Open Tabs

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Today, we're talking about why friendship is becoming one of the internet's biggest status symbols, why Meta's latest AI rollout has creators [and users] concerned, and how Netflix is making its boldest move yet to compete with YouTube. Timestamps 🤝 00:00 – Are influencer friend groups the internet’s newest flex? We...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Wednesday: * Taylor Swift’s wedding felt anticlimatic [00:00]. The wedding finally happened, but was the speculation more fun than the event itself? * When brands should sit out the meme [~00:08:00]. We discuss Silence, Brand! ’s piece breaking down all the brand posts that came out of the recent Empire State Bu...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Friday: * Taylor Swift's "royal wedding" speculation [00:00] . The internet is convinced Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are secretly getting married today. We unpack why the speculation has reached a fever pitch, how Taylor trained fans to look for Easter eggs, and where the line between authentic fandom and manu...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Wednesday: * TikTok’s “hot girl” controversies [00:00] . Two content creators are under fire for trademarking the terms Hot Girls Read and Hot Girl Walk . We unpack what these controversies reveal about ownership, community, and why creators are increasingly treating culture like intellectual property. * A24's A...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Friday: * Meta wants to be your bookie [~00:03:18]. Meta is reportedly building a standalone prediction market app called Arena, joining the rush toward betting on everything from elections to reality TV outcomes. * The rise of butter squishies [~00:24:50]. A trip to 7-Eleven leads us down a surprisingly deep ra...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Wednesday: * Creators take over Cannes Lions [~00:01:55]. Brand spending on influencer marketing is forecast to hit $12.4 billion this year, and for the first time brands are flying creators out to pitch them, not the other way around. We get into what's actually driving that power shift and whether a 23-year-ol...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Friday: * Wired’s deep dive into Fishtank Live, the 24/7 unmoderated reality stream [~00:00:22]. Contestants with nothing to lose live in a house while viewers blast insults through a live speaker system. The hosts unpack why this feels like the inevitable endpoint of reality TV, social media, and a generation u...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Wednesday: * MrBeast becomes the first YouTuber to hit 500 million subscribers [~00:00:22]. The hosts debate whether the number means much when so many “subscribers” are just chasing his cash giveaways, and whether his fan base simply ages out of his content as fast as it ages in. * Vanity Fair’s exposé on Alex...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This episode: * Creators are filling Love Island USA’s content void [~00:00:42]. With contestants’ accounts dormant this season, content creator @NotWildlin has stepped in with hour-long TikTok recaps of each episode. * Why is everyone drinking Loonen water? [~00:11:14]. The glass-bottled water brand has taken over f...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This Wednesday: * Love Island US is going social media silent [~00:00:52]. Season 8 made the call to keep contestants' personal accounts dormant while they're in the villa. * The Backrooms is the perfect Gen Z horror movie [~00:15:07]. A24's latest just crossed $200M at the international box office in 10 days, direct...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This week we cover: * The rise of snail mail clubs [~00:01:07]. We dive into how physical mail became a growing creative economy and Megan Collins does a live snail mail club unboxing. Plus: why the appeal might have less to do with nostalgia and more to do with craving a sensory experience that your phone just can’t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This week: * Spotify is reserving concert tickets for superfans [~00:00:35] . Spotify announced it will use listening data (streams, hours, and shares) to identify superfans and hold tickets exclusively for premium subscribers. * The rise of whimsy [~00:19:10]. A New York Times piece declared whimsy a rising trend am...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com This week: * The rise of parallel play for adults [~4:31]. A Real Simple article applied the child development concept of parallel play to adult friendship -- spending time together while doing your own thing. * The Rise of Parallel Play Friendships, Real Simple * Stop Calling It Community. You’re Running a Group Cha...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Happy Friday! 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * Charli xcx dropped a new song exclusively on Instagram and vinyl [~0:...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Happy Friday! 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * The Met Gala happened [~0:29]. We had varying levels of investment: M...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Happy Friday! 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * AI influencers are getting sneakier [~0:29]. A New Yorker piece profi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Happy Friday! 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * Summer 2026 Trend Predictions [~0:13]. Megan dropped a preview of her...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Hi 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * Here’s what we covered this week: * The War of the Ale[i]xes — is it beef or is...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Happy Friday 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * The Summer House scandal keeps evolving — and the brands are moving fa...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Happy Friday 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * Is the Summer House relationship drama…real or a stunt? [~0:30] . As r...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mtdeco.substack.com Happy Friday 👋 We’re back with this week’s episode of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the internet news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs. Here’s what we covered this week: * Alix Earle’s skincare launch is a masterclass in gamification [~0:30]....

Happy Friday 👋 Here’s everything we covered in this week’s Open Tabs conversation: * The Oscars are evolving for the scroll-first era [~0:30]. We felt this year’s Oscars did a better job reflecting culture — from winners that felt aligned with the moment to more self-aware nods to how people actually watch (scrolling, second-screening, missing moments). There was also a clear effort to blend Holl...

Happy Friday 👋 Here’s everything we covered in this week’s Open Tabs conversation: * Gen Z is already nostalgic for TikTok’s early days [~1:20]. A new Harris Poll found that 79% of Gen Z TikTok users say they miss the early version of the platform — specifically the scrappier, 15-second, less-polished content that dominated during the pandemic. Many respondents cited too many ads, influencer satu...

Happy Friday 👋 Here’s everything we covered in this week’s Open Tabs conversation: * The McDonald’s CEO taste test — and the executive social media dilemma [3:00]. A few weeks ago, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a video taste-testing a new burger. The problem? He referred to it as “the product,” took a tiny bite, and didn’t exactly radiate enthusiasm. The video recently resurfaced and ex...

Happy Friday 👋 Here’s everything we covered in this week’s Open Tabs conversation: * Kids content on YouTube: evergreen, evolving, and oddly unpredictable [0:00]. Megan kicked us off fresh from Kidscreen, where her business partner Kaylee Mullen spoke about kids and YouTube. The big takeaway? The space is… nebulous. There’s real success happening, but it’s not a simple growth story. * Our POV: Th...