Internet Aesthetic

Did you also pick up ceramics / pottery / knitting / crocheting / sticker illustrating / print making / baking over quarantine and fantasize about turning them into a business? Just us? In this episode, we explore the monetization of hobbies. This phenomenon is not new, but this episode discusses the ways in which it manifests today on social media. We go over why this monetization is tempting, freeing, stressful, and sometimes necessary.

Sources:

Stop Asking Me About My Side Hustle

The complicated reality of doing what you love

Instagram Post

One of our favorite ways to pass the time is playing dress-up in paper-doll style avatar-maker picrew.me and creating our best selves in an illustrated alternate universe where we have more confidence and cash. Picrew also forces us to think about the way we see ourselves, the way we want to be seen, and who we actually are. Or maybe we're just overthinking a dress up game. Also maybe Tumblr ruins everything???

Resources: 

What is This New Picrew Avatar Trend? - The Mary Sue

How an online dress up game became a battleground for digital hate mobs - Reddit

Picrews We Like: 

by ieu

by Sudo Sota

by makowka

by alohasushicore

by scuffscotch

by ummmmandy

by TyuOrphinae

Autumn is upon us—move over cottagecore and thot girl summer, because Academia has entered the chat. In this episode, we explain what the academia aesthetic is and give an overview of its sub-genres: dark academia, light academia, chaotic academia, gray academia, and more! 

While we love the visuals of this aesthetic, we also cover why this aesthetic could be problematic. We understand that women, people of color, and queer people have been important members of academia for ever—so why aren't they represented more in the visuals of this aesthetic? We unpack this aesthetic's love for itchy wool clothing and dusty books that don't actually get read. (Your childhood affection for Harry Potter is showing)

Resources:

Hello! We're finally, finally back with our first episode and we're talking about the pitfalls of the internet and how to navigate them with the help of our very first guest, our friend Brenda! Listen on for our thoughts on why it's so important to be well-versed in the way the internet works, how to protect yourself, and some of our tips and tricks for getting around paywalls, processing the onslaught of information, and more! 

You can find our first guest, Brenda, on Instagram and YouTube @thebookofbrenda! 

Do you have any tips on navigating the internet? Let us know in our Spotify Q&A or send them to us on our instagram @net.aesthetic ! 

Interesting Articles and Further Reading: 

What is the Metaverse, and Do I have to Care? - The Verge

The NFT Scammers are Here - The Verge

How to Protect Your Digital Privacy - NY Times

Internet Basics - What is the Internet? - GCFGlobal

Cyber Collective

Internet Scams: What They Are and How to Avoid Them - Norton

It's Time to Stop Paying for a VPN - NY TImes

How to Get Around Newspaper Paywalls in 2021 Read Articles for Free - Medium

Your Phone Isn't Listening to You It's Collecting the Data You're Giving It

Welcome to the new and improved Internet Aesthetic! We're going on 3 seasons strong and felt like our trailer needed an update :)

Join us each week for a casual dive into the internet and its trends, cultures and sub-cultures, society and its structures of power, and, aesthetics. Because of course, what is substance without style?

We're undeniable! We mostly just wanted to talk about how often we use the word "like." In this episode, we cover what makes a California girl: linguistically, demographically, and culturally! It's also fun to challenge our assumptions of what a California girl can look like. While we don't necessarily fit the stereotype, our home addresses and lived experiences make us unequivocally California girls. 

Bonus stories included about our experience growing up as California girls in Vietnamese-American communities (the 626, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, the OC, San Jose, and more)

Sources/Referenced media:

Culture of California

The United States Of Accents: California English

20 Words That People from California Say

Do I Sound "Asian" to You?: Linguistic Markers of Asian American Identity

If you're on Instagram chances are you've seen at least one infographic trying to explain a complex topic within ten well-designed, minimalist slides. In this episode we discuss the benefits of raising awareness and spreading information through a social media platform like Instagram as well as the pitfalls that come with it and our own responsibility as consumers of that content.

Further Reading/Viewing: 

the instagram infographic industrial complex - amandamaryanna

Should We Trust Instagram Infographics? - Hannah Berman

How Social Justice Slideshows Took Over Instagram - Vox

Unpacking the Instagram Infographic Industrial Complex - Lithium Magazine

The Aesthetics of Activism: How Instagram Changed Protesting - Refinery 29

Cottagecore is the north star of our personal aesthetics. It was one of the first internet aesthetics we wanted to talk about, but never did because we wanted to do it justice. In this episode, we explain the origins of cottagecore, why we love it, some contentious issues associated with it, and variations of the aesthetic. Now excuse us while we frolic in a bucolic meadow wearing gingham linen frocks.

Associated resources:

Cottagecore Debuted 2,300 Years Ago

Is cottagecore a colonialist fantasy?

The Paradox of Cottagecore | Rejecting Hustle Culture

surPRISE SHAWTY! It's another episode! Join us as we try to figure out what the fuck NFTs are supposed to be and do with questionable success and if they're worth the damage they cause to the environment (no). Disclaimer: Tbh we probably got some stuff wrong, please gently let us know what. 

Better Resources: 

What are NFTs? - Bitcove Blog 

Confused about NFTs? We Explain All You Need to Know - Creative Bloq 

Sorry, but NFTs Are Not Design's Democratizing Savior - AIGA Eye on Design 

NFTs Weren't Supposed to End Like This - The Atlantic 

Here is the Article You Can Send to People When They Say "But the Environmental Issues with Cryptoart Will be Solved Soon, Right?" - Everest Pipkin

We've established that your workplace is probably toxic in Part 1/2. In Part 2/2, we cover some different examples of hostility in companies, how the pandemic has worsened these existing issues, common and covert ways to identify a toxicity in your workplace, and how you can fight back to achieve a healthier work environment for yourself and your colleagues.

In this Part Two, we explore sexism at Pinterest, racism at Glossier, and harassment at ThirdLove and Away.

Pinterest Shareholders Sue Over ‘Toxic’ Work Culture - The Verge

Glossier and the Rise of Workers Using Social Media to Hold Employers Accountable - Make It CNBC

Looking Ahead: Responsibility to Community - Outta the Gloss

ThirdLove Says It’s by Women, for Women. But Women Who’ve Worked There Disagree - Vox

Emotional Baggage - The Verge

“People are Getting Soft”: How the Away Scandal Exposed a Silicon Valley Culture War - FastCompany