frustrated

My phone rang in the middle of the afternoon. My teenage daughter was calling, but she was supposed to be in class. I answered quickly and heard her sniffling on the other end. Something was wrong. At 17, it could be anything. I said her name again. More sniffling. Loading…

Americans are feeling despondent about gas. Loading audio narration… It’s a dour time for consumers — in April, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index, which surveys consumers on how they feel about current and future economic conditions, hit an all-time low.It turns out that one small (or not-so-small) number…

For most of my life, I believed in a very specific formula: work hard in school, build a strong résumé, study abroad, learn languages, get a master’s degree, and be globally aware. Loading audio narration… I studied journalism and media, and I leaned into storytelling early on. I spent time…

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chris Fong, 25, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. In March 2025, he was laid off from a tech startup. After about nine months of searching for a job, he started a content-creation business. The following has been edited…