Open Tabs

This Friday:

* Wired’s deep dive into Fishtank Live, the 24/7 unmoderated reality stream [~00:00:22]. Contestants with nothing to lose live in a house while viewers blast insults through a live speaker system. The hosts unpack why this feels like the inevitable endpoint of reality TV, social media, and a generation using it as an escape from a pretty bleak…

This Wednesday:

* MrBeast becomes the first YouTuber to hit 500 million subscribers [~00:00:22]. The hosts debate whether the number means much when so many “subscribers” are just chasing his cash giveaways, and whether his fan base simply ages out of his content as fast as it ages in.

* Vanity Fair’s exposé on Alex Cooper’s Unwell empire [~00:14:47]. Forty s…

This episode:

* Creators are filling Love Island USA’s content void [~00:00:42]. With contestants’ accounts dormant this season, content creator @NotWildlin has stepped in with hour-long TikTok recaps of each episode.

* Why is everyone drinking Loonen water? [~00:11:14]. The glass-bottled water brand has taken over feeds through what appears to be a heavy in…

This Wednesday:

* Love Island US is going social media silent [~00:00:52]. Season 8 made the call to keep contestants' personal accounts dormant while they're in the villa.

* The Backrooms is the perfect Gen Z horror movie [~00:15:07]. A24's latest just crossed $200M at the international box office in 10 days, directed by a 20-year-old YouTuber.

Below the payw…

This week we cover:

* The rise of snail mail clubs [~00:01:07]. We dive into how physical mail became a growing creative economy and Megan Collins does a live snail mail club unboxing. Plus: why the appeal might have less to do with nostalgia and more to do with craving a sensory experience that your phone just can’t replicate.

* Jay Shetty is leaving YouTube [~00:16:53].…

This week:

* Spotify is reserving concert tickets for superfans [~00:00:35]. Spotify announced it will use listening data (streams, hours, and shares) to identify superfans and hold tickets exclusively for premium subscribers.

* The rise of whimsy [~00:19:10]. A New York Times piece declared whimsy a rising trend among Zillennials.

Beyond the paywall…

* Everyon…

This week:

* The rise of parallel play for adults [~4:31]. A Real Simple article applied the child development concept of parallel play to adult friendship -- spending time together while doing your own thing.

* The Rise of Parallel Play Friendships, Real Simple

* Stop Calling It Community. You’re Running a Group Chat With Merch., Ayo Ogunde 🧠

* Nobody wants to be famous anym…

Happy Friday! 👋

We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs.

Here’s what we covered this week:

* Charli xcx dropped a new song exclusively on Instagram and vinyl [~0:00]. She released her new song, I Keep On…

Happy Friday! 👋

We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs.

Here’s what we covered this week:

* The Met Gala happened [~0:29]. We had varying levels of investment: Megan Collins was tuned in across YouTube and TikTok liv…

Happy Friday! 👋

We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs.

Here’s what we covered this week:

* AI influencers are getting sneakier [~0:29]. A New Yorker piece profiles a 45-year-old Georgia homemaker who bu…