Friday Fourteen Issue 138

This week: A fascinating deep dive into the psychology behind TikTok memes, Anne Friedman’s take on the death of ambition, questions about what makes a millennial, much ado about hummus, a reminder to ask yourself what matters to you right now, and more

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How an interview with a kid who likes corn has suddenly become the song of the summer‍

Speaking of which, we LOVED this deep dive into the origins, cognitive psychology and future of TikTok audio memes (and not just because it finally led us to the source of the “nobody’s gonna know—” “they’re GONNA know” “HOW would they know?” meme)

Two authors on how they mentally prepare to write a book‍

What people really make (and spend) behind bars [“You're expected to work 10 hours a day, seven days a week, all for a whopping 20 cents an hour. On top of this, there's an hourly quota of licence plate tags that you're expected to reach. If you can do this adequately enough on a consistent basis, you'll be eligible for a raise every six months. The raise is (drumroll, please) ... a nickel.”]

The hummus wars‍

There’s been a lot of hand-wringing lately about the death of ambition. We love Ann Friedman’s take – what if ambition was less about money, title, and power and more about things like care, community, and creativity?

The illustrator Mari Andrew on what happened when she stopped asking “What should I do with my life?” and started asking “What matters to me right now?”‍

What are you an expert in?‍

To all our fellow social media managers, this one’s for you‍

Beyond the quality of being readily blamed for many things, what makes a millennial?‍

In tech news: Instagram is testing a new feature called IG Candid that lets users share content at a different time each day after receiving a prompt (aka basically copying BeReal 🙄), BeReal is Gen Z’s Facebook, a group of Gen Z TikTok creators are refusing to work with Amazon over union demands, Instagram users can now cross-post their reels to Facebook and TikTok is testing a ‘nearby’ feed in an effort to promote localised content

Why you could share DNA with your doppelganger‍

A thoughtful take on why public grief over the passing of a celebrity isn’t insincere virtue signalling, but a deeper bid for connection in an increasingly disconnected world

And in other news: we’re mesmerised by this vid of a guy making 4,000 bavarian pretzels per day, dogs might cry happy tears when they see you, can’t decide if this sunken bathtub is dreamy or an accident waiting to happen, the replies to this tweet are BRILLIANT, 13 year olds now vs then, when someone in the office spreads the word about quiet quitting, sharehouses in Sydney, we’re stealing this dating app bio, oh New York, Scott Morrison doesn’t think he’s the drama, hands up if you ever wanted to be a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Scotland is putting everyone else to shame by becoming the first country in the world to legally enshrine the right to free period products, and if you’re in the throws of a quarter life crisis, here's some soothing advice from 11 women over 30 who have come through the other side

• What we've been watching, cooking, listening to and reading this week...

  Lizzie, managing director

  Cooking: Ottolenghi’s one-pan crispy spaghetti and chicken
  Watching: Throwing back to an 80s classic, Big Business
  
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  Vanessa, content & strategy director

  Bookmarking: This shrub recipe for summer days
  Pre-ordering: Elizabeth Strout has written a fourth book in the Lucy Barton series (!!) and it’s being released on September 20. (I know I’ve banged on about these books so much but they’re honestly perfection, and I’m so jealous of anyone who gets to read them for the first time.)
  
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  Ava, copywriter & content producer

  Reading: Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
  Cooking: This weekend I’m cooking an express recipe for scallops in the shell with wasabi gratin. Smear your scallops with wasabi kewpie and grill until golden, then top with a fine slice of fresh jalapeño and finish with a squeeze of lime juice

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  Hamish, content coordinator

  Cooking: This spicy eggplant dish – it’s one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I’ve made in ages
  
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  (Meet the whole Slice team here!)