Kyla Scanlon is one of the most perceptive writers about the US economy and culture. Several years ago, she coined the term “vibecession” to describe the divergence between economic data and how people felt. In other words, after the pandemic, something weird started happening in the US. While economic data, despite the inflationary spike, was getting better, consumer sentiment was getting worse and worse.

Many people have proposed different theories as to why there’s a vibecession, and I’m utterly fascinated with the concept. For all its flaws, it’s a useful frame to think about many of the issues and trends that are shaping our lives. Anyways, here are a few recent posts on vibes.

Everyone is Gambling and No One is Happy.

Vibecession: Much More Than You Wanted To Know.

Theories of vibes.

I’ve been thinking about how much vibes can explain issues and sentiments in developing countries like India.