December 7th, 2022
This week, it’s raining pink slips in Silicon valley, a boarding school bans cell phones, and a Florida woman unleashes a frivolous lawsuit for the ages.
In the News
Pink Slip Valley: Many say that the US is not in economic recession, but mass layoffs in the tech sector (Slate) may have Silicon Valley in a depression. As you might expect, these layoffs were coupled with plunging stock prices in the tech sector (CNBC).
More Layoffs: Doordash, Snapchat, and Amazon have also announced layoffs (Wall Street Jounal).
Even More Layoffs: This time, it’s CNN (LinkedIn) and H&M (Footwear News).
Other News:
No College Degree: No Problem (Fortune). Companies are rethinking college degree requirements (Wall Street Journal) in order to increase their applicant pool.
Forgiven or Unforgiven: The Supreme Court plans to hear arguments on the legality of President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan (CBS News) in February. The pause on student loan payments has been extended until the end of June, 2023.
Throwin’ Money: The household savings rate (Axios) plunges in the US.
A Deeper Dive
Cell Phone Ban: Buxton School, a private boarding school with under 100 students in Williamstown, Massachusetts decided to ban smart phone use for students and faculty on campus. You might think mayhem would ensue, and it did… with student protests in the beginning. But overall, the results appear to have been surprisingly positive (iBerkshires.com).
Why did the school pursue this policy?
“It’s really about the way that smartphones, they’re really designed for an immediate sort of action and reaction… So we’re trying to just slow that down a little.” Explains Franny Shuker-Haines, Director Emiterus of the school.
Critics point out that phones are necessary in a modern world. But the school does allow tablets, and what they call “light phones,” (moneycontrol.com).
There is strong evidence that smart phones play a substantial role in the worsening the mental health issues (Butler Hospital) that have grown to characterize the modern youth.
For now, the policy remains in effect. It will be interesting to see what happens next and whether other schools will make this a trend.
Quote to Consider:
“Instead of focusing on that circumstances that you cannot change – focus strongly and powerfully on the circumstances that you can.” – Joy Page (American Actress)
What I’m Reading
The Art of Being – Erich Fromm
- Modern life has trained humans to identify by what they own and how others view them. Fromm points out the superficiality of this lens and how the world of consumerism detaches people from their true meaning.
Articles of the Week
- Use these 4 words more often in your career. (DigtoFly Blog)
- Boost brain power, get more sleep (SmartTribes Institute)
- Care for yourself the way you care for others (Vironika Wilde)
Deep Dive Careers Article of the Week: Give your next employer the Gift of a Well-Tailored Job Application
- By thinking like a ‘deep career diver,’ you gain an edge on the competition. Let the holiday spirit of giving influence your next job application. Your recruiter will thank you. They may even call back.
Other Fun Stuff
World Cup Mania: Some Americans went nuts (Yahoo Sports) over the USA men’s soccer team’s victory against Iran. Here are some celebratory Tweets:
- Soccer = CONSTITUTION and GUNS?
- If we WIN, you have to SAY IT HOW WE SAY IT! It’s Called SOCCER!
- Is that a classic wrestling move? The Stone Cold Stunner?
- And the clear winner: Beer, weights, boats, fireworks, and patriotism – all at the same time.
Imagine the reaction if the US won the whole thing. They didn’t (AP). Keep Dreaming…(NBC Sports)
Florida Woman: The ‘Florida man’ is known to be a notorious force in the world, but what about ‘Florida woman?’
- A Florida woman is suing Velveeta Mac N’ Cheese (CNN) because she claims that the process of opening the package, pouring water, placing the item into the microwave, and stirring, take longer than the 3 and a half minutes that they advertise.
Word of the Year: Merriam Webster has announced that ‘gaslighting‘ (Merriam Webster) is the winner.
- Their definition of this term is “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone.”
By any account, there is more than enough of that going on these days.
Thanks for reading. I’ll catch you next week.
Be well,
Ryan
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