A late September batch of links
Since the most recent batch of links went out, paying subscribers received a meditation on toughening up, then an argument against too much texting. This coming weekend, they’ll enjoy a reflection on predictability.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that represent the themes of this newsletter, which are career development, community building, and self care.
Tyler Robinson and Our Poisonous Internet.
Today’s internet for most Americans, but especially for those like Mr. Robinson, who came of age on social and streaming platforms, is an immeasurably potent vibes machine. One powered by a complex fuel of negative emotions — hatred, rage, hopelessness, nihilism, grievance, cynicism, paranoia, discontent and addiction. It’s a machine more than capable of constructing false realities and corroding our lived experiences.
The College Drop-Off Is Done and the Nest Is Empty. Now What?
Parents are generally more involved in their kids’ lives than in previous generations and are in near-constant contact, texting, FaceTiming and sharing locations. Social media plays a big role, as do concerns about anxiety and depression, which prompt many parents to keep closer tabs. Many think of their kids as friends.
How to Address the Crisis for Working Moms.
More companies want people back in the office, many full-time. I hate this Nick Bloom talking point that turns up in all of these segments about how companies have tricked people into not thinking it was a layoff but really it’s a layoff on the back of RTO mandates. That’s not how business executives run companies, despite what academics like Bloom believe to be true. It’s possible that people work better together in many cases, not all circumstances.
All the Sad Young Terminally Online Men.
The Newest Face of Long-Term Unemployment? The College Educated. This tracks with what I have heard from people of all ages and stages this year, as it’s become virtually impossible to find work anywhere doing anything. It’s not that people are being picky; it’s that there just aren’t people hiring at this moment.
1.1 million ChatGPT messages analyzed — here's what most people are asking.
How much for matcha? Prices for the popular powdered tea soar due to global demand. I have to wonder if food trends are on their way out, due to the cost of goods and services at the moment. These are bucketed as excesses, which might not be available to people who are penny-pinching during a time of less.
'It's just scary': In Florida, parents ponder future with fewer vaccines.
Is it time to look for a new job? And how do I start? This feels like the right attitude to take into a search: “Even if I didn’t find the perfect role, I’ve learned a ton about myself. I learn what other companies value about me, what skills I want to build, and what motivates me right now — which makes it much easier to find those in my current role.”
Surviving Suicide Loss in Palo Alto.
When it’s down to 2 candidates, here’s what could tip the scales. OK, but I’m not convinced that this is a real scenario, that companies really have two final candidates, one of whom gets the short end of the stick and who is told that he just missed out on the role, coming in second. It’s a thing people say to comfort. Really, you hire the right person when you find that person, as long as it takes. Not in comparison to another candidate who might be suitable instead.
More Americans Going Hungry, Worst Still to Come.
Internship Hunt Starts Earlier as Students, Parents Stress Over Jobs. I feel for the next set, coming of age during the transition. In some ways, the new wave of college students will be better off than the group that came right ahead of them, able to choose courses and a major with more information, though without much optimism that their degrees will yield the jobs they wish. Internships in the short run make sense as that can be the necessary job experience that will be called upon.