Vivian Le's reads

The discreet thrill of lurking online. Although online comment sections are "notorious cesspools," there are still some wholesome communities where people share encouragement and the mundane joys in their lives. Writing for the New York Times, Elise Craig describes how she started reading people's social media posts "like teeny tiny true soap operas" during the pandemic and why quietly lurking may be better than inserting yourself into online discussions.

Why you might be a mosquito magnet. As the weather warms, you're likely to see a proliferation of mosquitos, leading to itchy, irritating bites — or even infectious diseases in some cases. However, some people are more likely than others to be bitten by mosquitos. Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Dominique Mosbergen explains how new research suggests that certain kinds of body soaps may turn some people into "mosquito magnets" and increase their risk of being bitten.

Lex Ashcroft's reads

The end of the free-returns era.  As online shopping has boomed in recent years, free returns have become a staple of e-commerce. The increased volumes of returns during and after the pandemic, along with the high costs of the process, have led many retailers to rethink their previously generous policies. The shrinking need to compete with brick-and-mortar stores, and less than ideal cost-cutting measures (such as wage and benefit cuts) have also contributed to a general shift in return policies. Writing for The Atlantic, Amanda Mull explains how these new policies may change the habits of consumers now and in the future, and the impact they will have on the e-commerce industry.

AI fitness trainers are here. Are they useful? Hiring a personal trainer is often the best way to push fitness limits and stay consistent with working out. For many people, cost and time related factors can prevent them from using a trainer at all. Within the last decade, fitness apps have attempted to eliminate these barriers — more recently using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to do so. These developments have led to an increased number and variety of AI fitness coaching apps on the market. Writing for the New York Times, Hilary Achauer shares the benefits and drawbacks of using AI fitness trainers, and the factors that can be helpful in determining if they are appropriate for you.