Molly

What all of these stunts provide, too, is the chance for a member of the crowd to best an internet celebrity, to prove that he is just as good as the object of his obsession — and to complicate that bothersome one-way relationship, at least temporarily.

Because the fans are part of the content, but only for a moment. As soon as his turn ends, each p... See more

Many find that audience interaction strengthens the parasocial bond. Twitch streamers like Hasan Piker spend hours responding live to fans; Kai Cenat, another popular streamer, once let fans watch him sleeping. The new formats are a way for passive fans to take active roles in a world they have only imagined. But because the one-on-many stunts are ... See more

In an era in which public health authorities have declared loneliness an epidemic, it stands to reason that many Americans have invested these one-way relationships with meaning.

In turn, these creators promise more of themselves the deeper the audience is willing to go. Substackers and podcasters offer bonus content and chat rooms for paying fans. ... See more

Brides-to-be (Taylor, almost certainly, excluded) are treating their bachelorette parties like influencer campaigns, flooding small brands with requests for free swag in exchange for TikTok hauls and Instagram posts. On TikTok, one woman admitted to emailing over 200 companies; others share spreadsheets of brand contacts and scripts to maximize the... See more

Content creator, yes. Influencer, no. I mean, all these terms are being defined in real time. I love consuming content—short form, long form. I love people who use social media to be creative, to teach or explore or share their passions. Where I start to draw the line is people whose content basically revolves around brand deals and they're marketi... See more

The recent Substack plagiarism scandal perhaps epitomizes Illusions of Intellect, with the platform avoiding any response to hundreds of reported complaints, and 33K people continuing to subscribe to the admitted plagiarizer. As Julie Kwrites, perhaps even the concept of plagiarism is obsolete — from normalizing dupes to reposting Pinterest images ... See more

Rihanna just revived the early-2000s Bump-it, reports Bustle . It was only a matter of time...

In the face of rejection, some are turning to religion. This week, Cardinal Timothy Dolan published an op-ed in the New York Post (...so many questions) about the revival of Catholicism among young people. He points to both local and global examples: crowds of students and teenagers at events in Rome, young adults lining up for confession at St. ... See more

Rejection has become a defining feature of young adulthood. Gen Z is facing it across dating apps, job hunts, and even algorithm-driven platforms that often amplify bias. Psychologists say rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain, releasing cortisol and triggering what one professor called a “panic button” in the brain. “You beco... See more