trends & digital culture.
Beyond Maxxing: The Case for Mining What You Have
Looksmaxxing, sleepmaxxing, careermaxxing: the optimisation culture has left everyone exhausted. The counter-trend is mining what you already have, and brands can sell subtraction as a premium feature.
Read the full thing →Micro-Nostalgia Loops Are a Thing Now
The 20-year nostalgia cycle has collapsed. People are now getting sentimental about 2022, and brands can build real emotional connection from memes that are only a few seasons old.
trends & digital cultureThe Paradox of "Financial Dysmorphia" and Doom-Spending
Young professionals say they are anxious about money, yet festivals sell out and restaurants have waitlists. Financial dysmorphia explains why, and why brands selling delayed gratification are losing the room.
trends & digital cultureCorporate Neutrality: What Does It Look Like in 2026?
Every supporting act walked off Ed Sheeran's Loop tour and left him playing alone. For small brands, the lesson is not to pick a political side. It is to protect the community that built you.
most read in this topic.
Beyond Maxxing: The Case for Mining What You Have
Looksmaxxing, sleepmaxxing, careermaxxing: the optimisation culture has left everyone exhausted. The counter-trend is mining what you already have, and brands can sell subtraction as a premium feature.
Micro-Nostalgia Loops Are a Thing Now
The 20-year nostalgia cycle has collapsed. People are now getting sentimental about 2022, and brands can build real emotional connection from memes that are only a few seasons old.
The Paradox of "Financial Dysmorphia" and Doom-Spending
Young professionals say they are anxious about money, yet festivals sell out and restaurants have waitlists. Financial dysmorphia explains why, and why brands selling delayed gratification are losing the room.
Corporate Neutrality: What Does It Look Like in 2026?
Every supporting act walked off Ed Sheeran's Loop tour and left him playing alone. For small brands, the lesson is not to pick a political side. It is to protect the community that built you.
It’s Official: We Are in the Relationship Trenches
Millions are now in emotionally dependent relationships with chatbots built to never disagree. The loneliness economy is the most lucrative business in tech, and the counter-trend belongs to whoever puts friction back in.
The Media Literacy Mirage (And the Tools to Fix It)
Media literacy has become a hollow buzzword. Here's the real, weaponised tech stack, from Ground News to reverse image search to OpenSecrets, for actually surviving the modern information war.
Has The Raw Milk Bubble Burst?
RFK Jr.'s raw milk movement won political power, then went silent. It's a cautionary tale for any brand built on rebellion that tries to become the establishment.
The Rise of "Para-faith" and the New Digital Church
As institutional trust collapses, a new global study shows young consumers building bespoke belief systems out of memes, feeds, and “Divine Machinery” aesthetics. Dazed Studio calls it Para-faith.
get the daily in your inbox.
35,000+ founders, agency people, and the occasional cmo. one yap a day.
subscribe to yap ↗