A late August batch of links
Since the most recent batch of links went out, paying subscribers received a reflection on the state of DEI, then an essay about how college sticks with many people for longer than expected. This coming weekend they’ll enjoy a recommendation for how to prepare best for job interviews.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that represent the themes of this newsletter: career development, community building, and self care.
The disappointment some X-ers feel about this is indicative of an inherent contradiction: They did not trust institutions, empty ambitions and rampant consumerism when they were young, but still feel let down when, as middle-aged adults, the system has not delivered the professional success and extreme run-up of home equity that boomers have accrued.
You Met Grandma at a Keg Party? The Rich Order $100,000 Memoirs for Family Only. I love projects like these, which are that much more important to create and save these days. The family members learning about people while they’re still here to speak with and to savor, that’s a gift to hang onto well after the subject matter’s full life to witness.
What It’s Really Like to Support a Big Family on a Modest Income in America.
Nerd glasses and friendship necklaces: Claire's was heaven until Shein came along. I hadn’t realized until reading this article what this mall franchise meant to some people for so long. Much is being written these days about the resurgence of malls, for a new generation, but I am thinking differently about the subject matter now as a result of seeing these stores and institutions provided a sanctuary for some as much as a place to hang out and shop.
Making cash off ‘AI slop’: The surreal video business taking over the web.
$20K pay cuts, lower titles, odd jobs: Workers are making big trade-offs to find meaningful work in today’s job market. “Kaleah Mcilwain, 28, is a digital editor in Philadelphia. She quit her last job in media eight months ago in search of something more aligned with the kind of impact she wants to make in her audience development work.” I give a lot of credit to these young people who are going in pursuit of something more meaningful, I just wonder if there’s ANY role in audience development that can provide what they seek?
‘DEI’ as a dirty word: Companies are saying a lot less about diversity and equity in public filings.
How to Have a Great Road Trip With Your Teenage Child. I love this: “Forget traditional museums or historical sites. Rather, says Schlimm, look for offbeat roadside attractions, most of which were erected as marketing gimmicks.” It wouldn’t have occurred to me but it adds up for teens. Make it memorable, even if not intellectual.
Time Stopped In Our Little Town.
Paint, Pottery and Profitable Leases: Experiential Retail That Works.
Experiential art spaces have been a win for their business owners, landlords looking to fill spaces without a high overhead cost and New Yorkers looking for something fun and different to do, and the momentum has caught the attention of major retailers.
‘Job hugging’ is the newest career trend: Here’s what it means—and why Gen Z is into it. There’s really no other choice but to stick around and stick it out. Hardly anyone is hiring, and the most likely next opportunity will come via someone you know reaching out about something they had you in mind for. The term for standing pat is irrelevant. Not a lot of mobility right now, even for those incentivized to make a move.
Are we in a crisis of rudeness?
Perpetually distracted and always looking at screens, we’ve become accustomed to switching topics mid-conversation or checking email over dinner. And that’s just how we treat the people we know. We hardly consider the comfort of strangers when playing a YouTube video sans headphones on a crowded bus.
People Are Trying to ‘Deprogram’ Their MAGA Parents Through Book Clubs.
For a long time, debating current affairs was “their thing”—and it was fun. But a few years ago he had a pulmonary embolism, leaving him in poor health and often struggling to breathe. Valeen thinks his views have become more extreme in part because he’s isolated, depressed, in poor health, and engaging with divisive content online. She worries that he’s become increasingly drawn into a political belief system that is defined by misinformation over fact and cruelty over empathy.