Meta settles lawsuits with an $18 billion pledge to make social media safer, what Gen Alpha is wearing for the back-to-school season, and the legacy of the beloved country music singer Dolly Parton. But first:
Song of the Week – “Loser” by Tame impala
Like the song “oh yeah?” by Steve Lacy, the song “Loser” by indie darling Tame Impala got a popularity boost after being featured in the new Spider-Man movie. That boost helped the September 2025 track become the current #3 most-listened-to song on Spotify, according to the app’s Daily Top Songs USA chart. With a guitar riff that sounds like a desperado is about to try something risky, the song soundtracks Peter Parker’s decision to follow Ned to a housewarming party. The lyrics are about feeling like “a loser” “a tragedy,” and about trying to repair a mistake in a relationship. To read the lyrics, click here (language); for a lyric video, click here (language).
And now for our three conversations..
1. Meta-morphosis
What it is: Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, reached a settlement that requires the company to make significant changes to how their apps work for teens—including the enforcement of a two-hour daily time limit, hiding the number of likes on posts, and a default setting that blocks app use after midnight. They will also pay up to $18 billion in damages, across a variety of lawsuits.
Why it could mark a new era: What if our world could just wake up from all of the social media-mental health chaos of the last 20 years, like it had all just been a bad dream? It sounds too good to be true. But in a blog on their website, Meta shared the list of changes they pledge to make to their apps (at least within the next few years), and expressed a hope that TikTok and YouTube might join them in implementing similar restrictions. And while such a request may be (at least partially) motivated by Meta’s desire not to lose the screen time competition, a true industry-wide change could make social media a significantly less toxic experience for the next generation.
Continue the conversation: What do you think about Meta’s pledge to enforce app restrictions?
2. Back to Cool
What it is: Camisoles, hoodies, cotton tees and low-rise jeans—preferred in a neutral color palette—dominated Gen Alpha’s back-to-school shopping lists.
Why it’s different: Neutral basics that recall the early 2000s might be in, but that doesn’t mean high-status brands have fallen out of favor. Brandy Melville, Fear of God Essentials, and Alo continue to be in high demand. Adidas Sambas and Birkenstocks were named as the must-have sneakers by trend reporter Casey Lewis, while leather ballet flats, Uggs, and Mary Jane-style shoes were the non-sneaker shoes of choice. It’s the same clothing you might have worn in high school, but with a decidedly different silhouette; many young people strongly prefer a boxier, more relaxed fit. But shrunken or “tiny” silhouettes, like the ones in Emma Chamberlain’s fall campaign for J.Crew, are also in style.
Continue the conversation: How much do you think a T-shirt should cost?
3. Farewell, Dolly
What it is: Country music star and American cultural icon Dolly Parton has passed away at age 80.
Why we will always love Dolly: It’s a rags-to-riches story: Parton grew up in a one-bedroom cabin in rural Tennessee with her parents and 11 siblings, and after high school she moved to Nashville to pursue her dream to be a singer. She went on to write more than 3,000 songs and have more than 25 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs—more than any other female artist in history. Along the way, she charmed the world with her humor, heart, and humble country roots. Parton’s death reminds us that in many ways, she was the kind of person that the next generation—and maybe all of us—need more of.
Let’s translate this one further…
“I was wondering how you got to be a fan of mine, you are so young!” Parton said, with her signature country twang. She was talking with Khloé Kardashian on her podcast, Khloé in Wonder Land. Kardashian, 41 at the time, replied, “You’re just everything!”
Parton seemed surprised that somebody as young and relevant as a Kardashian would be interested in talking to her. It seemed like Khloé was just as surprised—that there was anybody at any age who wouldn’t know and be a fan of Parton.
In a US favorability poll of global leaders, Parton won in a landslide with a net favorability of 65%. (Former President Obama came in second with 14%.) And writers are scrambling to capture the quality that made Parton so universally beloved, like “Dolly Parton obituary: wisecracking queen of country” and “Dolly Parton obituary: The country legend who sang from the heart.” Relevant put it this way: “Dolly Parton Never Hid Her Faith and Never Used It Against Anyone. That’s Why Everybody Loved Her.”
Few people in the world would be honored by both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at the news of their passing. Clips like this, of Gen Z reacting to Parton’s death, have been circulating since her family announced her passing. Online, there seems to be a collective mourning, across ideological lines, of the sort of figure we are running out of in our culture: a unifying one.
The stakes can feel high in the culture wars. It sometimes feels like we have to do something drastic to make a difference in disorienting and confusing times. But Parton’s legacy can remind us that loving God and our neighbor—especially those different from us—can make the biggest difference of all.
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens:
- What do you want your legacy to be?
- Why do you think Dolly Parton was loved by so many?
- What does it mean to love someone?
Parenting together,
Jenna Mindel and the Axis Team
In Other News…
- Australia’s much-touted social media ban for teenagers is falling apart (paywall) as state authorities find it impossible to outsmart the tech prowess of fifteen-year-olds. Naur!
- China’s big box office winner this week was made on a shoestring budget. The plot is a dream about a cow, or a dream of a cow, or perhaps a cow’s dream. The movie was praised for its “craftsmanship.”
- According to data from Eventbrite, events advertising shared hobbies (think mahjong or birdwatching) as “meet cutes,” or chances to meet potential romantic partners, increased by 117% over the last year.
- Fanfiction publishing platform Wattpad, a longtime haven for teens experimenting with fanfiction, updated its content guidelines. Some users were convinced (incorrectly) that Wattpad would no longer host sexually explicit content and fled to another platform called AO3.
- The Olivia Rodrigo-backed Daisy Chain Festival will take place in Irvine, California, this weekend. The music festival is also a charity benefit and will feature an all-female lineup of musicians, including Doechii, Bikini Kill, Mitski, Katseye, and even the OG female-led festival queen, Sarah McLachlan.
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!