For the first time in history, the internet’s allowed us to create a “global village.” You can connect with people who are also into underwater basket weaving, even if they live on the other side of the world. You can create friendships with people in the same industry, working on every continent, from the comfort of your home. And yes, online communities are 100% life-changing for many reasons. But we’ve definitely lied to ourselves if we think they can replace community IRL. And that’s something, collectively, we’re beginning to see.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

(btw - If you’re already using Claude Code or Cowork daily, scroll on by bc this ain’t for you)

But if you’ve just dabbled in using AI, maybe you’re using ChatGPT to help you look up recipes, write basic emails, or attempt to diagnose that insect bite you just got, stay with me for a sec.

When it comes to AI, there’s a lot of “bro you’re so behind” messaging out there. When, in reality, within just a couple hours, you can learn how to use AI better than 95% of people you know. And this why we put together the Beginner’s Guide to Claude AI course.

It’s a 4-week cohort where you learn how to go from using AI as a glorified Google to getting it to actually help you with the sh*tty admin (life or work) you hate doing every day.

We kick off on 18 May, so if you want to go from feeling behind to using AI to make your life better, this is for you 👇

AFTER you all called him old and fat, mind you. We should be so lucky. A new statue has appeared in Waterloo Place, London, that appears to be the work of the infamous and elusive artist. And, as Banksy so loves to do, it’s causing a stir.

The work appeared in the dead of night amongst the 19th century British military and colonial sculptures. It depicts a man in a suit, marching with a flag that billows onto his face, covering it entirely, and striding off the edge of the plinth. Many believe the work comments on “blind nationalism” as political tensions in the UK swirl.

Ok, next, while Banksy causes a stir, Suno is causing headaches. Copyright headaches for musicians, to be specific. The AI music platform’s policy claims to not permit the use of copyrighted material. You can, however, upload your own music to remix or set your original lyrics to AI-generated music, where Suno will recognise and stop you from using other artists tracks and lyrics – supposedly.

Supposedly indeed. Because it turns out people are finding the platform's copyright filters extremely easy to bypass, with minimal effort, and some free software. So, users are making AI-generated versions of songs like Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” and Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” that are alarmingly close to the original. If you tweak the spelling of a couple of words, Bob’s your uncle. Slop enabled by platforms like Suno is flooding the internet at an unprecedented scale. And Suno’s lack of functioning safeguards makes that slop all the more accessible. And keeping up with it all is becoming near impossible.

Finally, there’s currently a whole ass coordinated influencer campaign funded by Build American AI being rolled out on social media to promote US artificial intelligence and “American innovation.” But half of it is focused on China.

Yes, marketing agencies are pitching influencers deals such as $5,000 per TikTok video to amplify Build American AI’s messaging about how China’s technological rise should be seen as a threat. These videos desperately try to push the narrative that “beating” China is very important.

Sample messaging provided by Build American AI to content creators includes lines like “I just learned that China is trying really hard to beat the US in AI. If they do, it could mean that China gets personal data from me and my kids, and take jobs that should be here in the US. In the AI innovation race, I’m Team USA!!!” Haha. We live in a literal circus. Anyway! Enjoy your day people. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Back as in, we’re getting to know our neighbours like the good old days.

For the last decade, we’ve all believed in this concept of the “global village." We traded the person across the street for a digital avatar across the ocean, convinced that proximity was an outdated constraint.

Then, the pandemic happened. As our digital tools became lifelines, they simultaneously revealed a stark reality: when a crisis hits, an algorithm cannot bring you a bag of groceries or check on your elderly father. The only thing that can do that is community. Something we seem to have lost over the years.

But today, we are witnessing the birth (or maybe, rebirth) of what Vox calls “neighbourism.” A practice of radical, everyday care rooted in proximity. It's a deliberate pivot from digital fatigue back to the tangible. One where the people who share our streets are seen not as strangers, but as co-creators of our safety and joy.

Research shows that a sense of belonging is as vital to human health as food and shelter. Go figure.

When we feel connected to those around us, our heart rate slows, stress-reducing brain regions activate, and our overall resilience increases. This is why I will die on the hill of the importance of community. It’s in our nature to want to be close to others.

A 2025 study in Psychology Today found that knowing just six neighbours is enough to significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and improve mental well-being. These weak ties, the casual hello at the mailbox or the brief chat over a garden fence, are what sociologists call “bumping spaces.” Unlike the high-pressure curation of social media, these low-stakes physical interactions provide almost like a social cure that buffers against anxiety and depression.

This is why the return to irl experiences is a digital detox that restores the self-esteem and confidence that constant online comparison has completely eroded over the last decade.

But it’s genuinely being built in real-time through hyper-local groups that emerged when institutional gaps became impossible to ignore:

From an individualistic “every man for themselves” mindset to one centred on community.

It’s the belief that safety and aid are not products we buy (via security systems, police, or government “supports”), but a relationship we build. This is found in the "Care Manifesto." It's the idea that acts of "not caring" often happen unthinkingly. And to truly care for our neighbours is a radical act of resistance against a culture of isolation.

It starts with "bumping" into one another again. It’s the community garden where social bonds form organically over watering cans. It’s the "knock-knock" card for a new neighbour or a casual morning tea that transforms a street from a collection of houses into a mutual aid network.

As we emerge from an era of digital exhaustion, we are relearning a fundamental truth: our ability to thrive is inextricably linked to the well-being of the person on the other side of the fence.

It’s not a return to the past; it is a way to build a more resilient, joyful, and human future. Outside of the internet. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Today’s viral trend is surprisingly coming from a slowcore track, "One Day I’ll Change, By Your Side", by a Spotify artist known for their chill, slow and moody sound. Some people have even called it a bit depressing, very much the kind of song you put on while staring at the ceiling and ponder about life.

The sound is blowing up on TikTok, with one creator racking up 2 million likes in just three days, and there’s no reason you can’t do the same! Creators are pairing the sound with on-screen text that reads like an inner thought, usually starting with “when”, and tapping into feelings of self-invalidation, guilt, and insecurities. 

Using the audio, turn the camera on yourself looking a bit upset. Add on-screen text starting with "when", describing your small but heavy moment. You can get really deep with it, or you can sprinkle in a bit of humour to tailor it to your brand. 

A few ideas to get you started:

-Fiona Badiana, Intern

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: On theme for Mother's day
❤How wholesome: You've got a friend in me
🎧Soooo tingly: Mic ASMR
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: POKE BOWLS

Hey Josh!

It’s totally normal to feel lost when you’re trying to adjust to working after university. But the fact that you've done that study means you have a great foundational understanding of marketing. Now, it’s about learning to apply what you’ve learnt with a little flexibility, since the real world doesn’t always go by the book!

My biggest piece of advice is to be ok with not knowing. You’re going to make mistakes, so be ready to own them when that happens. Ask as many questions as you can of the people on your team. Better yet, find someone who’s willing to mentor you so you’ve got a person to go to when you need advice. As long as you have a growth mindset, you’ll be just fine.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.