I thought this NYT article about “modernizing” books was going to be about removing racist or sexist language… but instead it’s about publishers and authors jamming new pop culture references into older books? We’re cooked, etc.

Seriously though, this seems both silly and futile. The things you'd need to update would be endless in any book that's set in a specific time and the fixes will often cause their own problems. E.g., no one invites friends over to watch a TikTok. You share a link over social media / text. This seems more jarring than referencing an old TV show.

nytimes.com/2026/05/27/…