A brief overview of what is currently trending on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
#Oscars: The 2025 Oscar nominations have officially been announced.
Hannity: Fox News host Sean Hannity sat down with President Trump for his first interview since taking office.
John McAfee: The late British businessman’s X account is raising questions.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
How to Combat ‘Doomscrolling’ as a Brand
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What It Is: “Doomscrolling,” or the act of spending excessive time on your phone or computer consuming negative content or news, has undoubtedly had a resurgence during this first month of 2025. With recent natural disasters such as the California wildfires, rare snowstorms in the U.S. South sparking climate concerns, news of the potential TikTok ban, and political divides broadening as the new (old) Presidential administration takes shape, it’s easy for social users to become overwhelmed or consumed by the flood of news and negative information in their feeds.
The Brand Takeaway: While staying informed is important, it’s crucial that people prioritize mental well-being online, both for ourselves as social users as well as for our audiences as brands. In both cases, it’s worthwhile to become familiar with effective strategies to help combat the doomscrolling cycle, such as:
Create phone boundaries: Establish phone-free zones in your home, or set rules for when you can and can't use your phone.
Turn off notifications: Eliminate the constant reminders to check your phone.
Set a timer: Allocate a specific amount of time for scrolling each day.
Follow positive accounts: Seek out content that uplifts you vs. brings you down.
As many people rely on social media as their primary source of news and information, it’s important for brands to be sensitive to their audience's needs during uncertain times. To combat your audience’s potential feelings of anxiety, make sure your content aligns with the current cultural climate and be aware of heightened emotions in the comments.
There can also be power in taking a step back from posting during particularly tumultuous news cycles to create space for more important conversations. Knowing when and how to enter those conversations as a brand will help you bond with your audience and avoid instances of appearing out of touch. While avoiding toxic positivity, consider ways to add light to users’ feeds where it makes sense and be aware that some people may be taking break from using social at all.
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
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Harlem S3 - Amazon Prime, 1.23
Flight Risk - Theaters, 1.24
Inheritance - Theaters, 1.24
The Bachelor S29 - Hulu, 1.26
Sports Car - Tate McRae
Lower - Benjamin Booker
Can’t Rush Greatness - Central Cee
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