Brace yourself: it’s Tuesday. If you’ve held the belief that staying away from your smartphone before bed (because of the blue light) will help you sleep better… well… there’s a new wrinkle in that theory. A new study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews says there really isn’t much evidence to support that blue light keeps you up at night. The likelier culprit for your restlessness is the fact that you can’t stop reading work emails and stressing over current events. Doomscrolling is no lullaby.

In other news… TikTok loves blue-collar work, the Summer Olympics go Hollywood, and Xbox puts its consoles online.

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• YouTube – The Decameron

• X (Twitter) – Deadpool & Wolverine

• Google – Practical Magic 2

• Reddit – Emilia Clarke

• TikTok – “Mirame” - Blessd & Ovy On The Drums

• Spotify – “You’re So Impatient” - Pixies

.WORK.

Gen Zers’ blue-collar work goes viral

The Future. As Gen Z  increasingly chooses blue-collar jobs over university-educated, white-collar work, social media content showing their jobs is taking off and paying off. As young plumbers, electricians, and others find a new revenue stream by showing what they do regularly, the next wave of digital influencers may never quit their day jobs.

Hashtags and hard hats 
What’s paying Gen Z blue-collar workers more — their income or their social media revenue?

• 27-year-old electrician Lexis Czumak-Abreu makes $200,000 per year from her day-in-the-life videos and brand deals with companies like Carhartt and Klein Tools.

• 23-year-old plumber Evan Berns has turned his quick-cut plumbing videos into a viral sensation and deals with Neat Tools and Troll Co. Clothing.

• 27-year-old carpenter Matt Panella’s how-to and time-lapse videos have led to sponsorships with brands like 3M that bring in over $200,000 per year.

• 22-year-old framer Jarod Coffman’s videos have not only generated revenue but have also driven an increase in worker applications to his dad’s construction firm.

The dual-income phenomenon comes as blue-collar work grows in popularity. The National Student Clearinghouse found that enrollment in vocation-focused community colleges rose a record 16% last year, driven by higher pay in those fields — a new construction worker can now make more than a new accountant.

And with the hashtag #bluecollar on TikTok attracting 500,000 viewers in just four months this year, expect those jobs to only get hotter.

60.2% of you voted Yes in yesterday’s poll: Will you use AI features on your Apple devices?

“Apple has done a lot to instill trust in me.”

“Looking forward to it but hope for some beginner’s help.”

“Why not? Seriously, it is a ‘computer’ and a ‘no’ answer to this question is akin to not using a computer in the first place. ‘Dang newfangled technology. We need to use DOS again. Where you had to memorize commands. Both ways. Uphill. In the SNOW!’”

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TIEGE HANLEY.

Fellas, this skincare routine is for you

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Tiege Hanley has revolutionized skincare for countless men, and they’re about to do the same for you.

They have a whole line, but you can totally start with their Wash and AM Moisturizer for just $9. These products are easy to add to your daily routine and will make such a difference on your skin.

Looking for some proof? Check out their 10,000+ five-star reviews.

Did we mention they’ll cost just $9?

Media, Music, & Entertainment

• Former Warner Music head Edgar Bronfman, Jr. (backed by Bain Capital) and producer Steven Paul are separately preparing bids to buy National Amusements in a takeover attempt of Paramount Global. [Read More]

• Xbox announced that it’s releasing all-digital versions of its Series X and S consoles. [Read More]

• Just For Laughs is selling its catalog of comedy programming as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. [Read More]

Fashion & E-Commerce

• Cities like Boston, NYC, and Washington, D.C. are cracking down on food-delivery companies as couriers have taken over the streets. [Read More]

• New York’s State Assembly passed landmark legislation to protect the workers’ rights of models; now it goes to the governor for final approval. [Read More]

• A crackdown by the US Customs and Border Protection may take the “ultra-fast” out of ultra-fast fashion companies SHEIN and Temu. [Read More]

Tech, Web3, & AI

• Apple announced that it’s integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT into Siri and other iOS applications for free. [Read More]

• Nokia announced that it made the first-ever audio and video call using 3D spatial audio. [Read More]

• Perplexity, the AI-powered search startup, is allegedly plagiarizing journalists’ work for its new topic-curation feature. [Read More]

Creator Economy

• The Tribeca Film Festival is collabing with influencer-marketing firm Whalar Group to launch a creator-focused vertical at the fest. [Read More]

• Skibidi Toilet, the Gen Alpha meme-craze, has become a point of fascination and terror worldwide. [Read More]

• “Floor time,” the practice of just lying on the floor, is going viral. [Read More]

.SPORTS.

The Summer Olympics to get a big-screen release

The Future. NBCUniversal has inked deals with IMAX and AMC Theaters to exhibit the Olympic Games to anyone who can’t make it to Paris this summer. If the screenings are a hit, marquee sports games might start to be intermixed with blockbusters all year round.

A Paris production
The biggest competition of the year is coming to the biggest screens near you.

• Over 150 IMAX theaters will live-broadcast the opening ceremony on July 26th.

• Also, around 160 AMC theaters will show select daytime coverage from NBC every day until the end of the Games on August 11th.

• Each screening will entitle ticket holders to a four-hour block of coverage, which will reportedly include events like basketball, swimming, volleyball, and track and field.

• All the theater locations have yet to be confirmed and the price of the daily tickets will be set by each individual venue.

In an ironic twist, the deal between AMC and NBCUniversal, which is the exclusive broadcast partner of the Olympics, came about because of how successful virtual watch parties on Peacock were during the pandemic.

In other words, live sports are best watched with a crowd.

• Listen: Hard Fork chats with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the country’s ambitions for AI and with OpenAI whistleblower Daniel Kokotajlo about why he gave up $2 million in equity so he could speak freely.

• Watch: WSJ highlights legendary Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot as he shows off some of the cool technology set to come to Disney parks.

• Read: Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt details to Fast Company why he wants to buy TikTok.

We need this now more than ever.

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

Today we get into the Sony CEO's comments on their use of AI technology, how Snoop Dogg is working on selling his collectibles, and how Dave and Buster's is betting on gambling. We also have an extra special guest with us today, the co-founder and CEO of Tastemade, Larry Fitzgibbon!