internet culture
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How to Beat Social Media Algorithms (and Why You Should Try)
Social media platforms from TikTok to Twitter charge you nothing to use their services, except for, well, everything there is to know about you. Part of the strategy in that data collection comes from algorithms, which decide what kind of content to show you based on your past usage. Don’t make their data harvesting any…
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How to Find That TikTok You Accidentally Refreshed and Thought You Lost Forever
TikTok is an infinite, bottomless pit of addiction, with each video algorithmically curated to your particular tastes and interests. With so many relevant videos scrolling past your face, it’s impressive that losing just one of them is such a tragedy. But it is; there is no pain greater than thoroughly enjoying a video, only to…
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The Out-of-Touch Adults’ Guide to Kid Culture: Why Is Everyone Getting Medusa Tattoos?
Video game Elden Ring is hot this week. So are Medusa tattoos and sensible medical advice on YouTube. Travis Scott, hidden social media algorithms, and YouTube’s dislike counter, however, are decidedly not hot.
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BIPOC, Hygge, Sapiosexual, and Other New Dictionary Words of 2021 You Should Know
Well, it’s been a year. And like all years, some new and exciting terms have irrevocably entered our lexicon, as evidenced by their inclusion in the dictionary. Keep in mind, a word needs to be circulating for a while — often years — before it can get on Merriam-Webster’s radar. (Except COVID-19: That bastard went…