Taking a brief break from my current research k-hole to present (((KLAXON SOUND))): the best internet culture stories of January!
First up: 's on the drama-influencer-to-TikTok-business-journalist-pipeline through the lens of the FTX scandal.
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Was - and still am - obsessed with this piece, in which she traced her likeness across the internet and explored the murky world of deepfake ads.
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Fascinating piece on the ethics of scambaiting influencers, who are often praised as heroes by their followers, but may be targeting innocent victims. Nuanced work from and with some hilarious quotes in there, too.
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Important work from on the outpouring of sexual assault allegations made against YouTuber Andrew Callaghan, which were largely sparked by TikTok videos.
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I cannot stress how much I love articles which cover niche or unexpected internet communities making a tangible impact on the world, and this story covers just that. Delicious stuff from
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I hate to draw more attention to this man (as if British people needed another reason to be ashamed of themselves) but and deserve recognition for their comprehensive archive of Tate incriminating himself in public.
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There is a lot of coverage at the moment of AI and the way it's changing the world around us. Only one man, however, has asked - and answered - the most important question. Thank you for writing this
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I also particularly enjoyed this piece on the ethics of chatting to deceased historical figures through platforms like ChatGPT.
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Unfortunately, the issues that come with ChatGPT use aren't just ethical. This investigation from exposed the dark underbelly of the AI darling: human exploitation. A must-read.
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Excellent story by on tech layoffs colliding with TikTok. Kind of like the last scene of the Titanic unfolding IRL, but with a Silicon Valley spin, self-facing cameras, and somehow way more tears.
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This expose on TikTok pushing weight loss products was a frustrating read, but an important one. Excellent work from
and .
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and finally, to round off the month (I know I spoke about this yesterday I do not care it is very good): on the tragic and mysterious shutdown of StripperWeb, a 20-year-old forum-and-digital-union for exotic dancers. Brilliant work.
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That is everything - back next month to shamelessly fangirl about all of my peers ✨
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We're going to casually ignore that I just classed myself as a "peer" of several reporting bigdogs and I'm going to go eat some food now
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