If a hacker can find your mom’s maiden name or your first pet on social media, your accounts are easy targets.
🤳🏼 Oops, she did it again: Britney Spears posted a nude photo on Instagram, just boots and a strategically placed rose emoji, and yep, social media exploded. The next day, she followed it with a raw post about her kids, past trauma and trying to heal. Some are whispering a comeback, others say it screams therapy. I think it’s just so sad.
Getting a phone before 13
Puts kids at a much higher risk of developing suicidal thoughts. A massive study of 100,000+ people found girls often take the biggest hit to self-worth and emotional control, while boys struggle more with calmness and empathy. The common culprit? No shocker here, social media.
TikTok’s new craze: A 9-year-old camera. Yep, the social media gods have crowned the Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS as the best point-and-shoot camera for that “perfectly imperfect” vibe. It was $360 new in 2016. Now it’s out of stock on Canon’s site, and used ones are selling for up to $600. Nostalgia always cashes in.
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Hide shady content on X: Don’t want NSFW stuff popping up in your feed? Go to Settings > Privacy and safety > Content you see and turn off Display media that may contain sensitive content. Then, under Content you see, tap Search settings and switch on Hide sensitive content.
Stay groovy, Old Faithful: Social media’s latest doomsday fantasy? That Yellowstone’s wildlife is fleeing an imminent volcanic eruption. The panic started with a fake post claiming “hundreds” of the park’s ~40 mountain lions were fleeing. Bears “escaping” turned out to be filmed in a drive-thru zoo in South Dakota. Someone posted a herd of wildebeests in Africa. Speaking of… What did the dad say after dropping his son off at Yellowstone National Park? Bison! (lol)
Make your X account private: Only want your followers to see your posts? Log in to X > go to More (bottom left) > Settings and privacy > Privacy and safety > Audience, media and tagging > and tick Protect your posts. On mobile, tap your profile icon and go to Settings to do the same.
$1.5 billion
What Paramount+ is coughing up for the streaming rights to South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone just pulled off the media heist of the decade: five years, $300 million a year. And yes, it’s still a cartoon about poop jokes.
16th century
That’s when the word “bro” first popped up, short for “brother.” Fast-forward to today, mix in a little social media brain rot, and Gen Alpha has taken it further with “bruh.” It now means just about anything: a greeting, joy, frustration, you name it. Versatile? Absolutely. Clear? Not even close.
🎞️ Make your own GIFs: Want something custom for social media? Try GIPHY for free. Just make an account, click Create (top right) and Choose a File (like an MP4). Trim the clip, add stickers or text and upload it. When it’s ready, you can Download it or Copy Link to share.
Next-gen CarPlay is here: CarPlay Ultra now takes over every screen in your car, not just the dashboard. It can handle things like the speedometer, climate control and fuel gauge, while still showing your iPhone’s maps and media. The catch? It’s only on Aston Martins for now, but more brands are coming.
Facebook on mute: Whether you’re sneaking a scroll at work or just want things silenced, it’s easy to stop videos from auto-playing with sound. On your phone, go to Menu > Settings & privacy > Settings > Media and toggle Videos Start with Sound off. Ah, much better.
Stay in the know: Spot a topic trending on X that ties into your business? Let your favorite AI bot help you craft a social media post to show your audience you’re paying attention. Just say, “Write a [platform] post about [trending topic] that fits my [business or brand topic].”
💼 Get your résumé noticed: LinkedIn is the best place to show off your skills, connect with people in the same industry and find new job opportunities. Whether you’re job hunting or branding your company, LinkedIn helps you stand out! It’s not just social media, it’s your digital handshake. Click here to post your job for free!
📨 No contact info? No prob, here’s how to find someone’s email: Search for “John Smith” + “email.” The quotes help Google look for that exact phrase. Pro tip: Check their social media profiles. Some folks put their contact details right on their pages.
Less than 100
That’s how many shark bites are reported globally each year. Not a huge number, but it’s been going up. Why? Blame social media. Some influencers are telling tourists to snap selfies or reach out for a pat. Add to that the fact that most people can’t tell a reef shark from a bull shark. Yeah, natural selection in action.
💎 Kim K’s robbery trial update: Not me, silly. That Paris heist from 2016 when she was held at gunpoint and lost $10 million in jewelry. One of the thieves now says he regrets it because of, wait for it, all the media attention. FYI: They tracked her through her nonstop social media posts. She’s still oversharing today. Classic.
Influencers bought and sold
The Los Angeles Times uncovered a covert electioneering campaign involving over 500 social media creators. Here’s the scoop.
👔 Pro at video: Want your LinkedIn videos to pop? Keep ads to 15-30 seconds and bigger topics under two minutes. Formats like 9:16 (vertical) or 1:1 (square) look the best on phones and do better. To upload, open the app and tap Start a post (top right) > Add Media (picture frame icon) > pick your video and hit Post.