today in tabs: pitch it as a show, not a podcast

ALSO: Netflix is going to stream a free-solo climb, how politics became completely parasocial, a new Banksy mural, and more

Happy Tuesday, December 23rd – and merry Christmas eve eve!

FYSA, every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

I’M ALSO LOOKING FOR MORE PEOPLE TO DO MINI INTERVIEWS FOR OPEN TABS :) Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, tea, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), that would be so appreciated 🙏

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PROGRAMMING NOTE: I’ll be back with one more send to say goodbye (and good riddance) to 2025 on Tuesday, December 30th. And then we’ll kick off the new year with a Tuesday, January 13th send (in the meantime, please keep the Dublin recs coming!).

Aura (an AI digital privacy and safety company – so bear the messenger in mind) released a report earlier this month on AI and young people. Here were some of the most notable excepts to me:

When kids use AI, 42% of the time it’s for companionship. About 37% of those interactions involve violence, and the exchanges are unusually long. Kids who move into violent storylines type more than 1,000 words a day in these apps — more than in any other category Aura analyzed, including Sex and Romance, Friend, and Emotional Support.

Kids tell a similar story. Technology is the number one reason they clash with their parents. Losing a device leaves most feeling frustrated (56%) or annoyed (50%), and only 16% say the consequence helps. Sixty-two percent of surveyed kids say they wish they could flip the script and take away their parents’ phones.

The emotional gap is widening: Parents think tech has negatively impacted girls’ emotions, like stress, jealousy, and loneliness, nearly twice as often as boys: 51% vs. 36%.

There’s a 92 Percent Chance Trump Is Making It Up

More likely, his affinity for 92 percent and extravagantly large round numbers is what in a game of poker might be called a tell. In 2019, Bloomberg noticed 10,000 cropping up whenever Trump made big claims, in topics such as the stock market and ISIS fighters. It was the number Trump cited for known or suspected gang members whom ICE removed in 2018 (though the agency put that number at 5,872). (The Atlantic, 12/20 – free version)

Politics Is Fandom; Fascism Is Fanfic

Fandom is not just the act of loving a television show or having a parasocial relationship with a celebrity. It’s about belonging to a community of people with common interests who share lore and inside jokes, but also hero and villain narratives that color their worldviews. Political movements operate in a similar vein, but until recently the digital behaviors that come with stanning someone like Taylor Swift or creating fancams were reserved for pop culture figures. (WIRED, 12/22)

• Lucy’s note: never not stanning Makena Kelly in this home

Americans End Year in Gloomy Mood

When asked separately about the job the Republicans and Democrats in Congress are doing, Americans give both groups poor marks. Approval of Republicans in Congress stands at 29%, while Democrats in Congress receive a rating of 24%. Congressional Republicans are buoyed by support from their own party, with 69% of rank-and-file Republicans approving of their party’s representatives and senators. In contrast, less than half of Democrats (49%) approve of their own party’s members of Congress. (Gallup, 12/22)

Top talent at TikTok rejoice! Your boss is about to pay you big time.

In ByteDance’s upcoming annual performance reviews, the company aims to spend 50% more globally on incentives like bonuses or raises that increase the total take-home pay for some staff compared to the previous cycle, the memo said. The payouts are reserved for top talent at the company as part of a push to keep them happy and also attract new hires, per the memo. (Business Insider, 12/22)

It’s finally time to retire the word ‘podcast’

Using the word “show” seems to be a more marketable term for advertising, especially when attaching celebrity names to the project. Pitching podcasts to advertisers sounds limiting and niche, but pitching a “show” — hey, that’s a place where they can get ears and eyes, and a definitive platform where the shows will live. Podcast creators want that Seth Meyers money. (The Verge, 12/22 – free version)

Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves

Flock left livestreams and administrator control panels for at least 60 of its AI-enabled Condor cameras around the country exposed to the open internet, where anyone could watch them, download 30 days worth of video archive, and change settings, see log files, and run diagnostics. (404 Media, 12/22 – free version)

Spotify Music Library Scraped by Pirate Activist Group

Anna’s Archive, which typically focuses on books and papers, said the project is part of its mission of “preserving humanity’s knowledge and culture” and described the Spotify scrape as an effort to “build a music archive primarily aimed at preservation.” (Billboard, 12/21)

DraftKings launches prediction market amid fight over sports betting

The rise of prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi has upended the betting landscape, allowing users to risk money on sports outcomes even in states that haven’t legalized wagering. DraftKings Predictions goes live Friday morning in 38 states, including Texas and California, the two biggest states that haven’t legalized traditional sports betting. (Axios, 12/19)

Abandoning homeownership may be changing how people behave at work and home

With home affordability increasingly out of reach, many young adults are making choices that are reshaping the economy — and mostly for the worse — a new research paper says. They don’t think they’ll ever be homeowners. So they stop trying, and focus on the here and now. (WaPo, 12/23)

From Queer-Baiting to Neurodivergence: Heated Rivalry’s Author Tackles Fan Theories and Controversy

If you’re not watching it yet, you know someone who is. (Full disclosure: I threw a Heated Rivalry–themed holiday party last week, which just meant playing it on mute in my apartment for the vibes.) From Reddit to BookTok, the show and its source material have also sparked a lot of discourse, ranging from speculation about lead character Shane’s neurodivergence, commentaries about race in hockey, and accusations that Reid favors mischievous Russian Ilya over Shane. (WIRED, 12/19)

Banksy Gives Britain Another Bittersweet Christmas Gift

Banksy does not speak to the news media or public, and his work often stirs debate about its meaning. He is known for social and political commentary, and the latest murals in London were interpreted by some observers in the street art world as a statement on rising child homelessness in Britain, based on the content and locations. (NYT gift link, 12/22)

Why the chocolate in your holiday candy could be ‘fake’ this year

However, according to Massimo Sabatini, co-founder and CEO of Italian startup Foreverland, a move away from cocoa is gaining traction among international confectioners, so much so that it could become the norm to see “fake” chocolate used in more budget-friendly products. Foreverland uses carob, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas to produce a chocolate-like product that’s sold to companies producing confectionery, baked goods, and ice creams. (CNBC News, 12/21)

Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 Free Solo Scheduled

When it opened in 2004, it was the tallest building in the world. It now ranks 11th, but remains an impressive, striking feature of Taipei. Honnold’s ascent will be live-streamed in a two-hour special on Netflix early next year. The program will be called Skyscraper Live. Netflix recently announced that Honnold’s attempt will be live streamed on Friday January 23. (Gripped, 12/20)

• Lucy’s note: I feel like this could possibly be major for Netflix live

The Artist in Gracie Mansion

When she taught a previously scheduled workshop on the night of a mayoral debate, the internet hailed Duwaji for skipping her husband’s “boring work event” and labeled her the “chicest woman alive” for posting a carousel of photos of the art inspiring her during the week of the election, nary a smiling image of Mamdani in sight. (The Cut, 12/23 – free version)

• Lucy’s note: GOD it’s good to be a New Yorker these days 🥹

Extra Credit 🤓

Some newsletters I thought were excellent recently:

• “The 20 best links of 2025” from Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends

• “ten philosophical ideas that secretly change how you live” from ayushi thakkar of milk and cookies

  • This is not normally my content-consumption area… but I thought these 10 were super good

That’s all for now – I’ll see you next Tuesday (lol).