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Jessica Haggard

Looksmaxxing exposes the darker side of glow-up culture

Between September 2025 and early 2026, online conversations about “looksmaxxing” exploded, with more than 806,000 mentions across social media platforms, according to a Brandwatch analysis. More than 405,000 unique users contributed to these posts. Public sentiment around the trend is largely critical: 84% of the tracked mentions are

From quick fix to comfort ritual, grilled cheese spans generations

National Grilled Cheese Month spotlights more than a comfort classic. About 2.4 billion grilled cheese sandwiches were eaten at home in the previous 12 months ending February 2025, with another 171 million ordered at restaurants and foodservice outlets, according to Circana’s National Eating Trends. A survey of 5,

Children say they want more time offline and on their own

A growing share of U.S. families is reconsidering tightly packed calendars as children express a strong preference for time that adults do not direct. A Harris Poll of more than 500 American children ages 8 to 12 found that 45% would rather spend time with friends in activities that