Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends

This Substack explores digital culture, internet phenomena, and the impact of technology on daily life, emphasizing themes like privacy, grief, social media trends, AI, wellness culture, consumerism, and personal narratives. It critically reflects on changes in internet use, the commodification of personal life, and the evolving landscape of online interaction.

Digital Culture and Internet Phenomena Technology and Society Mental Health and Wellness AI and Automation Social Media Trends and Impacts Consumer Culture Personal Narratives and Storytelling Internet and Technology Critique Public Health and Misinformation Media and Content Consumption

The hottest Substack posts of Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends

And their main takeaways

#Hip and #cool

0 implied HN points • 23 Oct 14
🎭️ Culture Internet Social media Celebrities Memes Mystery
  1. Content moderators sift through internet content so you don't have to, a vital but often distressing job.
  2. The internet harbors a new kind of adept yet troubling figure, like the suspected celebrity photo hacker, showcasing a disturbing trend.
  3. Investigative stories on the web can hold powerful insights into privacy and data concerns, rather than just superficial entertainment.

It's not me -- it's you.

0 implied HN points • 14 Oct 14
🎭️ Culture Books Internet Music Social media
  1. Some people hold onto domain names related to diseases and wait to sell them for high prices. For instance, one person has held onto Ebola.com for six years.
  2. After some life events, like a death in the family, voicemails can be a comforting way for people to express care and support.
  3. A woman pretended to be 113 years old to get a Facebook account, leading to questions about the impact of social media on privacy and personal information.

This is your own damn fault

0 implied HN points • 18 Mar 14
🎭️ Culture Internet Media Social media Books Art
  1. The 'Task Rabbit economy' can have low pay and overhyped rewards, revealing a darker side to gig economy success stories.
  2. A man wrote his love story on Yelp, sharing intimate details of a relationship gone sour in an unexpected platform.
  3. Even 19th-century Russians experienced FOMO, showing that some social phenomena remain constant across time.
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What the beep.

0 implied HN points • 13 May 14
🎭️ Culture Celebrities Internet Social Issues Lifestyle Media
  1. Fast Company's annual ranking of creative people includes a Saudi Arabian princess and CEOs, highlighting innovative individuals.
  2. Understanding privilege is important, with a helpful explanation available online.
  3. The digital footprint of today's children, linked to social profiles through facial recognition, poses potential future privacy concerns.

Thanks Macaulay Culkin!

0 implied HN points • 12 May 14
🎭️ Culture Internet Memes Music Food & Drink Books
  1. The future of net neutrality is uncertain, and Tim Wu, who invented it, stands at the center.
  2. Owning too much can end up controlling you, embracing a minimalistic lifestyle might be beneficial.
  3. Debates about Internet memes like 'shovel girl' can reflect on the culture of the online world.

Feelin' salty

0 implied HN points • 22 Jan 15
🕹 Technology Internet Online Services Social media Data Privacy
  1. Your e-reader companies might be collecting detailed data on your reading habits, which could potentially change longer-form writing.
  2. There's a new service that texts you like an imaginary significant other, offering some rom-com potential.
  3. Instagram users explore the late night creative space with the hashtag #nightshift, sharing beautifully weird posts.

$$$

0 implied HN points • 30 Sep 14
🎭️ Culture Social media Journalism Food Health
  1. Cyberbullying can have long-lasting impacts, even when the victim confronts the bully years later.
  2. LiveLeak gained notoriety for hosting controversial videos, like the beheading of journalist James Foley, refusing removal of graphic content.
  3. When pets become internet memes, they can often overshadow their real-life counterparts in popularity and recognition.

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

0 implied HN points • 19 Dec 14
🕹 Technology Data Internet Online Culture Social media E-commerce
  1. Infomania refers to hoarding digital content, which can be less funny due to privacy concerns.
  2. Some people have witnessed the development of social networking from its early days in the '90s.
  3. The Boston Globe reconstructed the life of Amazon's top reviewer who declined an interview.

Nothing you'd need to procure illegally

0 implied HN points • 10 Dec 14
🕹 Technology Internet Hacking Social media Privacy Entertainment
  1. The Sony hacks revealed embarrassing details of ordinary people's lives, showing how terrifying cyber attacks can be.
  2. Beware of online vigilantes like Chuck Johnson, who sabotage the idea of a folk Internet in their ruthless quest for 'truth.'
  3. The Ikea coffee table became a symbol of revisiting youthful stages of life, resonating with many through shared experiences.

Sorry I'm not sorry

0 implied HN points • 26 Sep 14
🎭️ Culture Internet Comedy Food Podcasts Media
  1. Ello was a new social media site attempting to compete with Facebook, aiming to free users from its control.
  2. Podcasts have become increasingly popular and polished, shedding their clunky image of the past.
  3. Internet comedy videos like Funny or Die have found success online, but the process of how they make money remains a mystery to many.

What do the Fappening, Ray Rice and ISIS bombings have in common?

0 implied HN points • 12 Sep 14
🕹 Technology Internet Language
  1. Inside the online world of the women of ISIS reveals a chilling juxtaposition between mundane activities and macabre behavior.
  2. The Fappening, Ray Rice, and ISIS bombings are all linked by the rise of connected cameras, posing ethical questions about what should be watched, shared, and photographed.
  3. Our frequent use of a 'signature word' is revealing, showing why we gravitate towards certain unique terms and expressions.

The number of f*cks I give

0 implied HN points • 03 Sep 14
🕹 Technology Security Social media Design
  1. Research suggests people may be more honest via email and text than face-to-face, though it doesn't guarantee morality or kindness.
  2. Screenshots have become a common way to capture moments in our digital lives akin to personal perspectives.
  3. Designing new emojis is a challenge as they're regulated by a small, overworked non-profit organization.

The way we Internet these days

0 implied HN points • 22 Aug 14
🕹 Technology Media Diversity Health
  1. Bustle, a viral news site, faces criticism for its content and structure.
  2. Silicon Valley continues to struggle with diversity and racial issues.
  3. The trendy tech drink 'bulletproof coffee' may not live up to its weight loss and cognitive enhancement claims.

Looking this good is exhausting

0 implied HN points • 21 Aug 14
🕹 Technology Social media Internet Access Wearable Tech
  1. Joining exclusive online communities can be intriguing, but the entry bar is often set high with specialized knowledge requirements.
  2. Social media platforms struggle to effectively protect users from harassment, despite using flagging systems.
  3. In rural areas, many Americans still rely on dial-up internet due to limited broadband access, not just due to being elderly or technophobic.

We can twerk it out

0 implied HN points • 15 Aug 14
🎭️ Culture Internet Videos Memes Social media Trends
  1. Email remains a strong communication tool on the internet, enduring despite new platforms and technologies.
  2. Unboxing videos on Youtube are a popular trend where people film themselves opening products like toys and shoes.
  3. One New Yorker used a chatbot to chat with people on OkCupid, showing how technology can impact dating and online interactions.

Counting the goddamn days

0 implied HN points • 03 Dec 14
🕹 Technology Social media Digital Content Internet History Virtual reality Online Trends
  1. An art critic reflects on the world of Art Instagram and the intrigue of observing without complete knowledge of the creators.
  2. Efforts to create 'digital smells' are yet to reach the realm of reality despite advancements in sending visual and auditory elements over the internet.
  3. Exploring the history of the internet through various formats like .html, .doc, and .psd that have shaped the online landscape.

Things that everyone hates

0 implied HN points • 04 Aug 14
🎭️ Culture Internet Social media Trends Entertainment
  1. Google is working on a project for a font that supports all languages, trying to solve the issue of missing characters on foreign websites.
  2. Accusations of a feminist conspiracy on Wikipedia by male advocates have interesting implications but lack substantial evidence.
  3. There's a group called 'women against feminism' explaining their stance through an anti-feminist hashtag that went viral.

Enjoy in moderation

0 implied HN points • 19 Nov 14
🎭️ Culture Music Art Food Technology Games
  1. Hatsune Miku, a virtual pop star, challenges the music industry's future.
  2. Artist Mark Farid wants to live as someone else in virtual reality for 28 days.
  3. Learn about the history of the poop emoji and its fascinating journey into pop culture.