What it’s like to be a trad kid
The topic of tradwives has exploded, been glamorized, and criticized in American culture and politics. Tradwife videos, like the ones made by Nara Smith and Hannah Neelman, are typically from their idealized perspectives of homesteading, cooking meals from scratch, or homeschooling. Something I appreciate about Anna North’s Kids Today newsletter is that it hones in on perspectives we don’t usually get to hear about. Here, she talks to the kids about the complicated reality of growing up in “tradwife” homes.
🎧 Sugar daddies and mommies
My best friend sent me the link to this Today, Explained podcast and it did not disappoint. The episode dives into the “Great Wealth Transfer” and how boomers, the wealthiest generation ever, are funneling trillions of dollars to their adult children for everything from allowances to down payments. It’s a juicy listen that made me wish it was my own reality!
Good News
Who among us doesn’t need some positivity in their news diet? I’m really excited about Vox’s newest newsletter, which will swap your doomscrolling with a dose of hope. Every Saturday you’ll get stories about scientific innovations, technological breakthroughs, and everyday acts of progress from around the globe. The first edition comes out tomorrow, sign up today!
Three reasons why American democracy will likely withstand Trump
This story couldn’t have been published at a more perfect time. I needed some #HopeCore. In all seriousness, this piece by Abdallah Fayyad expands on three key reasons why America is more resilient than we might think: the Constitution being difficult to change, Trump’s presidency having a firm expiration date, and multiculturalism being here to stay.
The strange repulsion of Instagram Reels
I can’t disguise the fact that I am, at my core, a hater. And Instagram Reels is one thing I love to hate on. I poke fun at my friends who enjoy Reels, telling them that anything funny there was on TikTok months ago. At its worst, my Reels algorithm serves me content I’m actively not interested in: beef tallow recipes, misogynistic comedians, the joys of being a tradwife, and even videos suggesting yoga is a “satanic” practice. It’s the bad place. My colleague Alex Abad-Santos’ piece reassured me that I’m not alone in my negative feelings about reels, and surprised me with the notion that no one at the company is concerned about improving it.
