id
stringlengths
1
5
contents
stringlengths
354
1.98k
24100
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? But it must address a few skeletons in its closet before reaching that goal. If you were around in the 1970s (that would make you at least 50 years old today), you would know that the NBA did not have the mass appeal that it enjoys now. With average game attendance hovering around 8,000 a game, it was one of the darkest periods of the basketball league. Drug abuse, brawls on the hardwood court that sometimes spilled over onto coaches and players – it wasn’t a pretty sight. As reported in the Washington Post, even though there are no reliable figures on cocaine use by players, “estimates by people in the game range from 40 percent to 75 percent.” Revisiting the NBA caricature back in time, the New York Knicks became the first all-Black team in 1979. But their fans made their disapproval very apparent. “It wasn’t so much New York attitudes, but fans around the league let you know how they felt about you as an opponent and as a Black man as well,” Knicks star Earl Monroe told Newsday.
24101
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? With average game attendance hovering around 8,000 a game, it was one of the darkest periods of the basketball league. Drug abuse, brawls on the hardwood court that sometimes spilled over onto coaches and players – it wasn’t a pretty sight. As reported in the Washington Post, even though there are no reliable figures on cocaine use by players, “estimates by people in the game range from 40 percent to 75 percent.” Revisiting the NBA caricature back in time, the New York Knicks became the first all-Black team in 1979. But their fans made their disapproval very apparent. “It wasn’t so much New York attitudes, but fans around the league let you know how they felt about you as an opponent and as a Black man as well,” Knicks star Earl Monroe told Newsday. USA Today via Reuters May 15, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) fight for loose ball as Suns guards Devin Booker (1) and Chris Paul (3) look on in the third quarterat AT&T Center.
24102
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? As reported in the Washington Post, even though there are no reliable figures on cocaine use by players, “estimates by people in the game range from 40 percent to 75 percent.” Revisiting the NBA caricature back in time, the New York Knicks became the first all-Black team in 1979. But their fans made their disapproval very apparent. “It wasn’t so much New York attitudes, but fans around the league let you know how they felt about you as an opponent and as a Black man as well,” Knicks star Earl Monroe told Newsday. USA Today via Reuters May 15, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) fight for loose ball as Suns guards Devin Booker (1) and Chris Paul (3) look on in the third quarterat AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports We could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea.
24103
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? But their fans made their disapproval very apparent. “It wasn’t so much New York attitudes, but fans around the league let you know how they felt about you as an opponent and as a Black man as well,” Knicks star Earl Monroe told Newsday. USA Today via Reuters May 15, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) fight for loose ball as Suns guards Devin Booker (1) and Chris Paul (3) look on in the third quarterat AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports We could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.)
24104
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? But their fans made their disapproval very apparent. “It wasn’t so much New York attitudes, but fans around the league let you know how they felt about you as an opponent and as a Black man as well,” Knicks star Earl Monroe told Newsday. USA Today via Reuters May 15, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) fight for loose ball as Suns guards Devin Booker (1) and Chris Paul (3) look on in the third quarterat AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports We could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.) in penalties on behalf of his team, the Dallas Mavericks, fondly remembered the former NBA commissioner David Stern, on his death in January 2020.
24105
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? “It wasn’t so much New York attitudes, but fans around the league let you know how they felt about you as an opponent and as a Black man as well,” Knicks star Earl Monroe told Newsday. USA Today via Reuters May 15, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) fight for loose ball as Suns guards Devin Booker (1) and Chris Paul (3) look on in the third quarterat AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports We could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.) in penalties on behalf of his team, the Dallas Mavericks, fondly remembered the former NBA commissioner David Stern, on his death in January 2020. Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse.
24106
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? USA Today via Reuters May 15, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Torrey Craig (12) and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) fight for loose ball as Suns guards Devin Booker (1) and Chris Paul (3) look on in the third quarterat AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports We could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.) in penalties on behalf of his team, the Dallas Mavericks, fondly remembered the former NBA commissioner David Stern, on his death in January 2020. Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse. The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans.
24107
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports We could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.) in penalties on behalf of his team, the Dallas Mavericks, fondly remembered the former NBA commissioner David Stern, on his death in January 2020. Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse. The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans. He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then.
24108
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports We could list out all the scandals, fights, and controversies here, but you get the idea. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.) in penalties on behalf of his team, the Dallas Mavericks, fondly remembered the former NBA commissioner David Stern, on his death in January 2020. Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse. The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans. He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well.
24109
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who paid $1.8 million (approx.) in penalties on behalf of his team, the Dallas Mavericks, fondly remembered the former NBA commissioner David Stern, on his death in January 2020. Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse. The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans. He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals.
24110
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse. The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans. He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals. But there have been bigger crises as well.
24111
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? Stern came and instituted an anti-drug agreement and even banned All-Star player Michal Richardson for life for drug abuse. The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans. He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals. But there have been bigger crises as well. The Union of Concerned Scientists accused the NFL of trying to intimidate scientists studying the link between CTE and pro football.
24112
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? The revitalized image of the NBA helped rake in the moolah from sponsors and made it more appealing to fans. He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals. But there have been bigger crises as well. The Union of Concerned Scientists accused the NFL of trying to intimidate scientists studying the link between CTE and pro football. The NFL is already way past other leagues in terms of revenue, and now with the pivotal shift in its strategy, “America’s favorite pastime” is on its way to world domination.
24113
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? He even went against the tide to open up the Olympic basketball competition to NBA players resulting in the famous “Dream Team” of 1992. America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals. But there have been bigger crises as well. The Union of Concerned Scientists accused the NFL of trying to intimidate scientists studying the link between CTE and pro football. The NFL is already way past other leagues in terms of revenue, and now with the pivotal shift in its strategy, “America’s favorite pastime” is on its way to world domination. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.
24114
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? America has never failed to win a medal in the 19 Olympic basketball games that it has played since then. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals. But there have been bigger crises as well. The Union of Concerned Scientists accused the NFL of trying to intimidate scientists studying the link between CTE and pro football. The NFL is already way past other leagues in terms of revenue, and now with the pivotal shift in its strategy, “America’s favorite pastime” is on its way to world domination. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports. Watch This Story: Will Patrick Mahomes Eclipse Tom Brady as the NFL Goat?
24115
Is the Coverage on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance Nothing but Hype or a Pivotal Shift in NFL’s Century-Old Game Plan Towards Global Recognition? ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The NFL has had its fair share of, um, let’s say, “bumps” down the road as well. From Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racism, to domestic violence by players, to the Deflategate and Bountygate scandals. But there have been bigger crises as well. The Union of Concerned Scientists accused the NFL of trying to intimidate scientists studying the link between CTE and pro football. The NFL is already way past other leagues in terms of revenue, and now with the pivotal shift in its strategy, “America’s favorite pastime” is on its way to world domination. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports. Watch This Story: Will Patrick Mahomes Eclipse Tom Brady as the NFL Goat? Travis Kelce Responds
24116
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Hanh Badger was working from home the morning of 17 June 2021. She went to the kitchen to grab a second cup of coffee and noticed her daughter’s bedroom door was still shut. Badger found Brooke, 17, pale and motionless in bed. Soon, the sheriff arrived and immediately administered Naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. But Badger, a pharmacist, was confused. Brooke was a talented student who couldn’t wait to begin college that fall. “She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account.
24117
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Hanh Badger was working from home the morning of 17 June 2021. She went to the kitchen to grab a second cup of coffee and noticed her daughter’s bedroom door was still shut. Badger found Brooke, 17, pale and motionless in bed. Soon, the sheriff arrived and immediately administered Naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. But Badger, a pharmacist, was confused. Brooke was a talented student who couldn’t wait to begin college that fall. “She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief.
24118
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Badger found Brooke, 17, pale and motionless in bed. Soon, the sheriff arrived and immediately administered Naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. But Badger, a pharmacist, was confused. Brooke was a talented student who couldn’t wait to begin college that fall. “She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief. Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl.
24119
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Soon, the sheriff arrived and immediately administered Naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. But Badger, a pharmacist, was confused. Brooke was a talented student who couldn’t wait to begin college that fall. “She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief. Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl. Across the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline.
24120
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing But Badger, a pharmacist, was confused. Brooke was a talented student who couldn’t wait to begin college that fall. “She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief. Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl. Across the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline. Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021.
24121
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief. Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl. Across the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline. Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance.
24122
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief. Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl. Across the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline. Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance. Brooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home.
24123
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing They found screenshots of what looked like a menu of narcotics, and conversations with a drug dealer showing Brooke had purchased what she believed to be Roxicet, a prescription medication containing acetaminophen and oxycodone typically prescribed for pain relief. Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl. Across the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline. Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance. Brooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home. Photograph: Courtesy In California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard.
24124
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Instead, the substance was a counterfeit pill that held a lethal dose of fentanyl. Across the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline. Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance. Brooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home. Photograph: Courtesy In California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities.
24125
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Across the US, young people are dying from fentanyl in record numbers, even as overall drug use is on the decline. Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance. Brooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home. Photograph: Courtesy In California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities. Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media.
24126
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Nationally, the number of opioid overdose deaths for people 24 and under nearly doubled from 2019-2021. And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance. Brooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home. Photograph: Courtesy In California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities. Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media. In their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss.
24127
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing And according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of overdoses attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl dwarfs that of any other substance. Brooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home. Photograph: Courtesy In California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities. Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media. In their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss. Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change.
24128
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Brooke Badger, 17, died of an overdose at her California home. Photograph: Courtesy In California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities. Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media. In their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss. Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change. And now, some parents are taking to the civil courts, targeting the tech giants whose platforms facilitated their children’s purchases of pills that killed them.
24129
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Photograph: Courtesy In California, where Brooke lived, fentanyl-related overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds surged by nearly 800% between 2018 and 2021, according to data from the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities. Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media. In their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss. Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change. And now, some parents are taking to the civil courts, targeting the tech giants whose platforms facilitated their children’s purchases of pills that killed them. In April, the relatives of more than 65 victims, represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, filed lawsuits against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat – an app known for its disappearing messages features, and the platform used by the vast majority of the suit’s victims.
24130
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Many are young victims poisoned by counterfeit pills that have been pressed to look like legitimate prescription drugs, but that are laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is deadly even in granular quantities. Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media. In their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss. Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change. And now, some parents are taking to the civil courts, targeting the tech giants whose platforms facilitated their children’s purchases of pills that killed them. In April, the relatives of more than 65 victims, represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, filed lawsuits against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat – an app known for its disappearing messages features, and the platform used by the vast majority of the suit’s victims. The suit claims Snapchat’s features facilitate practices like drug sales by connecting dealers to young customers while promising safety from legal repercussions through anonymity.
24131
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Typically, those teenagers acquired what they believed to be Percocet, Xanax or other pharmaceuticals online through social media. In their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss. Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change. And now, some parents are taking to the civil courts, targeting the tech giants whose platforms facilitated their children’s purchases of pills that killed them. In April, the relatives of more than 65 victims, represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, filed lawsuits against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat – an app known for its disappearing messages features, and the platform used by the vast majority of the suit’s victims. The suit claims Snapchat’s features facilitate practices like drug sales by connecting dealers to young customers while promising safety from legal repercussions through anonymity. Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case.
24132
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing In their grief, victims’ parents are motivated to end this crisis to prevent another family’s suffering while also giving meaning to their loss. Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change. And now, some parents are taking to the civil courts, targeting the tech giants whose platforms facilitated their children’s purchases of pills that killed them. In April, the relatives of more than 65 victims, represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, filed lawsuits against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat – an app known for its disappearing messages features, and the platform used by the vast majority of the suit’s victims. The suit claims Snapchat’s features facilitate practices like drug sales by connecting dealers to young customers while promising safety from legal repercussions through anonymity. Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case. It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified.
24133
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Many have launched awareness campaigns, founded educational programs and advocated for legislative change. And now, some parents are taking to the civil courts, targeting the tech giants whose platforms facilitated their children’s purchases of pills that killed them. In April, the relatives of more than 65 victims, represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, filed lawsuits against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat – an app known for its disappearing messages features, and the platform used by the vast majority of the suit’s victims. The suit claims Snapchat’s features facilitate practices like drug sales by connecting dealers to young customers while promising safety from legal repercussions through anonymity. Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case. It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified. Other problematic features include notifying individuals when another person screenshots their post, the ability to geolocate fellow users and algorithms that suggest new connections based on demographics.
24134
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing In April, the relatives of more than 65 victims, represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, filed lawsuits against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat – an app known for its disappearing messages features, and the platform used by the vast majority of the suit’s victims. The suit claims Snapchat’s features facilitate practices like drug sales by connecting dealers to young customers while promising safety from legal repercussions through anonymity. Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case. It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified. Other problematic features include notifying individuals when another person screenshots their post, the ability to geolocate fellow users and algorithms that suggest new connections based on demographics. In response, Snapchat filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being held responsible for the illegal actions of their users.
24135
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing The suit claims Snapchat’s features facilitate practices like drug sales by connecting dealers to young customers while promising safety from legal repercussions through anonymity. Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case. It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified. Other problematic features include notifying individuals when another person screenshots their post, the ability to geolocate fellow users and algorithms that suggest new connections based on demographics. In response, Snapchat filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being held responsible for the illegal actions of their users. A hearing for that motion has been scheduled for 18 October. But Section 230 only offers immunity to companies that have acted responsibly and taken precautions to prevent illegal activity from taking place on their platforms, which Bergman says Snap hasn’t done.
24136
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case. It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified. Other problematic features include notifying individuals when another person screenshots their post, the ability to geolocate fellow users and algorithms that suggest new connections based on demographics. In response, Snapchat filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being held responsible for the illegal actions of their users. A hearing for that motion has been scheduled for 18 October. But Section 230 only offers immunity to companies that have acted responsibly and taken precautions to prevent illegal activity from taking place on their platforms, which Bergman says Snap hasn’t done. “It’s the world’s largest open-air drug market,” he said.
24137
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Chief among those designs is the promise that a message will disappear not only to fellow users, but also on the software’s back end, says Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney on the case. It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified. Other problematic features include notifying individuals when another person screenshots their post, the ability to geolocate fellow users and algorithms that suggest new connections based on demographics. In response, Snapchat filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being held responsible for the illegal actions of their users. A hearing for that motion has been scheduled for 18 October. But Section 230 only offers immunity to companies that have acted responsibly and taken precautions to prevent illegal activity from taking place on their platforms, which Bergman says Snap hasn’t done. “It’s the world’s largest open-air drug market,” he said. “It was clearly designed with the intention of allowing and encouraging nefarious activity with a lack of record.” Snap did not respond to the Guardian’s request seeking comment prior to this story’s release.
24138
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing It prevents law enforcement officials from seeing the activity of a dealer even after they have been identified. Other problematic features include notifying individuals when another person screenshots their post, the ability to geolocate fellow users and algorithms that suggest new connections based on demographics. In response, Snapchat filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being held responsible for the illegal actions of their users. A hearing for that motion has been scheduled for 18 October. But Section 230 only offers immunity to companies that have acted responsibly and taken precautions to prevent illegal activity from taking place on their platforms, which Bergman says Snap hasn’t done. “It’s the world’s largest open-air drug market,” he said. “It was clearly designed with the intention of allowing and encouraging nefarious activity with a lack of record.” Snap did not respond to the Guardian’s request seeking comment prior to this story’s release. After publication, a spokesperson said that Snap works to “block search results for drug-related terms” and redirects at-risk users to resources on the dangers of fentanyl.
24139
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing In response, Snapchat filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being held responsible for the illegal actions of their users. A hearing for that motion has been scheduled for 18 October. But Section 230 only offers immunity to companies that have acted responsibly and taken precautions to prevent illegal activity from taking place on their platforms, which Bergman says Snap hasn’t done. “It’s the world’s largest open-air drug market,” he said. “It was clearly designed with the intention of allowing and encouraging nefarious activity with a lack of record.” Snap did not respond to the Guardian’s request seeking comment prior to this story’s release. After publication, a spokesperson said that Snap works to “block search results for drug-related terms” and redirects at-risk users to resources on the dangers of fentanyl. “We have great empathy for families who have suffered unimaginable losses. At Snap, we are working hard to stop dealers from abusing our platform,” the spokesperson said.
24140
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing A hearing for that motion has been scheduled for 18 October. But Section 230 only offers immunity to companies that have acted responsibly and taken precautions to prevent illegal activity from taking place on their platforms, which Bergman says Snap hasn’t done. “It’s the world’s largest open-air drug market,” he said. “It was clearly designed with the intention of allowing and encouraging nefarious activity with a lack of record.” Snap did not respond to the Guardian’s request seeking comment prior to this story’s release. After publication, a spokesperson said that Snap works to “block search results for drug-related terms” and redirects at-risk users to resources on the dangers of fentanyl. “We have great empathy for families who have suffered unimaginable losses. At Snap, we are working hard to stop dealers from abusing our platform,” the spokesperson said. Perla Mendoza, a parent in the suit, found that Snap did little to prevent illegal drug sales in the weeks and months after the death of her son, Daniel (Elijah) Figueroa, who bought fentanyl-laced pills from a dealer on Snapchat.
24141
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “It’s the world’s largest open-air drug market,” he said. “It was clearly designed with the intention of allowing and encouraging nefarious activity with a lack of record.” Snap did not respond to the Guardian’s request seeking comment prior to this story’s release. After publication, a spokesperson said that Snap works to “block search results for drug-related terms” and redirects at-risk users to resources on the dangers of fentanyl. “We have great empathy for families who have suffered unimaginable losses. At Snap, we are working hard to stop dealers from abusing our platform,” the spokesperson said. Perla Mendoza, a parent in the suit, found that Snap did little to prevent illegal drug sales in the weeks and months after the death of her son, Daniel (Elijah) Figueroa, who bought fentanyl-laced pills from a dealer on Snapchat. Even after she created her own account and found her son’s dealer posting images with hundreds of pills, Mendoza’s reports to the help center went unanswered, and it took eight months for them to flag his account.
24142
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing After publication, a spokesperson said that Snap works to “block search results for drug-related terms” and redirects at-risk users to resources on the dangers of fentanyl. “We have great empathy for families who have suffered unimaginable losses. At Snap, we are working hard to stop dealers from abusing our platform,” the spokesperson said. Perla Mendoza, a parent in the suit, found that Snap did little to prevent illegal drug sales in the weeks and months after the death of her son, Daniel (Elijah) Figueroa, who bought fentanyl-laced pills from a dealer on Snapchat. Even after she created her own account and found her son’s dealer posting images with hundreds of pills, Mendoza’s reports to the help center went unanswered, and it took eight months for them to flag his account. “It was really disheartening,” she said. For Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient.
24143
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing After publication, a spokesperson said that Snap works to “block search results for drug-related terms” and redirects at-risk users to resources on the dangers of fentanyl. “We have great empathy for families who have suffered unimaginable losses. At Snap, we are working hard to stop dealers from abusing our platform,” the spokesperson said. Perla Mendoza, a parent in the suit, found that Snap did little to prevent illegal drug sales in the weeks and months after the death of her son, Daniel (Elijah) Figueroa, who bought fentanyl-laced pills from a dealer on Snapchat. Even after she created her own account and found her son’s dealer posting images with hundreds of pills, Mendoza’s reports to the help center went unanswered, and it took eight months for them to flag his account. “It was really disheartening,” she said. For Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient. “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place.
24144
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing At Snap, we are working hard to stop dealers from abusing our platform,” the spokesperson said. Perla Mendoza, a parent in the suit, found that Snap did little to prevent illegal drug sales in the weeks and months after the death of her son, Daniel (Elijah) Figueroa, who bought fentanyl-laced pills from a dealer on Snapchat. Even after she created her own account and found her son’s dealer posting images with hundreds of pills, Mendoza’s reports to the help center went unanswered, and it took eight months for them to flag his account. “It was really disheartening,” she said. For Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient. “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place. “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said.
24145
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Perla Mendoza, a parent in the suit, found that Snap did little to prevent illegal drug sales in the weeks and months after the death of her son, Daniel (Elijah) Figueroa, who bought fentanyl-laced pills from a dealer on Snapchat. Even after she created her own account and found her son’s dealer posting images with hundreds of pills, Mendoza’s reports to the help center went unanswered, and it took eight months for them to flag his account. “It was really disheartening,” she said. For Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient. “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place. “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said. Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity.
24146
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Even after she created her own account and found her son’s dealer posting images with hundreds of pills, Mendoza’s reports to the help center went unanswered, and it took eight months for them to flag his account. “It was really disheartening,” she said. For Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient. “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place. “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said. Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity. She described her son Alexander, who died at 14 after taking a counterfeit Oxycontin tablet he procured through the app, as sensitive, impulsive and curious about many things – including drugs. But he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations.
24147
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “It was really disheartening,” she said. For Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient. “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place. “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said. Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity. She described her son Alexander, who died at 14 after taking a counterfeit Oxycontin tablet he procured through the app, as sensitive, impulsive and curious about many things – including drugs. But he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations. And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said.
24148
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing For Badger, removing a dealer’s account alone is insufficient. “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place. “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said. Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity. She described her son Alexander, who died at 14 after taking a counterfeit Oxycontin tablet he procured through the app, as sensitive, impulsive and curious about many things – including drugs. But he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations. And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way.
24149
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “They’ll just create another,” she said, emphasizing the need for structural reforms that clearly warn young users of dealers’ predatory practices, or that make it so that drugs can’t be peddled to kids on the platform in the first place. “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said. Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity. She described her son Alexander, who died at 14 after taking a counterfeit Oxycontin tablet he procured through the app, as sensitive, impulsive and curious about many things – including drugs. But he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations. And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way. Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive.
24150
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said. Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity. She described her son Alexander, who died at 14 after taking a counterfeit Oxycontin tablet he procured through the app, as sensitive, impulsive and curious about many things – including drugs. But he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations. And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way. Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said.
24151
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “Snapchat perpetuated this crisis,” she said. Amy Neville, another parent in the suit, believes that Snapchat creates an aura of safety around an otherwise dangerous activity. She described her son Alexander, who died at 14 after taking a counterfeit Oxycontin tablet he procured through the app, as sensitive, impulsive and curious about many things – including drugs. But he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations. And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way. Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said. Ternan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death.
24152
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing But he was also hesitant about putting himself in dangerous situations. And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way. Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said. Ternan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death. Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked.
24153
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing And by using Snapchat, he was able to avoid an in-person meetup and have the pills delivered straight to his door. “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way. Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said. Ternan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death. Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked. A screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat.
24154
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way. Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said. Ternan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death. Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked. A screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat. Photograph: Courtesy The conclusion he reached is one that looks beyond blame.
24155
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “The old way of scary back-alley type transactions – Alexander would have never done that,” she said. Not every parent feels the same way. Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said. Ternan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death. Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked. A screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat. Photograph: Courtesy The conclusion he reached is one that looks beyond blame. With his wife, Ternan now works full time on initiatives to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl.
24156
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Ed Ternan, whose 21-year-old son Charlie died in April 2020 after taking a counterfeit Percocet he bought on Snapchat, sees suing the platform as counterproductive. “It feels like looking backwards,” he said. Ternan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death. Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked. A screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat. Photograph: Courtesy The conclusion he reached is one that looks beyond blame. With his wife, Ternan now works full time on initiatives to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl. He has even worked with Snap to promote awareness campaigns and find ways to make the app safer.
24157
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “It feels like looking backwards,” he said. Ternan, who did not join the suit, goes on to explain that losing his son – an energetic and fun-loving young man who was weeks away from graduating from UC Santa Cruz – has forced himself to come to terms with the factors that came together to cause Charlie’s death. Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked. A screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat. Photograph: Courtesy The conclusion he reached is one that looks beyond blame. With his wife, Ternan now works full time on initiatives to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl. He has even worked with Snap to promote awareness campaigns and find ways to make the app safer. “It’s been a very successful partnership,” Ternan said. Even for Neville, who is a plaintiff, going through the process of filing a lawsuit has been re-traumatizing.
24158
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Ranging from the app and the dealer, to the friends Charlie bought drugs alongside, to himself as a father. “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked. A screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat. Photograph: Courtesy The conclusion he reached is one that looks beyond blame. With his wife, Ternan now works full time on initiatives to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl. He has even worked with Snap to promote awareness campaigns and find ways to make the app safer. “It’s been a very successful partnership,” Ternan said. Even for Neville, who is a plaintiff, going through the process of filing a lawsuit has been re-traumatizing. It forces her to relive horrifying moments again and again. “I don’t know what is worse, getting out and talking about it, or not talking about it,” she said. But for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire.
24159
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “What was my role as a parent?” Ternan asked. A screenshot of pills being sold on Snapchat. Photograph: Courtesy The conclusion he reached is one that looks beyond blame. With his wife, Ternan now works full time on initiatives to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl. He has even worked with Snap to promote awareness campaigns and find ways to make the app safer. “It’s been a very successful partnership,” Ternan said. Even for Neville, who is a plaintiff, going through the process of filing a lawsuit has been re-traumatizing. It forces her to relive horrifying moments again and again. “I don’t know what is worse, getting out and talking about it, or not talking about it,” she said. But for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire. While Mendoza works to spread awareness of the risks of fentanyl to Spanish-speaking families, Neville travels to schools to share Alexander’s story and hosts monthly online meetings that empower young people to do peer-to-peer youth outreach.
24160
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing With his wife, Ternan now works full time on initiatives to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl. He has even worked with Snap to promote awareness campaigns and find ways to make the app safer. “It’s been a very successful partnership,” Ternan said. Even for Neville, who is a plaintiff, going through the process of filing a lawsuit has been re-traumatizing. It forces her to relive horrifying moments again and again. “I don’t know what is worse, getting out and talking about it, or not talking about it,” she said. But for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire. While Mendoza works to spread awareness of the risks of fentanyl to Spanish-speaking families, Neville travels to schools to share Alexander’s story and hosts monthly online meetings that empower young people to do peer-to-peer youth outreach. In doing so, she has learned that many parents and young people alike don’t know about the existence of counterfeit pills – something she desperately wishes she had been aware of when her son was still alive.
24161
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “It’s been a very successful partnership,” Ternan said. Even for Neville, who is a plaintiff, going through the process of filing a lawsuit has been re-traumatizing. It forces her to relive horrifying moments again and again. “I don’t know what is worse, getting out and talking about it, or not talking about it,” she said. But for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire. While Mendoza works to spread awareness of the risks of fentanyl to Spanish-speaking families, Neville travels to schools to share Alexander’s story and hosts monthly online meetings that empower young people to do peer-to-peer youth outreach. In doing so, she has learned that many parents and young people alike don’t know about the existence of counterfeit pills – something she desperately wishes she had been aware of when her son was still alive. The night he died, Alexander had told his parents that he had been taking Oxycontin he got online, and that he wanted help.
24162
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing Even for Neville, who is a plaintiff, going through the process of filing a lawsuit has been re-traumatizing. It forces her to relive horrifying moments again and again. “I don’t know what is worse, getting out and talking about it, or not talking about it,” she said. But for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire. While Mendoza works to spread awareness of the risks of fentanyl to Spanish-speaking families, Neville travels to schools to share Alexander’s story and hosts monthly online meetings that empower young people to do peer-to-peer youth outreach. In doing so, she has learned that many parents and young people alike don’t know about the existence of counterfeit pills – something she desperately wishes she had been aware of when her son was still alive. The night he died, Alexander had told his parents that he had been taking Oxycontin he got online, and that he wanted help. Neville and her husband immediately called a rehab facility and made plans to take him there the following day, but didn’t think to take the pills away.
24163
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing “I don’t know what is worse, getting out and talking about it, or not talking about it,” she said. But for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire. While Mendoza works to spread awareness of the risks of fentanyl to Spanish-speaking families, Neville travels to schools to share Alexander’s story and hosts monthly online meetings that empower young people to do peer-to-peer youth outreach. In doing so, she has learned that many parents and young people alike don’t know about the existence of counterfeit pills – something she desperately wishes she had been aware of when her son was still alive. The night he died, Alexander had told his parents that he had been taking Oxycontin he got online, and that he wanted help. Neville and her husband immediately called a rehab facility and made plans to take him there the following day, but didn’t think to take the pills away. “We thought we were doing everything right,” Neville said.
24164
Their kids died after buying drugs on Snapchat. Now the parents are suing But for her, as it does for many parents, suing Snap represents just one iron in the fire. While Mendoza works to spread awareness of the risks of fentanyl to Spanish-speaking families, Neville travels to schools to share Alexander’s story and hosts monthly online meetings that empower young people to do peer-to-peer youth outreach. In doing so, she has learned that many parents and young people alike don’t know about the existence of counterfeit pills – something she desperately wishes she had been aware of when her son was still alive. The night he died, Alexander had told his parents that he had been taking Oxycontin he got online, and that he wanted help. Neville and her husband immediately called a rehab facility and made plans to take him there the following day, but didn’t think to take the pills away. “We thought we were doing everything right,” Neville said. “A little bit of information would have gone a long way in our household.”
24165
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle A normal person in a rural town has dreams of becoming a master. As they come of age and spring approaches, it’s time for them to begin their journey to chase that dream. After saying goodbye to their mother and hometown, adventure awaits. They open the front door and take their first steps into a world full of new experiences and things to uncover. That’s right: it’s time to enter the workforce! The Pokémon that existed when Game Freak and series creator Satoshi Tajiri kick-started a phenomenon in 1996, and the one that premiered its first live-action TV series in Japan with Pack Your Pocket With Adventure (Pocket ni Bouken o Tsumekonde, or PokéTsume for short) last month, are almost unrecognizable. Which makes sense when you go from creating a game in a home office to a franchise more lucrative than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, and Nintendo’s own Mario combined.
24166
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle A normal person in a rural town has dreams of becoming a master. As they come of age and spring approaches, it’s time for them to begin their journey to chase that dream. After saying goodbye to their mother and hometown, adventure awaits. They open the front door and take their first steps into a world full of new experiences and things to uncover. That’s right: it’s time to enter the workforce! The Pokémon that existed when Game Freak and series creator Satoshi Tajiri kick-started a phenomenon in 1996, and the one that premiered its first live-action TV series in Japan with Pack Your Pocket With Adventure (Pocket ni Bouken o Tsumekonde, or PokéTsume for short) last month, are almost unrecognizable. Which makes sense when you go from creating a game in a home office to a franchise more lucrative than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, and Nintendo’s own Mario combined. More than 25 years since the original game’s release, multiple generations of kids have become adults under the watchful eyes of Pikachu and friends, and the series has grown to encompass everything from anime and merchandise to card games and Hollywood blockbusters.
24167
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle They open the front door and take their first steps into a world full of new experiences and things to uncover. That’s right: it’s time to enter the workforce! The Pokémon that existed when Game Freak and series creator Satoshi Tajiri kick-started a phenomenon in 1996, and the one that premiered its first live-action TV series in Japan with Pack Your Pocket With Adventure (Pocket ni Bouken o Tsumekonde, or PokéTsume for short) last month, are almost unrecognizable. Which makes sense when you go from creating a game in a home office to a franchise more lucrative than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, and Nintendo’s own Mario combined. More than 25 years since the original game’s release, multiple generations of kids have become adults under the watchful eyes of Pikachu and friends, and the series has grown to encompass everything from anime and merchandise to card games and Hollywood blockbusters. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, with the growth in popularity of trading card games like Pokémon in a postpandemic world and the record-breaking sales of the recent generation of titles despite quality concerns, it only seems to get more popular by the year.
24168
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Which makes sense when you go from creating a game in a home office to a franchise more lucrative than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, and Nintendo’s own Mario combined. More than 25 years since the original game’s release, multiple generations of kids have become adults under the watchful eyes of Pikachu and friends, and the series has grown to encompass everything from anime and merchandise to card games and Hollywood blockbusters. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, with the growth in popularity of trading card games like Pokémon in a postpandemic world and the record-breaking sales of the recent generation of titles despite quality concerns, it only seems to get more popular by the year. For a franchise to retain relevance for as long as Pokémon, it must evolve — and not just evolve but interweave its ideals into the fabric of daily life. Those early generations of kids need to pass on their love of Pokémon like how Disney animated classics often serve as a formative childhood introduction to film.
24169
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Which makes sense when you go from creating a game in a home office to a franchise more lucrative than the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, and Nintendo’s own Mario combined. More than 25 years since the original game’s release, multiple generations of kids have become adults under the watchful eyes of Pikachu and friends, and the series has grown to encompass everything from anime and merchandise to card games and Hollywood blockbusters. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, with the growth in popularity of trading card games like Pokémon in a postpandemic world and the record-breaking sales of the recent generation of titles despite quality concerns, it only seems to get more popular by the year. For a franchise to retain relevance for as long as Pokémon, it must evolve — and not just evolve but interweave its ideals into the fabric of daily life. Those early generations of kids need to pass on their love of Pokémon like how Disney animated classics often serve as a formative childhood introduction to film. Perhaps nothing encapsulates Pokémon’s successful transformation from video game to a way of life quite like PokéTsume.
24170
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle More than 25 years since the original game’s release, multiple generations of kids have become adults under the watchful eyes of Pikachu and friends, and the series has grown to encompass everything from anime and merchandise to card games and Hollywood blockbusters. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, with the growth in popularity of trading card games like Pokémon in a postpandemic world and the record-breaking sales of the recent generation of titles despite quality concerns, it only seems to get more popular by the year. For a franchise to retain relevance for as long as Pokémon, it must evolve — and not just evolve but interweave its ideals into the fabric of daily life. Those early generations of kids need to pass on their love of Pokémon like how Disney animated classics often serve as a formative childhood introduction to film. Perhaps nothing encapsulates Pokémon’s successful transformation from video game to a way of life quite like PokéTsume. PokéTsume. Image: TV Tokyo But what even is PokéTsume?
24171
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Perhaps most surprisingly of all, with the growth in popularity of trading card games like Pokémon in a postpandemic world and the record-breaking sales of the recent generation of titles despite quality concerns, it only seems to get more popular by the year. For a franchise to retain relevance for as long as Pokémon, it must evolve — and not just evolve but interweave its ideals into the fabric of daily life. Those early generations of kids need to pass on their love of Pokémon like how Disney animated classics often serve as a formative childhood introduction to film. Perhaps nothing encapsulates Pokémon’s successful transformation from video game to a way of life quite like PokéTsume. PokéTsume. Image: TV Tokyo But what even is PokéTsume? Prior to the premiere of the series in Japan last month, there had only been one prior attempt at live-action storytelling within the world of Pokémon: 2019’s Detective Pikachu.
24172
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Perhaps most surprisingly of all, with the growth in popularity of trading card games like Pokémon in a postpandemic world and the record-breaking sales of the recent generation of titles despite quality concerns, it only seems to get more popular by the year. For a franchise to retain relevance for as long as Pokémon, it must evolve — and not just evolve but interweave its ideals into the fabric of daily life. Those early generations of kids need to pass on their love of Pokémon like how Disney animated classics often serve as a formative childhood introduction to film. Perhaps nothing encapsulates Pokémon’s successful transformation from video game to a way of life quite like PokéTsume. PokéTsume. Image: TV Tokyo But what even is PokéTsume? Prior to the premiere of the series in Japan last month, there had only been one prior attempt at live-action storytelling within the world of Pokémon: 2019’s Detective Pikachu. Unlike Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking gumshoe Pikachu, PokéTsume was the first Japanese live-action foray into Pokémon and doesn’t even take place within the universe of the games.
24173
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle For a franchise to retain relevance for as long as Pokémon, it must evolve — and not just evolve but interweave its ideals into the fabric of daily life. Those early generations of kids need to pass on their love of Pokémon like how Disney animated classics often serve as a formative childhood introduction to film. Perhaps nothing encapsulates Pokémon’s successful transformation from video game to a way of life quite like PokéTsume. PokéTsume. Image: TV Tokyo But what even is PokéTsume? Prior to the premiere of the series in Japan last month, there had only been one prior attempt at live-action storytelling within the world of Pokémon: 2019’s Detective Pikachu. Unlike Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking gumshoe Pikachu, PokéTsume was the first Japanese live-action foray into Pokémon and doesn’t even take place within the universe of the games. In this series, we follow Madoka Akagi, portrayed by popular Japanese idol Nanase Nishino of Nogizaka46, a recent graduate moving out of her childhood home to live in the city and follow her dream of becoming a creator with an upstart company called ADventure.
24174
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Perhaps nothing encapsulates Pokémon’s successful transformation from video game to a way of life quite like PokéTsume. PokéTsume. Image: TV Tokyo But what even is PokéTsume? Prior to the premiere of the series in Japan last month, there had only been one prior attempt at live-action storytelling within the world of Pokémon: 2019’s Detective Pikachu. Unlike Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking gumshoe Pikachu, PokéTsume was the first Japanese live-action foray into Pokémon and doesn’t even take place within the universe of the games. In this series, we follow Madoka Akagi, portrayed by popular Japanese idol Nanase Nishino of Nogizaka46, a recent graduate moving out of her childhood home to live in the city and follow her dream of becoming a creator with an upstart company called ADventure. She played Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan) when she was a kid but has long since grown distant from the franchise.
24175
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle PokéTsume. Image: TV Tokyo But what even is PokéTsume? Prior to the premiere of the series in Japan last month, there had only been one prior attempt at live-action storytelling within the world of Pokémon: 2019’s Detective Pikachu. Unlike Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking gumshoe Pikachu, PokéTsume was the first Japanese live-action foray into Pokémon and doesn’t even take place within the universe of the games. In this series, we follow Madoka Akagi, portrayed by popular Japanese idol Nanase Nishino of Nogizaka46, a recent graduate moving out of her childhood home to live in the city and follow her dream of becoming a creator with an upstart company called ADventure. She played Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan) when she was a kid but has long since grown distant from the franchise. Illustration by Sarah Oh / The Verge Read next: Pokémon Sleep helped me catch ’em all — all the z’s, that is Much of the opening episode of the series plays out as a nostalgic parallel between the trials of working life and the journey to become a Pokémon Master.
24176
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Unlike Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking gumshoe Pikachu, PokéTsume was the first Japanese live-action foray into Pokémon and doesn’t even take place within the universe of the games. In this series, we follow Madoka Akagi, portrayed by popular Japanese idol Nanase Nishino of Nogizaka46, a recent graduate moving out of her childhood home to live in the city and follow her dream of becoming a creator with an upstart company called ADventure. She played Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan) when she was a kid but has long since grown distant from the franchise. Illustration by Sarah Oh / The Verge Read next: Pokémon Sleep helped me catch ’em all — all the z’s, that is Much of the opening episode of the series plays out as a nostalgic parallel between the trials of working life and the journey to become a Pokémon Master. The childhood friend who works for another company is your rival.
24177
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Unlike Ryan Reynolds’ wisecracking gumshoe Pikachu, PokéTsume was the first Japanese live-action foray into Pokémon and doesn’t even take place within the universe of the games. In this series, we follow Madoka Akagi, portrayed by popular Japanese idol Nanase Nishino of Nogizaka46, a recent graduate moving out of her childhood home to live in the city and follow her dream of becoming a creator with an upstart company called ADventure. She played Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan) when she was a kid but has long since grown distant from the franchise. Illustration by Sarah Oh / The Verge Read next: Pokémon Sleep helped me catch ’em all — all the z’s, that is Much of the opening episode of the series plays out as a nostalgic parallel between the trials of working life and the journey to become a Pokémon Master. The childhood friend who works for another company is your rival. The product presentation to an investment CEO with the company’s status on the line is a gym battle.
24178
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle In this series, we follow Madoka Akagi, portrayed by popular Japanese idol Nanase Nishino of Nogizaka46, a recent graduate moving out of her childhood home to live in the city and follow her dream of becoming a creator with an upstart company called ADventure. She played Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan) when she was a kid but has long since grown distant from the franchise. Illustration by Sarah Oh / The Verge Read next: Pokémon Sleep helped me catch ’em all — all the z’s, that is Much of the opening episode of the series plays out as a nostalgic parallel between the trials of working life and the journey to become a Pokémon Master. The childhood friend who works for another company is your rival. The product presentation to an investment CEO with the company’s status on the line is a gym battle. She rediscovers Pokémon in a box of items sent from her mother and begins to replay this formative adventure; there are clips of the game or shots where we see the joy on the faces of both child and adult Madoka from the dim glow of the Game Boy screen.
24179
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle She played Pokémon Red and Blue (Red and Green in Japan) when she was a kid but has long since grown distant from the franchise. Illustration by Sarah Oh / The Verge Read next: Pokémon Sleep helped me catch ’em all — all the z’s, that is Much of the opening episode of the series plays out as a nostalgic parallel between the trials of working life and the journey to become a Pokémon Master. The childhood friend who works for another company is your rival. The product presentation to an investment CEO with the company’s status on the line is a gym battle. She rediscovers Pokémon in a box of items sent from her mother and begins to replay this formative adventure; there are clips of the game or shots where we see the joy on the faces of both child and adult Madoka from the dim glow of the Game Boy screen. Pokémon love even intertwines with the music scoring the series: a relaxing bar plays a slow jazz-infused rendition of the Pokémon Center theme, just like how a synth rendition of Pallet Town marks the start of Madoka’s journey.
24180
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Illustration by Sarah Oh / The Verge Read next: Pokémon Sleep helped me catch ’em all — all the z’s, that is Much of the opening episode of the series plays out as a nostalgic parallel between the trials of working life and the journey to become a Pokémon Master. The childhood friend who works for another company is your rival. The product presentation to an investment CEO with the company’s status on the line is a gym battle. She rediscovers Pokémon in a box of items sent from her mother and begins to replay this formative adventure; there are clips of the game or shots where we see the joy on the faces of both child and adult Madoka from the dim glow of the Game Boy screen. Pokémon love even intertwines with the music scoring the series: a relaxing bar plays a slow jazz-infused rendition of the Pokémon Center theme, just like how a synth rendition of Pallet Town marks the start of Madoka’s journey. As the show develops, the lessons from the game form the basis of a pseudo-episodic tale about Madoka’s life at the company.
24181
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle The childhood friend who works for another company is your rival. The product presentation to an investment CEO with the company’s status on the line is a gym battle. She rediscovers Pokémon in a box of items sent from her mother and begins to replay this formative adventure; there are clips of the game or shots where we see the joy on the faces of both child and adult Madoka from the dim glow of the Game Boy screen. Pokémon love even intertwines with the music scoring the series: a relaxing bar plays a slow jazz-infused rendition of the Pokémon Center theme, just like how a synth rendition of Pallet Town marks the start of Madoka’s journey. As the show develops, the lessons from the game form the basis of a pseudo-episodic tale about Madoka’s life at the company. The struggle to connect with a new client is paralleled by the way pokémon won’t listen to you until you’ve proven your worth with gym badges.
24182
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle The product presentation to an investment CEO with the company’s status on the line is a gym battle. She rediscovers Pokémon in a box of items sent from her mother and begins to replay this formative adventure; there are clips of the game or shots where we see the joy on the faces of both child and adult Madoka from the dim glow of the Game Boy screen. Pokémon love even intertwines with the music scoring the series: a relaxing bar plays a slow jazz-infused rendition of the Pokémon Center theme, just like how a synth rendition of Pallet Town marks the start of Madoka’s journey. As the show develops, the lessons from the game form the basis of a pseudo-episodic tale about Madoka’s life at the company. The struggle to connect with a new client is paralleled by the way pokémon won’t listen to you until you’ve proven your worth with gym badges. Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados.
24183
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle She rediscovers Pokémon in a box of items sent from her mother and begins to replay this formative adventure; there are clips of the game or shots where we see the joy on the faces of both child and adult Madoka from the dim glow of the Game Boy screen. Pokémon love even intertwines with the music scoring the series: a relaxing bar plays a slow jazz-infused rendition of the Pokémon Center theme, just like how a synth rendition of Pallet Town marks the start of Madoka’s journey. As the show develops, the lessons from the game form the basis of a pseudo-episodic tale about Madoka’s life at the company. The struggle to connect with a new client is paralleled by the way pokémon won’t listen to you until you’ve proven your worth with gym badges. Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados. And so on.
24184
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Pokémon love even intertwines with the music scoring the series: a relaxing bar plays a slow jazz-infused rendition of the Pokémon Center theme, just like how a synth rendition of Pallet Town marks the start of Madoka’s journey. As the show develops, the lessons from the game form the basis of a pseudo-episodic tale about Madoka’s life at the company. The struggle to connect with a new client is paralleled by the way pokémon won’t listen to you until you’ve proven your worth with gym badges. Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados. And so on. The show can come across a bit silly in places, and it struggles with communicating itself by making its Pokémon overlay at times difficult to take seriously. But there’s heart: there are plenty of touches that represent a series made with love, such as how characters have their own sprites integrated into the gameplay of Pokémon Red.
24185
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle As the show develops, the lessons from the game form the basis of a pseudo-episodic tale about Madoka’s life at the company. The struggle to connect with a new client is paralleled by the way pokémon won’t listen to you until you’ve proven your worth with gym badges. Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados. And so on. The show can come across a bit silly in places, and it struggles with communicating itself by making its Pokémon overlay at times difficult to take seriously. But there’s heart: there are plenty of touches that represent a series made with love, such as how characters have their own sprites integrated into the gameplay of Pokémon Red. With PokéTsume, Pokémon isn’t just a virtual journey to become a champion. It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end.
24186
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle The struggle to connect with a new client is paralleled by the way pokémon won’t listen to you until you’ve proven your worth with gym badges. Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados. And so on. The show can come across a bit silly in places, and it struggles with communicating itself by making its Pokémon overlay at times difficult to take seriously. But there’s heart: there are plenty of touches that represent a series made with love, such as how characters have their own sprites integrated into the gameplay of Pokémon Red. With PokéTsume, Pokémon isn’t just a virtual journey to become a champion. It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end. It’s an integration of the morals of the franchise into our daily lives that epitomizes a 15-year transformation of the Pokémon brand. The 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
24187
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados. And so on. The show can come across a bit silly in places, and it struggles with communicating itself by making its Pokémon overlay at times difficult to take seriously. But there’s heart: there are plenty of touches that represent a series made with love, such as how characters have their own sprites integrated into the gameplay of Pokémon Red. With PokéTsume, Pokémon isn’t just a virtual journey to become a champion. It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end. It’s an integration of the morals of the franchise into our daily lives that epitomizes a 15-year transformation of the Pokémon brand. The 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Image: Nintendo To understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006.
24188
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Learning and improving on the job is the experience that turns a flailing, floundering Magikarp into a job-leading Gyarados. And so on. The show can come across a bit silly in places, and it struggles with communicating itself by making its Pokémon overlay at times difficult to take seriously. But there’s heart: there are plenty of touches that represent a series made with love, such as how characters have their own sprites integrated into the gameplay of Pokémon Red. With PokéTsume, Pokémon isn’t just a virtual journey to become a champion. It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end. It’s an integration of the morals of the franchise into our daily lives that epitomizes a 15-year transformation of the Pokémon brand. The 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Image: Nintendo To understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006. During the preparation for the launch of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS, developer Game Freak found the series at a crossroads.
24189
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle And so on. The show can come across a bit silly in places, and it struggles with communicating itself by making its Pokémon overlay at times difficult to take seriously. But there’s heart: there are plenty of touches that represent a series made with love, such as how characters have their own sprites integrated into the gameplay of Pokémon Red. With PokéTsume, Pokémon isn’t just a virtual journey to become a champion. It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end. It’s an integration of the morals of the franchise into our daily lives that epitomizes a 15-year transformation of the Pokémon brand. The 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Image: Nintendo To understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006. During the preparation for the launch of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS, developer Game Freak found the series at a crossroads. Sales had been on a steady decline since the original release, with the Hoenn GBA games at the time holding the distinction as the worst-selling mainline titles in the series.
24190
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle With PokéTsume, Pokémon isn’t just a virtual journey to become a champion. It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end. It’s an integration of the morals of the franchise into our daily lives that epitomizes a 15-year transformation of the Pokémon brand. The 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Image: Nintendo To understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006. During the preparation for the launch of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS, developer Game Freak found the series at a crossroads. Sales had been on a steady decline since the original release, with the Hoenn GBA games at the time holding the distinction as the worst-selling mainline titles in the series. The reality was that the original generation of players had graduated from playing Pokémon, and new generations simply weren’t interested. Something had to change. In response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo!
24191
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle It’s a lesson we take with us into our daily lives long after our adventure is at an end. It’s an integration of the morals of the franchise into our daily lives that epitomizes a 15-year transformation of the Pokémon brand. The 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Image: Nintendo To understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006. During the preparation for the launch of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS, developer Game Freak found the series at a crossroads. Sales had been on a steady decline since the original release, with the Hoenn GBA games at the time holding the distinction as the worst-selling mainline titles in the series. The reality was that the original generation of players had graduated from playing Pokémon, and new generations simply weren’t interested. Something had to change. In response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo! Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl.
24192
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle The 2021 remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Image: Nintendo To understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006. During the preparation for the launch of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS, developer Game Freak found the series at a crossroads. Sales had been on a steady decline since the original release, with the Hoenn GBA games at the time holding the distinction as the worst-selling mainline titles in the series. The reality was that the original generation of players had graduated from playing Pokémon, and new generations simply weren’t interested. Something had to change. In response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo! Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl. Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic.
24193
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Image: Nintendo To understand this, we must first cast an eye back to 2006. During the preparation for the launch of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS, developer Game Freak found the series at a crossroads. Sales had been on a steady decline since the original release, with the Hoenn GBA games at the time holding the distinction as the worst-selling mainline titles in the series. The reality was that the original generation of players had graduated from playing Pokémon, and new generations simply weren’t interested. Something had to change. In response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo! Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl. Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic. In the end, the project proved successful, with Diamond and Pearl selling one-third more copies than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire before eventually eclipsing the lifetime sales of those titles.
24194
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Sales had been on a steady decline since the original release, with the Hoenn GBA games at the time holding the distinction as the worst-selling mainline titles in the series. The reality was that the original generation of players had graduated from playing Pokémon, and new generations simply weren’t interested. Something had to change. In response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo! Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl. Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic. In the end, the project proved successful, with Diamond and Pearl selling one-third more copies than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire before eventually eclipsing the lifetime sales of those titles. Notably, at the time, it was one of the company’s biggest attempts at diversifying the brand since its initial launch.
24195
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle The reality was that the original generation of players had graduated from playing Pokémon, and new generations simply weren’t interested. Something had to change. In response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo! Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl. Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic. In the end, the project proved successful, with Diamond and Pearl selling one-third more copies than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire before eventually eclipsing the lifetime sales of those titles. Notably, at the time, it was one of the company’s biggest attempts at diversifying the brand since its initial launch. Following the initial multimedia blitz, and the introduction of a World Championships and competitive circuit for the video games and TCG, the series remained relatively static.
24196
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Something had to change. In response, the company launched the Japan-only Pokémon Garden via the country’s online Yahoo! Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl. Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic. In the end, the project proved successful, with Diamond and Pearl selling one-third more copies than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire before eventually eclipsing the lifetime sales of those titles. Notably, at the time, it was one of the company’s biggest attempts at diversifying the brand since its initial launch. Following the initial multimedia blitz, and the introduction of a World Championships and competitive circuit for the video games and TCG, the series remained relatively static. At this point, Pokémon was yet to truly experiment with online distribution and promotion, nor had attempts been made to branch out beyond the series’ core audience and multimedia properties following the initial surge in popularity.
24197
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Kids portal, an interactive experience taking you on a live tour through the history of Pokémon, featuring mini-games and new information on the yet to be released Diamond and Pearl. Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic. In the end, the project proved successful, with Diamond and Pearl selling one-third more copies than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire before eventually eclipsing the lifetime sales of those titles. Notably, at the time, it was one of the company’s biggest attempts at diversifying the brand since its initial launch. Following the initial multimedia blitz, and the introduction of a World Championships and competitive circuit for the video games and TCG, the series remained relatively static. At this point, Pokémon was yet to truly experiment with online distribution and promotion, nor had attempts been made to branch out beyond the series’ core audience and multimedia properties following the initial surge in popularity. As such, Pokémon Garden was the first real attempt at expanding the core experience of Pokémon to other platforms and audiences.
24198
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Over 5 million unique users accessed Yahoo! Kids every month at this time, all within the series’ core target demographic. In the end, the project proved successful, with Diamond and Pearl selling one-third more copies than its predecessors Ruby and Sapphire before eventually eclipsing the lifetime sales of those titles. Notably, at the time, it was one of the company’s biggest attempts at diversifying the brand since its initial launch. Following the initial multimedia blitz, and the introduction of a World Championships and competitive circuit for the video games and TCG, the series remained relatively static. At this point, Pokémon was yet to truly experiment with online distribution and promotion, nor had attempts been made to branch out beyond the series’ core audience and multimedia properties following the initial surge in popularity. As such, Pokémon Garden was the first real attempt at expanding the core experience of Pokémon to other platforms and audiences. While it’s easy to mark 2016’s Pokémon Go as the key turning point for Pokémon in its appeal to older demographics — and it certainly was significant — the framework for this success was paved far earlier by experiments in diversifying what Pokémon could be, whether that be through experiences like Garden or the transformation of the anime to tell a greater array of stories within this ever-expanding universe.
24199
Pokémon is no longer just a game — it’s a lifestyle Notably, at the time, it was one of the company’s biggest attempts at diversifying the brand since its initial launch. Following the initial multimedia blitz, and the introduction of a World Championships and competitive circuit for the video games and TCG, the series remained relatively static. At this point, Pokémon was yet to truly experiment with online distribution and promotion, nor had attempts been made to branch out beyond the series’ core audience and multimedia properties following the initial surge in popularity. As such, Pokémon Garden was the first real attempt at expanding the core experience of Pokémon to other platforms and audiences. While it’s easy to mark 2016’s Pokémon Go as the key turning point for Pokémon in its appeal to older demographics — and it certainly was significant — the framework for this success was paved far earlier by experiments in diversifying what Pokémon could be, whether that be through experiences like Garden or the transformation of the anime to tell a greater array of stories within this ever-expanding universe. For the first time, external partners were being brought in to expand the world of Pokémon beyond Ash Ketchum.