"I care a lot about access. I think there are so many systems at play in our country that are machinated to keep everyone down. Simply giving people access to the most basic of things can change the trajectory of people’s lives: access to education, healthcare, food, green spaces, technology, and more."

"Education is definitely one of the issues I care about most. I find it really appalling the extent to which so many forms of social stratification — whether its race, gender, or socioeconomic status — are reproduced in the US through unequal access to education. I also think education plays a big role in our polarized political divide, and worry about the lack of education access worldwide."

"A cause that I care about the most is making education accessible and getting rid of privatized education. I feel that most avenues of activism stem from this issue. Whether it’s climate change, healthcare or geopolitical issues, I’m a strong believer that these topics would not be considered controversial or even things we would need to be fighting for if our education system wasn’t failing us."

"Personally, the biggest cause that I care about is how technology is used in academia. With the rise of ChatGPT and other softwares that can practically go to school for you, students are becoming too reliant on this tech and as a result, are not committing the information taught in schools to their memory. Quality of education must be held to a higher standard than it is right now."

"I care a lot about responsible AI — which I'm honestly not sure exists. I think we see a lot of excitement around the promises of AI, but not as much mainstream conversation about the manual labor that goes into it and the environmental and cognitive impacts."

"I would say that I care a lot about freedom. I think that living in the US, a lot of us have been given the gift to be free and have limited restrictions on us, which is something I think a lot of people take for granted. I think that people should have the ability to believe, do, and say what they want without being condemned or shamed for it."

"I think that genocide is the most pressing issue of our time. From Palestine to Lebanon to Sudan to Congo, it's happening everywhere. I think it's most important for us to advocate for those experiencing genocide and occupations, as it's not only a devastating human rights violation, but also a massive environmental crisis."

"Mental health has been a huge part of my life and I’ve seen how anxiety and depression have affected my life and other people around me. It’s so important to advocate and get help for those who need it, especially if they have a hard time speaking up and getting help for themselves."

"Women’s equality and the right to their own bodies is so important to me, especially now living in a state where the abortion ban did not pass in the recent election. It’s so important to continue advocating for women in a time that feels like we are moving backwards in history."

"I believe that everyone deserves access to food, shelter, healthcare, education, and, underrated but key, psychological safety — these are the fundamental resources needed to live with dignity. And I'm deeply concerned about how our current media ecosystem."

"Cool is having an interest in life, it's ambition, it's a desire to evolve. It's also a lit cigarette. Someone is cool when I think they're pretty. Another person is cool because they have hyper fixations on interests I happen to share. People with opposite personalities can be cool. Cool is unabashed, unreserved personalities. Cool is pride. Cool is temporary, it's internal and externally decided. It's an opinion that changes. Someone's cringe is another person's cool."

"To me, “cool” is something that I can appreciate for its originality, depth and purpose. I'm more drawn to what feels true and rare, rather than what's trendy at the moment."

"I think there are differences between what is trending and what is cool. Just because a lot of people find something cool, doesn’t mean it has to be to you. “Cool” is an individual and personalized experience."

"Coolness is the marriage of both purpose and sincerity, along with confidence. What I find “cool” tends to align with what feels inspiring to me, whether it’s an outfit YouTube video where i can tell the Youtuber has chosen pieces that they TRULY love, or whether it’s my roommate’s passion for botany, I find that true purpose and sincerity will always permeate through."

"For something to be considered cool to me, it has to be enjoyed by a group of people that I could see myself being a part of."

"I think “cool” is a social construct. One person can think something completely different is cool, but an individual person’s perception is based on opinion, lifestyle and many other factors. “Cool” to me is something that sparks my creativity and really gets the wheels turning."

"Cool to me is just something that I admire a lot."

"I think of “cool” individuals being unapologetically themselves, and because of that, I can respect their tastes and preferences as unique and authentic."

"I think it’s almost easier to define what is uncool? Trends come and go every day and it feels impossible to predict what might come next. But, I also think so much of visual culture is derived from past influences, and when something trendy arrives that feels detached from its obvious past influences, that to me is uncool and oversaturated."

"I think it’s possible for sustainability and convenience to coexist, but that it’s heavily dependent on privilege and access."

"I try to prioritize sustainability over convenience when possible. However, I acknowledge that I often make decisions that compromise sustainability, like flights."

"I believe sustainability and convenience can coexist through conscious choices. In cities where public transportation, walking, and biking aren’t always practical, there are still options to reduce our environmental impact while maintaining the convenience of personal transportation, like carpooling or investing in an electric vehicle. I live in a city with minimal public transport and walking definitely isn't an option. I'm hoping to save up for an electric vehicle soon."

"No, owning a car and being sustainable cannot co-exist. But, we’re doing our best. It is a financial privilege for an individual to be able to make active decisions about buying from “sustainable” brands, as they tend to be more expensive. Electric cars are becoming more affordable but for most people, a gas car is the only thing within their budget, and it feels like most city leadership isn’t interested in investing in better public transportation."

"Honestly, I mostly prioritize convenience unless there’s a sustainable option that is convenient. It’s unfortunate but in our society, sustainability is more expensive and time-consuming than the normal, unsustainable option."

"When I think about the trade-off between sustainability and convenience, it does often feel like one comes at the expense of another. As a college student, convenience feels so emphasized nowadays because everyone’s trying to do everything as efficiently as possible. I feel like my approach to sustainability is rooted in consuming less, wasting less, reusing more. For things like transportation, I mostly use public transportation when a city is built for it, and use my car when I simply have no alternative."

"I do not often explicitly consider sustainability, which I feel guilty about admitting. I have habits rooted in sustainability that have developed over the years: I recycle, I live in New York without a car, I cycle to work, I re-use plastic, I go in and out of composting phases. Most of my thinking comes down to whether I can afford the cost of a given service or product. For example, I turn off lights because I want a lower electricity bill, not necessarily because of its impact on the environment."

"It’s all about balance. I often choose convenience to save time. Living in Florida, if I were to take a bus or train, it would take me twice as long to get anywhere. I try to practice sustainability in other ways, like trying to carpool with friends and family as often as possible."

"Independent sustainability is a pressure that removes the responsibility from the top polluters of the world. Because I know that no matter what I do to minimize my impact I will still dwarf in comparison to the pollution of these power structures, the decision between sustainability and convenience is a personal one."

"The next Gen Z third space could be studios/think tanks. I think it’s so cool to see these spaces being used to work, catch up with friends, or as a general meeting point. Studios can provide a physical space to explore passions with friends, making the creative process more social and collaborative while also being a space to wind down after school or work."

"I think that the next Gen Z third place will be a coffee shop. I just don’t think you can beat the fact that it’s cheap to go, it’s simple, and just a nice quiet place to enjoy time with friends."

"I see the next Gen Z third spaces as the coveted open-late coffee shops. Although coffee shops that are open late are kinda far and few, my friends and I have started using them as go-to meet up spots to just grab a tea/decaf coffee/bite and catch up, read a book, or bring a laptop."

"The next third space will have a central activity, like dancing or studying or enjoying live music, rather than a space solely dedicated to talking or eating."

"Wine bars? They’ve become a regular part of my routine with friends and there are so many near me, so they make for a great meeting spot. Bonus points for bookstore wine bars — which I think are my new favorite thing."

"I think Gen Z’s third space leans more online. Being that my friends are in different cities and we’re all available at different times of the day, our Discord group provides us with that space to drop in and drop out easily at our own discretion. I even do Irish goodbyes sometimes and it’s totally cool."

“Fall feels like a get-your-stuff-together time of year with people going back to school or work full time. The antithesis of Brat.”

“Brat is about embracing the pretty and the unpretty. The dichotomy between being a glamorous, beautiful girl and doing bad, dirty things. I think Fall will be like the ‘recovery day’ after a day of drinking. Good food, cozy clothes, no stress, staying inside with a book or lying in the sun as opposed to tight tanks, dark rooms, and loud music.”

“I’ve seen brat autumn (bratumn) explained as like retaining the brat ✨mindset but also locking into cozy season, leaning into a PSL/taking care of yourself. So in a sense, it’s a bit more demure and chill in contrast to brat summer where the summer energy was feral and ratty. I kinda see it as everyone being tired but wanting to keep the good vibes going.”

“Brat Autumn could be next and carry that carefree and rebellious Charli attitude from summer into fall with a seasonal twist. I think it’ll be the fun and mischievous side of life but in a more festive and introspective way.”

“Where brat summer required letting go, fall’s gonna be a bit of reeling it in—slowing down, reflecting on the lessons of brat summer’s freedom, putting them to use.”

“Honestly, it’s Moo Deng Fall. Staying hydrated, having cute blush, and biting people who keep my snacks from me.”