Top Sounds 

Our curated picks of the top sounds on TikTok

1. Mary On A Cross* Use this sound to showcase what you love. Note: It is not, in fact, about someone called Mariana Cross.
2. You’re a Genius! Sometimes you have an idea that is so smart… and so foolish.
3. I Wish I Knew This song has been a solid backdrop for a hot minute but there’s been a recent surge in content under the sound. It’s good to use as a background song or to explain what you now know.
4. One Key Component Apparently, you’re meant to have feelings? Sounds fake but I guess.
5. His Toughest Battles Sometimes you feel like a soldier being given the toughest battles. Battles like [checks notes] not saying slay in work emails.
6. *pipes* Here’s a sound for when you’re ready to tell the truth.

*not for business account use

 Our Sound Highlight 

Corn

Mood: 

There was a very wholesome video of a kid celebrating the glory of corn. While I’m pretty concerned given the history of child internet celebrities, I’m wishing the best for this kid.

 Video Highlight 

AFL-CIO has a point. Is it quiet quitting or is it acting your wage?

 Effects Highlight 

Sorry to Miss Angela Davis for this one. Use this filter to express your MO paired with this sound. Remorse not required.

 The Moment 

Issues that are at the forefront of online discourse— student loan debt forgiveness

It happened. Biden made a decision on student loan forgiveness.

And, because hell is hot, there have been myriad angry tweets. Turns out, anger at working-class people is de-rigueur among the “I labored at The Economist” set.

Reality check for my folks on the Francine end of the economic and political spectrum: people who had the socio-economic privilege to nepotism-job their way out of debt are of the least concern when it comes to alleviating an unfair burden on millions of people and that’s a good thing.

As a Pell Grant recipient (72% of Pell recipients are Black) I know, all too well, the disadvantages and hurdles faced by low-income folks. Total cancellation should be our goal, but I know what $20,000 will mean to so many people, myself included. People who think $125,000 is a typical starting salary, really aren’t the people we need to listen to. And we definitely don’t need to take stock of the opinions of folks who just got an average of $95,700 of PPP loan debt forgiven (s/o to social media managers for tweeting the receipts).

We should have broad policies that alleviate the suffering of the most marginalized. We should not have an educational system that requires taking on tens of thousands of dollars of debt. Our students’ hopes and dreams should not be subject to a Wall Street stranglehold.

 The Zeitgeist 

Hot topics from across the internet

• House of The Dragon premiered on HBO and HBO Max with 10 million views, a record for the network.
• MoviePass is back from beyond the entertainment grave promising a tiered payment system— but there’s a waitlist.
• Talcum X W.E.B DeFraud Shaun King is under investigation, according to this journalist, and not even for using $40K of PAC money on a guard dog.
• Don’t Worry Darling needed to move the comma because we are worried darling! The drama on this production is seemingly boundless- enabling Shia LaBeouf, Harry Styles’ ‘nightmare’ accent… the list goes on!
• Sydney Sweeny’s family had some form of MAGA party? I’m going to be honest, my investment in white conservative families is nil. Here’s a funny TikTok about it anyway.
• We should bully Jeff Bezos more, this isn’t even news. I just want us all to think about it.

 The Takeaway 

TikTok’s Creator Fund

It seems TikTok may be disincentivizing creators from joining the creator fund. If you’ve ever wondered what creators make from the fund it is surprisingly low, a video with 2 million views could make only $10, nowhere near comparable to YouTube’s ad revenue.

We want influencers (and everyone!) to make a fair living wage. TikTok’s creator fund could help influencers toward that standard but more and more creators have been dropping out of the fund; citing the low payout and anecdotal evidence suggesting TikTok ‘suppresses’ their content.

What this means for social media managers is redoubling a commitment to equitable payments. We might not have the power to see into TikTok’s ever-evolving strategy, or how the creator fund might continue to function, but we do have the power to commit to paying creators the equivalent of a fair wage.

Made it to the end of this newsletter? Here’s a treat, a take on Alien Superstar.

P.S Folks, Vocal has a brand new website up now!