Zines, TikTok & Mental Health

A curated collection of can’t-miss news from this week, including 2021 social media trends and more. Sign up to get the TURNER Weekly Download in your inbox.

TikTok Travel

TikTok has kept many of us company during this time of lockdowns and social distancing — the platform now has 1 billion monthly active users. But TikTok isn’t just memes, lip-synch videos, and dance trends. It’s developed into a genuine source of travel inspiration, thanks to an array of TikTokkers who allow us to live vicariously through their accounts. Check out a few of the best travel TikToks you should be following.

Zines Are Back

Influence isn’t just an online thing. Some beauty brands are throwing it back to a phenomenon to cut through the clutter: zines. “Zines are mini, self-published magazines, typically with a small distribution of physical copies and a focus on unconventional subject matter,” writes Glossy’s Emma Sandler. “Zines gained mega-popularity in the ’70s punk scene. But in the case of 2021 and the beauty industry, zines provide brands a light-hearted opportunity to provide customers with an extra perk or to gain social media posts from editors and influencers.”

Instagram Faves

Instagram is developing a new “Favorites” feature that will give users more control over their feeds. Tech Crunch has the details: “[U]sers will be able to search across the Instagram accounts they are currently following to create a list of Favorites. This list can be edited at any time, and Instagram notes that users would not be notified when they’re added to someone’s Favorites.”

Social Media Mental Health

It’s not breaking news that social media use can be harmful to the mental health of users. But now, major platforms are starting to do something about it. TikTok, for instance. “Popular video-sharing app TikTok has put out at least  half a dozen initiatives this year alone to further safety and privacy, primarily for teen users,” writes MarketWatch. “Its latest initiative, launched Sept. 14, is aimed at promoting new resources to support mental health and community well-being on its app.”

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