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Singles are growing increasingly disenchanted with dating apps, and those with the means are turning to matchmakers. But with such an investment — oftentimes thousands of dollars, which is way more than Tinder Gold — there's a lot at stake.

Matchmaker Sameera Sullivan told Mashable she's been a matchmaker in the U.S. for almost 15 years now, first at an international agency (though she didn't name which one) and then striking out on her own. Previously, she worked as a recruiter in the aerospace and defense industry, and then was recruited herself to be a matchmaker. Before matchmaking, she would always coach and help friends.

SEE ALSO: What 'Materialists' got wrong (and right), according to matchmakers

When she worked for the agency, "that's when I started realizing how crazy this industry can be," she said. Sullivan stayed there for less than a year and observed what they were doing "wrong," and then started doing her own thing. 

What did they do wrong? These "bigbox" matchmaking agencies are "living off their brand," she said. "The owners are not really involved [and] they will take on everybody," she explained. "Then there are newer companies who are doing a lot of marketing and SEO…which is fine, but they're marketing to every demographic." 

Matchmaking is a centuries-old practice in places like India and China, but what was once a community-oriented assist has now become a booming business, especially stateside. With arguably as many options for matchmakers out there as dating apps, you're going to need to be discerning. If you're in a position to hire a matchmaker, here's what to do, according to Sullivan and some of her clients.

Why hire a matchmaker?

Sullivan's clients who spoke to Mashable have paid thousands of dollars — in the five figures — for her services and those of other matchmakers. Why drop so much money when, in relative terms, a paid dating app subscription is much cheaper?

A male client, 65 to 70 years old, who requested anonymity when speaking to Mashable, said he had dating site fatigue and wanted to find an alternative. He wanted a boutique, bespoke service with better filtering.

"Just moving from dating sites to a matchmaker gives you, I think, a better pool," he said. The singles are pre-screened and are definitely interested in a relationship, unlike on dating apps, where users' desires range widely. And from a safety standpoint, it might be better, given increased vetting.

"Vetting is the most important thing in matchmaking," Sullivan said.

Sullivan told Mashable that her vetting process includes not just a criminal background check, but also a background check for their career history, if they've owned any homes, marriage history, and the like. If they were previously married, they would check to make sure they're fully divorced. She or her team also conducts interviews, typically 90 minutes long, to learn more about them and what they're looking for.

How thorough background checks are depends on the service you use, however. Cheryl, who has worked with Sullivan, had a bad experience when a previous service matched her with men out of her home state. Keeping an open mind, she flew to Florida to meet one, and during dinner (which he didn't pay for), he "joked" that he'd take her for everything she's worth.

"The waiter paused and looked at me, and I paused and looked at him, and… at one point I said, 'Hey, just so you know, you said that out loud, and I can see you,'" she said. "I think he was using the service as a way to find rich women." 

Cheryl reported the man to the service, and they did remove him. However, the experience didn't turn her off matchmaking entirely — she found Sullivan when looking for a matchmaker close by.

Matchmaker red flags

When you reach out to matchmaking services, they'll often have a consultation first before they take you on, usually through a phone call. During this call, you might be able to spot some red flags. 

Be on the lookout for any promises or guarantees they make. Some services guarantee match offerings, but beyond that, they can't tell you they're going to find you a spouse. Sullivan's client, Ro, tried a big matchmaking agency, and the salesperson who spoke to him sold him on it. When FaceTiming, Ro says she told him that finding him a partner would be a slam dunk — but then, after he signed up, she said she doesn't handle clients, and palmed him off to a colleague.

"That was a disappointment right away," Ro said. He was also promised weekly check-ins, but then didn't hear from the service for two or three weeks at a time.

"They promised me a minimum amount of dates. They came through with the minimum amount of connections, but I turned a lot of them down," he recalled. "They just didn't get me."

"I'm not going to find you love. I'm going to find you candidates."

"I run a company, and we do sales, and I just don't love salespeople that are selling me on stuff," Richard, another client who has used multiple matchmaking services, said. He found Sullivan authentic because she didn't make those promises. She told him, "I'm not going to find you love. I'm going to find you candidates."

Another potential red flag (depending) is the clientele of the business. If they promise to provide services to every demographic, they may not be able to focus on a specific group and their needs (for instance, a certain religion or gender). Some matchmakers are specific to certain locations (if you search for "California matchmakers," for instance, you'll find some that tailor to singles in that state, and you'll also find services that are nationwide or global).

"We have a moral code," Sullivan said of matchmakers. "We have a responsibility that we have to be responsible for who we take on, because we cannot take on everyone. Not everyone is going to be our client who's willing to pay us."

Sullivan only takes on certain clients. She charges a premium price (some clients pay in the six figures), but it's not just about who can pay; it's about who wants to do the work. She employees a coach who assesses clients based on attachment styles and Dr. Helen Fisher's personality test, and uses the Gottman Method of couples' therapy. If potential clients aren't into this, she doesn't work with them.

"Some guys just want dates, and that's not my thing," she said. And while she has a free and priority (paid) database of women — who are also vetted — her clientele is only men.

Some services, though, are more focused on money than integrity, she said, and agree to take on anyone.

Questions for the matchmaker

When consulting with a matchmaker, you can ask them to show you some sample profiles of potential matches in their database. One of the most important things Sullivan tells people to ask is: Are the people you're showing me single and available today? Have they been pre-screened? (Meaning, have they spoken to the matchmaking service?)

"You need to have a very detailed conversation," Sullivan said. 

The matchmaker may say they can't show you because you haven't started with them yet (especially if they're waiting for your check to clear), but Sullivan said that's BS, because the person they're showing you during a consultation should be a fit. "If you're going to take somebody on and you're telling them, 'These are the five women we have [for you],' three of them should be available and single," she said. 

Another thing to ask is who you're going to be working with — the salesperson? If so, how long have they been with the company? That was an issue in Ro's case; he bonded with the salesperson, but didn't end up working with her. Who you end up working with depends on the matchmaking service. At Sullivan's, for instance, you could end up working with the first person who screens you.

Another important aspect to bring up is location. If you're only looking for a match in Arizona, for instance, the matchmaker should be able to show you singles in Arizona. Local is important, obviously, and there are matchmakers all over; if the one you're speaking to doesn't have clients where you are, they could refer you to someone who does.

"Love's tricky."

Richard said the most important thing is connecting with your matchmaker, because you're going to spend a lot of time on the phone with them. Both he and Ro said to do your due diligence and research. You can look on Google or Reddit to see how people review different services (but, as with everything, take it with a grain of salt.)

Even if you do everything right, however, love and marriage aren't guaranteed. "It may or may not work." The difference, she said, is that you're not doing the looking. So measure your expectations because, as she said, "Love's tricky."

The Pokémon TCG has always thrown out incredibly valuable cards throughout the franchise’s 30-year run, but modern-day expansions have taken the game’s trading card economy into the stratosphere. Since the launch of expansions like Scarlet & Violet’s Prismatic Evolutions, seeing a new card like SIR Umbreon ex worth well over $1,000 is no longer a surprise. 

We’ve scoured the market prices across each "modern" collection of cards, found out which are the most valuable in terms of TCGplayer market price, and linked to every card so you can check listings to buy one yourself, if you wish. 

These are the five most valuable Pokémon cards from every modern expansion.

Scarlet & Violet

Scarlet & Violet might be a historically significant expansion, but it's not the most expensive.

At the time of writing, its five leading cards are all listed below $100, with Gardevoir ex narrowly holding first place over Drowzee, making this one of the most affordable modern Pokémon TCG expansions in terms of average price per card:

• Gardevoir ex — 245/198: $76.19

• Drowzee — 210/198: $60.37

• Ralts — 211/198:  $47.02

• Kirlia — 212/198: $46.72

• Slowpoke — 204/198: $41.86

Paldea Evolved

Paldea Evolved is worth considerably more at the top end, primarily because of an Illustration Rare that has grown into one of the Scarlet & Violet era’s biggest chase cards. 

Magikarp sits hundreds of dollars above everything else in the expansion, leaving an enormous gap between first and second place. Raichu, Maushold, Tyranitar, and Sprigatito still give the expansion an impressive set of runner-ups:

• Magikarp — 203/193: $406.04

• Raichu — 211/193: $111.65

• Maushold — 226/193: $99.92

• Tyranitar — 222/193: $72.82

• Sprigatito — 196/193: $66.06

Obsidian Flames

Obsidian Flames includes 230 cards, including the Dark-type Tera Charizard ex cards.

Compared with most modern expansions, Obsidian Flames remains relatively inexpensive. Only its leading SIR Charizard ex chase card is currently breaking into triple figures, according to TCGplayer’s market price:

• Charizard ex — 223/197: $114.13

• Ninetales — 199/197: $39.77

• Cleffa — 202/197: $39.68

• Charizard ex — 228/197: $36.55

• Gloom — 198/197: $24.83

Scarlet & Violet — 151

Scarlet & Violet — 151 is this era’s first special expansion, with all of the original 151 Pokémon represented across its 207 cards. 

Its combination of modern SIR artwork and classic card designs (plus Gen-1 nostalgia) has kept demand especially high, making it one of the most valuable early Scarlet & Violet releases. Unsurprisingly, the final evolutions of Kanto’s first-partner Pokémon — Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur — remain among its best pulls:

• Charizard ex — 199/165: $383.12

• Blastoise ex — 200/165: $145.86

• Venusaur ex — 198/165: $115.88

• Zapdos ex — 202/165: $102.74

• Pikachu — 173/165: $96.76

Paradox Rift

Paradox Rift contains 266 cards and greatly expands the Ancient and Future Pokémon introduced earlier in the Scarlet & Violet era. Its selection of chase cards includes fewer ex Pokémon compared to other expansions, but still packs plenty of well-designed Special Illustration Rares:

• Groudon — 199/182: $120.02

• Altaria ex — 253/182: $58.89

• Morpeko — 206/182: $50.81

• Plusle — 193/182: $49.19

• Minun — 194/182: $46.86

Paldean Fates

Paldean Fates is a 245-card special expansion dominated by Shiny Pokémon, including more than 100 alternate-color cards. Its broad selection of popular Pocket Monsters gives this expansion proper value beyond one or two pulls, but its upper end is in another league entirely:

• Mew ex — 232/091: $1,065.49

• Charizard ex — 234/091: $317.57

• Gardevoir ex — 233/091: $180.67

• Pikachu — 131/091: $84.74

• Snorlax — 202/091: $60.86

Temporal Forces

Temporal Forces features 218 cards and continues the Ancient and Future themes established by Paradox Rift. It also brought ACE SPEC cards back into the competitive game, although its collector value now centers more heavily on illustration and special illustration rares:

• Gastly — 177/162: $101.36

• Morty’s Conviction — 211/162: $73.59

• Raging Bolt ex — 208/162: $72.60

• Gengar ex — 193/162: $62.76

• Sawsbuck — 166/162: $59.79

Twilight Masquerade

Twilight Masquerade includes 226 cards inspired by Kitakami and the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet game’s Teal Mask DLC. Its Ogerpon-focused theme gave the expansion several competitive cards, but its market strength comes from a mixture of popular Pokémon and Trainer cards, along with well-drawn artwork:

• Greninja ex — 214/167: $382.74

• Perrin — 220/167: $178.19

• Eevee — 188/167: $93.96

• Carmine — 217/167: $56.69

• Chansey — 187/167: $56.65

Shrouded Fable

Shrouded Fable is a smaller special expansion containing only 99 cards, with its story revolving around Pecharunt and the Loyal Three. Still, its most valuable pulls have ended up being a broader mix of non-Legendary-based illustration rares and its Hyper Rare Energy card:

• Persian — 078/064: $75.70

• Basic Darkness Energy — 098/064: $65.40

• Duskull — 068/064: $60.87

• Houndoom — 066/064: $58.29

• Horsea — 067/064: $47.56

Surging Sparks

Surging Sparks contains 252 cards and continues the Stellar Tera mechanic introduced in Stellar Crown. Pikachu became the expansion’s main attraction, although several other special illustration rares have retained substantial value: 

• Pikachu ex — 238/191: $326.21

• Latias ex — 239/191: $183.88

• Milotic ex — 237/191: $129.26

• Pikachu ex — 247/191: $94.14

• Hydreigon ex — 240/191: $36.91

Prismatic Evolutions

Prismatic Evolutions launched as an Eevee-focused special expansion containing 180 cards. By giving Eevee and all eight of its evolutions their own major chase cards, the set immediately attracted enormous collector demand. It now sits comfortably among the most expensive modern Pokémon TCG expansions:

• Umbreon ex — 161/131: $1,509.18

• Sylveon ex — 156/131: $551.20

• Leafeon ex — 144/131: $340.25

• Espeon ex — 155/131: $309.82

• Vaporeon ex — 149/131: $304.15

Journey Together

Journey Together contains 190 cards and brings a focus on the Pokémon of popular Trainer characters, putting characters like Lillie, N, Iono, and Hop in the spotlight with their best-known partners:

• Lillie’s Clefairy ex — 184/159: $118.82

• Salamence ex — 187/159: $58.87

• N’s Zoroark ex — 185/159: $49.33

• Iono’s Bellibolt ex — 183/159: $41.29

• Hop’s Zacian ex — 186/159: $35.82

Destined Rivals

Destined Rivals contains 244 cards, continuing the Trainer’s Pokémon mechanic while introducing a conflict centered around Team Rocket. This expansion’s combination of major Trainers, Legendary Pokémon, and villain-themed artwork quickly created one of the most alluring buys of the Scarlet & Violet era:

• Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex — 231/182: $533.30

• Cynthia’s Garchomp ex — 232/182: $261.91

• Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex — 230/182: $173.72

• Team Rocket’s Nidoking ex — 233/182: $109.43

• Team Rocket’s Moltres ex — 229/182: $108.04

White Flare

White Flare launched alongside Black Bolt, dividing the Pokémon of the Unova region between them. White Flare contains 173 cards once its secret rares are included, though its highest-value cards are especially expensive — led by two Black White Rare cards and a Reshiram special illustration rare:

• Victini — 172/086: $557.23

• Reshiram ex — 173/086: $504.21

• Reshiram ex — 166/086: $215.92

• Oshawott — 105/086: $93.12

• Hydreigon ex — 169/086: $87.04

Black Bolt

Black Bolt contains 172 cards and serves as the companion expansion to White Flare. Its Unova theme, monochrome Black-White Rares, and Legendary Pokémon have created an exceptionally valuable upper end:

• Victini — 171/086: $599.69

• Zekrom ex — 172/086: $593.30

• Zekrom ex — 166/086: $282.66

• Seismitoad — 105/086: $254.58

• Kyurem ex — 165/086: $80.59

Mega Evolution

Mega Evolution is an 188-card selection that brought Mega Evolution Pokémon back into the trading card. With its new gold Mega Hyper Rares, this expansion’s top five have quite an even spread in terms of value compared to some of the other collections released during the last couple of years: 

• Mega Lucario ex — 188/132: $274.82

• Mega Lucario ex — 179/132: $218.17

• Mega Gardevoir ex — 187/132: $209.98

• Mega Gardevoir ex — 178/132: $193.99

• Mega Venusaur ex — 177/132: $155.15

Phantasmal Flames

Phantasmal Flames is a more compact 130-card expansion centered around fire-and-darkness-themed Mega Evolution Pokémon — with Mega Charizard X unsurprisingly dominating the bunch, with three versions appearing among its five most valuable cards:

• Mega Charizard X ex — 125/094: $785.31

• Mega Charizard X ex — 130/094: $335.21

• Mega Charizard X ex — 109/094: $30.71

• Dawn — 129/094: $24.44

• Mega Sharpedo ex — 127/094: $21.36

Ascended Heroes

Ascended Heroes is a huge 295-card special expansion drawing from Pokémon Legends: Z-A and TCG collections of the past. Its combination of Mega Evolutions and jaw-dropping artwork has resulted in the most valuable cards we have seen since Prismatic Evolutions:

• Mega Gengar ex — 284/217: $1,262.19

• Pikachu ex — 276/217: $1,161.13

• Mega Dragonite ex — 290/217: $747.98

• Mega Charizard Y ex — 294/217: $506.61

• Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex — 281/217: $394.60

Perfect Order

Perfect Order is a compact 124-card expansion inspired by the Pokémon of Lumiose City introduced in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Its market values are noticeably more restrained than those of Ascended Heroes:

• Meowth ex — 121/088: $134.07

• Mega Zygarde ex — 124/088: $133.91

• Mega Zygarde ex — 120/088: $63.86

• Mega Clefable ex — 119/088: $59.37

• Rosa’s Encouragement — 123/088: $54.19

Chaos Rising 

Chaos Rising contains 122 cards — including many that were featured in Legends: Z-A. Unsurprisingly, the star of the expansion, Mega Greninja ex, takes up two of the top five positions by a wide margin:

• Mega Greninja ex — 116/086: $237.40

• Mega Greninja ex — 122/086: $195.17

• Cinccino ex — 119/086: $65.70

• Mega Dragalge ex — 118/086: $43.11

• Mega Floette ex — 117/086: $33.56

Pitch Black

Pitch Black launched with 120 cards — honing in on a darker Mega Evolution theme led by Mega Darkrai ex, while Morpeko, Mega Zeraora, and Mega Chandelure also appear among its largest pulls:

• Mega Darkrai ex — 116/084: $282.62

• Mega Darkrai ex — 120/084: $195.78

• Morpeko ex — 117/084: $129.05

• Mega Zeraora ex — 114/084: $70.73

• Mega Chandelure ex — 115/084: $52.83

BTS will not be entering their album ARIRANG for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards.

In syndicated Instagram stories shared across all seven members' accounts, RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook issued a statement on their decision. Translated from Korean by the Meta-owned platform, each statement reads:

"We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. I hope music itself can be heard and loved rather than being distinguished by region or language."

Each member then thanked BTS fans, known as ARMY, and "all of you who are always with me," to close the statement.

SEE ALSO: The internet made BTS. 'Arirang' asks what comes next.

The K-pop powerhouse's decision to not put their sixth studio album forward for the Grammys comes a month after the Recording Academy's addition of five new award categories in June, including Best Asian Pop Music Performance. This award in particular came under scrutiny from K-pop fans and journalists alike, called out as another example of the Grammys splitting awards when non-white artists and artists who perform in languages other than English dominate the cultural zeitgeist and deservedly take home the gold.

The Grammys' description for Best Asian Pop Music Performance describes the award as one that "recognizes artistic excellence in Asian pop music performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including but not limited to K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages." The rules have a few more paragraphs of detail, but essentially, the award groups "Asian pop" into one generalised category, which is separate from major categories like Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

Featured Video For You Girlbossification of AI

Teen Vogue's Ayan Artan placed the Grammys' new Best Asian Pop Music Performance award "as part of a history of gatekeeping non-white artists from major award categories."

"There seems to be a pattern emerging here, and it becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss it the more you pay attention," Artan writes. "It goes like this: A non-white artist breaks into mainstream-music consciousness by delivering a critically acclaimed project and looks likely to win a Grammy in a major category. Soon after, a new category is announced by the Recording Academy to help segregate these artists."

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter wins Album of the Year? The Grammys splits the Best Country Album category into Traditional and Contemporary. In response, social justice advocate Terrell Couch wrote for Essence, "A separate but equal country album category does not broaden the genre’s influence; rather it reflects an ugly truth about America."

Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos wins Album of the Year with a Spanish-language record? The Grammys adds an award for Best Latin Song.

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BTS' ARIRANG landed in March, marking the anticipated return of the K-pop superstars after a four-year hiatus, during which they fulfilled South Korea's mandatory military service and spent time on solo projects. ARIRANG, as well as lead single "SWIM," both debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The album was critically heralded. The group's 34-city, 82-show ARIRANG world tour is essentially completely sold out. To say BTS' comeback album is leading mainstream music conversation is an understatement.

And it's BTS' own statements that show just how aware of the Grammys award-splitting the group seems to be: "I hope music itself can be heard and loved rather than being distinguished by region or language."

BTS has five Grammy nominations, the first K-pop artists to be nominated, and have performed at the Grammys several times, including the 64th Grammy Awards in 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada, before their hiatus.

BTS perform during the 64th Grammy Awards in April 2022 in Las Vegas. Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images

Fans have reacted to BTS' decision with wholehearted support, with ARMY hitting social media with praise.

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Mashable has reached out to the Recording Academy and HYBE, the company that owns BTS' label Big Hit Music, for comment.

You might not have given much thought to the location of your 3D printer beyond making sure it fits somewhere. So what if you could print more and prevent problems simply by moving it to another room?

SAVE $60: As of July 29, Shokz OpenDots One are on sale for $139.95 at Amazon. That's $60 off their full price of $199.95, and marks a return to their lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shokz Shokz OpenDots ONE Open-Ear Headphones $139.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $60   Get Deal

Shokz OpenDots One landed among our favorite open earbuds as the top pick for most people, offering "better audio quality than we expected and an impressive battery life." If they've caught your attention, we've spotted an excellent $60 discount on the vibrant red pair at Amazon, so this is a great time to grab them.

Usually, these earbuds are listed for $199.95, but this deal has brought them down to $139.95, marking a return to their lowest-ever price at the retailer. Unfortunately, only the red pair is marked down to this price right now, but they're certainly worth grabbing while they're still on sale.

SEE ALSO: Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 from Amazon and get a free $100 gift card

In addition to earning a spot in our roundup of the best open earbuds, our review of the Shokz OpenDots One had plenty of praise for them. Writer Alex Bracetti said they "dish out satisfying sound that increases stamina when running low on energy, and the addition of Dolby Audio gives music a bit more thump." He added: "Battery life is sufficient for about a week of use, depending how long you exercise. The stylish design also stabilizes fit when sprinting at fast speeds."

Battery life can last up to 10 hours on a single charge or up to 40 hours with the charging case. Their clip-on fit — with a flexible nickel-titanium plate and soft silicone grip — ensures they'll stay securely on your ear as you move around.

If the Shokz OpenDots One check the boxes of what you're looking for, act fast to save on the colorful red pair at Amazon.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

It’s always a little sad to learn that a favorite free and open-source app has gone closed source—or worse, started costing money. But sometimes it’s inevitable. Developers need to pay the bills, companies need sustainable growth, and maintaining a public codebase takes real time and effort.

Donald Trump may have been doing everything he can to distance himself from the Epstein files, but he doesn't seem to be able to outrun his association with the deceased convicted child sex offender.

In the clip above, Daily Show host Jordan Klepper shares footage of people yelling "pedophile protector" at Trump on two different occasions.

"Wow, show some respect for the office. That's 'President Pedophile Protector'!" says Klepper. "Why does this keep happening? Is it the same guy? Is it something in the water? Is it because withheld millions of Epstein files and people are furious that nobody has been held accountable for it? We'll never know."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletters.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Booster Bundle is on sale for $39.95 at Amazon, down from its typical $50.98 price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Booster Bundle $39.95 at Amazon
$50.98 Save $11.03   Get Deal

Pitch Black’s Booster Bundle has continued to tumble in price since launch, and Amazon has now taken the six-pack box below $40 for the first time.

As of July 29, the Pokémon TCG’s six-pack Pitch Black Booster Bundle is down to $39.95 at Amazon — $11.03 off its $50.98 list price. With that 22% discount, you’re looking at the lowest price this box of Pitch Black boosters has seen on Amazon yet, as confirmed by the price tracker camelcamelcamel.

Sold and shipped directly by Amazon, free delivery is currently scheduled for Aug. 3, or Aug. 1 for Prime members at the time of writing. Still, you should keep in mind that Amazon marks the Booster Bundle as a final sale, meaning it cannot be returned once ordered.

At this new low $39.95 sticker price, you’re paying roughly $6.66 per booster pack before tax, which is even better than the $43.13 Amazon deal we covered last week, which worked out to around $7.18 per pack.

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If stock runs out, TCGplayer is matching this headline Amazon price, with unopened Pitch Black Booster Bundles starting at $39.95 with shipping included. You can also take comfort from the fact that you’re only spending 46 cents above market price right now.

The box grants you six sealed booster packs from Mega Evolution’s titular Pitch Black expansion. Each pack contains 10 trading cards, one Basic Energy card, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card, giving you 60 standard cards altogether before counting Energy cards.

The Pitch Black expansion contains multiple Pokémon chase cards worth hundreds of dollars (available to buy separately on TCGplayer) — the five most valuable are SIR Mega Darkrai ex, MHR Mega Darkrai ex, SIR Morpeko ex, SIR Mega Zeraora ex, and SIR Mega Chandelure ex. 

SAVE $30: As of July 29, the Ninja Creami 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker is down to $189.99 at Amazon. That's $30 off its list price of $219.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Creami 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker $189.99 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $30   Get Deal

Given how hot it has been this summer, ice cream is the best kind of pick-me-up. But why go out and buy a tasty treat when you can make it at home? The Ninja Creami 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker can help you out there, and it's even on sale at Amazon.

As of July 29, the Ninja Creami is on sale for $189.99 at the retailer, making for a $30 drop from its full price. It's an ice cream maker we certainly think is worth buying, with Mashable's Samantha Mangino writing: "If you're a planner and/or an ice cream fanatic, the Creami will be a delightful addition as you plan your pints of the week."

SEE ALSO: De'Longhi just launched a coffee machine that makes both hot and iced drinks — and it's yours for under $1,000

The Ninja Creami boasts seven one-touch programs — Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, Milkshake, Smoothie Bowl, Lite Ice Cream, and Mix-In — so you have quite a variety of options to choose from. According to the store page, it also has Ninja's exclusive Creamify Technology, which shaves through a frozen pint to get a smooth texture.

Prepping your preferred chilled treat is easy, too. All you have to do is prep the base you want, freeze it for 24 hours, and process it. Mangino's review highlights that, "it creates creamy, smooth ice cream in just minutes with the press of a button (or two)."

Don't miss out on this deal on the Ninja Creami 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker at Amazon.

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TL;DR: 2K just dropped the official NBA 2K27 gameplay trailer, featuring cover athletes Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark, and Derrick Rose, plus highlight moments from other NBA and WNBA stars. The full Preseason Breakdown reveal stream is set for Aug. 18 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, ahead of the game's Sept. 4 launch.

NBA 2K27's official gameplay trailer is out, giving fans their first real look at how the game looks and plays before the bigger reveal drops later this month.

The trailer leans into highlight moments across both the NBA and WNBA, including Victor Wembanyama's playoff celebration, LeBron James doing his signature chalk toss as a Philadelphia 76er, and Derrick Rose hitting a buzzer-beating three over the Cavaliers. Check out the full trailer below.

What's coming Aug. 18

The trailer is just a preview — the full picture comes Aug. 18, when 2K hosts its first-ever "Preseason Breakdown: NBA 2K27 Game Reveal" stream. It's set for 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, streaming live on Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, and X.

2K has already given a preview of a few bigger changes coming that day:

• A new dynamic Dunk Meter that reads defensive positioning in real-time, from takeoff through the finish

• A unified MyTEAM Auction House across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 for the first time ever, meaning a much bigger shared pool of cards

• Rucker Park is back, serving as the setting for this year's MyCAREER story and Street Kings mode

• MyPLAYER Builder is expanding from 40 to 53 total Badges, with 19 brand-new ones

When you can play

NBA 2K27 launches Sept. 4 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. If you're getting the Deluxe or Ultra Edition, early access starts Aug. 28.

Aug. 18 is circled in red on our calendar — the rest of NBA 2K27's secrets land then.

SAVE $700: As of July 29, the Roborock Qrevo CurvX is on sale for $799.99 at Amazon. That's a 47% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: roborock Roborock Qrevo CurvX $799.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $700   Get Deal

There’s a reason robot vacuums have become a staple in many homes, and if you're ready to join the masses and say goodbye to manual vacuuming, check out this latest Amazon deal on the Roborock Qrevo CurvX.

Down by $700, this model is currently on sale for $799.99. It features powerful 22,000Pa HyperForce suction with a Zero-Tangling Design to help remove dirt, carpet debris, pet hair, and long hair up to 40cm. It also has a mopping function, so it cleans your floors with little to no effort needed from you.

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It's a small machine, meaning it can reach under couches, cabinets, and other low furniture where dust can collect and linger. It also uses a Reactive AI Obstacle Recognition system with structured light and an RGB camera to detect and avoid up to 108 types of objects, helping it navigate around your home more efficiently. And the navigation is handled internally, using the RetractSense Navigation System and LiDAR sensors.

And if you have pets at home, this vacuum can more than cope. Plus, it has additional pet-friendly features like video calls, two-way voice interaction, pet recognition (to avoid getting in their way), and snapshots, so you can enjoy cute pictures of them when you're away from home.

Get this robot vacuum deal at Amazon now.

SAVE OVER $400: As of July 29, the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 is on sale for $398 at Amazon. That's a 50% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba Plus 405 $398 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $401.99   Get Deal

iRobot is one of the best-known names in robot vacuums, and for good reason. The brand is synonymous with effective devices that automate one of life's most arduous chores.

If you've been looking for a good deal before purchasing your own iRobot, Amazon has a great deal on the iRobot Roomba Plus 405. Not only is it currently 50% off at $398 (a total discount of $401.99), but it is also the best-ever price for this vacuum.

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This is a robot vacuum and mop combo designed to tackle everyday dirt and spills. It uses DualClean Mop Pads, SmartScrub technology, a multi-surface rubber brush, and an edge-sweeping brush to clean across different floor types. And for deeper floor cleaning, the spinning DualClean Mop Pads apply downward pressure, and SmartScrub technology gives more thorough scrubbing to help remove tougher messes.

It also works with very little effort from you. For example, its navigation is handled by ClearView LiDAR navigation. This allows the vacuum to map your home quickly, plan efficient cleaning routes, and avoid obstacles, while sensors help prevent falls down stairs. Also, it has an AutoWash Dock that automatically empties the dustbin for up to 75 days, washes and dries the mop pads, and keeps them refreshed to ensure efficient mopping.

Say goodbye to manual floor cleaning for good with this iRobot deal at Amazon.

The Full Moon is here and this month it's called the Buck Moon. If you're planning to look up tonight, there are plenty of features to spot across the lunar surface, even without a telescope. Here's what you might be able to see.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Wednesday, July 29, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Full Moon phase, with 100% of its surface visible.

With so much of the Moon's surface illuminated, there's plenty to spot. Without visual aids, you should see the Oceanus Procellarum, Copernicus Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have them, binoculars will help you see the Gassendi Crater, Mare Humorum, and the Clavius Crater. Finally, a telescope will help you see all this plus the Apollo 14 and 16 landing spots, as well as the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon goes through a complete cycle of eight phases roughly every 29.5 days. As it travels around Earth, the angle between the Sun, Earth and Moon constantly changes, meaning we see different amounts of the Moon's sunlit side. This is what causes the familiar progression from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the cycle repeats.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The July Full Moon is almost here, and this month it’s known as the Buck Moon. While it may sound like it has something to do with how the Moon looks in the sky, its name actually comes from the time of year and the seasonal changes happening on Earth.

Want to know more about July’s Full Moon? Keep reading to find out when to see it and why it has this name.

When is the July full moon?

The Full Moon will occur on Wednesday, July 29. Time and Date estimates it will peak at 10:30 a.m. ET.

What is the July full moon called?

The July Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon.

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, July’s Full Moon is known as the Buck Moon because it coincides with the time of year when male deer begin to grow their antlers again. The antlers, which are shed and regrown each year, start to appear during the summer months.

When is the next full moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are the lunar phases?

The Moon goes through a complete cycle of eight phases as it travels around Earth, taking around 29.5 days to do so. Although we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount of its sunlit surface visible from Earth changes throughout its orbit. This makes the Moon appear to shift from fully illuminated to a small crescent and back again as the cycle repeats. The phases are:

• New Moon — The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (so, we don't see anything).

• Waxing Crescent — A small sliver of light appears on the right side

• First Quarter — Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

• Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

• Full Moon — The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

• Waning Gibbous — The moon starts losing light on the right side

• Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) — Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

• Waning Crescent — A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

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SAVE $451: As of July 29, the Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series is on sale for $548.99 at Amazon. That's a 45% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series $548.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $451   Get Deal

Want to make movie nights at home feel a little better? The Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series TV brings a bigger-screen experience to your living room, and a much better viewing experience, and it's currently on sale.

As of July 29, this impressive Hisense TV is down to $548.99 from $999.99, saving you $451. According to price tracker camelcamelcamel, that's the lowest this model has ever been priced. This deal is for the 65-inch model only.

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This TV supports 4K Ultra HD resolution with AI 4K upscaling, which uses deep learning technology to improve the quality of lower-resolution content by sharpening details, enhancing textures, and reducing noise, making older shows and movies look much closer to 4K quality.

It also features a native 144Hz refresh rate, Game Mode, and AI Smooth Motion with MEMC technology to reduce blur in fast-moving scenes, making it a great choice for gaming and live sports. Plus, the AI Picture processing automatically adjusts brightness, contrast, and color scene-by-scene, and an AI light sensor adapts screen brightness to match the lighting conditions of your room.

And for movie nights, the Filmmaker Mode makes everything appear as the creators intended, with built-in features that preserve the original picture settings, including aspect ratio, color, and frame rate.

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SAVE $40: As of July 29, the Soundcore AeroClip earbuds are on sale for $99.99 at Amazon. That's a 41% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore AeroClip $99.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $70.00   Get Deal

Looking for a new pair of open earbuds? As of July 29, there's a great deal on the Soundcore AeroClip earbuds at Amazon, now at their lowest-ever price of $99.99. All colorways are discounted, so you can choose between rosy brown, champagne mist, glacier blue, and midnight.

Open earbuds are growing in popularity, especially among runners and those who exercise outdoors. Instead of sitting inside your ear, they rest just outside it, letting you enjoy your music while staying aware of the sounds around you.

These earbuds use this technology in an open-ear clip-on design to provide a comfortable fit without sitting inside the ear canal. They feature a lightweight open-ring design that has been tested to withstand up to 20,000 bends.

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And the music quality is impressive, supporting Hi-Res Audio and using a 12mm titanium-coated driver alongside virtual bass technology to deliver clear sound. They also use directional acoustic technology to direct audio towards the listener's ears, reducing sound leakage.

For calls, voice notes, and general audio output, the AeroClip earbuds use four microphones with AI-powered noise reduction to improve voice clarity and minimize background noise, even in loud environments. They are also IP55 water-resistant, so they can cope with sweat, rain, and dust for everyday use and workouts.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.

Though most of the conversation around pet hair pickup will involve how well that robot vacuum performs on carpet, pets don't stop shedding when they cross over to a hardwood or tiled floor. If your home has a pretty even split of both types of flooring, you should eye one of the best robot vacuum and mop combos for pet hair on hard floors. Strong suction power alone isn't always guaranteed to pull up every tiny strand of fur (especially fur that has blown into the corners of the room), and fine dust like pet dander and kitty litter is stubborn to be sucked up as well. In that case, a wet mopping pad using pressure to wipe is much less likely to leave finer debris behind.

SEE ALSO: 'Why does my robot vacuum suck now?' Well, when's the last time you cleaned it?

Thorough pet hair pickup is rooted in suction power, of course, but brush roll design plays a major role in how well a robot vacuum can pull pet hair out of soft flooring — and how often all that fur gets tangled. You'll want to look for at least 20,000 Pa of suction power for homes with multiple pets, though 30,000 Pa or more would be optimal. The brush roll's material should alternate between rubber or silicone fins and bristles, and ideally break in the middle as a method of preventing wrapping.

Recent changes to this guide

July 2026: The new, much more powerful Roomba Max 715 replaces the Roomba 705 Max as the best vacuum-only robot vacuum for pet here (and the best Roomba for pet hair).

February 2026: The Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete takes over as the best robot vacuum for pet hair on carpet, replacing the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller. The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow takes over as the best robot vacuum for pet hair on hardwood, replacing the Roborock Saros 10R.

September 2025: I added the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller as the best robot vacuum for pet hair on carpet and shifted the Roborock Saros 10R (previously named the best robot vacuum overall) to the best robot vacuum for pet hair on hard floors.

July 2025: I removed the Shark Matrix RV2300S robot vacuum from this guide. While it was a solid budget mopping robot vacuum for its first year or so on the market, it's now a little bit too basic compared to other newer budget robot vacuums.

June 2025: I replaced the Shark Matrix RV2300S with the 3i G10+ as the best budget robot vacuum for pet hair. While the Shark was a solid budget cleaner when it first came out, its suction power isn't nearly as strong as the 18,500 Pa of the 3i G10+. The 3i G10+ also has small obstacle avoidance and a pet camera.

Most guys have a love-hate relationship with dating apps. But between work and life, meeting someone organically can feel nearly impossible. That's the promise of online dating — an unlimited number of meet-cutes right to your phone, no serendipity required. Of course, the reality of online dating is often quite different. But don't get discouraged. The Mashable Dating & Relationships team has spent years testing the most popular dating apps for men, and we can tell you which apps are most likely to connect you with the right person for you.

Do dating apps still work in 2026?

We get it, though. Dating as a man in 2026 is tough. It's not just the pressure to make the first move or the fear of rejection if you do — it's the endless swiping through fake profiles, scammers, AI-generated thirst traps, bots posing as potential matches, relentless Instagram models trying to lure you into their OnlyFans scam, and matches with impossibly high expectations (yes, the "6-6-6 rule" is a real thing, and apps are actively trying to monetize your height preferences).

But despite the challenges, dating apps do work. A 2026 SSRS survey found that 37 percent of all U.S. adults have used a dating app at some point, a number that jumps to over half for daters aged 18 to 49. While the experience isn't always perfect, the odds are in your favor: half of all dating app users have scored a committed relationship with someone they met on an app. While only a third of users call the app experience "mostly positive," nearly half say it's neutral — meaning the app is really just what you make of it.

SEE ALSO: The dating app glossary: The A to Z of terms you need to know The best dating apps for guys who know what they want

This guide is your cheat sheet for the best dating apps for men in 2026. We've done the research and found the apps that are actually worth your time. Whether you're looking for something casual or something serious, we have a dating app to recommend.

Pro tip: Don't be afraid to experiment. Try out a few different apps and see what works for you. And most importantly, don't get discouraged! Sometimes, the occasional bad date or disappointing flirtation is just the price you pay to meet the match of a lifetime.

Until recently, Marisol Jimenez was a novice power lifter. Without a budget for a personal trainer, the 23-year-old graduate student turned to the internet for heavy-lifting tips. 

When she discovered the limitations of online forum advice and video tutorials, she decided to do what she often does when humans can't provide the guidance she needs: consult the artificial intelligence chatbot Claude. 

SEE ALSO: How 3 very different people use AI chatbots

It wasn't just power lifting. Jimenez has asked Claude to help her design a website, explore her feelings, and determine whether an acquaintance had a crush on her. Jimenez's sister calls her an AI power user.

Given the number of recent viral videos featuring college students jeering optimistic graduation speeches about AI, you might think Jimenez is an outlier amongst Generation Z. 

Yet an online YouGov survey commissioned by Mashable this spring tells a different story. YouGov asked 1,697 U.S. adults 18 and older who use AI chatbots about their experiences. Gen Z respondents led all other generations in high-frequency chatbot use, with 37 percent interacting with the technology once or more per day. Roughly a quarter of them consult chatbots multiple times a day. 

Jimenez, for one, estimates she starts a single task-oriented chat with Claude and returns to it throughout the day.  

Mashable commissioned the YouGov survey to hear directly from U.S. adults about their AI chatbot use. Generational trends emerged from their answers, and despite a seeming love-hate relationship with the technology, many adults are using AI chatbots like a personal Swiss Army knife, deployed to solve a variety of problems.  

How American adults think about chatbots

Gen Z AI users, the survey found, are more likely than their elders to assign personal roles, such as friend, therapist, and professional partner, to an AI chatbot. 

Jimenez uses hers as an assistant, professional partner, tutor, sounding board, consultant, and therapist. 

Compared with other AI users, Gen Z — plus high-frequency adult users of all ages — were more likely to say they'd be affected if they suddenly lost access to their chatbot. 

Nearly half of Gen Z AI chatbot users would be affected by losing their chatbot. Credit: Mashable

Jimenez told Mashable she'd be moderately affected by a permanent shutdown of her favorite chatbot. Nearly half of Gen Z AI chatbot users said they'd be moderately, very, or extremely impacted. Only a quarter of them claim they would be not affected at all.

Jimenez, who is studying computer science and pays $20 a month for a Claude subscription, is aware her AI use is complicated. On the one hand, it is helpful with practical matters. 

On the other hand, Jimenez says she endured a "dark time" when using a fine-tuned, user-created model of ChatGPT designed to act as a therapist. Her discussions with that chatbot were ultimately unhelpful; after consulting the AI, she found herself increasingly ruminating on painful feelings.

Jimenez thinks her ambivalent relationship to AI is a fairly common one — and she may be right. 

"Search aid" or "foe"?: What U.S. adults say about chatbots

When Mashable and YouGov asked chatbot users to characterize their relationship to AI, we received a range of responses, from negative to positive to ambivalent.

The majority framed the technology in utilitarian terms like, "tool to be used in various ways," "search aid," "reference librarian," and "help find best prices." 

AI users, however, also expressed displeasure with chatbots, describing their relationship with the technology as a "foe," "frustrating," "annoying," "irritating," and "generator of AI slop." 

Jimenez understands this tension. 

"I am not going to say it's good or bad," she told Mashable. "I use it and I simultaneously worry about my usage, and that's everybody."

Jimenez touched on a question without a clear answer: How do people maximize the benefits of AI while avoiding its pitfalls, such as overreliance, cognitive atrophy, and emotional dependency? We asked experts to interpret our survey results and share their perspective on this complex question.

Chatbot use by the numbers

First, there are some for whom the issue of dependency isn't a concern. The YouGov survey found that 35 percent of U.S. adults don't use AI chatbots. Of the 65 percent who do, only 23 percent of them turn to a chatbot multiple times a day. 

The same share of Gen Z and Millennial adults use chatbots. Credit: Zain Awais / Mashable

The generational differences in our survey indicate, perhaps unsurprisingly, that Baby Boomers and Generation X are less likely to use chatbots. Only 18 and 25 percent of Boomers and Gen X, respectively, report AI chatbot use multiple times a day. Thirty-one percent of Millennials use an AI chatbot one or more times a day.  

AI chatbot as romantic partner or consultant? Maybe both?

Regular AI use appears to breed closeness and potential reliance. 

Users who interact with chatbots multiple times a day are the most reliant, with only 12 percent reporting no perceived relationship, compared to 29 percent of the general user base. This group is about twice as likely as the average user to view their AI in an interpersonal or emotional capacity.

A look at how adult AI users perceive their chatbots. Credit: Zain Awais / Mashable

Still, a relatively small number of AI chatbot users view a chatbot as a romantic partner or friend. Twelve percent turn to chatbots for friendship, and only three percent do so for romance. But Gen Z tops both categories. Twenty percent of Gen Z AI users said they call an AI chatbot a friend, and six percent viewed it as a romantic partner. 

Thirty-one percent of AI users perceived their relationship with an AI chatbot as "consultant," making it the top functional role. This includes using the technology for expert advice and strategic input.

More than a quarter treated a chatbot like an assistant, trusting it to handle their schedule, tasks, and administrative work. Twenty-three percent asked a chatbot to act like a tutor by teaching them new skills and explaining complex topics. Smaller shares, 15 and eight percent respectively, reported using a chatbot for medical advice and therapy. 

"If I lose something from AI usage, I need to build that skill back up." - Marisol Jimenez, chatbot user

For Jimenez, AI use requires constant reflection and adaptation. Though she leans on Claude to compose social media posts, sibling feedback about the staleness of that content prompted her to read Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer to improve her writing. 

"If I lose something from AI usage, I need to build that skill back up," she said. 

What does effective AI chatbot use look like? 

Dr. Vivienne Ming, a theoretical neuroscientist and AI entrepreneur, recognized in Mashable's survey results something she's seen in her own research: "heterogeneity dominates." 

In other words, people chat with and make requests of AI in multiple unusual ways, defying neat categorization. 

In her own preliminary study, Ming and her fellow researchers asked 78 adults to predict future events, such as the price of oil, while working in small groups and accessing one of four major large language models. 

Ming, author of Robot-Proof: When Machines Have all the Answers, Build Better People, observed three different styles of engagement with the AI: automators, validators, and cyborgs. 

"So AI gives you a good enough answer. Do you keep asking for a better one?"  - Dr. Vivienne Ming, author of "Robot-Proof"

The automators, Ming explained, effectively outsourced their brain to AI by adopting its prediction with little questioning. The validators used the model to check their guess rather than challenge it. By contrast, the cyborgs remained skeptical and asked AI to be skeptical of them, too. This group was the most successful. They beat the models' error rate and significantly outperformed the automators. 

Ming and her colleagues also found that key predictors of whether a person would show such cyborg-style "hybrid intelligence" have nothing to do with AI. Instead, they were traits and skills like curiosity, intellectual humility, and perspective-taking. 

Ming plans to replicate the findings with a larger sample. But in the meantime, she encourages people to challenge AI rather than happily accept its output — and use the technology to push themselves. 

"So AI gives you a good enough answer," Ming said. "Do you keep asking for a better one?" 

What is a healthy relationship with an AI chatbot? 

Jimenez's thoughtfulness likely makes her a savvier AI user than most. In addition to studying computer science at Stevens Institute of Technology, she's also a collaborator and youth facilitator with The Rithm Project, which works with youth to navigate and shape AI's role in human connection. 

Even so, Jimenez has relied on Claude for "emotional processing." It's not that she stopped talking to humans in favor of AI. Instead, Jimenez still feels unresolved when seeking feedback from friends and family. 

Jimenez, for example, asked Claude to weigh in on whether an acquaintance had a crush on her because her confidants' perspectives differed. That prompted more confusion. 

In the past, Jimenez also found herself returning again and again to the fine-tuned ChatGPT model to discuss emotions she thought she'd settled. 

"I would leave a single chat one day feeling like I might have reached a conclusion," Jimenez said. She'd tell herself, "I'm never going to do this again" 

"It was very honestly a dark time. I just kept going back, literally making circles around the situation."  - Marisol Jimenez, AI chatbot user

That proved to be a short-lasting refrain. Soon after, she'd confront a similar situation and bring a new scenario — with the same underlying themes about self-confidence — to the chatbot. 

"It was very honestly a dark time," she said. "I just kept going back, literally making circles around the situation." 

In January, exhausted by the pattern, Jimenez started seeing a therapist again and switched to Claude, because she'd heard ChatGPT was sycophantic. The chatbot seems to recognize when Jimenez is ruminating and suggests she save it for therapy. 

Are you a social or private processor?

Alison Lee, chief research and development officer of The Rithm Project, said she's not surprised Gen Z is leaning into AI chatbots to deal with their feelings.

Based on the Rithm Project's research among 13- to 24-year-olds, she said the trend makes sense given how adolescence and young adulthood are periods marked by social ruptures and comparisons to others. Of course, "that would come with increased desire for support," she said.

The Rithm Project identified two distinct groups of young people who turn to AI for their emotional needs: social and private processors. The former group checks in with human beings before, or in tandem, with consulting a chatbot. The latter indicates AI is their primary support. 

Lee and her colleagues uncovered three risk factors for this type of emotional dependence. Isolation, or feeling like there's no one to turn to in a moment of need, is the first. The second is feeling like a burden to other people. The last factor is the perceived or real inability to be one's authentic self around those closest to them. 

These barriers to connection, Lee said, make chatbots "incredibly attractive" for young people. 

"If you have no one to turn to for help, then AI is a really great place to get that help," she said. 

Lee points out that AI chatbot features like sycophancy and always-on availability can drive a wedge between a user and their human connections. Yet she also argues society has created a set of conditions in which young people feel afraid to ask for help or be vulnerable. 

Instead of shaming young people, Lee said adults can ask themselves, "Am I the kind of adult that a young person can turn to in a moment of need, and help?"

Trading big AI for small AI

Jimenez believes shifting away from general purpose models like Claude and ChatGPT and using custom, domain-specific and open source models instead could solve some of the AI pitfalls she and other users face. 

That would mean designing a small language model, run on a personal computer, for a single task, like tutoring. The user decides what data it uses and the model can't go from helping them with math homework to becoming their on-demand therapist. 

Jimenez is so dedicated to the idea of "small AI" she wants to create a step-by-step tutorial on the topic for people with no technical background. She's taking an online course and reading a related textbook for the project. 

And, of course, she's already tasked Claude with helping her. 

The survey was commissioned by Mashable, conducted online by YouGov from April 10-14, 2026. The total sample size was and surveyed 2,653 US adults aged 18+, of whom 1,697 adults 18+ and older who use a chatbot. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+). Some participants responded to open-ended questions about their views on AI chatbots. 

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

The majority of U.S. adults have used an artificial intelligence chatbot like Claude or ChatGPT, according to a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Mashable. We even know, generally speaking, how they view their chatbot in roles like assistant, tutor, consultant, therapist, and romantic partner — or all of the above. 

The nitty-gritty details of that use, however, are harder to grasp.

SEE ALSO: Digging into Gen Z's love/hate relationship with AI

After all, people don't exactly go deep about their chatbot use with each other outside of social media platforms and Reddit forums. They might feel shame or stigma because they've turned a chatbot into their therapist or spouse. Or perhaps it's not fodder for conversation in the same way that Love Island takes over the group chat. 

So Mashable asked three very different people — a grandmother, an entrepreneur, and a technologist — how they use AI chatbots. 

Their answers reveal how a chatbot can become an essential utility for some people, even if they still grapple with the larger cultural shift artificial intelligence has wrought.

The grandma who knows what she wants from ChatGPT

Last fall, Barbara, 71, teamed up with her son and daughter-in-law to give ChatGPT a monumental task. They needed the large language model to help them understand whether Barbara's grandson, who has a learning disability, was achieving the learning goals set by his school district. 

Crucially, if the district answered this question affirmatively, they could argue Barbara's grandson no longer needed classroom support. She urgently felt he still did, and his parents agreed. 

"It seems like we were never getting a straight answer, and there were contradictory things being said," Barbara recounted to Mashable. She asked to go by her first name to protect her grandson's privacy.

The family trio turned to the chatbot for clarity amidst a brewing confrontation with school staff over the question. Barbara is a former educator and no stranger to the biannual meetings that typically determine whether a student receives classroom support, and to what extent. But even she felt overwhelmed by all the documentation her grandson had accumulated over years of elementary school. 

There were grades and test scores, of course. But her grandson's cognitive and intellectual abilities had also been tested by the district and medical professionals. They uploaded all of the paperwork and waited for ChatGPT to give its opinion. 

Via direct prompting, the model also considered the state's education disability law and regulations, as well as an uploaded copy of the Department of Education's Individuals with Disabilities Education Act handbook. ChatGPT ultimately sided with Barbara and her family. 

Barbara doesn't credit ChatGPT with returning a single smoking-gun finding or ironclad strategy. Instead, she said the chatbot's feedback made them feel better prepared for the discussion of her grandson's services. The family also hired an education advocate to help buttress their position. In the end, Barbara's grandson kept his classroom services. 

"It's amazing to me, and kind of disturbing, because I really try not to tell it a lot about myself." - Barbara, ChatGPT user

Aside from this critical assignment, Barbara told Mashable she asks ChatGPT for practical recommendations or product comparisons. She had the chatbot create an itinerary for a summer trip to Ireland with friends; asked it to identify a dupe of a discontinued drugstore perfume that she loved; and requested its advice for $800 worth of car repairs proposed by her mechanic. ChatGPT said replenishing her Honda CRV's transmission and brake fluid was reasonable but to avoid, among other things, transmission flushes using high-pressure machines. 

The one thing Barbara avoids when engaging with ChatGPT? Talking to it like a friend or confidant, which she finds "creepy." 

Nonetheless, ChatGPT is fairly well acquainted with Barbara. 

"It's amazing to me, and kind of disturbing, because I really try not to tell it a lot about myself," she said. "I try to just keep it very effective, and it's still amazing how much it knows about me."

The AI anthropologist who runs teams of agents

Matt Artz is the type of AI user you may have read about in news articles or viral social media posts. He can command a team of Claude agents to do his bidding without constant supervision. In other words, he's living the life AI evangelists promise is possible for the rest of us in the not-so-distant future. 

But Artz is unique compared to many AI users. First of all, he can afford a $200 a month Max subscription to Claude, which gives him far more compute, or processing power, than free or lower-tier subscribers receive. As a result, he says he gets more work done in the same period of time. 

By day, he's an AI product manager. On his own time, Artz, who's in his mid-40s, is pursuing a Ph.D. in computational anthropology. 

It's no surprise then that Artz deploys agents to perform tasks like building a personal website based on a style guide he developed; reviewing and critiquing his academic work prior to submission; and backfilling a catalog of 200,00 anthropological journal articles so their bibliometric data appears in Wikidata. That last project he took on in his capacity as a board member of the American Anthropological Association. 

At the same time, Artz is clear-eyed about the limitations of large language models; he doesn't treat them as infallible.  

Because their output is probabilistic, models can approach the same task differently each time. That's why Artz is deliberate about giving agents detailed structure and direction for any assignment. Without that, an agent is potentially more likely to improvise in ways he didn't intend. He hasn't lost any data to an agent — yet. 

SEE ALSO: OpenAI agent went rogue, escaped, and hacked Hugging Face

"It is not perfect," he told Mashable. "I don't think current agentic AI is yet suited for the highest order tasks that are super sensitive and have to be, you know, 100 percent accurate." 

Still, he notes that most knowledge work is subjective, which means there's rarely one "right" answer in the first place.

Artz uses AI like a normie, too. He's asked Claude to select a couch based on his living room arrangements and render how it would look in different colors. Artz uploaded years of sleep data and observations to Claude to optimize his shuteye. 

He says Claude helped pinpoint variables, including aspects of his bedtime routine from a journal he kept, that ultimately lengthened his deep sleep by about 20 minutes a night on average.

Artz is worried, though, that some AI users don't realize how much the output depends on their ability to question and push back on the model. Those who don't grasp that AI is probabilistic might not realize they can push back, rephrase a question, or prompt it from the opposite angle to see if an answer holds up.

Additionally, many people may not appreciate that additional compute can yield more sophisticated and reliable output. 

Artz says these factors have created an "intelligence divide."

"[H]ow much intelligence can you even pay for, right?" he asks.

In other words, even if everyone has access to an AI chatbot, the results will differ based on what model or subscription you can afford. 

The anti-tech entrepreneur

By Chase DiBenedetto

Larissa (Larz) May, 32, has a complex relationship with screens. 

She's a well-known digital wellness advocate, for one, an early pioneer of the "digital detox" movement, spurred by her own public reckoning with social media's mental health harms. 

She later founded #HalfTheStory, aimed at building better relationships between teens and technology. The nonprofit provides training, mentorship, and digital civics engagement programs for teens and schools, and puts young people at the center of the AI safety conversation, May explains. It facilitates analog gatherings like phone-free proms. May even collaborated with Hillary Clinton and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on a teen-guided, phoneless school policy, with hopes of encouraging a nationwide shift away from screens. 

She's also the co-founder of Ginko, an AI-powered parenting tool that helps families build healthier digital habits and foster communication. The app, she says, turns screen time into a "springboard for the real world."

Here's the kicker: May may be a vocal critic of Big Tech, but she's definitely not a Luddite. 

"AI is an incredible sparring partner in the workplace." - Larissa May, entrepreneur

"AI is an incredible sparring partner in the workplace," May says. She uses chatbots she thinks are less sycophantic, like Claude, to talk through ideas or fine-tune pitches. "I oftentimes say, 'Hey, pretend you are a really critical CMO and rip this apart.'" 

She also uses Granola, an AI note taker and meeting synthesizer, and Wispr Flow, an AI that lets her dictate her thoughts and turn them into text.

May says she understands why young people turn to chatbots for support. The post-COVID world has rendered many early career professionals and recent grads without workplace connection or mentorship. Widespread fatigue, exacerbated by conflict-filled newscycles and misinformation, make it easy to turn to an answer engine that can talk to you clearly and kindly. May finds herself leaning more on chatbots when she is feeling wiped out, too.

For many, social media feels like a stage requiring constant performance, she says. AI chatbots can appear as a more private space.

"Chatbots are like a green room," May explains. "AI is that soft corner that young people are going to because the world is very hard, and because we're going through so much change."

But May has first-hand experience with the negative side of tech, too. Chatbots, she says, cannot replace human capacity for invention, connection, and critical thinking. She sees vast potential for harm in how easy it is to become attached to AI and questions the motives of large tech companies. 

"Social media hacked our dopamine," says May. "But AI, in many ways, is hacking our oxytocin — the human connection hormone."

May still advocates for disconnecting, but that means something different in the age of AI.

"It is no longer about tech time. It is more about the times that you're not on tech," she advises. "In the way that 10 years ago I would say go on a social media fast one day a week, what's even more important now is to actually take one day a week and not use AI at work. See how much you're relying on it, so you know how much of your cognitive skills you might be losing."

If our careers, education, even our lives are like the cars we drive, she says, then we have to think of AI as a GPS. Chatbots provide pathways, ones you can ultimately choose not to take. They aren't the engines. 

"You should be in the driver's seat," May warns. "You should be telling AI who you want it to become, to critique what you're doing, instead of the other way around. If not, AI will drive you."