Noelle joined a sorority.
Technically, she still needs to go through pledging to make it official, but it’s close enough. And I’m psyched about it.
I’ve always wanted another Greek in the family – it was something my dad and I bonded over. Tara had to work multiple jobs to pay her way through college, so it wasn’t an option for her. Maddie has her theater clan, but there’s too much of a competitive undercurrent to be quite the same.
Of course, Noelle’s experience will be worlds different than mine. For starters, her rush process was way more buttoned up and competitive. Apparently, the sororities had access to her college application materials and grades, not to mention every nook and cranny of her life on social media. There were formal interviews involved.
I’m pretty sure the only criteria to join my fraternity (TKE, fyi) in 1995 was how long you could do a keg stand suspended from a tree by your ankles. Don’t get me started on pledging back then. I’ll never even look at a bottle of Southern Comfort again, and I just gagged a little writing those words. We’re lucky to be alive, with a functioning liver and (for most of us) a clear arrest record. Those days are long gone.
Clichés aside, going Greek was one of the best decisions I ever made. Those guys are still among my closest friends. Our group text thread is lively every day. Even dudes I haven’t seen for 30 years would grab a shovel if I showed up at their house with a body in my trunk. The brotherhood is real.
I hope Noelle can gain even half as much from her experience.
The tattered social fabric of America – the decline of so-called “third places,” dwindling church and club membership, remote work, and, particularly among younger people, the introvert-breeding symptoms of device addiction – is as much to blame for our current socio-political crisis as anything. We’ve convinced ourselves that we’ll be emotionally healthier and safer by staying within a small orbit of people who live and think the way we do.
The opposite is true.
There’s no such thing as an overabundance of friends. Gathering those friends from different places, from different stages of your life, and from different backgrounds is even better.
I’m not saying Noelle joined a sorority because she has the foresight into any of that right now.
But, one day, she’ll be infinitely grateful that she did it.
Here’s what we’re seeing:
Americans seem to be getting their debt under control, but worries abound over future income. We published our January Consumer Financial Index this week, and the overall numbers were essentially flat. The topline results mask two things: First, the trend line was negative in the second half of the month – which you knew if you were a client. Second, the improving outlook for household debt (after nearly a year of steady declines) was offset by a worsening outlook for wages. Job market concerns – as evidenced by the dreary layoff numbers this week – are weighing heavily on working-aged adults right now. We also looked at where those income pessimists plan to cut back on spending.
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The USDA’s new “Inverted Food Pyramid” landed with a giant thud. In our 3 Things to Know this week, we started by gauging Americans’ reactions to the new RFK Jr.-endorsed dietary decree, which includes, among other things, an emphasis on full-fat dairy. Hardly anyone is buying it – only 23% of U.S. adults support or follow the guidelines. The numbers plummet by half among avid health and fitness enthusiasts. We also learned that more Super Bowl viewers are hoping for emotional and inspirational ads this year. Lastly, we took a glance at charitable giving trends and motivations in 2026.
Black Americans over-index among Winter Olympics viewers as the Games kick off. Nearly 60% of Black U.S. adults – a big jump compared to 52% of the U.S. Gen Pop – are planning to watch what is reported to be the most racially diverse U.S. Winter Olympics team ever this year. Their motivations for watching are different from the average viewer in interesting ways. It’s less about specific events and more about specific athletes and entertainment. Mostly, Black viewers cite their overall love of sports as the main reason they’re tuning in.
Gen Z is good at tuning out political news. That’s just one of many fascinating nuggets from this wide-ranging study this week on the mindset, shopping outlook, and media trends among America’s youngest adults. While the rest of the country is upping their political doom-scrolling, Zs are standing their ground. They’re also more likely than adults 30+ to be paying for subscription content to read other genres online. We also examined what they want from the ads they see online.
Tara and I still won’t be celebrating Valentine’s Day, but plenty of other people will. Roughly half of U.S. adults will observe the Brought-To-You-By-Hallmark holiday on February 14th, pretty much dead-even with the numbers we saw in 2025. Notably, a slightly higher percentage plan to go out for the event, with fewer planning to do something at home. The other big takeaway from the study is that self-gifting intent is up significantly compared to last year, especially among younger generations. Incidentally, self-gifters are way more likely than the average consumer to watch the Olympics. For gift-givers, candy and chocolates are still the most popular choices.
The most popular questions this week:
Do you think flag football will become more popular than traditional tackle football in the future?
How concerned are you, if at all, about the current job market for recent college graduates?
What’s your overall opinion on limiting screen time for kids?
Are you more of a hunting or fishing enthusiast?
Do you typically bring your own snacks to the movies?
Answer Key: More popular for kids to play, but never more popular than tackle football to watch; Very, very; To each their own; I love both; Until recently, I didn’t even know this was a thing…so no.
Hoping you’re well.
JD
