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Running clubs have become Gen Z’s favorite dating app

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Dawn breaks and the parks begin to fill with runners. The alarm clock has rang early, it’s time to lace up your sneakers and go out to add kilometers. At the end of the route, still with heavy breathing and sweat on the forehead, the modern ritual demands to open the phone. But the goal is no longer to swipe profiles on a dating app from the comfort of the couch, but to upload the workout to Strava accompanied by a selfie or a clever title. Those who do it know perfectly well that there is someone on the other side paying attention. As a young runner confessed In a report published by the magazine ellethe intention to be seen is undeniable: “One hundred percent. Whether it’s a long run or a pretty outfit, there have been times when I’ve thought: he’s going to see this.” This scene, which is repeated every morning and afternoon in any city in the world, illustrates a massive paradigm shift. In a world where love seemed to have been trapped in algorithms, paywalls and cold screens, Generation Z has decided to return to the streets, the asphalt and the sports clubs. At first glance, Strava is a tool purely technical: GPS maps, average paces and gradients. However, the data confirm a sociological phenomenon. According to the Year in Sport: Trend Report from 2025 issued by Strava itselfone in five Gen Z respondents said they have gone on a date with someone they met through a club running. The same document reveals that the creation of new clubs on the platform multiplied by 3.5 in the last year. The transition from miles to romance has its own mechanics. As the German edition of Runners Globalgive a Kudo (the equivalent of a “like” on Strava) has become the new super-like. Tyler Swartz, founder of the Endorphins running club, points out that “Having multiple points of contact with someone is a great way to build trust.” After a group run, following each other on the app allows you to stay on each other’s radar without the pressure of an exchange of phones. The platform itself has witnessed (and facilitated) this shift. When Strava introduced direct messages (DMs) at the end of 2023 Intended to “coordinate flings,” it took younger users just a couple of hours to turn it into a new avenue for flirting, coining icebreakers like, “At your pace or mine?” Unlike Tinder’s visual catalog, seduction here is behavioral. A report from Trail Info highlights that in this network “People observe before they speak.” Knowing that someone runs four times a week at 6 in the morning says much more about their lifestyle, their discipline and their perseverance than an empty 150-character biography. The collapse of dating apps and the search for the authentic This exodus towards asphalt cannot be understood without analyzing the collapse of the previous model. Young people are tired of swiping profiles. According to a survey of Forbesmore than 75% of Generation Z suffer from burnout by using dating apps, feeling like they are not making genuine connections. Even Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Match Group (parent of Tinder and Hinge), admitted that these applications They are perceived today as a “numbers game” that prioritizes metrics over experience. The financial consequences are palpable. Tinder has experienced a decline sustained in its paying users, falling below the 10 million barrier, dragging Match Group shares into a free fall from their 2021 highs. The exception to the rule, paradoxically, It’s Facebook Datingwhich is gaining traction among 18- to 29-year-olds, primarily because it is completely free compared to its competitors’ subscription models. In contrast, the social sports business is flourishing. A report of Financial Times details how Stravawhich closed the year with 180 million users worldwide, is preparing its IPO on Wall Street under the leadership of its new CEO, Michael Martin, with a valuation that already exceeded $2.2 billion in previous rounds. The British media Guardian frame this phenomenon in the rise of calls Hobby Apps (hobby apps). Platforms like Letterboxd (for movie buffs), Goodreads (for readers) or Strava itself are absorbing users who are fleeing the toxic public square of X (formerly Twitter) or TikTok. They are friendly spaces, strongly moderated by their own common interests, where the debate focuses on passions and not on cultural wars. All this has changed the rules of seduction. Today, asking for a face-to-face date terrifies a generation paralyzed by the fear of rejection. We live in what is defined as the “paradox of preparation”: 80% of Gen Z want to find true love, but only 55% feel ready for a relationship. They are terrified of “public failure”, preferring the eternal groping on Instagram or the soft launch (announce a couple ambiguously on social networks to avoid giving explanations if they break up). Serena Kerrigan, content creator, sums it up perfectly: the apps dating dan cringe (grima) because they feel “like a job interview.” In real life, traditional flirting is mutating into absolute pragmatism. In fact, a trend on the rise is the choremancing (the union of chore —task— and romance). New dates no longer consist of going to a candlelit dinner, but rather going to the supermarket together or assembling an Ikea piece of furniture. It’s the ultimate filter: seeing how the other person manages stress, logistics, and teamwork in the real world. In this context, running clubs fit perfectly. As one attendee relates for the magazine MensXPshowing up sweaty and out of breath instantly breaks the ice. There are no Instagram filters to help when you’re trying to catch your breath; the façade disappears and authenticity takes over. Wellbeing as a new rebellion: the natural ecosystem of Gen Z It is quite complex to decipher Generation Z (and even more so from the perspective of an editor millennial), but there is a common thread that explains everything: well-being has replaced the culture of the night. Strava’s annual report sheds devastating information for the traditional leisure … Read more

Why more and more Gen Z students prefer trades over college degrees

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Forty years ago China decided to invest in training millions of engineers who have turned out Be your ace in the hole in the AI ​​race. In fact, it is the country with the highest number of STEM graduates in the world and while ups its ante on doctoratesboth the government of the Asian giant and generation Z have begun to pay attention to vocational training. The graduate bubble. The Chinese Ministry of Education counted in November 2024 that in 2025 there would be a historic number of graduates: 12.22 million, how to collect the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. With this panorama, the competition is fierce, also taking into account that The United States has made visas more difficult for those who decide to migrate. The Chinese Ministry of Education is offering different measures and support systems in the form of recruitment events in key regions and industries to alleviate unemployment among university students. It doesn’t seem enough. Labor demand changes. On the other hand, companies are changing their needs: official data show that the demand for people with a university degree fell from 20.3% to 17.4% last year. However, the number of those who had completed vocational training rose from 8.5 to 11%. The FP is so sought after that this segment was the one that had the highest rate of job offers in 2024. It is already a matter of state. Not only is it a labor market issue, but it is also a guideline that points towards a “Strong Educational Nation.” That is the objective of new state plan in education (2024 – 2035): China makes vocational training a state priority, committing to concrete measures such as more funding, improvements in facilities and the development of a modern skills system. In short, vocational training has the same importance as academic training to sustain technological self-sufficiency. As already happened in Europein China they are also stopping stigmatizing VET as an alternative for students with fewer resources or worse grades. The return on investment is no longer profitable. Sixth Tone picks up the testimonies of several young people and their experiences such as that of Ke Chenxi, who scored high enough on the gaokao (something like the PAU) to go to university, but he chose to enroll in a vocational school. Yes, economic and family circumstances were partly to blame, but also because the Wuhan Vocational Institute program offered shorter early childhood education courses, intensive internships, and faster incorporation into the labor market. Associate Professor of Shanghai Fudan University Gao Shanchuan speaks directly from the “income effect”, that is, from the belief that by going to university you will have a higher salary: “What is changing is that young people are beginning to evaluate education in a more pragmatic way. If vocational training leads to stable jobs and a reasonable income, their social prestige will improve over time.” Zhuo Ping is a teacher at Ke School and is clear that although VET is not going to replace universities, it does encourage students to choose according to their aptitudes and not just prestige: “We went from focusing solely on credentials to more substantially recognizing ability.” Wuhan is the epicenter of change. The Chinese city is a true higher education cluster, with more than 80 universities and a strong weight of technical careers. But also where VET is emerging: those who obtain their degree in trades already find work as quickly as their university counterparts, with a successful access rate to the labor market of over 98% in some institutions. And they do so by accessing the labor market faster and with more experience. That VET centers in Wuhan work closely with local companies to design training according to the needs of the industry and not according to rigid and theoretical itineraries will surely help. In fact, in Sixth Tone they pick up the statements of a human resources supervisor, who experiments with live reality, highlighting their good performance, adaptation and skill, although they have pending issues such as teamwork. In Xataka | China promised them very happy with day 996. Until they realized that it was a shot in the foot In Xataka | China has a huge youth unemployment problem. So much so that some people pay to pretend to work Cover | Green Liu and TruckRun

Gen Z men are embracing “old money” dressing

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Lately, the Instagram algorithm registration has changed. Where once infinite-soled sneakers and sweatshirts with logos that screamed from a mile away dominated, now there are movie videos, martinis served in cut-crystal glasses, and twenty-year-old boys who look like they’ve stepped out of a film set in the late 1950s. They’ve left behind the uniform of hypebeast to dress like Paul Newman on a yacht on the Riviera or like a young JFK Jr. on Martha’s Vineyard. It’s not just a wardrobe choice, it’s a symptom. As CNN explainswe are facing an “intentional, defined by moderation” change, where young men align their clothing with the way they want to be perceived today: as men with purpose and control. But behind this facade of neatness, lies a much more complex narrative about fear of the future and a worrying ideological drift that has been found in the Barbour jacket. his definitive banner. The change is palpable in the data. According to Lyst trends reportglobal demand for quarter-zip sweaters (quarter-zips) increased 31% by the end of 2025. Similarly, searches for the iconic loafers Le Loafer of Saint Laurent rose 66%. But if we look further, the data from the technology consultancy Heuritech They are revealing of this conservative turn: searches for boots with an equestrian aesthetic have increased by 39% and gingham prints, typical of the 1950s, have grown by 33%. The language of success is no longer streetwear disruptive; now it is “quiet luxury”. This trend has jumped from the catwalks to lifestyle. According to Business InsiderGeneration Z is “storming” golf courses, a sport that has historically been the playground of the mature elite. Interest has risen 30% since 2016, and in 2023 more than 3.4 million young people played for the first time. It is no longer just about clothes, but about inhabiting the spaces of exclusivity to, As some experts point outnot to be left out of the “business conversations” that occur in the greens. A piece that marks the change On this aesthetic chessboard, the king piece is the Barbour jacket. It was born in 1894 to protect fishermen and sailors, but now it is part of a different identity sign. Margaret Barbour understood in the 80s that the future of the brand involved capitalizing on its connection with the old money, achieving that Queen Elizabeth II and the then Prince Charles made it the symbol of the British rural aristocracy. In Spain, this return has taken a specific form: it has become the aesthetic fever of the right-wing kids. What was once a functional garment for the countryside is today a status symbol in the city that visually separates those who long for a traditional order from those who transitory fashions follow. The Barbour, with its paraffin smell and tartan lining, functions as armor that projects stability and class membership, even if the wearer does not own an acre of land. This turn does not occur in a vacuum. It coincides with what academics like Vivek Chibber define as the sunset of “wokism”. After years in which brands focused on social activism (from Black Lives Matter to Bud Light’s trans campaigns), the pendulum has swung strongly Towards the conservative side. The corporations they are dismantling their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs to avoid boycotts and align with an electorate that rejects “political correctness.” As Nesrine Malik analyzes in your column for Guardianthe fall of woke up is largely due to their “capture by elites.” For Malik, the patrician class hijacked identity politics, turning social justice into an exercise in symbolic gestures and elitist language (such as the use of Latinx or pronouns in bios) that ended up alienating the working class. This “diluted and flaccid version” of social justice, created in the image and likeness of the privileged, has provoked massive rejection. In this scenario, youth are no longer looking for “allies”, but rather authority figures and brands that, like Barbour, represent a tangible and unambiguous moral heritage. Barbour’s collaboration with Chloé is the death certificate of the progressive avant-garde: the aesthetics of privilege are now the only refuge value. A hierarchy of exclusion What we previously knew simply as style preppyfor Generation Z it is now, as defined by GQ“a character you can play.” Inspired by figures like Dickie Greenleaf in The talent of Mr. Ripleyyoung people look for clothes that “reveal that you have, at least, a yacht parked in the port.” However, this interpretation has an ideological “B side”. In his academic research The Fascist Potential of the ‘Old Money’ Trendresearcher Veronica Bezold warns that aesthetics It’s not just innocent nostalgia.. Bezold points out that the content old money On social media, he often portrays “new money”—technological or minority-linked fortunes—as something “vulgar.” By glorifying the “purity” of lineage and inherited wealth, Bezold argues that the trend aestheticizes neoliberalism and connects with radical right narratives of exclusion. A social hierarchy is thus validated where the value of a person depends on their origin and not their effort, feeding a historical amnesia about a past that was only “golden” for a few. The question underlying all of this is: why does a generation that lives in economic inequality dress like the class that ruined its future? The answer is sociological. A report in Curation Edit describe this phenomenon as “survival cosplay”. in a market inaccessible real estate and a bowling economy (gig economy), dressing like an heir is a way of claiming a stability they do not possess. “If you can’t buy a house, at least you can buy cream-colored pants that say you could,” they point out. But there is a deeper power component. As Martina Porta explains in his academic thesis The habitus of politicsthe wardrobe is an institutional communication tool that builds an image of authority. By adopting this style, the young Gen Z seeks to integrate into the habitus of the ruling classes to appear “competent” and “employable” in an increasingly rigid system. It’s a mimicry strategy: if you can’t beat … Read more

We are so hooked on smartphones that Gen Z has found its own “detox”: sending letters again

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I remember perfectly the first letter I wrote. My best friend had moved to a town in Ciudad Real and the distance, back then, was measured in the time our parents allowed us to use the telephone line. We couldn’t spend hours on the phone, so we decided to tell each other our lives by email. Every week, a letter. That exchange of envelopes lasted as long as it took us to have a computer tower and internet access. Then the great migration arrived: Messenger, Fotolog, Tuenti, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp… Today we send photos to each other in real time and make video calls. If someone had told those two girls that technology would be the glue of their friendship, they wouldn’t have believed it. In the middle of 2025, history seems to be closing an unexpected circle. We live in the era of immediacy, where WhatsApp messages coexist with saturated emails that ask for mercy under the tagline ASAP (as soon as possible). The saturation is such that the phone’s storage warns every so often that there is no space, while the messages are interspersed with alerts, reminders and the white noise of a hyperconnected world. Faced with this “uncontrolled beat of the digital rush”, Generation Z has rescued the habit of being penpals or pen pals. Stamps.com Data reveal that almost 48% of this generation sends physical correspondence at least once a month, breaking the myth of the young person unable to tear themselves away from the screen. On Instagram, the hashtag #penpal already exceeds 1.3 million of posts, while TikTok becomes a catalog of calligraphy and sealing wax. It’s not about sending a text; It is a “slow ritual” where both the content and the container count. Neuropsychology explains this return with crystal clear clarity. According to psychologist Noelia Barroso, interviewed by El EspañolWhile digital notification triggers a rapid and volatile dopamine pulse, waiting for a letter activates multisensory processes that generate much more stable oxytocin peaks. The weight of the paper and its aroma link deep memories that the pixel simply ignores. This phenomenon is, in essence, a measure of mental health. The Tunheim report points out that 44% of young people have reduced their screen time out of sheer exhaustion, searching through the mail for a necessary “digital detox.” The expert Victoria López, in Hello magazinedefines it as a form of “constant presence”: a physical object that lives on a shelf and that, unlike a chat, has a mass and texture that make it indestructible against oblivion. A love of the tangible This “historical nostalgia” for times they did not live in is an emotional compass towards the authenticity that the algorithm has worn away. The impact is such that the market is transforming. Pinterest Predictions 2026 indicates that searches of “beautiful stamps” have risen 105% and that letter writing will be considered a “performative art.” However, the road is uneven. While in the United States 31% of young people trust the email for securityIn Europe we are experiencing radical contrasts. Denmark has stopped delivering letters after 400 years due to extreme digitalization, but even so, young Danes send three times more letters than the rest of the population through private companies, according to The Guardian. Even the connection with our own future has changed. Tools like FutureMe either Letter to Yourself They allow you to send messages to yourself ten years from now. It is an exercise in “realistic optimism” to connect with the present and relativize the current crises, a way of “leaving a mark.” In the end, Generation Z is not technophobic; They are simply the first to understand that technology is a means, not an end. According to sociologist Narciso Michavila in La Vanguardiathey look for the physical because hyperdigitization no longer surprises them; It is its natural state and, therefore, it lacks the value of the extraordinary. This need to touch the memory has crystallized into another practice that is sweeping networks: junk journaling. It’s not just collecting papers; is, as WeLife explainsthe art of turning recycling into a personal diary to reconnect with yourself. The New York Times collect how young enthusiasts They rescue everything from traffic tickets to museum tickets or bread wrappers for their aesthetic value. “It’s a challenge to find things you would normally throw away and use them in a fun way,” its practitioners explain. In a world consumed by screens, the junk journal forces hands to still and embrace the silence of cutting and pasting, creating physical time capsules that, unlike the cloud, do not depend on a server to exist. In a context where generative AI can write thousands of emails in seconds, human handwriting is positioned as the last bastion of the unrepeatable. The handwritten letter has ceased to be a formality and has become an object of resistance against the attention economy. Some things don’t go out of style, they just wait for us to need them again. Today, in 2025, it seems that Gen Z has found in a sealed envelope the calm that fiber optics failed to give them. Image | freepik Xataka | Harvard bought a cheap copy of the Magna Carta in 1946. They just discovered they had a treasure worth a fortune

We thought smoking was no longer fashionable among Gen Z. Until Sabrina Carpenter and Jeremy Allen White arrived

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For decades, the cigarette starred in some of the most iconic images in popular culture. In the imagination of journalism, that reporter from the last century always reappears leaning over his typewriter, surrounded by wisps of smoke while writing an urgent chronicle. In television fiction, that scene evolved into Carrie Bradshaw typing on her Mac with a half-consumed cigarette butt in her New York apartment. And in the cinema, the cigarette was almost a visual code: from the dark seduction of Humphrey Bogart to the melancholic aura that enveloped so many classic characters. Smoke, more than an accessory, functioned as a symbol of charisma, mystery or vulnerability. All of that seemed to be extinguished with the advance of anti-smoking laws. The terraces they cleared themselves of smokeHollywood moderated its use and audiovisual culture stopped associating the cigarette with glamour. The gesture was relegated to a stale past, linked to the strong smell of bars before the ban. But something unexpected has happened: the cigarette has returned. And it has done so hand in hand with the only sector capable of resurrecting what seemed forgotten: celebrities. The visible return of the cigarette to pop culture. The warning signal came from the mecca of cinema. According to a report from the anti-smoking organization Truth Initiativehalf of the movies that debuted last year included cigarettes, cigars or tobacco. In addition, it detected a 110% increase in representations of tobacco in programs aimed at young people between 15 and 24 years old, and a quadrupling in the most viewed series. The figures confirm the obvious: the cigarette has regained prominence. And, to give a couple of examples, it is being observed in music: Sabrina Carpenter appears in the video clip for Manchild smoking and posed for some photographs wearing a corset made from packets of Marlboro Gold. In cinema, films like Saltburn, Materialists or Oppenheimer They have returned tobacco to an almost omnipresent place. Fashion has not been an exception either, during New York Fashion Week, models they smoked on the catwalk as another accessory. And there is still something else, I couldn’t forget about social networks. The Instagram account @cigfluencerscreated in 2021, publishes images of celebrities smoking and has accumulated more than 80,000 followers. The cigarette as a symbol? The most curious thing about this phenomenon is that it is not mass tobacco consumption that is returning, but rather its aesthetics. That nuance is essential to understand what is happening. The point is that the cigarette returns as part of the revival Y2K and aesthetics indie sleaze and heroin chicthat mix of grunge, decadent glamor and soft rebellion that dominated the 2000s and that today inspires fashion, music and social networks. In this framework, the cigarette functions as a retro accessory, a vintage gesture that provokes more visually than addictively. This aesthetic dimension also operates as a narrative tool. In a report for The New York Times point out that the cigarette re-emerges as a symbolic resource on screen: Dakota Johnson smokes in Materialists to underline the emotional emptiness of his character; Jeremy Allen White, in The Bearuses smoke to intensify his melancholy; Sabrina Carpenter holds a makeshift mouthpiece in an ironic tone. According to the medium, the cigarette does not get in the way of the shot: it fills it with aura, drama and texture. And the fundamental question, does it have attraction for young people? There is a component of minimal rebellion. According to the BBCsmoking functions as a gesture of light transgression within a generation accustomed to self-care, permanent surveillance and implicit norms of well-being. The aesthetics brat popularized by Charli XCX It combines hedonism, irony and a touch of nihilism: a perfect territory for the cigarette to recover its provocative role, more suggestive than dangerous. Hence, the great paradox when observing the real behavior of Generation Z. While they watch celebrities smoke on screen, young people consume less and less substances. Already we have explained in Xataka how they are succeeding coffee raves —alcoholic-free daytime parties, where you dance with a cappuccino in hand—, and Tinder registers a boom in dry datingwith one in four young people preferring alcohol-free dating. In other words, cool aesthetics no longer have anything to do with actual habit. Should we worry? The problem appears when cultural trends intersect with health data. The WHO remember that tobacco It kills more than seven million people a year and that there is no safe level of exposure. EPData confirms that its global consumption has fallen from 32.7% in 2000 to 22.3% in 2020, but institutions like the CDC —cited by Wall Street Journal— warn that repeated exposure to tobacco images increases the likelihood that young people will start smoking. In fact, the BBC collected testimonies from American doctors who already observe cases of young people who, after normalizing vaping, have switched to cigarettes because “it gives more credibility” or is “more aesthetic.” Constant exposure to so-called “digital smoke”, pointed out by the Spanish Association Against Cancercan normalize a habit that seemed on the way to disappearing. However, a study carried out by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) showed that Tinder profiles of smokers receive between 29% and 52.7% less matches. Young people do not want to date someone who smokes, but they do want to consume – from a distance – the aesthetics of cigarettes on screens. The contradiction is clear: in the video clip it adds glamour; In real life, it reduces romantic interest. Fad or cultural turn? Perhaps the cigarette has not completely returned: perhaps its ghost, its iconography, its gesture has returned. Aesthetics are back, not addiction. The smoke, not the habit. But while celebrities hold it up as if it were just another jewel in the photo, health organizations remember that tobacco continues to kill half of those who don’t quit. And although on the screen it is pure aesthetics, in real life it is still a tangible risk. The cigarette, that old protagonist of classic cinema, today experiences its … Read more

Europe has seen that Gen Z is full of militarism, body worship and a desire to party and has told them: go to the front

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First there were technical shoes, then sports watchesand now the military backpacks: khaki, resistant, full of patches and straps. Europe dresses usefully, as if preparing for war were just another aesthetic trend. In the gyms, more than in the barracks, a new type of citizenship is trained: bodies ready, gazes focused, backpacks ready for something that we still don’t know if it is a fad or a calling. Those who wear them seem to embody a new European trend: the return of the body as a patriotic symbol. A few weeks ago, the US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, declared: “It’s tiring to see obese troops.” His comment—as provocative as it was political—coincided with an unexpected finding: Generation Z, the same one that grew up among screens and anxiety, is recovering the cult of the body, the taste for action and, in some cases, a renewed curiosity for the idea of ​​serving or protecting something bigger than oneself. Europe has taken note. Atasila ne aniram? In a chapter of The SimpsonsBart and his friends formed a music group with subliminal lyrics to encourage young people to join the navy. A joke that, with the passage of time, has become another pop prophecy fulfilled. In a Financial Times column have started to unravel the new military movement. European armies have detected an unexpected change: young people who previously fled from conscription now sign up for military or civilian volunteering. In Germany, applications for voluntary military service They have grown 15% in a year; In Finland, the Government has announced his intention to increase to one million reservists in 2031, For its part, Sweden, with its “total defense” system (Totalförsvaret), already integrates 380,000 citizens into radio, transport or dog training associations that support the Army without holding weapons. According to official data from the Swedish governmentdue to the War in Ukraine, registrations skyrocketed: in a few months they received as many volunteers as in a normal year. Meanwhile, in the Baltic countries—Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—they are also reinforcing their “civil militarism.” The three states prepare plans mass evacuation and citizen response to a possible Russian attack. The maneuvers include everything from logistics volunteers to farmers who learn to drive light armored vehicles. Furthermore, Estonia has created units of cybervolunteers to protect digital infrastructures and Lithuania just launched a program to train 22,000 drone operators. Europe is not raising massive armies: it is cultivating available, disciplined and functional bodies. A low-intensity militarism that mixes gym, volunteering and “healthy patriotism.” But why Gen Z? The simplest answer is because it is shaped by the mirror, but there is much more to it than that. Currently, we live in the era of protein chicof spiked shakes, sculpted bodies and extreme routines. The psychologist Sara Bolo warned that “Many apparently healthy behaviors hide disorders disguised as fitness culture.” But beyond the excesses, the cult of the body has become an ethic: physical self-discipline as a sense of purpose. And behind it there is something else: 36% of European Gen Z exercise regularly and another 50% want to start. However, the most revealing fact is not that, but the void it fills. Sociologist Robert Putnam already diagnosed that “we stopped bowling together.” Today, the gym replaces the social club, the bootcamp the summer camp, the weight routine the collective ritual. In other words, Generation Z isn’t just looking for muscle: it’s looking to belong. In a Europe where 13% of citizens and 20% of young people say they feel alone “most of the time”, according to Eurostatcivil defense appears as a new type of functional community: a gymnasium with anthem and purpose. The body as a political border. This cult of the body, born in gyms and amplified by networks, has also filtered into institutional discourse. What was once individual well-being, today takes on a collective, even patriotic tone. On the other side of the Atlantic, body obsession has acquired ideological overtones. Hegseth himself gathered hundreds of top brass to reprimand them: “No more beards. Let’s trim the hair, shave the beards and go back to standards.” His speech was more focused on appearance than performance, more on the image of the ideal soldier than on his operational capacity. Europe observes with caution, but the impulse is the same: the body once again becomes a metaphor for the nation, a space where the moral and physical health of the State is projected. Trained, vigilant, prepared. Recruit with algorithms. For now, the old continent is strengthening its network of civil associations. But if you look to the United States, you could find a more aggressive recruiting model. The US Army has hired e-girls and influencers like Hailey Lujan, an employee of the psychological operations division (PSYOP), who combines uniforms and beauty filters to attract new recruits. On the other hand, the Pentagon He also tried video games: America’s Armya shooter free launched in 2002 so that players wanted to get ready after playing. It worked for two decades as the first major gamified recruiting tool. For now, the European version of digital recruitment is more sober – campaigns about volunteering and civil protection – but the logic is identical: convince Generation Z that the uniform can also be a lifestyle. Fragility disguised as strength. On the margins of the gym where discipline and self-improvement are preached, a digital manosphere thrives that turns fragility into ideological fuel. On TikTok and YouTube, figures like Andrew Tate or anonymous accounts with a military aesthetic promote a masculinity “based on strength and control.” fitness has become in a gateway to the digital extreme right, where the body symbolizes purity and the enemy is always the weak. Cases like that of the Spanish influencer Llados, who combines coaching physical with discourses about “traditional masculinity”, illustrate that blurred border between personal improvement and emotional manipulation. The risk is not only the militarization of the body, but also its ideological instrumentalization. The gym, a space of redemption, can become soft indoctrination campwhere loneliness and … Read more

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Characteristics and Technical Card

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If you choose a high -end mobile, which really conditions your experience is the chip. With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5Qualcomm wants to set the pattern of everything that comes. In its official papers it defines it as “the fastest soc”, with a jump on CPU Oryon, notable improvements in GPU and an NPU that grows 37% in speed. The declared objective is clear: games with more stability, artificial intelligence in the device and an efficiency capable of sustaining power without emptying the battery in a few hours. The name is no accident. “Gen 5” does not mean that Qualcomm has jumped generations, but corresponds to the fifth evolution of its 8 series under the current identity. And “elite” is not an ornament: it is the label that the company reserves to the top of its catalog, which promises differential experiences. In 2024, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Inaugurated that category when architecture released ORYON in mobiles. With this new installment, Qualcomm insists on strengthening that higher level, designed to clearly differentiate flags against the rest of the market. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Technical Card 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Manufacturing process 3 nanometers CPU Oryon nuclei 2 prime nuclei up to 4.6 GHz 6 performance nuclei up to 3.62 GHz GPU Adreno artificial intelligence NPU Hexagon Hexagon Direct Link 64 -bit memory virtualization Support for INT2, INT4, INT8, INT16, FP8, FP16, including mixture modem Qualcomm x85 5g Up to 12.5 Gbps down Up to 3.7 Gbps up connectivity and location Qualcomm Fastconnect 7900 Mobile Wifi 7 Maximum speed: 5.8 Gbps 802.11be, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11a/b/g/n Wifi bands: 6 GHz, 5 GHz, 2.4g Hz Bluetooth 6.0 5G Sub 6 GHz Support for cameras Qualcomm Spectra image signal processor Up to 320 MP sensors Up to 8K 60p of 10 bits Bridge support QHD+ 240 Hz Adaptive soda rate from 1 to 240 Hz Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 marks the land of the next flagships The interesting thing about Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is not only how fast it can become, but how it manages that speed. The chip automatically regulates voltage and consumption depending on what you are doing: From a demanding game to recording video in 8K. According to the company, this system prevents the temperature from triggering or the battery is exhausted prematurely. The flexibility it promises is what seeks to differentiate it in the field of high -end phones. Qualcomm insists that the core of everything is on its third generation Oryon CPU. And ensures that it is designed taking into account the rest of the SOC to optimize each internal interaction. This would allow to maintain power peaks without degrading long -term experience, something that in previous generations was more difficult to sustain. According to official materials, the idea is that game sessions or heavy multitasking maintain the same level of fluidity with a lower impact on autonomy. In the graphic section, the Adreno GPU integrated in Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers a 23% more yield in front of the previous generation. The company also promises improvements in energy efficiency and support for new graphic technologies. The declared objective is to maintain stable frame rates during long sessions, something especially relevant in competitive or high -level visual games. The proposal is completed with functions such as advanced rendering and dynamic optimization, which seek to position this chip as the reference for gaming in the high range. The other great chip asset is in the artificial intelligence that runs on the phone itself. Qualcomm states that NPU From Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is 37% faster and more efficient, which opens the door to practical experiences: from attendees that respond in real time to improved photos without internet connection. The promise is that these functions are more immediate and private, because the calculations are made on the mobile and not on external servers. As for the camera, it does not depend only on the optics: the processor is the one that marks how far you can go. Qualcomm ensures that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 supports sensors of Up to 320 MP and 8K video with HDR. These numbers do not mean that all mobiles will have them, but that they are the roof offered by the chip. It will then be each manufacturer who decides how many megapixels include, what optics use and how to adjust image processing based on that limit. Qualcomm maintains connectivity as a pillar of its premium platform. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 integrates the Snapdragon X80 5G modem, capable of reaching discharge speeds of up to 12.5 Gbps. To this is added compatibility with Wifi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0which seek to reduce latency and improve connection stability in games, videollamar or streaming. These figures mark a technical roof that will then depend on the networks and each manufacturer. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 will mark the course of the next flagships, starting with models of Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo or Sony. The chip puts on the table more on the device, sustained efficiency and a jump in photography and games. For those who are thinking of updating, the key will be to look at what brands manage to transform this technical base into sufficiently attractive phones. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 against Apple A19 Pro? Recently Apple presented the iPhone 17 Pro Together with his new chip A19 PRO. As always, the comparison with Qualcomm is inevitable, and the first performance tests already allow you to get an idea (very preliminary) where each one is. The numbers that circulate on the Internet on the A19 PRO come from sources like notebookckck, which cites tests performed in Geekbench by Xiaobai’s Tech Reviews. In that scenario, the Apple chip reached 3,981 points in Single-Core and 10,798 in multi-corein addition to 6,557 in 3DMark Wild Life Extreme. The exact conditions of the tests are not known, but everything indicates that they were performed without forced cooling. For our … Read more

New Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) Features Price Technical File

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The first generation of The Ray-Ban Meta They had already shown that glasses could go far beyond aesthetics. Now, goal updates your proposal with the Ray-Ban Second generation target, that arrive with key improvements in such relevant aspects as autonomy, image quality or new colors for their range. With these improvements, Meta seeks to strengthen the position of your market glasses. According to the data of the Counterpoint consultancy published by Wiredthe Ray-Ban Meta represented more than 60% of the world market in its category. Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) dimensions and weight 150 x 50 x 22 mm 52 grams (mount) Image capture 3024 x 4032 pixels 12 MP, Ultra wide angle, 100 ° of FOV Video capture 3K at 30 fps 1440p at 30 fps 1200p at 60 fps audio system 2x microaltavoces 5x Microphones Voice assistant Goal AI Controls Tactile By voice memory 32 GB Flash (+500 photos or 100 videos of 30 seconds) battery Up to eight hours with a mixed load and use. 5 hours of continuous audio playback Up to 48 hours accumulating loads with the completely loaded case connectivity Wifi 6 Bluetooth 5.3 USB-C of load (case) compatibility iOS 15.2 or Android 10 onwards price 419 euros Rayban Meta – Ray -Ban Intelligent Sun Sun Black Black Black, Blue Light Filter, Standard. A direct evolution of the Meta Ray (Gen 1) Goal and Ray-Ban maintain the same idea that made the first version of the Ray-Ban Meta into a success: glasses with the iconic design of the Ray-Ban Wayfarer and multimedia and connectivity functions. In that aspect, goal has remained conservative and has not altered its formula, so there are no design differences between the first generation and the second. However, the finish line (Gen 2) improve that bet in key sections. The most important: its battery. The new version Duplicate your autonomy and reach up to eight hours of use. The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) manage to load 50% of their battery in 20 minutes and allow a total autonomy of up to 48 hours thanks to the additional loads provided by their case. Your camera 12 megapixel ultrapanoramic It also adds to the updates and is now able to record 3K video with up to 60 fps and HDR, which is a qualitative leap in terms of image quality from the 1080p of the previous model, and allows videos to be taken in Slow Motion (slow camera) and Hyperlapse (fast camera). Like the previous model, the glasses of the glasses integrate open speakers that allow to listen to music or attend calls without isolation from the environment. Goal ensures that these speakers have improved increasing its power In this second generation. As support for sound quality, glasses have a five -microphone matrix that capture the sound of the voice clearly. Inside, glasses have 32 GB of memory To store up to 500 photos or 100 videos of 30 seconds. In addition to Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and Bluetooth 5.3 to quickly match them with the mobile. Iconic style and better integration with AI As was the case with the first model, the new glasses do not seem like a technological device, but a lifetime. The new options catalog includes More than 27 combinations of shapes, colors and lenses, from the classic wayfarer to more current proposals such as Skyler or Headliner. The second generation incorporates new limited editions in striking tones such as Cosmic Blue, Mystic Violet or Asteroid Gray, designed for those who seek an extra customization and can combine with graduated crystals and transition lenses, which are darkened upon receiving sunlight. The integration of artificial intelligence is another of the buzas of this renewal. The camera and microphones allow to capture photos and videos with a simple voice command, without the need to get the mobile from the pocket or touch the staple button. Among its most useful functions, the Real -time translationwhich is now expanded to six languages, including German and Portuguese. For its part, the context assistant is able to identify the monuments, paintings, sculptures or objects that you are looking at and offer information about them. One of the most striking novelties that will arrive in upcoming updates is conversation Focus, a function that will take advantage of open speakers to highlight the voice of the person with whom you speak even in noisy environments, such as a cafeteria or a park. Price and availability of Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) are already available in Europe for 419 euros. The distribution has expanded to more countries and will arrive soon to Mexico, India and Brazil. Rayban Meta – Ray -Ban Intelligent Sun Sun Black Black Black, Blue Light Filter, Standard. In Xataka | Two weeks with the Oakley Meta. Technically impressive, but in nobody’s land Image | Goal

Welcome, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

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Qualcomm has just presented its new mobile chips for high -end mobiles, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Although the details of the chip will be revealed on September 23 at the Snapdragon Summit event, it has already offered interest data on this true mobile beast. Why Gen 5. To begin with, the name is surprising because last year we had a Snapdragon 8 Elite, without more. One would expect this new chip to be gen 2 at most, but in Qualcomm they have explained that it is actually the fifth generation since this family began. So: 3 Nm? The internal details of this new SOC (System-on-Chip) of Qualcomm are not known at the moment, but it is expected that it will be based on the photolithographic nodes of 3 Nm of TSMC and that has new more powerful Oryon nuclei than ever. No low consumption nuclei. The rumors They point to two “prime” nuclei at 4.61 GHz and six high -performance nuclei at 3.63 GHz. There is also talk that the manufacturer will follow the same line as the previous year and in this new chip there will be no efficient and low -consumption nucleus. Here the idea is to offer a solution that is totally aimed at offering maximum power. Xiaomi will be one of the first (and there will be numbering jump). Last year we saw how the processor debuted in the Xiaomi 15and the firm has already confirmed In Weibo that their new high -end mobiles will use the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. One would expect those devices to be the Xiaomi 16, but no: the company has decided to skip a number and we will have Xiaomi 17 very soon. The reason is clear: compete more clearly with the iPhone 17. At least, at the marketing level. Personalized version for the Galaxy S26. As indicated In Android Authoritythis processor will also be used in future Samsung Galaxy S26. In fact, rumors suggest that the version of that chip will be personalized and slightly modified and that could even be somewhat more powerful than the “standard.” And the AI? There is also no details or comments on the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) of this soc. This part of the chip, dedicated to the processing of AI processes, should be strengthened, and notable improvements are expected here. If that jump was confirmed, we would have an even more prepared chip to be able to run local models on the mobile device itself. In Xataka | Samsung tries

The counterculture gen Z does not smell like tobacco or drinks, but to coffee and early dinners

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Swallow at seven in the afternoon, or even before, it was until recently a gesture associated with tourists from northern Europe or retirees who surprised the waiters for their punctuality. But that costumbrista postcard is transforming. A new generation, the Z, has turned early dinner into an act of modernity: they reserve a table at six, they ask for mocktails instead of cocktails and, in parallel, they reinvent up to the holidays with coffee. CENING EARLY. According to a report from The TimesLondon restaurants record a growth of reserves at 18:00 of 11% compared to last year, and the new national average hour for dinner is 18:12. What was previously an empty shift is now full of young people looking for tranquility, trains on time and an environment where conversation is heard better than background music. A trend that was already settled in the United States. According to The Wall Street Journalrestaurants serve 10% of their customers between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., twice as much as in 2019. Broadway advances functions at seven in the afternoon and cinemas have replaced night premises with Matinés. Even in New Orleans, where the holidays used to start at one in the morning, the concerts now end before eleven. Why is this hurry for dinner? What began as a postpandemic anomaly has become a structural change. “Those who telework usually start and end before, which naturally leads to dinner earlier,” explained Professor Lucia Reisch, from the University of Cambridge, In The Times. The confinement broke routines and allowed many rethinking the schedules. The idea of getting home at nine o’clock after dinner began to lose attractive. For restorators, this cultural turn opens a new front. Chef Joe Laker, at his local Counter 71 of Shoreditch, London, has summarized it in the same medium: “Many of our guests now live further than before. They want to have dinner early so they don’t have to run to take the last train.” Its £ 50 menu at six in the afternoon is not only a gastronomic change, but a symbol of accessibility: haute cuisine without the requirement of a late closure. Well -being before bustle. The movement is not explained only by logistics. There is an increasing awareness that eating late affects the body. According to Voguethe Z generation is popularizing the intermittent fasting in its 12/12 version, with an ideal dinner range between 17:30 and 19:00. Dr. Joseph Antun has explained it as a circadian issue: “That period of time to digest before the nightlife is activated.” Early dinner is not only digestive: it is preventive. “Going out to eat is becoming a way of socializing without sacrificing other objectives,” said Linda Haden, from Luminina Intelligence, In The Times. That translates into visible habits: More shakes and less cocktails at the tables, Skincare routines Before sleeping and morning training without hangover. Less alcohol, more coffee. Generation Z, As Business has stressed Insiderit relates distantly to alcohol. They prefer “sober” experiences and functional drinks. It is no accident that raves are also mutating. As we have explained in Xatakain cities like Madrid or Barcelona, the Coffee Raves triumph: morning parties in cafes converted into clubs where young people dance with cappuccinos in their hand. What at other times was synonymous with rebellion – excess, Blackout, hangover – is now replaced by an equal countercultural act: stay lucid, dance at dawn and connect with others without substance. “I didn’t want to give up the fun to leave, but I didn’t want to continue turning around something that became ill,” said Lauren Branc, founder of The Oracle Project, In a report on these parties. A consumption with conscience. The background of this transformation is broader than a schedule change. According to a Capgemini report73% of consumers of generation Z prioritize sustainable products, compared to 64% global. Early dinner is just one more piece of a lifestyle where health, planet and pocket are taken care of. In other words, rest, diet, sport and money management have become pillars of everyday life. Eating before is, in that sense, strategic: less expense in posterior glasses, more hours of sleep and more energy the next day. Table for six. “Senter at 18:00 indicates the end of the working day. It is not just about eating, but about recovering time,” Analyst Peter Backman has detailed to The Times. In that seemingly simple gesture – the table at six in the afternoon – generation Z is reformulating the relationship between work, leisure and health. The early dinner, which was once associated with Nordic and retired tourists, now becomes a symbol of modernity. It is not just a menu or clock change: it is a reflection of how young people rewrite their ways of socializing, taking care and projecting the future. Image | Unspash Xataka | The Z gene has disregarded the vice that is celebrating daytime raves with coffee and “Sound Healing”

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