[{"_rev":"6GdGPXlWjvle4Ufzom5qre","_id":"727c51e7-3939-4a2b-8b3c-f7aee51d4c38","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.vice.com/en/article/doomscrolling-is-giving-you-brain-rot/","_key":"9e883ffd8ad6"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Each year, the Oxford University Press is among the many entities that publishes its “word of the year,” and its ","_key":"8777064001340"},{"marks":["9e883ffd8ad6"],"text":"choice","_key":"8777064001341","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for 2024? Brain rot.","_key":"8777064001342"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0aa8903cc3c7"},{"children":[{"text":"That’s not a single word, of course, but who are we to split hairs? The real crux of this story is determining what “brain rot” is (spoiler alert: it’s not great) and why it’s apparently so prevalent this year that it deserved to be named word of the year.","_key":"1fa2c398579b0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bf0048264e79","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"Grasping at straws","_key":"ef758d04b9de0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"716a2beb36dd"},{"_key":"308070c27273","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Essentially, brain rot refers to a feeling most of us have had from time to time. As behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Kyra Bobinet explained, a few of the most prevalent symptoms are:","_key":"0b4a6ed183590"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"dd82f7474c06","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"An inability to focus","_key":"995d34c43e790","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Decreased attention span","_key":"4b6794f586ad0"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2b119314daf9"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Brain “fog”","_key":"96d68dfcee220"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"74c2ef94e4ad"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Difficulty completing tasks","_key":"3ebb669ebecb0"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3a5849cd84c2"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"91ace9d51572","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"If such issues continue without intervention, brain rot can take a negative toll on other aspects of life, most notably relationships.","_key":"3de592f5779f0","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_key":"1f36448d5207","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"87ede4baf8fd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And although the characteristics themselves are nothing new, experts say brain rot is becoming more common due in large part to the ubiquity of social media."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"133c81b784d5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A growing problem","_key":"a2614fda64590"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f29667483c22","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to mental health professional Dr. Don Grant, brain rot is especially insidious due to its ability to reduce the imagination and ","_key":"89addfb7eda50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"generally inhibit the learning process ","_key":"30e72097c59b"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"in even young children.","_key":"2cda5e80d763"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And the root problem is the prevalence of screens — most notably smartphones — in households across the country.","_key":"ae6655b23e6b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ca53916e36ad","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0a1d3de8ff91","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“We don’t have to imagine anything anymore,” Grant lamented. “We pick up our devices every time. I’m worried about memory. I’m worried about education.”","_key":"43fa92a416ed0"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3c3982592d70","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The loss of that imaginative and creative drive is a major factor in the development of brain rot … and Americans, ","_key":"ae06431c0f7d0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"especially teens and young adults","_key":"b05af03f41b5"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", are increasingly using the term to describe an issue they know all too well.","_key":"1075aaf8f3c4"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Between 2023 and 2024, the term’s popularity in the American English lexicon increased by a whopping 230%.","_key":"59ed16f903080"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"725dfcd7be77"}],"_type":"story","slug":"/story/2024/12/brain-rot-experts-explain-the-science-behind-oxfords-word-of-the-year","image":{"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9486301369863012,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"originalFilename":"cdc81b38-fc60-43d8-ac24-2f7dc862da83.gif","extension":"gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_updatedAt":"2024-12-16T21:19:59Z","metadata":{"blurHash":"M9JQ_^Op_2L~559v^*%NVrM{*Ii_?HAEQ.","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"background":"#cfbba8","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":4.48},"vibrant":{"background":"#862418","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.05},"dominant":{"population":6.05,"background":"#862418","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":2.8,"background":"#384b71","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.43,"background":"#a07d5d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#000","population":0.01,"background":"#fcd6a4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.85,"background":"#472517"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgAE/8QAIxAAAQMDBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAAFIQYREhMUMUFRYf/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAAv/EABwRAQACAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAEQIDBBMhUf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8ARMXWf3rhIaU4EpJ7dsZ9UOatWq4t18nze9sL5KSM43pIzKfRGglLigSdj+jasVtuMtOqI6A+vipvI+80RSqjNPrK0Gb5EPVUxzuFxZbSRhJxsKqZOJDiuSwCo/NVTuHyZ45//9k=","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true},"uploadId":"aQPpmyB1jy9k2C1Cfk2wLpmpWrsXy2oV","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/2b875667df0cd90ff98efd1950047f63801f0662-480x270.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/2b875667df0cd90ff98efd1950047f63801f0662-480x270.gif","size":2006081,"assetId":"2b875667df0cd90ff98efd1950047f63801f0662","_rev":"2Dj5d7GNbqXB0KaXiuY3aM","source":{"name":"Happy Oxford Dictionary GIF by Gogglebox Australia","id":"W24q7Oj1G7RzVw4j6W","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/goggleboxaustralia-goggleboxau-watching-tv-goggleboxau16-W24q7Oj1G7RzVw4j6W"},"_createdAt":"2024-12-16T21:19:59Z","_id":"image-2b875667df0cd90ff98efd1950047f63801f0662-480x270-gif","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"2b875667df0cd90ff98efd1950047f63801f0662"}},"id":"JwH9zXdB","publishDate":"2024-12-17","visibility":"true","summary":"There's a reason the phenomenon is becoming more common. ","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"category":"social","_createdAt":"2024-12-16T21:20:48Z","title":"Brain Rot: Experts Explain The Science Behind Oxford’s Word Of the Year","_updatedAt":"2024-12-16T21:20:48Z"},{"id":"ap7NeGLD","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"27afa5e322ac","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/03/amazon-music-launches-2024-delivered-its-take-on-spotify-wrapped/","_key":"79ba7616661b"}],"children":[{"text":"For several years, social media users rushed to share their Spotify Wrapped recap of the music they’d listened to over the past 12 months. And Amazon Music has ","_key":"6d04b60fbb680","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["79ba7616661b"],"text":"clearly","_key":"6d04b60fbb681","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" been taking notes about its competitor’s success.","_key":"6d04b60fbb682"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"2024 Delivered","_key":"918433897a560"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"561fb5228c4d"},{"_key":"40ec9f758044","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In its own thinly veiled attempt to ","_key":"fc2eaac867f70"},{"text":"capture some of the buzz","_key":"11bfd0d40632","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" surrounding Spotify Wrapped, Amazon announced this week that its Music platform would be introducing a new feature called 2024 Delivered.","_key":"ba61fe935699"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"879cd037ab08","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Each personalized recap will include standard stuff like:","_key":"829f07aab0ac0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Top artists","_key":"6beb9bab52d30"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2e36fab220a5","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"70b63e9056950","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Most-played songs"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a2f4ce5bbee8"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Popular genres","_key":"58ff3b68a4550"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"468704280367","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Furthermore, users will be able to see their favorite podcast and the song they requested Alexa to play the most. Another highly anticipated feature involves ","_key":"82d49da0a1eb0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"messages from entertainers","_key":"60a73919c565"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", which will be sent to a select number of users with Alexa devices.","_key":"d81c2f1df3b8"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"85caf875cdf6"},{"style":"normal","_key":"c05397c2f5ac","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Some other individualized stats will be integrated into the feature, which will also include animated cards made to be shared on social media. In addition to Spotify Wrapped, other music apps like Apple Music and YouTube Music offer similar year-end summaries.","_key":"8941579175130","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"eea63a4153d0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Getting personal","_key":"1b48e535cc120","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"00c2ec46ff9e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"This isn’t Amazon Music’s first foray into annual recaps, but 2024 Delivered promises","_key":"16aef0136a6d0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a much different experience","_key":"ab179f2ed0f3"},{"marks":[],"text":" than the previous My Year In Review playlists the platform provided.","_key":"ebf6dba05b6b","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"11f2cce4f400","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Previously, users only got access to a few dozen of the most popular songs and couldn’t access many statistics, much less share them on social media.","_key":"ed78f1a719ce0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_key":"ab811ab4b5920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Both Apple Music and YouTube Music also released their personalized reports — 2024 Replay and 2024 Recap, respectively — this week. Both are boasting"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a few new features","_key":"ac34ef7fb871"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of their own this year.","_key":"4b367ff02cd3"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b18bb23a6045","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"da3c6752c9b1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As for the king of the hill, Spotify has not yet announced when it will release this year’s Wrapped, but insiders say it should be surfacing any day now.","_key":"c541e91d962e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"image":{"attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"size":651624,"_id":"image-bf63cdc8ec6a4b9edc4b6beeda7fd0e8ec9b0dc1-300x169-gif","sha1hash":"bf63cdc8ec6a4b9edc4b6beeda7fd0e8ec9b0dc1","source":{"name":"Vibing Lebron James GIF by NBA","id":"C4taUWWpR8frEpzcMM","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/nba-C4taUWWpR8frEpzcMM"},"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/bf63cdc8ec6a4b9edc4b6beeda7fd0e8ec9b0dc1-300x169.gif","_createdAt":"2024-12-03T21:13:38Z","originalFilename":"1cf45694-8936-4aeb-affe-0e029951ae9a.gif","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M24e4%AA9t^QNy$^RpI:$%fhI^s%xFJBoL","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"muted":{"background":"#9c6c64","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#ad95e3","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#2f186e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.59},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.07,"background":"#a08c80"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.1,"background":"#3c207b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"population":0.65,"background":"#5d3829","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#5d3829","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.65}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFAwj/xAAeEAACAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADBBEhMRIVUf/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECBP/EABoRAQADAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAhEEEiH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AOcVUcSpjHF9ZcuR4ht9kcyao5jFNSWNp1BEejcwl0cYqioV2g0vyE1tGrGA6BhNVeGoOxT2f//Z","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.7751479289940828,"height":169,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":300}},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/bf63cdc8ec6a4b9edc4b6beeda7fd0e8ec9b0dc1-300x169.gif","assetId":"bf63cdc8ec6a4b9edc4b6beeda7fd0e8ec9b0dc1","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","_updatedAt":"2024-12-03T21:13:38Z","extension":"gif","uploadId":"EARqo0I5YP54v33naDQxSI81B7VAD0CI","_rev":"uxToS45BWWlzk7gRx2h04N"},"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0},"hotspot":{"x":0.529109589041096,"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.941780821917808},"_type":"image"},"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"c61f13ee-74c1-4c75-961c-e03a0ab16551","category":"social","title":"Amazon Music Is Taking A Page Out Of Spotify’s Playbook This Year","slug":"/story/2024/12/amazon-music-is-taking-a-page-out-of-spotifys-playbook-this-year","summary":"Listening to your favorite tunes has become a very social experience. ","_createdAt":"2024-12-03T21:14:37Z","_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2024-12-03T21:14:37Z","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-12-04","_rev":"5OIZE7KutyYkCVeErualeN"},{"publishDate":"2024-12-03","category":"social","_rev":"rbMN73g4FkwZdKhgtfaxa3","slug":"/story/2024/12/tiktok-faces-a-potential-us-ban-but-thats-not-stopping-these-retailers","summary":"The social media app might be on course to challenge Amazon's reign. ","_updatedAt":"2024-12-02T22:06:48Z","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_id":"image-b1be10bda48f79985944240fd96fc9c79634318c-480x270-gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"b1be10bda48f79985944240fd96fc9c79634318c","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/b1be10bda48f79985944240fd96fc9c79634318c-480x270.gif","assetId":"b1be10bda48f79985944240fd96fc9c79634318c","_createdAt":"2024-12-02T22:05:48Z","originalFilename":"fb2d1ca2-da64-448b-a4db-3f9991a2abf5.gif","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"height":270,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M49@6QT0D$xZ$iT|~Bg4i_R5_NM{DiS$M|","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"background":"#3c0c04","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightMuted":{"population":2.4,"background":"#c1b7ae","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#744c2c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"dominant":{"background":"#8e735c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.08},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#5d4331","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.66},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":6.08,"background":"#8e735c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#dab99e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0}},"hasAlpha":true},"_rev":"po2PedP3RdQkhQ8oCIVGBR","size":964635,"_updatedAt":"2024-12-02T22:05:48Z","extension":"gif","uploadId":"OrS0Rj3i012pfStPBDXO0Z59NLBaCuWn","source":{"name":"Comedy Reaction GIF by Alayna Joy","id":"FgiTfSRKYcgpbpCxpo","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/AlaynaJoy-reaction-funny-tiktok-FgiTfSRKYcgpbpCxpo"},"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/b1be10bda48f79985944240fd96fc9c79634318c-480x270.gif"},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0},"hotspot":{"width":0.9417808219178081,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"}},"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"648eecf5a166","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"For better or worse, TikTok has become the social media app of choice for millions of young adults across America. And with retailers","_key":"83fd51939e1c0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" eager to reach this key demographic","_key":"b54c6f089246"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", it’s no surprise that TikTok shops have become increasingly popular over the past few years.","_key":"fea639013800"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/amazon-sellers-retailers-are-flocking-tiktok-shop-looming-us-ban-rcna182458","_key":"53c3e927e399","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But with a nationwide ban looming over the Chinese-owned platform, there’s a ","_key":"01ba813329c30"},{"_key":"01ba813329c31","_type":"span","marks":["53c3e927e399"],"text":"chance"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that retailers large and small will lose access to the profitable U.S. market in the near future.","_key":"01ba813329c32"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e03bf4604b14"},{"_key":"2f8fdfb7af72","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"An actual Amazon rival?","_key":"53d87192f4040"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"text":"For many years, Amazon stood alone in most conversations about the most dominant e-commerce platform in America. When the TikTok Shop began gaining traction in the U.S., those discussions slowly began to change.","_key":"90b6635024810","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c2a6df209173","markDefs":[]},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ad7a39cf8698","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Nearly ","_key":"f7540e0c840f0"},{"text":"two-thirds of Westerners","_key":"cd3fcb386f55","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" say they’ll buy something from a Chinese app this season.","_key":"e8a3329e70b1"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"82898b9bbe3d","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"TikTok posted Black Friday sales in the U.S. of ","_key":"41527166f92f0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"more than $100 million","_key":"548f5a3080b5"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"7c14dac35354"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"By the end of this year, TikTok Shop’s gross merchandise volume is on pace to ","_key":"a070512306640"},{"_key":"9c3defd30356","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"exceed $50 billion"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"5762ec84092c","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b7f94c2adfa1","listItem":"bullet"},{"children":[{"text":"To be clear, TikTok still has a long way before it can topple the Amazon empire … and the possibility of a ban doesn’t help. But for now, at least, retailers of all types are flocking to the app with no real signs of slowing down.","_key":"d9f81458ddb40","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"75861ef29914","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"6b596f8be2fa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Sarah’s streaming story","_key":"6204fee94c3c0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6b0bd7bf2986","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"One successful TikTok Shop retailer is Sarah Potempa, a hairstylist to the stars who regularly showcases","_key":"d67c1701f5980","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" her own Beachwaver curling iron","_key":"cfaf8d825507"},{"text":" during livestream videos on TikTok.","_key":"c4be424ccc7a","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8730946a1ae0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The new approach to commerce has rapidly changed the perspective of customers, she said, explaining: “When TikTok Shop was new and people hadn’t used it yet, they would ask, ‘Is this on Amazon yet?’ I would get those questions like, ‘Can I buy it somewhere else?’ Now that it’s been around for a year or so, ","_key":"65281ab0e5a30"},{"text":"we’ve done 1.2 million orders","_key":"3d6940b9bd6b","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".’”","_key":"8901df3e9489"}]}],"_id":"90428fa9-b1ee-4414-9a67-276648f97ba7","visibility":"true","title":"TikTok Faces A Potential US Ban … But That’s Not Stopping These Retailers","id":"GPiTr81d","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2024-12-02T22:06:48Z"},{"_type":"story","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-11-28","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_rev":"ukFK3QywfSiOZ1SrI7lRFW","id":"o2fFWhoa","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"assetId":"b4bc7580ab35cb3e9b24aa86804628254992d5c0","_id":"image-b4bc7580ab35cb3e9b24aa86804628254992d5c0-400x275-gif","extension":"gif","metadata":{"blurHash":"V9FP4v~U00NG#9P8IBaOxFiI^iVso#R.VsKkx]=t%0K6","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"background":"#b1b797","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.28},"vibrant":{"background":"#5196aa","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.3},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":26.16,"background":"#84947c"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":25.51,"background":"#584832"},"muted":{"background":"#84947c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":26.16},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":11.47,"background":"#e4b99b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.14,"background":"#66400a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":400,"aspectRatio":1.4545454545454546,"height":275},"isOpaque":true},"_rev":"ukFK3QywfSiOZ1SrI7lKOE","source":{"url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/hulu-fox-family-guy-l2SpTvnMfLA5So3io","name":"family guy bruce GIF by HULU","id":"l2SpTvnMfLA5So3io"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/b4bc7580ab35cb3e9b24aa86804628254992d5c0-400x275.gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/b4bc7580ab35cb3e9b24aa86804628254992d5c0-400x275.gif","size":318001,"uploadId":"p4UuVj1YI39xeeNt6tQqJGDRQQ75TGqw","_updatedAt":"2024-11-28T00:27:58Z","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"b4bc7580ab35cb3e9b24aa86804628254992d5c0","_createdAt":"2024-11-28T00:27:58Z","originalFilename":"aa4f7749-8053-40ad-8ba7-1ff79e7b946e.gif"},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0},"hotspot":{"y":0.5,"height":0.9053549190535491,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9794520547945205,"x":0.5}},"title":"These Unique Gift Ideas Might Cover All The Pop Culture Nerds On Your List","summary":"Finding the right present might be as easy as clicking \"Buy It Now.\"","category":"social","_updatedAt":"2024-11-28T00:29:10Z","slug":"/story/2024/11/these-unique-gift-ideas-might-cover-all-the-pop-culture-nerds-on-your-list","_id":"9e1a5977-0ae3-4e26-a66e-2082505706fd","body":[{"_key":"89d63906fa22","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://gizmodo.com/the-best-nerdy-gifts-of-2024-2000530285","_key":"a4a69e333859"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In many ways, there’s never been a better time to be a nerd. The term, which was once used as an epithet, has gained power in recent generations. Now, ","_key":"c8686eda02110"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"self-taught experts and superfans","_key":"2e417a83e3ab"},{"marks":[],"text":" are part of ","_key":"9b9093ef0af3","_type":"span"},{"marks":["a4a69e333859"],"text":"vibrant","_key":"c8686eda02111","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" communities dedicated to their favorite genres.","_key":"c8686eda02112"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"def15a33b285","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And with the holidays approaching, there are many clever gift ideas that are sure to resonate with the lovable geeks in your life (along with a treat or two for yourself).","_key":"25a036e567640"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Something for everyone","_key":"85af1c4f6a670"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6e668ef9809f"},{"style":"normal","_key":"857fce070157","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Whether you’re shopping for a Marvel devotee, a Star Wars aficionado, or a Lego master, it’s not hard to find","_key":"a9714e64334d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a trove of interesting gift ideas","_key":"319cb0f9429d"},{"text":" online. But if you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve compiled a list of some items that have already started attracting serious buzz.","_key":"b63a60d46035","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We’ll start by including some relatively inexpensive gifts and stocking stuffers before finishing with a few big-ticket items.","_key":"69d25d432e0f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"19450ed7f511"},{"_key":"5c84085f4cbd","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Lego Dungeons and Dragons minifigures: ","_key":"0d074b9aea560"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This item should please both fans of those ubiquitous plastic building blocks and the popular role-playing game, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.","_key":"de53453769ac"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2b1b637fc9ff","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"One Piece straw hat: ","_key":"8104637b8e050"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Anime is a major tentpole within nerd culture, and one of the most notable titles is One Piece. You can pick up a replica of Luffy’s iconic straw hat for under $20.","_key":"b851e2f13f70"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Gamer PC hard drive: ","_key":"b2fe800f266c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Best Buy has some deals on 2 terabyte hard drives that will keep all the gamers you know playing though the holiday season and beyond without any interruptions.","_key":"25033174603c"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"00c61ef89536","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Scott Pilgrim box set:","_key":"665dc2572db70"},{"_key":"46a6ca6e7d52","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" It’s been 20 years since Brian Lee O’Malley introduced the world to his comic series. And new hardcover collector’s editions are available for fans to read or display."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0c3a2bb5da2c"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And if nothing on this list hits the target, plenty of other nerd-centric favorites — ","_key":"137740a831ec0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"vinyl albums, action figures, board games, etc.","_key":"bf20d0dd3a67"},{"_key":"85973e95eea6","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" — are just a few clicks away."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f468b7cccd9b","markDefs":[]}],"_createdAt":"2024-11-28T00:29:10Z"},{"publishDate":"2024-11-26","_rev":"spGQexp6dzTYiHQS3m2zP5","_type":"story","image":{"_type":"image","asset":{"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/cd8a448b5bb1badcced765290f455b7da0d847f0-480x270.gif","assetId":"cd8a448b5bb1badcced765290f455b7da0d847f0","_updatedAt":"2024-11-25T21:50:04Z","extension":"gif","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MID]MN~pIo8_9aR3t8kDa#RODiD%R*xuoz","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"background":"#634331","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.62},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#634331","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.62},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.39,"background":"#677ca8"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#e396c1","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#630c1c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.35},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.8,"background":"#b99596","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.06,"background":"#88245c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270}},"uploadId":"V03iTnE5KbKFDRCX1tzBpUHckXX3Xoqj","_createdAt":"2024-11-25T21:50:04Z","_id":"image-cd8a448b5bb1badcced765290f455b7da0d847f0-480x270-gif","originalFilename":"00d6ed4b-0588-4653-84aa-953934048cb1.gif","_rev":"spGQexp6dzTYiHQS3m2tnt","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"cd8a448b5bb1badcced765290f455b7da0d847f0","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/cd8a448b5bb1badcced765290f455b7da0d847f0-480x270.gif","size":3567949,"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","source":{"id":"mBeWiKHptJqHIE0nG4","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/thelonelyisland-vanessa-bayer-i-think-you-should-leave-tim-robinson-mBeWiKHptJqHIE0nG4","name":"I Think You Should Leave Vanessa Bayer GIF by The Lonely Island"}}},"id":"HfbnXIWJ","summary":"The platform still doesn't go as far as some other social media apps.","_createdAt":"2024-11-25T21:50:52Z","_id":"e4ac07d7-9038-494e-8d67-a59574c6950d","_updatedAt":"2024-11-25T21:50:52Z","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"title":"It’s About To Get Easier To Keep Tabs On Your Instagram Friends","category":"social","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/25/instagram-takes-on-snapchat-with-new-location-sharing-feature/","_key":"79dda26d0537"}],"children":[{"text":"Whether you’re liking their posts or sliding into their DMs, Instagram is a popular place to keep up with real-life friends and online influencers. Now, a new ","_key":"eb84c81189310","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":"feature","_key":"eb84c81189311","_type":"span","marks":["79dda26d0537"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" coming to the Meta-owned social media app will allow you to share your live location with others.","_key":"eb84c81189312"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7cf78efbd8cb"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"How it works","_key":"6fb26f5ff9ba0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4950032e0c29","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"At first glance, it might be unsettling to think about a social media app making your location available in real time. But it’s important to consider that","_key":"d27ae49a1c370","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":" this information is already being collected ","_key":"9e4221c74eac","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"… Instagram is just allowing users to share it if they choose to do so.","_key":"84907e16d928"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"60d47811daec"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And the plan currently underway for this platform doesn’t go as far as some others. Here’s what we know so far:","_key":"d23bc1d681890"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2cc8d55fd5c5","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"2f51692a5f48","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Live locations can be","_key":"5a2934d01b7f0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" shared via direct message","_key":"aecd266cf2ba"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"efd5e371a879","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The information will ","_key":"b6e49d3a1ae50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"only be available for one hour","_key":"2d579c781527"}],"level":1},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c2e85c463507","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Locations can be ","_key":"0321cb82a7620"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"shared with one person or a group","_key":"fcace1e15b5c"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"333e3645f697","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"None of the data can be","_key":"a1d576ffda290"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" transferred to another chat","_key":"561408b4530a"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Since other popular apps, including Find My and Snap Map, permit users to share their locations for much longer periods, the Instagram feature seems tame by comparison.","_key":"647733bb8cbd0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3cd2fc8e857e"},{"style":"normal","_key":"b8fc6f4ff7f6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What’s the upside?","_key":"4cbe796e75ef0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"2ceba984f425","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Other than allowing people to track your every move from their smartphones,","_key":"1c58fd52b4420","_type":"span"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" it might not be immediately clear","_key":"d0e98020559d","_type":"span"},{"text":" why anyone would be interested in this feature. But as Instagram explained, this limited-time option could come in handy if two people or members of a group are trying to coordinate a meeting in a busy public area.","_key":"d3862ab5231a","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1e057330890b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There are many other situations in which live location sharing could prove beneficial, and it’s clear that the tech industry is moving toward widespread adoption of such features.","_key":"3766a4afc7380"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In fact, Instagram’s parent company has","_key":"c0077c3799720"},{"text":" already gotten the process started","_key":"6bffbdfa3730","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":" with a different platform. Meta’s WhatsApp lets users share their locations for as long as eight hours.","_key":"c6addac89147","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"35adb5c3f81e"}],"slug":"/story/2024/11/its-about-to-get-easier-to-keep-tabs-on-your-instagram-friends"},{"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"category":"social","_rev":"LjLkFdip9rJHIcyVEPEx0B","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b333f6a468da","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/instagram-will-let-users-reset-recommendation-system-powers-feeds-rcna180764","_key":"60dceebff085"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Social media platforms have come under considerable scrutiny in recent years over the negative impact they can have on the","_key":"33c905b6b7c00"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" mental and emotional well-being of users","_key":"61f44edc840b","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Instagram, in particular, has become a commonly cited potential ","_key":"92b821c8d78f"},{"_type":"span","marks":["60dceebff085"],"text":"danger","_key":"33c905b6b7c01"},{"_key":"33c905b6b7c02","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to teens."}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"35595760cfd9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"9273970e11810","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now, the Meta-owned app says it’s doing something to help alleviate those concerns."}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_key":"df04a23de3d60","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Refreshing the system"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9424cf7cc342","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"428bea0163be","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As you probably already know, the content you see on most major social media feeds isn’t random but rather dictated by algorithms that ","_key":"2c15cd039a6e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"remain hidden and can change without notice","_key":"2365bd4f5b78"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"6aa06e06215e"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"585e883d8a0c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"That lack of transparency contributes to the belief many consumers have that social media companies care more about monetizing their users than protecting them.","_key":"9351ad040b210","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8b8541d99a25","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0fa0c15767ea0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a blog post this week, however, Instagram announced a significant step that will at least give individuals "},{"_key":"549574bfa16a","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"some control over the algorithm’s impact"},{"marks":[],"text":". Essentially, the new feature allows users to reset their feed at any time and start fresh.","_key":"1fc7d3df6faa","_type":"span"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“We want to make sure everyone on Instagram — especially teens — has ","_key":"6ab4e459f4f00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences","_key":"b78cc86d48e7"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and feels the time they’re spending on Instagram is valuable,” the company explained.","_key":"dc12885a1670"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8fddeccd1e67"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"A work in progress","_key":"37331c75e3270","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"98776f893cff"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4d6372aa989c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This isn’t the first step Instagram has taken in hopes of easing concerns about its algorithmic feed. The platform previously gave users an option to select “interested” or “not interested” on any piece of content in order to teach the algorithm about individual preferences.","_key":"8214a7fe2d260"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"During the recent election season, the company also ","_key":"c959b0dbc3b50"},{"text":"put a halt on all recommendations","_key":"32c1ad43ee58","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of political content.","_key":"cc6126ba9543"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f52118046e00","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"8094777528e8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The algorithm reset appears to be the most significant step Instagram has taken to date, though, and seems to signal that the company is taking the criticism seriously.","_key":"2ac6c86646bc0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9c4c857c8a18","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“We want to give teens ","_key":"2c55c47e196a0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"new ways to shape their Instagram experience","_key":"bf3703faf817"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they evolve,” Instagram added.","_key":"2601a5ddeba7"}]}],"_updatedAt":"2024-11-19T19:29:12Z","_id":"bb563b1c-df64-4a42-ba80-ba639e404735","title":"This New Instagram Feature Is Aimed At Keeping Teens Safer","slug":"/story/2024/11/this-new-instagram-feature-is-aimed-at-keeping-teens-safer","visibility":"true","_createdAt":"2024-11-19T19:26:39Z","id":"U7tmFoT6","image":{"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9178082191780819,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_rev":"LjLkFdip9rJHIcyVEPEPSh","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/626870b92c5bed61a7b89ed5841acae9335ef496-480x270.gif","assetId":"626870b92c5bed61a7b89ed5841acae9335ef496","originalFilename":"66907d46-28e9-4569-9714-48d5b62679e3.gif","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MAFYT4R#00Z#vfI7Rp?dRht8JFRiI9o~SO","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"population":4.12,"background":"#d1ab9a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"population":0.04,"background":"#353290","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"background":"#847c7b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.29},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":4.13,"background":"#4e2e2a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":5.29,"background":"#847c7b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":5.19,"background":"#9a9cd5","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#2e2e68","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.6}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270}},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_createdAt":"2024-11-19T19:27:16Z","_updatedAt":"2024-11-19T19:27:16Z","extension":"gif","uploadId":"YGuNtIay4zDGoM1NQq3sontlsQNZgr1e","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"626870b92c5bed61a7b89ed5841acae9335ef496","source":{"name":"Instagram Insta GIF by Beauty and the Geek Australia","id":"E7M2YYrVwGofybUsUP","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/BATG-batg-beautyandthegeek-beautyandthegeekaustralia-E7M2YYrVwGofybUsUP"},"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/626870b92c5bed61a7b89ed5841acae9335ef496-480x270.gif","size":1665200,"_id":"image-626870b92c5bed61a7b89ed5841acae9335ef496-480x270-gif"},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0}},"publishDate":"2024-11-20","summary":"Critics have long maintained that the platform is harmful to kids. ","_type":"story"},{"_type":"story","_createdAt":"2024-11-18T20:47:59Z","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"category":"social","publishDate":"2024-11-19","_updatedAt":"2024-11-18T20:50:26Z","image":{"asset":{"metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MIF=:Y%1KRt7?d%iNbMvt7xt?bS2D%bb%2","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#553c35","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.23},"muted":{"population":0.2,"background":"#a9825a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#ece157","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":1.03},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.26,"background":"#626229","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":6.25,"background":"#d2bfbb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":2.95,"background":"#ebee18"},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":6.25,"background":"#d2bfbb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"}},"hasAlpha":true},"uploadId":"edY4jUewcES7448STAIgBsj6guTyubVK","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","assetId":"ea9bfe4da4326dca6dff90c13145e794cd216fd2","_createdAt":"2024-11-18T20:49:18Z","extension":"gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/ea9bfe4da4326dca6dff90c13145e794cd216fd2-480x270.gif","_updatedAt":"2024-11-18T20:49:18Z","_rev":"leihFSrilyBYiRm43MR7Rp","sha1hash":"ea9bfe4da4326dca6dff90c13145e794cd216fd2","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/ea9bfe4da4326dca6dff90c13145e794cd216fd2-480x270.gif","size":666498,"originalFilename":"4dcb6411-f1fd-452a-bfdc-f4cf2b213448.gif","mimeType":"image/gif","source":{"name":"Thanksgiving Turkey GIF by BuzzFeed","id":"EXaxbtTyEb5a07iSqd","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/buzzfeed-thanksgiving-turkey-i-tried-to-roast-a-with-zero-trash-EXaxbtTyEb5a07iSqd"},"_id":"image-ea9bfe4da4326dca6dff90c13145e794cd216fd2-480x270-gif"},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9280821917808216,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy"},"title":"Here Are Some Tips For Hosting A Hassle-Free Thanksgiving Meal","_rev":"cp3ai2cAj30CEVtKQgfCh4","slug":"/story/2024/11/here-are-some-tips-for-hosting-a-hasslefree-thanksgiving-meal","_id":"a9d51321-e1e6-446e-8ae0-53465a77c08f","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"cec186cc8e1f","markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.vox.com/even-better/380523/how-to-host-holiday-party-thanksgiving","_key":"1b458088d2f0","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"OK, maybe “hassle-free” is a little too ambitious. But hospitality experts agree there are a few things any holiday host can do to ","_key":"5fd351a8faff0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["1b458088d2f0"],"text":"reduce","_key":"5fd351a8faff1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" the stress that can accompany such a thankless task.","_key":"5fd351a8faff2"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5ddd558d82e4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Building on the basics","_key":"3468e687dc930"}]},{"_key":"383aa9356fa0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Megan Fitzgerald is one event planner who realizes that it’s not realistic to expect an ordinary person with a regular job to lay out a perfect feast. Instead of picturing perfection, she recommends focusing first on ","_key":"6f3754052ec00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"the essentials of hosting","_key":"d7b2b7d0912f"},{"marks":[],"text":", which include:","_key":"40979593e53a","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Plenty of seating","_key":"1a783140578d0","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4ef5a932fe1e","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6d09c7c53ffe","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Clean, stocked restrooms","_key":"7620b3a00ecc0"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"dbfb8e8530a5","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A supply of fresh water","_key":"538a67b374e50"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2b43b0e8f0d8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Fitzgerald also stressed the importance of not offering too much food or too little wine. As for the latter, she recommends providing one bottle per drinking guest.","_key":"7d1cbfb8d9a60"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"35e42a208142","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“I know that sounds crazy, but if you’re there for four hours, ","_key":"3ce012d928bf0"},{"_key":"983384b4dba3","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"that’s a glass of wine an hour"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” she explained.","_key":"ec75454ada53"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Once you are sure these basics are covered, it’s time to start tackling some of the other aspects of the event.","_key":"2fc7b996481c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"751d0f164b2d","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"70b020d75655","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Putting it all together","_key":"fcf1991cbae50"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"08230da79d64","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Even if you’ve never hosted a holiday gathering before, it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience. As Fitzgerald advised, much of the decor — from centerpieces to serving platters — can often be found at thrift shops, making that a much better option than spending roughly the same amount on cheap, disposable items.","_key":"196f3353fd4f0","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"children":[{"text":"Feel free to ask people to bring specific items you’ll need to host a successful meal.","_key":"e7568dea67620","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"665c0ccb7448","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"1e932a2c6e07","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“Then the people you can’t rely on,","_key":"0dd26d58dfe40","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" just tell them to bring wine","_key":"0e00a6cef15b"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” Fitzgerald advised.","_key":"2e5348bd706d"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"92f87bc3b55a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"The host should always at least supply the main course, though — and for that Thanksgiving turkey, remember to buy at least 1.5 pounds for each guest.","_key":"e88acf59629a0","_type":"span"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"If all else fails, Fitzgerald said: “I actually think ","_key":"cd2bec70eb510","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"some forms of takeout ","_key":"8ee7562d0faf"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"are secretly less expensive than cooking.”","_key":"775a5a5eca35"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"83ea1a55f56c"}],"id":"Ww3CUbyO","summary":"And that might give you something to be truly thankful for. "},{"body":[{"_key":"1a94e3885401","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/15/24297196/bluesky-growth-threads-x-vergecast","_key":"9c1a2b9e877d"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As a number of high-profile users are ditching Elon Musk-owned X (or Twitter, as it was known when he bought it), other social media platforms stand to benefit. And Bluesky’s recent membership surge seems to ","_key":"336ea8cbfe7d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["9c1a2b9e877d"],"text":"suggest","_key":"336ea8cbfe7d1"},{"text":" it is becoming a go-to destination for X refugees.","_key":"336ea8cbfe7d2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"3fe13cda9db70","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The post-election bump"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5c088dd61262"},{"_key":"454a40055310","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Election Day and the news updates that followed have created a lot of demand for social media this month, but even by that standard it’s been a big week for Bluesky. According to recent data, the app has","_key":"04f23c34f6a60","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" grown by 2.5 million users ","_key":"ad6cbe3b788b"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"in just the days since the election and now boasts more than 16 million members.","_key":"800214f698a6"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"c8b10875c2ac","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Bluesky, which was launched by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey but is no longer affiliated with that platform, is now being led by","_key":"d8048f96dd610"},{"text":" a board featuring Big Tech heavyweights","_key":"a72dc67821e6","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":" like Jabber inventor Jeremie Miller, Blockchain Capital general partner Kinjal Shah, and Techdirt founder Mike Masnick.","_key":"c498489eaed5","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"2c8b15e73a86","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The app’s stated goal is to provide enhanced freedom through its decentralized platform and features including:","_key":"d1f704d4b2710"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1ac5036c3ea4","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Algorithms ","_key":"309583aa7f500"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"curated by users","_key":"cd75252a2152"}],"level":1},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"397b4e738fad","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"b1f048e881590","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Limits for "},{"text":"unwanted interactions","_key":"c185f1dc0b32","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}]},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2fd6b01bead9","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"f100c4fe243d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Allowing "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"removal of quote posts","_key":"6c7cbc673b6e"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"There are also creativity tools like video posts and custom fonts that have been driving the app’s recent boom.","_key":"62f47731931c0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"95fb5296850c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"But it’s not the only option","_key":"f88f1c0ee3020"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e5fd3a5571f3"},{"children":[{"text":"Twitter has been spawning copycats since well before Musk bought it, and one relatively recent addition to the fray is","_key":"f9bc6b57d3270","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":" seeing its own growth spurt","_key":"30b70c353748","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"c2f2769cbc82","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6f31ff096965","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"1c0c8cf77e68","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Threads, a division of Instagram, got off to a somewhat slow start but hit its stride over the past couple of weeks.","_key":"432fb81a12580","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Whether fueled by election interest, disaffection with X, or any number of other reasons, Instagram’s CEO announced this week that Threads has received “","_key":"3193e4d930d70"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"more than 15 million signups in November alone","_key":"5f9367cbc074"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".”","_key":"f11646c8dfa2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"748f85016897"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6062240f20b2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Some saw this as a jab at Bluesky, which had only recently reached 15 million members.","_key":"5ac227f1de1d0","_type":"span","marks":[]}]}],"_type":"story","title":"Bluesky, The Decentralized Twitter Alternative, Is Having Quite A Week","id":"tzFKtjF2","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-11-16","summary":"The election and X fatigue have been fueling some serious growth.","image":{"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.910958904109589,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"extension":"gif","metadata":{"dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":500,"aspectRatio":1.7667844522968197,"height":283},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M78:xH,@I7%1^kMI-oBWoe}X+s9aXUIp5R","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.32,"background":"#364d61"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.32,"background":"#364d61","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.1,"background":"#ae7e5d"},"lightVibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#ecbc7c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#044484","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"population":0.07,"background":"#abadb7","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#227abc"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGQAAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAcCBAUG/8QAIRAAAgICAgEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAAFESEGEiMxQ4H/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQP/xAAbEQEAAwEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRABMiwf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AQW7pxT7qKrrbCW1H2AcKcuea65TDXs0o4ljjQCQKODzkPG0VC7qAH9B7/M1dUxvX4q9r3IZBwykdHvDUV+OUnfXtr26NkYCZL5y9Dnj4wzsPL9VSpb6zBVrrHEpHCgnrDCIm9XRzv//Z"},"sha1hash":"635114945d66de858b3f82094d59275c9b43bcff","_createdAt":"2024-11-15T19:50:38Z","_rev":"cp3ai2cAj30CEVtKQJOV9c","source":{"name":"social media GIF by RealityTVGIFs","id":"P6iFscNo9yvMA","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/realitytvgifs-big-brother-bb16-frankie-grande-P6iFscNo9yvMA"},"assetId":"635114945d66de858b3f82094d59275c9b43bcff","_id":"image-635114945d66de858b3f82094d59275c9b43bcff-500x283-gif","_updatedAt":"2024-11-15T19:50:38Z","originalFilename":"368061bd-d187-4355-8222-c250296a90c3.gif","uploadId":"dHKc1bzKI1E7sg1hpubYcjlJWI4bX9L7","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/635114945d66de858b3f82094d59275c9b43bcff-500x283.gif","size":985310,"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/635114945d66de858b3f82094d59275c9b43bcff-500x283.gif"},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0}},"slug":"/story/2024/11/bluesky-the-decentralized-twitter-alternative-is-having-quite-a-week","_rev":"LjLkFdip9rJHIcyVDAaZWh","_createdAt":"2024-11-15T19:51:51Z","_updatedAt":"2024-11-15T19:51:51Z","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"_id":"40870b33-ee81-41c4-925a-522160263a87","category":"social"},{"_rev":"lGiCp1feYiunFFizmJ6BgF","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When it comes to profiting big off of social media, keeping users engaged is the key. Of course, this raises plenty of other concerns, including ","_key":"6e258a79ea380"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"addiction and the potentially harmful types of content","_key":"5bec40fa763a"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that often drive user engagement.","_key":"e70581bde5d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"baafa4a91126"},{"style":"normal","_key":"9328e4d5402b","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/13/24295509/youtube-endless-scroll-tiktok-algorithm","_key":"c96d2911d224"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The goal, as you’ve noticed if you’ve ever wasted a few hours on TikTok, is to provide an endlessly scrollable experience that never presents a signal that it’s time to go do something else. And now another major platform seems to be ","_key":"745cb3e397910"},{"_type":"span","marks":["c96d2911d224"],"text":"embracing","_key":"745cb3e397911"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" this strategy.","_key":"745cb3e397912"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"cf24984d7e51","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"YouTube’s gamble","_key":"ec543cb3596f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"0147d0f39200","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"ccdd311f66440","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For well over a decade, YouTube has been the go-to destination for people who want to upload their own videos or watch videos uploaded by others. And while there have been some notable updates to the platform over the years,"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" the basic vibe of the site","_key":"5558f1329049"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" hasn’t changed all that much.","_key":"d194287089f6"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"afe811a0c51e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There might be ","_key":"fd740e344da90"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"one significant shift ","_key":"c8605724fec8"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"on the horizon, however. YouTube has been offering a feature to a test group of Android users for a few months and could soon roll it out on devices far and wide.","_key":"63c6379da004"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"c6ea05c8cc9d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Essentially, the change impacts how viewers find new content and might force creators to think of new ways of drawing attention to their videos.","_key":"c9a58c9357720","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"d1f6148e28af","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"All about the scroll","_key":"a297feb80db10"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"e0e31e7d88a3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"a8fc8b173e8b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The new model closely resembles"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" how TikTok users swipe","_key":"49dd6c4e1587"},{"marks":[],"text":" to load a new video.","_key":"15b2c4034f4d","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For its part, YouTube says the goal is to make it easier for viewers to find relevant content while giving creators an opportunity to reach a larger audience. But with a nebulous algorithm controlling the feed, there’s growing concern that creators won’t be able to differentiate themselves with eye-catching thumbnail images anymore.","_key":"9bb949d90f270"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cf63fda3b508"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If the move increases engagement, it could work out for YouTube … but if creators become obsessed with","_key":"f3695effe7fd0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" pleasing the algorithm","_key":"99e5a67e866a"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" instead of their audiences, we could all lose.","_key":"cd04fde6a4b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f696f8b0b587","markDefs":[]}],"_updatedAt":"2024-11-13T20:53:03Z","_id":"81a24d4e-a8a0-41f3-8c67-4fa63ecd91a9","id":"I5sU7Ylj","publishDate":"2024-11-14","category":"social","summary":"Some creators fear it could make their job a lot more difficult.","image":{"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9589041095890409,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"uploadId":"9v2nMRsXR1YSvV0WDuIFYfONTpXaNz4z","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/4dc506507050ea4b0360583e9be7ffff880aebb1-480x270.gif","_updatedAt":"2024-06-26T21:24:50Z","metadata":{"dimensions":{"height":270,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MZNAM6of.mofVExajtW;bbaeTJWBrrt7Sg","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.59,"background":"#da0406"},"dominant":{"background":"#da0406","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.59},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.31,"background":"#794447","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"background":"#648c84","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#e49c94","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#ac0e14","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.28},"lightMuted":{"background":"#d6c8bc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.01}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwABAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAcDBf/EACEQAAICAgIBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABgURQQcTISJR/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgT/xAAcEQABBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAAEDEQQSMYH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AK5sSGbibECS+1LKhVCD0e+vGS700uwUtmSjTtTzGdSbIlXoBx+ZS9pVTxUzkfeNSynyDmetcRQr1YbMNSJLDqGaQD5JOAgsmK+KqHIaOI4nG9q8XdxjGNSr/9k="},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","assetId":"4dc506507050ea4b0360583e9be7ffff880aebb1","_createdAt":"2024-06-26T21:24:50Z","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/4dc506507050ea4b0360583e9be7ffff880aebb1-480x270.gif","size":520380,"_id":"image-4dc506507050ea4b0360583e9be7ffff880aebb1-480x270-gif","originalFilename":"999132b2-9748-4ab1-8008-e40c3471c1b1.gif","extension":"gif","_rev":"8frCD9PE4At6CbzYtKWuwM","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"4dc506507050ea4b0360583e9be7ffff880aebb1","source":{"name":"youtube GIF","id":"9OtT51FkSuFUs","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/youtube-9OtT51FkSuFUs"}},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0}},"_createdAt":"2024-11-13T20:53:03Z","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story","title":"Is This Strange New Feature A Glimpse Into YouTube’s Future","slug":"/story/2024/11/is-this-strange-new-feature-a-glimpse-into-youtubes-future","visibility":"true"},{"category":"social","summary":"There's a pretty effective way of addressing this uncomfortable situation.","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Boundaries are important in all types of relationships, but some people just seem unwilling or unable to abide by them.","_key":"e0cda8b4762b0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4c3ff38aab2d"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://slate.com/life/2024/10/a-simple-way-to-deflect-awkward-personal-questions.html?via=rss","_key":"da1df9352713"}],"children":[{"text":"This can cause embarrassing or infuriating experiences, but there are ways to ","_key":"8adb560a8b2b0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["da1df9352713"],"text":"navigate","_key":"8adb560a8b2b1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" thorny situations such as being peppered with personal questions.","_key":"8adb560a8b2b2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"27b266637eea"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The joys of small talk","_key":"b85cb1b490630"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"33bd33b895d8","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"8698f31b4dc4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Unless you’re having a conversation with a confidante or trusted friend, there are probably a few topics","_key":"137b95538a040"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" you’d prefer to avoid","_key":"688477fe48a5","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in casual conversations. That’s why humans have developed generally inoffensive forms of small talk to feed our need for conversation without crossing the line into meddling.","_key":"5c6e7c67c1b0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1c12cf851496","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Most of us instinctively abide by these social restrictions, but every once in a while you’re sure to be on the receiving end of a prying question. That’s where a little bit of preparation can go a long way.","_key":"c70a3f443c620"}]},{"_key":"7639f8d38c4a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Pithiness is important","_key":"7c9a43f41ca00"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c16ff083dbbd","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As Slate writer Andrea Javor, a self-described extrovert, explained in a recent article, it’s become all too common for people to feel comfortable enough to ask her deeply personal questions — including about her recent divorce.","_key":"96ae0ae9cc3c0"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Over time, she has reacted to this trend by building up an arsenal of one-liners aimed at redirecting a conversation from nosy to neighborly.","_key":"a60842507fe00","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"dc2cc7f937d6"},{"_key":"9b6bf00ca12c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"bfe7dd4dbe4a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to Javor, the strategy has been"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" effective on multiple fronts","_key":"79fa0b189a22"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", such as helping to indirectly establish boundaries and keeping things loose in potentially tense situations.","_key":"a085d8cb5b97"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"e5b582c995fa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Being asked for a loan, for example, might elicit this response: “I never discuss financial matters after 3 p.m.”","_key":"7cac0cf1abf20"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"14de8817509d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"These remarks can be written and rehearsed, but the more you use them the more naturally they’ll start to sound in conversation.","_key":"4a0b3697d1990","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"5a996385f1b9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“One-liners keep me centered, grounded, equipped,” she wrote. “This slant ","_key":"496e4ef550a60"},{"text":"puts me back in charge","_key":"54a49570ff52","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and lets the person on the receiving end know they’ve crossed into personal territory without shaming them or letting the conversation wilt.”","_key":"6caff24aed76"}],"_type":"block"}],"_createdAt":"2024-10-20T21:08:43Z","_rev":"cTgAcamRKWSs05lairPlCw","publishDate":"2024-10-21","_id":"7678a32b-a895-47dc-a9fd-81f0ae1d4f7d","_updatedAt":"2024-10-20T21:08:43Z","slug":"/story/2024/10/do-you-know-how-to-respond-when-someone-asks-intrusive-personal-questions","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"id":"E3QVGWq1","image":{"attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"extension":"gif","uploadId":"QYTJHNJoVa83yGTWws88RD2BdWIySyCS","_updatedAt":"2024-10-20T21:07:25Z","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"df34f6708647950a7f89b153c1f906ca0f021529","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/df34f6708647950a7f89b153c1f906ca0f021529-480x270.gif","_id":"image-df34f6708647950a7f89b153c1f906ca0f021529-480x270-gif","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M37-A}%N0f00v}00IT-VIUtRp_EM^k~DNb","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.05,"background":"#552616","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#592c2e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02},"muted":{"background":"#916f76","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.57},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#e3a995"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#552616","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.05},"lightMuted":{"background":"#c4a5ae","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.2},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#ca5a34"}},"hasAlpha":true},"_rev":"PHPvKoHrXZ146bXXLW7e6G","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","source":{"name":"Chuck Norris Cordell Walker GIF by Sony Pictures Television","id":"37UPsEnvisu7qCjnKd","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/SPTV-sony-pictures-walker-texas-ranger-walkertexasranger-37UPsEnvisu7qCjnKd"},"assetId":"df34f6708647950a7f89b153c1f906ca0f021529","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/df34f6708647950a7f89b153c1f906ca0f021529-480x270.gif","size":1789511,"_createdAt":"2024-10-20T21:07:25Z","originalFilename":"5143dbfe-5fa0-4d44-8d94-0be4904f4999.gif"},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0},"hotspot":{"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9246575342465753,"x":0.5},"_type":"image"},"visibility":"true","_type":"story","title":"Do You Know How To Respond When Someone Asks Intrusive Personal Questions?"},{"summary":"The platform is trying to shed its Boomer image.","_createdAt":"2024-10-04T21:53:00Z","visibility":"true","body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It was among the first social media sites still in existence, and plenty of people still interact with friends, relatives, and organizations on Facebook’s familiar ","_key":"38beaa25075e0"},{"marks":["55c47dfe7389"],"text":"platform","_key":"38beaa25075e1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". But there’s no denying the perception that this is a place for, well, older folks.","_key":"38beaa25075e2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0f71ec8d5e9e","markDefs":[{"href":"https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/04/facebook-launches-a-gen-z-focused-redesign/","_key":"55c47dfe7389","_type":"link"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"3e044bfe401c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Those in Generation Z and younger tend to spend their social media time on Instagram or TikTok — and many see Facebook as hopelessly uncool. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, wants to do something about that.","_key":"61cd3c9293e30"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Bridging the generation gap","_key":"d8b6fb38c0440"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"52d90f452537"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Without alienating its current users, Facebook is clearly implementing some new features designed to","_key":"2355dd47c4050"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" appeal to younger consumers","_key":"65671ea1d694"},{"_key":"9c4dc1729ca8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Part of that involves adapting aspects of other platforms (including Meta’s own Instagram), which the company thinks will bolster community connections."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b60d76e900d7"},{"style":"normal","_key":"0f457c86ce03","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The list of notable features includes:","_key":"15e3a9614f030"}],"_type":"block"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"81e7bb88b609","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A ‘Local’ tab","_key":"d106b1de29bc0"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": This category will help users find all information about their communities in one place, including Facebook Marketplace, Groups, and Events.","_key":"87786fea8b92"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"3958b230403d","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"An ‘Explore’ tab","_key":"93a397816e1e0"},{"marks":[],"text":": Searching this tab is akin to scrolling through Pinterest, with personalized content based on your interests.","_key":"26b0a7ab1849","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a08b9484258d","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A swipeable feed","_key":"c1ba2b1550290"},{"marks":[],"text":": Various posts and events of local interest will appear in a prominent location on the users existing news feeds.","_key":"5089a289ef5f","_type":"span"}],"level":1},{"_key":"22088a521949","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"ab990689e39c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Among the other youth-focused updates is an improved video player intended to appeal to Gen Z’s preference for video content."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"fb0254ba9a11","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A refreshing experience","_key":"10d7c80a09b80"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As you might have imagined, artificial intelligence will have a role in Facebook’s new era, such as with a chatbot ","_key":"726656e05d700"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"integrated into the Groups tab","_key":"da4482f464f3"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and trained to tackle a range of frequently asked questions.","_key":"3a1f7a32c57b"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"35f796564c9e"},{"style":"normal","_key":"82070c24d107","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"All of these changes have come as Meta attempts to figure out how younger and older Facebook users engage with the platform differently, hoping to provide enough to keep both groups coming back.","_key":"a831224f3a830"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"6f4750ddb403","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"With other features, ","_key":"60c0f1214bbf0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"including online dating","_key":"e08a339d6939","_type":"span"},{"marks":[],"text":", in the works, it seems clear Facebook isn’t giving up on young people.","_key":"ff4fefe461c7","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"}],"_rev":"6SA0N4Oiiz7fQyoqHtIfwy","_type":"story","category":"social","_updatedAt":"2024-10-04T21:53:00Z","publishDate":"2024-10-05","image":{"hotspot":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":0.9919391315585424,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.941780821917808},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"size":410723,"assetId":"6c89eb8aacf7cfc4195836cebbbc884769989c2d","_createdAt":"2024-10-04T21:51:06Z","uploadId":"zxmA9GpB2XC3wJuN6YQ1Ba19kQJrLiz9","_rev":"7uY3Axr9588BUE8dwK1GYH","mimeType":"image/gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/6c89eb8aacf7cfc4195836cebbbc884769989c2d-499x212.gif","sha1hash":"6c89eb8aacf7cfc4195836cebbbc884769989c2d","source":{"name":" ","id":"gcajW7oKirCdW","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/internet-facebook-twitter-gcajW7oKirCdW"},"_id":"image-6c89eb8aacf7cfc4195836cebbbc884769989c2d-499x212-gif","_updatedAt":"2024-10-04T21:51:06Z","originalFilename":"b116a859-6441-443d-b940-e778a714142a.gif","extension":"gif","metadata":{"palette":{"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.24,"background":"#895b58"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":2.52,"background":"#d29c92","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.07,"background":"#76302b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#c8a5b6","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":2.26},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#b45151","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"background":"#895b58","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.24},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.77,"background":"#573538"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAIABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwABAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEFB//EAB8QAAEFAQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAQMEBREhMQdBUf/EABcBAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwT/xAAaEQEAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIDESFh/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCj+Ms63evT69IoqtZxcRHnCHreufqjX04sqvM+poTy3KxOVeuPlnLvjr/SIiVLdZoLaxp7MR2dma/pz2JqsIyGTu7MPpERMVJNyWerP//Z","dimensions":{"height":212,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":499,"aspectRatio":2.3537735849056602},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MDG8Zl_4005Q9F^*IpMfxb%g.8%gD%9Et7","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/6c89eb8aacf7cfc4195836cebbbc884769989c2d-499x212.gif"},"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0}},"slug":"/story/2024/10/will-these-new-features-finally-give-gen-z-a-reason-to-love-facebook","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"44a8bd6e-2ce4-42ff-b52a-f125c186af5d","title":"Will These New Features Finally Give Gen Z A Reason To Love Facebook?","id":"quO4vcho"},{"_updatedAt":"2024-09-29T21:10:25Z","_rev":"oCjo8LrNqop60lN2fGCFce","category":"social","image":{"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.904109589041096,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_rev":"EzYtj2sntEQPzg9GykBOCT","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/9115b8fc2f1e0d07cf5c05180cc2b68ee58f9a0f-480x270.gif","_createdAt":"2024-09-29T21:09:05Z","size":912813,"_updatedAt":"2024-09-29T21:09:05Z","extension":"gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"9115b8fc2f1e0d07cf5c05180cc2b68ee58f9a0f","source":{"name":"Social Media Followers GIF by BuzzFeed","id":"BIjEB36bISPqlbCJJg","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/buzzfeed-james-charles-gave-me-a-makeover-BIjEB36bISPqlbCJJg"},"metadata":{"blurHash":"MDFY3|.93DNG|H?^%g-oIURjEfoy,qIVEM","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"background":"#593e28","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":7.69},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":7.69,"background":"#593e28","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"background":"#9f7454","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.24},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.7,"background":"#f1b77d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.09,"background":"#722111","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"population":0.01,"background":"#b4c4d4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":1.28,"background":"#f4ed3c"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/9115b8fc2f1e0d07cf5c05180cc2b68ee58f9a0f-480x270.gif","_id":"image-9115b8fc2f1e0d07cf5c05180cc2b68ee58f9a0f-480x270-gif","uploadId":"2xPQgKsNpihr0gxhjLLk4CdTTGLxQiAy","assetId":"9115b8fc2f1e0d07cf5c05180cc2b68ee58f9a0f","originalFilename":"14461458-4d24-451d-b00d-6ee8c2012eaa.gif"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"}},"_type":"story","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"33d51d9a-0840-4213-ad4a-39b5a403dd26","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Since artificial intelligence became an unavoidable topic of discussion a few years ago, there has been ","_key":"eb734fd82db90","_type":"span"},{"text":"plenty of debate","_key":"bd0670484925","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":" regarding all of the good and bad potential this powerful (and rapidly evolving) technology possesses.","_key":"cd8eda3923ea","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"11358398e2e4"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theverge.com/24255887/social-ai-bots-social-network-chatgpt-vergecast","_key":"3ebb6f18f06e"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The ","_key":"9d38bfebe06b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["3ebb6f18f06e"],"text":"predictions","_key":"9d38bfebe06b1"},{"_key":"9d38bfebe06b2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" include everything from curing diseases to eliminating the human population. But the truth probably lies somewhere more mundane in the middle."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"736229e3961d"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5ad87ecc49e0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"90a5921f6f220","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Sort of social"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While AI is entering new phases seemingly every day, that doesn’t mean humans will want to abandon all of the things we loved about pre-AI life. That’s what led Michael Sayman’s new spin on an aspect of online life nearly as old as the internet itself.","_key":"f8e76ad38a240"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e763ae2eaa45"},{"_key":"d25a028b23f9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"He created SocialAI, which has made news quite a bit lately and is currently available for download. Essentially, it provides an experience not that different from X or other social media apps … except for the fact that humans cultivate and interact with an audience ","_key":"7aadeaec835e0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"made up entirely of AI chatbots","_key":"742f441c62da"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"ab2fa83f327b"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Although Sayman has been toying with the idea for several years, he said he had to wait until the so-called “large language models” responsible for approximating human conversation were advanced enough for the task.","_key":"0c8de8d2bb4b0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2017a754e0f9"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Mixed reviews","_key":"15fd8e5d8db20"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"445af5b65cc0"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As you might imagine, a social media platform packed with bots isn’t for everyone. Some early critics insist SocialAI isn’t actually social media at all, since there's only one human involved in any of the communication. But Sayman seems to be making a much deeper point with this project.","_key":"1c6d7262263e0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"647d96ae43bb"},{"style":"normal","_key":"55e4fe66ff11","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"bb073fe9895a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The platform resembles popular existing platforms precisely because humans are already comfortable with them, he said, adding: “It’s not social for the sake of the social network, but social "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"for the sake of social interface","_key":"ffe4f5a182d0"},{"marks":[],"text":".”","_key":"62183da012c9","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some of the bots’ responses still fall short of human-level interactions, but SocialAI could represent the future of both AI and social media.","_key":"06cec31e343f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2092c1008d6c"}],"id":"LlgyXnWZ","slug":"/story/2024/09/does-this-new-social-media-app-provide-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-ai","_createdAt":"2024-09-29T21:10:25Z","visibility":"true","title":"Does This New Social Media App Provide A Glimpse Into The Future Of AI?","summary":"It might look familiar, but looks can be deceiving. ","publishDate":"2024-09-30"},{"body":[{"_key":"df479d004c08","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Since the dawn of the internet era, we’ve generally heard that bots are a bad thing online. Didn’t we select all the boxes that contain traffic lights and bicycles to prove that we’re not one of those evil bots?","_key":"89d6f331966f0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.axios.com/2024/09/22/social-media-ai-bot-app-x","_key":"b9bd6255e3f5","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_key":"483c323cffd90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That seems to be "},{"text":"changing","_key":"483c323cffd91","_type":"span","marks":["b9bd6255e3f5"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the era of AI. Now, it appears that bots have become this generation’s version of a pet rock or a troll doll.","_key":"483c323cffd92"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"deda685cbe80"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"Redefining “social”","_key":"93c1251fe6ca0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c065660bdf67"},{"children":[{"text":"You don’t have to scroll through Facebook, TikTok, or any other social media platform too long before you spot some type of clearly AI-generated content. In many cases, this tactic is used (often poorly) in hopes that viewers will believe it was","_key":"4e7f4cb3fa860","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" created by and depicts actual humans","_key":"52c062588a82"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"989dcd4f8694"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fe664f44bd2b","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But what if you knew up front that you’d only be interacting with bots? Well, according to one new platform, there’s a compelling reason to join such a network.","_key":"f616599c25720"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"be3882466e87"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Michael Sayman created SocialAI, which he is portraying as a welcome change of pace in a social media realm sullied by ","_key":"8b8a90f8ae820"},{"_key":"a40355a17af3","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"offensive or threatening content"},{"_key":"34ad92bf5a61","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" posted by humans. His answer is a platform that allows users to select a group of bots based on various characteristics and then engage with them."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"00531fe203c0"},{"_key":"41d1226de0d9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Facing the critics","_key":"962987a263e20","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While the platform’s chatbots will, at least in theory, provide an escape from social media toxicity, there’s ","_key":"0e699739afa30"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"certainly no consensus ","_key":"91b86f6c8f4a"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"that SocialAI is an appropriate replacement for human interaction.","_key":"ac24a423dcf3"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f1a71a30788c","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One common concern is that users will only select an audience that reflects their opinions — but Sayman doesn’t think such a response is likely.","_key":"39fdbd239f6b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a286f868a109"},{"style":"normal","_key":"68418415a600","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Most people don’t select fans or bots that just please them,” he argued. “They’re actually selecting ","_key":"e37369c8388e0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"the debater, the contrarian, the realist","_key":"3a2de251d36d","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". They’re trying to find challenges to their views.”","_key":"36f6165f87f0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8b62f0cedd37","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"He describes the experience as similar to writing in a diary, but with instant feedback.","_key":"e716f0a22c870"}]}],"title":"The Latest Social Media Trend Blurs The Line Between Human And Bot","summary":"What sort of AI audience would you assemble? ","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story","publishDate":"2024-09-23","_id":"ad52db06-aab9-4dad-a608-0e81d25eca85","image":{"hotspot":{"width":0.9760273972602739,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"uploadId":"KAD5unGRO3fCsgY32gaXJgoWY7KrXkpj","_rev":"ZoRHfwCSPcq7r2PJTjfn0P","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/2a7cd747790e0f03decfa47a5687389c959a5ee4-480x270.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/2a7cd747790e0f03decfa47a5687389c959a5ee4-480x270.gif","_id":"image-2a7cd747790e0f03decfa47a5687389c959a5ee4-480x270-gif","extension":"gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_createdAt":"2024-09-22T19:14:40Z","_updatedAt":"2024-09-22T19:14:40Z","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"2a7cd747790e0f03decfa47a5687389c959a5ee4","size":1793185,"assetId":"2a7cd747790e0f03decfa47a5687389c959a5ee4","originalFilename":"bedc7f44-c18f-4b03-a353-9ff4332d99a4.gif","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":7.65,"background":"#d3b49e"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#0e0404","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.3},"lightMuted":{"population":0.29,"background":"#b2b6b5","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.06,"background":"#8d6443","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":7.65,"background":"#d3b49e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.08,"background":"#42362d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.71,"background":"#9f775b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions"},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MAD04DtmF}?G~W.8xu%MRQtSkrxaeSNbE1"},"source":{"url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/AlaynaJoy-reaction-missfenderr-alaynajoy-RVdhNa2QDGXjW9GVlB","name":"Nervous Gay GIF by Alayna Joy","id":"RVdhNa2QDGXjW9GVlB"}},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0}},"category":"social","id":"hECavbKW","_rev":"KRL8xHMQVCjHlmhLWfRaLl","slug":"/story/2024/09/the-latest-social-media-trend-blurs-the-line-between-human-and-bot","_updatedAt":"2024-09-22T19:15:50Z","_createdAt":"2024-09-22T19:15:50Z"},{"_rev":"7z9DTPJiA0Lofgig0LOoxJ","visibility":"true","slug":"/story/2024/08/flipboard-continues-its-embrace-of-the-fediverse-what-it-means-for-users","image":{"asset":{"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/2e221f5d453135df85d53683334465d743ca2c04-482x271.gif","_createdAt":"2024-08-13T18:51:50Z","_updatedAt":"2024-08-13T18:51:50Z","originalFilename":"ae5acc11-6c21-42b5-92b2-912080a0c979.gif","extension":"gif","uploadId":"w24mrdkZONEy8apeGRxo3M2TDzUsLEGQ","_rev":"F5jYzHAFGd6lZaDW46pzlg","assetId":"2e221f5d453135df85d53683334465d743ca2c04","_id":"image-2e221f5d453135df85d53683334465d743ca2c04-482x271-gif","mimeType":"image/gif","source":{"name":"ipad tablet GIF by PRI","id":"l41lOllcp3qWkoQgg","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/pri-ipad-flipboard-global-nation-l41lOllcp3qWkoQgg"},"size":5926973,"metadata":{"blurHash":"M9G*pA2y@XMbG0%1~8-;-:9b00IoKm9$D%","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"background":"#d4c4a1","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.08},"vibrant":{"background":"#b4843c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.83},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.83,"background":"#b4843c"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.07,"background":"#3e2b23","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"background":"#967450","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.45},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.15,"background":"#d4b894"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.21,"background":"#563729","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":482,"aspectRatio":1.7785977859778597,"height":271},"isOpaque":true},"sha1hash":"2e221f5d453135df85d53683334465d743ca2c04","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/2e221f5d453135df85d53683334465d743ca2c04-482x271.gif"},"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0},"hotspot":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":0.9878178233837134,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9178082191780823},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy"},"_updatedAt":"2024-08-13T18:54:29Z","_id":"83b2b86d-6c50-46f3-a6da-c2422f1cdb76","summary":"Communicating across various social media platforms is getting easier.","id":"xCXVKmhV","_createdAt":"2024-08-13T18:54:29Z","_type":"story","title":"Flipboard Continues Its Embrace Of The Fediverse … What It Means For Users","publishDate":"2024-08-14","body":[{"_key":"aa8a64f5cb4c","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/13/flipboard-users-can-now-follow-anyone-in-the-fediverse-including-those-on-threads/","_key":"0d0e69b8620f"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Chances are you’ve at least heard of the online social magazine Flipboard even if you’ve never actually used it. In addition to ","_key":"36b08a7559bd0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["0d0e69b8620f"],"text":"allowing","_key":"36b08a7559bd1"},{"text":" users to browse through various stories curated by others with similar interests, Flipboard is moving closer toward establishing itself as a way to keep people connected across various platforms.","_key":"36b08a7559bd2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"45fdb9cfbef9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Welcome to the fediverse","_key":"d6a8df0aec160"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A number of so-called “federated accounts,” most notably the X rival Mastodon, are ","_key":"5d9bdabdc8be0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"part of a larger network","_key":"63fdfee057cb"},{"text":" commonly referred to as the fediverse.","_key":"805c14823ae5","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6415c148a105"},{"style":"normal","_key":"29c95e39e4dc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"05153e8ad9e80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In simple terms, this means that all of the social media platforms operating under its umbrella are able to communicate with one another regardless of which site they happen to be using at the time."}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9d9d49a909f3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"5d6836b4ff480","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you were to think of the platforms themselves as islands, the fediverse provides"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" bridges that connect them all","_key":"db8d21fc9594"},{"marks":[],"text":". And Flipboard wants to be a central component in that system.","_key":"b6f6ba031288","_type":"span"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"0329ca3676fa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"cae3b64e4f7e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The site initially wanted to team up with X, but rules in place on that platform presented some major hurdles that Flipboard couldn’t (or didn’t want to) clear. Instead, it initiated a Mastodon integration, thus sparking its foray into the fediverse."}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Threads is on board","_key":"bfe117509c7d0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0f2584b082d9"},{"style":"normal","_key":"3e97ca35fe7e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There’s another X rival to consider in the examination of Flipboard’s ongoing evolution. Threads, launched as a subset of Instagram to directly challenge the Elon Musk-owned platform, is now among the platforms users can interact with","_key":"46321e78dd8e0"},{"text":" directly from the Flipbook app","_key":"43d852fa255e","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"3642ab95e350"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Since Threads is operated by ActivityPub, the same protocol behind other fediverse platforms, it can seamlessly integrate with other sites. And Flipboard’s decision to enthusiastically embrace the decentralized revolution means the two sites stand to expand their respective audiences.","_key":"6c3a2c942e0a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b89880160db3"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The latest news is just the latest in","_key":"424c3de919610"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a long line of changes ","_key":"74b76fe2489f"},{"text":"to the fediverse. Among the other recent additions are WordPress blogs and the newsletter platform Ghost.","_key":"aa03d8782c07","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4beffa5a2954"}],"category":"social","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"}},{"category":"social","_rev":"nGVGpqymM9rmqMoU48zPbu","_id":"3fb682af-ee7d-4b46-854c-fbb306f2eca9","slug":"/story/2024/08/if-you-take-your-time-making-decisions-heres-what-it-says-about-your-personality","summary":"It might be more of a strength than a weakness.","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"id":"R7dOL7GN","_updatedAt":"2024-08-09T19:53:02Z","title":"If You Take Your Time Making Decisions, Here’s What It Says About Your Personality","_createdAt":"2024-08-09T19:50:02Z","image":{"hotspot":{"height":0.9264705882352942,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":1,"x":0.5,"y":0.5367647058823529},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"uploadId":"2THvkozHV5iNNLeqp6kl8lvpRXNWXhuD","assetId":"ec55f4736b11c973f0b28d776e419a69cde9aeae","originalFilename":"1464de19-168a-4b1a-9abd-d26afa852141.gif","metadata":{"palette":{"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.82,"background":"#8095b1","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.49,"background":"#fcac94","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":2.04,"background":"#0761b7","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.36,"background":"#c8a190","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"background":"#e99933","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":9.13},"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":9.13,"background":"#e99933","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.81,"background":"#2e6754"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"height":360},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VkG]O8}QNGEeRoGaJDNxR:WAK5ShwIs,f,r;oJays+xZ","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"mimeType":"image/gif","size":1449956,"_updatedAt":"2024-08-09T19:51:08Z","_rev":"RcCT8XZju8wI4eknQsOa8l","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","source":{"name":"Cant Decide Season 2 GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants","id":"l3nF7ztPTM6zvs2bu","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/spongebob-season-2-spongebob-squarepants-l3nF7ztPTM6zvs2bu"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/ec55f4736b11c973f0b28d776e419a69cde9aeae-480x360.gif","_id":"image-ec55f4736b11c973f0b28d776e419a69cde9aeae-480x360-gif","extension":"gif","sha1hash":"ec55f4736b11c973f0b28d776e419a69cde9aeae","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/ec55f4736b11c973f0b28d776e419a69cde9aeae-480x360.gif","_createdAt":"2024-08-09T19:51:08Z"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"}},"_type":"story","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-08-10","body":[{"_key":"1438b429076b","markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.sciencealert.com/youre-not-indecisive-youre-unbiased-science-says-so","_key":"37d065240f6b","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We all have inherent biases about a wide range of topics, but some of us are clearly more biased than others. And scientists say there’s one pretty ","_key":"48e0dc6bfcbc0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["37d065240f6b"],"text":"reliable","_key":"48e0dc6bfcbc1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" way to determine where you are on that scale.","_key":"48e0dc6bfcbc2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Think about it","_key":"4dcdfa61e7530"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"97ed2ad16c5b"},{"style":"normal","_key":"7e684998c7d9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"f7721a23c9460","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The results of a recent study established a clear link between rapid decision-making and strong biases. According to University of Utah researchers, such individuals often quickly choose"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" an option that aligns with their worldview","_key":"1e0bd88fcd2a","_type":"span"},{"marks":[],"text":" even if they’ve been provided with evidence that would ordinarily dissuade them from such a decision.","_key":"7dac207b45e3","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"c60760d8d101","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In contrast, if you often struggle with choosing one option over another, you’re probably less influenced by biases than the average person.","_key":"e8c7ed3c62d50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“We show that in groups of agents","_key":"7353683fbc0f0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" who only differ in their initial biases","_key":"29ce373386f5"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", early decisions are made by agents with the most extreme predispositions,” the researchers wrote. “On the other hand, late decisions do not depend on the initial bias and are more likely to be correct.”","_key":"642cda0cb365"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"daa62c4ec0e2"},{"style":"normal","_key":"12deb2ece865","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"769a9c4b4d230","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Strength or weakness?"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Indecisiveness has long been described as a personality flaw, but this research seems to suggest that those who struggle with decisions are actually providing a template worth replicating.","_key":"b5abd9b61e790"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d7c5425fb386"},{"children":[{"text":"It’s worth noting that the underlying study was conducted ","_key":"b426bc6beb490","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"from a mathematical, not a psychological, standpoint","_key":"0e5b76b04652"},{"text":". But that doesn’t negate the possible implications therein. Carrying preconceived assumptions about any topic can cloud our judgment and lead to all sorts of negative consequences.","_key":"36f750f91d91","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9b1305a45309","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"cf157ecc4a68","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“Our decisions are often influenced by information we obtained previously and predilections we develop,” the report determined. “We have shown that","_key":"f9133e03b3480","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" these internal biases determine early decisions","_key":"5df490e0e3b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and have diminishing influence on later decisions.”","_key":"ebbf2ee47975"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"37e910fca9c70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So when you face your next decision, consider stepping back and taking a broader look at all the evidence available instead of instinctively going with the choice that supports your own bias."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6cd7ddb89b05"}]},{"image":{"attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"size":1031875,"_createdAt":"2024-07-30T20:06:10Z","_rev":"6GzFPQhhvK4puPB5qlLwIG","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","source":{"name":"Kelly Clarkson Blush GIF by Reba McEntire","id":"Y4iGIROBaWs2EirGKC","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/reba-kelly-clarkson-reba-mcentire-because-of-you-Y4iGIROBaWs2EirGKC"},"assetId":"2801d1cc4595e172961faf328eb91d1c3ab9cfa7","uploadId":"6oEcUXM1dH9tHvsgeNMJGXe8oHuA4OGP","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"2801d1cc4595e172961faf328eb91d1c3ab9cfa7","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/2801d1cc4595e172961faf328eb91d1c3ab9cfa7-480x270.gif","_id":"image-2801d1cc4595e172961faf328eb91d1c3ab9cfa7-480x270-gif","_updatedAt":"2024-07-30T20:06:10Z","extension":"gif","metadata":{"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MRF58D02t7~B0LVsxuR*nhkXM|ozj[NGtQ","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.9,"background":"#a0825a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":3.4,"background":"#f2a578"},"darkVibrant":{"population":0.07,"background":"#54250e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.01,"background":"#dcd4c9"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.38,"background":"#c2754b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"population":9.87,"background":"#583032","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":9.87,"background":"#583032","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"}}},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/2801d1cc4595e172961faf328eb91d1c3ab9cfa7-480x270.gif","originalFilename":"9aec59fd-3363-43f5-9899-9d14bd8baaa9.gif"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9246575342465754,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1},"_type":"image"},"_id":"fe19ad5c-d1cd-4c7d-be75-10db99d78cee","_updatedAt":"2024-07-30T20:07:44Z","visibility":"true","body":[{"children":[{"_key":"74d01b46439b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Cosmetic habits are always evolving, from the bright red lipstick of generations ago to the more recent trend of bold eyebrow styling."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4ef0336a1963","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"These days, there’s a brewing ","_key":"2df727d99ee40"},{"_type":"span","marks":["29948756b14c"],"text":"debate","_key":"2df727d99ee41"},{"marks":[],"text":" over the use (or overuse) of another makeup staple: blush.","_key":"2df727d99ee42","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8babc69a7249","markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.vox.com/culture/363561/sabrina-carpenter-blush-blindness-everyones-wearing-blush","_key":"29948756b14c","_type":"link"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Social media analysis","_key":"c3916f84cbc00"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0a6c9e0ef868"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As with almost any topic of interest to a wide audience, individuals far and wide are turning to social media platforms — TikTok in particular — to find out if they are suffering from a condition known as “blush blindness.”","_key":"0d783145edb50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"058ccb74340c"},{"_key":"5cb89e9a1dde","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"31418901bf2b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Simply put, this refers to anyone who might be "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"unintentionally wearing too much","_key":"521ac2e7d20f"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". And there have been some clear retail trends in recent years that reveal why this is becoming such a big issue.","_key":"91495daf378c"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In just the past year, blush sales have","_key":"96ae1d87b0360"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" ballooned by 36% nationwide","_key":"8c0176c6d375"},{"marks":[],"text":" to reach a whopping $462 million. And unlike in generations past, it’s younger women who are primarily wearing it.","_key":"51e264c5e762","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"237f16fcfc0e"},{"_key":"a656f18ce0e7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"There’s a growing selection of ","_key":"c6450ddac4870","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"unique styles and colors","_key":"87f7e4028393"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" aimed at appealing to Generation Z specifically, and now some of those consumers are starting to wonder if they’ve become immune to the impact it’s having on their appearance.","_key":"002e2b4c143c"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"Embracing “maximalism”","_key":"78479aa38dfd0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"38ca6a9dc99d"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"343c9845f2a0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Prior to the pandemic, there was a prevailing makeup trend that emphasized contouring over bright and bold colors. But when lockdowns allowed people to ","_key":"95b9fec1ddfe0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"experiment with their looks","_key":"0021af895cc5"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and share the results online, a concept known as maximalism started to gain popularity.","_key":"e5f8f497e18e"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"778462419f96","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Pretty soon, blush became a go-to product for young women in particular, and celebrities began to tout their favorites or even launch their own brands to an eager social media audience. It began showing up not only on cheeks, but","_key":"ecdea7219df00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" also foreheads and cheeks","_key":"31f6946a7e58"},{"marks":[],"text":", creating a new era of self-expression.","_key":"475c094a53d7","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While some might now be wondering if they’ve gone too far, sales figures seem to suggest this blush-heavy style isn’t going away anytime soon.","_key":"11bb40ad59bd0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"21b2ce90444b"}],"_rev":"ogdls5Hkozc4q8Hci87BEF","id":"3B0JaQ5x","_type":"story","slug":"/story/2024/07/what-is-blush-blindness-lets-explore-the-new-tiktok-diagnosis","category":"social","summary":"It's a popular Gen Z makeup trend ... but has it gone too far?","title":"What Is “Blush Blindness”? Let’s Explore The New TikTok Diagnosis.","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_createdAt":"2024-07-30T20:07:44Z","publishDate":"2024-07-31"},{"summary":"Studies show that there's a way you can keep your cool when it matters most. ","title":"Under Pressure: Why We Often Choke During Stressful Situations","image":{"asset":{"assetId":"dce71f8aab30c555af94b160428fd1d15a719dd4","_createdAt":"2024-07-19T20:08:14Z","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"dce71f8aab30c555af94b160428fd1d15a719dd4","extension":"gif","source":{"name":"pressure GIF","id":"CU20QSKW13x9m","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/CU20QSKW13x9m"},"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/dce71f8aab30c555af94b160428fd1d15a719dd4-480x416.gif","_updatedAt":"2024-07-19T20:08:14Z","_rev":"HQ6begsePzQYMsb0tXy7lr","mimeType":"image/gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/dce71f8aab30c555af94b160428fd1d15a719dd4-480x416.gif","size":4958196,"_id":"image-dce71f8aab30c555af94b160428fd1d15a719dd4-480x416-gif","originalFilename":"7e5f1c34-1583-4045-b07c-25dbbc9df79a.gif","metadata":{"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.1538461538461537,"height":416},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"eED,4gaeMx_N-;~q%MIo_4.8D%xu%MRiof4nR*-;9EIT9ERjt7IURj","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkMuted":{"background":"#21233c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.13},"muted":{"background":"#7c7f8f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.42},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#000","population":8.71,"background":"#eaebf6","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":2.31,"background":"#0c0f1c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.39,"background":"#abb4c9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"vibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#4c5fb2","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"dominant":{"population":8.71,"background":"#eaebf6","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette"}},"uploadId":"rIvIhjxRCRkmx3svboaaMCryxDSAd3sx"},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":1,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":0.9559039686428222},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy"},"publishDate":"2024-07-20","_createdAt":"2024-07-19T20:06:14Z","id":"oxupCqCc","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Have you ever wondered why it can be so easy to overthink and underperform during stressful situations? Experts say there’s a pretty ","_key":"edee3fd65e430"},{"_type":"span","marks":["6efb13e10c42"],"text":"universal","_key":"edee3fd65e431"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" explanation.","_key":"edee3fd65e432"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2b0869ff194d","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2024/07/19/g-s1-11434/why-we-choke-under-pressure-according-to-a-cognitive-scientist","_key":"6efb13e10c42"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"f5cae4d706d6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Internal pressure","_key":"b85ddcf6adef0"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As Dartmouth College president (and cognitive scientist) Sian Beilock explained, the concept of “choking” amounts to “performing ","_key":"ed574e355cc40"},{"_key":"9a02692a84c7","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"worse than you expected "},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"because of the situation and its consequences.”","_key":"c3abc3501ab9"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"47059291e257","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While still a graduate student, Beilock was among the researchers who found that golfers performed progressively worse as they paid more attention to their movements rather than allowing themselves to essentially “run on autopilot.”","_key":"37beb1ad630d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"be5518028947","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"77e7fe235bdc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"She also helped lead a more recent study focused on soccer players whose errors increased when they were instructed to monitor which side of their foot made contact with the ball.","_key":"4f1f6ca83a0a0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Overcoming nature","_key":"f800f805b3400"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"19136060847c","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"36a4d6c0c1e0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It is all too common to become hyper-focused on details during high-pressure situations, but those who are able to overcome this instinct find themselves capable of performing much more effectively.","_key":"29630876392d0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"5caf98b796ef","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“A lot of it comes down to the prefrontal cortex, the front part of our brain that sits over our eyes and usually helps us focus in positive ways,” Beilock said. “It often gets hooked on the wrong things. … The end result is that we actually screw up.”","_key":"a602abc3e13c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"She recommended","_key":"1c8edaeeebbb0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a few simple steps","_key":"d7a8f105c8fa"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to help your brain focus on the right thing, including.","_key":"3490a3a98013"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"828b536cddfb"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cfc8f2060546","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"First, if you anticipate a stressful situation — like delivering a speech, for example — you should practice in a way that will help you conquer your nervousness.","_key":"1ea44dd403300","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_key":"117b68d0ecce","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Even practicing in front of a mirror, it increases self-consciousness so you’re ready to go when you’re on the big stage or it’s that big day,” Beilock explained.","_key":"5147dd01445f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"She also encourages people to select a phrase (or even song lyrics) they can ","_key":"85231a8396f50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"repeat to themselves ","_key":"2ee271803afd"},{"text":"that will help keep their minds from fixating on the situation at hand.","_key":"61998b683034","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"347e25b857f1"}],"_id":"e36d4387-5405-470b-9c6c-f58408089cba","slug":"/story/2024/07/under-pressure-why-we-often-choke-during-stressful-situations","category":"social","visibility":"true","_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2024-07-19T20:09:09Z","_rev":"HQ6begsePzQYMsb0tXy9yE"},{"image":{"attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/e4e7c41053b0962e7bf5f21871549116bd26dc6f-300x169.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/e4e7c41053b0962e7bf5f21871549116bd26dc6f-300x169.gif","size":781886,"_updatedAt":"2024-07-02T20:59:53Z","originalFilename":"44278c42-b0c3-4ba1-808b-ea202466cf2f.gif","extension":"gif","sha1hash":"e4e7c41053b0962e7bf5f21871549116bd26dc6f","source":{"name":"Shocked Jerry Seinfeld GIF","id":"BMBMMfVxZ2lOM","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/shocked-bill-check-BMBMMfVxZ2lOM"},"_id":"image-e4e7c41053b0962e7bf5f21871549116bd26dc6f-300x169-gif","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":300,"aspectRatio":1.7751479289940828,"height":169},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M7FhCj0z0L0100IT}@-oJ*Or%zR5t7JBRP","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.45,"background":"#3d3129","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":14.57,"background":"#9c715f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"population":3,"background":"#dbc4ac","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.79,"background":"#650810"},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.43,"background":"#cdb3a6"},"vibrant":{"background":"#c07038","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":14.57,"background":"#9c715f"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette"},"hasAlpha":true},"_rev":"tpoEXXEq6aeci0dTPZ0ns6","mimeType":"image/gif","_createdAt":"2024-07-02T20:59:53Z","uploadId":"ijAkErUGGZLGm3H4lxJUjl7KxGfvxZl8","assetId":"e4e7c41053b0962e7bf5f21871549116bd26dc6f","_type":"sanity.imageAsset"},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0},"hotspot":{"width":0.9109589041095889,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"},"_type":"image"},"_createdAt":"2024-07-02T21:00:36Z","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-07-03","category":"social","_updatedAt":"2024-07-02T21:00:36Z","summary":"Even the best meal can turn sour when the bill arrives.","id":"KHl3F1UN","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_key":"94edc68c7881","_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2024/07/02/g-s1-7053/the-etiquette-of-splitting-the-check"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Meeting a group of friends or colleagues for dinner at a restaurant can be a great way to catch up over a nice meal. But there’s always the possibility of ","_key":"aa9b81866c2f0","_type":"span"},{"marks":["94edc68c7881"],"text":"confusion","_key":"aa9b81866c2f1","_type":"span"},{"_key":"aa9b81866c2f2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and even resentment when the server brings the bill."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5692066ab2e7"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In some cases, an even split provides a simple solution. But in a few common scenarios,","_key":"3a0ee27ce87e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a little more planning","_key":"7112246d3f41"},{"marks":[],"text":" can prevent hurt feelings.","_key":"8f7fcdc33633","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f2f3576b3d3b"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Late to the party","_key":"abfbc651b1560"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": If the rest of the group has already arrived and drinks or appetizers are on the table when you get there, food editor Kiki Aaranita recommends simply asking the server to start a separate check for you. It’s easier for staff and clears up any confusion about who owes for what.","_key":"264716ee41be"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"96069ae8b6cf","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"017f6c0b4170","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Not getting tipsy","_key":"bf13c8398aa40"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": You might find yourself in a situation where all your dinner companions have ordered from the bar but you’re sipping on water or iced tea. This can make for a lopsided split bill, but Aranita says resolving it is usually as simple as reminding others that you didn’t drink and chipping in a smaller portion of the bill.","_key":"b4f34f1ed24a"}]},{"_key":"f2ef9e408d95","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"198606acd4b30","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Celebration time"},{"marks":[],"text":": If you’re going out for your birthday, you might assume that your friends will be paying for you. But it’s all in the details, according to Aranita. If they invited you out and picked the location, it might be a safe assumption — but if the plans were all yours, you should at least offer to pay.","_key":"1ee09063ca15","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"There are several other complexities that come with dining out in a group, but as a general rule simplicity is usually the best policy. For example, instead of requesting a separate check for everyone in a party of six, Aranita recommends ","_key":"53dd4402f3ac0","_type":"span"},{"_key":"e8abe3e485c4","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“just put down two credit cards”"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and allow everyone else to send the amount they owe via Venmo.","_key":"d2471a26a4b6"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cb74833f59cf"}],"_id":"23e75b54-1be3-423a-87db-2fc763a93fd7","_type":"story","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"_rev":"chQWOmp2AIkRT8OQXTt9TM","title":"Split The Check Like A Pro With These Dinner Party Tips","slug":"/story/2024/07/split-the-check-like-a-pro-with-these-dinner-party-tips"},{"body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a breakup, whether in a platonic or romantic relationship, in which the other person simply stops communicating, it was probably a very hurtful and demoralizing experience.","_key":"545a7a35e14c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"aa71f6c11b82","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-reveals-a-surprising-fact-about-ghosting/","_key":"82f33b3488de"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The practice commonly referred to as “","_key":"4e1f8823c3bc0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["82f33b3488de"],"text":"ghosting","_key":"4e1f8823c3bc1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” is nothing new, but a series of recent experiments might shed some new light on the complex motives for those who do it.","_key":"4e1f8823c3bc2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"85c8f891ffaa"},{"style":"normal","_key":"f7502d339265","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"Overwhelming evidence","_key":"c308159737ae0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"6b7db51fad15","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Journal of Experimental Psychology recently published the results of eight experiments, each designed to get to the root of why so many people believe ghosting is","_key":"00b143f052fc0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" an appropriate way to end a relationship","_key":"0e642d80ffe2"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"a2ab1a6cd6e2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It might be easy to dismiss ghosters as self-obsessed or callous, but it’s not that simple.","_key":"d90ecba1794c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"76904125239f","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In fact, a large number of them apparently believe that going silent is in the best interest of the person being ghosted. And the","_key":"bd4761ee776b0"},{"text":" unprecedented societal disruption","_key":"c291cbe711b4","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that came with the pandemic only complicated how we all maintain relationships, thus corresponding with a spike in ghosting.","_key":"8101dcf56e99"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0c67b58f474c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hundreds of subjects — including those who admitted ghosting someone else and those who have been ghosted — participated in these experiments, and the conclusion was that there’s more compassion involved than it might appear.","_key":"c060743a9f6a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1d3c9da55970"},{"style":"normal","_key":"3765627f1a91","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“Ghosters are not malevolent”","_key":"94a00c1c12aa0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d22831ff7974","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One experiment in particular threw study author YeJin Park for a loop. Self-described ghosters were offered a financial incentive to repeat that behavior but most chose to pay a fee in order to provide some sense of closure.","_key":"4275b20acd4f0"}]},{"_key":"c74f1776c8a0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Park explained that the evidence “highlights just how ghosters are not malevolent — they are like most humans who harbor both","_key":"1f0c5b9b417b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" other and self-oriented motives","_key":"3b86c1d976ce"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for engaging in behaviors.”","_key":"6832983f07ce"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"8722dc8f8f10","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Psychologist Adam Grant analyzed the results and found that ghosting is “often a misguided effort to avoid hurting someone,” even though it often has the opposite effect.","_key":"f2e33a393a0c0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"15066f875d37","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Silence","_key":"0b838aad3f340"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" leaves an open wound","_key":"4a2907f92abe"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” he concluded.","_key":"06c72cb384f1"}]}],"visibility":"true","_id":"01b77d14-72b6-47fa-bfff-32ce65af54d4","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2024-07-01T21:27:09Z","publishDate":"2024-07-02","title":"Psychologists Say ‘Ghosting’ Often Isn’t As Heartless As It Seems","summary":"A series of experiments sought to find out why so many people to go silent.","image":{"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0},"hotspot":{"width":0.9349315068493148,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":0.9817351598173516,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_updatedAt":"2024-07-01T21:25:59Z","originalFilename":"ae5869a4-ed86-4ec0-8ca7-f822d6372af8.gif","_rev":"chQWOmp2AIkRT8OQXS3PPE","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/d1ff54d4024c22a2193c1e0cbf26e5a25eec1511-480x270.gif","_createdAt":"2024-07-01T21:25:59Z","uploadId":"9aq72aZzjjHOJ8O9Uva0wLIWXIiH67At","sha1hash":"d1ff54d4024c22a2193c1e0cbf26e5a25eec1511","source":{"name":"Relationship Love GIF by WE tv","id":"1AIAJLrWdJtkUQY0fu","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/wetv-we-tv-love-after-lockup-loveafterlockup-1AIAJLrWdJtkUQY0fu"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/d1ff54d4024c22a2193c1e0cbf26e5a25eec1511-480x270.gif","extension":"gif","size":598551,"assetId":"d1ff54d4024c22a2193c1e0cbf26e5a25eec1511","_id":"image-d1ff54d4024c22a2193c1e0cbf26e5a25eec1511-480x270-gif","metadata":{"blurHash":"M783w@x]5,t7}?E1Iow^NGoJXTxus:t6Nb","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"muted":{"background":"#a96855","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.18},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#dd8475"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.1,"background":"#611814","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#c5b1b4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.02},"vibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.68,"background":"#c67b61","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"dominant":{"population":10.62,"background":"#41312b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":10.62,"background":"#41312b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true}}},"id":"c7LgVQRP","category":"social","slug":"/story/2024/07/psychologists-say-ghosting-often-isnt-as-heartless-as-it-seems","_rev":"UbaWB606a3qLMH45vPlUHr","_createdAt":"2024-07-01T21:27:09Z"},{"visibility":"true","image":{"hotspot":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":0.882448979591837,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":1},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/fc95567c892949cf2d7b6add6dc9beda2be4a1dd-480x400.gif","assetId":"fc95567c892949cf2d7b6add6dc9beda2be4a1dd","_createdAt":"2024-06-25T22:55:08Z","_updatedAt":"2024-06-25T22:55:08Z","_id":"image-fc95567c892949cf2d7b6add6dc9beda2be4a1dd-480x400-gif","originalFilename":"5857bd5f-5e95-4af4-a929-6ecba7926baf.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/fc95567c892949cf2d7b6add6dc9beda2be4a1dd-480x400.gif","extension":"gif","_rev":"4bY4K86XYSOSCQz2RCqUVm","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","source":{"name":"Sad Season 2 GIF by Friends","id":"RIAOV7vXdehyGB6tIg","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/Friends-season-2-friends-tv-the-one-where-eddie-moves-in-RIAOV7vXdehyGB6tIg"},"metadata":{"dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.2,"height":400},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"e8BfO#$%0e^,^+~WxGRjtSxaIoay-;t7IU-UbIxa%1R*J7R*M{s.XS","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"population":4.87,"background":"#c3a3a5","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"background":"#bf3f3f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"dominant":{"population":7.86,"background":"#4b332a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":7.86,"background":"#4b332a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"population":1.37,"background":"#9f716c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#dd9b9b"},"darkVibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#541c1c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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"},"uploadId":"r5ibTYb0NB2mf9mWcTjXgDfk4yqrVneY","sha1hash":"fc95567c892949cf2d7b6add6dc9beda2be4a1dd","size":2960989},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0}},"_createdAt":"2024-06-25T22:56:23Z","slug":"/story/2024/06/experts-say-chronic-loneliness-increases-stroke-risk-for-older-adults","_id":"c35f46c8-2ca1-49d2-a1ed-4a31cd8315a2","category":"social","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_rev":"8frCD9PE4At6CbzYtIeE8c","summary":"The physical impact seems to be unrelated to the emotional toll.","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"ff3ef70e972e","markDefs":[{"_key":"88eb0fcffc2a","_type":"link","href":"https://abcnews.go.com/Health/long-term-loneliness-higher-risk-stroke-study/story?id=111362040"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There’s little doubt that the proliferation of social media, pandemic lockdowns, and other societal factors have resulted in alarming levels of loneliness among people in all age groups. And while this can take a serious toll on the mental health of folks in every generation, the physical effects can be particularly ","_key":"2fe2aa817f260"},{"_type":"span","marks":["88eb0fcffc2a"],"text":"dire","_key":"2fe2aa817f261"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for older individuals.","_key":"2fe2aa817f262"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"f1cf60d72c08","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What the research reveals","_key":"cee1994c79d00"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"34e8f2556c80","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"7976d77a2d1d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A group of medical experts conducted a clinical study focusing on the health risks associated with loneliness and found a troubling link to elevated stroke risks among those who have reached at least middle age."}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Notably, the report determined that the apparent correlation had nothing to do with whether a person","_key":"6e8a181239e70"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" exhibited signs of depression","_key":"ef54e49158e2"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" or any other health issues.","_key":"573273d8bca0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b5adc46b9ef3"},{"children":[{"text":"According to the data, those most at risk reported prolonged periods of loneliness. In fact, study participants who indicated that they felt lonely for only a limited time didn’t show a higher likelihood of stroke than those who reported no loneliness.","_key":"644c99e68a580","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"baa048e975fa","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"b0123278f1ba","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"3d51ba7002420","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"After tracking 9,000 adults over the age of 50 who had never had a stroke, however, the researchers found that individuals experiencing chronic loneliness were "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"56% more likely","_key":"8ed1637f657f"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to have a stroke.","_key":"0652ba6d584f"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"37d6a3a41e23","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Taking the issue seriously","_key":"c2e97ada967f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"d08a6f9c305f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"8dd07591cb9f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Yenee Soh of Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, was a lead author of the report and said the team’s findings only add to the existing evidence that loneliness should be “"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"considered a major public health issue","_key":"233e61e60bfb","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".”","_key":"36cacfb1e1bc"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"cfdbc34b5697","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Brigham Young University psychology professor Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who didn’t work on this study, nevertheless agreed with Soh’s conclusion.","_key":"5e5fe2255c2d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"756ef5c1967e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“These study findings are","_key":"19cfc7e9ffa20","_type":"span"},{"_key":"ff9a8d5e22ff","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" consistent with other research"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that has shown that loneliness has been linked to [poorer] health,” she said. “It’s also consistent with other research that shows that the detrimental effects seem to be most associated when it is persistent or chronic over time.”","_key":"900e52c77881"}],"_type":"block"}],"id":"7sq9YrxT","_type":"story","publishDate":"2024-06-26","title":"Experts Say Chronic Loneliness Increases Stroke Risk For Older Adults","_updatedAt":"2024-06-25T22:56:23Z"},{"slug":"/story/2024/06/lets-explore-the-ways-ai-is-poised-to-fundamentally-change-social-media","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"publishDate":"2024-06-19","category":"social","_type":"story","_id":"0bc1bb36-d6ff-4fa0-bc4c-c6b794901bb0","summary":"Two of the biggest tech advancements of all time are on a collision course.","_createdAt":"2024-06-18T22:39:18Z","_rev":"aD44fTaUxHN3hxCdsqy4nO","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"ecc152d65262","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One of the most significant technological advancements of our lifetime has been the proliferation of social media. For better or worse, platforms like Facebook and TikTok have allowed people to connect and engage with each other on a scale never before seen in history.","_key":"94c0acec3a920"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But now there’s another tech ","_key":"f2e4e07f708c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["2891d3ed7765"],"text":"revolution","_key":"f2e4e07f708c1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that could dwarf the impact of social media — and experts say the two are currently on a collision course.","_key":"f2e4e07f708c2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"097a03c0b65d","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/18/24181196/butterflies-app-ai-chatbots-social-media","_key":"2891d3ed7765"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"bec9d868ce7f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Who’s chatting with whom?","_key":"d9428d0d52920","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While social media users have always crafted posts to suggest that their lives are a bit more glamorous and successful than they really are, at least we could generally trust that there was a human being responsible for sharing that information.","_key":"513d2a0098c80"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b5f965be4a04"},{"style":"normal","_key":"7d8b70043ce6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The rapid rise of artificial intelligence, however, is about to change all of that. The proof is already available","_key":"c7fd4cfcb12d0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" with platforms like Butterflies","_key":"61d47968545f","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". This app, which is currently available for a free download for Apple and Android devices, has already secured nearly $5 million in investments and is attracting tons of new users.","_key":"093acae5c5e3"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"640dc1bdc8ec","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"If you’re not one of those early adopters, here’s a basic overview of what Butterflies offers:","_key":"381119b216d40","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"72fc3fc9b8e30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The appearance and user experience is"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a lot like Instagram","_key":"4be6e3ce37a9"},{"_key":"047be08e9ea0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", at least on the surface"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"98a4dd40c204","listItem":"bullet"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Upon creating an account, users are prompted to","_key":"99483cf215130","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" create an AI character","_key":"f2cd24faa3df"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" (or Butterfly)","_key":"d07cf039da32"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c6953e1c6900"},{"style":"normal","_key":"8073ebcda416","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"From there, your characters","_key":"93dc804f1cc00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" start interacting","_key":"bb0d63e51db4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" without you","_key":"29e3f02c3059"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fa861f580695","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So far, the general feel is pretty lighthearted and funny. Some of the photos the Butterflies generate are silly and their posts often don’t make much sense.","_key":"35b3c6d1aa170"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"57f0b6ae0ad6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"CEO Vu Tran, however, says this is","_key":"3106b0839f570"},{"text":" just the first step ","_key":"7e711158634a","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"toward a platform that could completely change our concept of human social interaction.","_key":"f8e44fa8fae6"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"08b9170c1064","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0dce84a17ffd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"With social media giants like Meta already exploring similar AI strategies, it seems to be a matter of when AI takes over social media, not if."}],"_type":"block"}],"_updatedAt":"2024-06-18T22:39:18Z","title":"Let’s Explore The Ways AI Is Poised To Fundamentally Change Social Media","image":{"asset":{"_rev":"tBdeE95FMgXLPt8Jz3ykaQ","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/png","_createdAt":"2024-06-18T22:38:27Z","extension":"png","sha1hash":"865479b826c83c185134b64b465894366c38af1c","uploadId":"E7jBZtoJmz0djqxwFhvU94WoKaitAtTw","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/865479b826c83c185134b64b465894366c38af1c-2880x1568.png","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/865479b826c83c185134b64b465894366c38af1c-2880x1568.png","size":2097577,"assetId":"865479b826c83c185134b64b465894366c38af1c","_id":"image-865479b826c83c185134b64b465894366c38af1c-2880x1568-png","_updatedAt":"2024-06-18T22:38:27Z","originalFilename":"Screenshot 2024-06-18 at 6.38.04 PM.png","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MlRMb#of~qt79F%Mj[M{a|t7%Mj@M{ayxu","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"background":"#998366","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.53},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":1.32,"background":"#5a3e2e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.53,"background":"#998366"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#fcfcf4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.62},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#774a13","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.13},"lightMuted":{"background":"#98b9c7","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.73},"vibrant":{"population":0.23,"background":"#9a661d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/png;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":2880,"aspectRatio":1.836734693877551,"height":1568}}},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"height":0.9999999999999999,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9075342465753421,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Butterflies"},"visibility":"true","id":"3QidbGNh"},{"publishDate":"2024-05-18","slug":"/story/2024/05/therapytok-why-therapists-are-ditching-inperson-clients-for-social-media-stardom","_id":"505ff6f3-e8d5-41a8-bb1e-d0f391bd4d0a","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2024-05-17T21:06:29Z","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"image":{"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9280821917808216,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/00bfd3dfe03cf6c1e64e62e9ffdffeeb9290fa62-480x259.gif","size":514049,"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/00bfd3dfe03cf6c1e64e62e9ffdffeeb9290fa62-480x259.gif","assetId":"00bfd3dfe03cf6c1e64e62e9ffdffeeb9290fa62","originalFilename":"424583ef-5011-40c9-9280-afbdea739930.gif","uploadId":"7H69xF4J4sOIUbfEyORfXqy2iOOxvo24","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","_id":"image-00bfd3dfe03cf6c1e64e62e9ffdffeeb9290fa62-480x259-gif","extension":"gif","_rev":"nfkEvCFf4S3wnyWqddoPSj","source":{"name":"Confused Social Media GIF by South Park","id":"HW5O1V5ThSGYIF94lM","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/southpark-south-park-s26e1-cupid-ye-HW5O1V5ThSGYIF94lM"},"_createdAt":"2024-05-17T21:29:34Z","_updatedAt":"2024-05-17T21:29:34Z","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.8532818532818534,"height":259},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MBKK1iB=00D1002^:An-yUsk00IV.RVr.8","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.71,"background":"#4d6495","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":1.17,"background":"#f7c0ab"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#127972","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.05},"lightMuted":{"background":"#ccbca7","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.21},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.59,"background":"#e74005"},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":4.71,"background":"#4d6495","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#49324e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02}},"hasAlpha":true},"sha1hash":"00bfd3dfe03cf6c1e64e62e9ffdffeeb9290fa62"},"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0}},"title":"TherapyTok: Why Therapists Are Ditching In-Person Clients For Social Media Stardom","_rev":"nfkEvCFf4S3wnyWqddoQDt","body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The term “social media influencer” is tossed around pretty loosely these days, but it’s accurate when used to describe someone with ","_key":"a316f73f74fe0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"expertise in a specific field","_key":"8201453be33e"},{"_key":"b7be517a4ae4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". From home-improvement experts to Hollywood insiders, many professionals have cultivated a robust audience."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"776f1b8ded74","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But when it comes to more personal issues like mental health, would you seek out advice from a TikTok influencer? This ","_key":"4455cb10a01c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["7b8d0015ddc6"],"text":"arrangement","_key":"4455cb10a01c1"},{"_key":"4455cb10a01c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" is "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"becoming more and more popular","_key":"4ea5457b8fab"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" these days … and for many therapists, it’s more lucrative than seeing clients in the office.","_key":"ee351388e107"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"48224e686459","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.vox.com/culture/24158473/tiktok-therapists","_key":"7b8d0015ddc6"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c60b022b13cc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"b0b31b76a7730","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Finding a niche"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d3522ced59e1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Like #BookTok and other subgenres on the popular app, there’s a growing TherapyTok community of folks either","_key":"0ed330c27b420"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" sharing or receiving advice","_key":"fef3633e4c03"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" pertaining to mental health. And if you start to seek out these influencers, it won’t take long for the TikTok algorithm to introduce you to a large number of prominent figures like British psychologist Julie Smith.","_key":"e2cc9a38b579"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"8a829d5f5017","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"She has","_key":"f957b5eb50170"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" nearly 5 million followers","_key":"eba38604bb4b","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and dispatches bite-sized videos packed with pearls of wisdom and striking visual aids that clearly resonate with many users.","_key":"fdff55a21f03"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"f5f94b7312ab0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But regardless of their expertise, there’s a big difference between getting to know a client individually and marketing content to the masses. That’s why"},{"_key":"226fa837ac62","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" there’s plenty of skepticism"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" swirling around the legitimacy of TherapyTok.","_key":"24967e40d67a"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8a0712e2ba40"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"And it’s clear that some of the tactics used by these content creators are less about helping others and more about helping themselves to a big paycheck.","_key":"b23da8323c4c0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"383d931d6055","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Making big bucks","_key":"5902f02bcaeb0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f66f7c84ae0e"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"47a965f1fb93","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In most cases, therapy rates are capped by insurance providers, meaning that even someone in full-time practice would struggle to bring home a six-figure salary. But candid TherapyTok influencers like Jeff Guenther admit ","_key":"a56ff949ef8e0"},{"text":"they’re making much more","_key":"9f481b8ca12e","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_key":"2616324ef1eb","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on social media."}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8637d249fd51","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"His content is focused on dating and relationships … and through subscriptions, merchandise, and brand endorsements, he indicated he can make ","_key":"a8b3177c0a4e0"},{"_key":"f6c0d61c36d2","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"close to a million bucks"},{"marks":[],"text":" a year.","_key":"ad79267fe600","_type":"span"}]}],"summary":"It's one of the fastest-growing sectors for TikTok influencers.","id":"h4GcIez1","category":"social","_updatedAt":"2024-05-17T21:32:04Z"},{"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_updatedAt":"2024-04-28T23:30:22Z","slug":"/story/2024/04/the-spiritual-and-professional-rebirth-of-controversial-comic-russell-brand","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-04-29","summary":"He says he wants to put some of his past mistakes behind him.","image":{"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"},"hotspot":{"y":0.5,"height":0.9939117199391172,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8698630136986301,"x":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"mimeType":"image/gif","size":2039234,"assetId":"bf654b39a2ce6298fe970e1e8e4ead3193e8a006","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkMuted":{"background":"#54322a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.04},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.07,"background":"#829c60"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0,"background":"#e1e097","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":6.9,"background":"#506c21","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":6.7,"background":"#bba19d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"vibrant":{"background":"#c4c238","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.03},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":6.9,"background":"#506c21","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette"},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M4DJhDCD3H}^8$.h.5$pI.}ukZ%Kv.I.E^"},"_createdAt":"2024-04-28T23:29:08Z","_updatedAt":"2024-04-28T23:29:08Z","sha1hash":"bf654b39a2ce6298fe970e1e8e4ead3193e8a006","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/bf654b39a2ce6298fe970e1e8e4ead3193e8a006-480x270.gif","_id":"image-bf654b39a2ce6298fe970e1e8e4ead3193e8a006-480x270-gif","extension":"gif","uploadId":"jNKvicLqhew2ynJUAnBavCcin7T5vJXr","_rev":"8tZ2OipN5a7znchvjHqYha","originalFilename":"28d4bf3c-892b-4de1-a5bf-03c17e5283dc.gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","source":{"name":"Relaxed Nat Geo GIF by National Geographic Channel","id":"m2F1GhviWtuM0wxLHZ","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/natgeochannel-running-wild-with-bear-grylls-m2F1GhviWtuM0wxLHZ"},"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/bf654b39a2ce6298fe970e1e8e4ead3193e8a006-480x270.gif"}},"_rev":"8tZ2OipN5a7znchvjHqiNl","id":"wRN5Etcd","category":"social","title":"The Spiritual (And Professional) Rebirth Of Controversial Comic Russell Brand","_id":"547d43bd-af15-45cb-9849-431123576d3f","_createdAt":"2024-04-28T23:27:59Z","_type":"story","body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Not only has he courted controversy with his political punditry, British actor-comedian Russell Brand has also weathered a serious attack on his reputation in the form of sexual abuse allegations he emphatically denies.","_key":"1af4fa53afe50"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"804216626f0d","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/russell-brand-announces-baptism-opportunity-to-leave-past-behind-2024-4","_key":"a7a7cf40df21"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"He’s managed to hold on to a loyal, albeit smaller, audience … and now he’s looking forward to a new ","_key":"2adfc19f5fa40"},{"_type":"span","marks":["a7a7cf40df21"],"text":"chapter","_key":"2adfc19f5fa41"},{"marks":[],"text":" in his personal life.","_key":"2adfc19f5fa42","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8b0c7954b30c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A journey of discovery","_key":"3331aaea21b70"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a601ad5062af"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9d77595315dc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"6231bdebcd160","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although spiritual faith is nothing new to Brand (he’s previously identified as a Buddhist and expressed interest in the Hare Krishna movement), he announced a reawakening late last week as a follower of Jesus Christ."}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7fc72e4ef25f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a social media video, he confirmed his intention to be baptized into the faith, describing it as an “opportunity","_key":"2aadaac95a940"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" to die and be reborn","_key":"8ca7469e3ec0"},{"text":".”","_key":"2038275718a4","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"He incorporated a bit of his trademark wit in the announcement, particularly in discussing the possibility of “taking the plunge” in the River Thames, which has been found to contain potentially dangerous levels of the E. Coli bacteria.","_key":"33f07b396f940"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4d8c4ad6329e"},{"children":[{"text":"“I may be","_key":"6073634fce6b0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" leaving behind the sins","_key":"2fcbb55e0759"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", but I might be picking up some pretty serious viruses,” he quipped.","_key":"8b8411a8b354"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"11ca51e43f1c","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"3fa6c4e9d980","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"His latest spiritual step","_key":"230b1028293c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"bdbb75b40fca","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Those who have been watching his videos over the past several months have noticed his increasingly firm embrace of Christianity — from wearing a cross around his neck to his declaration that he realized he was missing “","_key":"d695eb7e713f0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a personal relationship with God","_key":"75f8d0ac24fc"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".”","_key":"5b4ad814bb1d"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now, Brand is embarking on the next stage with a public profession of his faith, describing baptism as “an opportunity","_key":"d914de1ae3690"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" to leave the past behind","_key":"adc0fb603b19"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and be reborn in Christ’s name, like it says in Galatians — that you can live as an enlightened and awakened person.”","_key":"553a3f24b29a"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"180f47441894","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"As for the complaints that derailed his career last year, Brand acknowledged at the time that he had been “very, very promiscuous” but insisted his sexual encounters were “always consensual.”","_key":"bf7f3042d3ec0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b2d45a13c2dc"}]},{"id":"WbCFhgpA","summary":"It's the talk of Silicon Valley, but good luck scoring an invitation. ","_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2024-04-17T23:50:43Z","title":"Airchat Could Be The Next Big Thing In Social Media. Here’s What You Should Know.","_createdAt":"2024-04-17T23:44:17Z","category":"social","slug":"/story/2024/04/airchat-could-be-the-next-big-thing-in-social-media-heres-what-you-should-know","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4e3c359a12c8","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.wired.com/story/airchat-app-social-audio/","_key":"923390b59237"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It started out as an small-scale, invitation-only platform, but cofounder Naval Ravikant said the exponential ","_key":"8ae877cf5cb60"},{"_type":"span","marks":["923390b59237"],"text":"growth","_key":"8ae877cf5cb61"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of Airchat","_key":"8ae877cf5cb62"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" forced an abrupt cancellation","_key":"e1f27a624fc9"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of pending invites. Of course, if you weren’t among those who received an elusive invitation, you probably have no idea what Airchat is. That might be changing soon.","_key":"f333583a8d59"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Lasting trend or passing fad?","_key":"b173fe93a6550"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d4998fe259af","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"14ecf44b318b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Silicon Valley has unleashed countless social media platforms over the past couple of decades … but with the exception of a few household names, most of them have been largely forgotten. So why does Ravikant think Airchat will be more than just a flash in the pan?","_key":"8bc74a8ad0fb0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a word: ","_key":"13f412ff013e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"audio","_key":"4c95e962f5ca"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"b2fa7db4bc3f"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"09b85417abcf"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The app utilizes voice notes in a unique way that its founders and early adopters believe will change the social media landscape for the better. It’s not the first platform to attempt such a gambit, but if the initial buzz is any indication, Airchat could be the first one to find widespread success.","_key":"87485321e64d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"dd9070648426"},{"_key":"539cba8c5c7a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Here’s an overview of what you can expect:","_key":"eef95d234da90"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"a62f59edbcd8","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Upon creating an account, ","_key":"eedd6718d9940"},{"text":"you can follow ","_key":"b11c8006b544","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"some other Airchat users","_key":"94367fdbd228"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Then you’ll find blocks of text that are actually","_key":"570367949dbc0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" transcribed voice notes","_key":"75f175abd7da"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fd6e8415eafc","listItem":"bullet"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Play and pause buttons ","_key":"5077ce5d94430","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":"allow you to control what you listen to","_key":"c165a50b7a8b","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3a86769fbe28","listItem":"bullet"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fca7b5dc9556","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You can also ","_key":"54b34a6e70210"},{"_key":"055143950c1f","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"record video notes"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", but audio is by far the early favorite","_key":"e9df4efc48fe"}]},{"_key":"45b32ec61dbc","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You can think of Airchat like Twitter, ","_key":"0db269449bee0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"with one major difference","_key":"3d4631e73d20","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": There’s no option for typing any content. Transcription can put your words into text, but you can’t do it yourself.","_key":"4a0439b80f45"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Notes","_key":"01b59ca9e02f0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" play at double speed","_key":"865b410fceff","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by default and direct messages are optional if you don’t want everyone to hear. But whatever you record is","_key":"6a323be88765"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" posted automatically","_key":"972c0c03261f","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", so there’s no way (at least not yet) to edit your content. Of course, you can always delete it and start again.","_key":"3e7e1a43a8d6"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1ff0e0a55c2b","markDefs":[]}],"_id":"79fb7537-6385-435f-ae4f-9c348c0ad0a8","image":{"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.941780821917808,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1},"_type":"image","attribution":"YouTube screenshot/Ventures","asset":{"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/5f89fe70d002cd3caec1be099a51d853f447febe-1488x910.png","_updatedAt":"2024-04-17T23:48:06Z","uploadId":"pYmp70HiyvRAFnCVtrOYGRNLcl4CKRW0","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/5f89fe70d002cd3caec1be099a51d853f447febe-1488x910.png","_rev":"U48lI5F08ubPwGDpHB1euM","mimeType":"image/png","_createdAt":"2024-04-17T23:48:06Z","originalFilename":"Screenshot 2024-04-17 at 7.47.45 PM.png","extension":"png","metadata":{"palette":{"lightVibrant":{"background":"#84abe9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.19},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#b74a22","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.48},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":2.09,"background":"#bbc2c9"},"vibrant":{"background":"#f2ce18","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.79},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.08,"background":"#48648e"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":0.72,"background":"#363950","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.08,"background":"#48648e"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/png;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":1488,"aspectRatio":1.6351648351648351,"height":910},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VyPGmjIURiWBj]~pWBV[jbay9axutRofjs-;ozkCfjax","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"sha1hash":"5f89fe70d002cd3caec1be099a51d853f447febe","size":517984,"assetId":"5f89fe70d002cd3caec1be099a51d853f447febe","_id":"image-5f89fe70d002cd3caec1be099a51d853f447febe-1488x910-png"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"}},"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"visibility":"true","publishDate":"2024-04-18","_rev":"PLEbLMOg4cwlzZsOhOhBp9"},{"author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"image":{"hotspot":{"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9691780821917807,"x":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_rev":"xsJlBnLx23003tnPWVpyuE","size":2503932,"extension":"gif","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"population":0.01,"background":"#d49c84","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"population":8.13,"background":"#9e8b6f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.34,"background":"#705532","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"background":"#9e8b6f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.13},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#f8e4bc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.01},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.39,"background":"#583a21"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#c6b49a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.77}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.791044776119403,"height":268,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MKIhB8%1E2019F~VM{M|RkjF_2RkIVkCt6"},"uploadId":"QgCa96fBzdsUWhcTRVgIRtVtdsWDpZ0X","_updatedAt":"2024-03-28T23:22:31Z","source":{"name":"Steve Martin GIF by SAG Awards","id":"2Y5GyUVeiJU0DdAsF5","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/sagawards-sag-awards-screen-actors-guild-2023-2Y5GyUVeiJU0DdAsF5"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/8a65fb4ef59436ec0dd8f7fac6f035879155242b-480x268.gif","_createdAt":"2024-03-28T23:22:31Z","_id":"image-8a65fb4ef59436ec0dd8f7fac6f035879155242b-480x268-gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"8a65fb4ef59436ec0dd8f7fac6f035879155242b","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/8a65fb4ef59436ec0dd8f7fac6f035879155242b-480x268.gif","assetId":"8a65fb4ef59436ec0dd8f7fac6f035879155242b","originalFilename":"85bb5842-880a-4260-ab82-c4807d1577ba.gif"},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0}},"body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e518846c456e","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://earlychirp.com/story/2024/02/americans-are-having-big-trouble-making-friends-but-theres-hope?src=rss-nt","_key":"3b88ecf16961"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We’ve ","_key":"8390bb1085500"},{"_type":"span","marks":["3b88ecf16961"],"text":"discussed","_key":"8390bb1085501"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" the downward trend in the number of friends the average person has. And while there are some concerns to consider regarding this cultural shift, it’s possible for ","_key":"8390bb1085502"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"an almost opposite problem","_key":"9053d4479002"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to cause some trouble.","_key":"6050883fd242"}]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-you-need-a-friend-reshuffle-feeling-stagnant-2024-3","_key":"6b9d323ec42f"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s not that some people have too many friends, per se; it’s more that they feel ","_key":"5c92c624811a0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["6b9d323ec42f"],"text":"stuck","_key":"5c92c624811a1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" with friends who are no longer enriching their lives.","_key":"5c92c624811a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ceaee9b10a87"},{"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"What can you do?","_key":"c21d02781bdc0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6b7f8cdd8fdd","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8138bcfecc61","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Perhaps you’re thinking of a person right now who has been in your social group for a while but has been sort of grating on your nerves for a while.","_key":"4a8953f1ab920"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"11bcf2c1f88b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"If that individual is truly toxic, it might be best to cut him or her out of your life completely. But if there’s just some relatively mild annoyance involved, there are some","_key":"4f15082605130","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" less severe ways","_key":"fd83739262cb"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to handle the issue that will result in fewer hurt feelings and leave open the possibility of rekindling the friendship down the line.","_key":"e99b854f868e"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"aa5225ec892f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The strategy has become known as the “","_key":"105a9e3831910","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"3a67fb1aab9f","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"friendship shuffle"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” and involves a few relatively simple steps, says clinical psychologist Miriam Kirmayer, who stressed the “difference between a full withdrawal and a downgrading of the connection.","_key":"fac4218c9fc2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ea01926a8ddb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"In the latter scenario, you won’t sever ties with your friend but would reduce your exposure to that individual. Here’s what she suggests:","_key":"fd4d0e7c99fc0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Start with honesty","_key":"14d6e86744760"},{"_key":"1ad6506d7836","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Be realistic about whether there are unresolvable issues at hand or if there’s a reason to maintain some sort of connection."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3eb02d36a049","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6a82c8148ca5","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"4c9719b9f0350","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Balance the scales"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": In many cases, friendships are one-sided. If you’re giving more than you receive, consider scaling back your investment.","_key":"bd8d6d85d7bb"}],"level":1},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b58cd6d659c5","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Adjust your schedule","_key":"ba21621d4f930"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Whether you desire more time for new friends, family, work, or yourself, remember that it’s OK to prioritize your own needs.","_key":"ceae57ce4e33"}],"level":1},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"In the long run, Kirmayer says taking these steps might end up bringing you closer to your friend.","_key":"47db182a86810","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1d262d803447"}],"summary":"There might be a better response than cutting your annoying friend off completely.","publishDate":"2024-03-29","_updatedAt":"2024-03-28T23:23:45Z","_rev":"xsJlBnLx23003tnPWVq1wh","category":"social","visibility":"true","_id":"1bfd2993-1afb-467e-909b-b517767583b9","slug":"/story/2024/03/heres-how-to-tell-if-a-friendship-reshuffle-could-improve-your-social-life","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2024-03-28T23:23:45Z","id":"8UkRF6H8","title":"Here’s How To Tell If A ‘Friendship Reshuffle’ Could Improve Your Social Life"}]