#523: The Doom Spenders
Articles about massive data centers, delightful county fairs, and profligate spenders
We’ve hit December, loyal readers. It’s been frigid in Oakland (frigid = 50 degrees), and night is falling before 5 pm. All of this of course means that there have been more excuses to cozy underneath my favorite blanket and spend time reading in a significant way. (Yes, I am still managing to go to work.)
I’m pleased with what I’ve found for you all this week. There are two articles and one podcast episode, about a diversity of topics, and from a variety of media sources. Extra points if you can choose which one I liked most.
They are about:
Spendy young adults who can’t think of a good reason to save money
Finding joy (and the meaning of life) at the Sarasota County Agricultural Fair
Another reason artificial intelligence will doom us all (i.e., data centers)
I hope at least one of the pieces resonates with you. Leave a comment if you want to share your thoughts. As always, thank you for your readership and your support of Article Club. If you appreciate the newsletter, I’d be honored if you shared it with a friend or colleague. Have a great weekend ahead!
1️⃣ The Doom Spenders
Why save for the future when there’s no viable future ahead? What’s the point of investing in a Roth IRA if there’s no way to climb out of debt? Better to buy a Labubu while there’s still fun to be had. This article is from the perspective of Canadian Gen Zers, but it’s got the United States written all over it.
Welcome to the YOLO economy: live now, pay later. The generation of young people raised on the hyper-consumerism of the social media age are entering adulthood at a time of extreme economic and existential instability. Without so much as a fully formed frontal cortex at their disposal, they are navigating a foundational disconnect: the impossible costs of education and housing are landing them in the hole while a punishing job market and wage stagnation are conspiring to keep them there. They feel screwed in the long term by the economy, the news cycle, the climate-change doomsday clock. So, in the short term, they’re saying screw it: they’re getting the $80 manicure, the limited-edition Labubu. They’re hopping on a plane to see the Eras Tour in Argentina, because even with airfare and hotels, it’s still cheaper than buying tickets in Toronto.
It’s not logical — it’s dissociative. “A classic trauma response,” according to financial therapist Aseel El-Baba, who told me that Gen Z has a severed relationship with the future. “We’re asking them to make decisions that will benefit them down the road, and they’re saying, ‘What road? The road that’s been pulled out from under us?’ ”
By Courtney Shea • Maclean’s • 20 min • Gift Link
2️⃣ Life And Death At The County Fair
When’s the last time you attended a county fair? For me, you’d have to count back decades. For me, two vivid memories remain: the funhouse mirrors and the donkey baseball game. (Apparently, this phenomenon still exists.) This article made me equal parts nostalgic and hopeful. Maybe if we had more county fairs, we’d be better off?
As much as the county fair is for and about kids, I believe it’s for everyone. You look around and see teenagers holding hands, wanting to hold hands, embarrassed to hold hands. You see parents and grandparents doing the same. I see the taciturn and the queer. I see white sunglasses and luxury labels. I see straw Stetsons and hats worn just for show. High heels and steel toe boots. I see North County and Myakka, Park East and Proctor, different parts of town that belong as much to different parts of the world as they do to America. It’s beautiful, because these parts of town and parts of life and parts of America don’t often touch. The South, for all its diversity, is still a segregated place. But here these disparate groups do touch. Between the beaches and the backcountry, with its dusty, languid sunsets and its dizzying wealth of rare flowers and curious animals, few places are so overwrought with beauty. The organizers say it’s about agriculture, and that’s true. The ag committee says it’s about the kids, and that’s true. But I think they’re underselling “it.” There’s more to the county fair.
By Michael Adno • The Bitter Southerner • 16 min • Gift Link
3️⃣ Colossus
Like me, you may, at least from time to time, feel like artificial intelligence is going to take us over and ruin our planet. But because AI is new and abstract, my brain can’t exactly fathom what it is and the impact it will have. That’s why I appreciated this podcast so much. It focuses on the money that tech companies are investing into AI, specifically on the construction of enormous data centers.
And these data centers are indeed enormous. They’re responsible for trillions of gallons of water, who-knows-how-many megawatts of electricity, gobs of pollution, and billions of tax dollars for local communities. And they might be responsible for a horrific economic crash, anytime soon. The backlash has begun, especially in Memphis, because Elon Musk has come to town.
By Sruthi Pinnamaneni • Search Engine • 49 min • Apple Podcasts
✅ This Week’s Poll
Last week, most of you (64%) said you’re reading a book now. This is very good to hear. I’ve been reading The Death of Newspapers (cheery topic), and I’ve been wondering: Is print really going away? Let’s see, shall we?
(My answer? Thanks to Article Club paid subscribers, it’s definitely 8+.)
Thank you for reading and listening this week’s issue. Hope you liked it. 😀
To our 11 new subscribers — including Anna, Felicia, Deanne, Carl, and AJ — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Welcome to Article Club. Make yourself at home. 🏠
If you appreciate the articles and have come to trust that reading Article Club is better for your soul than your current habit of scrolling the Internet for hours on end (or avoiding reading altogether, hoping the world will vanish), please consider a paid subscription. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year.
If subscribing is not your thing, don’t despair: There are other ways you can support this newsletter. Share the newsletter with a friend or buy me a coffee (so I can read more articles). Thank you Kieran for the kind coffee.
On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe below. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT.