TikTok Psychics and Cowboy Boots

Your daily digest of youth culture

First, a few things:

• It’s my birthday weekend (and America’s, too, I’m hearing?), so no letter tomorrow or Monday. But before vacation starts…

• I’m going live on IG with Ben Dietz of [Sic] Weekly today at 4p EST. Follow me here to watch (or don’t — I’ve never “gone” “live” before and I’m very nervous).

• Yesterday, I guest-edited the excellent shopping newsletter Worn In, Worn Out by my favorite Gen Zer Kitty Guo. I wrote about my hair woes, Tyler the Creator’s new album, boozy tea, and much, much more.

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‘Girlboss TODAY’ is the antidote to rainbow capitalism we deserve, a peek inside Gucci’s latest zine, Gen Z hates question marks, college athletes can finally make bank, the pyschology behind why we’re obsessed with ugly shoes, and…

FACEBOOK IS TESTING DRASTIC CHANGES TO INSTAGRAM TO MAKE IT MORE LIKE TIKTOK

I don’t know about “drastic” but they announced plans to “embrace video more broadly” in hopes of keeping up with YouTube and TikTok. (It’s too late.) cnbc // Related: Is Pinterest the new old Instagram? (Yes.) embedded

SADDLE UP FOR A SUMMER OF WESTERN AND RODEO-INSPIRED FASHION

I could have told you this based on the 23-year-olds suddenly clomping around Williamsburg in mini dresses and cowboy boots; neither here nor there, but this spring, I took the cowboy boots that I’ve had since college to Beacon’s Closet, and I am positively overflowing with regret. (Fwiw, this trend is also consistent with the Lil Uzi Vert x Kidd G hit I told — read: warned — you about.) sourcejournal

ONLINE OR IN-PERSON? GEN Z AND MILLENNIALS FIND DIGITAL LIFE MORE MEMORABLE, STUDY SHOWS

60% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials say that how you present yourself online is more crucial than how you appear in person. (To be fair, this study was funded by Squarespace, who obviously has a vested interest in online appearances, but I found this stat jarring nonetheless.) wires // Plus: How much Instagram influencers get paid, according to a new survey of 1,865 creators (on average, enough to pay for a one-bedroom in LES). insider

THE PSYCHICS OF TIKTOK, CAMEO, AND CLUBHOUSE ARE SEEING — AND MAKING — FORTUNES

$60 for a “psychic checkup” offering insights about life, love and work; $80 for “distance reiki,” a remote version of the controversial energy healing practice; or $120 for an hourlong Akashic Records reading. lat // Related: This piece is about how young investors are abandoning stocks for crypto…but the real reason it’s worth reading is for recent NYU grad Maren Altman, 22, who “has reached full-blown influencer status by billing herself as a ‘crypto astrologist.’” nypost

One last thought:

Chris Black @donetodeath

I guess my plan to become an imperial EIC is cancelled 😟

July 1st 2021

1 Retweet8 Likes

(Same, Chris.)