#30 The Weekend Download – Catching Up on What Matters
Essential insights you need to stay ahead
📩 Issue #30 – 13/09/2025
⚡ Quick Hits – What You Need to Know
📺 Graphic death videos autoplay
After far-right commentator Charlie Kirk was killed, violent videos of his death spread on social media, many set to autoplay. The incident is fueling fresh debate over platform responsibility and content moderation.
Read More (Fast Company)
🛡️ Meta accused of hiding VR risks
Two former Meta employees testified that the company suppressed internal research on the dangers kids face in virtual reality, allegedly screening and vetoing safety studies.
Read More (Washington Post)
🧳 Nepal’s Gen Z protests
Tens of thousands of young Nepalis, mobilised through social media, are protesting unemployment and corruption in one of the country’s largest youth movements.
Read More (NYT)
⚖️ TikTok sued in Brazil
An Indigenous group is suing TikTok over its planned $10B data center in Brazil, raising concerns about land rights and environmental impact.
Read More (Rest of World)
👮 AI age checks on the rise
Governments are debating tougher online age-verification laws, sparking new privacy and surveillance concerns.
Read More (TechCrunch)
🔥 Top Insights
🧠 Why chatbots hallucinate
OpenAI explains why AI systems still make up facts – and why solving hallucinations remains so hard.
Read More (Business Insider)
👔 Middle managers matter in AI era
Companies rolling out AI are realising they need middle managers more than ever to bridge strategy and execution.
Read More (Fast Company)
👩🔬 35 under 35
MIT Tech Review’s annual Innovators Under 35 list highlights the young scientists, founders, and engineers shaping the future.
Read More (MIT Tech Review)
💼 Corporate wellness reimagined
From stress-tracking wearables to “mental health as a perk,” meet the innovators reshaping workplace wellbeing.
Read More (Fast Company)
📊 Movements to Watch
🛢️ Saudi bets on solar
Saudi Arabia, long synonymous with oil, is rapidly expanding its solar power capacity, aiming for half of its electricity to come from clean sources by 2030 – part of a $200B renewables push.
Read More (WSJ)
🚀 Silicon Valley’s teen founders
A wave of young entrepreneurs is skipping traditional career paths to launch startups, fueled by the AI boom and easy access to mentorship and funding programs like Y Combinator and Dorm Room Fund. The trend has reignited debate over whether college is becoming obsolete.
Read More (Business Insider)
💬 Gen Z app tackles loneliness
A Gen Z–founded startup has raised $14M to fight the loneliness epidemic with an app designed to foster deeper connections. Investors see growing demand for tech that addresses mental health and social isolation.
Read More (TechCrunch)
🛒 Back-to-school hauls go viral
TikTok is fueling a surge in back-to-school shopping hauls, with some families spending thousands to showcase their kids’ supplies and outfits online — turning routine prep into a social media spectacle.
Read More (WSJ)
💡 Something to Think About
🔒 The “Great Lock-In” hustle
A viral social media movement is pushing people to dedicate the last months of 2025 to self-improvement. Inspired by the “fresh start effect” and past challenges like 75 Hard, participants are locking in new habits around health, career, and relationships.
Read More (Business Insider)
🛍️ Tween birthday boom
Ulta Beauty is turning stores into party venues, offering kids and teens beauty-themed birthday celebrations.
Read More (Beauty Independent)
🌐 AI reshapes speech
Language itself is shifting as people adapt their tone, phrasing, and style to work better with AI tools.
Read More (Fast Company)
🎶 AI floods Latin American music
Musicians across Latin America are struggling to compete as streaming platforms are inundated with AI-generated tracks. The surge is cutting into artists’ income and shortening song lifespans, pushing many to lean on live shows and call for regulation.
Read More (Rest of World)
🌀 Offbeat & Unexpected
🎤 The power of screaming
From Broadway stages to Olivia Rodrigo concerts, young women are embracing screaming as a primal, empowering form of self-expression. The movement reflects a release of pent-up emotions and a rejection of societal expectations, turning noise into catharsis and connection.
Read More (NYT)
🎧 Back to the iPod era
With schools banning smartphones, some students are turning to retro devices like iPods and MP3 players. The low-tech shift is reshaping how teens listen to music and socialize.
Read More (NYT)
🤖 Robot massages are here
A startup is offering AI-powered massage beds that promise relaxation without human touch – but reviews are mixed.
Read More (Guardian)
🐶 Dogs in dorms
Universities are experimenting with dogs living in residence halls to reduce student stress.
Read More (AP News)
📺 Vodafone’s AI TikTok star
Vodafone just debuted a generative AI ad presenter designed for TikTok, raising questions about the future of influencers.
Read More (The Verge)