Tanya Chen
The Growth Of Influencers Has Impacted The Photography Industry In A Major Way
In this week's newsletter: the mutual aid between influencers and photographers.
Why Is Kim Kardashian Of All People Doing A Classic Instagram Giveaway?
In this week's newsletter: Kim's confusing alignment with a social media practice that's stained with controversy and a shoutout to a fantastic TikTok account for a bird conservation organization.
A Sponsored Disaster Is A Sponsor Disaster
In this week's newsletter: How the Travis Scott x BetterHelp partnership could have better served those in need of therapy, instead of it reading like a big promotional opportunity. (And how fun some influencers made the NYC marathon!)
Aesthetic YouTubers Are Now Turning Entire Vlogs Into Ads
In one part of this week's newsletter: Content and commercials are getting prettier, but the line discerning them is getting blurrier.
Rage With Machines: How Copyright Claims On YouTube Can Reinforce Creator Power Dynamics
In this week's newsletter: A copyright complaint about a Rage Against the Machine song shows how nuanced and restrictive these cases are on the platform.
Young People, Especially Young Women, Are Reporting Concerning Medical And Behavioral Changes Due To Social Media, And I Hope We’re Paying Attention
In part one of this week's newsletter: Why people are already dismissing a Wall Street Journal article about teens developing severe tics after watching numerous TikToks from influencers diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
A Viral TikTok Can Be The First Step Of Real Policy Changes — But It Is Only A First Step
In one-part of this week's newsletter: Anna Sacks used a tongue-in-cheek "unboxing" video to galvanize people to tag @Coach and put pressure on the company to speak to its questionable practices. But she reminds us that social media activism is only a starting point.
A TikToker Has Some Comprehensive Theories About Mormonism And Instagram Influencers
In one-part of this week's newsletter: Emily Kim delivers an epic thesis about piety and a certain kind of lifestyle influencer in under three minutes.
A Small YouTube Account Believes A Much Larger Channel Is Gaming The System To Successfully Pull Down Videos That Criticize It
In this week's newsletter: Prank channel Nelk Boys has used "copyright" to successfully pull down a video about them twice, and how one man running a popular Peloton TikTok account has done the marketing work for the company.
TikTok’s Obsession With The Gabby Petito Case Is Sparking A Debate Over How Much True Crime Fans Are Really Helping
A woman who was impacted by a high-profile crime in the past is calling out online sleuths while police are questioning why some people with potentially key information are turning to social media first.
Investigators Found Gabby Petito’s Remains At A Wyoming Campground
Petito’s death has been ruled a homicide, but forensic testing is still underway to confirm the manner of death.
Instagram Sponsored The Met Gala, But Snubbed The Fashion Influencers Who Built Its Platform
In this week's newsletter: IG missed a big opportunity to mint its own creators on a worldwide stage, and imagining how Apple Fitness+ will learn from/come for Peloton.
The D’Amelios Need To Talk About Money
Wealth is omnipresent on the new Hulu reality series The D’Amelio Show, and in the lives of powerhouse influencer families generally. So why won’t they address it?
A 9-Month-Old Afghan Baby Died On An Evacuation Flight After Landing In The US
The infant was unresponsive when the flight landed in Philadelphia, and she was later pronounced dead at a hospital, authorities said.
Dear Influencers, Always Sign A Contract
In this week's newsletter: These misfortunes revealed how many handshake deals are still taking place between brand and influencer; And an ode to fitness YouTuber Chloe Ting, who said she feels like she's being chased off of the platform.
Influencers Say A Sex Toy Company Has Been Hiring Them To Market Its Products But Delaying Paying Them
Creators who have worked with Ooh! Companion on sponsored content deals told BuzzFeed News they have spent weeks or months chasing down payments from the brand, with some saying they were only paid after threatening legal action.
A Woman Re-Created The Iconic Nicole Kidman Divorce Look To Celebrate Her Own Divorce Being Finalized
Liz Maupin said the 2001 photo of Kidman represented "relief and freedom."
The OnlyFans Sex Ban — And Then The Reversal — Was A Huge Slap In The Face To Its Creators
In this week's newsletter: OnlyFans missed two opportunities to acknowledge the damage it caused to creators who helped bring them to investors' tables. Plus, Taylor Swift is on TikTok and I am optimistic about it.
Influencers Are Taking Desperate Measures To Recover Their Instagram Accounts
People who operate on the fringes of Instagram’s community guidelines say they’ve resorted to desperate measures after losing their accounts, turning to dealers who say they have a back door to the platform.
VidCon Has Been Canceled Again Due To Concerns Over COVID-19 And The Delta Variant
The conference was supposed to be hosted by TikTok for the first time. Organizers are still planning for a 2022 in-person event.