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☆ Tech layoffs strip the facade of TikTok's 'day in the life' videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Meta, Salesforce, Twitter, Snap and other tech companies have also announced layoffs in recent months. Others are using their platforms to raise awareness of labor rights in wake of recent layoffs. So yeah, I’m unemployed, but I have a hell of a lot of confidence in myself.”Educating viewers about their rights has also gained popularity after recent layoffs. TikTok user alberta.nyc, a Google software engineer and self-described “tech cynic," has made videos about the importance of unions in the tech industry. In a video, creator alejandra_n_h expressed solidarity with former Amazon employees who had been affected by recent layoffs.

☆ TikTok's 'girl with the list' inspires more honest conversations about the pitfalls of pregnancy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Biggers-Stewart, who is now pregnant with her second child, described the list videos as “a powerful tool for self-advocacy.”“I was totally shocked by all the things that could happen to you. In the months following, the creator, also known as Yuni, updated the list in TikToks stitching other videos about pregnancy, birth and parenting. In response to Biggers-Stewart’s recent video about the list, a TikTok user commented: “I wish I had that pregnancy list before getting pregnant. TIkTOk creator sarah biggers-stewartMotherhood has been exalted throughout history, but that reverence can overshadow conversations about the unpleasant and at times dangerous aspects of pregnancy. Some viral videos about the list have also been criticized by medical professionals for sensationalizing pregnancy complications and neglecting to provide context.

Andrew Tate once called his sexually explicit webcam business a “total scam” and boasted on his website that he lured women in by getting them to fall in love with him. Romanian authorities arrested him, his brother and two women on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organized crime group, according to Reuters. The webcam business that Tate ran and openly spoke about is central to these charges, according to Romanian Authorities. Some of the allegations by Romanian authorities echo what Andrew Tate has said publicly about his webcam business. Earlier this month, Vice reported that Tate was arrested in 2015 in the U.K. on suspicion of sexual assault and physical abuse, citing statements from U.K. authorities and Tate himself.

☆ Animal sanctuary rescues 'abandoned' pet pig that once belonged to Logan Paul
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A California animal sanctuary is going viral after sharing how it saved an abandoned pig that it said once belonged to YouTuber Logan Paul. “From what we’ve been told, it’s believed she was purchased originally from a breeder by an influencer,” Gentle Barn said in the video’s caption. On Feb. 26, 2020, Paul tweeted an image of him and a pig. He wrote that he “was told she was a mini pig,” and included a photo with the fully grown pig. Teacup pigs, mini pigs, nano pigs and other “breeds” marketed as pet pigs “are a myth,” according to the Best Friends Animal Society.

☆ Ex-YouTube star Jenna Marbles' husband, Julien Solomita, says their home was broken into
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

YouTuber Julien Solomita said he and wife Jenna Marbles' Southern California home was broken into on Monday. “[A] woman, that we don’t know, entered our home unannounced,” Solomita wrote in his Instagram story. i called the police and she was apprehended and arrested.”The couple and their dogs are safe, Solomita wrote. Solomita and Marbles, whose real name last name is Mourey, did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. Marbles continues to trend online whenever Solomita, who still creates content on YouTube and Twitch, includes her in his posts.

☆ TikTok creator Cooper Noriega died of an accidental drug overdose, coroner says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok star Cooper Noriega, whose body was found in a Los Angeles parking lot in June, died of an accidental drug overdose, according to authorities. The medical examiner confirmed that Noriega died in the parking lot. In a now-deleted TikTok video posted hours before his death, Noriega wrote, “who else b thinking they gon d!€ young af”Cooper Noriega in an image from his Instagram feed. @cooper.noriegaNoriega, who had more than 1.7 million followers, had been candid about his drug use and open about his mental health on social media. In the days before his death, Noriega announced plans to start a Discord server for discussing mental health experiences.

☆ Viral TikToks about IUDs portray distrust of doctors, new research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Viral TikToks about intrauterine devices (IUDs) tend to portray negative experiences more often than positive ones, recent research found, and often focus on physical pain and mistrust of doctors. Just under 28% mentioned distrust of health care professionals, while around 24% contained “moderately or highly inaccurate scientific claims,” according to the researchers. Wu said she perceives a "communication gap between health care providers and patients on this topic," which can contribute to distrust in the health care system. "From my own experience as a resident physician, I do have patients talking to me more about pain," Wu said. Her team's research also demonstrates that "there is a space for health care professionals, or health care professionals working with influencers that people trust and love" to talk about birth control options, Wu said.

☆ Karma for Taylor Swift fans as Ticketmaster offers second chance for 'Eras Tour' tickets
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Kaetlyn Liddy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"We apologize for the difficulties you may have experienced, and have been asked by Taylor's team to create this additional opportunity for you to purchase tickets." The news comes one month after the public sale of Swift's "Eras Tour" was canceled due to "extraordinarily high demand." Ticketmaster claimed that 3.5 million fans pre-registered for Swift's Verified Fan program, the largest registration in its history. After they register as a "verified fan," Ticketmaster provides them with a code and a link to the purchase site. When tickets go on sale, the link leads fans to a "Smart Queue" that "keeps ticket bots out."

☆ As TikToks about Antarctic tourism go viral, some worry about the environmental costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The Drake Passage is the body of water between the southernmost tip of Chile and Antarctica's northern peninsula. Travel company Oceanwide Expeditions describes the Drake Passage as a "lively little waterway" and the "gateway to the Antarctic." Many TikTok users expressed fascination with the Antarctic travel content, but were also perplexed with the sudden influx of videos about visiting the largely barren continent. In wake of the influx of travel content about Antarctica, some on TikTok have raised concerns over the environmental impact of Antarctic tourism. In a post responding to Ramos' video about the Drake Passage, TikTok creator jijis.m0m showed screenshots of articles about pollution in Antarctica.

☆ Lensa, the AI portrait app, has soared in popularity. But many artists question the ethics of AI art.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Social media has been flooded with Lensa AI portraits, from photorealistic paintings to more abstract illustrations. In a lengthy Twitter thread posted Tuesday morning, Prisma addressed concerns of AI art replacing art by actual artists. For some artists, AI models are a creative tool. While the value of art is subjective, the crux of the AI art controversy is the right to privacy. Without decades of examples to learn from, he said, the AI images that looked just like his illustrations would never exist.

☆ TikTok users protest Balenciaga's holiday campaign by destroying bags and shoes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Some TikTok users are destroying Balenciaga purses, shoes and other luxury products in protest of the fashion house's holiday campaign, which portrayed children holding plush bears dressed in leather harnesses. The campaign was criticized as inappropriate and harmful to children because the teddy bears appeared to be dressed in kink gear. Balenciaga apologized for the campaign last month, suggesting on Instagram that it hadn’t approved the images before the campaign went live. “Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign,” the company said. On TikTok, creators who were formerly loyal to Balenciaga posted videos admonishing it.

☆ 'Goncharov' isn't a real Martin Scorsese movie, but Tumblr convinced the internet it's a classic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Martin Scorsese presents GONCHAROV. In 2020, another Tumblr user reblogged the post with a screenshot of a comment that read, "this idiot hasn't seen goncharov." The New York Times reports that "Goncharov" was the top trending topic on Tumblr by Monday evening, followed by "Martin Scorsese." "The goncharov bit on tumblr right now is one of the insane things I eve ever seen," Twitter user @gwenstacying said. Martin Scorsese is in on the joke.

☆ Pennsylvania man arrested after TSA found a loaded gun in his bag at Newark Airport
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Police said they arrested a man on Thursday after TSA officers stopped him with a loaded gun in his carry-on bag at Newark Liberty International Airport. TSA officers detected the 9mm handgun loaded with 13 bullets, including one in the chamber, in the traveler's bag on Thanksgiving. The man, a Pennsylvania resident, is the third person this month to be arrested at the airport after TSA found guns in their bags, authorities said. The firearm is the 14th gun to be detected by airport security this year, according to the TSA. TSA"Getting caught with and arrested for carrying a loaded gun at our airport means this individual had a pretty bad Thanksgiving," Carter said.

☆ Some adult content creators are worried about losing their community if Twitter dies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

As she followed reports of the chaos within Twitter, OnlyFans creator and artist Stephanie Michelle fretted over what losing Twitter would mean for her livelihood. The pandemic and subsequent OnlyFans boom brought a new wave of adult content creators to the so-called sex work Twitter. The online sex work community is also tight-knit, so it’s also become a space to warn others of potential dangerous customers. Because sex work is so widely stigmatized, sex workers rely on each other for mutual aid and support. She added that many sex workers have experienced losing their followings and community because of how hostile other social media platforms are to adult content creators, even if they aren’t posting explicit content.

☆ A Lizzo fan made a TikTok video asking to borrow a dress for a red carpet event. The plea worked.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

As part of the honor, Marie, whose pronouns are they/she, was invited to attend Out Magazine’s gala in New York. Although the majority of American women wear sizes 14 or above, Marie said, many stores stock only sizes 12 and under. “Apparently the dress that I love from the Emmys this year was in shambles because everyone kept stepping on Lizzo’s train,” Marie said. “So she [the manager] said, ‘But we found one that’s really similar.’"Marie said Lizzo's manager offered them the magenta tulle gown that was custom-made for Lizzo’s 2019 American Music Awards performance. “You can send me a paper bag and say Lizzo wore this at a photo shoot and I would have worn it on the red carpet at that point,” Marie said.

#TaylorSwiftTix” one fan wrote, echoing the frustration of thousands of “Swifties,” the nickname for diehard Swift fans, vying to see their favorite artist in her first concert tour since before the pandemic. Backlash against the ticketing companies has also grown: When a major artist announces a tour, fans inevitably complain on social media about Ticketmaster’s high fees and unchecked scalping. Users shared screenshots of emails from Ticketmaster that said “Your invitation to TaylorSwiftTix Presale powered by Verified Fan.” “You’ve been selected!” the email reads. As for the Swift ticket sales chaos on Tuesday, Ticketmaster urged fans on Twitter to avoid going through its homepage to get tickets. "If you received a code to the TaylorSwiftTix Presale, please login and access the queue through the link you received via text rather than entering through the Ticketmaster homepage," Ticketmaster tweeted.

☆ David Dobrik's L.A. pizza restaurant opening draws massive weekend crowds despite influencer’s controversial past
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

YouTuber David Dobrik’s restaurant, Doughbrik’s, would open its doors at 1 p.m. Saturday. The family knew its early arrival would guarantee them a prime spot in line, a slice of pizza and most important: a Dobrik sighting. The lull in content follows a string of controversies entangling Dobrik since he filed for the Doughbrik’s trademark in 2020. Dozens of people flocked around the entrance to the restaurant on Saturday, where Dobrik was posing for photos with fans who braved the line. The restaurant, he wrote, "sold out of pizza" its opening day.

☆ Some OnlyFans creators have found a loophole to put their their nudes on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Some OnlyFans creators are using a TikTok artificial intelligence art filter to get around the platform’s community guidelines and promote their explicit content without getting their videos removed. People began posting AI-generated paintings of their explicit photos around late October, according to meme database Know Your Meme. tiktok and onlyfans creator amethyst roseAmethyst Rose, a creator known as walmartladygaga on TikTok, said she joined in on the trend because she'd previously heard that "TikTok is a good way to promote" an OnlyFans account. Instead of referring to explicit photos as "nudes," for example, TikTok users will write out the word as "n00ds" or "spicy pics." “Images also pass through the phone, so [they] may be backed up on the cloud.”Despite the restrictions on TikTok, Rose said that in her experience, TikTok remains the "best platform" on which to promote her OnlyFans content.

☆ Twitch streamers want to be the political pundits for the next generation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

I think politics is boring or controversial. —Hasan Piker, Twitch streamerThe news and politics genre, while growing, remains dwarfed by the gaming content that dominates Twitch. Discouraged by the conflicting messaging around Covid safety, she “picked up a health communication certification” and started streaming about public health. And then I sneak that public health in so it kind of gets their gears turning and they’re coming back for more,” she said. And you’re never going to establish that when you’re constantly fighting.”People are increasingly turning to social media for news.

☆ Their children went viral. Now they wish they could wipe them from the internet.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

Kodye Elyse, a cosmetic tattoo artist, said she "really wasn’t on social media" before then so she barely had any followers. As social media usership increases — especially on video platforms like TikTok — the potential viewership of each video is limitless. Some allege that being so prominently featured on their parents’ social media accounts negatively impacted them. It’s taken a toll on their mental health and shaped how they navigate their own social media presence. They also use their account to advocate for better protections for children online.

☆ Fake Spirit Halloween costumes meme parodies pop culture knockoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Spirit Halloween, the iconic costume and prop store, has inspired a slew of memes related to their costumes. Twitter users are now parodying knock-off costumes by adding various pop culture icons to Spirit Halloween packaging and slapping on an absurd (yet usually accurate) name. And the "Our Flag Means Death" version of the ruthless Captain Blackbeard was reduced to "Leather Clad Middle Aged Sad Sack." Spirit Halloween has not yet publicly addressed its widely memed costumes. In a response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the store said, "Stay tuned to our Twitter and Instagram accounts this evening."

☆ People are urging Adidas to cut ties with Kanye West after his antisemitic comments
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Adidas is facing increased pressure from people online to cut ties with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after he made a string of antisemitic comments. Ye announced last month that he had terminated his collaboration with Gap over disagreements over the distribution of Yeezy Gap. But several people online pointed out that Gap appears to continue to market the Yeezy Gap collection. Gap told CNN last month that it will continue to sell its existing merchandise from Yeezy Gap in its stores and on its website. It said it will also continue to sell forthcoming collections from Yeezy Gap in the fall and into the first half of 2023.

☆ Trans Twitch streamer Keffals is ready to return home after Kiwi Farms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The internet archive site Wayback Machine removed Kiwi Farms from its records, and Google delisted it from search results. After Cloudflare stopped servicing it, Kiwi Farms moved to Russian servers, where it was quickly shuttered again when web-hosting provider DDos-Guard also terminated services. It’s so important to be able to collaborate with other trans streamers of that size.”Sorrenti poses at Hasan Piker's TwitchCon booth. NBC NewsAnnie Roberts, a Twitch ambassador, noted the increase of the trans streamers on the platform in recent years. She became even closer to the creators who moderate her channel and make up her executive staff, because they too were doxxed by Kiwi Farms users for working with her.

☆ YouTube announces creators will be eligible for revenue from Shorts, the platform's TikTok competitor
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

YouTube unveiled major changes to its partner program Tuesday, announcing that creators will soon be able to earn ad revenue off of Shorts, its TikTok competitor. The YouTube Partner Program, which began in 2007, has paid creators a cut of ad revenue generated from their videos. Instead, YouTube launched the temporary Shorts Fund, a $100 million fund distributed over the course of 2021-22, to pay eligible creators. For videos posted to Shorts, YouTube will add up the entirety of the revenue from ads run between videos on its Shorts Feed to "reward Shorts creators and help cover the cost of music licensing." "It feels like YouTube cares about creators with their hearts, but they care about the labels with their wallets," Green wrote.

☆ Andrew Tate banned from YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-22 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Andrew Tate, a self-described "success coach" who has been criticized for what many see as misogynistic advice, has been banned from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. A spokesperson for TikTok said on Monday that following an investigation by the platform, an account belonging to Tate has been permanently banned. "Misogyny is a hateful ideology that is not tolerated on TikTok," the TikTok spokesperson said. YouTube also banned channels associated with Tate, including the channel TateSpeech, which had over 744,000 subscribers. If it's a channel dedicated to reposting content from a banned channel, YouTube may terminate that channel as well.

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