How Cancel Culture Works
An evidence-based examination of cancel culture — the psychology of online pile-ons, digital permanence, the proportionality problem, and what research says about accountability versus punishment.
All Society Trends Articles
Welcome to the complete index of every article in our Society Trends collection on When Notes Fly. This page lists all 7 articles in the section, organized alphabetically for easy reference. Each piece is researched, written by hand, and grounded in academic sources, professional practice, or empirical data. Whether you are diving into Society Trends for the first time or returning to find a specific article, the index below gives you direct access to the full collection within Culture.
If you are new to Society Trends, we recommend starting with the foundational explainers and definitions before moving on to specific case studies, applied frameworks, and deeper analytical pieces. Articles are written for thoughtful readers who want substance over summary, with clear explanations of how ideas connect, where they come from, and why they matter. Use this index as a navigational map: skim the titles, read the short summaries, and click through to the pieces that draw your interest. Each article also links to related material so you can follow a thread of ideas across our entire Culture library.
Browse All Society Trends Articles
The Loneliness Epidemic Explained
A deep dive into the global loneliness crisis: what the science says, why social media makes it worse, and what actually works to rebuild human connection.
The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
Why do intelligent people believe conspiracy theories? Explore proportionality bias, epistemic anxiety, Jan-Willem van Prooijen's research, gateway beliefs, and inoculation theory.
The Rise of the Creator Economy
How a $250 billion economy built by individual creators emerged from YouTube, TikTok, Substack, and Patreon — who succeeds, what the burnout problem looks like, and where it all goes next.
What Is Hustle Culture and Why It Is Failing
Hustle culture promised that overwork was the path to success. Now the research, the burnout epidemic, and Gen Z are all pushing back. Here is what we know.
Why Intelligent People Follow Cults
Cults recruit the curious, the grieving, and the idealistic. Explore Robert Lifton's thought reform criteria, the BITE model, love bombing, and the neuroscience of why smart people get drawn in.
Why Trust in Institutions Is Collapsing
An in-depth look at why trust in governments, media, science, and corporations is declining worldwide — what the Edelman data shows, and what actually rebuilds trust.