Listen to this episode for a special announcement about what's going on with #5Things. 

All eyes are on TikTok this week and they contend with Congress, are seeing less brand engagement, and everyone is talking about "Who TF Did I Marry?" The 5 Things:  Congress Revisits TikTok Ban Amid National Security ConcernsBrands are seeing less engagement on TikTokMeta Predicts the FutureTarte’s Brand Trips: Are consumers over it?Reesa Teesa and the Honesty EraSources: Reuters, SMT, NYT Hosts: Joey Scarillo, Shylene Radinsky, Jayda Hinds   To subscribe to our newsletter, click...

This week Grey dives into Super Bowl 58 trends!  According to Nielsen the 2024 Super Bowl was the second most watched TV program of all time only behind was the 1969 moon landing broadcast. The game was watched on CBS, Paramount+, and Nickelodeon to a whopping 123 million viewers. Joey Scarillo and Mijal Buchsbaum discuss their favorite THINGS from brands who advertised during the game, and of course Taylor Swift!    The 5 Things:  Brands tapping into scarcity. Two celebrities are better than...

This week we wish Facebook a happy 20th birthday, discuss AI tools that help shoppers, dive into a host of trend reports, and so much more.   The 5 Things:  Happy Birthday to Facebook, who turns 20!Amazon rolls out new AI tools to help shoppers. A slew of trend reports explore the latest in social behaviors. Walmart steps into the ring against Amazon's omnichannel ecomm tech. TikTok continues to incentivize creators towards shoppable posts. Sources: Aljazeera, Reuters, Pew Research,...

This week on the pod, we dive into the potential social media bans in Florida and break down stories from Meta, X formerly Twitter, and BeReal plus the return of One More Thing! The 5 Things:  Florida Houses passes a bill to ban social media for teens Meta launches Llama, an AI programming tool, to compete with GitHub Copilot Meta announced a new program to share data with academics In December, Threads it reached top 10 downloads, X reached No. 36 BeReal (like we predicted 😉) adds celebs and...

This week X pivots to video, AI tricks people, and TikTokers are mad at the kids in Sephora. We break it all down and share our resolutions!  The 5 Things:  X has TV shows now?Instagram Adds New Restrictions for Teens Watch out for… AI Books?Tiktokers rant about ‘Sephora Kids'People are Getting Emotionally Attached to Chat BotsSources: Social Media Today, Rueters, Wired, Distractify Hosts: Joey Scarillo, Jayda Hinds, Kofi Roberts To subscribe to our newsletter, click HERE Email us:...

As 2023 draws to a close we pod-tificate about 2024! It’s our annual Party Pod with five panelists – we’re discussing what we see for the future of social media in the year ahead our favorite Things from 2023. We get into dating apps, subscription based social media, de-influence, Meta, and X, and we break down how AI will be intertwined with all of it. (Plus a few surprises!) The 5 Things:  The future of dating appsWhat a world of subscription social apps might looks likeDe-InfluencingWhat's...

This week on the pod, Elon had some four letter words for advertisers and FOMO is a key driver of what keeps us on social platforms.  The 5 Things:  Elon Musk has Some Choice Words for Advertisers  A New Study Suggests Young People Are Only on Social because of FOMO TikTok has launched a new series of Creative Cards, data-backed prompts designed to help businesses thinking on content ideas The older population in China are using social apps to find connections Instagram launches podcast with...

This week on the pod, we learn why Burlington, VT  is a cultural center for music listeners and how AI users are making images "more," "tastier," and "sillier".  The 5 Things:  Other Platforms Should Watch Out, as TikTok Expands it's Territory  Burlington, Vermont is Weirdly Popular on Spotify Wrapped The Anti-Instagram has arrived… Lapse  Pinterest Test New Search Tool for Body Diversity A trend exploded online pushing the limits of AI - making sillier gooses and cuter animals Sources:...

On this episode of 5Things we welcome Amelia Hruby. Amelia is a writer, educator and podcaster with a PhD in philosophy from DePaul University. Amelia departed from social media and launched Off the Grid, a podcast that talks about how to leave social media without losing all your clients. To learn more about Amelia and her podcast, Off the Grid, visit: offthegrid.fun The 5 Things: 1. Social Media’s impact on Mental health 2. Data privacy 3. Substack as a social platform 4. Online Dating and...

A lot is cooking this week as Meta, X, YouTube and Open AI all gear up for their next course. Meta is in hot water, X is stuffing the app, and so much more! The 5 Things:  EU moves to ban use of personal information for targeted advertising on Meta platforms Elon's plans for his everything app leak, include dating, and finance YouTube aims to put kibosh on AdBlocker use on its platform  OpenAI announces GPT-backed, customized tools Meta provides new incentives for creators this...

This week we talk about social media and SCOTUS, doctors and ai, Elon and X, and who is using TikTok in interesting ways. The Things:  SCOTUS Hears Cases on if Public Officials can Block Other Social Media Users  What Do Doctors Think about the Use of AI in Medicine? (LINK) Checking in on Elon's First Year with X  TikTok Drops a new "Parents of TikTok" campaign The Latest Influencers on TikTok are Blue-Collar Workers Sources: NPR, NYT, TechCrunch, Social Media Today   Hosts: Joey Scarillo,...

How addictive is Instagram? Can a social media app be good for our mental health? Would you recommend friends on Tinder? We dive into this and more! The 5 Things:  Parents and Forty State AGs Team up to go after Meta, Claiming Apps are Addictive for Kids.  New App, Dayyly claims to be the version of Instagram that is good for mental health. Instagram is testing a separate feed dedicated to verified users. TikTok is testing 15 minute uploads from select users. Tinder has a new feature where...

This week the team dives into the serious situation on X and Meta around the misinformation surrounding the war in the middle east. The team also discusses ByteDance, BeReal and partnership on TikTok.  The Things:   Misinformation policies and measures are being put to the test across social media platforms amid Israel-Hamas conflict. X considers a basic subscription for $1 a year. ByteDance Launches ‘CapCut for Business’ to assist in brand video creation.  BeReal is looking for the...

Are brands still funny on social? Are teens loving LinkedIn? We discuss these questions and more on this episode of the #5Things The 5 Things:  An NYT article asks if brand humor is still funny on social?  Instagram considers new options for audience groups on Stories Teenagers are embracing LinkedIn. No cap.  Meta says Facebook Reels will have new options just in time for the Holiday Push  Where is Audio Going? Amazon turns off Amp. Sources: NYT, Mashable, The Cut, Social Media Today,...

Would you pay for TikTok or Instagram? Are platforms limiting news sites? Did Tom Hanks do an ad for a dental plan? We dive into all of these question and more on this week's #5Things.  The Things:  TikTok and Meta Float Platform Subscriptions to Access Ad-Free Scrolling.   Are Social Media Platforms Tanking Traffic to News Sites?  Chat GPT Developers have Expanded Capabilities to Real-Time Surfing the Live Web Up to the Minute.  Will the Real Tom Hanks please Step Forward? - The Actor...

This week the team dives into a study from the New York Times that looks at the effects of social media on a teen's brain! Plus a few apps we don't give enough love too, and then TikTok.  The Things:  New York Times looks at the effects of Social Media on a Teen's Brain Tinder is rolling out a new tier of membership for those desperate for love and with money to spare ($500 a month, to be specific)  Chat GPT to dropping launch conversation and image identification abilities, and apparently...

It's back to school this week as we get to class with X, Meta, and TikTok!  The Things:  Elon says X is going paid only  Meta Expands its Paid Verification Program to Business Accounts  But TikTok got fined (again) for mishandling user data  TikTok Buffs Up Ad Metrics to Better Track Performance of In-Platform Campaigns  TikTok is innovating social coverage of Fashion Week/ CRUSHING the Meta competition  Sources: CNBC, USA Today, Mashable, Social Media Today, Time, Glossy.com Hosts: Joey...

This week, Grey is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a special episode of #5Things. We are discussing five heroes and trailblazers of Hispanic culture. These trailblazers are from five different Spanish speaking countries and represent a variety of contributions from art, sports, humanitarianism, and resistance!    The subjects of this episode are:  Nobel Prize winning writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia) 20th Century Spanish poet, Miguel Hernandez (Spain) The rebellious and...

Esta semana, Grey celebra el Mes de la Hispanidad con un episodio especial de #5Things. Hablaremos de cinco hispanos nacidos en cinco países diferentes, que son considerados heroes y pioneros por sus contribuciones al arte, el deporte, las causas sociales y la política.   Los personajes en este episodio son: 1. Escritor ganador del Premio Nobel, Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia) 2. Poeta español del siglo XX, Miguel Hernández (España). 3. Las rebeldes Hermanas Mirabal (República...

On this episode the team gets podcast nerdy! Last month, #5Things host and executive producer Joey Scarillo spoke on a panel at Podcast Movement, the world's largest podcast conference about his experiences producing this show, he was joined by Eric Johnson, founder of LightningPod. Today, #5Things contributor Daniel Avon hosts a conversation about the the 5 biggest takeaways from the conference with Eric Johnson and flips the script on Joey, putting him in the panelist seat. The...

What a summer it's been! This week we're doing our summer recap discussing the biggest stories that happen on social media and IRL! This week's #5Things are:  Bringing Text Back: From Twitter / X uncertainty to Threads, TikTok Text, and more – is text back? Social Concert Series: How Taylor and Beyoncé's concerts lived on social as much as IRL AI: All Grown Up (Sort of) Barbenheimer Musk vs. Zuck: The cage match that didn't happen... but still might Sources: AdAge, Mashable, IBM, GatesNotes,...

This week on the pod the team looks closer at updates from X and Instagram, and explore what one fitness app is doing to create a social experience.  The Things:  X Slows Down Link Speeds to Websites Elon Doesn’t Like Bird Logo is Out X Logo is In, it’s Time to Update Those Assets  Social Fitness App, Strava Offers New Ways to Connect and Calculates Carbon Footprint  Users Can Now Add Music to their Instagram Posts  Instagram Tests A New Post Metric Format  Sources: TechCrunch, Social Media...

This week we get a glimpse into X's evolving feed, a new music competition, the way brands engage with creators and more!  The Things:  Evolving the Feed, What's Next for X Tik Tok Launches an In-App Music Competition Threats of Deactivation Force Reddit Users to End the Oliver Stalemate  Pinterest & Amazon Work Towards Monetization via Third-Party Ads Partnership How Brands are Using Their Creators to Take Over Summer's Biggest Concerts Sources: Social Media Today, The Verge, Axios, My...