WHO IS SO UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY GOD MADE FOOD THAT WE'RE NOW GROWING MEAT IN MACHINES?

I don't know whether to laugh or worry anymore. Honestly, what is happening to humanity? Every day somebody wakes up with a new idea, and somehow we are
expected to clap, celebrate and move on as though everything makes sense.

Now they are growing meat in machines. Yes, meat. The same meat we have been eating for generations. Apparently, ordinary farming is no longer enough. We must now take animal cells, put them in specialised machines, feed them nutrients and wait for them to multiply until we have something that can be processed and sold as meat.

WHO ASKED FOR THIS?

I am genuinely trying to understand why we are making life so complicated. I want my chicken. I want my beef, pork, goat and lamb. I want them traditionally raised, slaughtered and prepared. I don't want to have to explain why I prefer my meat to come from an actual animal rather than a manufacturing facility.

 In 2013, a Dutch scientist presented the first publicly unveiled laboratory-grown beef burger. Singapore became the first country to approve cultivated chicken for commercial sale in 2020, produced by an American company called GOOD Meat. The United States followed in 2023, after its own regulatory process. And the reasons? Apparently, they want to reduce animal slaughter, use less land and water, and reduce environmental damage. Now, I don't know about you, but I find some of these arguments rather interesting. We have land, we have water, we have farmers and we have animals. Why has the solution suddenly become manufacturing our food? Is everything now about saving resources, reducing costs and finding another way to commercialise something?

For me, this is starting to look less like innovation and more like an obsession with controlling production. What happens to the land? What happens to the farmers? Who owns these factories? Who benefits financially? And why must we automatically accept that this is a better future? Let animals be animals, please! Let chickens grow, let cows graze and let farmers do what farmers have been doing. Obviously, we need better farming practices. Animal cruelty is real, and I am not defending it. But we can address cruelty without turning our food into another industrial experiment. And speaking of animal cruelty, I already know some people are celebrating this development. Particularly some of the vegans and vegetarians who have spent years arguing with meat-eaters on social media. Now, before anyone misunderstands me, I respect people's dietary choices. You want to be vegan? Be vegan. You want to be vegetarian? That's your business. But some of you really need to learn to respect people who enjoy meat too!

We've seen the comments, the videos and the constant lectures whenever somebody posts a plate of chicken. Suddenly, everyone eating meat must explain themselves. Now that there's an alternative being developed, some people seem particularly pleased. But who said the rest of us were waiting for somebody to manufacture our chicken?

I love my protein, thank you very much!

Traditional meat provides protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Protein helps build and repair muscles and body tissues, while these other nutrients support important functions in the body. Of course, there are other sources of protein, and eating a balanced diet matters. But there is nothing wrong with enjoying traditionally produced meat. What worries me is what happens when this industry grows. Today, cultivated meat is presented as another choice. But what if manufacturing becomes cheaper and traditional meat becomes increasingly expensive? What if ordinary families eventually buy these products simply because they cannot afford what they actually prefer?

And what about farmers? Large companies with expensive technology could eventually become serious competitors. We cannot ignore the possibility that small-scale farmers and traditional agricultural businesses could be affected. I also want to know what we actually know about the long-term effects of regularly consuming these products. They have undergone food-safety assessments, but that doesn't mean we have decades of evidence from people eating them throughout their lives. Consumers deserve clear information, not just marketing promises. I am not saying that every new technology is bad. I am saying that not everything needs to be reinvented. Sometimes, improving what we already have is enough. I want my future children, grandchildren and generations after them to enjoy traditional meals. I want them to have a choice. I don't want traditional food to become a luxury while manufactured alternatives become the cheaper option for ordinary people.

And to those making these decisions, whatever your intentions are, please understand that people have every right to question you. We are talking about what goes into our bodies. This is not a small conversation.

I LOVE MY MEAT. And I don't need a machine to convince me that it has found a better way to give me what I already have.

© 2026 The Dreamer’s Pause. All rights reserved.

JAVITS FRIMPONG: THE PRICE OF CHASING A BETTER LIFE

A CHILD DIES, AND SUDDENLY EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION ABOUT WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

There is something deeply disturbing about the death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong in New York. And no, I don't think this is just another tragic news story that we should discuss for three days, post a few crying emojis about and then move on from. There is a much bigger conversation here, which feel should be talked about more.

First, my heart genuinely goes out to his parents. Imagine moving your child across the world because you believe you are giving him a better future, only for that same child to never make it back home from school. What exactly are parents supposed to do with that kind of pain?

And before someone comes here with the usual motivational speech about how children must learn to fight for themselves, please, let's talk.

The allegations of bullying surrounding Javits's death have brought back memories of my own childhood. I know what it feels like to be bullied. I remember being beaten up in primary school, coming home crying and looking for comfort. Instead, I was beaten so badly by my mom, and I was told to go back and fight the boy. Mind you, this was someone physically stronger than me, practically a professional bully at that age. Apparently, the solution was to send me back for another episode of WWE.

But here's what some parents don't understand: not every child can fight. Not every child wants to fight. And sometimes, what a child needs is not another lecture about being strong but an adult who will actually intervene.

I have a particular concern about the way some African parents approach parenting. Providing food, paying school fees, buying clothes and putting a roof over a child's head are important. Absolutely. But parenting cannot end at the supermarket checkout. Some children are struggling right under their parent's noses. They become withdrawn, spend hours in their bedrooms, stop communicating, avoid family interactions and lose the enthusiasm they once had. Yet these changes are sometimes dismissed as teenage behaviour. A child needs to feel that they can tell their parents anything without every conversation turning into criticism, arguments or another compulsory life lesson. Sometimes children need their parents to be their friends, too. They need to know that somebody has their back.

And now, in Javits's case, his parents are left with questions that they may never get satisfactory answers to. Could something have been prevented? Was there more to the bullying? What happened before that shooting? We need answers. His father deserves answers.

But let's move beyond the immediate tragedy.

WHY ARE SO MANY AFRICANS SO DESPERATE TO LEAVE HOME?

This is where I want to bring the African governments into the conversation. For many Africans, the Western world has been sold as the ultimate destination. America, the UK, Canada and Europe. Almost like Disneyland, except the tickets are expensive, the paperwork is stressful and apparently the happily-ever-after package comes with additional terms and conditions. Growing up, you see parents dreaming about taking their children abroad. You hear conversations about opportunities, better schools, better salaries and a better standard of living. As you grow older, you begin to understand why. Look at the economic circumstances in many African countries. Look at unemployment, corruption, limited opportunities and the difficulties ordinary families face trying to build a decent life. Ghana is not the only country experiencing these problems.

Some people leave because they genuinely believe they have exhausted their opportunities at home. Others leave because they want their children to experience possibilities they never had. And sometimes, migration is not even the final destination. People move to countries such as South Africa, hoping to establish themselves before eventually making their way to Europe or America. Some succeed. Others spend years trying, sacrificing and working towards that one opportunity.

I firmly believe African governments have a responsibility to answer for the circumstances that make so many citizens feel that their future lies somewhere else. I cannot help wondering whether Javits's family would have been in this position if the circumstances at home had allowed them to build the life they wanted without leaving. Of course, nobody can promise that a child will be safe everywhere. Violence exists everywhere. But we cannot ignore the bigger picture. 

And then comes another uncomfortable conversation: THE TREATMENT OF AFRICAN MIGRANTS ABROAD.

Since Javits's death, people have been sharing experiences of anti-African racism, particularly accounts involving Black Americans. Some have described feeling pressured to hide their African identities, with some allegedly claiming Jamaican backgrounds because of how they feared they would be treated if they identified their actual countries of origin. Apparently, being African can sometimes come with an unwanted social classification. And according to these accounts, some people have experienced bullying, mockery and discrimination because of their accents, facial features, nationalities or cultural backgrounds. Let me be clear: I am not saying every Black American behaves this way. That would be ridiculous. But I am also not going to pretend these experiences do not exist simply because discussing them might offend somebody.

And while we're here, can we please retire the argument that Black people cannot be racist towards other Black people? What exactly are we trying to achieve with that argument? People can hold racial prejudices, discriminate and mistreat others based on their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Being part of a marginalised group does not automatically make someone incapable of prejudice. If you have experienced it, please speak about it. If you disagree, bring your argument. But let's stop pretending that uncomfortable experiences disappear when we refuse to acknowledge them.

Then there are the questions surrounding the shooting itself. Who were the people involved? What was the motive? How did minors allegedly get access to a firearm? Was there a connection to the reported bullying? There are videos and claims circulating online, including allegations about a possible arrest, but these details need to be established by investigators. We cannot replace an investigation with social media speculation.

I want justice for Javits. Not rumours, not internet detectives declaring people guilty, but proper answers and accountability. And to those telling grieving African parents that they should have stayed in their own country: what exactly is wrong with you? Is this really the moment to remind a father that he is a foreigner? A man is mourning his child. Have some humanity.

A CHILD SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THE WORLD BECOMES INTERESTED IN HIS STORY.

I hate that Javits is becoming known to so many people because of the way he died rather than the life he could have lived. His laughter, his childhood, his personality, his dreams. There was supposed to be so much more.

And perhaps the uncomfortable part of this entire conversation is that there are parents watching this story who will recognise their own children's silence. There are former bullying victims remembering what happened to them. There are African migrants questioning whether the sacrifices their families made were worth it. And there are people who have experienced discrimination from communities they thought would understand them.  This is bigger than one shooting. Bigger than one school. Bigger than one country.

Javits deserved to grow up. His parents deserved to see him graduate, discover his talents, make mistakes, fall in love with life and become whoever he was meant to be. Not this.

May his parents find the strength to endure what no parent should ever have to endure. And to everyone who has experienced bullying, discrimination or the loneliness of being an African child trying to find their place in a foreign country, I hope we can finally have these conversations without being told to shut up, toughen up or go back home. Because if a child cannot feel safe at school, cannot speak freely at home and cannot even find acceptance in the place his family sacrificed everything to reach, then we need to ask ourselves: 

WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE CALLING A BETTER LIFE?

© 2026 The Dreamer’s Pause. All rights reserved.

CONVERSE APOLOGISED FOR WHAT?! BLACK PEOPLE, WE NEED TO TALK.

BLACK PEOPLE, PLEASE WASH YOUR EYES: CONVERSE DID NOT DECLARE WAR ON US 😭

[Ai Generated image owned by Lilo Phedra]

There are moments when I genuinely have to put my phone down, stare at the ceiling and ask myself:

“Are we actually serious right now?”

Because sometimes the internet gives me a controversy so ridiculous that I don't even know whether I should laugh, scream, pray, or simply close the application and go drink water.

And this week?

Converse.

Yes. The tekkies.

The shoes.

The shoes that have been everywhere for years. The shoes that, when I was in primary school 2017, were basically a social currency. If everybody had Converse and you didn't, you could FEEL the peer pressure through the walls. 😭

And somehow, in 2026, Converse has now found itself in the middle of a racial controversy because people looked at an advertisement featuring aespa's Karina and saw something that I genuinely did not see when I first looked at it.

Apparently, the lighting, the shape of the skirt and the way the Converse shoes were hanging in her hand reminded some viewers of the Ku Klux Klan and a lynching.

And once somebody points something like that out on social media?

Oh, it's finished.🤦🏿

Suddenly everybody is Sherlock Holmes.

Everybody is a forensic photographer.

Everybody has a PhD in racial symbolism.

“LOOK AT THE ANGLE!”

“LOOK AT THE LIGHT!”

“LOOK AT THE SHOES!”

“HOW DID THEY APPROVE THIS?!”

Brother.

Sister.

BREATHE. 😭

And let me make something very clear.

I understand why the imagery could make somebody uncomfortable. The KKK and the history of lynching are real and horrific parts of American history. I'm not denying that. I'm not asking anybody to forget history.

What I'm questioning is something completely different:

WHY ARE WE SO QUICK TO ASSUME INTENT?

Because there is a massive difference between saying:

“This image reminds me of something historically racist.”

and saying:

“Converse deliberately created this advertisement to mock Black people.”

Those are NOT the same statement.

And as far as the public evidence currently shows, deliberate racist intent has not been established. Converse apologised, removed the advertisement and said it understood why the image was deeply upsetting. The company has also declined to explain publicly how the advertisement passed its internal approval process.

[Picture: Facebook Unknown ]

And honestly?

THAT is the part I want explained.

WHO APPROVED THIS?

Because let's use our common sense for five seconds.

Why would a massive footwear company deliberately create an advertisement that could alienate customers and damage its own brand?

For WHAT? 🤷🏿

A corporate company wakes up one morning and says:

 "You know what? Let’s spend millions on an international campaign just to secretly make our logo resemble the KKK and piss off Black people". Be serious. 😭

WHAT?

😭😭😭

Be for real.

Where is the business strategy?

Where is the profit?

Where is the shareholder meeting?

“Sir, we've successfully destroyed our advertising campaign.”

“Excellent work, Susan.”

Please. 🙄

I don't believe that.

I believe somebody made a creative decision that failed to anticipate how the final image could be interpreted.

That's very different.

And yes, Converse apologised.

Personally?

I wish they didn’t. Because sometimes an apology can make people believe their interpretation has automatically been confirmed as the creator’s intention. And I don’t think we should confuse the two. An apology can quickly turn into, “See? We were right. We were owed this.” Suddenly, being offended means you must be listened to, apologised to, and something must be done about it even when the intention was never what you assumed.

 Like… are we really at the point where every uncomfortable interpretation needs a corporate apology and a campaign pulled? 😭 You can be offended and still be wrong. Critical thinking still exists.

Now, am I talking about every Black person?

Absolutely not.

Am I saying every person who criticised Converse is Black?

No.

Not every woke person is Black. Not every left-wing person is Black. Not every person who saw the KKK imagery is American.

What I keep seeing online,  particularly in certain corners of Black American social media is the same exhausting cycle: something looks vaguely racial, someone declares it racist, the outrage spreads, and suddenly we’re no longer discussing whether something was actually intentional. We’re discussing the emotional reaction to it as if that alone proves the accusation.

And honestly? I'm tired.

We're in 2026.

At some point, we need to stop living like every advertisement is secretly sitting in a boardroom plotting against us.

Yes, history matters. Yes, racism exists. Yes, companies should think carefully about racial imagery.

But if every questionable shadow, colour, shape, advertisement, hairstyle, word, logo or piece of lighting becomes another piece of evidence that somebody is personally attacking Black people, then what exactly are we doing?

Are we fighting racism, or are we training ourselves to find it everywhere?

Because those are two very different things.

And before somebody starts asking Converse for reparations—

PLEASE. 😭

What are we doing here?

Do we want a refund for emotional damages now?

“Dear Converse, I purchased my Chuck Taylors in 2018 and unfortunately your 2026 advertisement has reopened something.”

PLEASE.

😭

And this is where I genuinely want us to grow.

We can acknowledge history without allowing history to control every interpretation of the present.

We can say, “That image makes me uncomfortable,” without immediately declaring that the company intentionally hates us.

We can question an advertisement without inventing the boardroom conversation that supposedly created it.

And most importantly, we can think for ourselves.

Because I almost got offended too.

I saw people talking about the KKK and thought, “Wait… WHAT are they talking about?”

Then I looked again.

And again.

And I realised something:

I hadn't seen it until somebody told me to see it.

And that bothered me more than the advertisement.

Because if somebody can give me an interpretation, and suddenly my brain starts searching for evidence to support it, maybe the internet needs to stop doing our thinking for us.

So, Black people—

Please.

Wash your eyes.

Maybe with cleansing water.

Then sit down.

Think.

And if necessary, Pray.

Ask God to deliver us from the spirit of being offended by absolutely everything. 😭

Because history is important.

But we are not living in the 1800s.

We are living in 2026.

And I refuse to believe our generation's greatest contribution to the future is going to be finding something offensive in a pair of tekkies.

ENOUGH.

Disclaimer: Images used on this blog are for illustrative purposes only and remain the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

© 2026 The Dreamer’s Pause. All rights reserved.

NINE WOMEN. A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL. WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO SOUTH AFRICA?

SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG IN SOUTH AFRICA.

I genuinely don't even know how to start this.

Because every time I think, okay, surely South Africa has reached the limit now, another story appears on my phone and I'm just sitting there like...

AGAIN?!

If you're reading this from outside South Africa, let me bring you into the madness for a second.

Since July, women have been found dead across Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. Kempton Park. Olifantsfontein. Clayville. Rhodesfield. KwaThema. And now Dawn Park in Boksburg.

At the time I'm writing this, nine women have been found dead.

And the disturbing part is how some of these women were discovered.

The first body was found on 15 July in an open field near the R21 highway in Kempton Park. She was 37 years old, naked and restrained with cable ties. A man reportedly linked to her was arrested two days later.

Then came another woman in Kempton Park in August. She was 32-year-old Itumeleng Kekana. Her family spent 17 days and nights searching for her, praying that she would come home, before they were eventually called to identify her body.

Then September arrived.

On 7 September, a woman believed to be in her late twenties was found floating in a river in Clayville, Olifantsfontein, near Thembisa Mall. She was found without clothing apart from underwear.

Another unidentified woman's body was discovered in Olifantsfontein that same day.

On 10 September, another unidentified woman was found in Kempton Park. Her body was naked and already in an advanced state of decomposition.

Then came Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo.

A 38-year-old mother.

A runner.

On 9 September, Elizabeth went out for her usual run and didn't come back. Her eight-year-old daughter was the one who raised the alarm when her mother failed to return. Her family searched, people shared her missing-person information, and then on 12 September her partially naked and bruised remains were found in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park. Her family identified her on 14 September.

I'm sorry, but imagine being that little girl.

Mommy went for a run.

Mommy didn't come home.

And then you find out Mommy is dead.

That is somebody's childhood memory now.

On 14 September, another woman was found in Olifantsfontein. A passer-by spotted the body and alerted authorities. She was partially naked and bruised, and police suspected she may have been killed elsewhere and dumped there.

Then on 15 September, Dineo Evelyn Motapane, 38, was found on the side of the road in KwaThema, Springs. She had last been seen alive on the Sunday. Her family identified her body at the Springs Mortuary the following day.

And then, because apparently nine wasn't enough...

TODAY.

17 September.

A ninth woman's body was found in Dawn Park, Boksburg.

She is believed to be around 30 years old. Police say she was found partially naked, wrapped in a sheet, and preliminary indications suggest that she may have been killed somewhere else before her body was dumped there.

NINE.

At this point, I don't even know what emotion I'm supposed to have.

Fear?

Anger?

Disgust?

Exhaustion?

Probably all of them fighting for first place.

And yes, I have my own suspicion about what is happening.

I personally suspect ritual killings or ritual sacrifice.

And with everything happening lately, I can't help but wonder: could these women be part of something much darker?

South Africa is heading towards the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections, and suddenly I'm looking at these killings differently. Could some of these women have been used as sacrifices — blood being shed because, in someone's twisted belief system, something needs to be sacrificed for something else to work? Could it somehow be connected to power, politics, or whatever plans people behind the scenes might have?

I don't know.

But could it be?

Because the timing makes me question things. July. August. September. Women disappearing. Bodies being found. More cases appearing as we move closer to an election.

Maybe I'm connecting dots that have nothing to do with each other.

But still...

Could it be?

And spiritually? I feel like there this dark cloud over South Africa. I'm looking outside right now and the sun is shining. Birds are chirping. Trees are moving. People interacting. Somebody is buying amagwinya somewhere.

Life looks normal.

But spiritually? Something feels deeply wrong. And that's why I believe we need a lot of prayer warriors. True prayer warriors.

And then there's the SAPS response.

Some of these deaths started in July. Now we're in September and the number has climbed to nine. Police have now assembled a multidisciplinary team, deployed additional resources and increased patrols.

And I'm sitting here thinking:

NOW?

I'm not saying investigators were sitting around eating popcorn for two months. Obviously, we don't know everything happening behind the scenes.

But people have every right to ask why the urgency feels so much louder now.

And then, as if all of this wasn't enough, we hear about 10-year-old Octavia Swarts, a Grade 4 learner from Kraaifontein.

She went missing on Sunday.

Her family and community searched nearby orchards and surrounding farms late into the night. On Monday morning, her body was found in a farm dam. A 14-year-old boy was arrested in connection with her death, but the case was not enrolled and he was released into his parents' care while the docket was returned to police for further investigation.

And now I'm supposed to sit here calmly?

A TEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD.

What more are we supposed to hear before we finally say enough?

All I want is JUSTICE.

For every woman, child and man whose life was stolen. For the families still staring at an empty chair. And for those still missing, whose names haven't even reached the news.

I pray the blood that was shed does not rest quietly.

May it haunt whoever did this. May they lie awake knowing exactly what they have done. May whatever they gained from another person's death turn into nothing but chaos until they finally crack, and hand themselves over.

Because you can hide from the police.

You can hide from people.

BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM GOD.

And to the souls who were taken from this world:

LET YOUR BLOOD SPEAK.

Let the truth come out.

Let justice find them.

BECAUSE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Disclaimer: Images used on this blog are for illustrative purposes only and remain the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.

© 2026 The Dreamer’s Pause. All rights reserved.

APPLE finally made a foldable iPhone. And somehow, I’m not impressed.

WHERE DID EVERYBODY’S CREATIVITY GO? 😭

Look who’s finally doing folds. 😭

Apple has officially entered the foldable-phone conversation with the iPhone Duo, a phone that folds open like a book. Closed, it has a 5.4-inch screen. Open it, and you get a 7.6-inch display, basically giving you a phone that wants to cosplay as a tablet. It starts at $1,999 ≈ R32,063 in the US, with the most expensive version reaching $3,999 ≈ R64,096. Preorders beginning in October, with sales starting October 23.

Anyways...

And I’m sitting here thinking: Apple… is this really what we have come to?

Because Samsung has been making foldable phones for years. Samsung didn’t just wake up yesterday and discover that a phone can fold. The Galaxy Z Fold line has already been doing the whole open me and suddenly I’m a mini-tablet thing. Apple has now entered the same room, wearing an expensive suit, and basically said, “Look what we invented.” 😭

Okay, technically Apple has designed its own hardware, hinge, software experience and everything else that comes with it. Fine. But you cannot tell me the concept itself feels groundbreaking anymore. It feels like Apple arrived fashionably late to a party that Samsung has already been cleaning up for years.

And this is what actually bothers me.

WHERE IS THE CREATIVITY?

I genuinely feel like we are entering an era where some of the biggest companies in the world have access to billions of dollars, thousands of engineers, designers, writers and creative people, and yet sometimes the final product has me sitting there like… That’s it? 😭🤷🏿

Apple is one example. Disney is another. Tyler Perry? Chile. Let me not even start with "Why Did I Get Married Again? Part Two" 🤦🏿. Because sometimes you watch something and think, surely somebody in that room had another idea.

And before somebody says, “But Lilo, Apple’s foldable is different!”

Yes, I know.

I’m not saying Apple literally copied every single component from Samsung. I’m talking about the bigger picture. We have become so accustomed to companies watching what somebody else is doing, waiting for the technology to become popular, improving it slightly, putting their branding on it and calling it innovation.

At some point, we need people who are willing to imagine something that does not already exist.

Because what happens when the people currently running these industries eventually hand everything over to us?

I’m looking at the generations coming after the millennials and wondering: What exactly are we inheriting?

A Disney that keeps recycling its old magic.

A television industry that keeps recycling old ideas.

A music industry that keeps recycling sounds.

A technology industry where everyone is watching everyone else.

And then we’re expected to be the generation that creates the future.

We're DOOMED! 😭

And honestly, I’m grateful I’m not an iPhone girl.

I am an Android girl and I am proud. And that's on PERIOD. 🤏🏿

Because if I had grown up feeling like I absolutely needed the newest iPhone every time Apple announced one, my parents would have developed grey hair before I even finished high school. 😭

What fascinates me even more is watching people who, from what I personally see around me, clearly do not have massive disposable incomes somehow find a way to get the newest iPhone. Maybe they save. Maybe they finance it. Maybe somebody buys it for them. Maybe they simply prioritise it over everything else.

I don't know.

But suddenly somebody who has been complaining about money is standing there with an iPhone that costs more than some people’s monthly salaries.

And I’m looking at them like:

“Brother. Is that the iPhone 17 or iPhone X disguised as the iPhone 17?”

Because at this point, I genuinely don't even know what half these phones look like. 😭

And that is another conversation: how much of our consumer culture is actually about needing something, and how much is about wanting to prove that we have it?

Because Apple is going to keep making money. Obviously.

They know exactly what they are doing.

They know there will be people who see the newest model and immediately start calculating how they can get it. They know there will be people who don't need a foldable phone but suddenly feel like their current phone is embarrassing because a newer one exists.

And honestly? Good for Apple.

The company is winning.

But as consumers, maybe we should occasionally ask ourselves whether we are winning too.

Because this isn't really about Apple anymore.

It's about creativity.

It's about originality.

It's about whether we are becoming a generation that creates, or a generation that waits for somebody else to create first and then improves the packaging.

And that genuinely scares me.

Because if the people before us are already running out of ideas, and we're becoming comfortable with recycling everything from technology to movies to music to television...

At what point do we stop copying the past and actually create the future?

Because respectfully, I refuse to believe humanity has reached its creative limit.

There has to be more.

There HAS to be.

Otherwise, what are we doing here?

And please don't ask me to buy an iPhone Duo.

I fold my clothes. That's enough folding for me. 😭

© 2026 The Dreamer’s Pause. All rights reserved.