Serena Smith

Leeds

Columnist at Prospect Magazine

Deputy Editor at Dazed Magazine

Deputy Editor at Dazed Media

deputy editor @dazed [email protected] / [email protected]

Articles

Femcels: Meet the young women struggling to find love

6 days ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

When you think of an ‘incel’, what springs to mind? A scrawny Reddit addict with a nonexistent jawline? A “grown white man in his underwear in Mommy’s basement”? Perhaps Owen Cooper, starring as fictional teenage killer Jamie Miller in Netflix’s hit show Adolescence? Whatever you imagine, it’s unlikely you think of a woman.
You’ll soon need to show your ID to watch porn in the UK

1 week ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

A version of this article was originally published on January 16 2023Regulator Ofcom has issued new guidance under the Online Safety Act (OSA) which states that all websites which host pornographic material (including social media platforms) must introduce ‘robust’ age-checking techniques, such as checking photo ID by July 25. The regulator has now sent out a letter to hundreds of platforms which host pornographic content.
The problem with the ‘offline’ dating renaissance

1 week ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

Everybody knows that everybody hates dating apps. It was no surprise when late last year Ofcom reported that the UK’s top dating apps had seen a dip in use since 2023, with Tinder losing 600,000 users, Hinge 131,000, and Bumble 368,000, with analysts attributing the decline to young people forgoing online dating.
10 books that are dating red flags

2 weeks ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

From Lolita to American Psycho, here’s our round-up of all the books you don’t want to see on your date’s shelvesTextSerena SmithTextJames GreigTextThom WaiteTextHalima JibrilTextTed Stansfield Reading is hot. As John Waters once said, “if you go home with somebody, and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them.” But what if you go home with somebody, and they do have books, but the sorts of books they have are a little… questionable? What if they only read Michel Houellebecq?
We spend 88 days a year on our phones

2 weeks ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

A new global report commissioned by Heineken has found that the average adult spends 88 days a year glued to their phone. The study, conducted by researchers at OnePoll, tracked 17,000 adults across the USA, UK, Spain, Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, Germany, India and the UAE. It found that the average person now spends approximately 5 hours and 48 minutes per day a day glued to their phone – equivalent to a staggering 88 days a year.
How to get back into dating after a period of celibacy

4 weeks ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

It’s no secret that many of us aren’t too fussed about having sex or dating right now. Countless studies suggest that many of us are embracing celibacy: a 2021 report by Rutgers University found that both men and women aged 18 to 23 are having 14 per cent less casual sex than young adults ten years prior, while the number of celibate Feeld users in London grew by 235 per cent in 2024.
Hungary is set to ban LGBTQ+ gatherings

1 month ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

Lawmakers in Hungary are expected to vote on a constitutional amendment today (April 14) which will codify the government’s recent ban on Pride and allow authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify anyone who flouts the law. Disturbingly, prime minister Viktor Orbán, leader of the right-wing populist party Fidesz, claims the amendment will “protect children” and safeguard their physical, mental and moral development.
Coachella crowd feels the Bern at Clairo’s set

1 month ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

On Saturday night (April 12), Independent Vermont senator Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance at Coachella, appearing on stage to introduce Clairo before her set. He also took the opportunity to speak to the crowd about wealth inequality, climate change and abortion. Sanders was introduced by Florida representative (and first Gen Z member of Congress) Maxwell Frost, before beginning a brief but emotive speech. “This country faces some very difficult challenges,” he began.
Why saunas are the hottest place to hang out right now

1 month ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

10 Images 27-year-old Fraser goes to the sauna at Mile End Climbing Wall every week – twice a week if he can manage it. “It’s like a full body reset,” he says. “I come out of it feeling relaxed and recovered after an intense week.” Nine-to-five, Fraser works in the climbing industry, and he finds that going to the sauna helps his body recover from doing physically taxing work. “If I don’t go, I feel very stiff and just a bit slow,” he explains.
Harris Dickinson will make his directorial debut at Cannes 2025

1 month ago | dazeddigital.com | Serena Smith

The Babygirl actor and Dazed cover star will premiere his debut feature film, Urchin, at the prestigious festival8 Images Harris Dickinson will make his directorial debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Cannes delegate general Thierry Frémaux and president Iris Knobloch confirmed that the Babygirl lead and Dazed cover star would be making his debut at Cannes during a press conference held in Paris on Thursday morning (April 10).