Too Much Plastic, Too Little (Actual) Recycling | Relearning How To Be Friends As An Adult

Viewpoints

Monday, January 5, 2026 - 27 minutes

Too Much Plastic, Too Little (Actual) Recycling

How often do you buy an item from the store that’s packaged in a plastic container or wrapped in plastic? Daily decisions like these add up and are feeding into the global plastic crisis. Scientists estimate that there’s anywhere between 9 to 16 million tons of plastic on the sea floor, polluting the environment, harming species and releasing harmful microplastics into every corner of the planet and into our bodies. Two experts on plastic join us this week to shed some light on the problem and how we can each make a difference by changing our consumption habits and demanding improved policies that crack down on single-use plastics.

Relearning How To Be Friends As An Adult

Making friends as an adult is harder than it looks, with so many of us trying to juggle busy, demanding schedules, living in new places and dealing with a culture that discourages vulnerability. We unpack why so many people feel disconnected and how you can put yourself out there and foster new and genuine friendships.

Viewpoints Explained: The Dessert Trend That Refuses To Fade

Once a sweet treat mainly found at grocery stores, this dessert has quietly moved into the mainstream, showing as stand-alone chains across the country. We look at why it’s stuck around longer than past food fads.

Culture Crash: Why We Can’t Let Go Of The ’90S