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What's up, y'all? It's Kenny Beecham. We are currently watching the best playoff basketball since I can't even remember when. This is what we've been waiting for all season long. And on my show, Small Ball, I'll be breaking down the series matchups, major performances, in-game coaching decisions, and game strategy and so much more for the most exciting time of the NBA calendar.
New episodes through the playoffs available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Small Ball with Kenny Beecham so you don't miss a thing. What sector boasts the strongest brands in the world? Tobacco, universities, tech companies? No, the strongest brands in the world are people. People are the new brands, by Ed Elson, as read by George Hahn.
Scott's away this week on a safari. I'm not sure what a Prof G safari looks like, but it likely involves tented camps with fine china, zakapa, and remote NAD treatments. In his absence, I'm keeping the lights on. Yes, me, Ed Elson, Scott's 25-year-old co-host on Prof G Markets. I get paid to make Scott appear younger and more relevant, i.e.
keep him abreast of trends in business and tech, plus wardrobe advice. The guy dresses like an aging skateboarder. This week, I'm sharing my thoughts on a long brewing trend that came to a head in 2024. It's simple. America has fallen out of love with brands and in love with people. This is evident in every corner of American life, from politics and business to technology and media.
People are the new brands. Some context. What I lack in age and wisdom, I make up for in screen time. I spent almost seven hours scrolling the internet yesterday. Average for me, below average for my generation. Scott concurs. Where our views differ, however, is that while he believes digitally enabled products and services have replaced brands, I believe people have. First, some numbers.
Gen Z spends an average of 109 days per year looking at a screen. 80% of our waking hours are spent consuming information, up from 40% in 1980. We see 208 ads per hour, 10 times more than our parents did at our age. As a result, we are more anxious, distracted, and depressed than any generation in history. We all know this, but do not comprehend it.
Like frogs in boiling water, we've been slow-cooked by screens. The most important number is 12%. That's the share of Americans who say they have zero close friends, up from 3% in 1990. Meanwhile, half the country says they're struggling with loneliness. These numbers took off when Apple put computers in our pockets, and they've been climbing ever since.
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