Oura rings won the 2026 World Cup with its England partnership. On the first day of the tournament, Oura hired England national team co-captains Harry Kane and Declan Rice as official ambassadors for a campaign focused on preparing for and recovering from matches. Combined with its U.S. efforts, this marked Oura’s biggest investment in the brand’s 11-year history. The partnership was strategic, considering the U.K. is a top three market for Oura. Plus, early polling indicated that 87% of U.K. Gen Z planned to engage with content related to the World Cup. (Glossy)
👀 Read more from YPulse: The World Cup is Uniting Gen Z Across Regions—in 3 Stats
France ordered internet service providers to block Polymarket. The country’s National Gaming Authority determined that the platform was illegally promoting gambling and games of chance to French users. While an earlier formal notice made Polymarket geoblock any transactions from French users, that restriction was being bypassed. Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland have also restricted or blocked prediction markets. YPulse data shows that 5% of 13-17-year-olds, 9% of 18-24-year-olds, and 10% of 25-39-year-olds consider themselves addicted to gambling. In France, the overall average jumps to 11%. (Mashable)
📈 YPulse reported: Western Europe Gen Z’s Vices Trend Report
France is the first EU country to ban social media for under-15s. After receiving strong backing from President Emmanuel Macron, French lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill. (Just in time for the next school year in September!) While the French government promised to implement age controls to support the law, it’s not yet clear how social media sites will verify and regulate users’ ages. Other countries including Denmark, Greece, and Spain are also planning on introducing age limits on social media, while the British government announced an under-16s restriction that will go into effect next year. (CNN)
👀 Read more from YPulse: How European Teens Feel About the Social Media Bans
Young travelers are “NonnaMaxxing.” According to a report from GetYourGuide, 76% of travelers from the U.K., France, Germany, and the U.S. would book “grandma-inspired” activities for their trips. (They love their granny hobbies after all!) The activities range from learning how to make pasta from a real nonna in Italy to hiring Japanese grandmothers as their tour guides. The benefits of intergenerational travel extend to both parties: it provides an outlet for older gens to run their own businesses while they connect with young tourists and keep longstanding traditions alive. (BBC)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Where is European Gen Z’s Dream Travel Destination?
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