Humiliation economy

Trends such as “fail compilations” or “cringe challenges” — posts showing awkward mistakes or uncomfortable situations meant to make others laugh — encourage people to document embarrassing moments. Popular Instagram accounts post people’s dating profiles, text conversations, and awkward pickup lines. Sometimes they’re anonymous, but not always.... See more

Social media is full of young women warning each other and listing out red flags and reasons why you should dump him or dodge commitment. He compliments you a lot? Love-bombing. Says I miss you too soon?Run. Approaches you in person? Predator. It’s all so cynical. It’s all about how not to catch feelings; ways not to get attached; how “you’re not... See more

t’s not that anyone is forcing us to humiliate ourselves; it’s that we’ve come to equate being known with being exposed.

There is, of course, a life outside of the mirror maze. But we’ve become so accustomed to our life inside of it, that even when we’re not participating in it, we can’t help but see all of life as if it were for public consumption and attention. Things we do in private or semi-private become humiliation rituals because the assumption is that... See more

The “Rage Bait” Relationship Questions Going Viral on TikTok (InsideHook)

A new trend on TikTok involves women asking their partners a series of four questions, often prompting playful and lighthearted responses. While the videos aim to evoke engagement and amusement, experts caution that such “rage bait” content can potentially mirror traits of... See more

The internet is not a public square—it’s more like a carnival-funhouse mirror maze. The price of admission is our thoughts (in the form of tweets, for example), our visual representations of ourselves (e.g. TikToks and Instagram posts), and our emotional energy (the inordinate amount of time we spend on social media). Our supposed reward at the... See more

But the problem these conspiracists are addressing is real: capitalism requires us to debase ourselves on a daily basis, and, in the age of social media, to do so publicly. In our age of techno-capitalism, in which attention on the internet is a currency (both a social currency, and often a monetary one too—people get paid by X and TikTok for going... See more

The “bird theory” has reemerged on TikTok as a viral relationship litmus test. People — mostly women, fwiw — point out something mundane like a bird to gauge whether their partner engages or ignores them. The trend, which first went viral in 2023 and has recently resurfaced, is just one of many (many!) examples of Gen Z’s fixation with... See more

“Send it, bro,” one friend said, “but screw it up and it’ll be screenshotted.” He didn’t send the text.