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The Independent •

The cringey internet trend so many are guilty of: What is Sadfishing?

Anyone who uses social media will recognize that one chronic oversharer who posts cryptic quotes about self-worth on their Instagram Stories or vague captions hinting that karma will be coming for some unsuspecting someone.

Academic researchers have called this attention-seeking behavior “sadfishing” – the act of posting on social media for sympathetic comments and reactions.

The term was first coined by journalist Rebecca Reid in 2019 when it turned out that Kendall Jenner‘s vulnerable tale o
The Independent •

Controversial TikTok personality Kyle Marisa Roth dead at 36

In an announcement on Instagram on 15 April, Roth’s sister Lindsay shared with fans that the TikTokker died from unknown causes. “As a family we are still processing and deciding how to properly celebrate and honor her life,” Lindsay wrote. “We don’t know [what] happened yet.”

“So many people with her humor, intelligence, beauty, gossip activism, athleticism and more,” she continued. “She had so many gifts. if anyone wants to connect about Kyle, I'm here to talk and share memories.”

She promis
The Independent •

Logan Paul and model Nina Agdal are expecting first child together

The 29-year-old YouTuber and the model announced their pregnancy by debuting her baby bump on Instagram with a series of sweet snaps of the pair kissing and proudly showing off ultrasound pictures of their unborn child. They captioned the carousel of photos, writing: “Another Paul coming this Fall.”

According to a March interview with the Daily Mail, Agdal revealed that the pair got engaged in Lake Como, Italy, in July 2023, just two months after celebrating their one-year anniversary. She expl
The Independent •

What are carefluencers? How influencers are inspiring a generation of caregivers

Carefluencers are highlighting what it’s like to take care of elderly relatives by sharing their day-to-day on the internet.

Grandchildren are increasingly making content on social media showing their grandparents enjoying their old age and going about their lives. Francesca Falzarano - an assistant professor at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology - told The New York Times that her researchers have coined a term for people who are giving a behind-the-scenes
The Independent •

Porsche pokes fun at Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Beauty phone cases with April Fools’ ad

In honour of April Fools’ Day, luxury car brand, Porsche, hopped on the trend poking fun at Hailey Bieber’s polarising Rhode Beauty phone cases with their own version in a recent Instagram reel.

Bearing a similar grey colour, the Porsche version has its logo emblazoned on the case as well as a similar compartment to hold things. However, instead of holding Bieber’s popular lip balm, the case carries a set of car keys.

In the video’s caption, the brand wrote: “Phone, wallet, keys? Not anymore!
The Independent •

Influencer divides viewers saying men ‘should pay on the first date’

An influencer sparked a debate after saying that men “should pay on the first date” because women spend a lot on makeup.

In a viral TikTok video, beauty influencer Elle McNamara - who goes by BambiDoesBeauty on the platform - took part in an ongoing trend in which content creators break down how much their make-up routines cost. As she did her makeup, McNamara off-handedly said that because the total cost of her look came to £233.07, men should foot the bill on the first date.

Her expensive be
The Independent •

Mothers are normalising messy homes on TikTok

Mothers on social media are trying to normalise having imperfect homes and lifestyles.

In a viral TikTok video, 29-year-old substitute teacher and mother of three Katie Ziemer candidly spoke about the pressure to be perfect as a mother, saying that she often compares herself to the put-together mothers she sees on social media.

“I used to think I couldn’t be a content creator because I don’t live in a pretty house…I mean, look at me.” In the video, Zermer notably kept things lowkey in black sw
The Independent •

Savannah Bananas baseball team goes viral for Dirty Dancing routine

The Savannah Bananas baseball team has gone viral again for their Dirty Dancing routine.

When the opening lyrics of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes sounded over the PA system during a sold-out game against Party Animals at Jacksonville’s Financial Ballpark, the entire Savannah Bananas baseball team converged to recreate the famous scene from Dirty Dancing.

“It was a massive production that took the whole squad,” Bananas catcher Bill LeRoy told ABC News. “It
The Independent •

Wedding guest accidentally shows up wearing same dress as bridesmaids

A wedding guest has recounted her embarrassment after accidentally wearing the same dress as the bridesmaids.

In a viral TikTok video, unlucky wedding guest Taylor Fogarty (@taylorfogartyy) shared on the platform that she showed up to the wedding accidentally wearing the exact same dress as the bridesmaids. The clip shows Fogarty donning a pale blue gown before panning the camera up to reveal a row of bridesmaids rocking the same thing.

“My Roman empire is the time I showed up to a wedding in
The Independent •

Pregnant woman sparks debate after crying over gender reveal

A pregnant mother has sparked a debate after she was filmed sobbing when her gender reveal did not go to plan.

In a viral video on TikTok, Michigan-based mother Autumn Freeman shared with her followers her reaction to her “gender reveal” after she and her husband Andy popped a balloon only to have pink streamers come out instead of blue like they wanted.

She stitched footage from both her first and second gender reveals, contrasting the different emotional reactions in both clips. Freeman wrot
The Independent •

Parents are ‘pre-folding’ their toddlers before car rides on TikTok

Parents on TikTok are “pre-folding” their toddlers before putting them in the car.

It can be difficult for parents to wrangle their children into their car seats, and nothing encapsulates the struggle quite as well as a recently viral video of a young mother trying to put her child in his seat. In the video, Lauren (@laurarbs1) struggles to get her 17-month-old son, Emmett, into his car seat.

Many took to the comment section of the video to give Lauren advice, with a large number noting that t
The Independent •

Trader Joe’s viral $3 mini totes are now being resold for hundreds

Trader Joe’s mini totes have gone viral on TikTok, and people are now reselling the $3 bags for hundreds of dollars online.

The American grocery store chain’s mini tote bags are currently in high demand, thanks to TikTok. A massive amount of Trader Joe’s customers are buying the highly-coveted mini totes in droves, with clips showing crowds of people rushing to the store to get their hands on the bag.

Influencers have turned the tiny tote into somewhat of a status symbol, as some have shared h
The Independent •

Influencer rescued pigeon and trained it to go out for martinis

An influencer rescued a pigeon and trained it to go out to restaurants.

In a viral series on TikTok called “Purse Pigeon,” party products developer Abby Jardine lets viewers in on her nights out on the town in New York City along with her faithful companion, Pidge, a pigeon she carries with her in her cream, leather purse. Together, they paint the town red, hitting one NYC hotspot after another.

“If I want to go out for drinks or dinner with friends, I just put her in my bag and she’s down to
The Independent •

Trader Joe’s restocks its viral mini cooler totes

Trader Joe’s mini cooler totes are the latest item from the beloved grocery store to go viral, and fans can soon expect them to be back in stock.The American supermarket chain will restock the popular mini cooler totes on July 17, according to Instagram fan account Trader Joe’s Obsessed. The coolers will remain affordable at $3.99, and will be offered in shades of magenta and teal.“A limited amount of magenta and teal mini insulated totes will be available in most Trader Joe’s stores,” the compa...
The Independent •

People can’t get enough of LoveShackFancy owner’s opulent New York City home

LoveShackFancy founder Rebecca Hessel Cohen’s lavish New York City home has gone viral on TikTok. In a recent TikTok video with apartment-tour content creator Caleb Simpson, the 42-year-old fashion brand founder gave a tour of her opulent property, which she described as being decorated with a “West Village meets Europe” flair. From 156 antique decorative light fixtures to decadent pink sofas and ornate wallpaper, well-thought-out decorations pepper the six-floor home. But the unique fixtures do...
The Independent •

TikTok influencers rediscover Bag Balm as ‘slugging’ alternative

Rural beauty hack Bag Balm has entered the skincare mainstream thanks to TikTok.

A widely known secret within rural communities, Bag Balm has gone viral after content creators and “skinfluencers” alike have begun to tout its effects as an alternative to Vaseline for “slugging,” the act of covering your entire face before going to bed to seal in moisture.

From actor Raquel Welch to country superstar Shania Twain, celebrities have long credited Bag Balm as the beauty hack that helps them weather
The Independent •

Parents reveal why their 13-month-old baby knows what the Four Seasons Orlando is

The parents of the baby who went viral for voicing her preference for the Four Seasons Orlando have shared how their daughter knows about the hotel.

In the now-viral TikTok video posted on May 20, Stefanie O’Brien shared a clip of her 13-month-old niece Kate enthusiastically responding to her mother, Bailey Wise, who asked behind the camera if anyone wanted to go to the luxurious hotel. After she and her husband Will’s four-year-old daughter Madelyn said “Me,” the camera showed Will holding Kat
The Independent •

What is ‘ShiftTok’? TikTok users claiming to travel to alternate realities

A new TikTok trend has people claiming they can shift into alternate realities.

In a TikTok community called “ShiftTok,” people say they can shift their consciousness into different realities through mental meditation techniques. Viral videos from the online community show various users claiming everything from having a husband in a different world to being able to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from Harry Potter.

“I have a husband in a lot of my DRs [desired realities],
The Independent •

Woman reveals one way to identify millennials in their 30s to the dismay of many

A woman revealed the one way to identify millennials in their thirties on TikTok.

In a viral TikTok video, a woman named Paige Mills recently shared how she does it, with the clip having since received more than 15.5 million views.

Mills shared a recent experience in which a new friend asked her to guess her age.

“I became friends with a girl at the gym, and when I asked her how old she was, she asked me to guess,” she recalled in the video. “I had thought 25 or 26 this whole time and then I
The Independent •

Instagram influencers have found a new beauty spot to ruin

Instagram influencers have found their latest target - and locals are not pleased.

Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, the largest botanical garden on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, has become a hit with those looking for dreamy pictures to boost their social media followings.

On Instagram, a photo of the botanical garden’s lush entryway went viral - and people have been pitching up in greater numbers ever since to capture it for the Gram.

Officials say such viral shots are behind the increase in visi
The Independent •

Will the TikTok ban spell the death of the influencer?

Craving what we don’t have has been a compulsion long before the surge in social media marketing-fueled consumption. Once upon a time, our material desires were cultivated through in-person interactions, in-store shopping, or word-of-mouth. Not long after, face-to-face became face-to-catalog, with consumers flipping endlessly through product pages, before television ads intensified their appetite for more, using fictional characters and celebrity actors as aspirational models for who the custome
The Independent •

The Los Angeles edition of the Willy Wonka Experience was an absurdist fever dream

Standing outside a graffitied warehouse in Los Angeles’ Arts District, I didn’t know what to expect from a recreation of Glasgow’s disastrous Willy Wonka event. I had heard a lot about the bungled children’s experience, which included AI-generated characters, sparse and low-budget sets and costuming, and a sad Oompa Loompa who had become somewhat of a local celebrity since the event. Unlike what happened in Glasgow, this event was primarily marketed to grown adults, capitalising off of the meme
The Independent •

What is ‘CrowTok’? The influencers rehabilitating the misunderstood bird’s reputation

TikTok users have built a niche online community dedicated to normalising humans’ bond with crows.

Nicole Steinke, who posts as @Tangobird on TikTok, has taken her habit of feeding crows and turned it into video content - showing people how to interact with the chronically misunderstood birds. Steinke provides treats for a family of six crows called Waffles, Doc and Dotty, and their baby DocTok - the latter of which was named by Steinke’s 284,000 followers.

She reportedly feeds the family twic
The Independent •

What are ‘friendship snacks’ and why are they important to our relationships?

Researchers have found that adult friendships are often maintained through “friendship snacks”.

With busy schedules often making it harder to spend quality time with friends as an adult, sending quick how-are-you texts, adorable animal videos, or memes can be a simple way for friends to maintain their relationships. Even if these interactions tend to ultimately be unsatisfying, they’re not meant to meet the complete needs of a friendship, and instead act as a stopgap for when plans will ultimat
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