Gen Z is Feeding the Dog in Them
Plus: Minecraft courtship & snack plate supremacy
Why TF Would 1.5M People Be Interested in Eating Human Kibble?
9.1 million views, 1.5 million likes, and 52K shares, TikToker @madisonbravenee boldly declared: just give her kibble. No more meal planning. No more decision fatigue. Just… kibble.
TikTok had thoughts. Some suggested a nutrient-packed pill, while others pointed out that human kibble already exists. Meet: Dawg Food. It comes in a bag, packs about 40 grams of protein per serving, and costs around $3 a meal (according to a very serious TikTok breakdown and review). And while it might look like a cry for help, we’d argue it’s more about a craving for convenience.
Between school, work (or more likely, multiple jobs), mental health management, and trying to maintain a social life, who has the energy to channel their inner Nara Smith and whip up nutrient-dense, healthy meals three times a day? Gen Z isn’t lazy—they’re just over it. So if the middleman has to go, and the kibble has to come, so be it. They’d rather have the ease than a homemade souffle, it seems.
What’s up with Gen Z and Minecraft Dates?
If you’ve found yourself squinting at the uptick in Minecraft content and thinking, “Wait, wasn’t this video game peaking in, like, 2012?” — you're not wrong. But you’re also missing the point.
Minecraft is having a renaissance, and Gen Z is fully leaning in. According to a recent survey from our Youthtellers (ages 15–27), 44% say the blocky sandbox is trending everywhere again. Why? It’s a tie between childhood nostalgia (30%) and the game’s unexpected role as the new social hangout (also 30%).
Yes, that includes date nights. Because honestly? Who needs overpriced cocktails and Uber surcharges when you can terraform a pixelated landscape with your crush? Staying in is the new going out, and Gen Z would rather co-build a house with someone than try to hear them over club music.
Minecraft is now less of a game and more of an escape. 56% of respondents see the game’s resurgence as a digital decompression chamber from the chaos of everyday life. Given this generation is inheriting a climate crisis, housing unaffordability, and existential dread as a baseline, it makes sense that Minecraft is their version of a post-work glass of wine.
As one 25 Y/O from LA put it: “Not only is it nostalgic, it’s very calming and makes you feel like you’re unwinding.” And if that’s not the dream date, what is?
Snack Plates Are Taking Over the Bowl Economy
Girl dinner walked so the snack plate could run. Are bowls starting to feel a bit passé? Snack plates have quietly taken over, replacing bowls as the go-to food vessel. They’re less “wellness warrior” and more “main character grazing.”
For Gen Z, snack plates hit the sweet spot between low effort and high aesthetic. Not quite a meal, not quite a snack—just an artfully chaotic arrangement of vibes.
And let’s talk hardware. We’re not just throwing snacks on a dish here. We’re seeing Etsy-level plate hauls, viral corner plates designed just for tin fish, and genius little hybrids that blur the line between plate and bowl. It’s DIY dining with interior design energy.
The bowl may have had its moment in the “clean girl” era, but the snack plate? It’s giving soft life, snacky serotonin, and scroll stopping charm. This isn’t lazy eating. This is a lifestyle.
*This article was originally posted on Substack. Click HERE to subscribe