Social Media

December 6, 2019

The Accidental Stars of the Impeachment Inquiry

No matter the job title, the gig of most every aide to a member of Congress is essentially the same: to help make it appear that […]
December 5, 2019

Palettes Are What Every Teen Wants for the Holidays

In early November, teenagers across America were sent into a frenzy over makeup. Two popular YouTubers with tens of millions of followers between them had been […]
November 28, 2019

Diablo Cody’s Week: ‘I’m a Phone Addict’

Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind “Juno,” “Young Adult” and “Tully,” is a master of the endless hustle. But her latest routine — commuting between Hollywood […]
November 26, 2019

The Work Diary of Jackie Aina, Beauty Influencer

“You’ve got makeup brands that will launch 20 shades of beige,” the beauty influencer Jackie Aina said, in a video she posted to YouTube in 2018. […]
November 25, 2019

When Instagram Killed the Tabloid Star

Celebrity culture, in the first decade of this century, took the form of a kind of misogynistic death cult. Somewhere in Hollywood, Lindsay Lohan was falling […]
November 19, 2019

The Metaphysics of Kylie Cosmetics Being Sold to Coty

On Monday, Kylie Jenner sold 51 percent of her cosmetics and skin care brand to Coty for $600 million, a price tag that values the enterprise […]
November 15, 2019

Can FaZe Clan Build a Billion-Dollar Business?

LOS ANGELES — FaZe Clan could be called a media company, or an esports team, or an influencer marketing agency, or all of the above. “Something […]
November 11, 2019

On the Internet, No One Knows You’re Not Rich. Except This Account.

In February, an Instagram account called @BallerBusters cropped up and began wreaking havoc on the flashy Instagram entrepreneur community. Its goal: To expose phony entrepreneurs. Using […]
November 8, 2019

Do You Want to Be Touched?

Rachel Brathen had no idea of the deluge headed her way when she asked her Instagram followers if they ever had experienced touch that felt inappropriate […]
November 6, 2019

Thousands of College Kids Paid to Work for a Viral Party Kingpin. What Could Go Wrong?

For eight years, a digital media company called I’m Shmacked has posted viral videos of the college party scene. Beer bongs, booze, marijuana and scantily clad […]