Meenakshi Menon looked at ageism in advertising; her review of 2500+ advertisements found that not only are older adults underrepresented (7% in ads vs. 11% in general population), but 48% are depicted with negative tropes like frailty, abandonment, loneliness, etc.

Rohini Nilekani makes a sharp point - the demographic transition is unfolding at extraordinary speed, just compare one generation before and one after. And perhaps the pessimism is misplaced; older adults may actually drive more sustainable living. @DalbergTweet @RNP_Foundation

Always pleasantly surprised by just how much difference social connection makes. In an experiment, participants were exposed to a virus, and those who had greater social connection were less likely to fall sick. Somewhat similar results have been seen for cancer patients as well.

A 2025 study of 17,000+ young adults found that those who skipped breakfast 4+ days per week had higher body fat and higher obesity rates than regular breakfast eaters. While it established correlation (not causation), it points to the need to be circumspect about skipping meals.

As uncomfortable as it can seem (especially for introverts), multiple studies show that even forced interactions with strangers increases our happiness. Introverts, in fact, are most likely to under-predict the happiness boost they will get from talking to strangers.

‘Affective labelling’, or verbalising our emotions (eg. “I am angry”, “I feel frustrated”) is shown to help break out of unhelpful and debilitating rumination cycles by creating cognitive distance between us and the emotion. Eg. going from “I am anxious” to “I am having anxiety”.

Change feels intimidating because we fall prey to the ‘end of history illusion’, ie. that our present self is the final version of us, even though we’ve changed so much in the past. But change changes us, and gives us the perspectives and capabilities to navigate the future.

India is deregulating by outsourcing inspections and certifications to approved third parties, thus bypassing state capacity. However, capping fees can choke investment, limit coverage in smaller towns, and stifle innovation. Great insights in the latest @InfoProsperiti mailer.

Creating a robust risk mitigation & safeguards framework for #DPI is important because, like most digitisation, they increase the attack surface. @Artha__Global survey, for e.g., finds 4% of UPI users have experienced monetary loss but <20% know what to do if something goes wrong

We at @DalbergTweet have opened applications for Undergraduate and Postgraduate internships in our Mumbai and Delhi offices. These roles offer a chance to work on real-world global development challenges alongside our teams. Apply here:

The arrival fallacy: believing that happiness will come with the next milestone - a promotion, more money, nice house or next relationship. More often than not, it doesn’t. Happiness is a practice in the present, not a prize in the future. #PodcastMusings

There are two parts to happiness: (a) affective or emotional, which means having a high ratio of positive to negative emotions in daily life (b) cognitive, which means an intentional evaluation that our life has happiness that meets our beliefs and aspirations. #PodcastMusings

For those struggling with screen time, @Catherine_Price has a useful “WWW” framework: (a) What for am I on the device for (b) Why now, rather than at a different time (c) What else could I be doing with this time. Asking these creates friction that helps us be more intentional.

Excessively optimising for the future (eg. putting off expenses or fun activities) is fundamentally a futile exercise because we’re terrible at predicting ourselves in the future, and the future is often out of our control. The key is temperance, not abstinence. #PodcastMusings

So proud of my homie @gunwant_11 for adding one more to all the amazing things he does.

Philanthropy isn’t just about solving today’s problems—it has the responsibility to anticipate and shape the future. This article by @VenkyHariharan and @iissarayu points out that future-focussed giving is essential to build resilient, equitable systems

Amyloid beta, the protein associated with Alzheimer’s, starts building up as early as our 20s. Hence, what we do early in our life affects our chances of getting Alzheimer’s later in life. Regular exercise, for eg, reduces probability of getting the condition by 20-40%.

Latest newsletter from @Artha__Global Centre for Rapid Insights - over 55% in 8 North Indian states say they or a family member have experienced pollution-induced respiratory illness (not surprising). Here's the shocker, though - nearly a quarter of them do nothing about it!

Though India allows more work hours than Japan, these must be met every single week - unlike Japan, where they can be averaged over a month or year. The result? Japan may need fewer people to get the same outcome in a seasonal business. Another great insight from @InfoProsperiti.

Recently attended the launch of the AI for Global Development accelerator program. While expected gains are large (~90% cost reduction for some), there are also heightened risks (eg. privacy of HIV status) and unexpected uptake barriers (eg. inability to give phone permissions).