Videos of children opening boxes of toys and playing with them have become a feature of online marketing – making stars out of children as young as two. Twelve-year-old influencer Ryan Kaji, for example, earns US$30 million a year on YouTube leading one of the most popular children’s channels. His empire was built on toy unboxing. […] … learn more→

Free speech has become a political hobby horse in today’s world of increasingly divisive populism. On the one side, the cancel culture left is accused of erecting ideological barriers that silence the expression of political opinions that do not conform to the party line. On the other, the right often supports no-holds-barred public dialogue, including […] … learn more→

Winner of the Prix Un Certain Regard at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex features three working-class English high school girls – Tara, Skye and Em – who go out clubbing with other young people. One of them, Baddy, embodies a form of “manly” masculinity: full of confidence, he is enterprising […] … learn more→

What does a baby know about right and wrong? A foundational finding in moral psychology suggested that even infants have a moral sense, preferring “helpers” over “hinderers” before uttering their first word. Now, nearly 20 years later, a study that tried to replicate these findings calls this result into question. In the original study, Kiley Hamlin and her […] … learn more→

It’s never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when we’re on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we won’t check emails during our break. But we do. Being away from the workplace, and even in a new location, is often not enough to detach psychologically. We might […] … learn more→

Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh in January 1984 as a revolutionary tool designed to bring computing into everyday life. The salvation from a dark future in which IBM ( Big Blue ) would control everything, like “Big Brother” in George Orwell’s novel 1984. This is the idea that inspired the iconic advertisement directed by Ridley Scott for the commercial launch of the Mac: […] … learn more→

I’m a computer scientist and a bad Christmas shopper. Over the weekend, I wondered whether AI systems might be able to help me out. Could I just prompt ChatGPT to pick a personalised gift for my cousin Johnny and have it shipped in time to reach him? Alas, the cheerful chatbot couldn’t help, telling me […] … learn more→

The holiday season is here, and streets are filled with festive sparkles, twinkling lights and cheerful Christmas songs. While many of us are looking forward to spending the holiday period with family and friends, Christmas is anything but jolly for others. Some people are dreading to spend the period without loved ones. Others are fearful […] … learn more→

On the face of it, New Zealand’s new high-performance sport funding model announced yesterday is an increase on the previous round. But it is ultra-focused on already successful sports, and will put athletes under even more pressure. High Performance Sport New Zealand is investing NZ$162.8 million over the next four years in the build-up to the 2028 Los […] … learn more→

It seems to come earlier every year: publishers and dictionaries choosing their “word of the year”. Initially intended to sum up a meaningful trend or feeling that represents the past year, the exercise is now becoming a competition to identify and highlight fashionable slang. Collins went with brat, the Charli XCX album phenomenon as applied to […] … learn more→