The wider room

Social Issues

AI in class, teen burnout, plastic, gamification. The arguments that sit under the news.

10 stories

A student at a classroom desk, eyes squeezed shut, biting into a snack

Social Issues

Diet Obsession in Korea

Billions of prescribed pills, idols as diet inspiration, and a culture that treats appearance as a credential.

Jalen Park/Sep 2026

Social Issues

Deadly Floods in Nepal

Dongyun Hwang/Sep 2026

Brown floodwater tearing through a bridge between river towns in Nepal

Social Issues

AI Cheating Arms Race at Schools

Jalen Park/Jun 2026

The Social Issue page carrying the AI cheating story

Social Issues

Plastic Pollution over the World

Dongyun Hwang/May 2026

Plastic bottles and packaging floating underwater

Social Issues

Teen Mental Health Crisis Growing Among Students

Dongyun Hwang/May 2026

A student sitting at an exam desk with her head in her hands

Everything else filed here

The rest of the desk

Social Issues

Australia BANS Social Media for Teenagers Under 16

4.7 million accounts revoked. The minister calls it 'behavioural cocaine'. Teenagers call it unnecessary.

Yujin Lee/Mar 2026

Social media app icons stacked together on a black background

Social Issues

Former President Yoon's Trial as Ringleader of Insurrection

Five years for obstruction. Prosecutors asked for death. Seven trials still to come.

Jalen Park/Mar 2026

Yoon Suk Yeol speaking from the defendant's seat in court

Social Issues

The Gamification Trap: Why Classrooms Are Turning Into Digital Casinos

Badges, points and leaderboards look like engagement on a dashboard. The argument here is that they destroy it.

Jalen Park/Mar 2026

Social Issues

Phones, Social Media & Teen Mental Health

France, Australia and the courts. A Pediatrics study links preteen smartphone ownership to depression and lost sleep.

Jalen Park/Dec 2025

A circle of teenagers seen from below, each looking down at a phone

Social Issues

US Military Carries Out Second Strike

A follow-up strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean killed the survivors. Total death toll: 11.

Jalen Park/Dec 2025

President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seated at a meeting table

After the bell

Culture & Lifestyle

Jeong, nunchi, albums, films, F1, gift guides. After the bell and on the bus home.

All stories

10 Awesome One Liners to Pull on Your Friends

Back from summer and out of practice? Ten well-placed lines to fix your social life. Satire, probably.

Caiden Kim/Sep 2026

Spider Man: Brand New Day

Everyone knows Spider Man; almost nobody remembers Peter Parker. Tom Holland is back for an emotional new chapter.

Sungyoon Park/Sep 2026

An engraving of Atlas bent under the weight of the celestial globe

Greek Mythology Applied to Life: Atlas

A titan, a book of maps, a mountain range and an ocean. How one name ended up on all of them.

Juwon Kim/Sep 2026

A hand-tinted photograph of a cowboy on a chestnut horse on open prairie

Cowboys

The most American thing there is did not start in America.

Juwon Kim/Sep 2026

Holes

A camp with no lake, one hole a day, and a mystery under the dirt. 10/10, would dig again.

Seoyun Lee/Sep 2026

The Han River and Lotte Tower seen from Maebongsan. Photo by Anthony Kong

Hidden Gems of Seoul: Scenic Places

Past Lotte Tower and Namsan: a pavilion on Maebongsan and an overpass in Seongsu with the whole Han in view.

Anthony Kong/Sep 2026

A model holding an oversized rhode bronzer compact

Rhode Just Dropped Its Summer 2026 Collection

Pocket Bronze, Highlight Milk and three limited-edition tints. 9pm PST on June 9th, rhode's site only.

Yujin Lee/May 2026

Brent Faiyaz — Icon (2026)

Ten tracks, thirty-three minutes, no filler. Released February 13th and possibly his best.

Sungyoon Park/May 2026

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