K, and they consume more across nearly every category except alcohol. Politically, this group is shifting right faster than the broader Gen Z cohort, in part due to the influence of MAHA.

THE MOMS TRYING TO DELAY THEIR DAUGHTERS’ PERIODS, vox
With girls in the U.S. getting their periods earlier — the average is now age 11.9 — parents are actively trying to delay it by limiting endocrine-disrupting chemicals, like phthalates, and focusing on “clean” diets and low-tox lifestyles. Influencers like Nicky Skinner and Bec Kinderman have gone viral by promoting hormone-supportive parenting on social media, and while early puberty is indeed linked to health risks like breast cancer and anxiety, scientists say the causes are complex and systemic, requiring policy change, not just individual parental control.

‘TOY STORY 5’ IS MAKING TECH ITS BIG BAD, gizmodo
Pixar revealed that Toy Story 5, out next summer, will pit Woody and the gang against a new kind of rival: a tablet named Lillypad. Chief creative officer Pete Docter framed the film as a reflection of how tech is reshaping play, noting that the toys now face “exponentially harder” jobs competing for the attention of the “iPad kid” generation. The story directly engages with Gen Alpha’s digital upbringing and the fading dominance of analog toys in favor of apps; it sure will be interesting to see if the movie’s message seeps into their young brains or not.

One last thought:

@kirstenroseeeethanks for nothing #chatgpt #lipfiller #lipfillerchallenge

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