Trends & Culture - Rohit Bhargava

Are Colleges and Universities Failing Liberal-Leaning Students by Not Challenging Their Perspectives?

July 18, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

In a forthcoming book by Princeton Political Science Professor Lauren A. Wright, the author writes about her research process that involved interviews with self-described liberal and conservative students about the variety of topics and perspectives they are learning. She found a disproportionate number of conservative-leaning students are exposed to new perspectives or ideas that they don’t necessarily … Read more

A First Look at America’s Smartest Highway

August 28, 2024July 11, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

Driverless vehicles are obviously going to be part of humanity’s future, but they aren’t experiencing a great PR moment right now. Every day it seems there is another story about an incident involving a driverless vehicle hitting someone, mistaking something on the road or generally malfunctioning. Not to mention the justifiable fears of hacking that … Read more

What the Disappearing Dining Room Reveals About American Culture

June 18, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

There is a room in my house that is known by everyone as the “Thanksgiving Room.” According to the blueprints for the house, it was originally designed to be a dining room — but its revised name reflects its utility. Used mainly once in November for actual dining, the rest of the year it is … Read more

Why People Become Gamers … And How It’s Changing

June 6, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

Fandom recently released the latest edition of their annual Inside Gaming Report where they survey 5,000 “entertainment and gaming fans globally.” The data this year found that the top reason that people play games continues to be to unwind or relieve stress, followed closely by a more surprising motivation: self-expression. Nearly 50% of the gamers surveyed suggested … Read more

The Pronatalists Want Everyone to Have More Kids. Are They Right?

June 3, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

Malcolm and Simone Collins believe it’s their duty to have as many kids as possible. They think you should, too. Over the past few years, they have become the unofficial spokespeople for pronatalism, the idea that the only way to fight population decline is to encourage the world to have more kids. Lots more kids. Their … Read more

Uber Caregiver Is a Golden Opportunity … If They Get It Right

May 23, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

Earlier this week Uber made an announcement about their future roadmap of offerings and the one getting the most attention is the ability to book a shuttle with friends to attend a concert or some other live event. The announcement that should be getting the most attention was mostly ignored.Uber Caregiver is a new feature of the … Read more

Should All Celebrities Be Advocates?

May 20, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

Earlier this month, a campaign on TikTok known as Blockout 2024 was launched as a response to tone-deaf social media posts from celebrities and online influencers about the over-the-top fashion choices from the Met Gala. The movement encourages people to “block all the celebrities, influencers and wealthy socialites who are not using their resources to … Read more

Imagining the Future of Hip Hop and Art in 50 Years

May 14, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

The day after the Met Gala, the Internet was flooded with deep fakes of celebrities who weren’t there, wearing things they never wore. Some of them were pretty convincing. The future of art, fashion, and music will see all sorts of disruptions in the coming years from technology like this. Where is all of this headed? … Read more

Playgrounds and Swing Sets Aren’t Just for Kids Anymore

May 3, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

Here’s a radical thought that really shouldn’t be: what if playgrounds were designed for teenagers instead of younger kids? At the Anna C. Verna Playground in Philadelphia’s FDR Park, that’s exactly what they did and it’s getting rave reviews and lots of usage so far. The idea is an intriguing one because it challenges our perceptions of … Read more

Why Industrial Tourism Is One of the Fastest Growing Trends in Travel

April 26, 2024 by Rohit Bhargava

Portugal is one of several countries investing big into industrial tourism – a term that describes experiences where travelers can visit factories to see how products get made. Of course, vineyards and liquor distilleries along with many food manufacturers have long offered this sort of experience. But Portugal is taking it one step further. In São João da Madeira, … Read more