The New Yorker

Forgotten 1926 Government Report Reveals America’s Identity

This feature revisits a largely forgotten government-commissioned survey of American life in the mid-1920s—Recent Social Trends—originally prompted by President Herbert Hoover in 1929. The article synthesizes the report’s granular findings on urbanization, mechanization, women's labor, mass media (especially radio), automotive diffusion, declining rural populations, immigration restriction, Prohibition’s harms, and changing family and childhood patterns. It highlights parallels between 1926 and 2026—rapid technological change, media-driven emotional contagion, economic inequality—and notes the report’s surprisingly prescient forecasts (e.g., remote audio/visual instruction, talking books, storage batteries). The piece uses historical data and contemporary commentary to show which social transformations endured, which did not, and how early-20th-century anxieties echo modern debates about technology, work, and individuality.

Widespread Backlash Against Generative AI Intensifies

Joe Lazer's Substack newsletter (Storytelling Edge) analyses a rapidly growing backlash against generative AI, arguing the sentiment shift now touches culture, business and politics. The piece cites multiple signals — booing of Eric Schmidt, an attack at Sam Altman’s home, young workers sabotaging AI rollouts, New York City parental opposition to AI in schools, and falling public approval in polls — to argue that AI populism and anti-AI branding may reshape adoption, corporate spending and regulation. Lazer discusses five illustrative stories (including big corporate token spending on Anthropic’s Claude Code, survey data on declining AI enthusiasm, and the NYC schools debate) and promotes a related podcast episode exploring these trends.

Rise of Vertical Short-Form Drama Series

Vertical, short-form scripted series — often called microdramas — are scaling rapidly as a global content and monetization format. Hollywood creators like Issa Rae are releasing multi-episode vertical thrillers on platforms such as TikTok, while specialized apps (DramaBox, ReelShort, GammaTime and others) have built business models mixing free trial episodes, coin-based micropayments and subscriptions. The format is characterized by 1–2 minute episodes, high episode counts per season, low production cost and fast turnaround. China remains the dominant market (DataEye and Media Partners Asia data show multi‑billion euro revenues and a large share of global earnings), but Western players including Disney and Fox have started investing, launching in-app vertical features or partnering with vertical-drama apps. Market research (Omdia) indicates meaningful monthly active user bases in the US, India, Brazil and Mexico, while Europe remains smaller.