Internet Culture
Artifaxing: “We’ve become so addicted to these supercomputers in our hands”
Framing the future — Predominantly publishing on Instagram and X, the account is one of social media’s most prominent archiving pages. We caught up with the mysterious figure behind it to chat about the internet’s past, present and future, finding inspiration and art in the age of AI.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Clavicular isn’t interesting, really
Dreaming Small — The ‘looksmaxxer’ of the moment has garnered widespread furore over recent controversies. But newsletter columnist Emma Garland asks whether the 20-year-old influencer is actually doing anything that new, and what his rise says about modern turbo-nostalgia’s internet dominance.
Written by: Emma Garland
Inside the fight against Japan’s ‘nuisance streamer’ epidemic
The business of brain rot — Taking advantage of a culture of tolerance and unwritten social rules, streamers searching for virality are increasingly targeting the far east country with outlandish stunts and pranks. As outrage builds towards foreign creators, ‘responsible streamers’ are speaking up.
Written by: Sophie Holloway
Have capitalists killed the internet?
At the start of the century, the internet was an escape from reality. Now, reality is an escape from the internet writes Huck Newsletter columnist Emma Garland.
Written by: Emma Garland
The internet’s substitute mothers are here to help
r/MomForAMinute — As the pandemic leaves people feeling scared and vulnerable, Reddit users are seeking out stand-in mothers for advice, love and comfort – but some experts suggest it might not always be the healthiest coping strategy.
Written by: Jessica Lucas
The TikTok students taking on gun violence in schools
‘We beg for change’ — Young Americans say the Capitol riots mirrored school shootings. While many are doubtful it'll be a wake-up call for Congress, TikTok is offering a space for them to process their trauma.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
How hate-symbol Pepe the Frog took trolling mainstream
Feels Good Man — The directors of a new documentary about Pepe the Frog speak to Huck about how the cartoon was co-opted by the far right, and what it tells us about the state of America.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray
Why there's no such thing as an urgent email
Do not disturb — Modern work-culture has given rise to an unfortunate phenomenon: the Out Of Office message, a stopgap measure where ‘off-grid’ no longer means ‘off-limits’. But through tiny acts of rebellion, we can start reclaiming our downtime.
Written by: Amelia Tait
Searching Eva: Identity and sex work in the online age
How to live digitally — Eva Collé is a writer, blogger, model, Instagrammer, sex worker – and now the subject of a documentary. We speak with the film’s director Pia Hellenthal and Eva herself about what it’s like to perpetually chronicle your life online.
Written by: Katie Goh
The internet’s forgotten shit pics are accidentally amazing
Abandoned images — To relieve the boredom of his day job, Doug Battenhausen has been mining defunct websites for years – harvesting long-discarded gems from the bottom of the web.
Written by: Cian Traynor
