#social-media-influence

#social-media-influence

It was the highlight of my life and everyone loved it. It also was the worst time of my life ever. It was the worst of times, b****. The entertainment industry led me to substance abuse and alcoholism and my life falling apart. I got chewed up and spit out by Hollywood, girl.

Ryan Murphy's swoony reimagining of JFK Jr and Bessette's romance has been a sensation, with Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette racking up 40m viewing hours to become FX's most-watched limited series on Hulu/Disney+ to date. But it has struck a deeper chord in culture too, with legions of fans eating up the couple's fashion and insouciant swagger, often wanting to try it on for size.

Hollywood this week has been gripped by a discreet yet intense gifting frenzy, as rooms in luxury hotels and spas are requisitioned as gifting suites for the A-listers upon whom hugely expensive items will be pressed in the hope that these starfluencers will mention them on their Instagram feed.

One trend I'd happily see fade away in 2026 is the obsession with overly complicated, garnish-heavy cocktails that prioritize spectacle over balance. There's nothing wrong with a drink that looks beautiful, but when the garnish becomes the entire point of the drink, it often means the cocktail itself is an afterthought.

TikTok food trends often result in sudden sales spikes and we saw that happen last year with Italian bread and cheese. But this is a fully fledged culinary phenomenon that has brought a lot of extra business to the UK dairy industry.

Parasocial relationships are one-sided emotional bonds where individuals invest their time, effort, energy, emotions, and feelings into a well-known media figure, such as a celebrity, influencer, or fictional character from a book or movie, who is not aware of their existence.

In my opinion, it is harder for young people now. I believe my generation got the last decent kick at the cat. To all my peers who denigrate these young people: who raised them? We did. Or we raised their parents and taught them how to be parents themselves. They're our babies, so perhaps we should take a look in the mirror before we crap on them.

Almost everybody, including Keir Starmer, can see that the Peter Mandelson affair provoked a genuine political crisis. The media were right to make it headline news. But it also shows the febrile atmosphere in which politicians and the media conspire to turn every incident into an issue of confidence in leadership, and we are becoming a country where it is impossible to focus on the long term.

In 2025, people who built their careers by being some form of Very Online are now some of the most powerful people in the world. Topping the list-as we predicted he would last year-is Donald Trump. The 79-year-old president of the United States quite literally rules by decrees posted to his social network, Truth Social. The US government, meanwhile, is run by a ramshackle crew of former conspiracy theory podcasters, TV hosts, vaccine skeptics, and entertainment moguls.

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum.

Most of us like to believe we're too sophisticated to confuse money with purpose. Yet a surprising number of people, especially younger generations, slip into that trap without ever consciously choosing it. The idea that "my purpose is to make money" has become so pervasive that it rarely gets questioned. It's simple, it's measurable, and on the surface, it makes sense.

Black Friday used to have a very specific look: people bundled in blankets, holding warm coffee, standing in long lines outside stores before the sun came up. Some still show up for that, but most of the day has shifted online. It's less about crowds and more about scrolling in a warm bed, checking deals between tasks, and letting the hype find you wherever you are. The tradition didn't fade, it just changed shape.

While the decision initially felt right, I entered months of self-doubt and indecisiveness. In retrospect, it's obvious to me that my lack of clarity was social media-fueled - after all, it can make life feel like a competition over who can look the coolest and most successful. My own desires felt clouded by what I saw through small, digital windows.

The idea of the exemption, when you go into the history of exemptions, is to bring attention to an event, You got to see her live, she's lovely to speak to. And she's brought a lot of viewers through Instagram, and things like that, who normally don't watch women's golf. That was the hope. And we're seeing that now.

A mother whose 16-year-old son was murdered with a machete has called for more education to challenge a "deadly myth" among young people that there is a "safe place" to stab someone. Kamari Johnson was attacked in a row over a stolen moped in Bourne Avenue, Hayes, in west London in May last year. His story is featured in a campaign video by the charity StreetDoctors, being shown in hundreds of cinemas across the UK.

He was referring to Helen's jaw and neck. She was horrified. "I'm not about to start contouring," she thought to herself. "I don't even wear foundation." So what was there to do about it? The mere question seemed to open the social media floodgates with surgical possibilities. "My Instagram and YouTube explore pages were so deeply dark," Helen, 41, says. "My boyfriend made me take a screenshot of it so I could remember this."

Snapchat has shared some new research into the latest grocery shopping trends, and how shoppers' habits are evolving within the food and non-alcoholic beverage space, which could be worth noting in your marketing approach. Based on a survey of over 6k people, Snapchat, in partnership with WPP Media and Ipsos, has identified several key trends that food and beverage brands need to understand in order to maximize their opportunities.

We figured we would spend only a few days out of the country. We figured that within a week of publishing, some other matter would distract the Salvadoran government. We would weigh the risks of returning and would then go back. We left with carry-on bags: no one was carrying more than 10 pairs of underwear. We had invented a routine for these situations, which had worked out fine so many times before: preventive departure.

So Adams posted his complaint on X, saying Kaiser of Northern California, his health insurer and care provider, had "dropped the ball" in scheduling a procedure needed to treat his metastatic prostate cancer. Adams wrote he was going to ask Trump to help save his life, and he added: "I am declining fast. I will ask President Trump if he can get Kaiser of Northern California to respond and schedule it for Monday."

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

We are seeking votes for our candidate, Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan our mother with all our effort and commitment, the 37-year-old told the crowd, posting photos and videos to her 11 million Instagram followers. Her account, filled with pro-government content including a profile picture of the president, goes beyond simple celebrity support. It is emblematic of an unfolding digital battle as Tanzania prepares to vote on October 29.

🌏 The women's sports fan community is global, growing, and connected. Globally, 62% of all sports fans follow women's sports, with 56% of fans noting their interest in the women's game is growing. Additionally 57% of women's sports fans surveyed said following athletes and creators makes them feel like part of a community. ♥️ Fans notice and acknowledge sponsors. As seen in previous data, these women's sports fans appreciate sponsors in the space - 69% want to see brands support communities built around women's sports.