To Save Civilization, Hang Up Your Phone
It's uniquely annoying to listen to one side of someone else's cellphone call. Our technology columnist examines why that is.
Should We Really Stress Out about What Kids Play With?
Today's parents may feel concerned about their kids' obsession with electronic games, but adults have always been suspicious of new kinds of playthings.
How High School Reunions Connect Us With the Past
High school reunions have become an important part of managing and presenting identity, as these scholars and poets consider.
How Tattoos Became Middle Class
In the 1990s, middle class clientele used legitimization techniques to "to frame their desires for tattoos within mainstream definitions of success."
“Thoughts and Prayers” in Greek Tragedy
With national tragedies now as frequent and predictable as sunrises, no phrase has lost consolatory power more swiftly than “thoughts and prayers.”
Why Clean Eating Can’t Save Your Soul
If hunger is moral purity, self-care a purchasable commodity, and wellness a stand-in for thinness, what does health really mean?
Man, Interrupting
Do men interrupt more than women? Why? A look at the research on gender and interrupting.
Donald Trump and “Whiteness”
Donald Trump's controversial racial rhetoric and mostly white supporters lead us to ask what whiteness means to white people?
How to Disappear Completely: Linguistic Anonymity on the Internet
Is anonymity on the Internet linguistically possible?