Never News: Put It On The Credit Card
I'm going to yell at you about this again later on in the newsletter, but this is your PENULTIMATE reminder to vote for us at the Webby's for Best Live Podcast Recording! If we win this I will surely cry tears of joy, and wouldn't that be nice? Anyway, on to the news.
Some internet aperitifs...
If you missed the news, the largely despised website 4chan went down and, as of me writing this, is still down (rest in pieces, I say). Elsewhere, a deep dive into the Vatican's first gamer saint (seriously). In very bad news, the threat to public media looms larger by the day. The DOJ just won its antitrust case against Google, which could produce some wild aftershocks. Plus, now there's an AI bot masking as a student protestor in order to help the cops. And finally, I guess there may in fact be proof of life on another planet???
And now, for the main courses...
THE CUT: are we all resigned to spending more than we have?
This piece pairs well with another, similar piece in NYT that covers what feels like the juggling performance from Hell: trying to keep up with a financial landscape that is dictated by debt, while also trying to, you know, live your life with some semblance of joy. That often means deferring student loans, choosing between a doctor's appointment and groceries, or putting flights on Afterpay so you can go to your best friend's wedding. It's made all the more brutal with the performance of wealth and means we often see online, leading us (myself certainly included) to wonder "wait, how are they able to do this? Am I doing something wrong?" Turns out, almost all of us are doing this juggling routine, no matter what it may look like on Instagram.
SHOW NEWS: Today is the last day to vote in the Webby's!
If you missed the last newsletter, allow me to remind you that our live show episode from the 2024 XOXO Fest is nominated for a Webby for Best Live Podcast Recording!!! You can vote for us here — it takes like 5 seconds, and I urge you to do it! Yes, for some reason you have to make an account in order to vote, but even THAT takes like 2 seconds. So get thee hence to the digital voting booth and cast your vote for US, why don'tcha!
THE ATLANTIC: the Craigslist-ification of Facebook Marketplace
Marketplace remains the only reason why I haven't deleted my Facebook. As my profile gathers dust and my notifications go unchecked, Marketplace remains the one shining beacon that I return to with some regularity. And as this article points out, this feature offers a slightly classier-feeling secondhand shopping experience to its peers, namely Craigslist. Compared to Craigslist's somewhat scuzzy user experience, Facebook Marketplace offers all the joys of an online bazaar with an added sheen of credibility. I certainly find it more comforting to pick up an AC unit from a seller who I can see, right there on the listing, has had a Facebook since 2009. While the rest of Facebook's offerings as a platform wane in their popularity (when was the last time you "poked" someone?), Marketplace may indeed be the key to the site's longevity — not so much as a social platform, but as a better Craigslist.
VOX: at the gym, everyone's a content creator
I'm practically the exact opposite of a "gym rat," but even I see a plethora of content of people taking videos themselves (and often eachother) at the gym. And turns out, it's a practice that's starting to rub a lot of people the wrong way. To me, it's just another example of the broader discourse about social surveillance in public spaces, and the general fear that anything you do in public could be recorded and ridiculed on the Internet. There are certainly exceptions to the issues present here: I don't think there's something inherently bad about taking videos of your fitness progress. But it'll be an interesting conversation to watch unfold as the lines between real life and potential content continue to blur.
And that's it for this installment of Never News! The blooms of spring are all around us, so let this be the reminder you need to take your allergy pill. Ta ta for now, dear ones.