Literally saw this on my IG feed just now. And that was just one of so many “I think I’m shadow banned” posts popping up right now. And yeah, maybe these influencers are just begging for engagement in the nicest way they know how. But the bigger trend here is the growing algorithmic anxiety, the panic behind the eyes of creators building audiences on unpredictable platforms. So, is shadow banning a thing? Or is it just something we invented to get around admitting sometimes content’s just… not good?

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

And it’s clear you haven’t just lost them. You’ve lost the deal.

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Traditional news sources: 🙅🏻‍♀️ 🚫 ❌

News delivered on TikTok by a bleach-blonde 26-year-old named Dylan: 😎👌🔥

Based in the UK, Dylan Page is one of the faces in a growing community of what’s called “news influencers.” His “News Daddy” empire, which began in August 2020, is currently amassing over 1.5 billion likes on posts. His content spans breaking news, politics and pop culture, all delivered in the over-enthusiastic YouTube voice. Y’all know the one.

Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab polled 1,026 students at 181 two- and four-year institutions on their media literacy practices. The results showed social media is a “top news source” for nearly three in four students. Of those surveyed, “half at least somewhat trust platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to deliver that news and other critical information accurately.”

Legacy media, primarily newspapers, on the other hand, are regular news sources for just two in 10 students. This is despite the fact that they said newspapers are more likely to convey accurate information. Which explains why all of these pages like News Daddy and @realtalkingfish are popping up all over the feed.

Google’s Gemini 3 just dropped and the tech bros are acting like they’ve witnessed the second coming of Jesus. It’s topping every leaderboard, coding like a prodigy, and apparently convinced Salesforce’s CEO to switch sides in two hours flat. Even OpenAI and Elon offered (the world’s most begrudging) claps.

But, benchmarks aren’t the real world. Gemini 3 is fast, powerful, and great at broad tasks. But pros in law, medicine, and coding are still sticking with their usual models. In summary, impressive debut, big “holy sh*t” energy, but we’re not packing up our digital bags just yet.

Aside from the butt of every “dad's Christmas gift” joke, no one really cares for socks too much in the West. In Japan, however, they’re an “indispensable” part of sartorial culture. And if I know anything about Japan, I know they’re renowned for sartorial excellence. The nation’s love for socks stems from the tradition that shoes are not to be worn inside houses and other public spaces, even many restaurants. So, your sock better be on point. No, seriously.

A noted Japanese fashion stylist, Reina Ogawa Clarke, and her husband Ashley Ogawa Clarke, a fashion journalist, noted that their attitude to socks changed completely after moving from London to Tokyo. According to Ashley, “A hole in a sock isn’t something within my reality anymore.”

Socks, in this case, are not a functional item, but a way to enhance any outfit. Which explains why the market for socks in Japan is projected to reach over $2.87 TRILLION by 2030. The more ya know I guess.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Some say it with fear, others with conviction, and a very specific group (I believe) say it like a strategic wink: “Interact with this bc I think I’m shadow banned ☹”

I can kind of understand why. The algorithm feels like a moody god at the moment, and creators are its worshippers, trying desperately to interpret the signs.

Yes. And also… not really. It exists as a moderation concept, but not in the overt “you’ve been quietly punished mwahahaha” way creators tend to imagine.

It’s more like a messy cluster of automated filters, risk flags, and temporary de-prioritisations triggered by the vaguest possible list of behaviours. Post something sexual? Maybe flagged. Political? Maybe flagged. Too many link dumps? Maybe flagged. Look spammy for even a second? Good luck out there, bud.

The real issue is that platforms rarely confirm anything. They never actually say “you’re suppressed for 72 hours because you made a ‘sexy’ caption.” They just let the silence speak.

Because most of the time, what creators think is a shadow ban is actually just… the algorithm doing normal algorithm things.

You have to remember: the algorithm has no loyalty, no consistency, and no emotional intelligence. It’s not punishing you. It’s just busy. Or bored. Or reorganising itself entirely. One day your video gets 2 million views, the next day it gets 200. And suddenly you’re pacing your living room whispering, “why have the gods forsaken me!” like an Ancient Greek poet.

Creators cannot distinguish normal fluctuations from actual suppression, because everything online now feels like a high-stakes performance review. Every dip feels personal. Every spike feels fleeting.

And political or sexual creators feel this even more intensely, because their content already lives closer to the platform’s imaginary electric fence. They’re constantly waiting for the hammer to drop. Sometimes it does, but mostly they’re reacting to a system that’s simply as unstable as your self-medicated aunt.

Creators are timing uploads based on lunar cycles (or vibes), cleansing their drafts, manifesting reach, asking followers to comment “to prove I’m not dead.” It’s half pagan ritual, half marketing strategy. And lowkey kind of funny to witness (I’m sorry.)

But here’s something I suspect no one admits: for some creators, “I’m shadow banned” is also… convenient. It’s a socially acceptable way to ask for engagement, boost comments, or explain a flop. It protects the ego, drives sympathy and reframes poor performance as an otherworldly injustice rather than “people just didn’t care for this one.”

Shadow ban discourse has become engagement bait with emotional frosting.

Of course, the platforms love the ambiguity. If creators don’t know why something tanked, they will post more to “fix” it. If they don’t know why something went viral, they will chase it endlessly. Mystery is the growth engine, and clarity would just slow everything down.

Algorithm anxiety is the new creator burnout. It makes everyone hypervigilant, constantly apologising to their followers, obsessively checking analytics, refreshing notifications like a slot machine lever. It pushes creators into content they don’t even like making anymore because they’re terrified the algorithm will abandon them if they take one wrong step.

Shadow banning isn’t killing creativity, but fear of shadow banning certainly is.

The real issue is that creators are trying to build stable careers on unstable platforms. They’re trying to find logic in a system that isn’t designed to be understood. And because platforms thrive on confusion, the cycle continues.

Maybe the real takeaway is simple. You’re probably not shadow banned. You’re just at the mercy of an unpredictable algorithm that was never designed to love you back.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

This audio originally comes from the Joe Budden podcast where Nicki Minaj silenced the podcast host. In the clip, Joe gets riled up, saying, "You're saying that to Joe f%&king Budden?" to which Nicki responds, "Yes. YOU YOU YOU!"

It's perfect for those situations where you not only back yourself, but let all hell break loose. My fav examples include:

Take this sound and turn the camera to yourself. Then add onscreen text describing a situation where you've stood up for yourself, with a sped-up effect to make it stimulating. 

A few ideas to get you started:

-Raewyn Zhao, Intern

😂Yap’s funniest home videos What to put for your next Depop order freebies
❤How wholesome Cute deer in Japan
😊Soooo satisfying Hydraulic press
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight Chimichurri recipe for your steak

Hey Marianne,

You may not know this, but Gen X is actually the fastest growing demographic on TikTok. Some research suggests up to 28% of TikTok users are Gen X! Most apps skew young when they first come out, but over time they attract older users (just look at Facebook and Instagram). So if you're wondering whether your audience is on the platform, I would assume they are.

As a word of caution, though, I wouldn't go onto a new platform with the intention to sell your product immediately. Social media is an amazing tool for brand building, and if you do that right, you will eventually make sales. But your content should be something your target audience really wants to watch rather than centring around selling. For more on that, check out How to grow your social accounts from zero and How to start your TikTok from scratch.

- 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.