Economic anxiety has reached a fever pitch.

Mortgage rates are creeping back up, there’s a war on, and companies seem more focused on investing in AI than hiring people.

Many Americans are worried about their finances, but still splurging more than they’re saving, especially the youngest generations. When they don't have savings, they're taking on debt.

There’s a name for this phenomenon – it's called "Doom Spending."

On today's episode, Gen Z is spending like never before ... and they’re not the only ones. So what happens to the economy over the long term when so many people are spending like there’s no tomorrow?

Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

App fatigue is causing more and more singles to break up with online dating. Instead of swiping, people are turning to matchmakers and other ways to find love I-R-L... often spending thousands of dollars in the process.

Seattle is becoming a city of singles. And that’s turned one of the world’s oldest businesses into one of the hottest new ones.

On today's episode, matchmaking is having a moment. Could it solve what some are calling the 'relationship recession' and help the economy as well?

Do you have a story idea for us? Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to its Xbox, Microsoft is doing a hard reset.

The company is reducing its gaming division by about 20 percent. Microsoft calls it “the most significant restructuring in Xbox history.” 

Most of those layoffs are spread out across the country. But what happens in gaming matters here—Seattle has so many industry jobs and studios that it’s often called the "Hollywood of video games."

For the workers who live and breathe gaming, their ability to keep or find a good job feels like an impossible gauntlet.

On today's episode, what's really going on with Xbox? And what do these mass layoffs say about the state of the gaming industry?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://donate.kuow.org/donate/booming.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.