You’ve undoubtedly seen news stories about Charli D’Amelio, 2020’s 16-year-old TikTok phenomenon, with 6 billion likes and 82 million followers since she joined the app last spring. It was the part about “automated fame” that really caught my attention in a New Yorker story this past weekend. Charli became “the most popular creator on TikTok” partly just because of who Charli is – a very grounded … [Read more...] about ‘Automated fame’: 1 of the TikTok stories of the moment
apps
About ‘Momo’ & dealing with viral media scares
There's no rhyme or reason to these things. They show up on different social media platforms, start in different parts of the world, but don’t always "go viral" in regions where they started. There are cultural aspects to what makes them take off but also universal ones: They "excite children's and teens’ imaginations, increase careless media outlets' appetite and opportunities for bigger … [Read more...] about About ‘Momo’ & dealing with viral media scares
Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Important new digital-parenting tool
Facebook’s launch of Messenger Kids is a game-changer – but not just in the way you might think. Sure it’s the world’s largest social media service’s first product for people under 13. That’s certainly big news, and what will capture most of the headlines this week. But it’s actually a combination of that and something less noticeable and more meaningful that’s really game-changing about Messenger … [Read more...] about Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Important new digital-parenting tool
About teens’ new top app ‘tbh’ & (real) safety in apps
"It's trying to be the anti-Sarahah," reports New York Magazine. But, like Sarahah, tbh (for "to be honest"), the newest hot app among teens in Apple's App Store, is probably trying not to be a flash in the pan. [As of today, it's No. 3, after Facebook Messenger and Gmail, on Apple's "Top Charts" list for free apps, down 2 from No. 1 since NYMag.com's report.] But before I tell you a bit more … [Read more...] about About teens’ new top app ‘tbh’ & (real) safety in apps
Yellow app: Signs of smarter digital safety
It isn't often that a social media startup has the stated "ambition to become a major social platform and a leader in safety [emphasis mine]." But that's what the team behind Yellow, a fast-growing, Paris-based videochat app that just launched in the U.S., says, and I believe them. Details about safety measures in a minute, but first: Intention alone is huge in an industry where startups and … [Read more...] about Yellow app: Signs of smarter digital safety