Dermfluencers and Shame Disruption

it all comes back to tiktok

A new Cruel Intentions is coming to our TV screens; Gracie Abrams earns her first top 10 single with “That’s So True”; Sabrina Carpenter’s “A Nonsense Christmas” Netflix special will feature Chappell Roan and Tyla; and noted red lip queen Olivia Rodrigo is, fittingly, Lancôme’s newest global brand ambassador.

IN AN AGE OF ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT, WHY IS BOREDOM ON THE RISE?, thetimes
Despite constant stimulation from digital platforms, people — especially adolescents — report feeling bored more frequently. Some experts blame social media, naturally, but much like pinning the loneliness epidemic on tech, others say there’s more to the story: “I worry this is too convenient an explanation,” said Professor Andreas Elpidorou, a philosopher at the University of Louisville and an expert in the field of boredom studies. “I’m not saying it isn’t true, but I do worry it may only be partially true. And I’m wary of half-truths.”

AMERICA’S NEWS INFLUENCERS, pewresearch
A new Pew report reiterates much of what we already know: Young Americans rely on social media influencers for news. About one in five Americans — and a much higher share of adults under 30 (37%) — say they regularly get news from influencers on social media. The survey also found that more news influencers explicitly identify as Republican, conservative, or pro-Donald Trump (27%), and that a majority of news influencers are men (63%). Also unsurprising: Very few news influencers have a background with a news organization, which is obviously part of their success.

HOW MEDIA IS FAILING YOUNG MEN, slate
A study by the [admittedly somewhat dubious-sounding, but seemingly legit] National Research Group found that only 52% of young men have real-life role models, while 26% find role models in fictional characters. Whereas women cite characters like Dr. Meredith Grey, Elle Woods, and Olivia Benson as role models, the list for young men “doesn’t include a single character that exists in a real world — it’s mostly superheroes and fantasy characters.”

We’re seeing young men saying, “I would like to see more characters in fiction who have skills I feel I can relate to, who I could try to imitate more in my life.” And I think that the failure of Hollywood to provide that is one of the reasons why we are seeing more young men taking their cues on masculinity from online content creators.

HOW ‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’ TOOK GEN Z FOR A SPIN, nyt
Someone was telling me last week that all of her Gen Z colleagues were obsessed with DWTS, which completely baffled me, but now I understand why this is happening: TikTok. (But also: Escapism!) In the past two seasons, after almost 20 years and 500 episodes, the show has “grabbed hold of Gen Z viewers through its canny use of TikTok, casting of younger dance pros and the chance virality of ‘wow moments’ from routines.” “We’ve kind of hit this tipping point where now we feed TikTok, TikTok feeds back to us,” said Conrad Green, the showrunner.

JULIE, THE PLAN B CHALLENGER, BRINGS ITS SHAME-FREE MISSION TO COLD SORES, adweek
Julie, the Starface team’s emergency contraception company, is expanding into a new category: Their first cold sore treatment — priced at $19.99 and packaged in a sleek silver tube with fuchsia lettering that looks more like a trendy lipgloss than a medical ointment — hits CVS this week. The two-year-old company, whose whole thing is bringing “bottom shelf products to the top,” aims to be as “wide-reaching” as a brand like Tylenol. 

$500,000 PAY, EASY HOURS: HOW DERMATOLOGY BECAME THE ‘IT’ JOB IN MEDICINE, wsj
Dermatology residency applications have seen a 50% increase in the last five years, driven by a new generation seeking work-life balance in a less stressful medical field — and, of course, by TikTok virality. On social media, so-called “dermfluencers” earn up to $30,000 per sponsored post, and that’s on top of their half-million-dollar salaries.

One last thought:

@fak3femmefatalerest in piece, sheer red tights from gap. #2014tumblr #tumblr #outfitinspo #fypシ

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