Youth Culture
Will internet age verification actually work?
VPN Summer — With the Online Safety Act coming into force over the weekend, the UK woke up to find pornography, but also any content deemed “harmful” hidden behind an ID wall. But young people are far too tech savvy to be deterred, explains newsletter columnist Emma Garland, who also warns of the dangers of mass data harvesting.
Written by: Emma Garland
Alex Kazemi’s Y2K period novel reminds us that the manosphere is nothing new
New Millennium Boyz — Replete with MTV and endless band t-shirt references, the book follows three teenage boys living in 1999 USA as they descend into a pit of darkness. We spoke to its author about masculinity, the accelerated aging of teenagers, and the rebirth of subcultures in the algorithm age.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Jeremy Corbyn confirms new party with Zarah Sultana: “Change is coming”
A real alternative? — Sultana revealed that she was quitting the Labour Party yesterday evening, saying that she was going to co-lead a new party with the former Labour leader.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Coming of age in New York’s ’70s punk heyday
I Feel Famous — Through photographs, club flyers and handwritten diary entries, Angela Jaeger’s new monograph revisits the birth of the city’s underground scene, while capturing its DIY, anti-establishment spirit.
Written by: Miss Rosen
On a night out with the cast of Skins, Ewen Spencer captured millennial hedonism in all its unabated, messy glory
One Night in Watford — Commissioned to take promotional pictures for the generation-defining teen drama before it hit screens, the legendary youth culture photographer revisits the fun-fuelled evening, which was equal parts work and play, in his new photobook.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The Ukrainian skatepark sanctuary on the frontlines of war
Krytka — In Okhtyrka, just 50km from the border with Russia, a crew of young skaters, musicians and friends gutted out an abandoned factory, filling it with ramps and music equipment to create a shelter of community and resilience.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Tender, carefree portraits of young Ukrainians before the war
Diary of a Stolen Youth — On the day that a temporary ceasefire is announced, a new series from photographer Nastya Platinova looks back at Kyiv’s bubbling youth culture before Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion. It presents a visual window for young people into a possible future, as well as the past.
Written by: Hannah Bentley
Amid tensions in Eastern Europe, young Latvians are reviving their country’s folk rhythms
Spaces Between the Beats — The Baltic nation’s ancient melodies have long been a symbol of resistance, but as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, new generations of singers and dancers are taking them to the mainstream.
Written by: Jack Styler
As amapiano goes global, where does it leave its roots?
Rainbow grooves — Over the past decade, the house music subgenre has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon. Jak Hutchcraft went to its birthplace of Mamelodi, South Africa, to explore its still-thriving local scene.
Written by: Jak Hutchcraft
The British intimacy of ‘the afters’
Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Inside Kashmir’s growing youth tattoo movement
Catharsis in ink — Despite being forbidden under Islam, a wave of tattoo shops are springing up in India-administered Kashmir. Saqib Mugloo spoke to those on both ends of the needle.
Written by: Saqib Mugloo
Subversive shots of Catholic schoolgirls in ‘80s New York
Catholic Girl — When revisiting her alma mater, Andrea Modica noticed schoolgirls finding forms of self-expression beyond the dress code. Her new photobook documents their intricate styles.
Written by: Isaac Muk
