What’s Got Youth Heated? Love, Fires & NYC

‘The sky was full of forests.’ - Rebecca Solnit, writer.

TAYLOR SWIFT’S LOVE LIFE MEGADRAMA

‘Fans have a right to be disappointed when she's dating a racist, misogynist, antisemitic and Islamphobic man. It goes against everything Taylor has said she hates and it makes her a hypocrite.’ - Hedi, Twitter.

Taylor Swift has masterfully channelled reflections of life, love and the ups and downs of her relationships through her music, and so interest in her love life always drives conversation. Swift’s latest love interest (the lead singer of the 1975, Matty Healy) is a controversial figure, with a problematic history. From racist rants and kissing fans, the 1975 singer also has made misogynist comments about dating Swift back in 2016. This particular Swift romance was a topic of huge debate; the fear among the Swifties (her fans) was that Matty’s toxicity would taint the singer's reputation. The darker side of this superfandom saw some fans going as far as to write an open letter to Swift, distributed online with #SpeakUpNow, urging Swift to ‘reflect on the impact of your own and your associates’ behaviour’ and ‘actively engage in this process of personal and social transformation.’ From latest news headlines, the relationship seems to have cooled…

LOVE ISLAND RETURNS

The much anticipated new cast of Love Island was just revealed for the show's 10th season. Despite it being one of the viewing highlights of the Summer for Youth and mainstream audiences alike, the same recurrent conversations arose this week around the show’s seeming lack of evolution with the times. The reality TV show hosts young single people looking for love in a luxury villa for six-eight weeks and each year, casting choices are criticised for a lack of diversity on many levels. Amy Hart, who was a contestant on the show back in 2019, was heavily body shamed while she was at her thinnest of 57kg (within the average weight range for a woman of her height). Many feel that the show's efforts at inclusion have felt ‘tokenistic’ to viewers of the hit show. “At best the show offers us some carefree escapism from our everyday lives but at worst it reflects to us some of the worst truths in our society.” said Donna Parsons, PRA director, THINKHOUSE.

When fans of the show asked about including islanders that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, ITV said it would be too ‘logistically difficult’. Then going on to say that the show is ‘about boys and girls coupling up’. However, dating shows centred around LGBTQ+ people are rising in popularity. The Netflix show ‘The Ultimatum: Queer Love' and the BBC show ‘I Kissed a Boy' being released this month are amongst some of the programmes making a more diverse premise work. 

NEW YORK TURNS YELLOW

‘It is so scary looking uptown and it smells like a bonfire right now. It’s like we are in an episode of Extrapolations. It’s so so scary and I don't know when it's gonna go away.’ - Ally, 30 on TikTok.

Footage of New York looking like a scene from an apocalypse movie had everyone talking this week. The eerie yellow haze is a result of wildfires blazing in parts of Canada, leading to New York being ranked as having the worst air quality in the world by the IQAir World Air Quality index on Tuesday. 

APPLE’S NEW VISION PRO HEADSET

Apple’s new tech release has again taken the internet by storm. While for some it’s an exciting new concept brought to life (we enjoyed this designer’s ‘Vogue’ reimagining), for others, news of the Vision Pro Headset sounds a little (a lot?) like something out of a dystopian movie… Mark Luna, digital motion creator at THINKHOUSE shares his two cents: “I think Apple’s Vision Pro is pretty wild! It records moments in 3D, interactive AR experiences and assists with productivity, we’re getting closer to living in a Black Mirror episode, yay! But the absurdly high price point (which is justified with the amount of tech strapped into that headset) means only Apple’s most dedicated enthusiasts will be able to access it. Personally, until this price point drops by 2.5K and it becomes the size of a pair of Raybans, I have no intention of owning one; but the future’s looking bright across the vision pro’s OLED displays.”

BRAND TAKEOUTS

From ecosystem failure to pop culture news and tech, Youth’s cultural mood has the ability to switch or stretch focus rapidly from day-to-day. Brands and businesses looking to connect with young people today need to be dynamic in how they navigate this spectrum. Getting comfortable with these constant waves of culture and conversation requires agility, compassion and creativity. The most important ingredient in supporting your Youth audience and community is keeping close to what’s happening in their world; from culture and tech innovation, the latest celebrity story or must-see-streaming series, to big themes around how young people are coping with the increasing impacts of environmental uncertainty.