Tag Archives: TikTok

26Mar/26

Suing social media for addictive design

March 26, 2026Internet.google, Anna Lembke, Australia, Big Tech, dopamine, Infinite scrolling, Instagram, Jayne Conroy, K.G.M. v. Meta et al., Los Angeles, Mark Zuckerberg, Matthew P. Bergman, Meta Platforms, Sarah Kreps, Section 230, SNAP, Social media, TikTok, U . S . Federal, United States, Video softwareadmin

Earthquake for Big Tech: Juries Hit Meta and YouTube with Multi-Million Dollar Verdicts Over Youth Social Media Addiction

March 26, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — A landmark legal shift is currently unfolding as social media giants face unprecedented liability for the mental health impacts of their platforms on minors.

Landmark Jury Verdicts In a first-of-its-kind bellwether trial in Los Angeles, a jury ordered Meta and Google (YouTube) to pay $3 million in compensatory damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages to a 20-year-old woman, known in court as K.G.M. or Kaley. The jury found that both companies acted negligently and with malice, oppression, or fraud by designing platforms that addicted the plaintiff as a child, exacerbating her depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia. Meta was assigned 70% of the responsibility for the harm, while YouTube bore 30%. TikTok and Snap, initially named as co-defendants, settled the claims against them just before the trial began. Continue reading →

22Mar/26

Live from London: Can SNL UK Thread the Needle Between American Spectacle and British Cynicism?

March 22, 2026EntertainmentAndrew, Anfal Almarshd, Ania Magliano, autoglass, Charlie Skelton, David Attenborough, Diana, Emma Sidi, However, Humphrey Ker, Jack Shep, Jamie Dornan, Jonno Johnson, Keir Starmer, London, Mary Poppins, New York, Paddy Young, Riz Ahmed, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live in the 2000s, Saturday Night Live parodies of Sarah Palin, TikTok, Tina Fey, United Kingdom, United States, Weekend Update, Wolf Aliceadmin

March 21, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The premiere episode hosted by Tina Fey generated a highly polarized response. Professional critics offered mixed-to-positive reviews, noting that while the opening was “stilted,” the show ultimately “didn’t fail”. Reviewers praised the zingy “Weekend Review” segment, a surreal Paddington sketch, and Jack Shep’s accurate Princess Diana impression. However, critics also felt the production played the traditional SNL formula too safely, resulting in what some described as “tepid cosplay”.

Audiences were similarly divided. Some viewers reported “switching off” just moments into the political cold open mocking Prime Minister Keir Starmer, taking to social media to brand the debut as “excruciating” and “awful”. Conversely, other viewers were pleasantly surprised, praising the young cast for smashing it under pressure and delivering wonderfully British, laugh-out-loud moments.

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16Mar/26

Crip Walking from Compton to Super Bowl

March 16, 2026EntertainmentBloods, Compton, Crip Walk, Crips, Dance moves, Dogg, Footwork, Heel-and-toe, Hip-hop dance, Kendrick Lamar, Los Angeles, Serena Williams, Snoop Dogg, Street dance, Super Bowl LIX, TikTok, Tommy, Tommy the Clown, West Coast hip-hopadmin

The Kinematic Language of Compton: 5 Realities Behind the C-Walk’s Sophisticated Evolution

March 16, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The provided sources explore the Crip Walk, a distinctive hip-hop dance characterized by intricate and fluid footwork. Originally developed in Compton, California, in the 1970s, the movement served as a symbolic communication tool for gang members to display loyalty or taunt rivals. Over time, the dance evolved into several variations, including the high-speed Clown Walk and the hybrid Crown Walk, which often seek to decouple the technique from its original gang associations. Famous cultural icons like Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar have played pivotal roles in bringing the dance to global stages, such as the Super Bowl, transforming it into a broader symbol of West Coast identity. Despite its mainstream popularity and use as a victory celebration by athletes like Serena Williams, the dance remains a subject of controversy due to its historical ties. Instructional materials also detail specific technical components, such as the V-Step, the Heel-Toe, and Toe Tipping, which require significant balance and rhythmic precision. Continue reading →

12Jan/26

Gen Z : Social Media to Pew

January 12, 2026MediaAlex Jarmus, Church attendance, Emily Torres, France, Generation Z, Gregorian, Internet culture, Jesus, John, Jonathan Roumie, Jordan Peterson, Matt Fradd, Millennials, Robert Barron, Spyridon Bailey, Stuart Clif, TikTok, United Kingdomadmin

Jan . 11, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — Researchers are noticing a “Quiet Revival” among Gen Z. While overall numbers for “religious unaffiliation” remain high, the young people who are religious are attending church with much higher frequency and intentionality than previous generations did at their age. While overall numbers for “religious unaffiliation” remain high, the young people who are religious are attending church with much higher frequency and intentionality than previous generations did at their age. Continue reading →

21Dec/25

2025 Analysis of Gobal Mobile App Trends

December 21, 2025MobileAdvertising, Instagram, Instant messaging, Internet culture, Internet privacy, Online advertising, Privacy, Social media, Targeted advertising, TikTok, Video software, VREELSadmin

Dec. 21, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — This report from examines the evolving landscape of the global mobile app market throughout 2025. The analysis identifies personalisation and short-form video content as primary tools for successful user discovery and engagement. It emphasizes that retaining existing users through improved onboarding is now just as critical as initial acquisition for long-term growth. Furthermore, the findings highlight a significant shift toward emerging markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Also explores how stricter privacy regulations have forced marketers to rely more heavily on first-party data rather than broad tracking. Continue reading →

23Nov/25

Video Strategy for Future News Formats

November 23, 2025MediaFacebook Reels, Instagram, Internet culture, John Burn-Murdoch, Mobile applications, Native video, Pulse Africa, Short-form content, Social media, TikTok, Video hosting, Video software, wan-ifra, YouTubeadmin

Nov. 23, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — The “Future Formats Accelerator 2025”, specifically focuses onThe “”Scroll-Stopping Stories: How to break through with videos” event hosted by FT Strategies and the Google News Initiative. The core subject is the necessity for news publishers to adopt video content, both short-form and long-form, to effectively reach younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, who increasingly rely on platforms like TikTok and YouTube for news. Continue reading →

06Dec/24

The People’s Bid for TikTok Is Prepared to Move Forward with Bid Following U.S. Court of Appeals Ruling Upholding Divestment of TikTok in the U.S. By Its Parent Company

December 6, 2024LegalBytedance, Donald Trump–TikTok controversy, Frank McCourt, Internet culture, Mobile applications, Social networking services, TikTok, TikTok v. Garland, United States, Video softwareadmin

Following today’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals affirming TikTok’s parent company ByteDance must divest its U.S. operations, Frank McCourt, Founder of Project Liberty and the catalyst behind The People’s Bid for TikTok released the following statement Continue reading

04Sep/24

Infinix Teams Up with Museum of Modern Art Curator and AI Video Mentor to Launch Mobile Vlog Awards 2024

September 4, 2024LifestyleFilter, Infinix Mobile, InfinixMVA, Internet culture, Social media, TikTok, Transsion, Vlogadmin

Infinix, a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers, has officially kicked off the second year of the Mobile Vlog Awards (MVA) 2024 on TikTok, a vlog competition designed to empower young creators worldwide. With the slogan “Capture Your Own Story” and the theme “Your Story, Your Style,” participants are invited to share their unique vlog creations by engaging with the hashtag #InfinixMVA and utilizing the specially developed TikTok filter. Continue reading

30Jul/24

CHIPOTLE AND WONDERSKIN LAUNCH ‘LIPOTLE’ LIP STAIN IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL AVOCADO DAY

July 30, 2024FashionChipotle, Chipotle Mexican Grill, CMG, Cosmetics, Cuisine of the Western United States, Internet culture, Lip stain, Lips, TikTokadmin

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced a collaboration with Wonderskin, an award-winning cosmetics brand known for its TikTok-viral lip stain that is so popular one is sold every 15 seconds, to introduce a guac-proof lip stain called ‘Lipotle.’ Read more

23Sep/23

How BookTok trends are influencing what you read – whether you use TikTok or not

September 23, 2023LifestyleBarry Pierce, BookTok, BookTube, Caroline Hardman, Creative Commons, Dolly Alderton, Ebook, Goodreads, Jane Austen, Madeline Miller, Natalie Wall, Sarah J Maas, SHUTTERSTOCK, Stephanie Danler, Stephenie Meyer, Thea Guanzon, TikTok, waterstonesadmin

Natalie Wall, University of Liverpool

If you’ve been in a bookshop recently, you may have seen references to BookTok – whether it’s stickers on books or whole tables dedicated to “BookTok favourites”.

BookTok is a community on the social media app TikTok. Creators make short videos recommending, reviewing, or just generally chatting about books. This community has become one of the biggest on the platform and its hashtag (#BookTok) has been used on over 60 billion videos. BookTok’s influence over the publishing industry and what young people are reading is staggering.

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