Hey Elon, please just take my Twitter checkmark away
2023-03-19 06:21:18author：dointy.com
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Hey Elon, please just take my Twitter checkmark away
The fun’s over, folks.
I’ve had a verified checkmark on Twitter for approximately six years. Theoretically, it’s because I’m a journalist. In reality, it’s because you used to be able to openly apply for one, and I did that while I was just an intern at another website. I didn’t expect to get it, but I did, and I’ve been laughing about it ever since.
In the aftermath of Elon Musk’s takeover of the bird site, I don’t want the stupid thing anymore. Whatever meaning it may have once had (if not for me, then for other people), it’s been rendered meaningless by Musk’s hare-brained new policies.
SEE ALSO:
Can an $8 Twitter subscription bail out Elon Musk? Let's look at the numbers.
Even if I initially got it as a joke, having a checkmark now makes you the punchline. I don’t want any part of that.
Man without a plan
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or you just don’t use Twitter, in which case I commend you), one of Musk’s early initiatives as owner of the site has been to “democratize” the blue checkmark. He did so by allowing anyone to get one if they paid $8/mo for a Twitter Blue subscription.
Because nothing is as democratic as gating access to something behind a paywall, I guess.
Anyway, the net result has been nothing short of disastrous. Musk apparently went into this without any sort of plan, so accounts that already had checkmarks like major public figures or institutions instead got a little “Official” badge on their page. This is, of course, very dumb, and produced outcomes like Kanye West having an “Official” badge while Joe Biden didn’t.
Musk killed that within a day.
Then, as everyone on the site predicted, people started paying $8 for a checkmark, changing their avatars and display names to mirror those of major media figures or companies, and posting fake news or vulgar content. Again, anyone could’ve seen that coming.
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Not a status symbol
The core problem with all of this, something that Musk doesn’t seem to understand despite spending a lot of time on Twitter, is that the checkmark was never meant to be a status symbol. It was simply meant to denote that someone is who they say they are. By making it as simple as spending $8 to get one (with no ID verification), he’s rendered it completely meaningless.
And maybe it was always meaningless to an extent. After all, in my own case, it was a bit from the beginning. People have also been using other methods (emojis that sort of look like the checkmark at a glance, for example) to impersonate big accounts for years. The system has always been subvertible, but now subverting it is part of the business plan.
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Can an $8 Twitter subscription bail out Elon Musk? Let's look at the numbers.
Elon Musk can't tweet his way out of this
If that’s the case, I want out. It’s not clear when, or if, already-verified people like me who elect not to pay will lose their checkmarks, but I’d like for it to happen ASAP. Elon, buddy, if you’re reading this: Take that little badge off of Twitter user @Yelix’s page. It’s no longer of any use to me.
If I continue to have a checkmark, it’ll only result in derision and ridicule (beyond what I already get for my terrible posts) because people will think I’ve paid for it. It doesn’t matter that you can hover over the badge to see if someone paid for it or not; people on Twitter don’t even read news stories before commenting on them. That’s a useless dead end.
If the equation for verification is "people who are important or people who pay money," I no longer qualify for either. I’m just a guy who filled out a form in 2016, thinking it wouldn’t go anywhere. And I’m fully aware that I can do it myself by changing my @ handle, but I don’t want to do it that way. I want it taken from me. I want to be a martyr for the cause.
Let’s make it happen, my guy. I'm ready to be a man of the people again.
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TV cops call for other TV cops to step up and donate
You have to either be foolish or actively part of the problem if you fail to recognize at this point that there's a policing problem in the United States.
You know who isn't a fool? Griffin Newman, star of The Tick and co-host of the Blank Check podcast(Opens in a new tab). He also played a cop on TV in a couple episodes of Blue Bloods, and came to the unfortunate revelation that since we can't necessarily rely on IRL cops to do the right thing during this fraught moment, maybe the fictional police can step up to help instead.
So he made a tweet. And he accompanied that tweet with proof of a tangible action taken, a donation to the Community Justice Exchange through ActBlue(Opens in a new tab).
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Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz saw the tweet and passed it along. The actor who plays no-nonsense cop Rosa Diaz on the NBC sitcom followed Newman's lead and did the same thing: an $11,000 donation to the Emergency Release Fund(Opens in a new tab) and another tweet calling on TV cops to step up.
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As of 11:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning, Newman and Beatriz were the only two actors who have publicly made the pledge using the template laid out(Opens in a new tab) in the original tweet.
Around 9:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Beatriz' co-star Melissa Fumero tweeted in support of the protests, adding that the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and showrunner Dan Goor had made a $100,000 donation to the National Bail Fund Network and encouraged others to do the same.
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And hey, you don't need to be a current or former TV cop to donate. There are real people out in the world right now who need help that extend beyond concern-tweeting and other forms of performative allyship(Opens in a new tab) on social media. If you're financially able, write the check. Want some ideas? Start here.
UPDATE: June 3, 2020, 11:45 a.m. AEST This story has been updated to include the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast's donation.
Snapchat stops promoting Donald Trumps account in Discover
UPDATE: June 3, 2020, 2:37 p.m. EDT
President Trump's team has apparently not taken kindly to Snapchat's actions. According to the New York Times(Opens in a new tab), Trump's 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said(Opens in a new tab) "Snapchat is trying to rig the 2020 election." OK, Brad.
The social media dominoes are falling for President Donald Trump.
As protests over the killing of George Floyd and police brutality continue across the country, Trump is doing things likes having protesters teargassed for a photo op and raging against Twitter. Now tech companies are taking action.
Snapchat says that it won't promote the president's account in the Discover section anymore. Axios(Opens in a new tab) first reported the decision, and Snap confirmed the news to Mashable via email. Snapchat made the decision over the weekend.
“We are not currently promoting the President’s content on Snapchat’s Discover platform," a Snap spokesperson said. "We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover. Racial violence and injustice have no place in our society and we stand together with all who seek peace, love, equality, and justice in America.”
The decision comes after controversy around Trump's tweets that many view as inciting violence against protesters. Twitter affixed labels to two of Trump's recent tweets: one that spread false news about voting by mail, and another that glorified violence, which Twitter blurred out. Meanwhile at Facebook, despite internal protests from employees, Mark Zuckerberg has stuck by the company's decision to allow the content on its platform.
Snapchat's stand is a bit different. Trump's account will remain on Snap, searchable and available to subscribers, and there's no specific content that it is fact checking, removing, or censoring. The change comes in its Discover tab, a section in the app that Snap employees curate. The company's thinking is that people can say what they want on Snapchat as long as it doesn't violate community guidelines. But users are not entitled to the "free promotion" of Discover, which has always been curated. Snap does not want Discover to be a place that amplifies messages of hate.
SEE ALSO:
How tech leaders can do more for racial justice than just tweet
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel alluded to the decision in a memo(Opens in a new tab) sent to employees, which was made public by the company.
As for Snapchat, we simply cannot promote accounts in America that are linked to people who incite racial violence, whether they do so on or off our platform. Our Discover content platform is a curated platform, where we decide what we promote. We have spoken time and again about working hard to make a positive impact, and we will walk the talk with the content we promote on Snapchat. We may continue to allow divisive people to maintain an account on Snapchat, as long as the content that is published on Snapchat is consistent with our community guidelines, but we will not promote that account or content in any way.... we will make it clear with our actions that there is no grey area when it comes to racism, violence, and injustice – and we will not promote it, nor those who support it, on our platform.
Trump lashed out at Twitter's actions by signing an executive order meant to make it easier to sue social media companies for the content posted by their users.
There's no word from the president yet on Snap's actions. But if the situation plays out like the Alex Jones bans, more social media companies could be taking away Trump's megaphones for hate.
Mayor of D.C. has city workers painting Black Lives Matter on street to White House
Washington, D.C. has taken some very visible action to support the Black Lives Matter protests around the country.
On Friday morning, a group of people were seen painting the words "Black Lives Matter" in large yellow letters down two blocks of 16th Street, a two-lane road which leads to the White House.
The painters were commissioned by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser(Opens in a new tab), per CNN, and when New York Times writer Emily Badger happened upon the city workers on Friday morning, they casually said they were "just paintin' the streets."
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Badger noted that the 16 eye-catching letters, which span the full width of the street, will "be a real middle finger to any federal forces flying overhead."
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If you're curious as to what the statement looks like from above, check out this video that Mayor Bowser shared on Twitter alongside the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. The video was taken from a roof and music can be heard playing in the background.
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Badger also added that the yellow paint is not temporary by any means — it appears to be the same paint city officials use to stripe road lanes.
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"Black Lives Matter" paint on 16th street near the White House.Credit: DANIEL SLIM / AFP via Getty Images
The lettering comes as protests continue to spread throughout the city and hundreds of people gather each day outside the White House gates to condemn racism, police brutality, and the death of George Floyd — a black man who died on May 25, after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes.
After protests outside the White House escalated last Friday night, the Secret Service reportedly ushered Trump — along with Melania and their son Barron — to the underground presidential bunker, where they were said to have remained for nearly an hour(Opens in a new tab).
On Friday morning, Mayor Bowser shared additional tweets that related to the Black Lives Matter paint. The first was a letter she wrote requesting that President Trump "withdraw all extraordinary federal law enforcement and military presence" from the city.
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And the second was a video that showed a "Black Lives Matter" street sign being added to a lamp post in the city. "The section of 16th street in front of the White House is now officially 'Black Lives Matter Plaza,'" Bowser wrote in her tweet.
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Mashable has reached out to the D.C. Mayor's office for comment and will update this article if we receive a reply.
UPDATE: June 5, 2020, 10:55 a.m. EDT Updated to include a tweet from D.C. mayor, Muriel Bowser.
UPDATE: June 5, 2020, 12:13 p.m. EDT Updated to include two additional tweets from Mayor Bowser.
Related Video: How to donate to support the Black Lives Matter movement
In TikTok protest, witches cast spells to hex cops
Under the light of this week's full moon, a group of witches of TikTok — or WitchTok, if you will — are casting protection spells for protestors and hexes for cops.
With the U.S. a week into protests against police brutality after the killing of George Floyd, a surprising array of subcultures have stepped up to help. K-pop stans flooded police reporting platforms with fancams so informants couldn't snitch on protestors. Even Mennonites showed up(Opens in a new tab) to protest in Minneapolis. And now covens are redirecting their power to protestors.
Organizing under the #witchesforblm hashtag, practicing witches are teaching each other how to cast simple spells, draw sigils, and manifest intentions.
The movement seems to have started with a comment from TikTok user beckydoeslife. This was in response to a TikTok by venxm.exe, in which the practicing witch filmed herself casting a protection spell for protestors rallying against police brutality.
In just five days, the tag #witchesforblm garnered a collective 10 million views on the app.
The tag started when a TikTok user suggested using #witchesforblm to organize.Credit: tiktok / venxm.exe
The tag started when a TikTok user suggested using #witchesforblm to organize.Credit: tiktok / venxm.exe
WitchTok users aim to protect protestors and hex law enforcement, who have been escalating violence against peaceful protestors nationwide all week.
In some videos, like this one from rue.the.day, users act out what they predict will happen to cops after WitchTok casts its spells.
TikTok users are acting out what'll happen to cops after they cast their spells.Credit: tiktok / rue.the.day
In a video for beginners, jes.tkidding suggests a simple hex: write down the names of police officers and use a black candle to burn that paper, and then let the candle burn all the way through. In a video for more experienced practitioners, sorciereverte demonstrates how to write protection sigils that spell out "PROTESTORS ARE PROTECTED FROM POLICE BRUTALITY" and "BLACK LIVES MATTER TODAY AND ALWAYS."
A TikTok user demonstrates simple spells beginner witches can cast.Credit: tiktok / jes.tkidding
A TikTok user demonstrates writing a sigil that says, "PROTESTORS ARE PROTECTED AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY."Credit: tiktok / sorciereverte
Of course, casting spells probably isn't enough to really make change to a historically racist and unjust system. So in addition to recommending meditating, burning candles, and making "moon water," TikTok user earthytiana suggests(Opens in a new tab) using the power of the full moon to sign petitions, donate to the Black Lives Matter movement, and attend protests.
Enjoy watching as Brits tear down a slavers statue and dump it in the river
If you happen to be looking for the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, England, try finding it at its new location: in the harbor, at the bottom of the river.
If you’re not sure exactly where, you can try checking Google Maps. It’s been updated with the statue’s new underwater location. (It may be changed back when you go to look, though; keep reading.)
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An estimated 10,000 people showed up in Bristol, England on Sunday for a Black Lives Matter protest in solidarity with the hundreds of cities across the United States which have been protesting the police killing of George Floyd.
During the protest, some attendees tied a rope around the memorial of Edward Colston in Bristol, where the bronze statue has stood since 1895. Colston was a 17th century English slave trader and former member of Parliament. He was responsible for transporting more than 100,000 slaves from West Africa.
Some were quick to point out how Colston was a well-known philanthropist, supporting schools, hospitals and various other charities. A number of city landmarks and establishments bear his name. However, what needs to be mentioned along with these charitable efforts is how he funded all this with money he made from the slave trade.
The demonstrators proceeded to topple the statue. One protester kneeled down on its neck after it fell, in a nod to Floyd, who was killed when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes while three other officers both looked on and, in two cases, helped.
Protesters then dragged the statue to the harbor and pushed it over a guardrail, where it fell into the Avon River, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
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Shortly after, as word spread, many users on social media platforms like Twitter had noticed that a Google Maps search was now showing the statue’s new location: at the bottom of the river. The statue was later updated with additional info, obviously crowdsourced by users, like how the memorial was “permanently closed.”
I checked Google Maps to confirm. However, at the time that I looked, the updated location of the statue had reverted back to its original spot... where the statue is no longer located.
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Local law enforcement have condemned the toppling of the statue. An investigation has been opened to find out who was responsible for taking it down.
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The Colston statue has been a point of contention in the Bristol community since well before the current police brutality protests. In 2018, the Lord Mayor of Bristol removed(Opens in a new tab) a portrait of the slave trader that hung in city hall. A petition to remove(Opens in a new tab) the statue already existed, garnering 11,000 signatures.
Protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd continue to spread across the United States and around the world.
14 Harry Potter things to love that have nothing to do with J.K. Rowling
On Saturday, J.K. Rowling posted her latest string of transphobic tweets, in which she suggested that only women can menstruate and that gender inclusivity erases the female experience. As an ardent Harry Potter fan myself, with a network of friends in the community, I saw my Twitter timeline fill up with exactly one sentiment in response to these tweets:
Fuck that.
This isn't the first time Rowling has been transphobic; previous likes and tweets have followed the line of thought demonstrated on Saturday. I personally expressed my disappointment in her December 2019 tweets, but wrote them off. I assumed she was oblivious and disconnected from the right resources due to shoddy PR, her own ignorance, and that bubble away from reality that most of the ultra-rich and famous seem to occupy.
But again, fuck that.
Saturday's tweets are further evidence of Rowling's ignorance, but there can be no doubt now that it is willful. Even Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, couldn't remain silent and issued a statement in solidarity with the queer and trans community(Opens in a new tab).
For a generation that grew up on the Harry Potter values of standing up to power and bigotry, the irony is not lost and the heartbreak is real. It's been a long time coming for some but totally new for others who might not be able to stop loving Potter as easily as they turned on its creator.
Harry Potter has been around long enough that its influence spreads far beyond a certain writer. Songs have been written, merch designed, organizations launched, and discussions furthered far beyonds the limits of what Rowling could ever have imagined. Those of us who read Harry Potter as children are writers, artists, and activists now, equipped to enjoy the wizarding world without her.
So now that you've accepted the Death of the Author(Opens in a new tab), here are 14 places to direct your Harry Potter love that have nothing to do with You-Know-Who.
Note: The author (I mean myself now) knows individuals involved with several items on this list.
1. The Harry Potter Alliance(Opens in a new tab)
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Launched in 2005, the HPA is a social justice organization that works toward gender equity, LGTBQIA+ equality, racial justice, climate change activism, education, and more. It has partnered with groups like the American Library Association, ACLU, and Hank and John Green's DFTBA. In 2010, the HPA raised enough money through fan campaigns to send five airplanes of medical supplies to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti(Opens in a new tab). They have a handy guide on how to advocate for trans people right here(Opens in a new tab).
2. Black Girls Create(Opens in a new tab)
This multifandom resource for black creators encourages fans to recognize that you can love something while still being highly critical of it. They raised $16,000 in a week for organizations helping Black Lives Matter through a Hogwarts house-themed points competition. Through podcasts(Opens in a new tab) like #WizardTeam(Opens in a new tab) and the Doctor Who-themed TARBIS(Opens in a new tab) (Who Watch: Time and Relative Blackness in Space), the BGC community promotes intersectional representation, especially for black women.
3. Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis(Opens in a new tab)
This breezy web series what would have happened if 25-year-old Hermione Granger didn't marry Ron and become a cop, but questioned it all and hightailed to California to hang out with former classmate Parvati Patil. Created by Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael and starring Ashley Romans, the series imagines how wizardry looks for millennial adults and how the magical and muggle worlds collide. It's even brave enough to suggest Hermione go to therapy, something that would certainly have helped all the adults in Cursed Child. And speaking of that nonsense...
4. StarKid(Opens in a new tab)
Filmed in a 100-seat basement theater at the University of Michigan, A Very Potter Musical became an early viral sensation in 2009. It expertly pokes fun at its source material and expands upon the canon, as with Harry's obvious desire to be the center of attention or Draco's inability to stand still. The cast and characters are more diverse in race and sexuality than any Harry Potter content ever distributed by Warner Bros. or Universal, a statistic that will probably hold up for a very long time.
AVPM spawned a sequel ("There is literally no way forward from this point") and a threequel, but its creators have created over a dozen non-Potter productions since then, including Holy Musical, [email protected]!, Ani: A Parody, and originals like Firebringer and Black Friday.
5. The Gayly Prophet(Opens in a new tab)
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Two Harry Potter fans (Jessie Blount and Lark Malakai Grey) host this weekly podcast that examines the books through a queer feminist lens. They were quick to note after Rowling's comments that this person was being openly transphobic during an uprising in a pandemic and that there is truly no weirder or worse flex.
6. Sorted(Opens in a new tab)
Credit: simon & schuster
Jackson Bird(Opens in a new tab)'s 2019 memoir about coming out as trans is inextricably linked to his experiences in the Harry Potter fandom. Bird's writing is thorough and informative yet never overwhelming. He takes you on his journey through childhood and adolescence, weaving in the boy wizard's influence and the community that ultimately helped him accept who he was and offered support when he declared it. The title refers to the Sorting Hat, but especially to Dumbledore's musing in Deathly Hallows that "I sometimes think we sort too soon." Once again, the fans understand Rowling's message more than it seems she ever could.
7. Man Up Apparel(Opens in a new tab)
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This clothing brand started as a part-time source of cheer apparel and now provides some of the swaggiest HP clothing Warner Bros. could only dream of. The house face hoodies give mascots as much a chance to shine as colors, and the varsity jackets will be the envy of every former high school athlete you meet. Best of all for this Ravenclaw: The Ravenclaw colors of blue and bronze and the house eagle are resplendent, putting that hideous blue-gray raven gear from the movies to shame.
8. Mark Reads Harry Potter(Opens in a new tab)
Writer Mark Oshiro(Opens in a new tab) has made a career of watching and reading things(Opens in a new tab) (and is now an author(Opens in a new tab) too) because their voice is so utterly entertaining. They started Harry Potter for the first time in 2010(Opens in a new tab) with little to no prior exposure (the podcast Potterless(Opens in a new tab) started a similar journey in recent years) and there is nothing quite like experiencing the joy of a grown adult becoming obsessed with Rubeus Hagrid for the first time.
9. Carry On(Opens in a new tab)
Credit: St. Martin's Griffin
Rainbow Rowell's YA fantasy novel is a spinoff of her own Fangirl, but the characters are undeniably influenced by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy as they occupy a slightly different magical realm. Simon Snow is his world's Chosen One, guided by "the Mage" and anointed by a prophecy — and as if that's not enough, he finds it harder and harder each day to deny the attraction he feels to his so-called enemy Basilton (a.k.a. Baz). Carry On and sequel Wayward Son (yup) are the Drarry fic you crave on ink and paper, and a beautiful example of how joyous and easy it is to write a queer magical story.
10. Puffs(Opens in a new tab)
The now-closed off-Broadway play about "a certain school of magic and magic" tells the story we all know through the eyes of Hufflepuff students — sometimes confused, often endangered, and always nice even in the face of certain danger brought upon them by the Boy Who Lived. It may not be running anymore, but the show lives on digitally(Opens in a new tab).
11. Vegard(Opens in a new tab)
This European YouTuber happily declares "Harry Potter (minus JKR)" in their Twitter bio(Opens in a new tab), and has a wonderful time exploring the books, movies, spells, and more in video form regardless. Vegard proves there is no end to answers to the question of how one can manifest one's Harry Potter love, whether it's explaining the story drunk, editing oneself into scenes, talking about it to Siri, and so much more.
12. Wizard rock
The musical genre launched in the early 2000s now boasts hundreds of musicians and bands who sing about the series, including to challenge its heteronormativity or ridiculousness wherever they can. The wizard rock community has long been a haven for queer fans, and the growing roster of artists(Opens in a new tab) means more diverse talent joining its ranks every day.
13. The Wizard Tailor(Opens in a new tab)
@thewizardtailor(Opens in a new tab)
Get in the car, looser, we’re going to Beauxbatons 🦋 ##tiktokprom(Opens in a new tab)##harrypotter(Opens in a new tab)##passthebrushchallenge(Opens in a new tab)##passthebrush(Opens in a new tab)##beauxbatons(Opens in a new tab)##french(Opens in a new tab)##hp(Opens in a new tab)##hpcosplay(Opens in a new tab)##hpcos(Opens in a new tab)
♬ Theme from "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (Potter Waltz) - Movie Sounds Unlimited(Opens in a new tab)
This TikTok creator and cosplayer known as Michael is doing the ridiculous and yet very important work of recreating popular TikToks with a Harry Potter spin(Opens in a new tab). Apologies in advance to all your friends for the slew of links you're about to send them.
14. Binge Mode: Harry Potter(Opens in a new tab)
Though it does occasionally praise the author, The Ringer's Binge Mode podcast hosted by Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion provides exceptional analysis and raucous commentary as they reread the Harry Potter books. No amount of Fantastic Beasts movies (and we hope there are no more) could conceive of anything as brilliant as "McGalleon," a headcanon about McGonagall's aggressive sports betting and how it clouds her objectivity as a teacher. You'll learn to turn down the volume when Jason yells, and you'll love it.
Its OK to post on social media even though you havent replied to texts
I don't know who needs to hear this, but it's perfectly OK for someone to post on social media even though they haven't replied to your text messages yet.
Sure, it's polite and respectful to respond to messages and answer questions as soon as possible, but taking a few hours — or even days — to do so doesn't always mean someone is actively trying to be rude or disrespectful toward you.
It's easy to get annoyed with people who take a while to respond to messages — especially if you see them tweeting, sharing articles to Facebook, or posting Instagram stories in the meantime. Trust me, I get it.
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I used to make every effort to reply to texts within seconds of receiving them, so I often got frustrated when others took a while to respond to me. When people would leave my texts unanswered and I'd see them post on social media, I'd admittedly wonder, "What the hell?" But then, something changed.
I grew increasingly overwhelmed with work, life, and all the chaos going on in the world, and my anxiety made it impossible to text anyone back. I started having to wait until it subsided to reply to people, and that's when I realized delayed responses aren't always what they seem.
SEE ALSO:
13 mental health resources for black people trying to cope right now
Sending a text seems like one of the simplest tasks in the world. You tap your phone screen to form words and smash the send button, right? Most of the time I do consider texting to be an extremely low-energy task, but much like in-person conversations, communicating digitally sometimes requires real effort, vulnerability, and thoughtfulness. That's not always easy to give.
Texting and using social media require different levels of effort
At some point over the past few years, I began staring at light gray iMessage bubbles that read things like, "How are you?" or "How was your week?" in absolute terror. My thumbs became paralyzed at the sight of daunting questions that required deep levels of introspection or explanation on my part, so I'd put off responding until I felt up to the challenge.
I occasionally let my text messages pile up unanswered, but I kept living my life and posting to social media. It seemed like a good system, until one of my friends called me out.
"Hi, remember me???" a friend replied to my Instagram story one Saturday. She had texted me the day before, and I hadn't forgotten to respond. I'd had a truly horrible week and wanted to take the weekend to recover. I had every intention of replying to her non-urgent text on Monday, but because she saw me using Instagram, she felt I should have texted her back already.
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Unless the person you message has read receipts turned on, you likely won't be able to tell when, or if, they've had a chance to read your texts. If you picture someone being too busy to stop and look at their phones — as I'm sure my friend was doing with me — it's easy to rationalize delayed responses. But if a person you've messaged posts to social media before replying to you, their silence in DMs is often taken as a slap in the face.
The common thought process here is that if someone has the time to casually be online, then they must have time to reply to your text. If they're on social media, they're clearly using technology, so why can't they take a few extra minutes to answer you?
On the surface, this logic makes sense. But it's not always as simple as someone failing to carve out time. People might be posting to social media during a quick break from work, they could be using social media to distract themselves from daily dread, or they might quickly post something in the presence of other people and not have the time to devote to texting. There's also the chance that they just might have forgotten to reply.
When my friend called me out for not answering her, I replied honestly. I explained that for me, posting on social media requires much less effort than engaging in a personal conversation. I told her I was taking the weekend to recharge my social batteries, and she was super understanding. We ended up having a really productive conversation about how texting isn't always as easy as it sounds.
Sometimes self-care means not texting back right away
Depending on the conversation topic and where you're at in life mentally/emotionally, chatting with people can be challenging.
Reminding myself that texts like, "How are you?" can demand significantly more detailed responses than than texts like, "Have you watched Better Call Saul yet?" helps me understand and justify delayed responses. And acknowledging that mindlessly scrolling through Twitter or posting photos of food can be easier than talking about your life helped me accept that it's perfectly fine to use social media in between receiving and answering texts.
How have I been? What a stacked question.Credit: screenshot / nicole gallucci
Sometimes self-care means not texting back right away, and that became extraordinarily clear to me this year amid the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd protests.
When my mind was racing to grapple with all the new coronavirus social distancing guidelines, medical research, and death tolls, I had trouble replying to texts in a timely manner. I did, however, find some semblance of calm on Instagram, and I continued sharing informative updates on Twitter.
And after George Floyd died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, I barely texted anyone for days. I took time to watch protests spread around the world; to read books and articles, and to watch films to further educate myself on the history of racism and police brutality. I made an effort to donate to organizations, sign petitions, and support black-owned businesses.
Though I didn't feel ready to reply to non-urgent texts for a full week, I felt it was imperative that I continue to use my social media platforms to help raise awareness on the issues at hand and share invaluable resources.
Exceptions to the rule
If you're not in the right mindset to reply to text messages immediately, you shouldn't. Prioritizing your mental health is important. But you should also choose which texts to leave hanging on a case-by-case basis.
Always keep a message's content and urgency in mind. If someone's asking a question that requires an immediate response, do your best to respond in a timely fashion. And if someone needs help, you obviously shouldn't ignore them.
Wait a bit, but don't ghost people forever.Credit: vicky leta / mashable
If you wait to text back, be sure to acknowledge and apologize for the delay when you do get around to it. You can even be upfront with people and let them know upon receiving their message that you need a day or two to get back to them — that way you can relax without the unanswered text lingering in the back of your mind. Be honest with people if you're too overwhelmed to chat, but please avoid using that viral text reply template.
And remember, there's definitely a difference between waiting until you feel emotionally ready to text someone back and straight-up ghosting them. Don't ghost people, that's rude as hell.
Be kind to yourself and others
Ultimately, it's crucial to keep in mind that you never know exactly what someone is going through when they receive your text messages.
Cut yourself, and others, some slack, and try not to read too much into text delays — even if you see people posting on social media before they've replied. (If the wait really bothers you, you can always confront them about it. And you might end up having an eye-opening talk like I did with my friend.)
As someone who's avoided replying to family members and friends I absolutely adore because of sheer emotional exhaustion, I can tell you that delays aren't always ill-intentioned. Sometimes people are just overwhelmed.
Now you can identify plants and pooches right in Snapchat
Have you ever seen a dog so adorable or a plant so lush out in the wild that you had to know what it was right then and there?
Snap announced new partnerships on Thursday with the apps Dog Scanner(Opens in a new tab) and PlantSnap(Opens in a new tab) that will allow Snapchat users to do just that. Snapchatters can identify dogs or plants they encounter in the real world by scanning them right in Snapchat.
When you press and hold on the camera screen in Snapchat, lenses that are relevant to what the camera is pointing at are unlocked. For example, if I point and hold the camera on my dog right now, lenses that put sunglasses or heart eyes specifically formatted for the shape face of a dog appear.
Now, if you point the camera at a particularly Good Boy you see, you can access a lens that tells you what breed the dog is, using the data and A.I. of Dog Scanner, which recognizes nearly 400 dog breeds (my dog would get 100 percent purebred mutt). And if you focus your lens on a tree, bush or bud that catches your eye, you'll be able to identify 90 percent of known plants and trees with the PlantSnap integration.
Gotta snap that plant!!!Credit: snap
Snap announced the new features at the Snap Partner Summit, which it held virtually Thursday.
The ability to identify two of earth's best things — dogs and plants — through your smartphone, of course already exists; Dog Scanner and PlantSnap are standalone apps. But it's helpful that the capability comes within Snapchat itself if you're either someone who uses the app frequently already, or doesn't want to have to download a new app for each object you want your smartphone to help identify.
Plus, more categories are coming soon. An upcoming integration with the food and cosmetics scanning app Yuka(Opens in a new tab) will let Snapchatters unlock nutrition facts when they point and hold the camera at a food item. Snap already lets you point and hold to identify a song through Shazam, solve math problems with Photomath, and identify (and shop for) products sold on Amazon.
The dog and plant integrations are the sort of typically playful and fun feature that Snapchat is known for. However, the lens product also holds opportunity for further monetization for the company, as Snap CEO Evan Spiegel pointed out during a Q&A with reporters. For example, Snap unveiled a partnership with Louis Vuitton that allows users to point and hold on the monogram logo, which then takes users to content about their new collection. It's easy to see how — similar to the Amazon integration — this could lead to not just brand content and awareness, but shopping.
Snap made some other announcements around lenses for both developers and users Thursday. It's making more lens development templates available, such as ways to interact with — wait for it — feet (this could enable experiences like virtually trying on shoes).
On the user side, pointing and holding in a neighborhood will now unlock "local lenses," which lets users actually decorate buildings and other landmarks in AR. It's kind of like a shared street art experience, in which users build on each other's creations, that anyone in the physical space can access.
Snapchat's innovation in AR has helped the company keep its creative edge, even as companies like Facebook continually try to copy it. The biggest trouble with Snapchat's AR products is keeping track of all the things the app can do in a sometimes difficult to navigate lens ecosystem. But with a new voice search feature and a souped up Activity Bar, also announced Thursday, Snap's working on that, too.
Fox News used doctored images to, uh, report on Seattle protests
A protest against the police killing of George Floyd and police brutality in Seattle has been mostly characterized by drum circles, speakers(Opens in a new tab) and movie screenings. But if you only tuned into Fox News for coverage of these demonstrations, you might think it was full of burning buildings and armed guards.
On Friday, Fox News published several digitally altered images of the demonstrations on its website, which the Seattle Times caught(Opens in a new tab). It's not clear who is responsible for tweaking the images.
One photo, shown on Fox's homepage on Friday, placed a man with a rifle standing in front of a sign that reads "You are now entering Free Cap Hill." The street scene and the man who appears in it come from two different photos, taken more than a week apart.
The sign in that photo refers to the newly-dubbed Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, a stretch of six blocks set up by protesters in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood to create "a police-free" independent zone, The Guardian reported(Opens in a new tab). It was established after the Seattle police abandoned a precinct in the neighborhood(Opens in a new tab) and converted the area into a festival-like space.
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The conservative outlet also published a photo of a person running past a fiery building and car to accompany stories on the Seattle protest. The headline read "CRAZY TOWN." The photo is actually from St. Paul, Minn. and was taken on May 30, according to the Seattle Times.
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After the Times reached out to Fox News about the photos, they were removed. But a Fox News spokeswoman also said the following, "We have replaced our photo illustration with the clearly delineated images of a gunman and a shattered storefront, both of which were taken this week in Seattle’s autonomous zone.”
The Times pushed back on this statement writing in its article that "the gunman photo was taken June 10, while storefront images it was melded with were datelined May 30 by Getty Images."
Though, as the Times reports, the demonstration has seen armed protesters it is nothing like the scene Fox attempted to purport with its misleading use of images.
As a photojournalism ethics educator told the Times, "I think it’s disgraceful propaganda and terribly misrepresentative of documentary journalism in times like this, when truth-telling and accountability is so important,” said Kenny Irby. “There is no attribution. There is no acknowledgment of the montage, and it’s terribly misleading.”
On Saturday, Fox News appended an editor's note to the stories featuring altered images expressing regret for "these errors."
A FoxNews.com home page photo collage which originally accompanied this story included multiple scenes from Seattle’s “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” and of wreckage following recent riots. The collage did not clearly delineate between these images, and has since been replaced. In addition, a recent slideshow depicting scenes from Seattle mistakenly included a picture from St. Paul, Minnesota. Fox News regrets these errors.
UPDATE: June 13, 2020, 4:06 p.m. EDT Added the editor's note that's been appended to stories on the Fox News website featuring the misleading images.
In honor of Trumps birthday, people tweet praise for Obama
Donald Trump turned 74 on Sunday. So, naturally, people celebrated the occasion by tweeting about the person who perhaps gets under his skin the most: Barack Obama. (Sunday was also Flag Day, but we feel like that wasn't the impetus here.)
The former president trended on the platform(Opens in a new tab) for much of the day, frequently under hashtags like #BarackObamaDay, #ObamaDayUSA, and #ObamaDayJune14th. Users tweeted corny praise for the former president alongside statements about Trump's incompetence. Some were oblique: "Smart intelligence leadership. I miss that every day," one person wrote. Others were more pointed: "Best president in my lifetime. Right @realdonaldtrump? You're the worst," wrote another(Opens in a new tab).
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Still others made references to Saturday's ramp fiasco, when Trump stepped gingerly down a ramp after his West Point graduation speech, got made fun of, then lied about it being slippery in a later tweet. One user, for example, tweeted a photo(Opens in a new tab) of Obama walking down a "slippery wet sidewalk."
SEE ALSO:
Michelle Obama to 2020 graduates: 'Finish the work the generations before you have started'
While not explicitly related to Obama, #AllBirthdaysMatter — a troll-y reference to the dismissive slogan "All lives matter,"(Opens in a new tab) which is often employed in attempts to discredit the Black Lives Matter movement — also trended briefly above Trump's birthday. Of course, the K-pop fans participated.
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Like most Resistance Twitter(Opens in a new tab) trends, the tweets skewed largely corny, were very reductive, and suffered from an overuse of hashtags. But Trump also takes the bait on this kind of thing all the time, so perhaps it genuinely bothered him. In any event, we're sure the Krassenstein brothers(Opens in a new tab) would be proud.
Daylight saving time could become permanent in the U.S. Heres what that means.
The U.S. Senate apparently likes daylight saving time so much that it wants to make it permanent. Legislators unanimously voted to approve the Sunshine Protection Act(Opens in a new tab) on March 15, 2022, which would establish daylight saving time as the default all year round for the states that observe it — meaning darker mornings and brighter evenings in winter.
The bill must be passed by the House of Representatives and then signed by the President before it can come into effect. But if it does, Americans will no longer have to change their clocks twice every year starting from 2023.
"The public safety improvements, economic benefits, and the wellbeing of the American people are all excellent and credible reasons to embrace year-long Daylight Saving Time," said Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith(Opens in a new tab). "I believe the Sunshine Protection Act would give us an immediate and long-term boost after a terrible pandemic year and a very dark winter."
Time zones will remain in place and unaffected, and states or territories which don't already observe daylight saving time won't be forced to do so.
Why do we even have daylight saving time in the U.S.?
Daylight saving time was first introduced to the U.S. in 1918(Opens in a new tab) as a means of saving fuel during World War I, copying Germany's adoption of the practice in 1916. It was extremely unpopular with farmers, who had less morning light to help with their work, and was quickly scrapped as a national measure after the war.
However, some localities decided to keep daylight saving time — most notably New York City. Daylight saving time was more popular in urban areas because it provided more daylight after work hours for shopping and recreation, the increased spending also boosting the economy. Thus while rural areas were eschewing daylight saving time, cities were adopting it.
The U.S. reinstated a national daylight saving time during World War II(Opens in a new tab), then abolished it again after the war ended in 1945. But the overall discord and confusion regarding time across the country remained, eventually prompting the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This law established time zones and daylight saving time, mandating that an entire state must stick to the same time, and that states which opt to use daylight saving time must change their clocks on nationally set dates.
Various experiments and amendments have been executed since then, including a fuel-conserving trial of year-round daylight saving time from 1974 to '75(Opens in a new tab), and changes to start and end dates to extend daylight saving time.
The case for switching to daylight saving time permanently
Aside from averting missed meetings and no longer having to adjust all your clocks, supporters of the Sunshine Protection Act extol numerous benefits to permanently adopting daylight saving time.
The most immediately obvious purported upside is the energy saved, as people are expected to turn their lights on one hour later. Yet studies have been mixed(Opens in a new tab) or inconclusive(Opens in a new tab) regarding daylight saving time's actual impact on energy consumption, with some finding either minimal reduction or an actual increase.
Fortunately there are many other positive effects that make the switch to permanent daylight saving time well worth it. Moving our clocks forward to daylight saving time every year causes significant disruption to our sleep patterns, correlating to higher rates of strokes and heart attacks, and exacerbated mood disorders(Opens in a new tab). A 2015 study found that people over 65 are 20 percent more likely to have a stroke(Opens in a new tab) in the two to five days after transitioning to daylight saving time than at any other time of the year.
SEE ALSO:
Pets have no idea it's daylight saving time, and it's going to be a rough week
Abolishing this practice will eliminate this risk — as well as reducing motor accidents caused by driver fatigue and decreased visibility(Opens in a new tab). In 2020 a study found a six percent increase in fatal car accidents(Opens in a new tab) during the week after clocks are adjusted in spring.
It's also hoped that making daylight saving time permanent will increase children's health and fitness(Opens in a new tab) by encouraging them to spend more time outdoors, while stimulating the economy(Opens in a new tab) by prompting adults to stay out longer. (Of course, it could also have a negative impact on some industries such as television.)
Further, the rate of crime may decrease, with a 2015 study finding robberies dropped by seven percent(Opens in a new tab) in the weeks after daylight saving time comes into effect. Though it isn't clear exactly why this is the case, researchers have theorised that increased daylight, a higher probability of witnesses(Opens in a new tab), or simply fatigue(Opens in a new tab) could be contributing factors. Assaults have also been seen to drop(Opens in a new tab), with rates decreasing at the start of daylight saving time and increasing after it ends.
The Sunshine Protection Act hasn't been made law yet, so you'll still have to adjust your clock back this November. But if the U.S. establishes a permanent daylight saving time, it may be the last time you need do so.
10 gifts for the aspiring TikTok star in your life
Do you know someone who wants to make it big on TikTok?
Folks have used TikTok since its evolution from Musical.ly two years ago, but in the months since the pandemic confined most social interactions to the internet, the app's popularity has skyrocketed. Thanks to its prevalence in online culture, more people are open to creating their own account to produce content on the app. Even though you don't need anything but a phone and the app itself to make TikToks, there are some essentials to give your videos a boost.
Here are 10 must-haves for the aspiring TikTok star in your life — or for anyone who, like most of us in quarantine, just watches a lot of TikToks.
1. A ring light(Opens in a new tab)
Good lighting is a must.Credit: amazon
Decent lighting can make or break a video. Whether you're trying to go viral or trying to look good for your Zoom crush, this ring light can up your on-screen presence. It also comes with a tripod and remote shutter for optimal recording.
Price: $49.99 on Amazon(Opens in a new tab).
2. A color customizable LED strip(Opens in a new tab)
Customizable LED lights have become a staple in TikToks.Credit: home depot
LED lights have become a staple in popular stars' bedrooms.Credit: home depot
It seems like everyone on TikTok has LED strips lining the ceiling of their bedrooms, and for good reason — it can change the mood in an instant. This remote controlled light strip is 24 feet long and can be adjusted via remote.
Price: $59.97 from Home Depot(Opens in a new tab).
3. The viral strawberry dress (Opens in a new tab)
This is the dress of the summer.Credit: lirika matoshi
This was the dress of the summer.Credit: lirika matoshi
This is the dress of the summer. Lirika Matoshi's dreamy, gauzy strawberry dress went viral this year, just as cottagecore(Opens in a new tab) went mainstream. And if pink isn't your color, the designer also released a version in black(Opens in a new tab).
Price: $490.00 from Lirika Matoshi(Opens in a new tab).
4. An iPhone lens(Opens in a new tab)
This lens is the perfect add-on for any aspiring travel vlogger.Credit: apple
Sometimes your phone can't capture an entire scene. This wide angle lens can do that for you, whether you're an aspiring travel vlogger or just trying to get your full outfit in the shot.
Price: $119.95 from Apple(Opens in a new tab).
5. A vine garland(Opens in a new tab)
Garlands are becoming the go-to decor choice.Credit: urban outfitters
Garlands are a great decor choice if you don't want the hassle of a real plant.Credit: urban outfitters
Add some greenery to your space — without the commitment of keeping a real plant alive — with these faux garlands. They make for a great backdrop for filming videos and add a natural vibe to any room.
Price: $14 from Urban Outfitters(Opens in a new tab).
6. A pair of roller skates(Opens in a new tab)
Roller skating is back.Credit: moonlight roller
Roller skating is back, and it's more popular than ever. These skates from Moonlight Roller are a favorite of skater Ana Coto, whose viral choreography to the song "Jenny from the Block" was so popular, it became a Fortnite(Opens in a new tab) dance(Opens in a new tab). Thanks to the sport's resurgence, there's a six week wait time for these skates, which you may want to keep in mind for holiday gifts.
Price: $249 from Moonlight Roller(Opens in a new tab).
7. A mini sewing machine(Opens in a new tab)
This mini sewing machine is perfect for quick thrift flips.Credit: urban outfitters
This mini sewing machine is perfect for small thrift flips.Credit: urban outfitters
Thrift flipping is on the rise, especially as younger generations push against fast fashion in hopes of building a more sustainable fashion industry. Finding the perfect size while thrifting is rare, though, which is where this mini sewing machine comes in. It may not be powerful enough for more intense sewing projects, but for small adjustments, this machine should do the trick.
Price: $65.95 from Urban Outfitters(Opens in a new tab).
8. A fun tapestry(Opens in a new tab)
Backdrops are a must.Credit: society6
Every good video needs a good backdrop. Whether you're filming choreography, venting on camera, or simply recording your 2 a.m. breakdown, a fun tapestry can add some flair to your TikToks. They vary in price depending on size and sales, but Society6 is sure to have one that fits your aspiring star's aesthetic.
Price: $44.99 to $85.99 on Society6(Opens in a new tab).
9. A versatile phone tripod (Opens in a new tab)
This tripod can adapt to a number of different situations.Credit: b&h photo
This tripod can adapt to a number of different filming situations.Credit: b&h photo
This tripod can be used as a selfie stick or a tabletop recording mount. It's sturdy enough to adapt to a number of different filming situations, and can be used for more longform YouTube vlogging in addition to shorter TikTok videos.
Price: $79.95 at B&H Photo(Opens in a new tab).
10. Funky hair dye(Opens in a new tab)
Hair dye is also popular.Credit: overtone
Everyone on TikTok is dyeing their hair.Credit: overtone
When quarantine first began, more people were inspired to dye their hair at home since salons were closed. The trend inspired the viral TikTok sound of users apologizing to YouTube hairstylist Brad Mondo, who often posts videos reacting to at-home dye jobs. For those who want less potentially damaging dyes, Overtone's conditioning sets are made for darker hair.
Earlier this month we got a glimpse of some highly commended entries from the Wildlife Photography Awards 2020, but there's another like-minded competition that's a little cheekier: the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.
Founded by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam and supported by wildlife conservation nonprofit The Born Free Foundation, the competition selects a collection of finalists from a host of images snapped across the globe, all of which capture nature at its most ridiculous.
Winners will be announced on Oct. 22, and you can even vote for your favourite on the website(Opens in a new tab).
SEE ALSO:These wildlife photography finalists will take your breath away
From bird-flipping turtles to smiley fish, here are the gloriously anthropomorphised finalists with their titles provided by the photographers...
'Boredom.'Credit: Marcus Westberg / Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2020
'Wait up Mommy, look what I got for you!'Credit: Kunal Gupta / comedy wildlife photo awards 2020
'Terry the Turtle flipping the bird.'Credit: Mark Fitzpatrick / comedy wildlife photo awards 2020
Crypto scammers are filling inboxes with fake donate to Ukraine emails
Scammers are continuing to weaponize Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine in order to propel their immoral money-making schemes. There have been a slew of scams ranging from fake charity websites hosted on freshly registered domain names to phishing campaigns(Opens in a new tab) looking to steal sensitive information from potential donors to Ukraine.
Now, new research(Opens in a new tab) from email security firm Cyren looks into just how cryptocurrency fraudsters are utilizing email spam for their latest Ukraine-related fraud.
According to the report, researchers at Cyren have uncovered more than 100,000 emails per day attempting to trick targets into donating to Bitcoin or Ethereum wallets setup by the scammers.
Domain names come into play once again with these email scams, as Cyren discovered a "large number" of these emails were spoofing email addresses using domains that were related to Ukraine in order to look "authentic." However, a "significant number" of especially brazen scammers just used plain old Gmail addresses when trying to defraud their targets.
In addition, some scam emails directed targets to recently created websites disguised as official charities benefitting the Ukrainian people. With a newly registered URL, often containing the word "Ukraine," and their scam page setup, fraudsters will then try to direct potential victims via email to the fake charity website. Once on the site, scammers provide the target with a number of cryptocurrency wallets purporting to belong to organizations fundraising for Ukraine. These digital wallets belong to the fraudsters and none of the funds will be distributed to charities.
Many of these emails used common internet marketing strategies, such as a call-to-action and appeal to a potential victim's emotions right in the email subject line. "Help Ukraine war victims" and "Help Ukraine stop the war! – humanitarian fund raising" are two examples.
When the official Ukraine government Twitter account decided to post its now infamous tweet with its Bitcoin and Ethereum addresses, it unintentionally provided crypto scammers with a blueprint for their schemes. Many of these scammers use that very @Ukraine tweet as a template – of course, with the Ukraine's legit Bitcoin and Ethereum wallet addresses swapped out for theirs – within their scam emails and on their websites.
Researchers at Cyren found that more than 50 percent of the emails were routed through the U.S. Other popular apparent email origins include Indonesia, Brazil, India, South Africa, and Colombia. Cyren notes that this doesn't necessarily mean that the emails originated in these countries, but that the server where the email came from is located in that particular place.
Those looking to donate to help the people affected by the ongoing crisis caused by Russia's war in Ukraine should look for legitimate organizations and official donation links. They definitely should not donate to any cryptocurrency wallet or website address sent to them via unsolicited emails.
EastEnders, looking like a celebrity, Phoebe Bridgers, and other things that went viral on TikTok this week
While you were sitting around
The audio "That's the difference between me and you. Cuz while you were sitting around waiting doing niche, I was out, making moves" gained popularity this week. There are now more than 10,000 videos under the sound. The audio is pulled from EastEnders, a British soap that's been on BBC One since 1985. The episode that the viral TikTok audio is from aired Sept. 17, 2012.
The audio is very dramatic and in a British accent, which makes these videos really funny. Users pair the soapy audio with videos shot in two times speed where they use crisp, dramatic gestures. The videos all have relatable text that doesn't warrant the theatrical audio, which makes them all the more absurd. For example, @dolewhipfloat's(Opens in a new tab) video reads, "when i stand up on the train and walk to the door before it gets to my stop so i'm the first one off."
It is relatable.Credit: tiktok / dolewhipfloat
When it comes to a drink
On Sept. 29, black creator @chunkychicaaaa posted the audio(Opens in a new tab), "Aaaand let me just say this, when it comes to a drink Imma have it," with the text "When my man tell me to chill with the drinking." The audio took off and now has over 33,000 videos of people making jokes about everything from iced coffee to strawberry lemonade(Opens in a new tab) to drinking at a wedding(Opens in a new tab). The audio is in African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and white people's exaggerated use of the audio has spurred black creators to speak out about cultural appropriation on TikTok.
On Oct. 5, @rvyna made a video to the sound(Opens in a new tab) with the text "POV: You're watching another yt woman turn into an exaggerated caricature just bc they hear a black woman on an audio." In the video, she mimics the way white women have been using the sound. Her video has over 185,000 likes and nearly a million views. @kierabreaugh stitched(Opens in a new tab) @rvyna's video and posed the question, "when you come on this app, how often do you see white women white women-ing versus how much do you see white women black women-ing badly?" @kierabreaugh(Opens in a new tab) urged white women to be their authentic selves on TikTok.
@rvyna points out white women's offensive use of this audio.Credit: tiktok / rvyna
Another black creator, @tylamadeit, made an alternate audio(Opens in a new tab) with the same message that isn't in AAVE for white women to use. She posted it with the text, "making a new audio for all the white girlies so y'all don't have to pretend to be a caricature of black women anymore." Her new audio goes, "And let me just be crystal clear, when it comes to a drinkity drink, I am going to have one." The audio is just as funny as the original and the exact same jokes can be made to it, without the cultural appropriation. The new audio has just over 850 videos made to it.
This trend is only one of many instances of cultural appropriation on TikTok. To echo @kierabreaugh, white people, be your authentic selves on the app.
Popular Songs
Two popular songs on TikTok this week are "Rock With It" by Saucy Santana(Opens in a new tab) and "Don't Want to Fall In Love" by Kyle(Opens in a new tab).
"Rock With It" has over 160,000 videos made to the song. The "Rock With It" trend relies on users looking like unexpected or undesirable celebrities or characters. The trend begins with users lip-synching the lyrics, "Oh I am curious," while the text on the screen reads something like, "You look like that one celebrity." Then, the user flashes an image of a celebrity and flips the camera back to them just in time to lip-synch the lyrics, "Bitch you serious?"
The trend is engaging because it allows you to guess the celebrity the user looks like, see the reveal, and decide if you agree all within a 15-second video. The trend is at its best when the user really looks like a celebrity or character that is super out of left field, like @lowlyworms_'s video(Opens in a new tab), where he compares himself to Roddy in Flushed Away.
Who does he look like?Credit: tiktok / lowlyworm_
No one wants to be told they look like a character in "Flushed Away."Credit: tiktok / lowlyworm_
When users pick a universally beloved or absurdly attractive celebrity, the trend it misses the point, comes off as braggy, and elicits an eye roll from me.
The "Don't Want to Fall In Love" trend is based around an audio created by @_king.e(Opens in a new tab) on Sept. 29 that now has over 90,000 videos made to it. The audio begins with someone breathing and transitions into "Don't Want to Fall In Love" by Kyle.
The audio was first used by @_king.e to shoot a classic transition video(Opens in a new tab), but has since become the audio for a trend where users list their most attractive qualities during the breathing part of the audio. When the song hits, users slump over and list their least attractive quality. The idea is that the final quality they list ruins all the previously listed good things about them.
One example of this trend was posted by @annaxsitar(Opens in a new tab). It reads, "wholesome, blonde, smart, 5'6'', good sense of humor, ambitious, loves dogs," and is followed by "can't stop talking."
This video has over 180,000 likes.Credit: tiktok / annaxsitar
There are over 90,000 videos like this.Credit: tiktok / annaxsitar
I have yet to see a particularly funny example of the trend, but nonetheless, it is all over my fyp.
This kind of thing takes off on TikTok pretty frequently because people love to talk about themselves. It's reminiscent of a trend popular earlier this year where users would list something embarrassing or undesirable about themselves while pretending to get shot by that quality.
Another variation of the trend is girls describing how undesirable they are during the breathing part, then slumping over during the singing part to reveal their hot boyfriend behind them. This variation is even less funny than the original trend.
C'mon Phoebe
OK, this might not be the most viral trend on TikTok, but it is the perfect trend for spooky season. On Sept. 13, the iconic TikTokker @tannertan36(Opens in a new tab) posted a video on his spam account @tanman99(Opens in a new tab) of Goofy dressed in his skeleton Halloween costume at Disneyland. He calls out to Goofy and sings, "C'mon you are sick and you are married. Girl c'mon Phoebe, Phoebe."
SEE ALSO: Best places to watch cartoons online: Why we love Boomerang, Crunchyroll, and more
He calls Goofy Phoebe in reference to Phoebe Bridgers, who is known to perform dressed in a skeleton costume, and sings lyrics from her track "Moon Song." The video is a masterpiece. He takes a depressing lyric, "You are sick and you are married" and sings it at Disneyland of all places, and he hypes up Goofy with the "Girl c'mon Phoebe."
Users have been pairing the audio with any skeleton decoration or costume they see out in the wild. As Halloween draws nearer, I hope to see many more of these videos on my fyp.
YouTube removes NELK Boys interview of Donald Trump for election misinformation, Trump responds
Have you seen that viral clip(Opens in a new tab) of Donald Trump talking to a few podcasters about the future of Ukraine and somehow going off on a tangent about windmills?
If you wanted to check out the whole video interview on YouTube, you can't.
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The Full Send Podcast's full video interview of former president Trump has been removed(Opens in a new tab) from YouTube for violating the platform's community guidelines on misinformation. While the interview touched upon a wide range of topics, it seems that Trump's continued lies about the 2020 presidential election resulted in the takedown of the video.
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"We removed this video for violating our election integrity policy(Opens in a new tab), which prohibits content containing false claims that widespread fraud changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election," said a YouTube spokesperson in a statement provided to Mashable. "We allow content with sufficient educational, documentary, scientific or artistic context(Opens in a new tab), which the video we removed did not provide."
Shortly after the video was taken down, Trump put out a statement comparing the YouTube video takedown to Russia's censorship of its war in Ukraine.
"Whatever happened to free speech in our Country?," reads Trump's statement, later acknowledging the issue YouTube had was with his discussion of what he called the "Rigged 2020 Presidential Election." (Note: The election was not rigged(Opens in a new tab). President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.)
"Incredibly, but not surprisingly, the Big Tech lunatics have taken down my interview with the very popular NELK Boys so that nobody can watch it or in any way listen to it," Trump continued. "In Russia, the people are not allowed to know that they’re fighting a war with Ukraine, that’s where our media is going, and that’s where our Country is going because it quickly follows—just study history."
The Trump interview was hosted by the popular YouTubers known as the NELK Boys. The group is known for their viral prank videos and have over 7.2 million subscribers on their main YouTube channel. The NELK Boys also have a video podcast channel called the Full Send Podcast.
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While the channel is usually known for its interviews with celebrities, online influencers, and UFC stars, the Full Send Podcast found itself getting extra political with its Trump interview.
According to host Kyle Forgeard, the Trump interview had received(Opens in a new tab) more than 5 million views within 24 hours before YouTube pulled the video.
Following the removal of the video, Trump supporters encouraged the NELK Boys to upload the full interview to the conservative alternative platform, Rumble. However, it seems those requests have been denied. The YouTubers are now hosting the full interview on its Full Send website, hosted by the video service Vimeo.
Heres how to get free COVID tests delivered to your door right now
Can't find a COVID test anywhere in stores? Don't want to wait outside in an hours-long line just to take a test and possibly even get COVID while you're there in the process?
Well, now you can get free COVID tests delivered right to your door (if you're in the U.S.)!
Here's how.
The United States Postal Service has just launched a website(Opens in a new tab) where you can sign up for four free individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
Simply go to http://www.usps.com/covidtests(Opens in a new tab) or https://special.usps.com/testkits(Opens in a new tab).
Fill out your name, address (for delivery), and email (for delivery updates), and click the green "Check Out Now" button.
The USPS form for free COVID tests is super quick and easy to fill out.Credit: Mashable Screenshot
And that's it! You'll be sent to a page with your confirmation order, and the USPS will send you an order of four COVID tests for absolutely free by late January. The order will shipped within seven to 12 days. You can signup for one order of four tests per household.
And if you order now, you'll likely get your order in ahead of most people, too. The U.S. government's official website for this program, COVIDtests.gov, originally slated signups to begin on Wednesday, January 19. But, the USPS site went up early, and you can sign up now.
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Do note that there have been a few scattered complaints on social media regarding issues signing up for a test if you're in an apartment building. It appears the USPS' system is not recognizing each apartment as a separate unit. If you run into a problem though, try again as other apartment building tenants have said they have had no issues ordering a test for their apartment number.
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Another issue has been reported from those who live in apartments connected to commercial buildings. According to the USPS, program is only for residential addresses.
Mashable will update this piece if and when the issue is fixed for those affected. We have reached out to the USPS for comment.
The Biden administration finalized(Opens in a new tab) the program earlier this month with the USPS to deliver 500 million free at-home COVID tests as part of the government's response to the spreading omicron variant of the virus.
The program appears to be a welcomed change in the White House's original position.
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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki went viral(Opens in a new tab) and was roundly criticized on social media last month when she sarcastically brought up the idea of sending every American a free COVID test when answering a question from a reporter. (Perhaps this is proof that pressuring politicians on social media sometimes does work!)
Hopefully, the free tests help curb the raging Omicron variant as the U.S. prepares to enter its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perfect impression nails how New Jersey moms will act if weed is legal in the state
Legal weed is on the ballot(Opens in a new tab) in New Jersey on Tuesday, which means a powerful force with soon have to reckon with the fallout of recreational marijuana. That powerful force, of course, is Jersey moms.
Mashable's own Vicky Leta created a pitch perfect impression(Opens in a new tab) of a certain New Jersey mom — likely Italian-American, needling, a little neurotic, gossipy, loving to a fault, ultimately kind of fun — reacting to and reckoning with weed's legalization. Here, just watch:
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I count every line of this monologue as perfect, but here are three of my favorites because I can:
"Who ya doing it with? Oooh, Tommy Cacciatore....Hmm, no surprise there."
"You lift the box by the foyer, you put your shit in there when's it done — every ash, every paper, all the crap — then you bring it down by the boiler in the basement, then you hide it."
"Please don't tell your grandma. I still need her ziti recipe."
Leta is a wonderful illustrator(Opens in a new tab) at Mashable, but also, apparently, a great impressionist. In a follow-up tweet to the video(Opens in a new tab) she thanked Carmela Soprano, which, yep, that makes sense.
The legalization initiative is widely expected to pass(Opens in a new tab), so we should all prepare for this video to become a reality.
On TikTok, everyone wants perfect teeth. This dentist is fighting against that.
Dr. Sara Hahn starts every TikTok video(Opens in a new tab) the same way: "Dr. Sara, Harvard DMD, here for a veneer check."
Her account analyzes celebrities' teeth, comparing older and newer photos to determine whether the likes of Winona Ryder, Jojo Siwa, and Timothée Chalamet have gotten veneers. She flips through a timeline of photos and drops some dental jargon — central incisor, facial crowning, lingually inclined, etc. — before delivering her veneer verdict, declaring whether the celeb has gotten their teeth dentally enhanced in her professional opinion.
Her videos, which have collectively amassed more than four million likes to date, lift the veil on celebrity smiles and create a discourse around oral care and beauty standards. Her viewers can't get enough: The comment sections are constantly flooded with requests for the next veneer investigation.
"My whole aim is never to bash anybody, or insult somebody's choice for dental work," Dr. Hahn told Mashable. "It is really just to educate people on dental work, and what are some of the benefits, or potential cons and disadvantages."
Dr. Hahn isn't the only one that has found a TikTok audience rapt for pearly white content. On the creator side, the dentist influencer community(Opens in a new tab) consistently makes educational and eye-popping videos about oral health. Doctors like @drzmackie(Opens in a new tab), who has nearly 1 million followers on the app, now have the opportunity to educate viewers about their teeth and advocate against dangerous DIY dental trends.
Despite dentist creators' best efforts to promote oral health over dental trends, TikTok users are largely fixated on aesthetics. Users frequently comment on both their own teeth and others' — regardless of whether teeth are actually the focus of the video.
SEE ALSO:
Oral-B's toothbrush uses AI to grade your teeth brushing habits
Comments from TikTokkers about their own teeth on a video explicitly discussing white teeth culture. Credit: Screenshot: TikTok
Comment about a creator's "perfect teeth" on a video that has nothing to do with teeth or aesthetics. Credit: Screenshot: TikTok
The platform itself promotes this hyperfixation. On the AR side of the app, filters like Teeth Brightener(Opens in a new tab) and Color Selector(Opens in a new tab) are extremely popular. These filters overlay a uniformly straight and white set of teeth on your face or can test whether your real teeth have any hint of yellow in them, and almost every video using them opens up the comment discussion to whether the user has desirable teeth.
Social media has always been deeply inundated with images of pristine, white teeth and celeb-like smiles. The typical Instagram influencer(Opens in a new tab) floods our feeds with their perfect teeth and sponsored content for teeth-whitening products like Snow and Crest 3D Whitestrips. On an internet forum where pretty people and the pursuit of beauty are discussed or used to sell a product, white teeth are an expected and desired feature.
We've always been obsessed with straight, white teeth; it's part of the beauty standard and it's not going away. But while TikTok viewers may be enamored with the same beauty ideals that defined social media apps before it, TikTok teeth creators like Dr. Hahn want to pivot our cultural pursuit for beautiful teeth into a journey for health.
Why are we constantly pursuing 'perfect' teeth?
Historically, we've long realized the necessity of oral care. Beauty historian Lucy Santos tells Mashable that there is archaeological evidence dating back to 3500 BC that suggests various methods for oral hygiene and safety. Over the centuries, people were generally most concerned with just making sure their teeth stayed in their heads — but this focus on health shifted to aesthetics with the arrival of mass media, and later, the internet.
"Mass media, including advertisements, sell white teeth as part of the American dream and a way of improving employment prospects and finding the love of your life," said Santos to Mashable.
Americans today have absolutely bought into these ads, with the U.S. teeth whitening market(Opens in a new tab) reaching $2.2 billion in 2021 and the orthodontics market(Opens in a new tab) reaching $3.23 billion in the same year. And the advertisements aren't exactly selling an impossible dream — having whiter and straighter teeth can directly lead to more financial and career opportunities, both virtually and physically. In real life, folks with more yellow or crooked teeth feel that they are often denied jobs due to their first impressions. In an interview for CalMatters(Opens in a new tab), construction worker Delilah Garcia explained how she suspected her chipped and missing tooth directly contributed to her not getting a job. Once she was able to fix the tooth at a free clinic, the same employer later offered her the job, pleasedly remarking at the interview that she had fixed her tooth.
On the internet, it seems every successful influencer sports the same set of teeth: even, bright, and blinding. This, too, can relate to their streams of income. As Emily Hund, researcher at University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communications, told The Atlantic(Opens in a new tab), "Part of this is a push to stick with aesthetics that are safe and which do well, metrics-wise." Those aesthetics include the perfect smile, and Hund says that achieving these aesthetics can directly lead to more positive engagement and followers, which can then lead to additional revenue via sponsorships and brand deals. It quite literally pays to be pretty on the internet, and being pretty for most audiences quietly requires perfect teeth.
"The internet means we are only a click away from videos, articles, blog posts that give techniques to get whiter teeth," said Santos. "And all of them are adding to the cacophony of expectation that white teeth are not only desirable but achievable for everyone."
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TikTok dentists are hoping to educate users on health rather than pure aesthetics
TikTok users are not immune to this desire for perfect teeth. Scroll through the app long enough, and you're likely to find a comment complimenting another user's teeth, a video employing a filter to whiten teeth, or an ad telling you how you can whiten your own teeth.
Dr. Hahn is hoping to cut through this noise with her videos, demystifying how celebrities achieve their desirable smiles while emphasizing her support for natural, beautiful teeth. She joins the ranks of a plethora of other online dentists who use the platform to educate users about dental procedures and oral health.
"People who have beautiful, healthy teeth are wanting these large, white squares because that's what's considered beautiful," said Dr. Hahn. "But I'm really hoping to discourage people who have what I consider beautiful, natural teeth from getting a full set of veneers."
Veneers, in particular, are a very expensive and recently popular form of dental procedures for perfect teeth. Tons of celebrities are rumored to undergo the procedure, but only a few stars, like Cardi B(Opens in a new tab) and Chrissy Teigen(Opens in a new tab), are open about getting veneers to enhance their teeth. They can cost anywhere from $1,000 to upwards of $3,000 per tooth, and can come with health implications due to a loss of natural tooth structure. While Dr. Hahn often works on veneers in her prosthodontic practice, she would prefer they be used more in complicated dental cases rather than young people attempting to emulate their idols' appearances.
That's where she feels like her videos come in; they provide a window of transparency into the world of elective orthodontia, giving users the information they need to make informed decisions on whether they want to pursue a similar path. She makes sure to emphasize her appreciation for natural teeth in all of their varied shapes and colors — and even made a veneer check video on her own teeth, where she tells viewers how they can advocate to keep their natural teeth, even if some dentists may suggest aesthetic procedures.
"I've had comments that say like, 'Thank you so much for helping me appreciate my own teeth.'" says Dr. Hahn. "And I've had so many people say, I no longer want veneers because of your videos. And that makes me really happy."
The 13 best tweets of the week, including GameStop jokes, LMFAO, and Thanos
Somehow another week has passed. Days, weeks, months, it's all the same isn't it? Pandemics are weird.
But here we are. It's Friday. We're going to celebrate that fact with some good tweets. Why? Who knows. But hopefully they'll make you laugh.
So, here they are, our 13 favorite tweets of the week.
1. But visually it is represented by a knife
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2. Yes, this is a screenshot of a dril tweet to joke about the whole GameStop stock thing. But you have to admit it works.
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3. Relatable, to be honest
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4. Boundary breaking artistry
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5. Shed Juul. Shed Juul! SHED JUUL!
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6. Easy mode
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7. A wonderful and wonderfully dumb moment. RIP to the legend Larry.
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8. A little GameStop Succession mashup
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9. I mean damn.... pretty easy fix here. Thanos really didn't have to do that whole...kill half of the universe thing, huh? Big mess-up by the big guy.
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10. Obligatory dril tweet
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11. And another
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12. This is a pretty accurate representation of how things are going online lately
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13. And finally, this
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