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No offense to <a href="https://nationaltoday.com/weird-national-holidays/">National Cat Herder Day</a>, Clean Your Desk Day, and Walk Around Things Day, but no unofficial holiday is cheesier than <a href="https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-grilled-cheese-sandwich-day-april-12">National Grilled Cheese Day</a> on April 12. Make this the year of the epic cheese pull by nailing your ooey-gooiest sandwich yet.  
Reigning supreme as one of the most comforting food combos on Earth, grilled cheese has deep roots in <a href="https://loukinenson4th.com/springfield-illinois-the-history-of-grilled-cheese/#:~:text=Something%20that%20most%20food%20historians,as%20well%20as%20at%20home.">Ancient Rome</a>. But the version we know best — also called a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtiB_qrLdP0">croque monsieur</a>, tost, or gallete au fromage in other parts of the world — got its start <a href="https://fredfood.org/post/National-Grilled-Cheese-Sandwich-Day">in the 1920s</a>. Over a hundred years later, we&#8217;re still obsessed. There’s a reason grilled cheese was astronaut <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-astronauts-speak-out-after-being-stuck-space-watch-live-updates-2053212">Suni Williams’</a> first meal when she returned home after being stuck in space for nine months.
Culinary experts claim <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/cheesemongers-best-cheese-for-grilled-cheese-11906765">Gruyère</a> works best for its warm, nutty flavor and meltability. But just about any variety of cheese does the job. “Give me that. There’s like $8 of Jarlsberg in there,” Nate said, devouring Andrea’s grilled cheese in “<a href="https://youtu.be/cgbz2VHWrpE?t=57">The Devil Wears Prada</a>.” (Jarlsberg cheese is Norwegian and a little more mild than Switzerland&#8217;s Gruyére.) Whatever cheese you choose, let there be grill marks, crunchy crusts, creamy middles, and butter for days. With recipes like these, you’ll be celebrating National Grilled Cheese Day every day of the week. 
Borden’s Grilled Cheese Of The Year: &#8220;Protein Powerhouse&#8221;
This is not a drill. After a nationwide vote, Borden Cheese just named its first ever <a href="https://www.bordencheese.com/recipe/the-protein-powerhouse-grilled-cheese/">Grilled Cheese of the Year</a>. And it’s got way more protein, and flavor, than your average cheese &#8220;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DW7AERcimId/">swamich</a>.&#8221; 
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Bite into 40-plus grams of protein from cheddar, mozzarella, deli-sliced chicken breast, and Greek yogurt. Garlic, Dijon, and paprika add kick, and you can level up the fiber with <a href="https://www.marthastewart.com/best-high-fiber-breads-11861620">seedy bread</a>. Taste what the brand calls “<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/borden-cheese-crowns-grilled-cheese-of-the-year-for-national-grilled-cheese-day-302735852.html">the most indulgent, mouth-watering melt</a>” of your life. 
Preacher’s Grilled Cheese from “Virgin River”
Fans of the Netflix series “Virgin River” would love any sandwich made by the show’s most accomplished chef, but this is one extra special treat. You can order <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/virgin-river-recipe-preachers-grilled-cheese-tomato-soup">Preacher’s Grilled Cheese</a> at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/netflixhouse/">Netflix House</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/netflixbites/">Netflix Bites</a>, but it’s just as easy to make at home. 
A simple tomato soup recipe accompanies the grilled cheese ingredient lineup, featuring sourdough bread, garlic aioli or mayo, and four different cheeses for the full effect. Keep the American slices intact, but shred the fontina, sharp cheddar, and creamy butterkäse cheeses for truly iconic meltiness. 
Ina Garten’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese with Bacon
I would put all my money on anything in Ina Garten&#8217;s East Hamptons kitchen, but her <a href="https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/ultimate-grilled-cheese">Ultimate Grilled Cheese</a> is particularly mouth-watering. Using her favorite “good” ingredients, she transforms a standard lunch into a show-stopping sensation. Don’t forget the applewood smoked bacon.
Thick-sliced sourdough gets buttered on the outside and slathered with a mixture of mayo, Dijon, and parmesan on the inside. Layer in the bacon under a generous pile of shredded Gruyère and cheddar cheese, toast it till golden brown in a panini press, and you’ll never go back to basic grilled cheese again.
“The” Classic Grilled Cheese by Tillamook 
Well, the <a href="https://parade.com/food/tillamook-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipe-review">78,000 people</a> who’ve ordered the <a href="https://www.tillamook.com/recipes/classic-tillamook-grilled-cheese">Tillamook Classic Grilled Cheese</a> can’t be wrong! This fan-favorite recipe comes from the happy cows munching on the grass along the Oregon coast. And may it never disappear from the flagship Tillamook Creamery menu. (Okay, that and the fried cheddar cheese curds.)
Tillamook sharp yellow cheddar and medium white cheddars take center stage, melted between two thick slices of sourdough. A seasoned butter-and-mayo spread caramelizes on the outside of the sandwich for what the family-run dairy calls “<a href="https://www.tillamook.com/recipes/classic-tillamook-grilled-cheese">grilled cheese greatness.</a>”
Viral Crème Brûlée Grilled Cheese
This wouldn’t be a nationwide party without one grilled cheese recipe that takes it over the top. Go sweet-and-savory with <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsbennyblanco/video/7566296835598322975?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C122221973%2C122122240%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121960941%2C122122244%2C122122243%2C122122242%2C121487028%2C121679410%2C122258714%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_blank&amp;refer=embed&amp;referer_url=parade.com%2Ffood%2Fcreme-brulee-grilled-cheese-recipe-review&amp;referer_video_id=7566296835598322975">Crème Brûlée Grilled Cheese</a> made popular by Grammy-winning artist and Mr. Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco. Try it before you judge it because it might be the manic flavor combo you didn’t know you needed.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsbennyblanco/video/7566296835598322975" data-video-id="7566296835598322975">
<section><a title="@itsbennyblanco" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@itsbennyblanco?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@itsbennyblanco</a>crème brûlée grilled cheese<a title="♬ Little Things - Adrián Berenguer" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Little-Things-6981828410792216577?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ Little Things &#8211; Adrián Berenguer</a></section>
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Blanco mixes <a href="https://www.cinnamontoastcrunch.com/products/cinnamon-toast-crunch-cinnadust">Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust</a> with butter and sugar to form the outside coating for the sandwich. He also swears by Kraft singles and Wonder Bread, advising, “Don’t use any other bread. Don’t be stupid.” The result is a cheesy, buttery, dessert-like hug for your mouth. If you like fries dipped in milkshakes or hot honey pizza, this one’s got your name written all over it.
Secret ingredient upgrades for grilled cheese:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A thin layer of <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/moms-grilled-cheese-with-mustard-11899470">mustard</a> adds a little kick to rich, fatty flavors.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A few dabs of <a href="https://www.realsimple.com/grilled-cheese-upgrade-unexpected-ingredient-11902706">Worcestershire</a> sauce between cheese slices levels up umami without soggy bread.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">In-season <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/grilled-cheese-upgrade-23746426">fresh figs or fig jam</a> serve elevated charcuterie board energy.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A classy schmear of <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/boursin-grilled-cheese-upgrade-23774699">Boursin</a> adds flavor and creaminess to the rest of the cheese filling. (Try an onion and herb or rosemary and black garlic Boursin.)</li>
</ul>
You can even make <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/2-ingredient-restaurant-recipe-11821762">grilled cheese croutons</a> to upgrade a bowl of your favorite soup. Luckily, you really can’t go wrong melting cheese between two slices of bread. Like “Schitt’s Creek”’s <a href="https://youtu.be/fCVKCUB5w50?t=54">Moira Rose</a> told her son David when he asked how to fold in the cheese, “Here’s what you do … you just fold it in.” Bon appétit.

National Grilled Cheese Day Recipes To Nail That Epic Cheese Pull

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This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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After establishing its self-driving reputation in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, Waymo officially launched in <a href="https://waymo.com/blog/2026/04/your-waymo-ride-now-arriving-in-nashville/">Nashville on Tuesday</a>. Despite a ride invite waitlist that’s “<a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2026/04/07/waymo-driverless-rideshare-vehicles-nashville-autonomous/89450952007/">tens of thousands</a>” of people long, I was lucky enough to snag an exclusive ride-along with Waymo spokesperson Mark Lewis in downtown Music City. 
Did I imagine myself dying alone in a fiery crash? Yes. But after a stellar spin around town, I do declare that autonomous car life is finer than frog hair, y’all. (Hoping that sounded slightly Southern.) You might even call it a “<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/meghan-markle-quiet-luxury-style?srsltid=AfmBOordYrDH9a0sTKxvfihMZF5v0JxQgYgz3sVg8pqJevyLI1buRDSn">quiet luxury</a>” if you were Meghan Markle trying to sell scented candles.
“We know for a new rider that this can sometimes be an anxious experience,” Lewis reassured me as we buckled up to the soothing sounds of Waymo entrance music. “We really want to get you in the right mindset … We’re gonna take care of you,” I screamed as we began our 5 mph journey to the nearest stop sign like I was on a roller coaster. Mostly because it was terrifyingly cool.
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Waymo launched in Nashville! <a href="https://t.co/2kLsJPBF4F">pic.twitter.com/2kLsJPBF4F</a>
— Lauren Bair (@LaurenBairDW) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenBairDW/status/2042266792655978706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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If you’re already a fan of Uber or Lyft, you’re familiar with the ol’ download the app, call a ride, rate, and tip routine. While I have fond memories of not being able to find an Uber that was allegedly “waiting” for me, listening to a driver’s tear-jerking overshare, or being at the mercy of someone&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cannabis.ca.gov/consumers/whats-legal/">recreational cannabis</a> habit, Waymo delivers an elevated experience. Just get in the car, and let AI do all the work.
You can be the hero of your own driverless journey by customizing the legroom, temperature, and music via the app or the touchscreen inside the car. Go for party energy with up to four riders, or enjoy peaceful me-time until you reach your destination. Imagine it less like a horse-drawn carriage racing through Frontier Town USA and more like a high-end day spa on wheels. You won’t even feel the road. 
Along with offering possibly the most comfortable ride in the industry, Waymo puts safety first. And each car is outfitted with the kind of tech that makes the <a href="https://thejetsons.fandom.com/wiki/Flying_Car">flying cars</a> of “The Jetsons” feel adorably low-budget. The car arrives locked and opens only for you.
“These peculiar things sticking out, and spinning things,” Lewis told me, help the Waymo Driver gauge “where it is and where to go.” Comparing Waymo sensors to human eyes and ears, he added, “With a Waymo, we have 29 ‘eyes.’” That includes six radars, four <a href="https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/ro-on-6th-gen-waymo-driver/">LiDARs</a> (the rotating lasers that construct an extraordinarily detailed 3D world for Waymo, day and night), and four audio sensors listening for emergency sirens. 
Waymo maps every inch of the city, from traffic cones to speed bumps. My car gracefully avoided a jaywalker who jumped out in front of us, as well as several dog walkers and a homeless man pushing a grocery cart into the street. It cautiously entered traffic almost as if it were really looking both ways, like a person. Probably because it sees in every direction all at once. 
Waymo wants to be “<a href="https://waymo.com/about/#story">the world’s most trusted driver</a>,” and I&#8217;ll gladly preach the gospel. Boasting a <a href="https://waymo.com/safety/impact/">92% reduction</a> in overall crashes compared to human drivers, the fully autonomous <a href="https://waymo.com/waymo-driver/">Waymo Driver</a>, as it’s called, has clocked more hours on the road than a human ever could. “It’s the most experienced driver around,” Lewis told me. “The Waymo Driver drives more than seven lifetimes of a human driver in a week.” All in, it’s analyzed 170 million miles of autonomous driving, and counting.
Yes, there are <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/03/business/waymo-self-driving-cars-make-illegal-u-turns-zigzag-through-tunnels/">stories</a> floating around about Waymo cars zigzagging through streets, missing stop signs, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ABC7/videos/3-waymo-cars-in-standoff-cause-traffic-jam-in-san-francisco/1171617978016562/">causing traffic jams</a>, along with a few reported violations of regional <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mhl7tZE3So">school bus</a> laws. Since Google first started testing its <a href="https://waymo.com/about/#:~:text=Waymo's%20investor%20relations%20also%20includes:%20*%20Network,rider%2Donly%20service%20to%20the%20public%20in%20SF">self-driving car in 2009</a>, Waymo vehicles have been involved in two <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/waymo-multi-car-wreck-san-francisco-driverless/3766860/">fatal collisions</a> caused by drivers of other cars. While distracted human driving results in a fatality <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-deaths-2025-early-estimates-2024-annual">every 2.5 hours</a>, the Waymo Driver has yet to be responsible for any deaths. Maybe it has one up on the rest of us when it comes to navigating without texting or opening up a bag of chips for the road. Waymo is “13 times safer than a human driver when it comes to serious accidents or worse,” Lewis says.
Beyond its spotless record, Waymo aims to help users thrive, providing a resource for those in need of reliable transportation. “People with disabilities, people with service animals that may need more time to board,” utilize partnerships that Waymo forms in each city, Lewis noted. In Nashville, the company partners with the National Federation of The Blind and AgeWell to offer “a vehicle that is dependable, that shows up exactly when it says, that will wait and be patient with you … It’s really powerful that we can serve those communities.”
It’s also a super great option for bachelorettes who partied too hard on Broadway. (There’s even an easy-to-find “pull over” button in case any skinny margs might be coming back up.) Woo! 
I also enjoyed not having to enter the shame spiral involved in choosing the gender of my driver, or weighing whether I should care about offsetting my carbon footprint enough to pay more for it, like other ride-shares. Waymo’s <a href="https://waymo.com/sustainability/#:~:text=A%20sustainable%20way%20to%20move,does%20not%20support%20this%20video.">all-electric fleet</a> leaves zero emissions on the street. And if you have a question, you can press the support button to talk with a human on the other end.
Your chariot — a sleek <a href="https://waymo.com/blog/2018/03/meet-our-newest-self-driving-vehicle/">Jaguar I-PACE</a> SUV — awaits. And new vehicles are slated to join the lineup (like the Waymo Ojai that looks like a minivan and offers more leg room, and the Hyundai Ioniq). While Waymo&#8217;s rates used to be significantly higher than those of Uber or Lyft, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/the-price-gap-between-waymo-and-uber-is-narrowing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent numbers</a> show a difference of just a few bucks, as Waymo prices drop and other rideshares rise. I’d gladly pay an extra $2 to eliminate an awkward conversation about my driver’s male modeling side-hustle on the way to the airport. Make that $20.
I was daydreaming about Waymo long after I watched it drive off into the sunset to pick up its next guest. Waymo might stand for “<a href="https://waymo.com/blog/2016/12/say-hello-to-waymo-whats-next-for/#:~:text=Today%2C%20we're%20taking%20our,and%20things%20to%20move%20around.">a new way forward in mobility</a>,” but if I still had my Trapper Keeper from high school, I would be scribbling “Lauren + Waymo” with bubble hearts on the cover. Further solidifying my crush, I got my official Waymo invite the next day. “Where to, Lauren?” it asked, prompting me to set the soundtrack for my next Nashville adventure. (Swoon!) 
Still hesitant to jump into a car with “no driver”? I promise the journey’s just as fun as the destination. Now that Waymo’s in Nashville, and almost certainly coming to <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2026/04/07/waymo-driverless-rideshare-vehicles-nashville-autonomous/89450952007/">a city near you</a>, all you have to do is download the app and enjoy the ride.

Is Anyone Safe In A Car With No Driver? Jump In For Nashville’s Wildest Ride

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***
“Welcome to ‘TODAY’ … it is good to be home,” <a href="https://youtu.be/3owh3HXBz-g">Savannah Guthrie</a> said through a camera-ready smile at NBC’s <a href="https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/where-is-the-today-show-filmed">Studio 1A</a> in Rockefeller Center. Wearing a yellow floral dress as sunny as the roses on set, she made her much-anticipated return to the anchor desk on Monday after a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2026/04/06/savannah-guthrie-return-today-show-mom-disappearance/89387492007/">two-month</a> hiatus as the search for her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, continues. “Here we go, ready or not, let’s do the news,” she said.
As the famous face of the cause célèbre, Savannah has endured forensic scrutiny over her own behavior following her mother’s disappearance on <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/timeline-nancy-guthrie-search">February 1</a>. Body language experts dissected her <a href="https://www.aol.com/articles/savannah-guthries-silent-signals-nbc-003000207.html">crossed arms</a> while holding her siblings’ hands. Legal analysts drilled down on her measured pleas to alleged kidnappers. And podcasters noted her drab, reworn clothing and puffy, makeup-free face.
But Savannah’s latest enterprise — simply returning to the network where she’s worked for more than <a href="https://www.today.com/allday/get-know-savannah-phew-shes-morning-person-1c9382650">14 years</a> — stripped her essence to the bone, raising one question about humanity’s greatest heartbreak. Is it ever “too soon” to move on?
Moments after her reintroduction, <a href="https://youtu.be/3owh3HXBz-g?t=36">Savannah was in tears</a>, walking arm-in-arm with Jenna Bush Hager to greet the audience outside. Holding hands to hearts and biting quivering lips, excited tourists donned yellow remembrance ribbons and held up images of Savannah and Nancy from better days. Homemade T-shirts read “Welcome Home Savannah,” while other signs gave shout-outs to family members watching from home. The bustling chaos put an odd frame around Savannah’s return.
It’s unfair to compare <a href="https://youtu.be/3owh3HXBz-g?t=61">Savannah</a> choking up while saying, “I’ve received so many letters, so much kindness” to the whooping girls with the “VISITING FROM VIRGINIA BEACH” poster. And why should these carefree fans be forced to empathize with someone else’s walk through the valley of the shadow of death? They might be going to the <a href="https://faoschwarz.com/pages/reservations">Jellycat Diner at FAO Schwarz</a> after this, not forming a search party to look for Nancy Guthrie. 
Like anyone grieving a parent or child, Savannah seems to have narrowly avoided total consumption. Just a day before her return to the morning show, she participated in an Easter Sunday message for her church, <a href="https://youtu.be/PiZUnuD3IiM?t=2923">Good Shepherd New York</a>. Confirming God’s promise of “a new life that never ends in death,” she added a boldfaced footnote when she said, “There are moments when that promise seems irretrievably far away. When life itself seems far harder than death.” Admitting “utter abandonment” as well as a “deep disappointment with God,” she wondered aloud if Jesus had ever felt the sort of pain she was feeling. He knew his exact destiny; he had all the answers.
“God does not ask us to be stoics with standards of pain, with zen-like remove or shallow sloganeering about the hard battles God gives to his toughest soldiers,” she said. Noting the darkness of the three days between Jesus’ death and the empty tomb, she added, “And so it went for me, this portal opening, as I stared at yet another incongruently luminous desert sunset amidst my spirit’s utter darkness.” 
Once she broke the ice on “TODAY,” Savannah cracked jokes with an expert guest about <a href="https://youtu.be/QIS5G2IEuPI?t=23">perimenopause</a>, shared the couch for news about a “<a href="https://youtu.be/ekTsvFn5xBk?t=4">Spaceballs</a>” sequel, and checked in on the status of the <a href="https://youtu.be/72-G_zBVvCM?t=169">Artemis moon mission</a>. 
If you’ve experienced grief, you’re familiar with how disorienting it can make news segments on, say, <a href="https://youtu.be/TKIY007k3fQ?t=25">baby eagles</a> feel. Competitors praised Savannah for being “<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/savannah-guthrie-today-show-return-1236554540/#:~:text=Near%20and%20far%20from%20the,54%2C%20according%20to%20Nielsen%20data.">incredibly resilient</a>,” while the New York Times propped her up for “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/arts/television/savannah-guthrie-today-return.html">learning to live with not knowing</a>.” These types of phrases fold into a neat little envelope. Return to sender. 
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/entertainment/comments/1s5e8sr/savannah_guthrie_sets_today_show_return_date_im/">Fans</a> who saw themselves in the news anchor posted, “Her job is to be bubbly and joyful on TV — I can’t imagine how hard it will be to put on that face every morning.” Another commented, “Going back to work is going to be hard whenever she does it so might as well do it now.”
Looking ahead, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/entertainment/comments/1s5e8sr/comment/odzrdzf/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button">someone else</a> wrote, “I can’t imagine reporting on daily stories of other prominent murders, kidnappings, losses of life, and tragedies or any story involving families without completely losing it.” 
<a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/timeline-of-jewish-mourning/">Jewish tradition</a> offers a merciful guideline for reintroducing the obligations of daily life over the course of a year following the passing of a loved one. Several other religions hold space for the soul’s transition to the afterlife (and the most intense period of mourning for the living) over the span of <a href="https://www.interborough.org/the-40-day-rule-after-death-meaning-traditions-and-practices/#:~:text=Religious%20Ceremonies%20and%20Memorial%20Services,%2C%20memory%2C%20and%20family%20support.&amp;text=Eastern%20Orthodox%20Christianity:%20The%20soul,in%20honor%20of%20the%20deceased.">40 days</a>. Modern psychology typically suggests that a healthy grieving experience lasts anywhere from <a href="https://www.talkspace.com/blog/how-long-does-grief-last/">six months to two years</a>. Give or take a few lifetimes.
Almost immediately after <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/utah-valley-shooting-updates">Charlie Kirk</a> was killed in cold blood last year, his wife, the new Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, was smeared for “<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueUnpopularOpinion/comments/1pkqxhk/erika_kirk_is_not_grieving_incorrectly/">not grieving correctly</a>,” with the wildest <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/16/politics/candace-owens-erika-kirk-podcast">conspiracies</a> also suggesting she was somehow to blame for Charlie’s death. “I am getting so much noise from everyone,” <a href="https://youtu.be/PBkzILbVs08?t=54">Erika recalled</a>. “You get people analyzing everything about you. They think they know everything about you. They know nothing about you. They see you on TV, they think, ‘Oh, she’s this, she’s that.’”  
“My silence does not mean that I am complacent,” she told <a href="https://youtu.be/9l3WtWi-2jM?t=144">Fox News</a>. “We are all grieving in our own way … trying to find the answer to something that happened that was so evil.” 
We can’t help but start a countdown on a grief timeline. But our timing for each other is never right. 
“I want to smile. And when I do, it will be real,” Savannah told former &#8220;Today&#8221; cohost <a href="https://youtu.be/1PGi5QDAob4?t=1874">Hoda Kotb</a> less than two weeks before returning to the air. “I’m not gonna be the same, but maybe it’s like that old poem, more beautiful in the broken places.”
My youngest sister died of brain cancer at age 8. I was 15 at the time, and I remember smiling so much at her memorial service that my teeth hurt. Trying to live up to the praise I was getting for being “so strong,” I went back to school the week following her funeral. I can’t recall what friends whispered to me by my locker, or what my fractured family ever did to stay together, but I wonder if soccer practice, piano, and homework helped keep me tethered to a new reality I needed to face. 
Can we be okay with no working blueprint for the “right amount of time” to grieve? Can we accept that by some miracle, our hollowed-out souls can coexist with a daily routine, and even allow us to thrive? Maybe gallows humor and inconvenient, bittersweet memories aren’t bugs in our systems, but are instead features of our divine design. We wouldn’t be human if we easily got over the people we’re hoping never to forget.

Savannah Guthrie Returns To ‘Today’ After Mother’s Kidnapping, And Her First Moments Speak Volumes

Erika Kirk

grief

Savannah Guthrie

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
“Who’s monitoring all of this?” my dad said, immediately skeptical of the oversight on a fast food promo that pays out in ice cream cones. I get my rule-following instincts from my parents, so I knew they would be A-plus students at trying Chick-fil-A’s viral <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhRv6sjK-8/">cell phone challenge</a> at a location currently running the campaign: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhb4tQDwxE/">Towson Place, Maryland</a>.
Let the record show that I assumed my favorite boomers could breeze through a meal without checking their phones. I have since been enlightened.
The concept is simple: Store your silenced cell phone in a “chicken coop” while you enjoy your Chick-fil-A meal in-store and get a free “<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/menu/treats/chick-fil-a-icedream-cone">Icedream</a>” cone as your reward for staying present with your chicken sandwich and your fellow guests. Open to groups and solo acts, the initiative got its start at a Chick-fil-A in the <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/chick-fil-a-cell-phone-challenge-free-icedream/85-f6c4d691-5aa8-41cc-a07b-437180053e30">Atlanta area back in 2016</a>. It hasn’t gotten the nationwide rollout treatment, but it pops up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTD3eQUEaqA/">around the country</a> every so often at the whim of individual franchisees. This month, the hype went global after <a href="https://x.com/Complex/status/2038462886721294477?s=20">Complex</a> posted Chick-fil-A phone challenge signage on X.
Commenters quickly responded with enthusiasm for the stroke of marketing genius behind quality family time and an immersive tech cleansing. But others called out the “sad” state of affairs with <a href="https://x.com/GrahamCraquer/status/2038477253181686259?s=20">someone</a> adding, “Society has hit a low point holy sh*t.” <a href="https://x.com/The_Trgtguy/status/2038476363284541828?s=20">One hater</a> posted, “I’m trying to enjoy my chicken, not talk to my d*mn family.” <a href="https://x.com/SkattPadding/status/2038678283982618820?s=20">Another</a> person bet that this particular Maryland-based Chick-fil-A would be giving out zero ice cream cones since no one can stay off their phones these days. 
Well, random X user, I brought receipts proving that at least five people have successfully completed the task and cashed in on those cones: my two parents and the three teenagers they paid to participate in the same challenge at another table. Having known my mom and dad my whole life, this all checks out.
My parents FaceTimed me the minute they returned from their mission, sharing boots-on-the-ground perspective on the promo everyone else in America wishes their local Chick-fil-A was running. They were already fans of Chick-fil-A, as well as the Towson Place location’s spacious dining area and flawless customer service. “I love ‘It’s my pleasure,’” my mom said. 
I confessed to stopping by Chick-fil-A when I lived in Los Angeles purely because, unlike people in the rest of the city, the chain’s friendly employees seemed to enjoy serving customers. But back to the challenge at hand.
“We were expecting a chicken coop,” my mom said. There are many representations of the  “coop” from the Chick-fil-A phone challenge on social media (one claims to be made of wood), but the Towson Place version involves a plain white cardboard box meant to secure your phone. (Apparently, it could have used some fun chicken-related decoration, according to “reviews.”) 
Still, my parents persisted, roping in a trio of local teens into the mix, who my mom says “were like … ‘o-kay?’” about the idea. The boys had completed the challenge before and were happy to walk these nice elderly people through the process, accepting $2 each in cash. My parents value the quality time of other people’s grandchildren. And still carry cash.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1071495" style="width: 406px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071495" class=" wp-image-1071495" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="396" height="491" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-scaled.jpeg 2063w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-242x300.jpeg 242w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-464x576.jpeg 464w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-768x953.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-1238x1536.jpeg 1238w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/IMG_5003-1651x2048.jpeg 1651w" sizes=" (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" />Lauren Bair / The Daily Wire</div>
They placed their order at the counter, sat down at the table with their drinks, and stowed their phones in the “coop” once their food arrived. 
“Wait. So do you normally use your phone during dinner?” I asked, having no idea what my parents do in their free time.
“No, but I usually have it at the ready,” my mom said, like most of us. (How else are we gonna pick it up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSaZlROjGuL/">186 times a day</a>?) But when she admitted, “I checked my purse for my phone 10 times while my phone was still in the ‘coop,’” my eyeballs ejected from my face. Full disclosure, I did ask her to document as much pre- and post-coop action as possible. But I was shocked. The challenge, which is so obviously aimed at kids, even had my mom feeling the benefits from sealing her phone in a cardboard box.
“I’ve watched many families come in with young kids, and they do it,” said <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/culture/food-drink/chickfila-towson-free-ice-cream-phones-JHYYQXNZMVFBNL3BVT376CAZRM/">Natalie Martz</a>, owner of the Towson Place Chick-fil-A. “I’ve seen adults come in with adult children and do it.” 
Maybe the Chick-fil-A challenge is just a wholesome excuse to encourage customers to “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNGl6N0t8um/">eat mor chikin</a>” and make it an occasion by purchasing meals for the whole family. But breaking bread sans phones might lead to small, surprising joys beyond chicken nuggets — no matter your age.
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<div id="attachment_1071489" style="width: 381px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071489" class=" wp-image-1071489" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="371" height="641" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-scaled.jpg 1481w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-174x300.jpg 174w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-333x576.jpg 333w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-768x1327.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-889x1536.jpg 889w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Chick_fil_A_worker_cones-1185x2048.jpg 1185w" sizes=" (max-width: 371px) 100vw, 371px" />Lauren Bair / The Daily Wire</div>
“I haven’t had a cone in years,” my mom recalled. “It was nostalgic. It brought back good memories for me.” Chick-fil-A happens to be celebrating its 80th anniversary this year with a “<a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/press-room/chick-fil-a-launches-collectible-classic-cups-and-yearlong-celebration">Newstalgia</a>” marketing blitz that features retro packaging on drinks and sandwiches along with all-new plushie cows.
“The cone was really good,” my dad reported. That comment on the actual cone part of the old-school vanilla soft-serve dessert is notably high praise from a non-foodie. It warmed my heart hearing that they had fun with the assignment.
As <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhRv6sjK-8/">one fan</a> summed it up on Instagram, “A free ice cream for being present with your people? That’s a deal worth taking.” Try the challenge for yourself at a participating Chick-fil-A or politely ask your local shop to get in on the action. I’m sure it would be their pleasure.

GettyImages-2169818759

I Thought Americans Could Handle This Simple Challenge At Chick-fil-A. I Was Wrong.

cell phone challenge

Chick-fil-A

Maryland

Easter Brunch Recipes Your Whole Table Will Love

Easter

People Can’t Stop Arguing Over This Viral Cookie, But The Real Story Is Bigger Than Dessert

cookie

crumbl

everything bagel

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
My dog, Lemmy, is one of my favorite people. He snores like an old man, scares himself with his own farts, and snorts directly into my eyes. Always on the lookout for new friends (he&#8217;ll take humans over other dogs), he wiggles, rolls into a ball, and lies on strangers’ feet, lapping up belly rubs and compliments about his cuteness.
Of the <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/resources/behavior-dog/communication/how-many-words-do-dogs-know#:~:text=Dogs%20can%20learn%20words%20and,understand%20more%20than%201%2C000%20words!">200 words</a> most dogs can comprehend, at least 197 words of Lemmy’s vocabulary are probably nicknames I’ve made up for him over the years. A blue French Bulldog with a nub for a tail, smushed nose, googly eyes, and “tulip ears,” he answers to Bunny, Skoonch, Teddy, Boops, and variations on the theme. He’s the best boy. I joke that he’s my biological son based on our shared love of peanut butter, long walks on the beach, and packages from Amazon. 
Though the <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/is-the-us-birth-rate-declining">birthrate</a> is declining in the U.S., pet ownership is skyrocketing — up <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/">more than 50%</a> since the 1980s. As the <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/is-the-us-birth-rate-declining">human population shrinks</a>, dogs, cats, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/">horses, turtles, and chinchillas</a> have us feeling a little less <a href="https://plantationanimalclinic.com/news/mental-health-benefits-of-owning-pets#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psychiatric%20Association%20and,a%20more%20organized%20life%20for%20their%20owners.">lonely</a>. But as researchers scramble to uncover the real reasons behind the dip in population, dogs get wrapped up in the mix as a “substitute kids” scapegoat.
Some surveys suggest that currently childless <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/27/researchers-dogs-substitute-children-know-answer-birthrates-hungary#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20review%20of%20pet%20research,dogs%20because%20they%20are%20not%20like%20children">dog owners</a> see a four-legged buddy as “<a href="https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/1016-9040/a000552">a child surrogate to spoil</a>.” Even the late Pope Francis warned, &#8220;We see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child … They have dogs and cats that take the place of children.” (He also said pets <a href="https://time.com/3631242/pope-francis-dogs-heaven-catholic-church/">go to Heaven</a>, so he gets a pass.)
There’s no world in which I think Lemmy is, in fact, my kid. Of course I tell him he’ll always be my baby, and I love taking him to every restaurant that will have him. But I can tell the difference between how he sees the world and how my niece and nephews do. He also doesn’t have as many weekend soccer tournaments on his calendar. I don’t have kids, but do parents normally let their human children lick their faces? Hit me up in the comments.
When I lived in LA, there was a much greater chance that someone was pushing a stroller with a dog swaddled in the main compartment versus a human baby. But new research shows that people who pamper their pups like babies might actually save humanity. Or, at least, be more likely to eventually have their own kids. 
<a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5656231">A study</a> in Taiwan followed 23 million participants and millions of pets over a decade, revealing that pet owners weren’t replacing hypothetical children with animals. Instead, those pets were simply <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/world/birthrates-falling-dont-blame-dogs.html">joining the family first</a>. The human kids came next. (The findings also showed this doesn’t work in reverse where babies lead to people getting dogs.) 
Pets make people parents. It’s just science, you guys!
Goldendoodles and other furry friends probably create this desire for family because our brains see our dogs just like we see our human babies. (It’s not just me saying this; our brains light up like Christmas trees in <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dogs-furbabies-evolution-science#:~:text=According%20to%20scientists%2C%20there%27s%2020%2C000%20to%2040%2C000,that%27s%20responsible%20for%20attachment%2C%20affection%2C%20and%20connectedness.">MRI</a>s to prove we’re especially fond of our own squad.) Mother of three Alison LaCoss said she felt a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dogs-furbabies-evolution-science">similar feeling</a> after adopting her dogs as she did giving birth to her kids: “I felt a flood of emotions. Here were these cute, adorable creatures that I suddenly wanted to love and protect. I felt like they were my babies.”
With dogs licking their paws in over <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/">65 million</a> American homes, word is out on the beneficial bond between dogs and their humans. People were buried with their dogs <a href="https://www.academia.edu/62443033/When_Dogs_and_People_Were_Buried_Together">14,000 years</a> ago (I&#8217;m telling myself they died on the same day). And now, the family dog helps <a href="https://www.thedrakecenter.com/services/dogs/blog/5-advantages-kids-who-grow-dogs#:~:text=%233%20Better%20Emotional%20Intelligence,you%20probably%20already%20knew%20that).">kids feel less anxious</a>. Even just petting your dog releases the “<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22618-oxytocin">cuddle chemical</a>” oxytocin in your body — <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/03/1190728554/dog-pet-mental-health-benefits">as well as your dog’s</a>. 
No offense to the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/">second most popular pet</a> in the U.S., but there have yet to be studies proving the same is true of cats. “If this is the exhaustion that comes with a cat, how much would it be with a child,” posted one <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/n61yfs/i_feel_like_having_a_cat_has_made_me_realize_how/">Redditor</a>, claiming to have been socially conditioned by conservative relatives to want children. “I&#8217;m happy with my fur baby, and he&#8217;s the only baby I want to have.”
Elsewhere, on r/cats, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1ev9muf/i_swear_since_getting_cats_my_desire_to_have_kids/">someone</a> posted, “I swear since getting cats my desire to have kids has vanished. Anyone else? Lol.”  This two-person Reddit sample certainly doesn’t represent every cat owner, but there&#8217;s just something different about dogs.
Writer Christine Derengowski <a href="https://www.mother.ly/life/adopting-a-puppy-made-me-realize-how-much-i-wanted-to-be-a-mom/">recalled</a> a serendipitous adoption of her family&#8217;s dog, Gertie, a few weeks before she experienced a miscarriage. “For the first time in my life, I felt the full force of my desire to be a mom,” she said of cradling her sweet pup after the devastating doctor’s appointment. “I couldn’t bring myself to put her back down. I rocked her like an infant and cried.” She went on to welcome two children. “[Gertie] taught me the difference between wanting a baby and wanting to be a mom … She not only comforted me through my greatest loss but also put me in touch with a part of me I hadn’t yet discovered.”
They may be the goofy face of <a href="https://phys.org/news/2025-10-fur-baby-culture-fueling-overtreatment.html">fur baby culture</a>, but maybe <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0ky1n791go">man’s best friends</a> will keep the future of humanity out of the dog house.

The ‘Fur Baby’ Life Comes With A Truth Most People Don’t Want To Admit

Children

Dogs

furbaby

pets

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
“Wow, you have a lot of moles,” the dermatologist said, studying my arm with some sort of <a href="https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-the-expert-what-is-that-small-device-my-dermatologist-uses/">magnifying device</a>.
“I know,” I said since I had obviously seen myself before. It was my first <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/public-health/skin-cancer-screenings/what-to-expect">skin cancer screening</a>, aka “mole check.” I wrapped the papery gown so tight it became a bodycon mini dress and tried to seem relaxed as he parted my hair to see my scalp and thoroughly examined my ears, nose, palms, armpits, elbows, toes, and everything in between. Almost all of my moles looked weirder than the <a href="https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/atypical-moles/">examples</a> on the internet.
Three melanomas later, I’ve visited my dermatologist more often than I see my out-of-state family. But whenever I feel like Temu Frankenstein about my scars from mole removal surgeries, I’m grateful my doctor noticed changes in my most suspicious beauty marks before it was too late.
Maybe <a href="https://genius.com/Ice-cube-check-yo-self-lyrics">Ice Cube</a> offered the best advice with the lyrics, “You better check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.” Still, when it comes to protecting your <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/10978-skin">largest, best-looking organ</a>, you might be thinking, “Do we really have to talk about skin cancer?” Other than the chances of <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/">shark attacks</a> or the hidden dangers of <a href="https://btpenviro.com/knowledge-base-gulls-or-seagulls/#:~:text=Seagulls%20can%20carry%20and%20spread,ticks%2C%20fleas%2C%20and%20mites.">seagull</a> poo, it’s the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfE93xON8jk">Debbie Downer</a> statistic of spring break: <a href="https://www.aad.org/media/stats-skin-cancer">One in five</a> people develop some sort of skin cancer in their lifetime.
<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/skin-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20377605">Anyone can get skin cancer</a>, no matter their skin tone. Every year in the U.S., more people get <a href="https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/#:~:text=Cancer%20Facts%20&amp;%20Statistics-,What%20You%20Need%20to%20Know,4">skin cancer</a> than all the rest of the cancers combined. Women most often develop problematic spots <a href="https://www.moffitt.org/cancers/melanoma/faqs/common-locations-for-melanoma/#:~:text=Melanoma%20on%20the%20leg,other%20parts%20of%20your%20feet.">on their legs,</a> while men typically develop issues in the <a href="https://www.usdermatologypartners.com/blog/skin-cancer-men-vs-women/">scalp, neck, and torso</a> areas.  Of course, since it’s so common, it might seem like no big deal. But while most instances of skin cancer are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK247164/">preventable</a>, those that aren’t diagnosed early enough can be fatal. 
That’s the devastating reality for 28-year-old “Hope Street” actor <a href="https://people.com/tv-star-finnian-garbutt-reveals-last-stages-life-skin-cancer-11918921">Finnian Garbutt</a>. A devoted husband and father to a young daughter, he shared the news on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVWQHDuFzzG/?img_index=2">Instagram</a> this month that he had entered “the last stages” of his life. He was first diagnosed with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY64VvDt2Fn/?img_index=9">stage 3 skin cancer</a> five years earlier, after almost forgetting about an odd lump behind his ear. A native of <a href="http://jag-london.com/clients/item/finnian-garbutt.html#:~:text=Finnian%20is%20originally%20from%20Bangor,'CASUALTY'%20(BBC).">Northern Ireland</a>, he wasn’t a sun-worshipper, preferring the “boring” protection of shade. Now, he says he’s writing his daughter <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/features/finnian-garbutt-actor-hope-street-cancer-interview-b2937387.html">birthday cards</a> she’ll be able to open after he’s gone.
“Most people associate [skin cancer] with older people, but it can affect anybody,” <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/features/finnian-garbutt-actor-hope-street-cancer-interview-b2937387.html">Garbutt said</a>. “A lot of people have this preconception of, ‘Oh, it’s just skin cancer, you just cut it off and you’re fine.’ But melanoma, it’s deadly and it’s going to be the reason that I die.” 
It’s the kind of story that makes my heart drop to my stomach. As a teen, I slathered on Hawaiian Tropic SPF 4 (yep, that’s a “4,” not a typo), and sunbathed for hours on the beach. I lived for a tanning bed glow in winter. And as proof that I shouldn’t have been doing any of this based on my skin type, since moles increase the risk of <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/types/skin/moles-fact-sheet#what-factors-increase-the-risk-of-melanoma">melanoma</a>, let me cite the random kid sitting behind me in high school who spent physics class secretly counting my visible moles, later informing me that I would be “completely covered” in moles by age 70. I&#8217;m not sure how that creeper science works out, but the sun damage is already done.
For me, keeping up with the greater than <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/melanoma-skin-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates-for-melanoma-skin-cancer-by-stage.html#:~:text=Table_title:%205%2Dyear%20relative%20survival%20rates%20for%20melanoma,%7C%205%2Dyear%20relative%20survival%20rate:%2095%25%20%7C">99% survival rate</a> for localized melanoma will be a lifelong mission dedicated to catching it before it spreads. Still, after the initial shock of finding out you have skin cancer, it’s alarmingly easy to fall back into a routine of not wearing sunscreen or postponing dermatology appointments that don’t involve facials.
So what can you do? As new cancer-preventing <a href="https://www.aacr.org/patients-caregivers/progress-against-cancer/a-new-type-of-gel-shows-promise-against-common-type-of-skin-cancer/#:~:text=Home%20%3E%20Patients%2C%20Caregivers%2C%20and,throughout%20the%20body%2C%20they%20said.">topical gels</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rRum_a0YAgw">vaccines</a>, <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/04/ai-skin-diagnosis.html#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20led%20by,that%20seen%20for%20non%2Ddermatologists.">AI-based detection,</a> and <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/photodynamic-therapy-pdt#:~:text=Photodynamic%20therapy%20(PDT)%20uses%20light,acne%20and%20sun-damaged%20skin.">light therapies</a> hit the market, a little basic skincare still goes a long way toward managing your risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/skin-cancer/prevention/index.html">recommends</a> minimizing UV exposure by staying out of the sun and covering your skin. <a href="https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/">The Skin Cancer Foundation</a> endorses broad-spectrum sunscreen SPF 30 or higher. And since the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4929140/#:~:text=In%202009%2C%20as%20a%20response,negative%20consequences%20from%20tanning%20indoors.">World Health Organization</a> puts indoor tanning beds in the same category as asbestos, it’s best to skip those, too.
When it comes to those you care about, if you see something, say something. When he stopped by Bill Maher’s “<a href="https://youtu.be/axYP6TfSr1I?t=6440">Club Random</a>” podcast this year, actor Tim Allen recalled how a makeup artist suggested he get a lesion on his nose checked out. “A lady at ‘The Today Show’ noticed it. She’s going, ‘I’m not a dermatologist, but you have — there’s something on your nose,’” Allen explained. After confirming it with his doctor, he had surgery to remove the cancerous spot. 
I discovered my most serious melanoma after my friend at the gym talked about the cancerous mole she just had removed. I say this with love: If she hadn’t been terrible at post-surgery care, recruiting everyone nearby to re-tape gauze to her back, I don’t think I would have realized it had been years since I’d had a skin cancer screening. Maybe I would be faced with a much different scenario now.
You can check out <a href="https://mrisktool.cancer.gov/calculator.html">the National Cancer Institute’s test</a> to determine your individual risk of skin cancer. Save the coconut-scented SPF 4 tanning oil to use as a room spray and pour another piña colada to sip in the shade.

The Comment My Dermatologist Made That Changed Everything

prevention

skin cancer

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
When news broke about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-reached-in-landmark-social-media-media-addiction-trial">Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube</a> forking over $3 million to a 19-year-old user caught in the spider’s web, my first thought was something like, “Yeah! Screw Mark Zuckerberg!” A tech giant takedown warms the heart. 
My second thought was, “Wait, so can we all sue Facebook now?” What about “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” espresso martinis, Ben &amp; Jerry’s, Reddit comment sections, IKEA, pressure washing videos, Chick-fil-A, Roblox, weed gummies, March Madness, and Amazon Prime? There are countless other things we can’t quit.
With roughly <a href="https://youtu.be/iwPbm2To4Qw?t=97">10,000</a> other cases in the works against social media at large, it’s game on in the courts. “We’re figuring out that there is a causal connection between cancer and cigarettes,” tech journalist <a href="https://youtu.be/iwPbm2To4Qw?t=416">Jacob Ward</a> told CNN, likening the moment to the <a href="https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/topics/commercial-tobacco-control/master-settlement-agreement">Big Tobacco</a> settlement of the &#8217;90s. “We’re at the beginning of an absolutely new era in thinking about how social media is really working on kids.” 
Using this analogy, despite raging against the machine, all the kids are still holding full packs of “cigarettes” and “chain smoking.” 
A <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-25/social-media-lawsuit-trial-meta-google-verdict">Los Angeles Times</a> headline read: “Landmark L.A. jury verdict finds Instagram, YouTube were designed to addict kids.” Oh really? Was it the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/14/meta-and-google-trial-are-infinite-scroll-and-autoplay-creating-addicts">infinite scroll</a>, autoplay, <a href="https://ioufinancial.com/financial-insights/10-social-media-engagement-tactics-that-can-help-you-grow-your-audience-2/">polls</a>, quizzes, reels, algorithms, notifications, FOMO, or <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11594359/">dopamine dumps</a> that gave it away? Maybe it’s a little confusing since most of us describe our social media feeds as “addictive,” while social media calls this business model “<a href="https://bitly.com/blog/how-to-increase-social-media-engagement/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=20610041883&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAC3Maq4pYCZkL2FiRyXbdXH2hxDwC&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwspPOBhB9EiwATFbi5PLOH9cbbGJVhE56QWJTyENp_urJ-Q3hU4hy3GOj_0_Ywy12R73pwBoCQmcQAvD_BwE">engaging</a>.” Tomato, to-mah-to.
It all made me wonder when the responsibility for making good decisions floated off of our own shoulders and onto the desk of Deborah in HR. This is America. We’re free to like what we like and do what we want, and then sue the crap out of the companies that give us what we desire.
Has anyone ever sued Doritos for being too delicious? Yes. In 2025, <a href="https://cen.acs.org/policy/ultra-processed-food-pfas-pesticide-antibiotic-resistance-atrazine-cancer/103/web/2025/12">San Francisco</a> went after a bunch of snack companies, including Doritos’ parent PepsiCo, for “cheap, colorful, flavorful, and addictive” products, like they were looking directly at a bag of <a href="https://www.doritos.com/products/doritos-dinamita-flamin-hot-queso-flavored-rolled-tortilla-chips">Doritos Dinamita Flamin’ Hot Queso</a>.
Bringing a lawsuit against hot coffee before it was cool, <a href="https://www.caoc.org/?pg=facts#:~:text=At%20least%20one%20juror%20later,attaching%20enough%20importance%20to%20that.%E2%80%9D">79-year-old Stella Liebeck</a> famously won $3 million in damages from <a href="https://www.tortmuseum.org/liebeck-v-mcdonalds/">McDonald’s in 1992</a> after she spilled coffee in her lap, giving herself third-degree burns. It sounds terrible. But McDonald’s didn’t pour hot coffee on Stella; Stella did, while holding it between her legs to add cream and sugar. 
Three years later, the bit appeared on “<a href="https://youtu.be/Qpru2vsqdN8?t=98">Seinfeld</a>” when Kramer scalded his groin with hot coffee in a movie theater. “We got a chance?” Kramer asks his defense attorney, Jackie Chiles. “You get me one coffee drinker on that jury, you’re gonna walk out of there a rich man,” says Chiles.
The scalding liquid lawsuits kept coming. There was the <a href="https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2017/05/19/starbucks-must-pay-jacksonville-woman-100000-hot-coffee-spill/15755762007/">$100,000 Starbucks payout in 2017</a> after Joanne Mogavero spilled hot coffee on herself. And a high-profile settlement in 2025 paid out <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-awarded-50-million-starbucks-hot-tea-rcna196616">$50 million</a> to 25-year-old Postmates driver <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/14/business/starbucks-hot-coffee-driver-verdict#:~:text=the%20US%20market-,Starbucks%20ordered%20to%20pay%20$50%20million%20to%20delivery%20driver%20burned,and%20onto%20Garcia%2C%20Parker%20said.">Michael Garcia</a>, who spilled hot Starbucks tea in his lap and will be best known by strangers for his “<a href="https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/starbucks-just-got-some-very-bad-news-its-a-timely-warning-for-every-other-company/91164537">penis injury</a>.” 
We also sue for the drugs we misuse. In 2022, Johnson &amp; Johnson and three major distributors finalized a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-opioids-camden-dec0982c4c40ad08b2b30b725471e000">$26 billion</a> settlement, set to be paid out to just about every state in the U.S. in light of the opioid crisis. In 2025, Purdue Pharma and its owners agreed on a <a href="https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/taking-action/ag-sunday-announces-historic-settlement-with-purdue-pharma-and-sackler-family-regarding-manufacture-distribution-of-opioids-that-fueled-addiction-epidemic/">$7.4 billion</a> settlement for their part in the drug epidemic that continues to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/about/understanding-the-opioid-overdose-epidemic.html#:~:text=The%20rise%20in%20opioid%20overdose,2">rage on</a>. 
But are these high-profile settlements doing anything other than temporarily stinging the pockets of megacorporations? Will people decide to do less drugs, be more careful with their coffee, and skip the Doritos if there’s a federally mandated warning label on the package? We were already eating bright orange, cheese-dusted corn chips. It’s not like we thought they were carrots. 
When one 2024 <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/latino-parents-support-policies-addressing-social-medias-impact-on-childrens-mental-health/">study</a> shared a warning about social media use before asking Latino parents if they were now likely to monitor or limit their kids’ time on the platforms, 76% of them said yes. By then, we’d all heard about the <a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/social-media-risks-tips-to-keep-your-children-safe">dangers</a>. So what were those parents waiting for?
Sometimes, even severe warnings can have the opposite effect. When I stopped by a bistro in Seattle, forced to weave through a gaggle of duck-costumed PETA protestors holding gruesome posters, I asked the bartender if the anti-foie gras crowd outside affected business. “Every time they’re here, we sell a ton of foie gras,” he said. Zing. 
Mulling over the concept of phone addiction in the middle of the night, I came across a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-27053-2">study</a> showing that some adults assume we’re addicted to social media when we’re actually not. (Yes, I found it on my phone.) Overuse of social media is commonly called “addiction” without looking at the full range of symptoms. 
In <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-27053-2">substance abuse</a>, that looks like “impaired control, craving and dependence, withdrawal when not using, conflict with other activities, and hazardous or risky use,” according to Scientific Reports. But some social media “addicts” described benefits, too: “Facebook users who self-reported greater life conflict and lack of control (two symptoms of addiction) also reported greater positive impacts of Facebook use.”  
There’s a difference between forming a <a href="https://relevancerecovery.com/habit-vs-addiction/">habit versus an addiction</a>. Addiction is always harmful, but habits are not. And calling yourself an addict when you’re engaging in a bad habit lessens your ability to change the behavior. It also increases <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-27053-2">self-blame</a>, which doesn’t help.
Like <a href="https://youtu.be/b1kbLwvqugk?list=RDb1kbLwvqugk&amp;t=48">Taylor Swift</a> sang in “Anti-Hero,” when it comes to getting lost in the doomscroll, “It&#8217;s me. Hi. I&#8217;m the problem, it&#8217;s me.” Maybe it’s time to bring personal responsibility back.
“Accountability is not a dirty word,” licensed professional counselor <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stress-fracture/202002/it-was-me-i-did-it-why-no-one-takes-accountability-anymore">Jamie Cannon</a> says. “By admitting to our own faults and mistakes, we jettison the victim role and take back the power to change.”
Social media addiction is not yet a formally recognized <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853225000215">disorder</a>. But the question remains as to whether a multimillion-dollar settlement lets irresponsible adult users off the hook. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychiatrys-think-tank/202501/coping-with-problematic-effects-of-social-media">Set time limits</a>, turn off notifications, and know your triggers. Praising the benefits of going phone-free with people you love, <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/anna-lembke">Stanford University</a> psychiatrist <a href="https://youtu.be/D34KyceGhPE?t=53">Dr. Anna Lembke</a> told the Huberman Lab podcast, “Our collective challenge, and it should be our mission, is to make sure that we are preserving and maintaining offline ways to connect.”

GettyImages-2248540801

Big Tech Made Social Media Addictive, But That’s Not The Whole Story

Facebook

Lawsuit

social media addiction

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Ever look into your precious child’s eyes and wonder if they could possibly be more perfect? Like, literally. Maybe glowier skin? Softer cheeks? Plumper, skooshier lips? Think outside the Cheerios box and smother your kid — who might not be able to <a href="https://icodeschool.com.au/best-age-to-start-teaching-kids-to-read-5-signs-theyre-ready/">read</a> yet — in sugar scrub from <a href="https://tonymoly.us/products/tonymoly-x-squishmallows-malcolm-mallow-strawberry-sugar-scrub?variant=41594454245443&amp;country=US&amp;currency=USD&amp;utm_medium=product_sync&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_content=sag_organic&amp;utm_campaign=sag_organic&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22633766287&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADP_k_RgLfTTd7wQqkyVzkUyBRumY&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEEBka5WkOhUzZMkHM-naNjK1_IzePL_-4J17zduZ-E_n7JBQTRZhF0aAoz4EALw_wcB">Squishmallows x TONYMOLY</a>. 
Like a new car driving off the lot, your baby begins aging the second she’s born. Now, even younger members of Generation Alpha brush off old-school “beauty routines” like the nail stickers and <a href="https://www.lipsmacker.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqbBx7MgfFWoXnR673M0UZP4HTIC0ThtY04prKbIH7IopCUA6wQ">Lip Smacker</a> of their millennial parents, opting instead to hard-launch chamomile, yam, and aloe-infused <a href="https://heyrini.com/products/hydrogel-after-sun-mask">hydrogel face masks</a>. Of course, that’s just entry-level stuff.
Turns out “Toddlers &amp; Tiaras” wasn&#8217;t as over-the-top as it seemed. “Some people think the collagen spray is kind of crazy,” <a href="https://neon.reviewjournal.com/tv/las-vegas-pageant-coach-talks-toddlers-and-tiaras/">pageant coach</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/Nm1p2xXWqwg?t=65">Cambrie Littlefield</a> admitted, spritzing flinching contestants in the face. “But I wish when I was three years old, somebody gave me a collagen spray so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting wrinkles from ‘happy eyes’ all day.”
Showing off a tube of cult-favorite Drunk Elephant sunscreen on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@giannagravalese/video/7328265135330495790">TikTok</a>, a seven-year-old “Sephora kid” assures her older sister, Gianna Gravalese, “I’m gonna need it for Turks and Caicos.” It goes with the rest of her Drunk Elephant collection, which also includes <a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/virgin-marula-tm-luxury-facial-oil-P392245?country_switch=us&amp;lang=en&amp;skuId=1679315&amp;om_mmc=ppc-GG_17798154149___1679315__9010928_c&amp;country_switch=us&amp;lang=en&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=17790678136&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADnIXb2uZeg8IGAo6fW2o-u27VkK5&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEHDr6lkun6w1zXM4SEVzAC5NKMB5S5bAIrGtM8DKtE8L07eqRy1v64aAmN_EALw_wcB">Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil</a>, <a href="https://www.drunkelephant.com/collections/cleansers/beste-no.-9-jelly-cleanser-999DE00000101.html?cgid=products-allproducts-skincare-cleansers">Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser</a>, and <a href="https://www.drunkelephant.com/collections/moisturizers/lala-retro-nourishing-whipped-refillable-moisturizer-999DE00000115.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=18149217095&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADHI4rRlCUa_pDOmM2Pq_X6kGYJ5e&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEGP84HokP_xFeFQ8Yk6B7KGBDyafqQBYJmKy6Hn2otz5-8YQ-V4c-MaAkvhEALw_wcB">Lala Retro Whipped Cream moisturizer</a> with five African oils. 
That plus her <a href="https://www.glowrecipe.com/products/glow-recipe-watermelon-glow-ultra-fine-mist">Glow Recipe Watermelon Mist</a>, <a href="https://hellobubble.com/products/level-up-balancing-moisturizer?srsltid=AfmBOopxaaey8S4HQ7BjjF9w83NZWhQkkRwyH7GtaZCRKbkvxsOMxSL6">Bubble Level Up Balancing Moisturizer</a>, <a href="https://soldejaneiro.com/products/brazilian-bum-bum-cream?g_network=g&amp;g_productchannel=&amp;g_adid=767355299019&amp;g_locinterest=&amp;g_keyword=brazilian%20bum%20bum%20cream&amp;g_campaign=account&amp;g_adtype=&amp;g_keywordid=kwd-302259823435&amp;g_ifcreative=&amp;g_ifproduct=&amp;g_locphysical=9010928&amp;g_adgroupid=179055925621&amp;g_productid=&amp;g_source=%7Bsourceid%7D&amp;g_merchantid=&amp;g_placement=&amp;g_partition=&amp;g_campaignid=22757964657&amp;g_acctid=731-989-1784&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22757964657&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADDl6z5gCAs7aTyDtevGFumt0ai8j&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEFMTrplV11DgqT9yJTHYU3rCm2m6U-m0AX1MbgF-bTl8qDzB4Z8zf0aAqBfEALw_wcB">Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream</a>, and multiple <a href="https://www.dior.com/en_us/beauty/products/dior-addict-lip-glow-oil-E000001516.html?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=PCD_PC_USA_PRO_UNI_ALL_OGOING_EC_PLA_GGL_CRD_ENG_USD_NOA_NOA_EXCLUSIVES&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=20844937910&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADyjeu1wo4NdctU4OrGMBXhLnOYG_&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEGw8GdazdBCJVCocmYQNVGG6IBzeKjlMDd2Z_Ze6-eFF1Gmg6IsCd0aAs91EALw_wcB">Dior lip glosses</a> all clock in around $500. “Why do you think you need skincare when your skin is literally flawless,” Gianna asks. “It’s ‘slay,’” her little sister says. 
If you’re wondering what the heck is going on, the pint-sized beauty market is exploding. With kids younger than 15 years old somehow having <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWR9ptGCfFx/">$3,500</a> a year to spend on “beauty,” major retailers swoop in to bank <a href="https://ktla.com/news/consumer-business/makeup-for-6-year-olds-kids-beauty-brands-fuel-growing-debate-among-parents/">millions in sales</a>. But these tweens aren’t just obsessed with skincare. Forecasted to pump <a href="https://www.mintel.com/insights/beauty-and-personal-care/how-gen-alpha-is-redefining-the-beauty-industry/">$5.5 trillion</a> into the market by 2029, they’re revolutionizing the industry.   
“It’s a phenomenon where a group of kids … who normally would be indulging in arts [and] athletics … are engaging in what I call consumer aesthetics,” says dermatologist <a href="https://youtu.be/JLt5bBzhpzo?t=59">Dr. Reneé A. Beach</a>. Advising against kids using products made with harsh ingredients like retinol, she adds, “A child is really risking skin irritation, eczema, chemical burn, and none of these things are the outcome that we would want from purchasing a $50 product.”
Spas, retailers, beauty brands, and celebrities want to saturate the <a href="https://nuthatchnaturals.com/news/why-kids-need-their-own-skin-care-products/#:~:text=Children's%20skin%20is%20different%20from%20adults'%20skin,use%20to%20build%20healthy%20skin%20care%20habits">itty-bitty skin cells</a> of your child’s face with their products — as long as they can sneak it into the hands of eight-year-old <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbg0ERF60as">kidfluencers</a> clicking their fake nails against a can of Poppi before smearing tri-ceramide serum all over their already perfect faces. 
“I’m feeling Vanilla Beige today,” a <a href="https://youtu.be/Pbg0ERF60as?t=144">young girl says</a> in her Get Ready With Me, smooshing all over her mouth <a href="https://summerfridays.com/products/lip-butter-balm-vanilla-beige?srsltid=AfmBOoraOwe6SgwyQlrDZGED4UmhCJcdGKBIqpYCYwZmiiZmIdPLwQbk">Summer Fridays</a> $25 Vanilla Beige lip butter, a product that’s marketed to adults. Notably, she also spritzes the Glow Recipe watermelon face mist seen in many other kids’ beauty routines, calling it, “My favorite thing at Sephora.” Not pictured: the mini <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Mommit/comments/1m8ozm9/my_daughter_asked_for_a_skincare_fridge_is_this_a/">skincare fridge</a> topping every little girl’s wishlist right now.
But “Pretty Little Liars” actor and entrepreneur, Shay Mitchell, faced backlash when she launched <a href="https://heyrini.com/?tw_source=google&amp;tw_adid=782836742290&amp;tw_campaign=23234810294&amp;tw_kwdid=kwd-2450012425579&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23234810294&amp;gbraid=0AAAABBo7IWnm3p-3Fvj-CMyb2WmjrWCWF&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwj47OBhCmARIsAF5wUEHdfV6gg-oNd_AkFoTaHakrX16GtBS5RIfJGWPBY11qJpcoAPaCANcaAm69EALw_wcB">Rini</a> Beauty, offering four-year-olds a face mask infused with <a href="https://heyrini.com/products/everyday-facial-sheet-mask-panda">white tremella mushrooms</a>, glycerin, vitamin E, and beta-glucan. She explained on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQuweS9EgdC/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1">Instagram</a> that the project was “inspired by my girls, their curiosity … From birthday parties and face paint to wanting to do ‘what mommy does’ with her face masks.”
Instead of relating to the mommy-and-me self-care vibe, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DQsDKBxklvU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=82551ed7-4e1b-47a1-be7d-734f5cce16e5">Instagram</a> commenters clapped back with, “I struggle to find the right words to articulate how disappointing and dystopian this is,” and, “How is this even legal?” with broken heart emojis. Another posted, “Yeah cause that&#8217;s just what young girls needed: to be hyper-focused on their appearance even earlier.”
Beyond using a gentle soap, lotion, daily <a href="https://youtu.be/JLt5bBzhpzo?t=115">sunscreen, and getting a good night’s sleep</a>, a viral multi-step skincare routine can actually do real damage to children&#8217;s delicate skin. While formulas from the <a href="https://archive.is/20251111030732/https://www.vogue.com/article/the-sephora-kids-arent-going-anywhere">Bubble</a> brand at Target feature mild ingredients, some kids are dabbling in the clinical-grade stuff.
A Northwestern University <a href="https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/06/tiktok-teen-skin-care-routines-are-harmful">study</a> of teen skincare routines posted to social media revealed that only 26% of girls used sunscreen, the one thing they <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3179453/">should be applying</a>. And some used up to a dozen products at once. Pointing out the consumerist slant, university adjunct lecturer <a href="https://youtu.be/emIsUY8EhTo?t=100">Dr. Tara Lagu</a> noted, “A real desire to have more products and more expensive products in a way that, for seven to 14-year-olds, feels really problematic.”
“Many of the ingredients … also carry a high risk of skin allergy,” says <a href="https://youtu.be/emIsUY8EhTo?t=63">Dr. Molly Hales</a>, explaining that applying multiple products with harsh active ingredients — or the same active ingredient — is deeply irritating. “Once you develop a skin allergy to a particular ingredient, [it] can actually endure for the rest of your life and limit the kinds of products that you can apply.”
In one <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/156/1/e2024070309/202103/Pediatric-Skin-Care-Regimens-on-TikTok">TikTok video</a> from the study, the teen creator slathered on 10 products in six minutes and developed a painful rash on camera. “I don’t know what’s happening. But if anybody knows how to get it to stop burning, that would be greatly appreciated, because it actually hurts a lot,” <a href="https://www.powershealth.org/about-us/newsroom/health-library/2025/06/10/advice-in-teen-tiktok-beauty-videos-can-lead-to-skin-damage">she said</a>. 
This intense focus on beauty can also prematurely age kids into the anxious self-consciousness of adolescence. Associate professor of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-clarity/202409/the-teen-skincare-craze-and-its-impact-on-mental-health">Tara Well, PhD,</a> says, “Skincare routines, often marketed as confidence-boosting, can have the opposite effect when teens don’t see immediate results or experience breakouts. The pressure to achieve ‘perfect’ skin can worsen insecurities.”
Luckily, the solution is simpler than nailing the right order for applying mists, serums, and lotions. But it might not get as many likes or subscribers as that watermelon spritz. 
Yale Medicine dermatologist <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/when-kids-are-obsessed-with-skin-care-products">Kathleen Suozzi, MD,</a> advises kids and teens to “Celebrate the skin they’re in … For most kids, it’s the best skin they’ll ever have. They don’t need to fix it — they just need to care for it gently and appreciate it.”

The $500 Skin Care Habit Kids Are Getting Hooked On Before They Hit Middle School

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This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” opens with a girl gang of mostly-blond women, slo-mo walking hand-in-hand like badass angels, backed by the towering <a href="https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/provo-utah-temple">Provo Utah Temple</a>, all set to Sam Smith’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq9gPaIzbe8&amp;list=RDUq9gPaIzbe8&amp;start_radio=1">Unholy.</a>” Get it? They look like buttoned-up church ladies, but they’re really dangerous and sexy. Does “<a href="https://genius.com/Sam-smith-and-kim-petras-unholy-lyrics">something unholy</a>” mean they’re drinking <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/article/why-dont-latter-day-saints-drink-coffee">coffee</a> when they’re not supposed to or really into orgies? You never really know what members of <a href="https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/style-guide">the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</a> get into once <a href="https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/what-to-expect-at-church-services#:~:text=Along%20with%20activities%20and%20programs%20during%20the,adults%20as%20part%20of%20the%20two%2Dhour%20span.">Sunday</a> service wraps, amiright? 
The show’s fourth installment dropped this month, just as series regular, Taylor Frankie Paul, made even buzzier headlines when filming for season five of the show suddenly stopped due to an alleged <a href="https://people.com/mormon-wives-stops-filming-for-season-5-as-taylor-franke-paul-is-involved-in-domestic-violence-incident-exclusive-sources-11926978">domestic violence incident</a> involving Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen. Paul was previously <a href="https://people.com/history-of-taylor-frankie-paul-legal-trouble-11929321">arrested in 2023</a> after Mortensen filmed her <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/03/19/video-of-taylor-frankie-paul-beating-dakota-mortensen/">throwing a metal bar stool</a> at him, which allegedly struck their 5-year-old daughter. Paul was tapped for season 22 of &#8220;The Bachelorette,&#8221; which was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-video-shows-taylor-frankie-paul-brutally-attacking-baby-daddy-bachelorette-axed?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WATCH%3A+Video+Shows+Taylor+Frankie+Paul+Brutally+Attacking+Baby+Daddy+%E2%80%94+%E2%80%98Bachelorette%E2%80%99+Axed">canceled</a> once the shocking footage leaked this month.
As “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” series regular Whitney Leavitt said, “<a href="https://youtu.be/anV2R05FJYU?t=101">It’s going to be complete chaos</a>.”
Fans eat up the sinful drama as fast as it’s served, regularly sending the series into the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/news/ni65615556/">Nielsen Top 10</a>. But do the nearly <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/lds-population-by-country">7 million</a> Latter-day Saints living in the U.S. feel represented by the made-for-reality-TV portrayal of Mormon wife life? From “<a href="https://thetab.com/realityshrine/2025/11/28/ranked-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-most-explosive-scandals-from-cheating-to-swinging/">soft-swinging</a>” to cheating allegations, and a bedroom maneuver nicknamed “<a href="https://decider.com/2025/11/25/what-was-fruity-pebbles-incident-mormon-wives/">Fruity Pebbles</a>,” let’s just say caffeinated <a href="https://people.com/all-the-religious-rules-the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-were-raised-to-obey-8710403">soda</a> isn’t the only thirst trap on the show. Unsurprisingly, most believers aren’t exactly seeing their deepest spiritual lives mirrored by the ladies of &#8220;Secret Lives.&#8221;
“Absolutely no desire to watch my religion be slandered by a bunch of women using the name of my faith for monetary gain,” one woman <a href="https://x.com/ThisMomSaid/status/2034411055414395287?s=20">tweeted</a>.
Relating the series to “The Godfather,” LDS dad of four Josh <a href="https://x.com/joshnaa2gez/status/2034689107293565288?s=20">commented</a>, “It’s like if you filmed a reality show with the Corleone family and said, ‘This is how faithful Catholics really live.’” We all know you “<a href="https://youtu.be/jYnRBX2Trtk?t=125">don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family.</a>”
“I’ve only ever watched like a half of an episode, but it was so trashy and so unrealistic of what real Mormon housewives are, that it made me laugh,” says mother of four <a href="https://www.instagram.com/suzyspraytan/?hl=en">Suzy Muir Jeffords</a>, who, with her husband, is raising a family that&#8217;s strong in the faith. “[They’re] probably girls that grew up Mormon and fell away from the church but then jumped on the reality TV bandwagon and thought this will be a great idea.”
Other church members called it “<a href="https://x.com/aaronhinton92/status/2034425033658175593?s=20">bigoted</a>,” “<a href="https://x.com/i_Ryyzan2112/status/2034391998967521535?s=20">an insult</a>,” and a “<a href="https://x.com/ldsfilmguy/status/2034397153674874951?s=20">filth broadcast</a>.” X user <a href="https://x.com/SerendipLC/status/2034608593471938831?s=20">Lindsey</a> warned, “Don’t watch it, one glance at the promo tells me these women aren’t even close to my community’s traditions. The LDS women I know are focused on service, learning, and caretaking. We like crafting, babies, baking, our families of origin, Instagram, running, and our neighborhood.” Real world mom hustle doesn’t boast quite the same brand partnership draw that Taylor Frankie Paul’s viral “<a href="https://people.com/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-sex-swinging-scandal-8701211">MomTok</a>” community did to rake in roughly <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a70723730/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-cast-salaries/">$75,000</a> per deal.
One family man <a href="https://x.com/mosmoot/status/2034649883236253916?s=20">noted</a>, “My wife is nothing like these ladies. I haven&#8217;t personally seen the show but my daughters have, and have asked why they have to misconstrue the reality and why they try and put all &#8216;Mormon wives&#8217; in a box.” 
Mother of two and former active member of the church Nomi Wells doesn’t judge the stars of the show, but she admits, “If I was actively going to the temple, I wouldn’t feel comfortable being on a show like this because I would feel like I’m not representing the church properly.”
Noting the contrast between “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and real life, she told The Daily Wire, “Clean language is expected, it’s frowned upon to cuss, and you’re not supposed to drink coffee. Excessive adornments are to be avoided — you are not to have multiple piercings or tattoos. You’re not supposed to sleep with anyone outside the confines of marriage, or even fool around.” More serious vows require members to wear special garments under their clothes. Much like the robe of a priest, a Jewish yarmulke, or a wedding ring, these garments serve as a symbolic reminder of sacred commitments.
Wells describes what’s known as a “Jack Mormon” (a little insider lingo), or someone who becomes a member of the church but strays from the virtuous life. That dalliance can be as mild as drinking coffee or getting a tiny hidden tattoo, or as serious as regularly drinking wine or promiscuity. “There’s a sliding scale of your Jack Mormon-ness. It can be very slight, or more major, like socially drinking, taking sexual partners, and basically living life like a ‘normal person,’” she says with a laugh. Not that we would recognize anyone like that from the Hulu series. 
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing for people within the LDS religion to live in alignment and not always be perfect,” Wells adds, remembering her own journey in choosing the church and ultimately deciding to pursue a different path. But she laments the misuse of a massive platform to objectify the religion it claims to define. “They are not a representation of the gospel in its truest form,” Wells says of the show. “I think it gives the wrong idea about the sacredness of the religion as it’s meant to be.”
Some hang on to a silver lining amid the dark cloud of reality TV. “‘Secret Lives’ has perhaps single-handedly done more than any other media to bring the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into mainstream cultural consciousness,” says <a href="https://x.com/JasminRappleye/status/2034484669866225966">Jasmin Rappleye</a>, who is dedicated to educating followers on the gospel. But she suggests that instead of bad behavior stemming from the strict values of the church, the dysfunction depicted on the show comes from ignoring them. 
“Faith ultimately plays a minor role in the plot, as it does in many of these women&#8217;s lives,” Rappleye says. “The final product ends up looking more like a cross between some ex-Mormon values and Utah-adjacent culture than anything resembling faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
“I feel like the show is inappropriately named and should’ve been called something like ‘Secret Lives of Influencer Wives’ or something,” says <a href="https://x.com/kariwarburton/status/2034409501852606658?s=20">Kari Ann</a>. Still, the show might be having a net-positive effect for church growth. She adds, “I know people who have actually joined the church because of the show.”
Maybe it’s not designed to be anything more than reality TV junk food. But if “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” inspires even one viewer to consider something larger than themselves, the <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a69546531/what-was-fruity-pebbles-mormon-wives-explained/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=mgu_ga_cos_md_pmx_prog_org_us_18419138764&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=18415929960&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAC5jt3MJtRRxxBnU-ZktpkEfKk8JC&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwve7NBhC-ARIsALZy9HWpQOCGp9RP2YTqqC74UtUX5l4qvVhzHKotauLOpGiBBcya9-x0-noaApiEEALw_wcB">Fruity Pebbles</a> just might be worth it.

Fans See Scandal, But Real Latter-Day Saints Say Something Deeper Is Overlooked

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