<![CDATA[EL PAÍS]]>

<![CDATA[EL PAÍS]]>https://english.elpais.comThu, 28 May 2026 16:58:19 +0000en1hourly1<![CDATA[How the loneliness of working from home can affect mental health: ‘The pajamas mentality is dangerous’]]>https://english.elpais.com/health/2026-04-05/how-the-loneliness-of-working-from-home-can-affect-mental-health-the-lab-coat-mentality-is-dangerous.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/health/2026-04-05/how-the-loneliness-of-working-from-home-can-affect-mental-health-the-lab-coat-mentality-is-dangerous.htmlSun, 05 Apr 2026 03:30:00 +0000In his essay Writing Is Ceasing to Be a Writer, Enrique Vila-Matas recounts that he chose his profession because he wanted to be free and didn’t want to go to an office every morning. When he made that decision, he didn’t know he would end up living “like a mole in a tunnel, working day and night.” In interviews and memoirs, many novelists admit that, aside from their calling, what they wanted most when they began writing was to escape the cold of the street by staying home on those weekday mornings when most employees are commuting and going about their daily routines. Shortly afterward, they realized that “calling someone a disciplined author is redundant,” as Juan José Millás often points out, because literature demands many hours of concentration each day.

]]>Jeff Bergen<![CDATA[‘Great men are almost always bad men’: The Epstein files and the appeal of stories about depraved elites ]]>https://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-03-07/great-men-are-almost-always-bad-men-the-epstein-files-and-the-appeal-of-stories-about-depraved-elites.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/usa/2026-03-07/great-men-are-almost-always-bad-men-the-epstein-files-and-the-appeal-of-stories-about-depraved-elites.htmlSat, 07 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000In Eyes Wide Shut, the film that Stanley Kubrick filmed just before he died in 1999, Bill Harford, a doctor played by Tom Cruise, discovers that many of his patients (politicians, businessmen and celebrities belonging to the New York elite) are taking part in masked orgies and rituals. With the declassification of each new batch of Epstein files, thousands of people have commented online how the documents — full of the names of famous people from across all kinds of sectors — may confirm that Kubrick based the movie on real life. In another twist in the world of conspiracy theories, some have even gone further, spreading the idea that the director did not die of a heart attack but was murdered for revealing the secrets of high society in the United States.

]]>Awakening<![CDATA[What if I’m the bad tourist? How to go on vacation and try not to be part of the problem]]>https://english.elpais.com/travel/2025-07-06/what-if-im-the-bad-tourist-how-to-go-on-vacation-and-try-not-to-be-part-of-the-problem.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/travel/2025-07-06/what-if-im-the-bad-tourist-how-to-go-on-vacation-and-try-not-to-be-part-of-the-problem.htmlSun, 06 Jul 2025 03:30:00 +0000In 2019, there was a lot of talk about “flight shame,” a feeling the Swedes call “flygskam,” which refers to the embarrassment that arises when traveling by plane while simultaneously being aware of the carbon dioxide emissions it generates. It was even said that flygskam, which gave rise to an entire social movement (some sports and cultural figures began using trains or sailboats for their commutes), would threaten the airline industry, with passengers increasingly embarrassed to get off their commercial flights. However, data like those from Spain (222 million people passed through its airports in 2018, while 236 million did so in 2023) show that citizens’ ecological awareness is still not as strong as their desire to see the world.

]]>Milos Bicanski<![CDATA[The new voyeurism: Why videos of people cleaning, sleeping, or studying get millions of views]]>https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2025-04-22/the-new-voyeurism-why-videos-of-people-cleaning-sleeping-or-studying-get-millions-of-views.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2025-04-22/the-new-voyeurism-why-videos-of-people-cleaning-sleeping-or-studying-get-millions-of-views.htmlTue, 22 Apr 2025 12:21:28 +0000Gogglebox is a television program that has been widely watched on Channel 4 in Britain since 2013. Each episode features families, couples, or groups of friends sitting on their sofas watching their own television and commenting on what’s on it. The program was imported under the title ¡Aquí mando yo! (I’m in charge here!), and although Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 quickly withdrew it due to a lack of viewers, for many it was their first introduction to the phenomenon of reaction videos, a format that is now hugely popular on YouTube and TikTok.

]]>Getty Images / Blanca López (Collage)<![CDATA[Old rockers and the retirement dilemma: ‘Getting older is an unforeseen event in the music industry’]]>https://english.elpais.com/culture/2025-03-15/old-rockers-and-the-retirement-dilemma-getting-older-is-an-unforeseen-event-in-the-music-industry.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/culture/2025-03-15/old-rockers-and-the-retirement-dilemma-getting-older-is-an-unforeseen-event-in-the-music-industry.htmlSat, 15 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000Everyone knows that adolescence is the stage during which a deeper connection with music is established. For teenagers (and young people) music influences their way of dressing, their vocabulary, and how they deal with any feeling that seems indecipherable. Of course, this is something that has been confirmed by dozens of university studies and that has been fueling the cultural industries for more than 60 years. Furthermore, these types of links are reciprocal, and young artists also establish a special relationship with their peers (or with those born shortly after them). For example, recently, the critic Carlos Marcos wrote in this same newspaper that “being 25 years old and meeting Carolina Durante on the road must be very stimulating.”

]]>Claudio Álvarez<![CDATA[‘The internet hasn’t made us bad, we were already like that’: The mistake of yearning for the ‘friendly’ online world of 20 years ago]]>https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2025-01-07/the-internet-hasnt-made-us-bad-we-were-already-like-that-the-mistake-of-yearning-for-the-friendly-online-world-of-20-years-ago.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2025-01-07/the-internet-hasnt-made-us-bad-we-were-already-like-that-the-mistake-of-yearning-for-the-friendly-online-world-of-20-years-ago.htmlTue, 07 Jan 2025 12:29:11 +0000In the visuals of María Escarmiento’s concerts, as in those of many other figures of the urban scene, iPods, Blackberry phones and screenshots of Fotolog, Messenger or Tuenti appear often. A large part of the public is too young to have used these technologies, but they know what these devices and websites were used for. Even they associate them with a time when virtual spaces were more welcoming, fun and habitable. Such is the force of the Y2K aesthetic or Flow 2K, one of the latest revivals that, as in all artistic disciplines, entails revisiting and reinterpreting the designs and interfaces of electronic devices from around 20 years ago.

]]>TORSTEN BLACKWOOD<![CDATA[How the algorithm ruined your favorite bar: Will everything end up looking the same?]]>https://english.elpais.com/technology/2024-12-02/how-the-algorithm-ruined-your-favorite-bar-will-everything-end-up-looking-the-same.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/technology/2024-12-02/how-the-algorithm-ruined-your-favorite-bar-will-everything-end-up-looking-the-same.htmlMon, 02 Dec 2024 14:15:49 +0000In the 1980s, the futurologist Hans Moravec warned that, paradoxically, it would be the actions that are easiest for humans (such as holding a piece of sushi with two chopsticks) that would pose the greatest difficulties for robots and computers. On the other hand, very complex tasks such as finding errors in medical prescriptions, distinguishing when a space telescope has detected something interesting, or choosing Christmas presents for the whole family have ended up being enormously simple for algorithms.

]]>Tanja Ivanova<![CDATA[From gym bros to Funko collectors: Why a generation of men are avoiding growing up]]>https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-11-09/from-gym-bros-to-funko-collectors-why-a-generation-of-men-are-avoiding-growing-up.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-11-09/from-gym-bros-to-funko-collectors-why-a-generation-of-men-are-avoiding-growing-up.htmlSat, 09 Nov 2024 04:05:00 +0000University professors increasingly report that adult students often come to their offices pleading for undeserved passing grades, frequently accompanied by their parents. Other signs of this trend are apparent: in 2023, 28% of European toy manufacturers’ sales were from adults buying toys for themselves, and companies like Lego, recognizing this growing demographic, now dedicate more than one-sixth of their designs to adult consumers.

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]]>Gene Lester<![CDATA[Either excited or exhausted: Why no one has a normal relationship with work anymore]]>https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2024-10-25/either-excited-or-exhausted-why-no-one-has-a-normal-relationship-with-work-anymore.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2024-10-25/either-excited-or-exhausted-why-no-one-has-a-normal-relationship-with-work-anymore.htmlFri, 25 Oct 2024 11:32:06 +0000A scene from A Bronx Tale (1993) goes viral every few months. In it, Lorenzo, a humble bus driver portrayed by Robert De Niro, confronts Sonny, a mob boss. Sonny has started using Lorenzo’s nine-year-old son, Calogero, as an errand boy, prompting the outraged father to demand that the mobster leave his son alone. Lorenzo then explains to Calogero that true bravery lies not in succumbing to the allure of a criminal lifestyle but in waking up early every day to earn a living through honest work. “The working man is the tough guy,” says De Niro’s character. Set in the 1960s, the film reflects a working-class pride typical of the era, when labor provided both identity and meaning to workers’ lives.

]]>Graphica Artis<![CDATA[A failed iPod rival, divorce, model trains and several albums: The restless golden years of Neil Young ]]>https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-10-12/a-failed-ipod-rival-divorce-model-trains-and-several-albums-the-restless-golden-years-of-neil-young.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-10-12/a-failed-ipod-rival-divorce-model-trains-and-several-albums-the-restless-golden-years-of-neil-young.htmlSat, 12 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000On the brink of turning 80, Neil Young is still making headlines. For example, September 24 became a banner date for his loyal fans when he finally played Hey Babe, a song off his 1977 album American Stars ‘N Bars, for the first time in a live concert. A few nights before, he debuted his new band (The Chrome Hearts, which features Micah Nelson) during one of his recurring performances at Farm Aid Festival, an annual event he organizes to provide financial support to U.S. small farmers. September 6 was also a big day for Young, marking the presentation of the third volume of his monumental musical archives.

]]>Gijsbert Hanekroot<![CDATA[An ‘Olympics’ that allows doping? A billionaire’s controversial dream that could change sport forever]]>https://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-09-18/an-olympics-that-allows-doping-a-billionaires-controversial-dream-that-could-change-sport-forever.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/sports/2024-09-18/an-olympics-that-allows-doping-a-billionaires-controversial-dream-that-could-change-sport-forever.htmlWed, 18 Sep 2024 20:17:52 +0000Thirty-three years ago, U.S. athlete Mike Powell jumped 8.95 meters, setting a record that has yet to be broken. Even earlier, in 1985, Marita Koch ran the 400 meters in 47.6 seconds — faster than any woman had ever done before or has done so now — setting another of the longest-standing athletics records and winning gold for East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic. The GDR — which no longer exists — had long been suspected of doping its athletes. If the Enhanced Games — a sports competition with a format similar to the Olympic Games where “performance enhancements” are permitted — are allowed to go ahead, these records may soon be broken as well.

]]>Collage: Blanca López<![CDATA[What is talent, and how do we use it at work?]]>https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-06-09/what-is-talent-and-how-do-we-use-it-at-work.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-06-09/what-is-talent-and-how-do-we-use-it-at-work.htmlSun, 09 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000The main character in The Lost Weekend by Billy Wilder, is an alcoholic writer called Don Birman. The fictional character betrays those who help him and humiliates himself in order to carry on drinking. At least, that’s what all the synopses say. But is 33-year-old Don, who still hasn’t published anything (he barely finished a few stories in his youth and then repeatedly put off writing the novel he fantasizes about) really a writer?

]]>picture alliance<![CDATA[‘If he doesn’t go to therapy, don’t sleep with him’: The dangers of trivializing mental health]]>https://english.elpais.com/health/2024-05-30/if-he-doesnt-go-to-therapy-dont-sleep-with-him-the-dangers-of-trivializing-mental-health.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/health/2024-05-30/if-he-doesnt-go-to-therapy-dont-sleep-with-him-the-dangers-of-trivializing-mental-health.htmlThu, 30 May 2024 20:00:47 +0000John Waters said: “If you go home with somebody, and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them!” Today there is a new, more demanding version of this advice: “If he doesn’t go to therapy, don’t go to sleep with him.” It’s not just a joke. Now that therapy has seeped into all aspects of life, it’s even used in Tinder profiles as a way of showing you are emotionally responsible, as reported by U.S. media outlets such as The New York Times.

]]>Getty Images / Pepa Ortiz (Collage) <![CDATA[What your Tinder photo says about you: ‘In the end everyone looks the same’]]>https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-02-16/what-your-tinder-photo-says-about-you-in-the-end-everyone-looks-the-same.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2024-02-16/what-your-tinder-photo-says-about-you-in-the-end-everyone-looks-the-same.htmlFri, 16 Feb 2024 15:29:47 +0000Nothing encapsulates the paradoxes and contradictions of our societies as accurately as dating apps. Through Tinder and other apps such as Bumble and Grindr, concepts such as desire and shame, privacy and intimacy, or rules and dissent can be investigated. It can also be explained how platforms are demanding increasingly larger portions of our attention or that, despite the use of the label “middle class” as a catch-all category into which anyone can fit, social classes still exist and habits and customs still mark us as members of one or another.

]]><![CDATA[Controversial endings, from ‘Lost’ to ‘Saltburn’: When is a surprise twist too much?]]>https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-01-24/controversial-endings-from-lost-to-saltburn-when-is-a-surprise-twist-too-much.htmlhttps://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-01-24/controversial-endings-from-lost-to-saltburn-when-is-a-surprise-twist-too-much.htmlWed, 24 Jan 2024 23:05:00 +0000Thousands of fans are anxiously waiting for George R.R. Martin to finish writing The Winds of Winter, the sixth and penultimate installment of his novel series A Song of Ice and Fire. Every chance they get, the readers (and the viewers of Game of Thrones, which is based on his books) rush the author, who on more than one occasion has apologized for not being faster. All the expectation revolves around the fact that the last two installments of his saga will offer what screenwriting masters like Robert McKee refer to in their manuals as the climax and the subsequent resolution of all the plots that started in the previous novels. In other words, everybody is asking Martin to finish underpinning his narrative structure with a satisfactory ending in his last two books.

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