Business must lead. That’s the theme of NewCo Shift this year, and certainly this past week or so. Read on for an overview of the most popular and impactful stories we’ve recently published. Thanks for both reading and sharing these stories. Remember to follow us on Medium and social media to receive real time notifications from all our stories as they’re published.
We also want to remind our readers that NewCo Shift sources and edits extraordinary stories into Medium’s membership area, which is on a “metered paywall” similar to the New York Times. Anyone can read them, until they hit their limit. We’re including them in our roundup so you know about this great work — and we may be biased, but we think Medium membership is well worth it!
Let us know what you’re interested in us covering or pitch your own stories at editorial@newco.co.
No Purpose? No Problem
Millennials seems to be obsessed with finding a purpose if we are to believe people like Mark Zuckerberg, who recently shared remarks declaring that the young generation is more adept at naturally finding their purpose (his statements are in fact backed by a slew of research, so…not fake news). But Ted Kinni makes a case that it is completely OK if you don’t have a purpose — you could still live a fulfilling life without one.
Our Consumption Model Is Broken. Here’s How To Build A New One.
Just how wasteful is our culture? Ali El Idrissi gives a small glimpse of our waste with this quote, “Sixty percent of all clothing ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year. Only 3.1 percent of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40 percent of the toys consumed globally. Nearly 40 percent of food in America goes to waste. Each year, Americans throw away 70 pounds of clothing per person.” So how are we supposed to change that? Read on for some suggestions.
Capitalism at Its Worst: The Opioid Crisis
Last week a big story got a bit buried in the avalanche that is our hourly news cycle — the government’s role in the current opioid crisis devouring America. The frustrated white working and middle class are literally being killed by a virulent strain of steroidal American capitalism — and big pharma lobbyists, coupled with a compliant Congress — is to blame.
What I Learned Drinking on the Job
In one of our premium stories, former Playboy writer Hugh Garvey writes about his experience working in an environment with a culture of drinking and easy access to alcohol. He shares his experiences and provides advice on how to handle drinking at work.
It’s Time To Ask Ourselves How Tech Is Changing Our Kids — And Our Future
In our Shift Reads series, we discuss Nancy Jo Sales’ American Girls, a book that details the social media habits of teenaged girls from all walks of life, and what it finds should force the technology industry into a serious bout of self reflection. Shift Reads’ goal is to identify and explore the most pressing issues in business and society to prepare for Shift Forum this February.