The hottest Social media Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

A heartwarming work of staggering performativity

Close-reading the reruns with Phoebe Maltz Bovy • 294 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Discussions around tipping behaviors and husband discourse often resurface periodically on social media.
  2. Many women share stories of seemingly perfect relationships with supportive partners to showcase their personal and professional success.
  3. Public narratives of idealized relationships may not always reflect the true complexities and challenges faced by individuals in real life.

Le 10 migliori app gratuite di Intelligenza Artificiale

Vincos Newsletter • 294 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. The article discusses the top 10 free AI apps, including those useful for marketers and creators.
  2. It highlights the importance of choosing the right VPS for website and software applications, based on technical requirements and hardware resources.
  3. Updates from tech giants like Spotify, Meta, and TikTok are mentioned, including new features like longer videos, decentralized social network, and premium content sales.

The radicalisation spiral

Comment is Freed • 131 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Radicalisation can happen to anyone and is not just linked to intelligence or mental illness. Smart and well-educated people can become radicalised too.
  2. Social media plays a big role in radicalisation by connecting like-minded individuals and spreading extreme ideas quickly. This affects discussions in society and politics.
  3. There's a common trend of people shifting from liberal to right-wing views, but radicalisation can happen in any direction. Understanding the patterns of this process can help in preventing it.

Stop Lionizing/Villainizing Victims

I Might Be Wrong • 9 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Whether a victim was "good" or "bad" doesn't change the fact of their killing; what matters are the concrete facts of the incident.
  2. Both sides rush to recast victims to fit their narratives — some demonize, others idealize — and that polarization distorts public judgment.
  3. Video can clarify what happened, but photos and clips are often edited or faked and spread widely, which fuels misinformation and makes finding the truth harder.

Explaining in Five Paragraphs the Scam Donald Trump Just Pulled on 150 Million American TikTok Users

Proof • 378 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Donald Trump temporarily shut down TikTok in the U.S. for 14 hours, creating drama before claiming to 'save' it. This left 150 million users feeling anxious about the app's future.
  2. The situation seemed like a political stunt where Trump might be trying to gain support by making users grateful for TikTok's return, despite him having a history of wanting it banned.
  3. The uncertainty around TikTok's status now makes many users wonder if it will actually stay available or if more political games will continue to affect their access.
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in the belly of the MrBeast

Never Met a Science • 394 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. MrBeast focuses on making videos that work specifically for YouTube. He believes that success comes from understanding the platform and its audience, rather than traditional video-making skills.
  2. His success relies on a deep study of metrics like viewer engagement. The more people watch a video, the better it does, which is crucial for growing his channel.
  3. MrBeast aims to stay true to himself while being highly responsive to audience feedback. His content is shaped by what viewers want, blurring the lines between creator and audience.

Why So Many People Told Me To Kill Myself This Weekend

Singal-Minded • 1644 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
📰 News Social media
  1. The author received harsh and disturbing responses online, including calls to kill themselves, after tweeting about an issue they disagreed with.
  2. There was a situation where a podcast misinterpreted and misrepresented a doctor's recommendation regarding hormone treatment for a transgender individual, leading to a Twitter controversy.
  3. The author faced escalating online harassment and suicide-baiting from certain individuals and their followers, highlighting the toxic nature of social media interactions.

Context collapse collapse

Read Max • 1317 implied HN points • 17 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Elon Musk has made significant changes to Twitter since taking over, surprising many
  2. The disappearance of Twitter as a single context is impacting the internet's shared understanding
  3. Social media platforms are evolving, causing confusion and a shift in online culture

This barndominium does not exist, part V

Conspirador Norteño • 36 implied HN points • 29 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Vacarino LLC runs many Facebook pages that post fake home images created by AI. These pages are designed to attract clicks and likes.
  2. The person behind Vacarino LLC, who is actually based in Kosovo, uses these pages to promote a mix of real and AI-generated content, often changing the focus of the pages.
  3. Some of these Facebook pages have been repurposed from completely different themes, showing they might have been hijacked for spam purposes.

‘I Would Prefer Not To’...

Breaking the News • 1603 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. James Fallows prefers not to sign up with Threads due to reasons like ownership concerns, user interface preferences, and lack of critical mass in comparison to other platforms.
  2. James Fallows prefers not to write further about the 'Lab Leak', citing coverage by David Quammen in the New York Times Magazine on Covid's origin mysteries and the importance of the origin question.
  3. James Fallows prefers not to write about where the economy is headed or media coverage related to the economy at this time.

Anatomy of a Fact Check

Machine Learning Everything • 459 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Fact checks can be biased in what they choose to examine and how they define the claims. This means they may not always provide a clear or balanced picture.
  2. In a recent case, an 11-year-old was arrested, but it was for violent disorder and not for posting mean tweets. This shows how information can get misinterpreted.
  3. There are indeed laws in Britain against sending offensive messages online, highlighting that some people can face serious consequences for their posts, even if it seems extreme.

The Social Network (Part 2)

Logging the World • 279 implied HN points • 13 Apr 23
🔬 Science Social media
  1. Real social networks exhibit more complex behaviors than simple mathematical models can capture.
  2. The structure of social media follower counts differs significantly from the Erdős–Rényi network model, with some users having exponentially more followers than others.
  3. Recent network models like the Barabási-Albert model better represent the dynamics of online social networks like Twitter, where heavy-tailed distributions of follower counts emerge.

Hidden Open Thread 382.5

Astral Codex Ten • 206 implied HN points • 21 May 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. The post is for paid subscribers only, so not everyone can access its content.
  2. There is an option to subscribe for those interested in the material.
  3. The thread invites various discussions or comments, encouraging reader engagement.

Well, TikTok's Gone

Default Wisdom • 366 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Many people feel a deep emotional loss now that TikTok is gone. It wasn’t just a time-waster; it was a community where they connected with friends.
  2. TikTok's ability to make ideas stick in people's minds is powerful, which is why some lawmakers were concerned about its influence. They worried it could be used for spreading certain messages too easily.
  3. Some folks are now looking at China differently and even romanticizing life there. This shift seems to stem from frustrations with their own lives and technology in America.

04/09/23 - FAQ Answered!

Moly’s Substack • 275 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Chinese social media sites have their own equivalents to Western platforms due to the Great Firewall.
  2. In China, families often invest in multiple homes for their children's future marital homes.
  3. Getting good grades and into a good university is crucial for a successful career due to oversupply and competition in the job market.

The demonization of Dearborn, Michigan

Conspirador Norteño • 16 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Dearborn is repeatedly targeted with Islamophobic and anti-immigrant attacks online because it has a large Muslim and Middle Eastern population.
  2. These attacks come in waves tied to major events that often have nothing to do with Dearborn, and different groups and platforms (like X and Bluesky) have taken part at different times.
  3. Much of the rhetoric is misleading or false and is used for political scapegoating, showing that bigotry and misinformation cross ideological lines.

An easier way to publish, mobile editor, search Notes, and more

Substack • 620 implied HN points • 15 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Publishing on Substack is now much simpler, making it easier to create posts and gain subscribers without any complicated setup.
  2. You can now use Substack's mobile app to write and edit posts directly from your phone, which is great for staying connected while on the go.
  3. Finding specific topics in Substack Notes is easier now, as they added a search filter to help you explore more content across the platform.

Discord Platform: What schools and parents need to know to prevent a school shooting

School Shooting Data Analysis and Reports • 159 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. School shooters have used Discord to plan attacks, demonstrating how important it is for schools and parents to be aware of potential threats online.
  2. Discord is a platform with a history of being used by extremist groups for planning violence, highlighting the need for vigilance and monitoring for inappropriate content.
  3. The encrypted nature of direct messages on Discord can make it challenging for authorities to access information, emphasizing the importance of early reporting and proactive intervention.

Kolrami and Social Media.

The Good Life • 235 implied HN points • 04 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Playing for fun and balance, not just to win, can be a powerful strategy.
  2. Consider using social media platforms in a way that goes against the typical approach, focusing on genuine enjoyment rather than audience growth.
  3. By being authentic and unconcerned with building an audience, it's possible to navigate social media algorithms in a more fulfilling manner.

Welcome to Big Brother's Internet

Random Minds by Katherine Brodsky • 121 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. The Online Safety Act requires people to share personal information like IDs to access websites, which many feel invades their privacy.
  2. This law could block access to important information for both kids and adults, as companies might overly censor content to avoid fines.
  3. Similar laws are spreading globally, sparking concerns that they will lead to more censorship and a less informed public.

Pathless Path as Accidental Antimeme | #301

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 150 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Some ideas are hard to spread and often stay in private conversations. These 'antimemes' might take longer to get noticed but can still have a deep impact on individuals.
  2. Going viral can sometimes seem appealing, but seeking broad attention often leads to simple answers that don't challenge deep thinking. It's better to focus on creating meaningful, nuanced content.
  3. Building genuine relationships and engaging in thoughtful discussions can be more valuable than chasing a large audience. Authentic connections help spread ideas more effectively over time.

Is Bluesky Just as Bad as Twitter?

Nonzero Newsletter • 417 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Bluesky and Twitter may not be very different when it comes to spreading outrage. Both platforms create an environment that encourages people to engage more when they're angry.
  2. Social media can intensify our natural tendencies toward tribalism and outrage. Studies show that interactions like likes and shares can teach people to express more anger over time.
  3. The challenges with social media algorithms aren't just technical; they point to deeper issues in human nature. People often share content that reinforces their beliefs, which can amplify misinformation and conflict.

💬 Feeling some type of away.

New_ Public • 255 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Different eras had different ways of communicating availability.
  2. Status updates can serve multiple purposes, from sharing current activities to general updates.
  3. Various platforms offer tools for synchronous and asynchronous communication, but a need remains for more flexibility and interoperability.

The Mexican Cartel Allegedly Catfished Her Daughter Using AI. That's Not Big Tech's Fault.

Default Wisdom • 111 implied HN points • 04 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. AI technology can create convincing fake identities, making it easier for bad actors to deceive people online. This can lead to dangerous situations, like the case of a girl who was catfished by a cartel member.
  2. Legal rulings are starting to differentiate between AI chatbots as products rather than free speech, which could change how companies are held accountable. This raises questions about the responsibility of tech companies in preventing misuse of their products.
  3. People form strong attachments to technology, which can lead to unhealthy situations, especially for those with vulnerabilities. It's important to recognize that these issues often stem from personal struggles, not just the technology itself.

Ghost Exits

Kneeling Bus • 352 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. If TikTok disappeared, people might find new activities to fill their time, but likely, other platforms would just take its place. This shows how dependent we are on social media.
  2. We need stronger institutions instead of just relying on platforms like TikTok and Spotify for our connection and content. Better structures could provide more value to users without the downsides.
  3. Spotify makes us feel like we have endless music options, but it often benefits ghost artists instead of real musicians. This highlights how platforms can exploit users while pretending to offer abundance.

Zuck orchestrates hiring blitz to take Meta back from the woke mob

The Dossier • 346 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Mark Zuckerberg is making changes at Meta to distance the company from political censorship and bring in people with different views. He recently hired individuals who support free speech.
  2. Zuckerberg seems determined to regain control of Meta, much like Elon Musk did with Twitter. He wants to ensure he doesn't lose influence over his own company.
  3. Despite facing strong opposition from within and outside Meta, Zuckerberg's strategy signals a shift towards more open discussions and less censorship on the platform.

The Retweat: Introduction to the Longest Farewell

The Chancery Daily • 499 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Leaving Twitter can be challenging due to personal, practical, and ideological reasons.
  2. Building a following on Twitter brought professional and personal growth, but also complexities and challenges to manage.
  3. Considering other platforms like Bluesky or the Fediverse, but recognizing the need to step back from short-form social media for mental health and productivity.

China’s AI Boyfriends

ChinaTalk • 444 implied HN points • 29 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. AI companions are becoming popular in China, especially among young women. They offer emotional support and can fill gaps that real relationships might not fulfill.
  2. Startups like MiniMax are creating AI apps that gather user data while providing companionship. This helps improve their AI models, even if the immediate profits are not high.
  3. The AI companion market faces challenges from strict regulations and data privacy concerns. Many users share personal feelings with these apps, making safety an important issue.

15 things I consumed this week

Maybe Baby • 451 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. A great commencement speech by Bill Watterson can really touch your heart. It’s about understanding life and making choices, and you might feel emotional listening to it.
  2. Engaging with creative content, like an Instagram reel, can spark joy and inspiration in your day. It’s fun to see what others are sharing online.
  3. Feeling emotional and reflective is totally normal, especially during certain times. A simple piece of content can really resonate with your feelings.

Introducing post stats in the Substack app

Substack • 658 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Substack now has a feature that shows writers detailed statistics about their posts. This helps creators see how well their posts are doing and where new subscribers are coming from.
  2. There is a new Discussion tab that makes it easier for writers to engage with comments and interactions on their posts. This way, they can manage conversations in one place without searching through notifications.
  3. The Substack app is driving a lot of new subscriptions. The app helps users discover content and connects writers to their audience more effectively.