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Short newsy pieces on viral TikTok trends, AI, Reddit & X controversies. 
As seen in The Daily Dot, Mashed & more.

The Daily Dot •

"A thousand percent better": Are Hacipupus going to become the next Labubu?

It feels like we’ve only just entered our Labubu era, but TikTok is already suggesting that the viral toys might soon be dethroned as the internet’s collectible du jour.The cute and slightly creepy-looking Pop Mart plushies have been in the spotlight for a few months now, but recently they’ve faced competition from a toy with an even more unusual name—the hacipupu.Just like Labubus, Hacipupus come in a “blind box” model, where buyers purchase a mystery item that is one of several from a set. Hac...
The Daily Dot •

Is being single a luxury now? Viral dating theory says yes: "My avoidant attachment took this as a direct threat"

A TikToker has shared her controversial theory on why being single is a luxury.In a now-viral video posted to the platform on March 3rd, user @onlinekeeks divided viewers with her positive opinion of singlehood. Her theory is being picked apart in follow-up videos on TikTok, and of course, there’s discourse happening all over the internet about it.Some commenters are feeling a sense of solidarity, and others are accusing her of misunderstanding the realities of being single.The original video, w...
The Daily Dot •

Internet clashes over photo of man having intimate chat with AI girlfriend on the subway

A viral photo of a man talking to the large language model (LLM) ChatGPT on his phone has initiated extensive debate on X regarding contemporary uses of AI.The controversial photo, posted on June 3, 2025, shows a man on a packed subway train engrossed in an intimate and vulnerable conversation with ChatGPT. Commenters were torn, with some users expressing concern over the man treating the chatbot “like it’s his girlfriend,” while others criticized the original poster for invading the man’s priva...
The Daily Dot •

"My grandma isn't ready for this": Google's new AI video tool is so realistic, it's freaking people out

A new wave of AI-generated videos is taking the internet by storm. The videos—created with Google’s new, state-of-the-art AI video generator Veo 3—allow users to generate audio alongside visuals, leading to highly cinematic and hyperrealistic results. However, they are leaving users stunned and scared in equal measure, with many calling them so realistic they are “terrifying,” and fearing for the future.In one video posted to the r/singularity subreddit on May 21, various people attend a bustlin...
The Daily Dot •

Here's why the Aerial Tramway Emoji is suddenly in every YouTube comment section

An emoji takeover is sweeping YouTube. After content creator John Casterline urged his 7.2 million subscribers to start using the aerial tramway emoji 🚡, allegedly the “least-used emoji in the world,” comment sections across the platform have been flooded with the little yellow icon.The campaign, which Casterline described as an effort to “make history,” quickly went viral, leaving many out of the loop and those in the know proudly declaring allegiance to “tram gang.” Casterline captioned his or...
The Daily Dot •

Only Black first-class traveler says American Airlines "ran out" of meals before she could be served

A Black travel influencer is going viral after posting a TikTok alleging she was the only first-class passenger on an American Airlines flight who wasn’t served a meal. In a TikTok that has been viewed over 4.9 million times, the influencer says she was given just a cup of coffee, while fellow passengers dined around her. She has since posted updates addressing the discourse and backlash and standing by her experience, which she called “humiliating.”The influencer, who goes by @johbidoo_official...
The Daily Dot •

What is the 2020 effect, and what does it have to do with a "graphics bug"?

A new trend online is seeing users go outside and declare that the “2020 effect is over.”Those partaking in the trend are claiming that the world has finally regained its color after 4 years of dullness brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, often nicknamed the “2020 effect” or the “2020 curse.” Some are drawing comparisons to video games updating their graphics, while others feel the atmosphere outside reminds them of legendary summers from previous years, like 2016.Videos showing the supposed en...
The Daily Dot •

"Low GPA Activity" meme turns into school trend of kids setting their Chromebooks on fire

Videos of kids setting fire to Chromebooks are going viral in a supposed TikTok “trend,” causing outrage and debate over whether there’s a new wave of classroom vandalism spreading, or if we’re seeing another round of internet-fueled moral panic. Though some are cracking jokes, footage of Chromebooks smoking and going up in flames has teachers seriously concerned that the trend is spreading and encouraging vandalism in schools. Others are drawing comparisons to previous online ‘trends’ such as 2...
The Daily Dot •

'The American mind can't comprehend this' meme has Americans and Europeans beefing

An image of a quintessential English terraced house led to a deeper discussion on X recently, regarding differences between European and American lifestyles. It’s part of an ongoing trend best summarized as ‘The American Mind Can’t Comprehend This’ meme—that, while often fun and lighthearted, hints at a growing gulf between the two regions online. Tom Forth posted the image of a terraced, redbrick house in Leeds, UK, on April 29, 2025, saying, “Incredible to think that many Americans will look a...
The Daily Dot •

People are feeding AI the same image 100 times, and it keeps changing race, gender, and weight. Here's why that's a problem:

The internet has a new AI-image generation trend, and as usual, it’s proving highly divisive. The craze began with a now-viral video where a user inputted a picture of his friend into ChatGPT—instructing it to “create the exact replica of this image, don’t change a thing,” over 70 times. The results were strange and unexpected, but also led to renewed questions about the ethics of AI, on both an environmental and broader cultural level. The original video was posted back in March, but a repost o...
The Daily Dot •

'It's like a Sims world': Edge of Las Vegas videos are TikTok's latest obsession

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you might have noticed a new unexpected fascination taking over your feed: the “Edge Of Las Vegas.” It all started with a viral video showing how abruptly the city gives way to open desert, prompting comparisons to video games like The Sims, or movies like The Truman Show. Since then, TikTok creators living at the borders of Vegas have been posting their POVs, sparking both admiration for the landscape, as well as an eerie, existential dread over how surreal it a...
MediaCat •

Morbin’ time! When brands misread internet culture

Speaking the language of internet culture is crucial for any brand — something we’re all, hopefully, well aware of in today’s late-stage social media era. But something you might not know is that in 2020, the global meme industry was valued at an inconceivable $2.3 billion dollars, and this figure is projected to almost triple by 2025. Or, that businesses who use memes in their marketing are 60% more likely to land sales than those who opt for traditional graphics. It’s a no-brainer — meme marke
MediaCat UK •

Why is print coming back?

Just like the printing press before it, the internet promised the global delivery and dissemination of information to improve public knowledge. And for a while this worked, until its incentive — to make things uniform, standardised, stuffed with facts — led it to gorge itself into incapacitation on a mukbang of SEO-driven content. Now, we live in fear of a dead internet — an online landscape devoid of creativity where content is generated by bots, for bots (take shrimp Jesus, for example), and w...
Mashed •

What's Up With People's Love Of Protein-Packed Everything?

Undoubtedly, this craze is connected to the recent, broader shift toward diet culture on TikTok, where creators are swapping out everyday snacks and meal ingredients for "healthier" alternatives. You only have to look at similar crazes like Watertok — which has faced extensive criticism for encouraging disordered eating — to understand why protein-packing has taken off in such a big way. Add to this the continued popularity of bulking content and meal prepping on TikTok, and it makes sense why p...
Mashed •

The British Chinese Food TikTok Controversy Explained

When you think of Chinese takeout, you might imagine a fold-up paper box overflowing with sweet and spicy kung pao chicken, beef and broccoli, or veggie-packed lo mein noodles. That is, if you're American. If you're British, your meal will look a little different. Your food will usually arrive in Tupperware containers, for starters, which you'll then decant onto your plate. You might have ordered crispy chili beef, fried chicken balls, egg fried rice, and, to the horror of everyone across the pond, salt and pepper chips (aka fries). All topped off with a generous drenching of bright yellow curry sauce.
Mashed •

McDonald's Mukbangs Are The Cringey Yet Satisfying Trend Taking Over TikTok

McDonald's Mukbangs Are The Cringey Yet Satisfying Trend Taking Over TikTok

People have consumed vast quantities of food in single sittings from time immemorial, whether as part of hedonistic ancient Roman feasts or at competitive eating contests for cash prizes across America. The genre of mukbang, though, is a relatively new invention in comparison — first appearing online around the early 2010s in South Korea. In fact, the term "mukbang" itself comes from Korean — it is a portmanteau of the
Mashed •

TikTok Needs To Chill Out With The Trendy Water Recipes

TikTok Needs To Chill Out With The Trendy Water Recipes Quirky drinks typically go down well on TikTok. Whether it's a viral mocktail that will make you sleepy or a DIY bubble tea you can make with store-bought gummies, users on the app love sharing their tips for creating the zaniest drinks imaginable. There was even a Pepsi milk TikTok trend last year, which, while not particularly aesthetic, didn't taste as bad as you might imagine. However, it's a bit more rare that a beverage frenzy complet
Mashed •

Uniquely Nostalgic Candy On TikTok Is Having A Moment

Uniquely Nostalgic Candy On TikTok Is Having A Moment The colorful, youthful nature of TikTok has always made it a natural home for candy-themed trends — whether that's candy-coated grapes reminiscent of Chinese street food or "candy salad," which is far less green than its name suggests. In the last year, the social media platform's sugar content has truly exploded, with videos tagged #candy now reaching over 48.3 billion views as of April 2023. Major creators include online candy stores, such
Mashed •

The Hilarious Costco Cake Fail Has Reddit Cackling

Ordering a cake from Costco is a sweet thing to do for special occasions — whether that's birthdays, graduations, baby showers, or workplace events. While the wholesale retailer exists primarily for customers to buy stock in bulk, they are arguably more famous for their food court, which includes pizza and hot dogs, as well as the iconic half-sheet cakes with creamy white frosting. Costco's cakes — which can serve up to 50 people — are in fact so in demand that not only are there copycat recipes
Mashed •

Is It Weird To Bring Your Own Ranch Bottle To A Restaurant... On A Date?

Is It Weird To Bring Your Own Ranch Bottle To A Restaurant... On A Date? Ranch is the perfect accompaniment for most savory meals, whether it's slathered over salad, stirred into mashed potatoes, or served as a dip for wings and otherwise inedible pizza crusts. There's a reason why ranch is America's favorite dressing, with 40 percent of people naming it as their favorite in a 2017 study, ahead of its next highest competitor, Italian dressing (via The New York Times). But when you think about dr
Mashed •

The Viral Calming Mocktail That's Putting Us To Sleep

The Viral Calming Mocktail That's Putting Us To Sleep With the rise of people binning alcohol and choosing to go sober, or at least go sober-curious, mocktails have soared in popularity as a way to deliver on all of the fun, and none of the nasty side effects the next morning. But they're also more than just a tired substitute for boozy drinks — they're vibrant and refreshing in their own right, with nutrient-rich mocktails proving a popular choice for anyone wanting to stay hydrated and boost t
Mashed •

The Viral Whipped Hot Chocolate Recipe That Has TikTok Divided

Hot chocolate is one of the coziest drinks imaginable, especially on a chilly day when the weather's bad outside. Recipes for the richest, smoothest hot chocolates you could dream of have gone viral on TikTok before — such as this French-style hot chocolate that will have you feel like you're soaking in the crisp winter air on a Parisian street, or this two-ingredient hot chocolate that you can easily make at home with a Toblerone bar.
TikTok's latest hot chocolate creation is a little unusual,...
Mashed •

TikTok's Cartoon Cakes Look So Real They'll Make You Do A Double Take

The latest viral cake trend, which, according to 614, has an incredible 124 million views on TikTok, involves creating 2D cartoon cakes that look like they've jumped straight out of the screen. In a TikTok video, Melbourne-based cake artist Tigga Maccormack (@Tigga_Mac) demonstrates how to make the cute cartoon creation. She cuts the cake into triangles and lines each layer with frosting, before stacking them together to achieve a classic, exaggerated slice shape. She then frosts the cake and co...
Mashed •

A Dunkin' Customer's Grilled Cheese Mishap Is Disturbing TikTok

There's arguably nothing more comforting than a good grilled cheese, especially when dipped into a steaming bowl of tomato soup. Although we all love to enjoy it at home, fast-food restaurants are typically hit and miss when it comes to recreating the heartwarming lunchtime classic. Most of America's favorite chains have made their own versions to varying levels of success — from Dairy Queen, whose Texas Toast grilled cheese is a secret menu item, to Five Guys, who controversially slap two hambu...
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