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The Cocktail Party Contrarian: Manhattan Riot Was Bred From Boredom

School may be out, but are summer jobs out, too? Does anyone go to camp, do volunteer work, fulfill an internship, or play sports in their free time anymore?

AP/Mary Altaffer
A person jumps on the top of a car as another punctures the tire near Union Square on August 4, 2023, at New York City. AP/Mary Altaffer
REBECCA SUGAR
REBECCA SUGAR

There are a lot of things to say about the riots that broke out at Manhattan’s Union Square last Friday over an announced giveaway by a Twitch personality, Kai Cenat, and none of them speak well of human nature, social media, the next generation, or consumer culture in America. 

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REBECCA SUGAR
REBECCA SUGAR

Ms. Sugar is a writer and philanthropic consultant living in New York. She is married and has twin teenagers and an English Bulldog named Batman.

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