'Gen Z has been priced out of a future, so we invest in the present'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day


'Creating pleasure in the present is paramount'
Kofi Mframa at USA Today
For many in Generation Z, the "American dream has been recalibrated," says Kofi Mframa. "With a financially stable future out of reach," the generation has "adopted a sort of economic nihilism," which prioritizes "splurging on little luxuries now, instead of saving up for a future that may never come." With "financial stressors coming from all directions and a recession looming, one would think Gen Zers would lead lives of frugality," but the reality seems to be the "exact opposite."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Outsourcing one's homework to AI has become routine'
Bloomberg editorial board
For "many college students these days," there is "no need to trudge through Dickens or Demosthenes; all the relevant material can be instantly summarized after a single chatbot prompt," says the Bloomberg editorial board. Too many schools have "hazy or ambiguous policies on AI," and "many seem to be hoping the problem will go away." Instead, they "must clearly articulate when enlisting such tools is acceptable" and "what the consequences will be for misuse."
'A country enamored with populist wealth elected a Rococo president'
Emily Keegin at The New York Times
President Trump has been "spending quite a bit of time redecorating the Oval Office," the results of which "can only be called a gilded rococo hellscape," says Emily Keegin. But "whatever Mr. Trump is doing to the walls of the Oval Office is not French; it is deeply American." American Rococo "hits when the 1% is thriving, when government leaders are overconfident." In Trump's America, "everything is gold," yet "time always reveals that Rococo is just gilded plaster."
'The era of DEI for conservatives has begun'
Rose Horowitch at The Atlantic
Conservatives "make up only one of every 10 professors in academia," and "some university leaders worry that this degree of ideological homogeneity is harmful both academically" and "in terms of higher education's long-term prospects," as being "hated by half the country is not sustainable," says Rose Horowitch. As a result, Johns Hopkins University's latest diversity initiative is aimed at attracting new members of this "minority group" — and it is "part of a growing trend" among "red-state public universities."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Anya Jaremko-Greenwold has worked as a story editor at The Week since 2024. She previously worked at FLOOD Magazine, Woman's World, First for Women, DGO Magazine and BOMB Magazine. Anya's culture writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Jezebel, Vice and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?
the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?
Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
'Spending is what card issuers are hoping you will do'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
'Repatriation is not a favor'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
'This comes with policy implications'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
'There will be a market incentive to build wind and solar anyway'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Deportations: The growing backlash
Feature New poll numbers show declining support for Trump's deportation crackdown