Internet celebrity

Photo: Mike Kemp (Getty Images)TikTok has grabbed the world’s attention in recent years, averaging 73 million American users every month. The app knows exactly what you like, and now it’s rolling out phase two: selling you something with every single video. TikTok is testing out a new feature that will identify objects in a video automatically, and encourage viewers to “find similar items on TikTok Shop,” according to Bloomberg.Will Banning TikTok Solve Privacy Issues? | Future TechTikTok Shop launched in September and…

TikTok is set to launch an e-commerce platform to sell Chinese-made goods to its millions of American users, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal. The new shopping experience is a new attempt by TikTok to compete withShein and Temu, two Chinese companies dominating the online retail scene with fast fashion and cheap products.Mourning the Loss of Addison Rae’s Debut Album | The Meme MachineYou won’t have to wait long either. As soon as early August, TikTok plans to give you the exciting opportunity to buy…

Three independent artists are now suing ultra-cheap online retailer Shein, alleging that the company has been deploying an algorithm to identify trending art—including the artists’ own designs—and recreating it in sweatshops, all under the leadership of a mysterious tech tycoon.Are ‘Hauls’ a Wasteful Social Media Practice?Artists Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron filed the lawsuit against Shein inCalifornia federal court yesterday. The artists argue that Shein has sold nearly identical copies of work they…

Screenshot: GizmodoOne of the most maligned tropes of the social media age is the infamous apology video. Whether it be blackface, showing a dead body to children, posting racist tweets, a convention gone wrong, or texting minors, there have been plenty of apology videos posted in the last decade of YouTube’s popularity.The formula is pretty much the same across the board. Step one: YouTuber/influencer is caught doing something dangerous or exploitative or discriminatory or racist or in poor taste or shady or…

Fast fashion giant Shein paid for influencers to take a tour of part of its Chinese manufacturing operation several weeks ago, and the lucky Instagram and TikTok stars filled social media with videos from their recent trip last Tuesday. The videos showed off clean, pleasant factories, smiling workers, and a stalwart commitment to safety. Forced labor allegations? Never heard of them! And of course the products don’t have lead in them, you silly goose. Just as quickly as the internet celebrities hopped on Instagram and…

DASHCAM | Official Teaser TrailerAfter director Rob Savage released Host—the shockingly effective Zoom horror film created at the height of the pandemic in 2020—he turned to another technological gimmick for his 2021 follow-up, which is evidenced by its title (his next movie, Stephen King adaptation Boogeyman, is shot in a more conventional style). Framed as a livestream, complete with in-picture “viewer commentary,” Dashcam—which also has pandemic themes—follows an odious internet celebrity (Annie Hardy) whose…

Watching endless TikTok videos will become a lucrative pastime for the three social media users who land a job that will pay them to continuously scroll through the app. Ubiquitous, an influencer marketing agency, announced it will pay $100 per hour for successful applicants to scroll through TikTok for 10 hours straight searching for “emerging trending topics.” The job was posted on the Ubiquitous site and advertises the position as The TikTok Watchdog Job 2.0. The company says it’ll select three applicants who will…

Meta and other social media firms chasing TikTok’s short-form video success are fanning the flames of ban rhetoric while simultaneously vying to boost the attractiveness of their own TikTok clones with new monetization features. The goal? Steal away as many fearful TikTokers as possible.Nobody’s Really Watching ReelsBrewing fears of an impending TikTok ban could send some creators packing their digital bags and heading back to Instagram and Facebook, whether they like it or not. Digital marketing experts and content…

Remember the movie Her? We just took one step closer to that reality. Caryn Marjorie, a 23-year-old influencer, has used AI to create a virtual version of herself that acts as a romantic companion of sorts for thousands of her fans online who are willing to pay for this unique experience called CarynAI. The technology is a voice-based chatbot that allows you to type and speak with Marjorie as if conversing with a girlfriend. Users are paying $1 per minute to engage with Marjorie’s voice and likeness for several…

The Biden administration previously tried appealing to a younger demographic with Gen Z’s own Olivia Rodrigo, who stressed the importance of getting vaccinated for covid-19 in a July 2021 visit to the White House. Image: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)How do you do fellow kids? In an effort to reach younger voters ahead of the 2024 election, President Joe Biden is looking to use social media influencers to tout his accomplishments through an exclusive briefing room. Nobody’s Really Watching ReelsAxios broke the story…