When did intelligence go out of style? (+ 3 trends changing work in 2025)
My thoughts on New York Magazine's Stupid Issue (spoiler alert: I enjoyed it but don't love what it means for us?!), the rise of the millennial glow-up, and more.
Every other Thursday, I share a curated roundup on the culture of work. Stories that made me pause, jot some thoughts down in my Notes app, or text a friend “you have to read this”.
I do this because understanding how work is changing is a real competitive advantage. The people who stay ahead aren’t just working harder, they’re paying attention to how the game itself is evolving (smart!). Consider this your shortcut to what matters most in modern work.
This week features links from New York Magazine, Vogue, and Bustle. Total read time: <8 mins.
My Links
THE ARTICLES I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS WEEK
#1: Was 2025 the stupidest year ever? (New York Magazine)
This preview of New York Magazine’s Stupid Issue sent me down a rabbit hole. I basically read every piece and now I need the physical copy. We’re living through a real cultural shift: for the first time in decades, IQ scores are falling, ACT scores have hit a 30-year low, and more than a quarter of U.S. adults read at the lowest proficiency level.
Remember when “being dumb” was a caricature in the 90s? Beavis and Butthead...Wayne’s World…Dumb and Dumber? Back then stupidity was a punchline. Our obsession with convenience (frictionless, instant gratification) hasn’t just made life easier, it’s flattened our collective consciousness. This issue digs into the why.
And honestly, I’m starting to see it everywhere after reading this. I can’t think of another moment in my lifetime when cheating could be presented as a viable business model - without dressing it up as something more noble anyway (lol, thank you Nikita Walia for reminding me about this).
#2: How unplugging became luxury’s most valuable currency (Vogue) | Free link
Another winner by Amy Francombe. It feels very strange to say IRL is chic now because when has it not been, but here we are! The Future of Wellness trend report named analog wellness as its top trend for 2025.
In my mind, two things pushed us here:
influencer fatigue
the rapid rise of AI
We go online to disconnect, but we still want something that feels real. People generally want to opt into fantasy. Instead, social media platforms started constantly catfishing users. First flooding our feeds with hyper-curated influencer content and, now, it’s AI generated everything. Catfishing is bad enough in the context of dating but who wants that seeping into their daily life?! And it’s not just luxury — offline dating apps are becoming increasingly popular and, I read this piece recently and it was also referenced in the Vogue article, it’s now cool to have little to no followers.
At work, the RTO push is the obvious swing, but I think micro-shifts are more telling. I’m seeing people want to spend their in-person or synchronous time more intentionally, and rely less on endless Slack threads and back-and-forth via emails. Slack and email won’t go away (we still live in a remote and hybrid world) but the tide seems to be turning to “how can I use in-person time as an edge?”.
#3: Millennials are trading the “American Dream” for glow ups (Bustle)
Part of me read this with amusement. Another part of me was impressed, like “Wow millennials are hot!”. I’m sorry, vanity is one of my weaknesses.
Anyway, what stood out to me in this piece wasn’t the spending; it was the mindset. A few months ago, I wrote about career dissonance and wanting to regain control at a time where so much feels outside of people’s control professionally. That same thing is happening here too. I think that beauty and fitness in this context is less about vanity and more about agency in a world where the goalposts keep moving.
It makes sense that millennials are investing in the parts of their lives they can actually shape right now. When the traditional status markers feel out of reach (homeownership being the obvious one), people will look for other ways to signal success. Beauty and fashion have always been differentiators; they’ve just taken on a new kind of meaning in this moment.
My Newsletter
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
This week, I wrote about the mistakes high achievers make that feel harmless but get in the way of leveling up at work. The biggest culprit? The one that feels cathartic in the moment but can shift your brand to “toxic” before you even realize it: complaining. This article about what to do instead of complaining was the most popular link clicked in that newsletter btw.
Alright, that’s it for this week! From my browser to yours.
Ashley
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The point about millennial glow-ups being more about agancy than vanity hits diferently. When homeownership and traditional markers feel imposible, investing in things you can control makes alot of sense.