An early August batch of links
Since the most recent batch of links went out, paying subscribers received a meditation on saying nothing, then a reflection on patterns, not streaks, then a bonus column about my synagogue’s closure, then a set of questions about whether something is anything, and, finally, an essay about asking questions to get to clarity. This coming weekend, they’ll enjoy some thoughts about DEI now and ahead.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that echo the themes of this newsletter, which are career development, community building, and self care.
The rise of AI tools that write about you when you die. My hot take here is that this sounds no worse than Mad Libs to me, helping grieving families to put into words for others outside of the family at a time when they don’t have the right words to offer. To me, this is an improvement to an industry, not strictly an efficiency for the sake of it. People can share more, faster, better, during a time of strain and stress. Not everyone processes the same way.
American Consumers Are Getting Thrifty Again.
Why So Many Women Are Quitting the Workforce. “For many women, this is more than an economic problem: it’s a depressing reminder that the brief period of time when work-from-home reigned—when balancing family and work was actually sometimes possible—is over.” I’ve been hearing a lot of this from women this year who have had a second child, and the challenges mount against them being able to make the numbers work anymore.
The company rejected my job app. I reached out to the hiring manager anyway — and landed the role.
On mental health, pilots call for support not suspicion.
Airlines are also experimenting with enhanced mental health screenings and easier access to therapy. Virgin Atlantic, for example, offers pilots confidential counselling and training on how to ward against poor mental health. But despite this progress, pilots who speak up still face obstacles. Grounding does not just end flying careers, it can isolate individuals socially and have a detrimental financial impact.
Workers say AI and tech overload is making them less productive.
America is becoming a nation of homebodies. This short op-ed captures well a lot of how I feel about the ones who claim that they can find at home everything they need. In truth, that shouldn’t be the goal. Use the time at home to recharge in order to be your best, visible self when you’re outside of home, however often you can stomach that idea, however you can permit it to take place.
At this summer camp run by grandmas, kids learn cooking skills and life advice.
The 14-year-old lives with her grandma but realized other students didn’t have the same opportunity to spend as much time with their grandparents. She also learned about ageism and other challenges faced by senior adults in one of her classes.
How Flying on a Private Jet Became the No. 1 Marker of Real Wealth.
'A part-time job': Americans spend nearly 4 hours a day thinking about money. I love this stat: “Gen Zers are most likely to think about money between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., while millennials and Gen Xers are often worrying about their finances before bed, between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.” I think a lot of this has to do with lunch and dinner plans?
What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones.
What we see in the data and from the stories parents send us is both simple and poignant: Kids being raised on screens long for real freedom. It’s like they’re homesick for a world they’ve never known.
Venus Williams Exposed All That’s Wrong With Health Insurance.
Disparity in health-insurance offerings mars the labor market. Productivity is maximized when workers and firms are matched based on their human capital. But throw insurance into the mix, and employers can be boxed out when competing for workers based on their health offerings and workers can warp their job search and tenure based on which employers provide the best health plan. The latter is called job lock, and it’s a good description of Williams’ experience: Staying at a job mostly for the health insurance. It’s a bad situation for workers and employers.