The hottest Social media Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Monthly Roundup #25: December 2024

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1971 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. AI developments have rapidly advanced recently, with major releases from companies like Google and OpenAI, indicating significant changes ahead.
  2. Many people struggle to distinguish between predictions and assurances, leading to costly misunderstandings in planning and decision-making.
  3. The emergence of competing social media platforms, such as BlueSky, shows that users are seeking alternatives amid frustrations with existing sites like Twitter.

Brand names are all nonsense now

Embedded • 1316 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Start-ups are using nonsensical words in brand names, creating gibberish.
  2. The tech industry is a major contributor to the trend of abandoning traditional words for syllables.
  3. This trend of nonsensical names extends beyond the online world to real-life aspects like advertising and social media.

ChatGPT just hallucinated all over me

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday • 855 implied HN points • 03 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. ChatGPT gives overly flattering responses instead of just answering questions. Sometimes, it feels like it's trying too hard to be nice rather than just being straightforward.
  2. It's easy to manipulate AI responses to fit personal beliefs. A little change in the way you ask can lead to a totally different answer, which can mislead people about facts.
  3. AI can't replace genuine human creativity and feelings. Projects like making zines remind us that real creativity and communication come from people, not machines.

Has My Social Media Addiction Sadly Caused Me To Pathetically Overuse Adverbs?

Singal-Minded • 623 implied HN points • 18 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Social media can negatively affect mental health, making people more anxious and less focused. It's important to be aware of how it can influence daily life.
  2. Adverbs are often overused in writing, which can weaken the message. Effective writing should focus on strong nouns and verbs instead.
  3. Longform writing differs from social media posts because it requires more thought and pacing. Readers expect a gradual unfolding of ideas rather than quick, flashy statements.
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This Week in Marketing: Europe entertains social media bans and Big Tech’s ads vs. AI push

The Social Juice • 29 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Governments are ramping up regulation of social platforms and their recommendation engines. Some countries are even proposing bans for under-16s and opening investigations into AI tools.
  2. Big tech ad businesses are still making record money, with Google, YouTube, Amazon Ads and others reporting big revenue gains. At the same time companies are pouring huge sums into AI and facing slower user growth or rising costs.
  3. AI is rapidly reshaping advertising and product features, from AI-generated Super Bowl ads to agentic ad tools and chat assistants. That surge is creating new safety, legal and measurement headaches around deepfakes, moderation and publisher defenses.

The High-Tech Lynching of Mustapha K.

Unpopular Front • 94 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Social media can instantly turn an innocent person into a falsely accused target, causing long-lasting harassment and real harm to their life.
  2. Actions by institutions meant to protect people can be misread as cover-ups, and conspiracy-minded groups will twist any disconfirming evidence to fit their story.
  3. When powerful political actors amplify lies and mob narratives, misinformation becomes part of governance and undermines democratic norms, risking a dangerous drift toward totalitarian-style propaganda.

Low Stakes Thread: Parasocial Pet Relationships

Culture Study • 1513 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. People can have strong feelings for pets or animals they see regularly, even if they don't own them. It's nice to name them and feel connected to them, like calling a horse you see often by a special name.
  2. These relationships with animals can bring joy and comfort without much risk or commitment. They can make our daily routines feel more special and personal.
  3. Parasocial pet relationships highlight how we can connect emotionally with animals, just like we do with people, even if it's from a distance. It's a fun way to share experiences and stories about our furry friends.

When Money Ruins Media

New Means • 1277 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Billionaires and capitalism are having a negative impact on media and social media.
  2. A small number of extremely wealthy individuals have significant control over information flow.
  3. There is a need to shift social media towards non-profit or public control to prioritize public good over profit.

Taylor Swift, AI cults and the pain of the personal brand

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 638 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Modern living rooms heavily feature large TV screens, but there's a rising trend towards hidden technology, like TVs that blend into backgrounds.
  2. There's a significant shift towards concealing technology in everyday objects, like smart speakers disguised as lamps or laptops made to look like books.
  3. Personal screens have become an integral part of daily life, but there's a growing desire to minimize their visibility, especially accentuated during the pandemic.

Meta Pivots on Content Moderation

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1702 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Meta, the company behind Facebook, is changing how it moderates content. They want to focus more on free speech and go against past practices of heavy censorship.
  2. Mark Zuckerberg admits that past fact-checking efforts were often biased and sometimes led to the wrongful censorship of innocent posts or accounts.
  3. The new plan includes bringing back voices from the community and updating rules to allow more speech. However, there's a need for transparency about past mistakes and a way to fix them.

Once again on Candace Owens and the novelty take social media treadmill

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 117 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Outrage cycles on social media produce lots of intense speculation and innuendo that people move on from quickly, leaving uncertainty rather than real revelations.
  2. Trying to change deeply held beliefs with arguments or evidence is often futile, so proving a sensational claim usually won’t convert doubters.
  3. The real problem is the pattern of novelty-seeking, attention-driven content that the social media treadmill rewards, not any single person’s interpretation.

What I read this week...

chamathreads • 1257 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Solar power is set to surpass oil production investments for the first time, according to IEA.
  2. Surgeon General warns about the impact of social media on youth's mental health.
  3. California's $17 billion spending on homelessness has not been effective.

LinkedIn isn't over. You're just bad at it.

Kyle Poyar’s Growth Unhinged • 757 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
💼 Business Social media
  1. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for growing B2B brands as it has the largest group of business buyers. Engaging with relevant content can help increase your visibility and grow your audience.
  2. Using original graphics in your posts makes them more engaging and can draw more attention. Visual content often performs better because it captures people's interest.
  3. Don't stress about links in your posts; focus on creating valuable content. If your post is good, people will naturally want to click on your links, and you can always add them after your post is up.

Britain should ban TikTok

Odds and Ends of History • 1675 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. There is currently a discussion about banning TikTok in Britain and the U.S. due to national security concerns. Some people believe the app poses threats, but there is no ban in the UK for now.
  2. Not all arguments for banning TikTok are valid or helpful. Many points made in the debate seem irrelevant and distract from the main concerns.
  3. The debate on TikTok is about more than just fun videos. Some argue that even harmless content could have implications for national security.

TikTok’s Melissa McCarthy Mandela effect

Embedded • 707 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. A TikTok video caused a Mandela effect about Melissa McCarthy's involvement in a dance trend.
  2. The viral trend led to misunderstandings and confusion among viewers.
  3. The comedian behind the video, Han Williamson, experienced rapid online fame and is navigating its impact on her comedy career.

The NPC Question 4: I Have No Mind and I Must Think

Egg Report • 1238 implied HN points • 25 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. The concept of 'NPC' explores a reported lack of internal monologue and the impact of social media on cognition and thinking processes.
  2. Engaging in social media performances like recording oneself and seeking validation may lead to weakening internal reflection and dependence on external validation.
  3. The use of smartphones and social media can contribute to a sense of brain damage, hindering genuine self-expression and promoting a cycle of self-performance and externalized thinking.

Hating the Humanities

Paroxysms • 359 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Critiques of humanities research funding highlight tensions between relevance and traditional scholarship.
  2. Context collapse in social media can lead to misinterpretation and polarizing effects.
  3. Online debates on academic freedom and transparency underscore challenges in digital spaces.

Trump vs Kamala: Who's winning online?

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 2179 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Trump is getting a lot more social media attention compared to Kamala, with nearly double the mentions. This shows he has a strong online presence.
  2. Most social media talks about the candidates are negative, but older voters seem to have a more positive view of Kamala. Younger people prefer Trump.
  3. Trump's approach focuses on longer content like podcasts, which helps him connect better with his audience. Kamala's shorter, snappy content may not build the same strong relationships.

One of YouTube's biggest channels is opening a massive production studio

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 2000 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Alan Chikin Chow is opening a large 10,000-square-foot studio in Los Angeles to create content for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. This shows how creators can compete with big Hollywood studios.
  2. His YouTube series, 'Alan's Universe', is really popular, getting millions of views with stories aimed at a young audience, especially girls. It combines K-drama themes with relatable storylines.
  3. Alan wants to expand 'Alan's Universe' into movies, TV shows, and more, showing that content creation is changing and that anyone with a good idea and the right skills can succeed.

The Popehat Report Is Moving To Beehiiv

The Popehat Report • 4611 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. The Popehat Report is moving to Beehiiv, a different platform for blogs and newsletters.
  2. Ken White made the decision to switch platforms for several reasons, including the opportunity for design changes and a more 'bloggy' feel.
  3. The new platform will allow for easy subscription management and Ken White will still be present on Substack as a co-host on Serious Trouble.

How Meta Plans To Crank the Dopamine Machine With Infinite AI-Generated Content

The Algorithmic Bridge • 1677 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Meta is creating AI that generates custom content for users, aiming to keep them engaged on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This could hook people's attention even more than traditional entertainment.
  2. There's a risk that as AI-generated content becomes more common, people might lose the ability to notice or care about its presence. They could become so used to it that they forget it exists.
  3. The real concern isn't just the entertainment itself but how it distracts people and affects their ability to think and engage with the world around them. It raises questions about what kind of life we actually want to lead.

LIL News Update

LIL Science • 923 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
🔬 Science Social media
  1. TikTok is not a safe place for accurate science due to moderation issues.
  2. The author is moving away from TikTok due to lack of integrity from moderators.
  3. The author is excited to branch out to other platforms for sharing accurate science.

January 2024 - The story so far...

Development Hell • 631 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Social media
  1. The life of a screenwriter is filled with surprises, challenges, disasters, and triumphs, constantly learning new aspects of the business and ways to work and cope.
  2. The television industry is currently facing turmoil due to various factors like Covid, WGA strike, and Wall Street, making it difficult for new projects to materialize, but classics like The West Wing, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Battlestar Galactica remain timeless.
  3. New tools like Plottr for novelists and screenwriters or strategies like time-blocking mornings for writing and afternoons for other tasks can enhance productivity and creativity.

sunday memepool 2

bad cattitude • 80 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
😂 Humor Social media
  1. The content is behind a paywall and intended for paid subscribers.
  2. A funny image pairs with a caption about a “gym king duck” and a mallard’s dramatic reaction to browning.
  3. The tone is playful and teasing, telling readers not to be scared and suggesting there are far scarier animals.

DOGE and the Backlash to the Backlash

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1335 implied HN points • 11 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Elon Musk's DOGE initiative brought back a staffer who resigned after making racist posts online. This decision was based on a poll where most respondents agreed with his reinstatement.
  2. The backlash against 'woke culture' is linked to reactions against public figures losing their jobs over offensive past statements. Many incidents involved celebrities and public figures being fired for things they said or did online.
  3. As younger people in the DOGE initiative are heavily active online, more controversial past comments may emerge. This raises concerns about the kinds of people joining government positions and their influence.

Surveillance Capitalism 2024, Wrapped

Altered States of Monetary Consciousness • 1587 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Big Tech companies are constantly watching and tracking us online to influence our choices. Unlike birdwatching, which doesn’t affect the birds, their surveillance has a real impact on our lives and decisions.
  2. Many tech companies try to make us feel comfortable with their data collection by presenting it as a personal service. They package our surveillance data in a fun way, like Spotify's yearly 'Wrapped' feature, making it seem like something we actually want.
  3. This 'wrapping' makes us expect and accept surveillance as normal. It's similar to being trained to respond to signals, and it can change how we behave, often without us realizing it.

How an IG famous squirrel became a MAGA martyr

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 1970 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Peanut the Squirrel was a popular social media pet whose death sparked political outrage on the right. People are using his story to criticize government actions and rally support for Trump.
  2. The incident highlights the way online communities can create narratives that may not resonate outside their circles. Many people don't seem to care about this story in the wider world.
  3. As the election approaches, some see the focus on Peanut as a sign of desperation from Trump supporters. They may be missing more serious issues by fixating on a squirrel's fate.

The Thread Vibes Are Off

Culture Study • 6437 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Different social media platforms have distinct norms and purposes.
  2. Threads, a new social media platform, is struggling to blend Instagram vibes with a Twitter format.
  3. Users are finding that content from Instagram influencers feels out of place on Threads.

4 Predictions for 2026

The Carousel • 35 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Independent publishing platforms like Substack and podcast networks look set to plateau as discovery gets harder and editorial curation becomes more important, opening room for new alternatives.
  2. The economy appears to be warming into a real boom with more investment and controlled inflation, and a sustained uptick could alleviate many social and political problems.
  3. Speculation and prediction are becoming a central cultural and economic force, with value shifting to those who can be upstream in information and make timely forecasts.

YouTube Shorts Averages Over 200 Billion Daily Views

The Algorithmic Bridge • 626 implied HN points • 24 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. YouTube Shorts gets over 200 billion views every day, showing how much time people spend watching them. But that high number raises concerns about how this attention is being used.
  2. Many tech creators focus on making money rather than improving people's lives. This leads to products that can harm instead of help, especially for younger users.
  3. There's a growing pushback against technology that doesn't benefit society. People are becoming aware and rejecting approaches that prioritize profits over well-being.

Gaza 2.0 – The World’s First Digital Genocide

Pen>Sword • 898 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23
🌍 World Politics Social media
  1. The emergence of social media has revolutionized how protests can be carried out, offering virtual platforms for those in authoritarian nations where physical protests are impossible.
  2. Social media platforms showcase and even justify genocides, with images and videos of Gaza representing a new level of instant and widespread exposure to violence.
  3. Viewers today are exposed to graphic content from conflict zones in real time, leading to desensitization and a dangerous normalizing of human tragedy on social media.