Tech company 1X debuts a $20,000 robot to help with chores around the house, changes in SNAP eligibility requirements will impact minors, and teens say luxury is a feeling, not a price tag. But first:
Song of the Week – “Dracula” – Tame Impala
Even a week after Halloween, the popularity of “Dracula” by Tame Impala doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Reaching as high as #9 on Spotify’s Top 50 – USA chart and #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Dracula” has become the indie hero’s most popular song to date. Maybe not coincidentally, the gatekeepers of hipsterism at Pitchfork are calling Deadbeat as a whole (which features a lovely picture with his daughter on the cover) his worst album so far. Like much of Tame Impala’s other music, the lyrics feature melancholy self-reflection and romantic longing set to a driving beat. For the lyric video (language), click here.
And now for our three conversations..
1. Not the One
What it is: A “proof of concept” from AI and robotics company 1X featuring a helpful robot named NEO took over the internet last week. The robot can, in theory, do chores like washing dishes, watering plants, vacuuming, and more.
Why it’s all just a theory right now: Autonomous robot companions have long been the dream of futurists, and for just $20,000, this dream could be yours. Sort of. In tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee’s dive into the announcement, he rightly points out that almost all of what Neo is doing is not autonomous. The actions are instead controlled remotely, by a human, the whole time. So what exactly are you pre-ordering? Downton Abbey with less charm? In reality, this is the baby steps of this technology, and Neo is probably the initial way for companies to gather real-life data to train AI models for these robots. Essentially, if you pre-order Neo right now, you are paying for the privilege of training an inferior product for other people in the future to maybe get a more competent one. As one YouTube comment puts it, “That’s not a home helper, that’s a $20,000 surveillance intern.”
Continue the conversation: What’s something that lived up to the hype?
2. Teens and SNAP
What it is: Even apart from funding restrictions due to the government shutdown, new laws around SNAP will require families whose kids are above age 14 to meet stricter criteria for benefits.
What exactly changed: Simply put, even after the government shutdown (presumably) ends, fewer teens between 14 and 18 will qualify for federal nutrition assistance. This change is coming at a time when the number of minors in the US living with food insecurity has been increasing. Christians may feel divided on how food assistance should work, appealing to verses like Acts 2:45 on the one hand, and 2 Thessalonians 3:10 on the other. Either way, right now, the federal government isn’t providing the assistance it would typically, creating a unique opportunity for the church to meet tangible needs.
Continue the conversation: What role do you think the church should play to help people in our community?
3. That’s Rich
What it is: Market research is attempting to define the peculiar relationship Gen Z and Gen Alpha have with “luxury” brands.
Why it’s not straightforward: For young consumers, “luxury” isn’t necessarily a status symbol—it’s a feeling. And since feelings are subjective, luxury can just be about a little hit of dopamine from buying a product with a brand’s name on it. A high-end handbag thrifted from Vinted? Luxury. A bag charm from Miu Miu? Luxury. And sweatpants from Nike? You guessed it, also luxury. Sephora lists over 150 products defined as “luxury lip balms.” Coach, Ralph Lauren, Prada, and The Row are all on the rise among younger luxury consumers, while Gucci has been less in demand. The price tags on fashion house brands are as eye-watering as ever, but young people make up more of their consumers than ever before. Which begs a bigger question: is luxury somehow more accessible than it used to be?
Let’s translate this one further…
Growing up in the backwoods of New York City (that is to say, Staten Island), I knew at least two things about sophistication. First, sophisticated people definitely existed. They floated around in Gucci and Guess, needing nobody’s approval, a cloud of black jackets and woolen skirts, shoe-shined loafers and gleaming heels. And second, I—a curly-haired pastor’s daughter who had crash-landed among them from Lynchburg, Virginia—was definitely not one of them.
Most of the people I knew who seemed obscenely rich turned out to be mid-level office employees who knew how to shop the Macy’s sales, masquerading in a good blowout and a professional manicure. It was coastal elite cosplay, and I, too, could learn it. The chorus of industrial-strength hair dryers is the outer borough’s national anthem, and an after-hours excursion to the dupe storefronts on Canal Street is our dearest pilgrimage.
Which leads to my most essential lesson as a bridge-and-tunnel person. Proximity to luxury is a poor substitute for actual financial freedom—and I mean that in the literal sense. A fake LV bag and a NARS lip liner from last season’s sale bin will only take you so far. And while it is no sin to “treat yourself” within your means, I hear it does get kind of old after a while.
Financial freedom isn’t being able to afford as many luxury items as you want. It also isn’t about pretending not to want anything. It is contentment with what is currently accessible to you. As Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” Taking on this mindset is true luxury.
Gen Z’s fascination with luxury is not necessarily a fixation on wealth. It’s a desire to romanticize and elevate—to value precious things, and to consume with care. In that regard, maybe they’re on the right track.
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens:
- What is your most valuable possession?
- What would you do if you won the lottery?
- What is your favorite example of a person using their money to do something good?
Parenting together,
Kate Watson and the Axis Team
In Other News…
- The video game Arc Raiders had a very successful launch, signaling a growing preference in gaming for the “extraction shooter.”
- Spotify is being sued for using bots to artificially increase streaming numbers, with rapper Drake being named as an artist who benefited.
- Popular and problematic AI chatbot site character.ai ended the ability for teens to chat with bots, a restriction that is likely to be ineffective, based on… all of internet history.
- Popular publication Teen Vogue is being absorbed into Vogue, but Axis will continue to help you understand teen culture, fear not!
- The LA Dodgers won the World Series this week as viewership for America’s pastime surged back after weaker numbers in previous years.
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!