The hottest Online behavior Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

The Platform Where Thousands of College Kids Can Livestream Their Dates

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 1015 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Twitter's new feature shows where accounts are from, revealing some right-wing accounts are actually not American. This raises questions about authenticity online.
  2. The feature has been seen as damaging to the right-wing online community, exposing fake accounts trying to gain attention and revenue.
  3. Influencers and tech writers are discussing how this change could impact social media and the understanding of what is real versus fake online.

Cult-like Beliefs

In My Tribe • 774 implied HN points • 12 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. People often decide what to believe based on who they trust, which can lead to intense beliefs similar to cult-like thinking. It's not just about the beliefs themselves, but about the social connections that reinforce them.
  2. In a cult, people believe there is only one correct way to see the world and often cut ties with those who hold different opinions. This creates an 'us vs. them' mentality where outside viewpoints are seen as threatening.
  3. The online environment can encourage cult-like behavior, as individuals may isolate themselves within specific groups, making it easier to adopt extreme beliefs without diverse perspectives. This trend seems to be increasing in today's society.

The Bright Forest: Social Media, Trans Activism, and a No-Truth World

The Bigger Picture • 1437 implied HN points • 12 Apr 24
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Recognize the impact of social media on mental health, especially among young people, and the rising trend of seeking authenticity online.
  2. Understand the need to balance our online and offline lives, and the importance of reconnecting with reality and the present moment.
  3. Highlight the significance of gender dynamics online, including the influence of social media on cultural norms and the importance of embracing a balance of masculine and feminine qualities for emotional well-being.

Mostleastremarkablegate And The Nature Of Online Harassment

Astral Codex Ten • 6469 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Online harassment can take many forms and often feels overwhelming. It's important to recognize its impact on individuals.
  2. Communication and understanding are key in addressing these issues. Talking openly about experiences can help build a supportive community.
  3. Everyone can play a role in reducing online harassment. Being respectful and standing up for others can make a difference.
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"You're both wrong"

Disaffected Newsletter • 1678 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Kindergarten teacher morality is about not recognizing who the real aggressor is in a conflict. It's like saying both kids in a fight are wrong, even if one started it.
  2. Some people, like Mr. Calm and Collected, don't see the whole picture and often side with the aggressor. They might think they’re being fair, but they actually dismiss the real issues.
  3. This type of perspective can let bullying continue unchecked online. It shows a lack of good judgment and can make the situation worse for the person being targeted.

Going viral sucks (even more) now

Embedded • 2103 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Going viral on social media can be overwhelming and invite negative comments from strangers.
  2. Social media algorithms are pushing creators to reach a wider audience, sometimes at the expense of their mental health.
  3. Apps prioritizing reaching strangers over engaging with followers can make social media use traumatizing.

This is not the essay I wanted to present to you

Disaffected Newsletter • 1918 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Writers today often struggle with readers who misunderstand or misrepresent their ideas. This makes it hard to have honest conversations.
  2. Many readers act like online debates are a competition instead of a discussion. This creates a barrier to meaningful exchanges.
  3. Writers feel frustrated by the pressure to engage with all readers, especially when some just want to argue rather than understand.

Psychopathy and low cognitive ability

Klement on Investing • 8 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🔬 Science Online behavior
  1. A large survey across eight countries found people with higher cognitive ability were generally more likely to take part in online political discussions.
  2. However, among people with lower cognitive ability, those with higher psychopathic traits were especially likely to participate. People with high psychopathy and low cognitive ability are overrepresented in online political debates.
  3. Social media and message boards often become toxic and are dominated by extreme, loud personalities, so when someone online triggers you it's often best to assume they fit that pattern and move on.

The Facebook Boomer reactor core

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 865 implied HN points • 14 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Meta is launching a new AI feature that shares private conversations from users, which can be quite personal and sensitive.
  2. This tool shows that there's a mix of excitement and concern about privacy on social media, especially with big platforms like Facebook.
  3. It highlights the ongoing struggles we face with technology—balancing connection and privacy in our online lives.

Friday Thread: OPEN CHAOS THREAD

Culture Study • 1923 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. There is a lot of tension and stress in the air right now. It seems people are feeling overwhelmed and anxious about various issues.
  2. When people get upset or anxious, they often take it out on others online. This shows how intense the emotions are right now.
  3. Having a space to share and discuss these feelings could help let off some steam. It's good to talk about what's bothering us.

Culture of Criticism

thestoa • 471 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Online behavior
  1. Creating publicly online may lead to facing criticism, insults, and negative judgments.
  2. Having protocols to handle online criticism is important for emotional well-being and response strategies.
  3. Engaging with constructive criticism and developing a taxonomy of judgmental feedback can aid in intellectual and moral growth.

How I Deal With AI-Generated Comments

The Algorithmic Bridge • 445 implied HN points • 21 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. Some people really dislike AI-generated comments, feeling they are not genuine or useful. It's okay to express those feelings and set boundaries about what types of comments are welcomed.
  2. AI and its impact on interactions is a controversial topic, with many preferring authentic human responses over machine-generated ones. Maintaining a clean community space is important and can be done by rejecting unwanted AI comments.
  3. Everyone has their own tastes, including preferences for communication style. It's fine to prefer certain types of engagement, as long as it's done respectfully.

Rage against the machine

Logging the World • 458 implied HN points • 14 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. The competition for attention on social media has evolved over time, with platforms now offering monetary rewards for content creators based on ad views.
  2. Twitter's new payment system incentivizes generating 5 million page impressions in 3 months, potentially leading to a culture of provocative and controversial content for profit.
  3. Platforms like Substack provide an alternative space for creators to build an audience and share longer, thoughtful pieces outside the cycle of inflammatory content and hate clicks.

I posted 300+ Threads in 3 days

Both Are True • 531 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. The author posted over 300 threads in 3 days on Threads app, narrating the experience and reflecting on the impact.
  2. Threads can be a platform for sharing thoughts and experiences, but the author also highlighted its distractions and questioned the significance.
  3. The text encourages reflecting on the meaning and impact of digital platforms like Threads, urging readers to consider their choices and values.

TWITTER FILES: Twitter Provided Privileged Access to Banning Queen, Taylor Lorenz

The DisInformation Chronicle • 520 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Online behavior
  1. Twitter provided privileged access to Taylor Lorenz for banning accounts and monitoring online conversations about her.
  2. Taylor Lorenz had a pattern of reporting accounts and individuals she disagreed with, resulting in suspensions.
  3. Lorenz faced allegations of doxing and influencing social media platforms to take action against her critics.

What's so alluring about incest fic?

Default Wisdom • 188 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. The appeal of incest fic in fandom may stem from a desire for emotional intimacy and intensity.
  2. Online behaviors like playing the victim can be influenced by internet culture and the need for validation.
  3. Being labeled 'dangerous' online can hold a certain allure, while being called 'insincere' can be more dismissive and delegitimizing.

This landscape does not exist

Conspirador Norteño • 32 implied HN points • 28 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. Facebook is flooded with AI-generated images, often coming from pages that aren't run by regular users. These images sometimes get a lot of attention, but they mainly come from content farms.
  2. Many Facebook pages post the same AI-generated images around the same time, with slight changes to avoid detection. This suggests they might all be operated by the same group of people.
  3. The AI-generated images often look strange and unrealistic, with obvious glitches like odd-looking roads and animals. They tend to have brighter colors than real photos, making them easy to spot.

Spam in the firehose, part II

Conspirador Norteño • 20 implied HN points • 21 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. A large network of spam accounts has been created on the platform Bluesky, with over 15,000 accounts active. These accounts often have similar or identical profile photos and biographies.
  2. The most common biographies used by these spam accounts are repetitive and lack originality. Many accounts use phrases like 'passionate about exploring innovative ideas' interchangeably.
  3. These spam accounts mostly repost content from varied accounts but don’t create original posts themselves. There is also a suspicious account promoting social media services that seems linked to this spam network.

If you can't stand the heat

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 79 implied HN points • 19 Mar 21
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. Maintaining large Facebook groups can be challenging and may lead to chaos as seen with the New York Times' 77,000-person 'Cooking Community.'
  2. Online communities, even around popular brands like Peloton, can face difficulties in moderation and dealing with internal factions.
  3. Mainstream brands may reconsider their involvement in online platforms due to the challenges faced in building and managing communities, especially if financial benefits are not clear.

Sunday Strip: Memory Test

Who is Robert Malone • 36 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Sea lioning is a trolling tactic online, where attackers ask endless questions insincerely to appear civil while trying to exhaust the target.
  2. Sea lioning can make a person seem unreasonable by maintaining a facade of civility while feigning ignorance on the topic.
  3. Consider subscribing to Robert Malone's publication to support the work and engage in lively community discussions.

Anatomy of an online outrage mob

Conspirador Norteño • 72 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Online behavior
  1. Right-wing social media influencers can cause online outrage mobs by tagging institutions on Twitter.
  2. 72 school district, university, and hospital accounts experienced a significant spike in mentions after being tagged by an influencer.
  3. The barrage of tweets following these tags often include threats of real-world violence, violating Twitter's terms of service.

Devour Me, Mummy

Reactionary Feminist • 25 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Thirty percent of zoomers support surveillance cameras in homes, linking to a decline in democratic norms and a rise in authoritarian control.
  2. The shift towards supporting surveillance may be influenced by factors like early childcare experiences and internet citizenship norms.
  3. Younger generations, accustomed to digital surveillance and online authority, are transitioning towards post-liberal subjects.

I was targeted for harassment on Twitter and all I got was bored

Something interesting • 13 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Online behavior
  1. The writer faced online harassment on Twitter but found the attacks to be boring and tedious.
  2. The harassment mainly consisted of anti-gay slurs, threats of violence, and attempts to provoke by targeting personal aspects.
  3. Despite the negative experience, the writer found solace in exploring other online platforms and enjoying TV shows.

Planet of Person Guys

Freddie deBoer • 1 HN point • 18 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. Contemporary social culture often relies on the notion of Person-Guys, predictable stereotypes that people aspire not to be.
  2. Society evolves, but Person-Guy stereotypes remain stagnant, failing to capture the complexity of individuals' growth and change over time.
  3. Insecurity and projection play a significant role in perpetuating Person-Guy discourse, with individuals projecting their own fears onto these stereotypes.

The biggest killjoy you ever clicked

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jan 16
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. If Huck Finn existed on the Internet, it might look something like a troll faking his death online and facing the consequences, shifting from old ways.
  2. Facebook portrays itself as neutral but in reality has a distinct moral code that it imposes worldwide, which may not align with everyone's values.
  3. Teenagers in 2016 offer insights like 'bae' and 'on fleek' are no longer 'cool', showing shifting trends and language among young people.

Maybe people are just shitty. Or maybe it's the Internet's fault.

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 03 May 16
🎭️ Culture Online behavior
  1. The definition of "bullying" has expanded so much that it's losing its true meaning of powerful people intimidating the powerless.
  2. Online trolling and cyberbullying can have devastating real-life consequences, like disrupting a family's grieving process.
  3. There are instances of heart-wrenching online harassment, but on a lighter note, there's a young food critic making waves on YouTube.

What a time to be alive

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 10 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. Elon Musk made changes to Twitter including changing the logo to a doge, inspired by past interactions with a meme stonker.
  2. Boys online are influenced by influencers selling misogyny, while the creator economy faces an existential crisis.
  3. Companies like Lululemon attempted to shift to selling services over products, reflecting a broader trend in business.

It's late and the Internet is depressing

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 22 Mar 16
🕹 Technology Online behavior
  1. DeRay McKesson's campaign for mayor in Baltimore faces challenges despite his influence in Black Lives Matter.
  2. The evolution of technology brings up questions about defining what it means to be human versus what it means to be a robot.
  3. Combining human moderation, education, and bots can be an effective strategy in dealing with internet trolls.