A trans influencer has reclaimed ‘demure,’ and people can’t get enough
Here’s why people are suddenly “very demure, very mindful” online.
By Amber Ferguson
A TikToker made sunscreen from scratch. We tried her recipe.
Nara Smith has repeatedly gone viral for her homemade creations, but dermatologists say you should stick with FDA-approved sunscreen.
By Maham Javaid and Amber Ferguson
Could an all-inclusive cost the same as rent? He tried it.
A Seattle man tested the theory that living at a Mexico resort would be comparable to a month of expenses at home.
By Chris Dong
TikTok creators experiment with Substack
As it tries to move beyond text-based newsletters and into video, Substack has picked 10 influencers who will get additional support from the company.
By Taylor Lorenz
Twitch draws pro-Palestinian influencers as rival sites back off politics
Politics on Twitch is thriving as other social media sites try to discourage political posts.
By Taylor Lorenz
Kabosu, side-eyeing Shiba Inu who inspired the ‘doge’ meme, dies at 18
Rescued from a dog shelter, Kabosu was an enduring meme of the 2010s, her skeptical glance inspiring a new type of online lingo and a cryptocurrency.
By Kim Bellware
Why everyone’s mad at Apple’s new iPad ad
Apple’s commercial for the new iPad Pro seems to celebrate the destruction of analog art.
By Will Oremus
Substack courts TikTokers with new ‘creators’ program
Substack is the latest app seeking to cleave off some of TikTok’s user base as the app faces a possible ban in the United States.
By Taylor Lorenz
TikTok files court challenge to U.S. law that could lead to ban
The filing ignites a high-stakes court battle in Washington that could prove to be an existential fight for one of the world’s most popular apps.
By Drew Harwell
A TikTok ban could also end short-form video as we’ve come to know it
ByteDance’s CapCut editing app has become the standard for short-form video. Legislation that could lead to a ban of TikTok could also apply to CapCut.
By Taylor Lorenz
TikTok is obsessed with ... premium-grade industrial glycine from China?
The earnest ads from the Donghua Jinlong factory have unexpectedly spawned memes and parodies, embodying Gen Z’s surreal sense of humor. The company is “baffled.”
By Leo Sands and Lyric Li
The ‘Beastification of YouTube’ may be coming to an end
“Retention editing,” a video style featuring bangs and flashes, may have peaked.
By Taylor Lorenz
MrBeast strikes Amazon deal for biggest competition series in TV history
The deal, worth possibly $100 million, will be the latest attempt by an internet creator to move to more traditional forms of entertainment.
By Taylor Lorenz
The TikTok debate featured many disputed claims. Here are 7 of them.
Wednesday’s TikTok debate in the House of Representatives featured a number of claims for which there is little public evidence.
By Taylor Lorenz
The word ‘viral’ has lost its meaning
10 years ago, a million views qualified as viral. Now, not so much.
By Taylor Lorenz
Cookie Monster’s ‘shrinkflation’ woes get White House response
The beloved “Sesame Street” character griped on social media that his cookies were getting smaller. “Me hate shrinkflation,” he said. Some politicians agreed.
By Kelsey Ables
Group behind 177-year-old sourdough starter inundated after viral TikTok
Requests for Carl Griffith’s 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter kits skyrocketed after a video about them went viral on TikTok.
By Kyle Melnick
How the ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ series took over TikTok
Reesa Teesa posted nearly eight hours of video to TikTok to tell the story of a messy marriage and divorce she claimed to have had with a “pathological liar.”
By Samantha Chery
Biden campaign joins TikTok in an effort to reach younger voters
The account is run by the Biden-Harris’ reelection team.
By Taylor Lorenz
TikTok search suggestions are manufacturing influencer drama
Over the past year, TikTok has moved aggressively into search. Creators say it needs to do a better job of making sure its suggestions don’t trigger inaccurate information.
By Taylor Lorenz