"This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Read about the sneaky tactics behind bad customer service, a bizarre PTSD therapy that "seemed too good to be true," why the dictionary might be obsolete, and more."
"That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose. Endless wait times and excessive procedural fuss-it's all part of a tactic called "sludge.""
"By Stefan Fatsis The Teen-Disengagement Crisis By middle school, many kids' interest in learning falls off a cliff. The ripple effects could last for years."
Insomnia now constitutes a widespread public-health emergency, affecting sleep across broad populations. Teen disengagement becomes pronounced by middle school, with declining interest in learning and long-term ripple effects. Customer-service systems employ procedural friction and long waits as deliberate tactics—so-called sludge—to discourage follow-through. New PTSD therapies promise less painful paths to recovery and raise questions about treatment norms. The dictionary faces potential obsolescence as language use and reference needs evolve. Political appointments and cultural phenomena—seasonal produce availability, entertainment releases, and engineered theme-park experiences—continue to influence daily life and civic discourse.
Read at The Atlantic
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