In 1933, a new craze took New York society by storm: the scavenger hunt. It’s easy to see why: scavenger hunts were amusing, challenging and competitive. They offered unpredictable outcomes — you try obtaining a live monkey on short notice after dark — but they were also social, allowing people to bond over the thrill of the hunt and the status of finishing before other competitors. Actual scavenger hunts have largely faded from fashion. The internet, in other words, has made it possible to turn aspects of reality — not only the most opaque, mysterious bits, but also the most sensational, outrageous or emotive elements — into massively multiplayer online scavenger hunts.

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Persons: Elsa Maxwell, Taylor, It’s Organizations: Waldorf, Social, Twitter Locations: New York, United States