
This sponge has holes. Some find that truly disgusting
Imagine you're scrolling through TikTok and come across an image of a lotus seed pod or sponge.

Imagine you're scrolling through TikTok and come across an image of a lotus seed pod or sponge.

Swedish pop star Zara Larsson ripped the White House on Thursday after it used her song “Midnight Sun” in a video on social media showing immigration arrests and deportations. The video, posted to the White House’s TikTok account, shows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining and handcuffing people as Larsson’s song plays in the…
"My heart is heavy seeing that," she said in a TikTok.

Zara Larsson blasted the White House for using her song “Midnight Sun” in a TikTok post depicting ICE agents handcuffing and deporting people, captioned “Never ending deportations.” Larsson replied with a video on her personal TikTok, holding an “L” up to her forehead and saying, “I’m just sad. My heart is heavy seeing that, because […]

For inspiration for his new horror movie, Nicolas Curcio thought back to the media of his childhood. “A lot of filmmakers who grew up on weird kids TV shows of the ’90s are coming of age, and they instinctively want to make movies about that,” the director says. “I’ve reexamined so many TV shows from […]

Former Bank of England economist Andy Haldane said the markets regarded this government as ‘a pretty traditional tax and spend socialist government with better TikTok videos’. Harsh criticism or truth? As pressure mounts on the chancellor, John Healey, to rule out tax rises, what options do they have left? Plus, what can the government do to tackle AI warnings? Please keep sending your comments and questions to Pippa and Kiran on politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Zhang Yiming, the founder of TikTok parent company ByteDance, is Asia’s richest person—his net worth skyrocketed $12 billion this month alone.

The European Commission wants to bar children under 13 from social media platforms and curb addictive features such as infinite scrolling. Companies that fail to comply could face hefty fines.

The EU is banning social media for under 13s and limiting older children's access in an attempt to protect youngsters from suffering online harm on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Viewing appearance-focused TikTok videos is associated with increased self-objectification in women, as well as changes in mood. Medscape Medical News

Can you guess which sexy singer and rapper put their hot bod on full display in this eye-popping shot?!? Their 2019 single "Stupid" went viral on TikTok ... and they co-wrote "Boss Bitch" for Doja Cat ... and opened for Billie Eilish. Grab your…

YOASOBI's Ayase and Ikura talk "Idol," TikTok, fan culture, and the strange experience of watching a song spread beyond their control.

OpenAI’s billionaire CEO Sam Altman enjoys scrolling TikTok before bed—and he’s not the only CEO who does. But he wouldn’t let his son use the app.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of painting on the gloss, but thanks to a range of fresh formats in sophisticated shades and textures, my head – and lips – have been turned I’m deeply suspicious of people who never change their minds. To be so completely sure of anything as to be permanently entrenched in any position isn’t something I admire, which is why I shove an olive into my mouth every couple of years and hope it finally takes. I do the same with lip gloss, with historically similar results. Fashion has, until recently, been on my side. Less sophisticated than lipstick, overshadowed by TikTok trending lip oils, less effortless cool-girl than tinted lip balm, gloss has barely had a look-in these past few years, but new formulas steal from other formats for a better user experience and, well, like everything eventually, lip gloss is back in vogue. Continue reading...

Essentially is a camera app, Superpose analyzes selfies or photos and generates four potential poses using AI.

This idea has suddenly gained huge popularity online. But is it just a way to sell us more products – and could it potentially damage our skin? Gone are the days of the speedy shower; a quick lather with a squirt of shower gel will, apparently, no longer cut it. Double cleansing – once the remit of facial skincare and shampoo routines – has steadily trickled into body-care, too. But should you simply stock up on twice as much shower gel? Is it any more hygienic? And how clean do we really need to be? As always, TikTok – or rather, #ShowerTok – has a huge number of devotees to this new trend. “Double cleansing will change your life,” says self-care advocate Xara Beqele (@xarabeq) in a video that has almost 10,000 likes. “I think double cleansing is the most effective thing I have added for my shower. I just smell better, feel clean.” Likewise, digital creator Terree Ann (@terreetaughtme) calls double cleansing the body a “ hygiene must ”. “If you are only washing your body with a hydrating body wash, that’s like washing your body with lotion,” she says in a video that has been shared more than 6,000 times. “If you’re only going in with a scented body wash on top of unclean skin, that’s like spraying Febreze to try to mask the funk instead of properly removing it.” Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that recent research found gen Zs take longer showers than any other age group – despite being most anxious about the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Chemistry teacher Phillip Cook joined TikTok at a student's suggestion. His first experiment got 75,000 views and launched his creator career.

Prime Video is adding on-demand local and national news clips as Amazon joins other streamers experimenting with short-form video to capture younger viewers.

ByteDance signed a $29.6 billion loan involving 28 banks as the TikTok developer increases spending on AI chips and data centers.

As tech companies like Meta, Google and TikTok face ongoing scrutiny over addictive platform design, the rapid rise of micro-dramas offers a glimpse into how AI, algorithms and commercial incentives could make digital entertainment even harder to put down.