Generation Z is killing online dating. That's good news
'I see a lot of freaking-out emojis,' the Bumble founder and CEO said on a conference call. 'Y'all need to calm down. Everyone's going to have to be adults in dealing with this.'
After the call was leaked to the press, the 36-year-old Ms Herd was criticised for patronising staff about to lose their jobs. But her problems were caused by a phenomenon worthy of celebration: history's most technologically sophisticated generation is deleting dating apps.
Almost anyone who has been single during the past two decades understands how the internet dominates dating. From RSVP to Tinder, apps and websites make meeting people so easy they were responsible for 60 per cent of new relationships in 2024, according to a Stanford University study.
The headline figure, though, misses an important story. Generation Z, or teenagers and those in their 20s, are engaging in a digital rebellion. Exposed to the internet since they were born, many regard online dating as impersonal, insincere and judgmental.
Only 21 per cent of Gen Zers see apps as their main way of finding a partner and 58 per cent are searching for a human in real life, according to an American survey published in May by the Kinsey Institute and DatingAdvice.com website.
Even Ms Herd acknowledges Generation Z has 'abandoned' dating apps. 'They're getting on the apps and they are not seeing who they want to see,' she told the New York Times last month. 'They get on the app, they essentially have to judge people and reject people. They're feeling rejected, and they're feeling judged.'
Paradoxically, the apps' decline is driven by their success. On Tinder, the most downloaded app, popular women in a large city can receive more than a thousand swipes within a week or two of opening an account. (For reasons no one is able to convincingly explain, men are less selective than women online.)
The volume accentuates what is already a superficial process of assessing a potential partner based on a few photos, a job title and a short personal description. Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd. Credit: Getty Images.
Online dating companies still have plenty of older customers. Even celebrities reluctantly use them, including Hollywood actress Charlize Theron, who expressed a common view this week. 'The apps are just horrible,' she told the Call Her Daddy podcast. 'It's a f...ing clown show.'
Instead of exciting places to meet lovely potential partners, people find themselves sorting through computer-generated bots, scammers and what are euphemistically referred to as 'low-quality profiles' — people of limited romantic appeal. One survey found 85 per cent of women reported a match had tried to contact them after they said they weren't interested. Maintaining conversations with strangers can be exhausting.
Without a stream of new, young customers, the apps are relying on a jaded group of dating veterans. It is unclear if they will ever return to their glory days.
When Bumble floated on the share market in 2021 it was worth almost $12 billion, making Ms Herd the world's youngest female billionaire. Today, the company is worth $1b and hopes to use artificial intelligence to improve matches. In the meantime, it is cutting about 30 per cent of its workforce, and accepts it will lose customers in the short term.
Match.com, which owns Tinder, has gone from a value of about $60b during the pandemic to $10b today. In March the chief executive, Spencer Raskoff, posted an open letter that served as an apology to customers suffering swipe fatigue. 'Too often our apps have felt like a numbers game,' he wrote.
Still, dating apps will likely remain an important part of the dating world, especially for people over 35 who don't study or work with a large number of other single people.
'Not everyone has that has network of friends who have endless single friends to pair them up with,' said Holly Bartter, a Sydney dating app consultant. 'It's the still the way we going to be matching. Online dating is not going anywhere.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Nobody cares about third place... unless you're the Veronicas
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by regional digital editor and millennial Kim Chappell, and national social producer Rachel Clark representing Gen Z. Millennial says: Picking just 10 songs to give my votes to for Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time was like choosing between children. So many Aussie bands shaped my teens and 20s - they filled my weekends and week nights with gigs and made the soundtrack to many road trips. But after days of hard-fought decisions, I made my picks and then on Saturday tuned in to see who made the list and where they landed. The number one song, Never Tear Us Apart by INXS, is an Australian classic, and to be honest, I would have been shocked if anything knocked it off the top of the tree. But the song in spot three. That was a shock. The Veronicas! Say what?! It's not even 20 years old yet - hasn't even stood the test of time. To see The Veronicas get two songs in the countdown and long-standing Aussie legends like Jebediah get none and incredible acts like You Am I and Augie March get just one... they were robbed! As for You Am I not even cracking the top 50? In the words of many a countdown listener.... should have been higher! Gen Z says: Untouched by the Veronicas absolutely deserved to nab the third spot on Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time list. As it is now and forever, the unofficial Aussie national anthem for all Gen Zers. The duo's 2007 hit song shaped our childhoods and teenage years, from swimming carnivals and school discos to teen house parties and nights out. Even now, when I or any of my friends hear those first few notes, we rush to the dance floor. The song brings a sense of nostalgic joy for the early 2000s; the iPhone had only just been introduced, YouTube had not peaked yet, magazines were still in high circulation, and no one lived their life through a camera lens. Plus, I suspect most listeners could name more than one of The Veronicas songs compared to half of the artists on the list. The Veronicas are not the only band that holds a sentimental spot in young Aussies' hearts; Hilltop Hoods, Gotye, Temper Trap, Tame Impala, and Thelma Plum gave us the soundtracks to our young adult lives. But I do have to say, despite our disagreements about who deserved which spot, at least we can agree that Never Tear Us Apart by INXS rightfully deserved the number one spot. There is not a more iconic song that can bring all Aussies together. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by regional digital editor and millennial Kim Chappell, and national social producer Rachel Clark representing Gen Z. Millennial says: Picking just 10 songs to give my votes to for Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time was like choosing between children. So many Aussie bands shaped my teens and 20s - they filled my weekends and week nights with gigs and made the soundtrack to many road trips. But after days of hard-fought decisions, I made my picks and then on Saturday tuned in to see who made the list and where they landed. The number one song, Never Tear Us Apart by INXS, is an Australian classic, and to be honest, I would have been shocked if anything knocked it off the top of the tree. But the song in spot three. That was a shock. The Veronicas! Say what?! It's not even 20 years old yet - hasn't even stood the test of time. To see The Veronicas get two songs in the countdown and long-standing Aussie legends like Jebediah get none and incredible acts like You Am I and Augie March get just one... they were robbed! As for You Am I not even cracking the top 50? In the words of many a countdown listener.... should have been higher! Gen Z says: Untouched by the Veronicas absolutely deserved to nab the third spot on Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time list. As it is now and forever, the unofficial Aussie national anthem for all Gen Zers. The duo's 2007 hit song shaped our childhoods and teenage years, from swimming carnivals and school discos to teen house parties and nights out. Even now, when I or any of my friends hear those first few notes, we rush to the dance floor. The song brings a sense of nostalgic joy for the early 2000s; the iPhone had only just been introduced, YouTube had not peaked yet, magazines were still in high circulation, and no one lived their life through a camera lens. Plus, I suspect most listeners could name more than one of The Veronicas songs compared to half of the artists on the list. The Veronicas are not the only band that holds a sentimental spot in young Aussies' hearts; Hilltop Hoods, Gotye, Temper Trap, Tame Impala, and Thelma Plum gave us the soundtracks to our young adult lives. But I do have to say, despite our disagreements about who deserved which spot, at least we can agree that Never Tear Us Apart by INXS rightfully deserved the number one spot. There is not a more iconic song that can bring all Aussies together. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by regional digital editor and millennial Kim Chappell, and national social producer Rachel Clark representing Gen Z. Millennial says: Picking just 10 songs to give my votes to for Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time was like choosing between children. So many Aussie bands shaped my teens and 20s - they filled my weekends and week nights with gigs and made the soundtrack to many road trips. But after days of hard-fought decisions, I made my picks and then on Saturday tuned in to see who made the list and where they landed. The number one song, Never Tear Us Apart by INXS, is an Australian classic, and to be honest, I would have been shocked if anything knocked it off the top of the tree. But the song in spot three. That was a shock. The Veronicas! Say what?! It's not even 20 years old yet - hasn't even stood the test of time. To see The Veronicas get two songs in the countdown and long-standing Aussie legends like Jebediah get none and incredible acts like You Am I and Augie March get just one... they were robbed! As for You Am I not even cracking the top 50? In the words of many a countdown listener.... should have been higher! Gen Z says: Untouched by the Veronicas absolutely deserved to nab the third spot on Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time list. As it is now and forever, the unofficial Aussie national anthem for all Gen Zers. The duo's 2007 hit song shaped our childhoods and teenage years, from swimming carnivals and school discos to teen house parties and nights out. Even now, when I or any of my friends hear those first few notes, we rush to the dance floor. The song brings a sense of nostalgic joy for the early 2000s; the iPhone had only just been introduced, YouTube had not peaked yet, magazines were still in high circulation, and no one lived their life through a camera lens. Plus, I suspect most listeners could name more than one of The Veronicas songs compared to half of the artists on the list. The Veronicas are not the only band that holds a sentimental spot in young Aussies' hearts; Hilltop Hoods, Gotye, Temper Trap, Tame Impala, and Thelma Plum gave us the soundtracks to our young adult lives. But I do have to say, despite our disagreements about who deserved which spot, at least we can agree that Never Tear Us Apart by INXS rightfully deserved the number one spot. There is not a more iconic song that can bring all Aussies together. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by regional digital editor and millennial Kim Chappell, and national social producer Rachel Clark representing Gen Z. Millennial says: Picking just 10 songs to give my votes to for Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time was like choosing between children. So many Aussie bands shaped my teens and 20s - they filled my weekends and week nights with gigs and made the soundtrack to many road trips. But after days of hard-fought decisions, I made my picks and then on Saturday tuned in to see who made the list and where they landed. The number one song, Never Tear Us Apart by INXS, is an Australian classic, and to be honest, I would have been shocked if anything knocked it off the top of the tree. But the song in spot three. That was a shock. The Veronicas! Say what?! It's not even 20 years old yet - hasn't even stood the test of time. To see The Veronicas get two songs in the countdown and long-standing Aussie legends like Jebediah get none and incredible acts like You Am I and Augie March get just one... they were robbed! As for You Am I not even cracking the top 50? In the words of many a countdown listener.... should have been higher! Gen Z says: Untouched by the Veronicas absolutely deserved to nab the third spot on Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian songs of all time list. As it is now and forever, the unofficial Aussie national anthem for all Gen Zers. The duo's 2007 hit song shaped our childhoods and teenage years, from swimming carnivals and school discos to teen house parties and nights out. Even now, when I or any of my friends hear those first few notes, we rush to the dance floor. The song brings a sense of nostalgic joy for the early 2000s; the iPhone had only just been introduced, YouTube had not peaked yet, magazines were still in high circulation, and no one lived their life through a camera lens. Plus, I suspect most listeners could name more than one of The Veronicas songs compared to half of the artists on the list. The Veronicas are not the only band that holds a sentimental spot in young Aussies' hearts; Hilltop Hoods, Gotye, Temper Trap, Tame Impala, and Thelma Plum gave us the soundtracks to our young adult lives. But I do have to say, despite our disagreements about who deserved which spot, at least we can agree that Never Tear Us Apart by INXS rightfully deserved the number one spot. There is not a more iconic song that can bring all Aussies together.
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- The Advertiser
The golden age Trump regrets ushering in
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes."
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
‘What a lunatic': Jackie O admits to controversial bathroom act
Jackie 'O' Henderson has revealed she's very much guilty of 'bathroom camping', a phenomenon Gen Z is obsessed with. You might think going to the bathroom at a social event, lingering in the toilet and doing some doom scrolling on your phone doesn't have a name, but you'd be wrong. Gen Z loves to come up with names for everything, and in 2025, that is now called 'bathroom camping'. To be clear bathroom camping can also be something you do in your own home for comfort or if you're just desperate for privacy. Henderson explained on The Kylie and Jackie O Show that she does get 'overwhelmed' at social functions and takes solace in the loo. 'It becomes – when there's too many people I don't know, I get a bit overwhelmed,' she explained. The radio star's co-host, Sandilands, seemed genuinely puzzled by the idea of hanging out in a bathroom. 'So what? Are you worried about them looking at you?' he asked. 'No. It is a brain drain, like sometimes it becomes very draining for me,' she explained. That didn't seem to clear up any confusion for Sandilands who continued to pepper her with questions. 'So you can't handle being around normal people?' he asked. 'I can't handle being around a large group of people where I have to small talk a lot. I hate that,' she explained. 'So that becomes a brain drain. And so what I do is I go to the bathroom and I just sit there and have time out, and I just chill.' Sandilands remained baffled. 'What fun! You'd never forget to invite Jackie to a party,' he joked. Henderson kept trying to explain, saying sometimes in social situations she just needs 'alone time' for a little recharge, but Sandilands remained dubious. 'What a lunatic,' he mused. 'I thought that too. I thought I was a lunatic, but apparently this is quite the thing,' she argued. 'It now got a name for it. People do this. I'm not alone. It's called bathroom camping.' Henderson's not wrong it certainly is a very big thing. The phrase 'bathroom camping' has garnered over 10 million views on TikTok. People online are also divided on the act with a lot of people arguing it is 'rude' to do when you're out in public. 'Bathroom camping in public is crazy and inconsiderate,' one noted. 'I'm embarrassed by how selfish people from my generation are,' another said. 'Bathroom camping outside your house is so rude if there's one bathroom,' someone mused. On the other hand, others argue that it is perfectly okay to take time for yourself when you need to. 'Such a relatable concept! Sometimes, we all need a little escape to recharge and gather our thought,' one argued. 'It is one place we don't get bothered,' someone else pointed out. 'I used to lie on the bathroom floor for hours. It felt so peaceful and calming for some odd reasons,' another shared. 'People think I'm crazy but I swear any bathroom is my safe space,' someone else noted.
