The CQ: The 60-Year Career and Gen Z Selfie Palace
The Forerunner team's must-reads of the week
The CQ is Forerunner’s weekly newsletter covering the most pressing consumer trends. Subscribe now to get the latest edition in your inbox every Saturday.
What the team is talking about on Slack
One of the most widely shared articles across our networks this week was The New Yorker’s deep dive on how imposter syndrome is plaguing generations of women. It examines the cultural phenomenon of why we all feel like we’re faking it, asking thought-provoking questions like whether capitalism relies on us feeling like imposters or if it is a kind of arrogance to say you don’t have imposter syndrome.
Because people are now more likely to live into their 90s, young people must plan for careers that span 60 years instead of the traditional 40. They will have to learn to navigate different or non-linear career paths, job burnout, acquiring new skills, as well as making sure they have adequate funds throughout their lives and the opportunity to take career breaks if needed for personal needs.
E-commerce has brought expansive purchasing options and levels of information to shopping decisions, but — ironically — it’s also making it virtually impossible to be a well-informed consumer. Comparison-shopping across sites, reading reviews, and watching product videos are all valuable, but the more common scenario is a convoluted jumble of search results full of ads, fake reviews, and secretly paid-for influencer endorsements.
Nearly two in five workers admit to having more than one full-time job, according to a new survey. For those with one, more than half are considering getting another in order to make ends meet.
According to new CDC findings, teen girls and LGBTQ+ youth are experiencing record-high rates of sadness. For girls, hormones from earlier onset puberty, social media exposure, and a decrease of in-person socializing are identified as leading causes playing a role in their mental health struggles.
Lawmakers confronted Big Tech about the effects of social media on kids. At a Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, families and advocates testified that the problems facing children on social media contribute to addiction, cyberbullying, sexual abuse, and suicides. Senators from both parties blamed Big Tech for lack of regulations and pushed for the passing of federal legislation that has stalled, but opposing groups argue that these laws are problematic and could restrict important information from kids who are experiencing abuse.
After only one year, Instagram has shut down live shopping. This move is to focus on capturing consumers “at the moment of inspiration—not push shopping in their faces at every turn.” The social media platform also shifted the creation button to the center of its app interface, in order to highlight content and encourage potential for shopping.
Due to a shortage of therapists, colleges are encouraging students to counsel each other through new peer-to-peer formats. On one hand, it’s an interesting community-driven format for support — but on the other, it’s a potential “blind leading the blind” situation.
Looking to boost engagement, TikTok is testing out paywalled videos and an upgraded creator fund designed to give higher payouts. Related: the social media platform is also trying to spur growth by attracting older users with more sophisticated, slickly produced videos.
Already-strapped seniors are feeling the pinch of ever-rising food prices—and it’s not just affecting their budgets, but their health and social lives, too. Those who are in poor health or are lower income are more susceptible to eating less nutritious food, in addition to becoming more isolated in an effort to avoid dining out or hosting meals with friends.
Portfolio Highlights
The Farmer’s Dog earns the top spot in the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter for its emotional commercial. Coverage of the win was also picked up in The Wall Street Journal, AdWeek, Forbes, and Inside Edition.
The New York Times reviews Glossier’s new flagship Soho store, calling it “a selfie palace, a Gen Z beauty Disneyworld.”
Shan-Lyn Ma, CEO of Zola, writes an op-ed for Marie Claire about how the wedding industry needs to stand up for marriage equality.
CBS News, Forbes, and Entrepreneur cover Ryan Mundy and his mental health platform, Alkeme.
John Legend credits A-Frame with helping him hone his vision for his new skincare line Loved01 in Men’s Health.
Axios discusses how Faire keeps inventory moving amid supply-chain challenges.
Business Insider includes Oura as one of the hottest fashion brands worn by tech founders and investors.
Wonder’s new food concept is covered by Business Insider, New York Post, and Eater.
Peter Stahl, M.D., SVP of Men's Sexual Health & Urology at Hims & Hers, spoke with Men's Health about the link between saw palmetto and prostate health.
Business of Home covers The Expert’s launch of its e-commerce platform.
Kristin Baier, MD, Calibrate clinical director, is quoted in Parade about the effects of stopping Ozempic.
Arrived is mentioned in a Fortune article on why it’s the best time to invest in real estate startups.
Real Simple says Nécessaire “changed my relationship to deodorant.”
Work at a Portfolio Company
Product Operations Associate, Kale | Kale connects brands to their social-savvy superfans amid a time when brands are tired of working with big influencers who post promotional, inauthentic content — and when brands would much rather reward a real customer's content. This role will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of our company.
Head of Marketing at Pavilion | Pavilion is driving collaboration within public procurement through its free technical infrastructure. This role will spend a substantial amount of your time building and scaling the demand generation playbook and will be responsible for all other parts of the customer lifecycle, as well as building the team, processes, and the needed infrastructure.
Head of Communications, Calibrate | Calibrate’s mission is to change the way the world treats weight by defining a new category in metabolic health, mirroring that research shows that weight reflects biology, not willpower. This role will join a rapidly expanding and highly collaborative marketing team, building out a best-in-class team of your own at a pivotal moment in Calibrate’s growth.
There are ~573 other openings on our jobs site. Check ‘em out.