Internet
Get rich or lie trying: how deceit drives the influencer economy
From dropshipping, to digital sex work, to MLMs and BBLs, Symeon Brown speaks about his new book investigating the murky world of influencing.
Written by: Diyora Shadijanova
Inside the moral maze of friend-rental services
‘It’s exploitative‘ — Amid a loneliness epidemic, platforms offering to connect people for paid friendship have been on the rise during lockdown – but some worry the service is being used for the wrong reasons.
Written by: Poppy Koronka
The K-pop stans fighting for a free Palestine
Activist Army assemble — After emerging as a powerful force for social justice during the BLM protests last summer, K-pop fans are now mobilising around another urgent human rights issue: Palestinian liberation.
Written by: Chloé Meley
Inside the online ‘safe space’ for female incels
Enter the pink pill — After being kicked off Reddit, femcels are the latest banned community to build their own platform. They claim to just want somewhere to speak free from harassment – but some experts question whether the site will descend into toxicity.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
The internet’s substitute mothers are here to help
r/MomForAMinute — As the pandemic leaves people feeling scared and vulnerable, Reddit users are seeking out stand-in mothers for advice, love and comfort – but some experts suggest it might not always be the healthiest coping strategy.
Written by: Jessica Lucas
Inside the complex world of ex-Mormon TikTok
Exiting the cult — ‘Exmos’ are flocking to TikTok to share their stories of leaving the LDS Church and building supportive communities which are helping them to heal.
Written by: Catharine Hughes
The TikTok students taking on gun violence in schools
‘We beg for change’ — Young Americans say the Capitol riots mirrored school shootings. While many are doubtful it'll be a wake-up call for Congress, TikTok is offering a space for them to process their trauma.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
VCR visionary: The woman who taped 33 years of TV news
The Marion Stokes Project — Director Matt Wolf speaks to Huck about his documentary on the elusive Marion Stokes, a Communist radical who recorded 70,000 tapes worth of TV news as a form of activism.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
Why men are experts and women are confessional
The media’s big problem — The Caroline Calloway story shows that young women are being forced to plunder their personal lives for content. It’s time we broke the pattern, argues Dawn Foster.
Written by: Dawn Foster
Are Stans the internet’s most toxic subculture?
Fear of the fandom — From Beyonce’s Beyhive to Rihanna’s Navy: the world of online fandom has become both impressive and extreme. Is it time we took its power more seriously?
Written by: Anne T. Donahue
Inside the hazardous quest for social media stardom
Fake it till you make it — Liza Mandelup’s new documentary, Jawline, follows 16-year-old Austyn as he tries to carve out a career as an influencer and escape his hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee.
Written by: Holly Connolly
Why there's no such thing as an urgent email
Do not disturb — Modern work-culture has given rise to an unfortunate phenomenon: the Out Of Office message, a stopgap measure where ‘off-grid’ no longer means ‘off-limits’. But through tiny acts of rebellion, we can start reclaiming our downtime.
Written by: Amelia Tait