The hottest Social media Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

The Unmasking of the Foreign Slop Accounts

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 658 implied HN points • 24 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. X now shows the country a user is posting from, which exposed that many accounts that seem American are actually based overseas.
  2. A lot of accounts pushing American cultural or political content — including influential meme and fan pages — are run from other countries, sometimes in low-income regions and with large followings.
  3. Displaying location is a helpful transparency step, but it isn’t enough by itself to verify authenticity or prevent foreign influence and coordinated manipulation on the platform.

Avoiding Deportation? There’s an App for That.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 199 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Many immigrants are turning to apps and social-media groups for information and help as immigration enforcement ramps up.
  2. A government border app was renamed and repurposed to guide people through self-deportation and even offers to pay for plane tickets plus a $1,000 exit bonus.
  3. Judge-tracking tools and online sleuthing communities are being used to follow cases and plan responses amid legal uncertainty.
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Labour should fight Reform by pitching a "Gamer's Charter"

Odds and Ends of History • 469 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Social media
  1. A growing cohort of young men, especially gamers, are politically disaffected and drifting toward Reform, so winning their support could be decisive at the next election.
  2. Traditional media and standard political outreach won't reach PlayStation, Discord, Twitch and other gaming spaces, so parties need culturally fluent messaging and channels to engage them.
  3. A focused 'Gamer's Charter' — a policy and outreach package tailored to gamers' interests — could both serve an underserved group and blunt Reform's appeal by meeting these voters where they are.

This Week in Marketing: Instagram Alerts, QuitGPT, Paramount-WBD deal, and Snap Awards

The Social Juice • 34 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
💼 Business Social media
  1. Big social platforms are under pressure to protect kids and enforce age checks, leading to new safety features, fines, and delayed verification rollouts.
  2. AI is reshaping content, ads, and search at speed, but it’s also provoking user backlash, legal fights, and growing regulatory scrutiny.
  3. The creator economy and media landscape are shifting: user-generated content and creator tools are rising while big mergers and advertiser moves reshape where brands spend.

Stop Trying to Ban Teens from the Internet

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 486 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Policymakers are treating teen internet use like a crisis without strong evidence, relying more on panic than solid logic. Banning teens outright ignores the complexity of costs and benefits.
  2. Research finds some negative effects from screen time, but the measured harms are modest and often blown up by headlines. Small average effects don’t automatically justify sweeping bans.
  3. Blanket bans are a blunt, likely counterproductive tool and better replaced by targeted, evidence-based policies. Thoughtful interventions can address harms while preserving social and developmental benefits.

A club where you pay thousands to make 'old money' content

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 6001 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. There's a new club called TuxedoSociety where members pay a lot of money to create 'old money' content for social media. They dress up and act fancy, but it's mainly for show.
  2. The club doesn't have a real location, so members are paying to join a community and for special events. It’s all about networking and pretending to live a luxurious lifestyle.
  3. This trend of creating 'old money' content is rising especially because many young people feel uncertain about their economic futures, offering them a fun way to escape into a fantasy of wealth and stability.

Why Did Social Media Go to War Against Writers?

The Honest Broker • 23970 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are becoming hostile towards writers, leading many to leave.
  2. Substack and similar platforms are providing alternative models that support writers and creators more effectively.
  3. The economics of social media platforms prioritize generating revenue from ads and scrolling, making it challenging for long-form content like articles to thrive.

Twitter becomes X

Platformer • 4638 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Twitter has been rebranded to X by Elon Musk.
  2. Musk's takeover of Twitter is seen as cultural vandalism.
  3. The transformation of Twitter under Musk focuses on ideological shifts and redistribution.

Why Fake Kidnapping Stories Are Everywhere These Days

Shatter Zone • 4618 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
📰 News Social media
  1. Fake kidnapping stories are prevalent in media due to their viral nature, not necessarily because they reflect real threats.
  2. Some individuals fabricate kidnapping stories online to gain followers or spread fear, contributing to misinformation and scams.
  3. Stories of kidnapping and human trafficking can be easily sensationalized and exploited for engagement on social media, leading to real-world consequences like paranoia and scams.

The internet is awash in metric tonnes of shallow Epstein bullshit

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 132 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. A lot of people are screenshotting a few Epstein documents and making sensational claims just to get views and money.
  2. Those posts often link weak or unrelated evidence to outrageous theories, spreading misinformation and provoking abuse toward anyone who pushes back.
  3. The underlying problem is the attention economy: it rewards quick, hysterical content over careful analysis, which degrades public discourse.

FYPcore and the Benson Boone-iverse

Read Max • 5506 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🎶 Music Social media
  1. Benson Boone's song 'Beautiful Things' has become popular on short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram, even if many people don't know who he is. It's often featured in videos about everyday life or personal stories.
  2. There’s a new genre of music emerging, called 'FYPcore,' which is designed to fit well with the style of videos on platforms like TikTok. This music typically evokes a bittersweet, positive vibe that works well for influencer content.
  3. Short-form social media platforms are changing the music industry by helping songs go viral without needing a dance challenge. This means that more songs could be made specifically for these platforms in the future.

She posted 25 TikToks on her wedding day

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 3194 implied HN points • 27 May 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Posting on social media during special events is becoming more common, like sharing TikToks during weddings. It shows how people want to capture and share their experiences instantly.
  2. Many businesses are emerging that cater to social media trends, including apps and services that help users create content. This highlights the shift in how we engage with technology and events.
  3. There's a growing trend of influencers and content creators blending personal life with their online presence. It reflects a cultural change where private moments become public content for entertainment.

Spilling the Tea

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2060 implied HN points • 29 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. The Tea app is meant for women to share experiences about the men they date, but it has huge security flaws that can expose users' personal information.
  2. While the app promotes reputation among men, it might encourage false information sharing, making dating riskier for both men and women.
  3. As the app grows, it could lead to chaos if users attempt to game the system, reducing trust and making dating much more complicated.

Elon Musk, Innovator

Where's Your Ed At • 21662 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Companies fail when they lack awareness of market needs and resist changing with the times.
  2. Elon Musk's decisions with Twitter are making the platform less reliable and damaging its value.
  3. Musk's incompetent management of Twitter, high debt, and declining user trust may lead to significant financial challenges.

Let's Talk DeepSeek, AI, Etc. on Big Technology's New Discord Server

Big Technology • 5379 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. A new Discord server has been launched for Big Technology's paid subscribers. It aims to create a space for discussions about recent tech news.
  2. The Discord will allow members to share ideas and communicate more easily. It's a chance to connect with each other and tackle current tech stories together.
  3. If you're a paid subscriber, you can join through a special link. If you want to participate, signing up will give you access to the Discord server.

Blake Lively Reshoots the End of Her Story

Culture Study • 5988 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni became part of a media storm over their movie 'It Ends With Us'. Each accused the other of bad behavior on set, shaping how people saw them, especially online.
  2. TikTok has a huge influence on how celebrities are perceived today. Unlike traditional media, TikTok users create narratives that can quickly spread and affect a celebrity's image.
  3. The power of publicity in Hollywood is shifting. Celebrities can now use social media to shape their narratives, but they can also fall victim to online campaigns that expose their flaws, as seen with Lively.

Blogging class: Multiple blogs

Sex and the State • 15 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
💼 Business Social media
  1. Running multiple blogs doubles the setup and maintenance work and makes it harder for new readers to discover all your writing.
  2. People follow people more than topics, so keeping your work in one place helps readers connect with you across different subjects.
  3. You can’t please everyone, so it’s better to have a distinct voice that attracts devoted readers; only split into separate blogs if the audiences or goals are truly incompatible.

sunday meanpool

bad cattitude • 90 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
😂 Humor Social media
  1. Memes are presented as powerful tools for shaping culture and rallying people.
  2. Groups that create and share memes need standout figures or symbols to lead their story and give it direction.
  3. The tone is combative and preparatory, emphasizing readiness for cultural battles to come.

The Online Right Doesn’t Want White Women to Get PhDs

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 445 implied HN points • 08 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Parts of the online right openly harass white women who pursue advanced degrees, saying they should be having children instead of careers.
  2. When Juliet Turner posted about earning her PhD, she was attacked on X and called a race traitor and shamed for not having kids.
  3. These attacks come from a rising white supremacist mindset online that treats white women mainly as reproducers and has escalated alongside broader far‑right harassment of minorities.

At least five things for your weekend (#30)

Noahpinion • 15235 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Consumer sentiment may not always align with economic fundamentals like interest rates or unemployment, showing the influence of 'vibes' and media narratives.
  2. Tokyo and Seoul have a unique city development pattern with gradually sloping density, allowing for more people without feeling crowded, achieved through upzoning suburbs and excellent train systems.
  3. The age of energy abundance is upon us as technologies like solar power and batteries become cheaper, alongside increased fossil fuel drilling in the U.S.

Everyone is crazy now

benn.substack • 1866 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Social media makes it harder to stand out because everyone's competing for attention, which pushes people to do more outrageous things. It used to be enough to be funny in your school, but now you have to beat out crazy content from around the world.
  2. Getting attention can lead to unmanageable fame, where people lose their identity trying to stay in the spotlight. This chase for likes and fame can become addictive, and people often find themselves doing extreme things to keep up.
  3. Attention has become a new kind of power. Nowadays, influencers have more impact on society and politics than they did before, and many leaders are gaining their positions by attracting big audiences online instead of traditional paths.

sunday memepool

bad cattitude • 88 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
😂 Humor Social media
  1. There's a memepool dedicated to literalism that centers on literal readings and ideas.
  2. Many people claim literalism lacks romance and emotional appeal.
  3. A perceived lack of romance isn't a reason to give up on literalism, so it's worth sticking with and exploring.

OnlyFans billboards are taking over

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 2926 implied HN points • 31 May 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. OnlyFans is becoming more popular, with millions of creators joining the platform each year. This increase is leading to more billboards advertising these creators.
  2. Billboards are a smart way for OnlyFans stars to get noticed because they bypass strict online advertising rules for adult content. They can reach a wide audience without being ignored.
  3. Creators have seen big boosts in subscribers from their billboards, showing that this advertising method can really work in gaining attention and revenue.

Who are the vampires in 'Sinners'?

Read Max • 2608 implied HN points • 13 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Social media has changed how protests are organized and perceived. Instead of helping activists share their message, it's often about generating attention and spectacle.
  2. The concept of 'optics' is now central to discussions about protests. People judge demonstrations based on how they look online, rather than their real impact or meaning.
  3. In the movie 'Sinners', the vampires symbolize a deeper connection and community. They represent a desire for unity and collective strength against oppression.

Meta seeks to hide harms from teens

Platformer • 2476 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Meta announced new measures to protect users under 18 from harmful content on its platforms.
  2. There is a growing focus on child safety in social media regulations, shifting from speech-related issues.
  3. Lawmakers and social networks need to find common ground to make real progress in improving teen mental health.

How Substack's follow feature betrays its original mission

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 7643 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. The follow feature on Substack helps creators gain visibility but makes them lose ownership of their audience. This is a shift from Substack's original purpose of allowing creators to connect directly with their subscribers.
  2. Writers are now juggling between growing their follower counts and keeping their newsletter subscriptions growing. This split can make them feel pressured to create even more content, complicating their strategies.
  3. Substack's follow feature could confuse users, as some may think they are subscribed when they're only following. Educating users on this difference could help creators maintain stronger connections with their audience.

Hotel California

benn.substack • 5421 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media
  1. Moving large amounts of gold or money isn't easy, as it requires trust and logistics, unlike digital transactions which can be done quickly with a few clicks.
  2. In our digital world, many people feel disconnected from reality, as they spend so much time on their devices and forget the hard work behind everyday things.
  3. Natural disasters can't be controlled or fixed with technology; they remind us that no app can change the basic laws of nature or the complexities of life.

Fighting Discrimination Does Not Entail Defending Shitty Social Behavior

Freddie deBoer • 6373 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Social media
  1. Fighting for rights is important, but we shouldn't excuse bad behavior in the process. It's okay to say 'knock it off' when people act inappropriately.
  2. Many young people mimic serious disorders for attention, but this can be harmful to those who genuinely struggle with those issues. It's important to critique this without fear of backlash.
  3. Online fandoms can become hostile, with people using accusations of bigotry to silence criticism. It's necessary for communities to be able to set healthy boundaries and address bad behavior.

A selection of insane viral garbage tweets on the "Epstein Files"

Michael Tracey • 73 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. Many viral posts claim sensational, unverified revelations about the “Epstein Files,” often presenting lurid conspiracy theories as if they’re proven.
  2. High-profile hosts and journalists amplify these claims without proper fact-checking, which spreads misinformation to huge audiences and fuels panic.
  3. Careful, fact-based corrections struggle to compete with engagement-driven sensationalism, so debunking false narratives is difficult but still necessary.

The TikTok electorate

Read Max • 7008 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media
  1. TikTok influences the political views of young voters, particularly young men. It can spread both anxiety about issues like the economy and radical ideas from influencers.
  2. Social media, especially TikTok, can create a mindset where users see themselves as entrepreneurs or gamblers. This can lead to a desire for chaos and instability in politics.
  3. The impact of TikTok goes beyond just spreading messages; it shapes how users think and relate to the world. This can make traditional political solutions less effective.