Hi there,
 

Here is this week in charts.

My digital romance. Amid the shift of work, entertainment, and socialization into digital spaces, Gen Zers report feeling more like themselves online than offline, according to one survey. Proponents of the metaverse envision a future where the internet becomes a digital mirror of the real world — and where eventually our digital selves will matter more than our physical selves (h/t Shaan Puri). The kids may already be there.

VR spotlight. Meta’s Oculus has sold more headsets than Microsoft has sold Xboxes this year, per recent estimates. While it’s still far behind mainstream gaming consoles, Oculus’ rise is just one piece of Meta’s virtual reality ambitions. The Facebook parent has been actively acquiring and partnering with VR, hardware, and 3D mapping companies for years as it gathers tools to build the metaverse. 

Party in aisle 5. For the most part, retailers in the US have bounced back big time from the pandemic. Target, for example, is seeing more foot traffic than it did even in 2019, thanks in part to its investments in refurbishing its stores and e-commerce operations throughout the pandemic. As shoppers return to stores in droves, the pace of retail bankruptcies has slowed.

Robo race. Industrial robots are gaining traction in factories around the world — a trend that’s likely to continue given wage and labor market pressures. There are now an average 126 robots per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry, up nearly 2x compared to 2015’s average (66 robots). Asia is home to the highest industrial robot density, followed by Europe.

Like a virgin. In 2018, over one-quarter of young males surveyed in the US reported having no female sex partners since they turned 18 — more than triple 2008’s share. Overall, Americans across ages and genders are doing it less than they used to. When virtual ex’say comes to VR, this rate will climb even further.

Just no. Another day, another isht pie chart. You’re welcome.
 

I love you.

Anand

@asanwal

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