
Outlandish taps Brazil market as Santa Monica retail lab goes global
Brazil represents a seismic shift in the global retail landscape, where live, shoppable content is rapidly becoming the dominant mode of consumer engagement. The impending launch of TikTok Shop in Latin America's largest economy is not merely another platform rollout; it's the catalyst for a complete behavioral overhaul. For a company like Outlandish, which cut its teeth on the Third Street Promenade with an immersive retail studio, this moment is a strategic inevitability. The market's unique blend of tech-savvy youth, massive mobile penetration, and cultural appetite for real-time interaction creates a perfect storm for social commerce to thrive.

Snap's new AI search engine will be powered by Perplexity
In a move that sent shockwaves through the tech industry, Snap Inc. has cemented a $400 million partnership with Perplexity AI to embed its conversational search engine directly into Snapchat. Announced alongside Snap's Q3 2025 results, this cash-and-equity deal grants Perplexity unprecedented access to over 940 million monthly active users, fundamentally reimagining how search happens within a social app. The integration, set to go live in early 2026, represents a bold bet on the future of in-app discovery and signals a major pivot in how AI companies scale.

Stay in the Know: Why Creators Can't Afford to Miss Platform Updates
Social media algorithms are no longer static rulebooks; they are dynamic, AI-powered systems that decide your content's fate with every scroll. In 2026, platforms like Facebook and Instagram use machine learning to personalize feeds, shifting from mere chronological order to complex engagement-based curation. For creators, this means visibility is no longer guaranteed by follower count aloneโit's dictated by how well your content aligns with evolving algorithmic priorities. Missing an update isn't just a minor oversight; it's a direct threat to your growth, as unexpected shifts can plummet your reach overnight, turning viral potential into digital obscurity.

Experts raise concerns about impact of social media, video games on kids
In today's world, digital media is an inescapable part of growing up, with 85% of U.S. teens reporting they play video games and 41% engaging daily. This saturation extends to social media platforms, weaving a complex web where young identities are shaped and social norms are negotiated in virtual spaces.

Instagram finally gets the update we've been waiting years for โ and that's no joke
Instagram has officially ended one of the tech world's most puzzling droughts by launching a dedicated iPad app, a move users have clamored for since the tablet's inception. This isn't a simple port; it's a thoughtfully designed application that leverages the iPad's expansive canvas to transform how we interact with social content. For years, iPad owners were stuck with a blown-up iPhone version or the web interface, but that era is conclusively over.

Instagram Outlines Updated Performance Metrics, Including Audience Growth Indicators
Instagram has officially rolled out a series of updated performance metrics, shifting the focus towards more nuanced indicators of success, particularly highlighting audience growth. This move reflects the platform's commitment to providing creators and brands with deeper insights into their content's impact beyond vanity numbers.

Virginia Giuffre's family says Instagram post by Jeffrey Epstein victim meant to be private
Virginia Giuffre, a key figure in the Jeffrey Epstein saga, jolted social media with a raw Instagram post showcasing her bruised face in a hospital bed. She described a horrific car accident involving a school bus, claiming kidney failure and a prognosis of just four days to live. The emotional caption, expressing a desire to see her children one last time, instantly went viral, blending concern with intense public curiosity.

Sliding into DMs just got better with Instagram's latest update
Imagine receiving a message in a language you don't understand, and with a simple tap, it transforms into your native tongue. Instagram's latest update to Direct Messages makes this a reality, introducing an in-stream translation feature that erases language barriers with elegance and ease.

2025 Digital Media Trends: Social platforms are becoming a dominant force in media and entertainment
The digital media landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, with hyperscale social video platforms catapulting to the forefront of entertainment. Fueled by an insatiable appetite for visual content, the global video sharing platform market was valued at over $500 billion in 2023 and is projected to surpass a staggering $1.3 trillion by 2030. This explosive growth, driven by a compound annual growth rate exceeding 15%, signals a fundamental transfer of audience attention and advertising revenue away from traditional broadcast and cable models.

Making high-quality medical advice more accessible for Arabic speakers with YouTube Health
When a health concern arises, our first instinct is often to search online for answers. More and more, people are turning to video platforms to find digestible, visual explanations of medical conditions and treatments. This trend highlights a critical need for accessible health information, especially for non-English speakers who may face language barriers in understanding complex medical advice. For Arabic speakers, finding reliable content in their native language can be a challenge, leading to frustration and potential misinformation. YouTube Health's new initiative aims to bridge this gap by providing a dedicated space for high-quality, Arabic-language medical content.