This month: Gen Z workers are ‘task masking’; Young consumers are embracing bullet journals, luxury pens, and Japanese stationery amid the rise of stationerycore; NYC influencers are accused of being boring; and dumbphonesmay just be the answer to our self-esteem crisis.
The Millennial Redemption Arch
Lifestyle
The millennial “cringe” era may finally be coming to an end, thanks to the recent vibe shift taking place online. While we anticipated Gen Z to embrace and celebrate their own cringeyness with the dawn of Gen Alpha back in our 2024 trends report, we are even more thrilled to see a general reassessment of millennials among this cohort of long-time haters. Some cultural commentators are attributing this to the resurfacing of Lena Dunham’s “Girls” in the zeitgeist amid excitement for her next project for Netflix. Whatever the driving force – what’s clear is that Gen Z once distanced themselves from millennial optimism and picture-perfect digital aesthetics, but now they’re giving it new meaning — seeing it as a glimpse of fleeting freedom. Having grown up amid political unrest, a global pandemic, and climate anxiety, this sense of carefree expression feels like something they never truly had. And according to a viral TikTok from beloved millennial, Tinx, we are finally realizing that millennials kind of had it right all along.
Alex Cooper is stepping into her reality TV era
Entertainment
The daddy gang will be over the moon to hear that their founding father, Alex Cooper is launching a new reality TV show, and let’s face it, it’s bound to be good. That’s right, Call Her Daddyhost Alex Cooper is teaming up with Hulu to launch a dating show, provisionally titled Overboard for Love which will put “sexy singles” aboard a luxury yacht, where they’ll be ready to “mix and mingle … and find love.” It’s the first unscripted series coming out of Cooper’s Unwell Network, which has primarily focused on podcasts thus far. And with reports of MrBeast‘s $100 million Amazon original Beast Games setting the new record for Prime’s most-watched unscripted game series ever – it’s obvious that social media icons are becoming trailblazers who will undoubtedly shape the future of entertainment.
The cult of baby tech
Technology
The baby-tech industry is booming, and it’s no surprise – millennial and Gen Z parents are all about weaving technology into their parenting game. From the $800 Elvie Rise smart bouncer to the $1,200 Snoo bassinet, and even the $300 Owlet Dream Sock (yep, it tracks your baby’s vitals through a smartphone app), these high-tech gadgets are becoming the ultimate parenting flex. According to eMarketer, baby and children’s products lead the charge in digital ad spending growth for 2024.
So, what’s driving this trend? It’s all part of the big shift toward data-driven everything, parenting included. Add to that the rise of parenting communities on platforms like Mumsnet, the influence of parenting influencers (hello, #MomTok), and the ever-present specter of public parenting critiques, and you’ve got a cultural cocktail that’s redefining modern parenting. But let’s get real: Is all this tech making life with little ones better, or are we overcomplicating something deeply human? Are we optimizing, or just overwhelming?
The intersection of tech, social media, and parenting is where the future of family life is being shaped. What’s your take? Is baby-tech a win or just extra noise?
What’s on your mind?
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