Fresh Take

Our bodies are not good enough, and the other lies social media sells us

October 2, 2025 10:00 IST

In the world of social media, our bodies are constantly ranked and judged. Selfies, filters, and 'touch-up' apps have us convinced that someone else is prettier, skinnier or fitter.

Everyone applauds an empowered daughter, but what of the mother?

September 29, 2025 16:58 IST

I thought I was living in Barbie Land, but I learnt empowerment isn’t distributed evenly

What is the ‘dead internet theory’ everyone’s talking about? Is it real?Subscriber Only

September 25, 2025 09:31 IST

AI-driven web traffic has surpassed human activity online. Are we all just talking to bots?

bads of bollywood, bastards of bollywood

Meta humour and brain rot: why Internet loves The Ba***ds of BollywoodSubscriber Only

September 24, 2025 12:44 IST

With films like Malamal Weekly, Welcome and Hera Pheri, which have become meme fodder today, brain rot has long been the national pastime.

Is the algorithm robbing us of the joy of discovery?Subscriber Only

September 19, 2025 18:39 IST

'You liked this, you might like this too.' And before you know it, your entire taste profile has been pre-written.

Indian audience is ready for female superheroes, Lokah is proofSubscriber Only

September 17, 2025 19:43 IST

In the past, action sequences involving women would have been viewed through a curtain of incredulity. But that changed in the last decade.

It’s the era of endless options. No wonder we are tired.Subscriber Only

September 16, 2025 07:51 IST

Liberalisation, digitalisation, and now algorithms have brought in the age of abundance. Are we losing our appetite for choosing?

When Gen Z protests, the revolution is hashtag-ed, meme-d, and reel-edSubscriber Only

September 13, 2025 11:19 IST

Nepal Gen Z protests: VPN services noted spikes in sign ups. Rallying organisations turned to Discord to mobilise thousands of youngsters. And with memes, TikTok dances, and hashtags, Nepal's Gen Z did what Gen Z does best to amplify their voices.

Body-shaming is inherited in Indian homes: How I broke freeSubscriber Only

September 8, 2025 16:43 IST

I skipped meals at family events and avoided mirrors altogether. But I soon realised I was looking at myself from an inherited gaze.

I was once a NEET aspirant. Here’s what the Kota Factory doesn’t tell you.Subscriber Only

September 10, 2025 17:42 IST

I invite parents to have honest conversations about what their children truly want, teachers to nurture diverse choices, and students to listen to what genuinely excites and sustains them.

Not everyone’s happy with the new Google Phone app: Why small design changes feel bigSubscriber Only

September 4, 2025 13:18 IST

Our devices are no longer just neutral tools. We swipe and gesture through the day, without even a second thought. Here's why disruptions to this routine can feel uncomfortable.

It’s not just the accent: Why Janhvi Kapoor’s Param Sundari revives cross-language casting debateSubscriber Only

September 5, 2025 16:04 IST

Casting other-language actors needn’t be a frowned-upon practice, especially in times that more and more borders are drawn to separate man from man. You only need to write around it.

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Carrie may have been Sex and the City’s face, but Samantha taught us real friendshipSubscriber Only

August 29, 2025 15:43 IST

Carrie Bradshaw may carry the soul of the Sex and the City franchise, but Samantha Jones was its secret heart. She may have always been unapologetically herself, but never at the expense of a friend.

Taylor Swift fan club: How Swifties drive culture and commerceSubscriber Only

September 8, 2025 16:39 IST

Taylor Swift has something most artists spend their whole lives trying to build: an emotionally literate fandom that knows what to do when the moment arrives.

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Behind Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘hakla’ meme: The Streisand effect and a PR crisisSubscriber Only

August 28, 2025 07:32 IST

Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘hakla’ meme shows why trying to erase the Internet only makes it louder.

Stuck listening to songs from your teen years? Blame the musical rutSubscriber Only

August 26, 2025 08:51 IST

Do we stop discovering new music as we age? How did we develop our musical taste in the first place? Shaima S breaks it down.

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Trapped by prestige TV: Why we can’t quit shows we no longer enjoySubscriber Only

August 25, 2025 12:39 IST

Has your favourite show turned boring, but you can't stop watching? That might be the sunk cost fallacy at work.

At its worst, modern dating mistakes trauma bonding for love: Lessons from Netflix’s Too MuchSubscriber Only

August 21, 2025 18:27 IST

Trauma bonding is a bond where one person feels an intense connection with the other person who is also hurting or harming them, says Arouba Kabir, a Bengaluru-based psychotherapist.

My dog got her period. Instagram didn’t prepare me for thisSubscriber Only

August 19, 2025 09:33 IST

Dogs, strays and pets alike, have sparked plenty of chatter lately. Stela Dey reflects on the unfiltered reality of raising a dog and why it’s not as 'cute' as Instagram might make you think.

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Taylor Swift is unstoppable, and the surprise ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ drop is proofSubscriber Only

August 27, 2025 08:51 IST

Swifties can't keep calm. Internet is flooded with fan theories and memes (perhaps the orange theme is a Trump reference?) on Taylor Swift's latest 'The Life of a Showgirl' album announcement.

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Is Farah Khan an accidental Marxist? What her end credits reveal about Bollywood’s hidden labourSubscriber Only

August 18, 2025 10:51 IST

Farah Khan's end credits sequence may not answer all the big questions, but they do make it fun to recognise that the film you just watched wasn't conjured into being by Shah Rukh Khan alone.

Is the superhero era over or just in need of a breather?Subscriber Only

August 12, 2025 10:10 IST

Superheroes once dominated pop culture, but the fandom today has moved well beyond capes and masks. Jatin Varma, founder of Comic Con India, reflects on a key takeaway from the recent San Diego Comic-Con.

Is binge-watching romance shows killing our love life?Subscriber Only

August 8, 2025 08:54 IST

Algorithm-approved romance shows, served to us on autoplay, may be distorting our sense of real-life relationships.

The joy of staying in: The millennial guide to doing nothingSubscriber Only

August 5, 2025 09:28 IST

In a hyperactive world, where everything is within a fingertip's distance, slow living is the deliberate act of giving your mind space to rest, wander, and simply be.

Sydney Sweeney’s ad isn’t selling ‘great jeans’, but the body in them — and that’s the problemSubscriber Only

August 5, 2025 09:54 IST

The issue isn't Sydney Sweeney's sexuality, but the commodification of it.

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