Home About Articles Reel Blog Contact

Tech

The Independent •

Bumble apologises for celibacy ads: ‘We made a mistake’

Bumble addressed their controversial celibacy billboards with an apology on TikTok.

The dating app company issued a mea culpa after their latest ad campaign received a swift backlash from users online, with many taking issue with the campaign’s slogan making a case against celibacy. Although the marketing team had been aiming for a tone of cheeky provocation, it ultimately didn’t land how they wanted it to.

“You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer,” one billboard read, which Unc
The Independent •

Bumble rethinking women ‘making the first move’ on the app

Bumble is rethinking its rule to have women “making the first move” on the app.

In an interview with Fortune, Bumble’s new CEO, Lidiane Jones, said she is reconsidering having women initiate interaction on the app. After Bumble’s founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, stepped down as CEO at the start of the year, Jones took on the mantle and continued Wolfe Herd’s research into alternate options that could improve upon the company’s signature feature.

While noting that women making the first move has “o
The Independent •

New York Times starts testing a new word game for fans of Connections and Wordle

The New York Times is testing a new game for Connections and Wordle fans.

The New York Times has just released their newest game, Strands. Home to puzzles like Connections, Spelling Bee, and Wordle – all of which follow in the tradition of their iconic crossword puzzle, which they have published since 1942 – the paper is no stranger to difficult word games.

Strands launched on 4 March, and so far, only two puzzles are available to play on the NYT’s website. The new game has reportedly started
The Independent •

Digital dating is on the rise — but can you find the ‘one’ with AI?

In the age of ghosting, gaslighting, and general dating app fatigue, finding “the one” (or at least someone halfway decent) has become a Herculean task. As tech advancements continue to turn the dating scene on its head, it was only a matter of time before people began test-driving the latest frontier, AI, as a new love interest.The rise in AI dating comes on the heels of a 2023 survey reporting that younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are open to the idea of exploring AI romantic companion...
The Independent •

More single people than ever are paying for dating apps

More single people than ever are paying for dating apps amid an increasingly contentious dating climate.The uptick in dating subscriptions comes on the heels of Match Group and Bumble — which make up the dating app industry by market share — having lost more than $40bn in market value since 2021, reports show. By incentivizing users, these companies hope to turn the tide on their dwindling revenue and repair their reputations amid the current atmosphere of disillusionment in the dating space.Pai...
The Independent •

Are you ‘doomscrolling’? New study reveals its negative impacts

Scientists have found evidence proving that “doomscrolling” is bad for your brain. In a recent study published in the Journal of Computers in Human Behavior Reports, a team of researchers found there was a connection between doomscrolling and feelings of existential anxiety, despair, distrust, and suspicion of others after surveying over 800 university students from the US and Iran.According to Flinders University researcher Reza Shabahang, who is the study’s lead author, constant exposure to ne...
The Independent •

How Amazon devastated a small business by selling a used diaper

Amazon tanked a small business by re-circulating a used diaper that had been returned. After designing a washable swim diaper for their son, Paul and Rachelle Baron were considered an Amazon success story. That is until one scathing review upended their business and credibility. The couple got into the diaper business after enrolling their newborn son Beauregard in swim class, but found at the time that the tightness of his swim-friendly diapers made removing them difficult and cleaning him mess...
The Independent •

People are planning their vacations around Pokémon Go

People are planning their vacations around their Pokémon Go aspirations. From honeymooners to mountain climbers, Pokémon Go’s vast adult audience has taken their dedication to the popular mobile phone game to the next level: planning their trips around locations where they can “catch” the most digital monsters. Since Pokémon Go owner Niantic incentivizes Pokémon Go travel by hosting Go Fest fan events and unleashing rare Pokémon - including “shinies” and “trims” - only available in certain regio...
The Independent •

Gen Z dating app fatigue has led matchmakers to stage a comeback

Gen Z dating app fatigue has led matchmakers to stage a comeback in the US.

According to a health survey by Forbes, 79 percent of Gen Z-ers report experiencing dating app burnout, with many turning to alternative ways to find love including one of the oldest methods out there: matchmaking. Many young adults are sick and tired of the trappings of modern dating, from ghosting to catfishing, matchmaker Germany Fox explained to Popsugar that her younger clients are seeking “old-fashioned” romances.
The Independent •

Bumble buys Geneva to further expand into friendship market

Bumble has purchased community-building app Geneva to further expand into the friendship market as it moves away from a sole focus on romantic relationships.

The company said that the deal is designed to help it expand its focus from “one-to-one connections to groups and communities,” marking another shift into the company becoming primarily a connection-based platform rather than just a dating-centric one.

In this month’s Q1 earnings call, CEO Lidiane Jones noted that the company planned on c
The Independent •

What are ‘friendship snacks’ and why are they important to our relationships?

Researchers have found that adult friendships are often maintained through “friendship snacks”.

With busy schedules often making it harder to spend quality time with friends as an adult, sending quick how-are-you texts, adorable animal videos, or memes can be a simple way for friends to maintain their relationships. Even if these interactions tend to ultimately be unsatisfying, they’re not meant to meet the complete needs of a friendship, and instead act as a stopgap for when plans will ultimat
The Independent •

Gen Z leaves phones on ‘do not disturb’ to avoid notification anxiety

Gen-Z-ers have come clean about why they keep their phones on “Do Not Disturb” at all times.

Found on most mobile phones, the “Do Not Disturb” feature is used by those who block out notifications that could distract from work, studying, or a good night’s sleep. But some people online have admitted to using the feature to curb their anxiety.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, user Max Burns sparked an online debate when he wrote, “TIL that some Gen Z kids keep their cellphones on ‘Do Not Disturb’
The Independent •

TikTok bans ‘Legging Legs’ trend

TikTok has banned the term “legging legs” after an alarming trend circulated on the platform that was flagged as potentially triggering for those with eating disorders.

Although the hashtag #legginglegs has since been deleted from the platform and now directs users to information about eating disorders or disordered eating, the short-lived trend made its impact. It first went viral after women began to share videos of themselves in yoga pants showing off their thigh gaps.

As it was gaining tra
The Independent •

The iPhone laundry hack: ‘My mind is blown’

A TikTok user let viewers in on an incredible laundry hack they discovered on their iPhone.

In a viral video posted last week, Aleisa Mora (@wtfaleisa), revealed to viewers that the camera app on an iPhone can inform you how to take care of your clothes and garments.

“You can take a picture of the tags of the clothes and if you have an iPhone, your phone will just tell you exactly how to take care of those clothes, and it’s not an app, it’s just built into the camera app,” said Mora. “I’ll sho
The Independent •

Internet roasts Mark Zuckerberg for his odd ‘high quality beef ranch’

Mark Zuckerberg has perplexed the internet with his ‘out of touch’ cattle ranch on his Hawaii estate.

On 10 January, the Meta billionaire posted on Instagram a picture of himself solely eating a medium rare steak from his Ko’olau ranch on his $100m-valued, 1,400-acre Kauai compound. There, Zuckerberg reportedly farms wagyu and Angus cattle – both of which produce some of the most expensive, sought-after beef in the world.

He wrote in the caption, “Started raising cattle at [the] Ko’olau ranch
The Independent •

From Burlington to San Luis Obispo, Spotify users react to Wrapped 2023 ‘sound towns’

Spotify Wrapped is back, but this time around, it’s showing listeners where their taste in music took them with “sound towns”.

The yearly Spotify tradition typically features a bundle of Instagram Story-friendly statistics that show the platform’s 574 million users their most-listened artists, songs, and podcasts. In the latest iteration for 2023, the platform has assigned users “sound towns”.

In the vein of the Spotify feature that ordinarily allows users to see which five cities their favour
The Independent •

Grindr nearly loses half of staff after forcing office return

LGBTQ dating app Grindr has lost nearly half its staff after ending its remote work policy in an attempt to force workers back in person, according to reports.

According to the Communications Workers of America (CWA), Grindr announced on 4 August a return-to-office mandate that gave employees a two-week period to decide between two options: relocate to a newly assigned “hub” city to work in-person twice a week with their respective teams, or leave the company with severance. Some of the new “hu
The Daily Dot •

'Studying for the HBO Max test': TikTok user tries to sign in to Max—and is faced with ridiculously difficult puzzles

Warner Bros. Discovery just launched a new streaming platform, Max, the bigger and better version of the bug-riddled HBO Max. But with any new app, there are bound to be some kinks that definitely need to be worked out.

TikTok user @gavinj1998 shed light on Max’s hilariously security test, the kind that makes sure

that you’re a human rather than a robot. In the video, Gavin shows how, in order to log in, Max has users solve puzzles. But as it turns out, the puzzles are incredibly difficult.

T

Let's get social!