“Religious” chatbots, based on the Bhagavad Gita, emerge in India, with millions using them, some answering ~50K questions per day and others condoning violence
Claiming wisdom based on the Bhagavad Gita, the bots frequently go way off script. — • NEW DELHI, INDIA Tweets: @cengizyar , @hare_brain , and @karan_singhs Tweets: Cengiz / @cengizyar : Talk to you...
A look at the Chinese social e-commerce app and women-friendly “lifestyle bible” Xiaohongshu, which has 200M MAUs and critics describe as a consumerist trap
Known as China's “lifestyle bible,” the social media platform is an aspirational living guide or a consumerist trap. Tweets: @restofworld , @mikeelgan , @violazhouyi , @openbarllc , @violazhouyi , @re...
Experts: India's TikTok clones like Moj and Josh have failed to replicate TikTok's success, and Instagram and YouTube will take over India's short-video segment
Creators are instead gravitating toward Instagram and YouTube, which may eventually be the winners in the Indian short-video segment. Tweets: @glenngabe , @restofworld , @restofworld , @restofworld , ...
Inside China's $16B virtual influencer industry, as motion capture actors complain of hard working conditions powering their avatars four to five hours per day
It's really about the Pacific, but Taiwan stands in the way. Art: Mark Corry. Tweets: Ross Dawson / @rossdawson : Virtual influencers are becoming massive, especially in China, where it's a $16bn ind...
A look at “migrant TikTok”, content by and for migrants journeying to Europe, as platforms struggle to moderate videos referring to illegal smuggling
Betsy Joles / Rest of World : Tweets: @cengizyar Tweets: Cengiz / @cengizyar : An ecosystem of content by and for migrants is flourishing on apps like TikTok, often repurposing videos to advertise an...
A look at “migrant TikTok”, content by and for migrants journeying to Europe, as platforms struggle to moderate videos referring to illegal smuggling
Videos on the harrowing journey between Africa and Europe offer valuable information — and tease a brighter future for migrants Tweets: @cengizyar Tweets: Cengiz / @cengizyar : An ecosystem of content...
A look at adult webcam “monitors” in Colombia who train models and provide tech support; Colombia has the world's second largest camming industry behind Romania
Rest of World : Tweets: @helenliwrites , @alexgonzor , @restofworld , @cengizyar , and @fogginsophie Tweets: Helen Li / @helenliwrites : Wanted to give a huge shout-out to this absolutely stunning wr...
A look at adult webcam “monitors” in Colombia who train models and provide tech support; Colombia has the world's second largest camming industry behind Romania
In Colombia, camming monitors train models, translate chats, and provide tech support. Tweets: @restofworld , @cengizyar , @helenliwrites , @fogginsophie , and @alexgonzor Tweets: @restofworld : Among...
Crypto miners, who scrambled into a welcoming Kazakhstan after China's ban, are leaving as the government throttles power supply due to blackouts and infighting
Rest of World : Tweets: @joannalillis , @restofworld , @glynmoody , and @cengizyar Tweets: Joanna Lillis / @joannalillis : '"It's a mess": How crypto mining went from boom to bust in #Kazakhstan' - “...
As Istanbul becomes the world's capital of casual mobile gaming, a look at Turkey's estimated $880M gaming industry and its exploitative labor practices
Overworked and underpaid engineers are helping fuel Istanbul's mobile gaming bonanza. — • ISTANBUL, TURKEY Tweets: @kayagenc , @dlepeska , @cengizyar , and @anupkaphle Tweets: @kayagenc : How Istanb...