The Best Articles in Culture
The most useful articles and videos in Culture from around the web—beginners to advanced—curated by thought leaders and our community. We focus on timeless pieces and update the list whenever we discover new, must-read articles or videos—make sure to bookmark and revisit this page.
Top 5 Culture Articles
At a glance: these are the articles that have been most read, shared, and saved in Culture by Refind users in 2023 so far.
Videos
Watch a video to get a quick overview.
why Japan's internet is weirdly designed
Use code ANSWER to get 10% off your Hostinger plan today (on top of ongoing offers like their Black Friday/Cyber Monday $1.99 for Premium Shared web hosting ...
Why we all need subtitles now
It's not you — the dialogue in TV and movies has gotten harder to hear.Subscribe and turn on notifications 🔔 so you don't miss any videos: http://goo.gl/0bs...
A fact-checked debate about legal weed
2 opposing perspectives and 6 true facts about cannabis legalization.Subscribe and turn on notifications 🔔 so you don't miss any videos: http://goo.gl/0bsA...
Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen: The myth behind the Chinese zodiac
What's your sign? In Western astrology, it's a constellation determined by when your birthday falls in the calendar. But according to the Chinese zodiac (生肖), it's your shuxiang, meaning the animal…
What is ...?
New to Culture? These articles make an excellent introduction.
What is ‘Gothic’? It’s more complicated than you think.
Hidden in the architecture of some of the world’s most famous buildings is a cultural exchange between Europe and the Middle East.
How to ...?
How to deconstruct the world
Don’t believe everything you hear, read and watch. To puncture received ideas about culture, start thinking like Jacques Derrida
«Anything that has been constructed can be deconstructed. This is true for objects, but is also true for concepts, such as God, justice and truth.»
How to come up with a unique Halloween costume without spending a ton of money
Tap your creativity (and closet) for the best Halloween costume.
Trending
These links are currently making the rounds in Culture on Refind.
Seismic Waves of Gen Z Behavior
Three Generational Shifts Shaping Technology & Culture
The strange survival of Guinness World Records
The long read: For more than half a century, one organisation has been certifying and cataloguing all of life’s superlatives. But has it gone from being about the pursuit of knowledge to simply…
Become a Connoisseur of Time
What we really want is to experience our lives in ever-richer ways. And that means getting off the clock. Here, a master outlines how to do just that.
Will your local cinema still be there in a decade?
The situation for movie theatres worldwide is on a knife-edge.ut there’s cause for optimism
A Golden Age?
Today, criticism is being practiced and received as an artform in its own right. What makes this possible, and can it last?
Short Articles
Short on time? Check out these useful short articles in Culture—all under 10 minutes.
The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are
There are good reasons you always feel 20 percent younger than your actual age.
How the Great Recession paved the way for influencers to inherit the earth
How the Great Recession paved the way for influencers to inherit the earth.
The Covert Mission to Solve a Mexican Journalist’s Murder
After the death of a reporter who investigated narcopolitics, her colleagues formed a secret collective to bring the killers to justice—and challenge a culture of impunity.
The freedom loop
We spend almost no time teaching toddlers about freedom. Instead, the lessons we teach (and learn) for our entire lives are about responsibility. It’s easy to teach freedom, but important to …
The Founder of the Nap Ministry on the Ways Rest Can Be a Form of Resistance
Grind culture is exhausting and separates us from who we really are.
«“We don’t have to earn rest,”»
Long Articles
These are some of the most-read long-form articles in Culture.
The age of average
In the early 1990s, two Russian artists named Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid hired a market research firm to survey the public on what they wanted in a work of art. Across 11 countries they then…
Honestly, it's probably the phones
It takes time to adapt human life to fit new technologies.
The Strange Logic of Value in the Attention Economy
Did you know that 54% of 18-38-year-olds want to be influencers? Or that kids these days would rather be “influencers” or “YouTubers” than firefighters, astronauts, or teachers? Okay, Boomer. Calm…
“Blurred Lines,” Harbinger of Doom
How Robin Thicke, Pharrell, and T.I.’s cursed megahit predicted everything bad about the past decade in pop culture
Hustle Culture: How did we get here? And what do we do about it?
American culture is hustle culture. Why do we put so much value on productivity, efficiency, and sticking it out no matter the cost?
Thought Leaders
We monitor hundreds of thought leaders, influencers, and newsletters in Culture, including:
DesignObserver
Writings and podcasts on design and culture. Founded by @jessicahelfand and @michaelbierut.
Open Culture
Find our daily culture posts on http://openculture.com
Aeon+Psyche
Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture. Psyche is our sister magazine focused on the human condition. Visit http://aeon.co and http://psyche.co for more.
Anne Helen Petersen
I write Culture Study & also books — most recently, OUT OF OFFICE. Speaking: @prhspeakers IG: annehelenpetersen // email: annehelenpetersen @ gmail
The Pudding
The Pudding is a digital publication that explains ideas debated in culture with visual essays. Email: sup@pudding.cool Support: http://patreon.com/thepudding
Publications
We monitor hundreds of publications, blogs, newsletters, and news sources in Culture, including:
Aeon+Psyche
Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture. Psyche is our sister magazine focused on the human condition. Visit http://aeon.co and http://psyche.co for more.
The Ringer
Sports. TV. Movies. Pop Culture. Music.
Literary Hub
A daily literary website highlighting the best in contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and criticism.
The Pudding
The Pudding is a digital publication that explains ideas debated in culture with visual essays. Email: sup@pudding.cool Support: http://patreon.com/thepudding
Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦
Writes about economics, tweets about rabbits. Subscribe to my Substack: http://noahpinion.substack.com Email: noahpiniontwitter@gmail.com
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How many sources does Refind monitor?
We monitor 10k+ content sources on hundreds of topics—publications, blogs, news sites, newsletters, Substack, Medium, Twitter, etc.
Which sources does Refind monitor in Culture?
We monitor hundreds of sources in Culture, including Aeon+Psyche, The Ringer, Literary Hub, The Pudding, Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦, and many more.
Who are the thought leaders in Culture?
We follow dozens of thought leaders in Culture, including DesignObserver, Open Culture, Aeon+Psyche, Anne Helen Petersen, The Pudding.
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