

Discover more from After School by Casey Lewis
Tiffany and Nike tease upcoming collaboration after sneaker photos leak; Lil Yachty's new album has the internet tripping out; Kristen Stewart is directing three Boygenius music videos; and Gucci announces its new creative director.
WHAT’S PASSIVE INCOME? IT’S NOT WHAT INFLUENCERS SAY IT IS., nyt
Online, there’s a weird preoccupation — obsession, really — with making money effortlessly, especially among Gen Z and millennials. But while many people claim to be making passive income, only 20 percent of American households earn such income — and the median amount that those households make from those sources is just $4,200 a year.
Search “passive income” on YouTube, TikTok or Reddit and you’ll find a wealth of videos by people claiming they make thousands of dollars each month this way — whether they sell courses, e-books or other products online; offer property on short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO; or even buy and maintain vending machines in high-traffic buildings. The allure: Theoretically, it’s easier than a traditional 9-to-5 “job.”
DE-INFLUENCING IS TIKTOK’S RESPONSE TO OVERCONSUMPTION AND INAUTHENTICITY, glossy
On TikTok, the hashtag #deinfluencing has nearly 50 million views, with an uptick in interest in the past week. The “de-influencing” hashtag is filled with videos of creators telling you what not to buy — perhaps in response to “overconsumption and inauthenticity,” as a the headline suggests, but also just…another strategy to create viral content, no?
IN ADDITION TO GEN Z, SKIN CARE IS TAKING OVER THE GEN ALPHA SET, wwd
It was only a matter of time: Skin care brands are turning their attention to the 12-and-under set.
“We have made a concerted effort to offer accessibly priced skin care brands that deliver on efficacy and the prestige experience, all of which we know to be important to this shopper (who is in fact quite well-educated on the category),” said Brooke Banwart, senior vice president of merchandising and skin care at Sephora. Popular brands among younger shoppers at Sephora include The Ordinary, The Inkey List, Paula’s Choice, Peace Out Skincare, and its in-house brand, Sephora Collection.
YOUR THERAPIST SHOULDN’T BE ON TIKTOK, new statesman
Thousands of practising therapists are making memes about mental health, coping mechanisms and the specific interactions they have with their clients, gaining millions of views and becoming influencers in the process. Under the guise of education and improving people’s well-being, these therapists turn the conversations of the consulting room into meme-able content.
AT THE GYM, HIGH INTENSITY IS OUT, ‘SCULPT’ IS IN, wsj
Consistent with the overall shift towards slowing down and doing less, people are abandoning HIIT and turning to things like yoga and strength training. The general sentiment: “I didn’t want to hate exercise anymore.”
One last thought :)