It is an ordinary spring day. Someone, from their home, is preparing a letter. The envelope also contains a series of illustrations. The ritual is repeated, a gesture that transports us to a past century, when algorithms did not yet exist. The one writing could be Mercè Rodoreda; the one receiving the letter, Joan Sales. But we are not in 1960 nor facing a classic literary correspondence, but rather a trend that emerged on social networks, called mail club, which points to a timid return of postal mail in a scenario of digital saturation and the search for analog alternatives.Through a model we already know, that of the monthly subscription, artists and illustrators from all over the world send letters, stickers, illustrations, photographs, or recipes to a group of subscribers. "Receiving a well-cared-for and beautiful letter in your mailbox every month, in a world saturated with information and mediated by screens, seems like a stroke of luck to me," explains Lorena, a young woman who is subscribed to two mail clubs different, Bunny Mail Club and La Mamarrracha. "I believe that, in addition, it is a way to support artists, because their work is often lost in the immensity of content distributed on social networks," she reflects.A new way to connect

While other digital trends are born and stay in the online universe, the mail club, on the other hand, has managed to make the leap to the offline world, and has gained special strength among generations like Z. “We need community in all areas, and this component is especially important for generations like Z. In Spain, 35% of young people between 18 and 24 years old feel lonely; we have a very significant situation of unwanted loneliness. Initiatives like mail clubs can contribute to creating community and connecting with objects in another way,” reflects Liliana Arroyo Moliner, director of the SoReDI (Chair for Socially Responsible Digital Innovation) at Esade.The phenomenon, which has been operating in the United States for a couple of years through crowdfunding platforms like Patreon, has found its niche in Catalonia thanks to profiles like communicator Berta Aroca or illustrator Irina Torres Conejero, creator of Bon Profit Club, who prepares a surprise content each month, often related to a time of year like Valentine's Day, Christmas, or seasons like spring.“I always include a letter written and signed by me, a sheet of A5 cotton paper, and some small details like a sticker, a postcard, a template for journaling, and other surprises”, explains Irina, who started this project in November 2025 and already has over forty subscribers. As with most of these mailings, her letter is much more than a simple piece of paper: “You don’t just open and read the letter, but you also decide what to do with the materials I send”.Unlike a newsletter, which can go unnoticed among countless emails, a paper letter fills a space and accompanies us. “It can be smelled, framed, and can live in a drawer, in the fridge, on a wall, or in furniture. Besides being more subtle and erotic, it is tangible, and we are short on experiences that involve the use of hands, and not just eyes and ears,” explains Bea Salas, psychologist, illustrator, and creativity teacher.Following this line, the artist Laura García, from León, created in June 2024 Garlic Yaya Club, a monthly mail club that combines unpublished recipes, letters, and various artistic objects designed by herself. “I wanted to create something physical that people could touch, collect, and enjoy beyond the screen.” In Laura's case, each edition revolves around a theme and a recipe that inspires her: “When I discovered the format, I realized it had to be about cooking. It was something I hadn't seen before, so I decided that Garlic Yaya Club would have its own recipes to convey my passion for home cooking, slow processes, and carefully made things,” explains this entrepreneur, co-owner of Antisouvenir®, a bookstore specializing in independent publications that she runs with her partner.This slowness, in contrast with the immediate gratification of algorithms, seems to be the key to these postal deliveries. Even though in 2011, with the creation of the first social networks, users acted as true "internet inhabitants", today networks have become a publicity showcase, both of ourselves and of all kinds of products, as Marta G. Franco explains in the book Les xarxes són nostres. Una història popular d’internet i un mapa per tornar a habitar-la, published in Spanish by the editorial Consonni. We scroll without looking, we accumulate links that we never open and, amidst so much digital chaos, we all seek the feeling of belonging to something more real, especially at a time marked by the generation of images with artificial intelligence.“Faced with empires like ChatGPT, Spotify, Google, Amazon, and Apple, phenomena naturally emerge in the opposite direction, in this case, spaces that protect and celebrate our humanity: handmade art, dedicated communication, the use of senses, and face-to-face interaction. Mail clubs seem to be a response to a real need to express ourselves, communicate, and belong without major intermediaries,” explains Salas. mail clubs seem to be a response to a real need to express ourselves, communicate, and belong without major intermediaries,” explains Salas. The value of physical experience

In fact, for Generation Z, the internet is a central element in their daily lives and also their main leisure activity: 90% spend two or more hours a day online, according to the 2023 Youth Survey, collected in the 2024 Report on Youth in Spain. the 2024 Report on Youth in Spain. "I don't know if this model will last as is, but it does respond to a deep need that will probably remain: generations that have grown up with digital find more value in non-virtuality and in what is tangible," confirms Arroyo.Marina, who was subscribed for two months to a mail club from the United States, confirms this theory that we have already seen in trends like Sonny Angels: “I was very excited about opening the letter, not knowing exactly what was coming, discovering the postcards and stickers; more than the letter, it was the whole package that surrounded it. However –she explains–, being in another language, I didn't end up feeling part of the community”.This is not the case for Irina and Laura. They do maintain direct communication with their subscribers: “I always encourage them to write to me whenever they want, even by letter, because I love getting to know them. In fact, I always send a personalized welcome email, encouraging them to tell me who they are, what they like, and what motivates them to cook,” says the creator of Garlic Yaya Club, who, despite not being able to live solely off this format, sees it as a viable alternative. “I always ask in the letter how they are, and I receive quite a few messages replying to me on Instagram, and that’s really cool because I do feel that a different bond is created,” says Irina.Like any trend born on social media, mail clubs cannot be disconnected from their digital component, nor can they foresee the behavior of some users, who will probably limit themselves to photographing the content and posting it on their social networks. Nevertheless, artisanal work and analog creation exist beyond these subscriptions. The format only shows us that, faced with a lack of intimacy and connection, "human beings are more intelligent and creative, and look for ways like these to recover what they miss: connection, contact, and a shared experience," reflects psychologist and illustrator Bea Salas.

]]>

“I’m noticing it’s getting harder and harder for me to go out partying,” says Albert Thió Hortoneda, 26, from Barcelona. “You go into a club at two in the morning, you’ve paid 20 euros, and to get your money’s worth, you have to stay until six. This throws my sleep patterns off a bit,” he explains. He says that packaged, consumer-focused partying that lasts for hours on end doesn’t appeal to him. “I hadn’t really thought about it being a generational thing, but I do see that a lot of people around me are experiencing the same thing,” he points out. In fact, articles and videos with hashtags like "We've normalized not going out"where very young people speak openly about not going out partying in their 20s. What was once a stigma – having to tell friends not to include you in their plans – seems to have found its niche on TikTok with hashtags on well-being and self-care.

]]>

The ban on social media was the trigger fora revolt in Nepal, led by Generation Z, which ended with the government's resignation. A year later, the same youthful energy that brought down the old guard has given rapper Balendra 'Balen' Shah an overwhelming victory in this week's parliamentary elections. These elections were a commitment made by the interim government following the prime minister's resignation in 2025.

]]>

You might think you are cool because you can serve fig But you're actually being pond And you don't even know it. Youth slang is evolving faster than ever thanks to social media, which has transformed communication into a global and dizzyingly frenetic exchange. Lols and hypes were overtaken by PECs and haulsAnd new expressions have already appeared on TikTok, sea and air, which millennials and older are finding difficult to understand. We've updated our dictionary for boomers in version 2026 with ten expressions new of Generation Z.

]]>

As soon as the decisive penalty kick by a Moroccan player found the back of the net, pandemonium erupted in downtown Rabat. Morocco had defeated Nigeria in the semifinals and, after a 50-year drought, could once again be crowned champions of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN). Moreover, this time the title could be won in front of their home crowd, as the final against Senegal is this Sunday in Rabat. Within minutes, thousands of euphoric fans gathered on Mohamed V Avenue in the capital to celebrate the victory. Amidst the honking of car horns and the blaring of trumpets, the noise was deafening. the social protests of the GenZ 212 movement that shook the country last October

]]>

"I'm getting ready for the protest. We have no idea what's going to happen; they might resign," explained Tsvetozar, a young Bulgarian in his thirties, on Wednesday as he headed to Parliament, where young people had called for what they hoped would be the biggest mobilization of the decade. Less than 24 hours later, their wish came true. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced the resignation of his government, a three-party coalition led by conservatives that had been in power for less than a year, in the country's lower house on Thursday. Yesterday's protests brought together tens of thousands of people who demanded the resignation of the government, which they accuse of corruption. "We have listened to the voice of society," stated the prime minister, who announced his resignation shortly before a vote of no confidence against the government, the sixth since he took office on January 15. Wednesday's demonstration was the third in just a few days called by the pro-European opposition party PP-DB against the government, a coalition of the conservative GERB party, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and the populist ITN. Bulgaria—which will join the eurozone in January—has been mired in political instability for years and has held seven elections since 2021. The protest movement began on December 1, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the 2026 budget, announced days earlier; a draft that included cuts to social spending, increased taxes on the self-employed and small businesses, and a lack of measures to combat inflation and corruption. Due to the public outcry—which culminated in clashes and arrests that same day—the government backtracked and canceled the budget's implementation. However, this "has been a turning point for Generation Z," explains Teodora, also from Sofia. "Every day more of us are joining this movement, and I believe that together we can achieve results." It's no longer just about budgets: what young Bulgarians are demanding, supported by a social majority that hadn't mobilized in over a decade, is an end to corruption and a government that has "held the state hostage."

]]>

A generational fatigue is shaking the Global South. These people were born between the mid-1990s and approximately 2010, at the turn of a millennium marked by a succession of crises. Generation Z has risen up in several countries and continents to demand tangible changes in imperfect, corrupt, and unequal democratic systems. The spark has ignited in recent months in Nepal, Madagascar, Morocco, and Peru; and, to a more incipient extent, in Indonesia and the Philippines. But we could also add Bangladesh—where there have been significant waves of violence—Kenya last year, and Sri Lanka in 2022. These movements are dispersed in space and time. The trigger has been different in each country, but they all share a deep malaise and the feeling of living under violence: social violence due to injustice and corruption; environmental violence due to resource deprivation and climate effects; human violence due to rights violations and inequalities.

]]>

A pirate flag with a straw hat was flying at the gates of Nepal's Parliament as the building burned. The same flag was raised above the Malagasy protesters who this weekendDemanding an end to the constant water and electricity outages, the protesters flooded the streets of Peru, where President Dina Boluarte was ousted on Friday. This is the insignia that presides over the ship of Captain Luffy, a rubber-bodied pirate who in the manga One Piece He is confronting the so-called "World Government." For several months now, he has also become the symbol of the wave of protests led by the so-called Generation Z—a label that encompasses those born after 1996—that has spread across South Asia and, more recently, to some countries in Africa and Latin America.

]]>

Coup d'état in Madagascar. Soldiers from an elite unit announced Tuesday that they were assuming political control of the island, following weeks of demonstrations that ended with the flight of President Andry Rajoelina. "We have taken power," Colonel Michael Randrianirina said on national radio. He had led the mutiny of soldiers who this weekend joined the thousands of young Gen Z protesters who led the anti-government protests.

]]>

It's six o'clock in the evening on any given Tuesday. Although the sun is already setting, the gray clouds of a rather disenchanting day are still reflected in the windows of the 22@ skyscrapers. The office workers in the area are starting to leave their jobs. They punch out and file toward the subway. And among men in blazers, with ID tags hanging from their necks, headphones being pulled out, and a few students with backpacks... "Baby can't you see, I'm calling a guy like you, you should wear a warning, it's dangerous"A group of four girls and a boy dance a version of the song Toxic by Britney Spears.

]]>

In the middle of the last century, everyone believed that men had to pay on first dates. According to the classic division of roles, women were in charge of the reproductive side and men were in charge of the productive side. They were the ones who breadwinners, provided the family with the financial resources, so their value was associated with purchasing power and the fact that he paid for dates was a sign of power. Furthermore, it was not until 1978 that women in Spain were able to open a bank account without a man's permission, having been denied their autonomy until then.

]]> Generational breaks are part of human evolution. Beyond the accelerations of history, changes in mentality from parents to children have always occurred and have reflected what Jünger, following the thread of Hegel, called "the zeitgeist". In the two decades of the 21st century, the times have been marked by the growing ecological awareness in the face of climate change, by feminisms and the fluidity of gender identities, by the long crisis of ideologies that emerged at the end of the 20th century, by the irruption of global jihadist terrorism and by a communicative and economic globalisation that has brought a strong vital precariousness and the shrinking of the middle classes, above all in western democracies, after decades of sustained progress since the Second World War.

]]>