LSN : News : Thought-starter: What’s wrong with ‘toxic masculinity’?

Clean Market offers instant detox for city dwellers

Clean Market, New York City

New York – Clean Market is a new health destination dedicated to practical wellness. The store offers accredited products and services designed to support city dwellers’ overall health and wellbeing.

Founder Lily Kunin wanted to create a space that drew individuals away from the hustle and bustle of New York’s streets and provided multiple wellness offerings under one roof. With the launch of Clean Market, customers can access a range of approved supplements and carefully-selected food and drinks. Each has been chosen to support seven pillars of functional medicine: energy, detox, brain, immunity, form, flow and gut health.

The space also offers a range of wellness-focused treatments such as IV drips, infrared saunas and cryotherapy, said to boost customers’ energy and physical functions.

As the worlds of health and wellness continue to merge, doctors’ visits are decreasing as brands offer more convenient access to treatments and services to help consumers lead healthier lifestyles. For more, explore our recently-launched Certified Wellness macrotrend.

Emotional States to erupt at London Design Biennale

The Canadians by Canada, London Design Biennale 2018

The process of Impenetrable Forests by Argentina, London Design Biennale 2018

London – In reflection of the recent turbulent times witnessed across global societies, and ongoing uncertainty about the future, installations at this year’s London Design Biennale will examine a spectrum of emotions.

The ambiguous theme of Emotional States has been chosen to provoke broad interpretation from the Biennale’s participating countries and cities, including India, Russia, the US and Egypt. The show will explore how design affects aspects of everyday life or can challenge current political, social and economic climates.

‘Design is at the forefront of change-making, with architects and designers working imaginatively to try and create positive conditions for human flourishing. But, for every problem designers solve, inevitably more are created. In their installations and exhibits, design teams will propose radical and provocative ideas that will examine the full spectrum of emotional experiences, from anger to joy, sadness to disgust,’ says Dr Christopher Turner, director of the London Design Biennale.

Look out for our 2018 London Design Biennale debrief in September.

A wearable sensor that can track stress

California – Researchers at Stanford University have developed a smart patch that can determine a person’s level of stress by tracking a hormone found in sweat.

Cortisol is a hormone that rises and falls naturally throughout the day but can spike in response to stress. The new patch was developed from an electrochemical sensor, which poses a challenge when attempting to detect a molecule with no charge. In response, the researchers added an additional layer that allows charged ions to filter through and capture cortisol molecules. The patch transfers the data to a connected smart device, which can be used for analysis.

While biomarkers have changed the way in which we diagnose disease, traditionally they have been collected by specialists and analysed in a lab. A new generation of wearables are now offering the opportunity for at-home diagnosis. For more on how smart devices are providing intuitive, health-oriented feedback, see our macrotrend.

Les Girls Les Boys campaign, UK

Sprout Foods’ Alexa playlist will ease dinner time

Sophie Sprout on Amazon Alexa by Sprout Foods, US

US – In an effort to make dinner time easier for parents, infant nutrition company Sprout Foods has launched an Alexa skill that encourages young children to eat their food through playful actions.

The voice tool, known as Sophie Sprout, is designed to spark an interest in young eaters by playing a variety of different songs about fruits and vegetables. Children are actively engaged through eating adventures that involve the classic ‘airplane’ or ‘choo-choo train’ techniques that many parents adopt. The initiative is designed to bring enjoyment to eating for children, while encouraging parents to stop using smartphones and tablets as distraction devices for children during mealtimes.

As parental trust in technology increases, many are looking to brands to help them manage daily family life. In response, brands are developing a variety of smart devices that support parents as well as help them better understand their child’s development.

Stat: Americans splurge on self-indulgence

A new study by event and ticketing platform Eventbrite found that Americans spend an average of £108,843 ($143,280, €122,493) on treating themselves during their lifetime. However, many report feeling buyer’s remorse after spending on themselves. Consequently, Eventbrite reports that ‘experience spending’ on events such as spa days, self-development classes and holidays continues to grow in popularity among consumers.

Already, brands are investing in creating experiences that offer meaning and value for their customers. In the travel industry in particular, this is manifestingas new service offerings that enhance emotional experiences and wellbeing. Amatara Wellness Resort in Phuket, for example, has partnered with Bangkok Phuket Hospital to offer a luxury Brain Health Enhancement package.

For more on wellbeing experiences, read our Wellness Tourism microtrend.

Thought-starter: What’s wrong with ‘toxic masculinity’?

Sociologist Michael Kimmel says father figures must help young men find their inner voice, so they can grow up to become more authentic versions of themselves.

I’m not much of a fan of ‘toxic masculinity’. It’s a term often used to describe everything that’s wrong with men. It’s a knot of ideas and values that are dangerous and destructive, values that promote antisocial behaviour, violence, and the denigration of women and other minorities.

Yet abstract definitions of what is toxic and what is healthy masculinity tell us nothing about the social relationships that produce these behaviours in the first place. Masculinity is that which is produced through interaction and validated by others. And, importantly, validated by other men.

Being a real man isn’t something internal, but something performed. Other men judge us, police us, and decide if we are doing it right. Masculinity is therefore ‘homosocial’ – other men judge the effectiveness of our performance of it. In turn, we want to be seen as a man among men.

These are the dynamics that we need to understand – and explore – with other men if we are to address those parts of masculinity that we call toxic.

Read the full opinion here.