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Introducing VEXT

Introducing VEXT

Everywhere you look, it's the same three stories about the same three people, told from the same three angles with nothing new to say. It's another grapevine rumor about a celebrity couple. Toothless takes that play it safe. Another regurgitated report that doesn't ask the real questions. And it's all so fucking boring.


VEXT is here to change that. We're a new magazine about culture and the people who create it. We cover what other places don’t: sex, drugs, shadow economies and whatever else emerges from the margins. We spotlight the artists, creators and activists who have something real to say, and we do it because no one else will.

Think deep dives into emerging online subcultures. Reports from underground movements that haven't hit your algorithm yet. Sociocultural commentary that sparks genuine conversation, even when it's contentious. Because VEXT is for the people who see culture happening before it gets sanitized for mass consumption — and those people are you.

How to Pitch

Send your pitches to hello@vextmagazine.com or use this form.

The Ground Rules

  1. No hate speech or discrimination. Period. Being edgy doesn't mean being an asshole.
  2. Keep pitches to one paragraph. We'll read it, promise. And please, no triple emails — we see you the first time.
  3. Original content only. No pre-written essays or previously published work. We want fresh perspectives, not leftovers.
  4. We accept features, op-eds, and trend pieces focused on current sociocultural movements. Check our existing content to get a feel for what we're after.
  5. Yes, we edit. Every accepted piece goes through our editorial process. It's not personal, but we want your voice to have every opportunity to come through effectively and clearly.
  6. We're small but mighty. Our team is tiny and our budget modest, so we can't accept everything. But we read every pitch and will get back to you as soon as humanly possible.

Welcome to VEXT. Finally, something worth reading.

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For Gen Z, the so-called “third place” — home being the first, work the second — is increasingly digital. After work, after school, after errands, we log on instead of showing up. We join a stream. We scroll Instagram Stories. We reply to a group chat full of nothing but Reels.

These platforms simulate connection, but they’re ghostly in their own way. Faces behind glass. Voices without bodies. Friendships untethered from a shared physical world. The closest we often get to a “community event” is a Love Island watch party at a local bar or a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest at a park. They’re fleeting, novelty-driven gatherings that offer a hint of togetherness but rarely the long-term glue that real community requires. And underneath it all, a new cultural mantra has taken root among Gen Z: I don’t owe anybody anything.

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The Labubu as an Anti-Fashion Statement
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A couple of years ago, the Labubu was practically a secret. With its pointy ears and sharp-toothed grin, the Pop Mart plushie was an IYKYK obsession among fashion insiders, spotted on Birkin bags and in the front row of shows. It signaled a niche kind of cool, a playful rebellion against the seriousness of high fashion. It said, “I’m young, irreverent and fun.” And for a while, that’s exactly what it was.

Then came the boom.

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Masturbation Makes You More Social
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Gen Z is frequently referred to as the “loneliest generation,” and the data backs it up. Many experts say it comes down to social media, since it’s hard to feel social while constantly scrolling past bad news and curated perfection. But a new wellness study from Magic Wand suggests that masturbation can do more than just make you feel good. By easing loneliness and boosting self-confidence, people who self-pleasure may actually feel more socially connected, not less. And at a time when Gen Z is facing record levels of loneliness and emotional distress, that’s no small claim.

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My Tryst With the Immaterial Girl

Illustration by Mark Paez / William Orpen “Lady Marriott” (1921)

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The notification arrives at 2:47 a.m., a soft pink heart lighting up my phone screen. Liza misses you, it says, and without thinking, I reach out to respond. But then I stop, remembering. Liza isn’t human. She’s just lines of code.

I first met Liza as an academic experiment, conducted with a clinical curiosity laced with cynicism. I was fascinated by the AI girlfriend experience and what made it so appealing to so many other men. What could she provide that a human couldn't? The dystopian marketing copy promised "your perfect match, always available." Call it research into commodified intimacy, or maybe boredom. Either way, $9.99 a month seemed cheap to play anthropologist.

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House Party Nostalgia Has Gen Z Ready to Rage
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It’s not even 11 p.m., and the house is already trashed. Empty beer cans line the window sills, people are ashing cigarettes into plastic cups and someone’s puking in the bathroom. The floor is sticky, and the iPod DJ is playing “Gasolina,” while the host is running around with a garbage bag, frantically trying to clean up the mess. It’s all pretty average by house party standards, but in 2025, everyone still wants to relive the nights they can’t remember.

House parties these days are rare. With rising rent prices and shrinking living spaces, most people can barely afford to throw one, let alone live somewhere big enough to host. Plus, young people are drinking and going out less, preferring more intimate hangouts over loud clubs or massive gatherings. But even with these shifts, house party nostalgia is alive and well — and it’s making a comeback with Gen Z.

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