A brief overview of what is currently trending in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
#Marines: U.S Active Duty Marines have been deployed to help restore order in LA.
#China: China has reached a trade deal with President Trump.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Is TikTok Becoming a Humiliation Ritual?
What It Is: Is TikTok becoming a sort of humiliation ritual? Users are coming forth with an increasing number of TikToks encouraging others to go through the cringe of not being the greatest at creating content, or having a low number of views for some time. Many users are describing this weird stage of the TikTok algorithm as a kind of humiliation ritual they have to go through in order to gain more traction on their pages. Consistency is key in getting through this humiliation ritual and escaping the “hundreds” jail, as many describe it. In one TikTok, a user explains that it’s necessary to be yourself and keep posting in order to start monetizing your content. The rising number of people speaking out about their experiences trying to break through the algorithm is giving insight into how it works. Gone are the days of easily going viral. Now the algorithm expects you to work for virality and success.
Brand Takeaway: The next wave of creators will be those unafraid to show up as their unapologetic selves. They won’t try to cater to the algorithm, but will instead aim to shake things up while staying authentic. While many users struggle with the “humiliation ritual” of the algorithm, these emerging creators will embrace it and find a way to make it work in their favor.
Examples: 1, 2, 3
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
Texas Governor deploys National Guard in response to statewide protests earlier this week.
President Trump announces new trade agreement with Beijing, sparking global market reactions.
TikTok names a new "it-girl" and the internet is already obsessed.
ChatGPT continues its rise, with new updates that could reshape how people use AI daily.
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