All Things — Every link, sorted by what it’s about.
Culture & Internet
Essays and trends on how we live online and what it does to us.
Why Time Feels Faster Than It Used To
Noema traces why the 2020s scrambled everyone's sense of time, from Boomers to Zoomers — turns out the warping is real, backed by actual psychology.
29 States Are Suing Meta Over Algorithmic Addiction
And despite looking fresh - Instagram's parent company Meta is getting dragged to court, a lot, for how its been knowingly designing addictive products and serving them to kids.
The Messenger App That Delivers Texts by Virtual Pigeon
Kika's pick — a strange little app for anyone tired of being reachable, where your message can get lost, or the bird can just die.
The Age of Average
Alex Murrell's essay on how film, fashion, and branding keep converging on the same safe, data-approved look.
Tech's Best Sales Team? You.
A Guardian columnist argues targeted social ads have quietly turned tech companies' own users into their sales force.
Kika's Pick
Kika's pick this week, straight from the feed with no context attached — click through and judge for yourself.
youtube.comVideoIt's okay to hop on the bandwagon
On New York's sudden, collective pivot to the Knicks and the World Cup — sheeple summer, and why it's fine.
The Body Became the Sensor, and the Market Followed
From glucose patches to posture trackers, the body is now a data source — and brands are rushing to read it.
trendwatching.comTrendsWhat Might The Next Axial Age Look Like?
Noema asks whether today's crises are forcing a civilizational reset as profound as any in recorded history.
noemamag.comEssayThe Death of Twitter, told through its own tweets
The Verge tells the story of Twitter's death through the tweets that witnessed it — an oral history in 280 characters.
Prediction Is Power. Be Careful Who Has It.
Philosopher Carissa Véliz takes the TED stage to make the case that data-driven prediction doesn't just read the future — it shapes it. A sharp, necessary watch.
The Armored League
A brutal full-contact sport where history meets heavy metal, with armored fighters using blunt medieval weapons. If you are in NY, you should check out this "WTF" event.
thearmoredleague.comTrendsIn case you want to travel back to the 80s
The Weather Channel takes us back in time with a localized, nostalgic forecast that feels like a digital time machine.
Living in the Screen Space
The internet is no longer a destination we visit but an environment we inhabit, requiring a new philosophy of digital space.
The Invention of the Timeline
A look back at the 19th-century shift when time became a straight line, forever changing how we visualize our past and chase our future.
aeon.coEssayWikipedia, human edition
On its 25th birthday, Wikipedia shifts the spotlight from platform to people, celebrating the volunteers behind the world’s shared knowledge.
creativeboom.comInternet cultureThe 50 Most Iconic Technologies of 2025
Hard Fork looks back at a year where AI, group chats, and cultural oddities all competed for icon status. It’s a snapshot of how technology becomes memory.
We are researching Authenticity and this research from 2017 caught our attention.
It turns out profanity may be truth’s closest companion. New research suggests people who curse are surprisingly less deceptive.
phys.orgReportCan Europe Reclaim Its Digital Sovereignty?
Europe wants to shape tech on its own terms, but is it too late? A powerful essay on autonomy, regulation, and designing systems that reflect more than Silicon Valley’s values.
noemamag.comEssayCalling All Creators
Meta just launched Instagram Rings designed to reward bold creativity and self-expression. The new award from Instagram is all about celebrating those not afraid to take creative chances.
Taste Is the New Power Tool
According to FIELD, taste has evolved from personal instinct to cultural operating system - the last un-automatable advantage in a machine-made world.
Labubumatchadubaichocolate Is a Mood
The New Yorker’ weekly opinion piece on technology and culture talks about the recent trend of absurdity, and where Labubumatchadubaichocilate is a response to algorithmic overstimulation.
The Brain Rot Debate, Explained
In the latest episode of Diary of a CEO, a fiery debate between neuroscientists, designers, and skeptics takes on the most controversial claim in the field.
Taste Is the New Intelligence
In a world drowning in content and noise, the ability to choose with precision, intention, and style might be the ultimate intellectual flex.
The Illusion of Intellect
What does it mean to be smart in an age of performative knowledge? This essay unpacks how AI contributes to a shallow sense of understanding.
whatsanu.substack.comEssayThe Constipation of Culture: Why Nothing New Gets Through and Nothing Old Goes Away
How late capitalism turned culture into content and content into sludge.
mikecormack.substack.comEssayShit’s Gonna Get So Fucking Weird and Terrible
An uncomfortably honest field guide to the deeply bizarre now-now-soon.
What to Know About the Kids Online Safety Act and Where It Currently Stands
What to know about the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, which has been reintroduced and has a second chance.
What Can We Learn from Broken Things?
Much of what we see now is fake, and the reality we face is full of horrors. More and more of the world is slipping beyond my comprehension.
newyorker.comEssayBuilding A Prosocial Media Ecosystem
There’s never been a better time to make social media what it always should have been: a tool to strengthen rather than strip-mine the social fabric.
Reclaim Imperfect Faces
Technology isn’t just changing the way we look—it’s changing our sense of how we should look.
Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Is Over
During testimony at Meta’s antitrust trial, the Facebook founder’s argument was, in so many words, that platforms like his are not what they used to be.
Spells, Vibes, and Thick Imagination
At the heart of RADAR's 2025 focus is a simple but significant question: how do we build infrastructure that helps people cross from yearning for better futures to actually building them?
radarxyz.substack.comTrendsSXSW 2025: the 10 trends that shaped this year’s festival
The Drum was on the ground at South by Southwest again this year, finding out what the future holds for marketing, media and tech. Here are their biggest takeaways.
The Coolest People Online Are Barely Posting at All
Oversharing is out, privacy is in. Digital minimalists are curating their online presence with intention — because in 2025, mystery is the ultimate flex.
We All Have ‘Archive Anxiety’ Now
As online access to information becomes increasingly restricted, even the noblest feats of preservation and archiving are being hijacked.
The Anatomy of Hype
Offering insights for individuals and organizations seeking to understand the dynamics of hype, make informed decisions amidst the frenzy, and harness its potential for positive change.
TOO BUSY Foundation
Human trafficking is everywhere, thriving in silence. Our mission is to break that silence—to expose the darkness and amplify the voices that have been hidden for too long. This is a sanctuary for truth, a space to reveal what has remained hidden in our culture.
weare.toobusy.foundationCampaignsBest of Further Reading 2024: FT journalists pick their favourite non-FT articles of the year
Financial Mail has once again enlisted the help of their legacy media colleagues to bring together the best articles published over 2024 that weren’t in the FT.
ft.comEssayThe Technology that actually runs our World
Cultural algorithms are only downstream of the larger, intractable forces that shape how art is made and supported. It’s not that Spotify has made music more boring or that Instagram has made art more stale.
theatlantic.comEssayWellness Culture Is Now Peddling Extremism
From trad wives to raw milk, social media’s wellness trends have been radicalized—and could cost us a more equitable future.
Pinterest Predicts 2025
The Pinterest trend report is always a fun read. Apparently up and coming trends for 2025 include fisherman aesthetic, castle-core, and (our personal fave) sea witchery plus many more.
Pop Culture Trends of 2025
Showcasing how elements of mainstream media are influencing societal behavior and consumer goods, Trend Hunter’s pop culture category features everything from viral videos to film merchandise and political satire.
trendhunter.comTrendsImmerse yourself in our unique celebration of curiosity
Over 10 years and 3000 links later we reached an exciting milestone –– and to celebrate our 300th issue of the team’s favourite links from over the years, we celebrated with an immersive microsite where you can explore, learn and find those unexpected sources of inspiration.
The age of average
In an age where literally everything looks the same, is it time to introduce some originality into design, culture and life?
Ten Charts That Capture How the World Is Changing
Insights into how tech has changed our lives, plus user experience lessons from our fave green owl, Duolingo.
OK COOL Trend Report
The most anticipated social trend report of the year is here. Read Gatekeeping Information is SO Boomer Coded: A marketer's guide to Gen Zalpha's new school mindset.
The future of betting
Prediction markets have been around for a long time, but it was only during the last election that they broke fully into the mainstream. This surge is due to trickle down into other markets, from popular culture to the weather.
businessinsider.nlEssayThe Endgames of Bad Faith Communication
Seeking to understand others and communicate honestly is an essential democratic virtue. Can it be maintained in the digital age?
consilienceproject.orgEssayThe fallacy of faster
Rory Sutherland challenges our knee-jerk assumption that faster is always better. He asks us to consider what might happen if we approached problem-solving and decision-making with a more open-ended, human-centered perspective.
densediscovery.comEssayOK COOL Trend Report
The most anticipated social trend report of the year is here. Read Gatekeeping Information is SO Boomer Coded: A marketer's guide to Gen Zalpha's new school mindset.
Inside the internet’s Am I the Asshole ecosystem
This article delves into Reddit’s “Am I the Asshole?” (AITA) subreddit, how it’s become a cultural phenomenon and how gossip, morality and connection are integral to human nature.
Does Gen Alpha have “brainrot”?
Not here to fuel an intergenerational spat, but this article explores Gen Alpha’s concept of brainrot, and how it actually may have created a healthy boundary between them and their technology.
link.vox.comInternet cultureWhat Dollcore Says About The Precarious State of Girlhood
You’ve heard of Cottagecore, and you’ll definitely have heard of Barbiecore: the next aesthetic is Dollcore. While the former offer critiques of societal expectations of femininity, the latter emphasises and enables traditional, submissive roles.
highsnobiety.comTrendsThe Shift from Creator Economy to Meaning Economy: A New Era of Engagement
As AI generates mass content, standing out in this overwhelming digital landscape will depend on meaningful connections, stories, and authenticity.
Instagram, Facing Pressure Over Child Safety Online, Unveils Sweeping Changes
Learn about Instagram’s new safety and privacy changes created to protect teenagers on their platform.
The Desperation of the Instagram Photo Dump
If you’ve felt pressured to post a photo dump, you’re not alone. This article highlights the tension between personal expression and the performative nature of social media. And how the only way to counteract the overflow of online content is to put out an overflow of your own.
A historic ruling against Google could change the internet as we know it
A shift in how big tech can expected to be properly regulated in the US.
Download this: The world’s favorite apps
Is Snapchat most popular in Serbia or Peru? How familiar are you with the most popular apps in different countries across the world?
The Nature of Critique
Has technology, mass tourism, influencer culture, and glossy travel photography contributed to the erosion of a genuine connection with the natural world?
What is Brat Summer? The Charli XCX trend explained
It’s honest, bunt and messy – and so is the presidential candidate?
The Stonewall Uprising: The Origin Story of Pride Month
Solidarity wins. Today is the anniversary of Stonewall – get up to speed on the origins of Pride in this short history lesson.
world-weary.comEssayQueer Renaissance of Geography
Our future will be shaped by the way we navigate planetary challenges today – considering the past, the present and inclusivity.
atmos.earthEssayHypercycle: Navigating Authencity in a Post-Trend World
A navigation tool for facing our tenuous relationship with trends in what feels like a chaotic moment in culture. The report tackles both pain points and their medicine.
Speaking of Nature
Beyond humans, the English language inherently detaches us from living things through the pronoun ‘it’ rather than ‘she/they/he’ – this essay explores language that affirms our kinship with the natural world.
orionmagazine.orgEssayWe Need To Rewild The Internet
What do forests and the internet have in common? When we simplify complex systems, we destroy them, and the devastating consequences sometimes aren’t obvious until it’s too late.
When Did Everything Become a ‘Journey’?
Previously the word ‘journey’ was used in relation to a destination, a trip. And now, well you can have all kinds of journeys - typically in health and wellness. A linguistic look into the evolution of these semantics.
nytimes.comEssayHow breakdancing became the latest Olympic sport
Why is the sport officially called breaking, and how is something so freestyle and subjective going to play out as a scored sport in Paris this summer?
theconversation.comTrendsThe (unpretty) State of Culture, 2024
Ted Gioia is seeing a culture shift where tech is exploiting dopamine for profit, leading to a decline in happiness and the rise of a post-entertainment society focused on addictive distractions.
The shame of LinkedIn
A jobs board + social media + personal updates, LinkedIn often feels so cringe. But is it possible to post there without being cringe yourself? Experts give their point of view.
businessinsider.comSocial mediaMy McLuhan lecture on enshittification
An examination into the process of “enshittification”, a term coined by author Cory Doctorow about how platforms colonized the internet, why all those platforms are degrading so quickly, and why it matters.
Decoder: How Donald Trump and Elon Musk Killed Twitter, with Marty Baron and Zoe Schiffer
Did you know that X (née Twitter) is now worth 71.5% less than when Musk bought it? This special episode of Decoder offers a deep dive into the demise of Twitter, with guests who really know their stuff.
Ten Charts That Capture How the World Is Changing
Insights into how tech has changed our lives, plus user experience lessons from our fave green owl, Duolingo.
The Strangely Beautiful Experience of Google Reviews
A chaotic yet wildly entertaining experience of people’s thoughts - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Formulaic content fatigue will prompt its counter-development
Algorithmic recommendations, coupled with the “soon” widespread adoption of AI-generated content, intensify content and media fatigue. Despite our phones taking up so much of our attention, there is a growing resentment towards this constant attachment. In 2024, the well-established TikTokified content will persist across all media, attempting to influence consumers through the unpolished language of authenticity. However, historical patterns suggest that the mainstream rise of something often indicates the underdevelopment of its counter-development. In the realm of content, culturally savvy and courageous brands or creators will begin to explore new or revisit old ways to tell their stories, against the grain of TikTok, Reels, and generative AI.
Pinterest Predicts
The annual, not yet trending report, is packed with insights into what people are planning to do, try and buy.
It's not just you. LinkedIn has gotten really weird.
From sharing intimate details about divorce to shy-bladder syndrome are we okay with more vulnerability on this “professional platform” and how much is just TMI?
Tech doesn’t make our lives easier. It makes them faster
This author explains how capitalism doesn’t care if we want to use or adopt new technologies, it’s built to encourage us to want more, and then when we’re burned out, the cycle starts again.
brettscott.substack.comEssayWhy the Internet Isn’t Fun Anymore
From AI chatbots with various “sassy” personalities to Musk’s chaotic approach to Twitter, sorry X. When did we actually last enjoy the internet?
The Burning Man Fiasco Is the Ultimate Tech Culture Clash
Whilst in theory, the core principles remain, in recent years Burning Man has morphed into a confab of tech bros, celebs, and influencers.
wired.comEssayYou Probably Don’t Know What ‘Phubbing' Is, But You Do It Constantly
If you don’t know what this means, trust us, you’ve definitely done it before, but why do we do this?!
Are you on Threads?
Sign ups for Meta’s answer to Twitter, Threads, surged past 100 million users in just 5 days, beating Chat GPT’s record of 2 months - but it hasn’t even launched in the EU.
Reddit descends into chaos
In a protest against proposed API pricing changes, Reddit communities across the platform have gone dark - and it’s spiralled into chaos.
Meet the EU’s answer to crypto: the e-euro
In a bid to play catch up, central banks are finally starting to take digital currencies seriously - and the ECB is one of them.
theconversation.comNewsThe Internet Isn’t Meant To Be So Small
The death of Google Reader matters: an exploration into why the internet shrank in size, and well unsurprisingly it’s all down to social media.
Opinion: An internet that women want? It looks like this
With a continued gender divide even online, here is how six experts envision an internet that works better for women.
RIP Metaverse, we hardly knew ye
At just three years old, is the Metaverse ready for an early grave? This writer certainly thinks so.
Is social media is doomed to die?
After seven years at SnapChat, Ellis Hamburger learned about why our most important apps seem destined to disappoint us.
LinkedIn rolls out ways to verify your identity and employment
Finally a chance to bust employer/employee scammers, this new verification will help users understand who’s the real deal.
The TikTok ban is a betrayal of the open internet
Wouldn’t it be better to pass real privacy, security, transparency, and other accountability rules for all tech companies, rather than locking out a foreign competitor?
Disney’s first round of layoffs knocked the metaverse off its priority list
Another blow to investments into the Metaverse as Disney scraps its next-generation storytelling and consumer experiences unit.
Ten Charts That Capture How the World Is Changing
Insights into how tech has changed our lives, plus user experience lessons from our fave green owl, Duolingo.
Meta ditches NFTs on Instagram and Facebook in Metaverse reversal
After announcing its support for NFTs on its platforms at SXSW ‘22, Meta is winding these efforts down due to low demand this last year.
TikTok’s De-Influencers Tell You What Not to Buy
Authenticity is prevailing once again as influencers are flipping their role online. Now they’re de-influencing, telling you what NOT to buy.
The Strangely Beautiful Experience of Google Reviews
A chaotic yet wildly entertaining experience of people’s thoughts - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Whatever happened to the metaverse?
Search traffic for ‘metaverse’ has dropped by 80% this last year, are we all just over it? And what does that mean for its future?
Resilience Tech Report
For both organisations and individuals the need for resilience is more prevalent than ever. How can technology and design support a transition from efficiency to resilience?
Why the super rich are inevitable
Explore an interactive demonstrate of why scientist believe a society with super rich people is inevitable. It all starts with a vintage watch purchase, and a yard sale...
pudding.coolToolThe Metaverse industry is already going belly-up for reasons we can't imagine
Despite heavy investment, layoffs and division closures are rife across the industry.
Your stuff is actually worse now
You'd expect that developments in technology, design and manufacturing would lead to great design and better quality products. Well, actually consumerism ushered in an era of badly made stuff...
