Soothing

Ann: There's sort of something in the atmosphere—an aura as the days get closer. It's very different than last year. It's getting a little bit more intense. We've had a shooting and a man hunt. And also the election. I think there's a little bit of an edginess.

Glen: The second I put on the suit, people are just like, 'Santa!' They're so relieved to... See more

Prescriptions for S.S.R.I.s among young people are on the rise, with two million 12-to-17-year-olds in the U.S. currently on the drugs, and researchers are beginning to worry that the well-documented sexual side effects in adults may be shaping adolescent sexual development at a formative moment, especially since no dedicated studies have ever... See more

BIBLIOTHERAPY: CAN READING HELP TREAT YOUR DEPRESSION? , dazed

Bibliotherapy, a form of therapy that uses literature to improve mental health and overall well-being, is on the rise, with trained bibliotherapists prescribing books to clients — millennial and Gen Z women primarily, it seems — based on their individual needs. The practice aims to... See more

There’s a story in The Times today about how A.S.M.R., the pleasant, brain-tingling feeling we get when hearing certain sounds or watching certain comforting scenes, has become a feature of all viral internet content, not just specialized videos devoted to inducing the sensation. You can still put on a very specific video of someone whispering into... See more

THE FANTASY OF COZY TECH , newyorker

Perhaps the direct opposite of digital brainrot is “cozy tech,” a trend that “suggests that the Internet and artificial intelligence can lead us ever inward,” writes Kyle Chayka. “In the cozy era, our screens and the related accoutrements of digital life fulfill all of our emotional and sensory needs.”

Competency p*rn: is there any greater escapism than watching a capable person on TV? (The Guardian)

Watching people calmly and expertly do their jobs has become peak escapism in 2026. In a world that feels perpetually chaotic and mismanaged, audiences find comfort and attraction in shows, videos, and accounts centered on quiet competence, from... See more

In the book, I quote Amanda Montell, who explains this perfectly in Cultish : “Modern cultish groups feel comforting in part because they help alleviate the anxious mayhem of living in a world that presents almost too many possibilities for who to be.”

Though divisive and terrifying, the pandemic also brought out people’s softer sides. Suddenly, comfort was king. Everyone was baking or crafting. Small-batch ceramics and upcycled quilted coats soared in popularity. There was a compulsory return to the home — and a wholehearted embrace of the homemade.

Either way, what has been lost since the era of the human search engine is the joy of a distinct voice—while we can now find out almost anything automatically, the answer won’t be delivered with warmth or flair.