Media
The rich brats of social media are getting their comeuppance – New York Post
Remember the 20th century? Phones had dials; the closest thing anyone had to Internet erotica was waiting up until midnight for the Soloflex infomercial, and — most outdated of all — people who had money tried to be discreet about it.
None of those things would make sense to a child born after the year 2000. Today, every teenager is their own media brand, with all the technology they need to broadcast their lives on their smartphone, usually via the social media platform TikTok.
The cultural pressures of wealth and celebrity are explored in my new book, “Gatecrasher,” but the past weeks have also brought fresh evidence that public opinion may finally be turning against young “influencers.”
The trend for boasting about money began with hashtags like #daddysmoney and #richboycheck, in which teens of means competed to flaunt their material possessions.
“The hot new thing on TikTok is bragging about money,” Lucas Cruikshank, a 26-year-old influencer whose YouTube channel has over 3 million subscribers, explained in a video posted on his channel in December. “Which I love — if somebody’s entire social media personality is, ‘I’m rich, I have so much money,’ I’ll follow them. Because it’s just entertaining, and I like seeing the life they live.”
@sebastiendub
Since then, the hashtags have evolved into #privateschool, which might feature a student parking lot with expensive sports cars, well-coiffed teens in blazers and ties showing off their Rolexes, or even boasts about the “gourmet” lunch options.
And for tips on “parking the Lambo” (Lamborghini) or traveling with an unwieldy amount of Louis Vuitton luggage, be sure to check out the hashtag #richproblems — which usually features the song “Rich Problems” by the Atlanta rapper Skooly.
Among young TikTokers, these posts are considered harmless, even if intentionally envy-inducing, fun. Their families, however, may be more alert to the dangers — which can include the subjects being targeted by criminals and mental-health issues arising from the constant pressure to present oneself as effortlessly young, rich and carefree.
One ugly cautionary tale happened in 2018, when a 9-year-old influencer named Lil Tay became infamous for posing at home in Gucci and Louis Vuitton accessories surrounded by stacks of $100 bills. Even by social media standards, it was a vulgar spectacle. When the façade finally collapsed, it was revealed that her alleged “Beverly Hills penthouse” was really an unsold property in Vancouver represented by her real-estate-agent mother, who was fired after also using her boss’ sports car as a lifestyle prop.
Then, last month, an 18-year-old TikTok star named Josh Richards issued an apology (through his public relations firm, of course) after unflattering articles surfaced about his party lifestyle, sharing a “collab house” in the tony Los Angeles community of Bel Air with a group of young social media stars. The statement, although vaguely worded and unclear about what, exactly, he was apologizing for, did include a link to the shopping site for his branded hoodies and other merchandise.
A week later the Hype House, another well-known Los Angeles group home for TikTokers, was burglarized by “fans” who allegedly stole clothes and personal possessions belonging to their idols. Naturally, the intruders posted videos of the whole caper on TikTok.
To be sure, modern teenagers didn’t invent embarrassing exhibitionism. (Remember the trend, circa 1985, for wearing multiple Swatches at the same time?)
But the audience of at least some high-profile influencers appear to finally be sick of their antics. Recently, Jeffree Star, a YouTube beauty influencer with his own lucrative cosmetics line, was accused of undermining rivals, while Shane Dawson, a longtime social media provocateur, apologized for making sexual jokes about minors and appearing in blackface, among other tasteless infractions. Both saw their followers leave in droves.
As top-tier social media personalities, the earnings of each would comfortably be in the millions. But now that their fans are demanding accountability, the shock tactics of the last few years may no longer profit.
Hasthtag #richproblems.
Ben Widdicombe is the editor-in-chief of Avenue magazine. His memoir of 20 years of reporting on New York’s rich and famous, “Gatecrasher: How I Helped the Rich Become Famous and Ruin the World” (Simon & Schuster), is out now.
Media
CTV National News: Social media giants sued – CTV News
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Media
India’s media – captured and censored
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Across almost every form of media in India – social, broadcast and print – Narendra Modi and the BJP hold sway.
With India amid a national election campaign, its news media is in sharp focus. Until recently it was believed that the sheer diversity of outlets ensured a range of perspectives, but now, India’s mainstream media has largely been co-opted by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Just how did the media in India get to this point and what does it mean for the upcoming elections?
Featuring:
Ravish Kumar – Former Host, NDTV
Shashi Shekhar Vempati – Former CEO, Prasar Bharati
Pramod Raman – Chief Editor, MediaOne
Amy Kazmin – Former South Asia Bureau Chief, Financial Times
Meena Kotwal – Founder, The Mooknayak
Media
Social media lawsuit launched by Ontario school boards
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Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against multiple social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
The school boards, including three in the Greater Toronto Area, have launched lawsuits seeking $4.5 billion in damages against Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta, the owner of both Facebook and Instagram, for creating products that they allege negligently interfere with student learning and have caused “widespread disruption to the education system.”
But at an unrelated news conference in Ottawa on Friday, Ford said that he “disagrees” with the legal action and worries it could take the focus away from “the core values of education.”
“Let’s focus on math, reading and writing. That is what we need to do, put all the resources into the kids,” he said. “What are they spending lawyers fees to go after these massive companies that have endless cash to fight this? Let’s focus on the kids, not this other nonsense that they are looking to fight in court.”
Four separate but similar statements of claim were filed in Ontario’s Superior Court of JusticSocial media lawsuit launched by Ontario school boards pervasive problems such as distraction, social withdrawal, cyberbullying, a rapid escalation of aggression, and mental health challenges,” Colleen Russell-Rawlins, the director of education with the Toronto District School Board, said in a news release issued Thursday.
“It is imperative that we take steps to ensure the well-being of our youth. We are calling for measures to be implemented to mitigate these harms and prioritize the mental health and academic success of our future generation.”
The school boards are represented by Toronto-based law firm Neinstein LLP and the news release states that school boards “will not be responsible for any costs related to the lawsuit unless a successful outcome is reached.”
These lawsuits come as hundreds of school districts in the United States file similar suits.
“A strong education system is the foundation of our society and our community. Social media products and the changes in behaviour, judgement and attention that they cause pose a threat to that system and to the student population our schools serve,” Duncan Embury, the head of litigation at Neinstein LLP, said in the new release.
“We are proud to support our schools and students in this litigation with the goal of holding social media giants accountable and creating meaningful change.”
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