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☆ Playing Infinite Craft Is Like Peering Into an A.I.’s Brain
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Playing is like peering into an A.I.’s brain, a role-play of what life would look like if regulated by a large language model. Many of Infinite Craft’s recipes make practical sense, but the A.I. also comes up with wild results: Players have uncovered “Bubble Butt Wizard,” “Farming Simulator 2013: Furry Shades of Grey” and an open-mic comedy night at a brewery in Toronto. “Making a game with A.I. is at a weird place,” said Neal Agarwal, Infinite Craft’s solo developer.

Persons: Grey ”, ”, Neal Agarwal Locations: Toronto

☆ People say weekends feel 'different' now and they no longer want to socialize, blaming the pandemic and the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. A psychologist told Business Insider that the pandemic has "fostered a broader societal acceptance of spending time alone." Young people are prioritizing recharging over partying on the weekendsKwong told Business Insider she's been feeling this way for about a year. The pandemic has 'reduced social pressures,' a psychologist notedYasmine Saad, a licensed clinical psychologist, told BI that weekends feeling "different" now could be due to the pandemic and other global events and adversities that cause stress. This could suggest that people no longer feel the obligation they once did to hang out with friends on the weekends.

Persons: —, Christina Kwong, Kwong, she's, Yasmine Saad, Saad, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Kaiser Family Foundation

☆ Splitting the check is no longer restaurant etiquette — in 2024 it's every diner for themself
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Recently, TikTok users have been gaining traction with the idea that people shouldn't feel guilty about paying for their own food and not splitting the check. Diners say splitting the bill can be unfairSome of the recent bill-splitting discourse posts are grouped under the hashtag "groupdinner," which has 9.6 million views. splitting the bill. AdvertisementIn sticking to etiquette norms when paying for one's own meal, it's crucial that guests repay their portion promptly. More than anything, communication between the hosts and guests is essential and can help thwart nightmare bill-splitting mishaps like the ones described in the viral TikTok videos.

Persons: —, @finegalnopimple, TikToker @remiandryan, Nick Leighton, fleeced, Leighton, OnePoll, It's, it'll, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Louisiana Federal Credit Union, New York Times, Forbes Locations: Dutch, Louisiana

☆ A 30-year-old man set out to eat a slice of cheese for every follower he got. He tapped out at 32 slices, as he now has over 178,000 followers and growing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewWhat's the maximum number of cheese slices you'd eat in a day? A 30-year-old from Arizona went viral last week with an unusual and fascinating challenge to test this very question. In a video posted last Tuesday, the TikToker @cheeze_louise__ said he would eat a slice of cheese for every new follower he received. The first two days were relatively smooth: he ate eight and then 24 slices of cheese. He joked that he owes them a "debt" of 100,000 slices of cheese.

Persons: —, @cheeze_louise__, Cheeze_louise__, Steven, he's Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube Locations: Arizona

☆ A 26-year-old influencer who people think looks much older has a theory about why Gen Zers appear to be aging faster than millennials
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A major TikToker gained traction with a theory that Gen Zers are aging faster than millennials. Howlett told BI he thinks the faster aging could be due to job- and economy-related stress. "Ain't no way in the world this man is Gen Z. Advertisement"When you said you're Gen Z, I gasped," one comment with over 110,000 likes said. "Gen Z didn't."

Persons: Jordan Howlett, Howlett, —, influencer Jordan Howlett, Howlett —, Gen, It's, Zers, depresso, Dwayne, Johnson, Gen Xers, they've, Millennials, Dwayne Johnson's, Taylor Donoghue, Donogue Organizations: Service

☆ No, the Ultimate World Cruise won't be ending early because of Red Sea chaos
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rumors have circulated that the much-talked-about Ultimate World Cruise could end early. Royal Caribbean told Business Insider that the ship plans to continue as scheduled. Advertisement"Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise will continue its current schedule as planned," the spokesperson said over email. Advertisement"There has been no official communication from Royal Caribbean about this concern but as passengers, we have been talking amongst ourselves and with Royal Caribbean," Antoine said. TikTok has been rife with reporting about and from the Ultimate World Cruise, which began on December 10, 2023, and will end on September 10, 2024.

Persons: —, @aditaml2759, Anthony Antoine, Antoine, Yemen's, TikTok Organizations: Royal Caribbean, Business, Service, Royal Caribbean International, BI, Global Security, Royal, Royal Caribbean Group, Travel Locations: Los Angeles, Suez, Asia, Royal Caribbean

☆ People say they're deleting their dating apps, citing terrible experiences and 'oversaturation' on platforms like Hinge and Raya
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok is inundated with videos of people saying they're leaving dating apps like Hinge and Raya. AdvertisementA flood of TikTokers say they're deleting dating apps like Hinge and Raya after having bad experiences. Other TikTokers have gone viral with theories about why dating apps have gone downhill, like oversaturation and companies prioritizing user growth. TikTok is rife with clips of people sharing terrible dating app experiences that they say led them to delete the app altogether. Some say they're avoiding dating apps to protect their mental health .

Persons: they're, it's, —, Bianca Stelian's, Stelian, Tinder, Bumble, hasn't, I'd, @imnotbunny, inge, ory, ervices, haring, ate", ingle, aya Organizations: Service, ust Locations: ife, oman

☆ The McBrooms of the Ace Family, one of YouTube's most controversial family channels, are divorcing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Catherine Paiz and Austin McBroom created the popular family vlog channel The ACE Family in 2016. Paiz said she felt "liberated" by the divorce, and McBroom called it one of the hardest decisions of his life. AdvertisementCatherine Paiz and Austin McBroom of The ACE Family YouTube channel announced they are getting divorced in separate Instagram posts on Thursday. "Our paths as a couple have shifted and has created challenges that are irreconcilable," Paiz wrote in her post. McBroom wrote that the divorce was one of the "hardest decisions" of his life.

Persons: Catherine Paiz, Austin McBroom, Paiz, McBroom, —, Austin Organizations: Service, YouTube, Business Locations: Paiz

☆ The 'preppy' look is changing, and it involves a lot more pink and bowties
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The newest variant of "preppy," led mostly by Gen Alpha over the last year, refers to bright clothing, lots of pink, and specific accessories like ribbons, bowties, and Stanley water bottles. The TL:DR history of how preppy has changed over the decadesFor many, "preppy" is closely associated with clothing worn by wealthy people and preparatory school students. Now, the word refers to all things pink and colorful — with yet, another short list of in-vogue brands in association. In a video by the "preppy" Texas boutique @dearhannahprep, three girls described the look as "very girly" and "comfy." Another poster yearned for the 2000s preppy era of argyle sweaters and tailored dresses.

Persons: —, Gen Alpha, preppy, Tommy Hilfiger, Uggs, Stanley, couldn't, Stanley knockoff, Alpha, Lily Pulitzer, Gabriela Vasci, @dearhannahprep, @lenidubs, It's, @mmarkroberts Organizations: Service, Business, Abercrombie, Fitch, Alpha, argyle Locations: Hollister, North, Texas, TikTok

☆ I'm a single mom and live with my 5 kids in a one-bedroom apartment. I want to show them I'm not ashamed of our home.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm a single mother of five who lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Pittsburg, California. I gave Se'Lia the bedroom because I knew how much she yearned for it. AdvertisementBefore going viral, I was embarrassed to talk about my strugglesIn November, I uploaded a TikTok video about our living situation. My three youngest kids and I sleep on a bed in the living room. I keep few things in my apartment so the kids have extra space.

Persons: Leticia Colorado, Se'Lia, they're, I've Organizations: Service, Costco Locations: Pittsburg , California, Uganda, Italy, Spain, India

☆ The internet's most eccentric chef, Barfly7777, has cooked steak in a toilet and garlic shrimp in an airplane sink
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He told BI that his job involves lots of traveling and that he's been doing this for years. He's dropped prime steak in the toilet tank of a hotel bathroom and propped pork belly on a ventilation unit . Despite intentionally creating shocking content, Barfly7777 told BI he's "floored" by the range of appalled responses to his videos. Barfly7777 told BI he spends around 180 to 200 days a year in a hotel due to work (he also did not want to disclose his full-time job). AdvertisementBarfly7777 told BI that he was happily startled by the response, even if it was mostly disgust.

Persons: Barfly7777, he's, —, He's, it's, I'm Organizations: Service, Delta Locations: Bro

☆ A woman's Gen Alpha sister informed her that 'pop off,' 'BFF,' 'bae,' and other Gen Z and millennial slang are no longer cool, and older viewers say it hurts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Last Wednesday, a Gen Alpha girl named Brooklyn made her older sister Liv Kaplan feel out of touch when she informed her that a slew of Gen Z and millennial slang, from "bae" to "pop off" to "slay," is no longer cool. Perhaps most surprisingly, to call someone a best friend, Brooklyn said Gen Alpha doesn't use "bff" as much as "bsf." (Though some commenters disputed this detail and accused Gen Alpha of "gentrifying" the word GYAT by turning it from a way to say "god damn" into an acronym.) @livkaplan Replying to @Noah Schnapp ASKING MY GEN ALPHA LITTLE SISTER WHAT SLANG IS IN PART 2 💋✨ @BROOKLYN ♬ original sound - Liv KaplanIn a follow-up video, Brooklyn provided more Gen Alpha-friendly phrases. She also said Gen Alpha uses words like "cap," a way to say you think someone is lying, and "ate," meaning metaphorically to devour a look or moment (e.g., "you ate that outfit").

Persons: —, Alpha, Liv Kaplan, Z, Brooklyn, Gen Alpha, @livkaplan, @Noah, n., ike Organizations: Service, Generation Alpha, Brooklyn, Business, Alpha, bsf, bae, GEN ALPHA Locations: yass, —

☆ Meet the 23-year-old who's spreading awareness about ALS on TikTok and openly joking about being in her 'terminally ill era'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amanda Tam is documenting her journey with the disease neurodegenerative ALS on TikTok. Tam's videos often have a comedic bent, and her followers say she's an inspiration. AdvertisementAmanda Tam's TikTok channel is like many other 23-year-olds on the app. But most of Tam's videos also revolve around a much more serious topic: her diagnosis of ALS , also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. "It's important to be a realist and be aware of your situation, but it's equally important to still find joy and hope in life," Tam told BI.

Persons: Amanda Tam, —, Amanda Tam's, Lou Gehrig's, TikToker, Peter Frates, Tam, she's, I've, It's, She's, TikTok Organizations: Service, ALS Association Locations: Quebec

☆ A woman created a list of service workers she refuses to tip in 2024, saying that tipping has gotten 'out of control'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

@Antidietpilot began the video by saying that tipping culture has gotten "out of control." AdvertisementShe said she wouldn't tip for to-go orders, drive-thru service, frozen yogurt shops, or the pretzel store Auntie Anne's. She said she wouldn't tip people who set their own wage, like beauty service professionals. She also said that if someone needs a medical qualification or license to perform their job, she wouldn't tip them. AdvertisementAs tipping screens become increasingly prevalent throughout the US, tipping culture continues to be a hot debate on TikTok.

Persons: —, @Antidietpilot, I'm, Anne's, @antidietpilot, @hopscotchproductions, I've Organizations: Service Locations: TikToker, TikTok

☆ What is 'smellmaxxing'? A new fad involves mostly men trying to maximize or improve their body scent
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The newest offshoot of the looksmaxxing subcuture is smellmaxxing, which involves mostly men trying to improve their smell with different colognes among other hygiene tips. "Megamind caught smellmaxxing," on-screen text said in a TikTok from December, which amassed over 3.5 million views. Other creators have jumped on the trend with jokes: One urged others to "start smellmaxxing bro" while shooting cologne mists into the night sky. On another popular video tagged #smellmaxxing, a poster showed their massive cologne collection: "Once you start.. you can't stop," they wrote on-screen. "When you took scentmaxxing too far," @lordoffragrances wrote on-screen with a skull emoji.

Persons: —, Megamind, John Paul Gaultier cologne, smellmaxxing, Therabreath, bro, Jeremy, @lordoffragrances, looksmaxxing Organizations: Service, Business Locations: cologne

☆ A millennial woman said she's 'obsessed' with Gen Z's cozy going-out fashion and reflected on the 'uncomfortable' rompers and bandage skirts she wore
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ally Rooker said she appreciates Gen Z students dressing much cozier, with baggy pants and simple tops. However, millennial viewers reflected fondly on their style, and some called Gen Z fashion "lazy." The clip has inspired other millennial viewers to reminisce on their mid-to-late 2000s fashion and argue over whether Gen Z fashion is innovative or uninspiring. AdvertisementWhile a few viewers thanked Gen Z for shattering nightlife attire conventions ("I'm soooo jealous of the gen z going out vibe," one user said), others denigrated the younger generation's style as "lazy" and "terrible." TikTok has been rife with clips comparing millennial and Gen Z fashion.

Persons: Ally Rooker, —, Gen, Rooker, Gen Z, TikTok, pant, @jessbritvich Organizations: Service Locations: Michigan

☆ While some are making fun of Gen Alpha's 'brainrot' memes, Gen Zers are reminding each other of the ridiculous memes they grew up with
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

As Gen Alpha memes dominate the internet, many have ridiculed them for being too inane. Gen Zers are now reminding each other their memes have been equally as ridiculous as "Skibidi Toilet." Older generations — particularly Gen Z — worried they were falling out of touch since they didn't understand its nonsensical humor. Three of the most popular TikToks over the last few weeks feature chaotic montages recalling popular Gen Z memes. The TikToks feature hypothetical quotes on-screen about people saying Gen Alpha "is literally watching brainrot," and then include a statement insinuating that what Gen Z watched wasn't any better.

Persons: Zers, —, Z —, Alpha, Gen, Snoop, Gen Z, Y'all, Zers didn't, @aymj13, Knuckles Organizations: Alpha, Service Locations: yolo

☆ I'm a 24-year-old man who tried 'softmaxxing,' a less intense version of 'looksmaxxing,' for a week. I can say with confidence it's a toxic scam.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The "looksmaxxing" community is a group of mostly young men sharing tactics to improve their attractiveness. After trying the "soft" version of these techniques for a week, I feel the trend is inherently cruel and harmful. By the end of the week, I felt like looksmaxxing and its subcultures were a scam designed to reel in young, insecure people. While this sort of abusive community exists everywhere online, it seems particularly toxic and supercharged among young men. I found myself feeling sympathetic to the young men who feel like they need to perform these ridiculous rituals to love themselves.

Persons: —, mewing, it's, hashtag, softmaxxing, I've, Hunter, looksmaxxers, It's, Gaga's, I'd Organizations: Service Locations: There's, British

☆ Anna Indiana is the world's first all-AI singer-songwriter. She's deeply mediocre.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The new completely AI-generated musician Anna Indiana was met with fierce backlash online. She's Anna Indiana, the first musician whose entire existence — from the image and singing to the music's chord progression, key, tempo, and lyrics — is claimed to have been generated by artificial intelligence, without human involvement. I’m Anna Indiana and I’m an AI singer-songwriter. Everything from the key, tempo, chord progression, melody notes, rhythm, lyrics, and my image and singing, is auto-generated using AI. Indiana's music is middling, but it's not egregiously unlistenable.

Persons: Anna Indiana, —, Indiana, Here’s, ines, ong, lew, egan, ike, ould, witter Organizations: Service Locations: uman

☆ Snack company behind 'One Chip Challenge' pulls its extra-hot tortilla chip from stores following the death of a 14-year-old
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A teenager died hours after eating an extra-hot tortilla chip in the 'One Chip Challenge.' Paqui, the chip company, has pulled the product from stores, saying it was marked as not-for-kids. A screenshot of a now-deleted graphic on the Paqui 'One Chip Challenge' website. "I hope, I pray to God that no parents will go through what I'm going through," the boy's mother told WBZ-TV. The "One Chip Challenge" has been around for several years and was reviewed by Insider's video team in 2016.

Persons: Harris Wolobah, Paqui, Amos, Lois, Wolobah, Insider's Kieran Press, Reynolds Organizations: Service, CBS News, WBZ, The Hershey Company, Washington Post, Hershey Locations: Wall, Silicon, Texas, Massachusetts, California, TikTok

☆ How the slang term 'rizz' became an internet obsession that stumped boomers (and even zoomers)
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The word 'rizz' originated with streamers Kai Cenat, Silky, and Duke Dennis. If you're chronically online or under the age of 25, you might know what "rizz" means. But it's a term so niche and siloed in certain streaming circles that even some zoomers are confused why it's suddenly everywhere. People have also invented an antonym of the phrase, negative rizz (or "L rizz"), to refer to someone so clumsy or awkward that they push people away. While Google Trends data still shows swaths of people searching and using the term, the official death of "rizz" may come when major corporations appropriate it.

☆ Britney Spears said fans 'went too far' when they called the police to visit her home after she deactivated her Instagram
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Britney Spears called out fans for urging police to visit her after she took down her Instagram. Spears has deactivated her popular Instagram account multiple times before. Spears said she believed the police went to her house because of "prank phone calls" that went "a little too far." As of writing this story on Thursday, Spears' account still remains deactivated. The singer has deactivated her account multiple times before, which has not previously incited widespread panic among her fans.

☆ Julia Fox gave a charming tour of her apartment on TikTok and revealed she lives with two roommates: her son and a mouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kieran Press-Reynolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Julia Fox gave a tour of her NYC apartment, which fans found to be shockingly "normal." She also said her apartment has a mouse problem, although she joked about how they help clean up crumbs. @juliafox Come with me on a very underwhelming apartment tour! She ends the tour by saying she has a mouse problem, although she's completely unbothered by it. The comments are filled with fans in disbelief that her apartment wasn't as luxurious or ornate as they expected.

☆ Texas college students say 'censorship of TikTok over guns' says a lot about how officials prioritize safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

UT Austin and Texas A&M announced a ban on TikTok from school WiFi and devices this week. Since the ban, students are sharing their frustration with Texas officials. Students told Insider there are more pressing safety matters that university officials should be looking into. In the December press release, Abbott cited data harvesting and potential surveillance of its users as the reason, but students told Insider they aren't convinced there's a big threat. "A&M is a big school, and it's easy to get overwhelmed," the student told Insider.

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