Creators
YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud, and other online platforms are changing the way people create and consume media. The Verge’s Creators section covers the people using these platforms, what they’re making, and how those platforms are changing (for better and worse) in response to the vloggers, influencers, podcasters, photographers, musicians, educators, designers, and more who are using them. The Verge’s Creators section also looks at the way creators are able to turn their projects into careers — from Patreons and merch sales, to ads and Kickstarters — and the ways they’re forced to adapt to changing circumstances as platforms crack down on bad actors and respond to pressure from users and advertisers. New platforms are constantly emerging, and existing ones are ever-changing — what creators have to do to succeed is always going to look different from one year to the next.
Creators Follow Follow YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud, and other online platforms are changing the way people create and consume media. The Verge’s Creators section covers the people using these platforms, what they’re making, and how those platforms are changing (for better and worse) in response to the vloggers, influencers, podcasters, photographers, musicians, educators, designers, and more who are using them. The Verge’s Creators section also looks at the way creators are able to turn their projects into careers — from Patreons and merch sales, to ads and Kickstarters — and the ways they’re forced to adapt to changing circumstances as platforms crack down on bad actors and respond to pressure from users and advertisers. New platforms are constantly emerging, and existing ones are ever-changing — what creators have to do to succeed is always going to look different from one year to the next. Every little thing she does is magic Meet Mary, the stop-motion 3D witch from Portsmith Cath Virginia Feb 12 What’s in the Epstein files? For Tiktokers, a content gold mine Driven by both institutional mistrust and the need to go viral, Epstein theories are clogging up TikTok. Niamh Rowe Feb 13 Latest In Creators J TikTok Jess Weatherbed Feb 16 Link Gaze upon this party-sized PC speaker. This project from Florida-based artist Gwak needs to make that horrid beep/buzzing noise when the phone rings for authenticity, but the yellowing and half-peeled sticker is -chef’s kiss-. A Star is born One night in the audience of Netflix’s most ambitious live show yet. David Pierce Feb 16 T Quote Thomas Ricker Feb 16 Link Actually, few TikTok USA users defected. A new Sensor Tower report suggests the USDS takeover managed to retain most of its users despite a bumpy start and concerns with the new owners: The average number of TikTok’s daily active users in the US remains around 95% of its usership compared to the week of Jan. 19-25. Can Democrats post their way to midterm victories? Kamala Harris’ campaign account, @KamalaHQ, has rebranded as a digital rapid response operation. Mia Sato Feb 13 TikTok launches Local Feeds in the US Stevie Bonifield Feb 11 Here are the brands bringing ads to ChatGPT Emma Roth Feb 11 J Twitter Jay Peters Feb 10 Link Twitch is testing pause screen ads. The platform isn’t the first service to try them. MrBeast just bought a banking app Stevie Bonifield Feb 9 R TikTok Richard Lawler Feb 9 Link Mr. Beast and Rainbolt pop up with Super Bowl ad contests. Redfin is doing a geoguessing-themed game of skill to give away a million-dollar house in its app, based on clues found in its Super Bowl ad , and Rainbolt is part of the promo — but he’s not allowed to help, based on the rules here . Meanwhile, Salesforce’s Mr. Beast ad promises a million-dollar giveaway based on the clues in its 30-second ad . TikTok’s infinite scroll is too addictive, say EU regulators Dominic Preston Feb 6 Play Reality is losing the deepfake war Why you can’t label your way into consensus reality amid the AI deepfake apocalypse. Nilay Patel Feb 5 Adobe actually won’t discontinue Animate Jay Peters Feb 4 Slopaganda goes West Mia Sato Feb 3 Adobe Animate is shutting down next month Emma Roth Feb 2 T Quote Thomas Ricker Feb 2 Link TikTok USA is back. We can confirm that basic features in the US do seem to work reliably now on the new Trump-friendly entity’s servers, even if the algorithm still seems a little wonky at times. Per TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC : We have successfully restored TikTok back to normal after a significant outage caused by winter weather took down a primary US data center site operated by Oracle. The winter storm led to a power outage which caused network and storage issues at the site and impacted tens of thousands of servers that help keep TikTok running in the US. Great, but how many of ya’ll have abandoned the platform? Who’s afraid of the new TikTok? Mia Sato Jan 30 One of the biggest manga piracy networks has been shut down Jess Weatherbed Jan 30 What is Nick Shirley? Nick Shirley and others like him are reminiscent of yellow journalism of the 19th century, updated and turbocharged by social media algorithms. Mia Sato Jan 29 R Quote Richard Lawler Jan 28 Link Oracle admits it broke TikTok. Without explaining why its cloud status page doesn’t list any outages, TikTok USDS part-owner Oracle outed itself as the previously unnamed “US data center partner” that experienced a power outage over the weekend, blocking videos from publishing and unraveling its all-important algorithm for a few days . Michael Egbert, Oracle Spokesperson: Over the weekend, an Oracle data center experienced a temporary weather-related power outage which impacted TikTok. The challenges U.S. TikTok users may be experiencing are the result of technical issues that followed the power outage, which Oracle and TikTok are working to quickly resolve. TikTok US is mostly back up and running Richard Lawler Jan 27 L The Verge Lauren Feiner Jan 27 Link TikTok moves to settle a major social media addiction case shortly before trial. It follows Snap in reaching an agreement to resolve the first of several cases slated to go to trial this year about social media’s alleged harm to users, an attorney for the 19-year-old plaintiff confirmed. That leaves Meta and YouTube as defendants in the case going to jury selection today. 2026 is the year of social media’s legal reckoning Lauren Feiner Jan 26 Truth and AI in Minneapolis David Pierce Jan 27 Google Photos now lets you describe how to transform images into video Jess Weatherbed Jan 27 R Richard Lawler Jan 27 Link TikTok is still struggling in the US due to a “cascading systems failure.” TikTok’s US service crashed early Sunday morning , and as of late Monday night, it still hasn’t fully recovered. After finally announcing the problem started with a power outage at an unnamed partner’s data center , TikTok USDS followed up with an updated statement saying, “While the network has been recovered, the outage caused a cascading systems failure that we’ve been working to resolve together with our data center partner,” and listing some of the bugs users are experiencing. There’s still no ETA for a full fix. Image: TikTok USDSJV (X) TikTok is still down, here are all the latest updates Richard Lawler Feb 2 R Richard Lawler Jan 27 Link Is New TikTok banning the word “Epstein” in DMs? Not really. Despite claims floating around social media, the truth is a bit more complicated, not least by the fact that TikTok in the US is still largely down, about a day and a half after its data center power outage problems started . While tweets from random users , the governor of California, and PopBase claimed TikTok US DMs now censor “Epstein,” testing it from our end showed that its messaging feature bans many innocuous single-word messages, like “test.” Using the convicted sex offender’s name in a sentence, however, goes through unbanned. TikTok DM screenshot showing the words “Epstein” and “test” trip the service’s ban by themselves, but not in a sentence. Even the big dick subreddit is mad about ICE Mia Sato Jan 26 E Instagram Emma Roth Jan 26 Link TikTok’s new owners and your FYP. Oracle and a group of investors now control TikTok in the US, and promise to retrain the app’s algorithm on US user data. Though TikTok blames some of the issues users experienced over the weekend on a power outage , many are still concerned about how their feed could change . TikTokers are heading to UpScrolled following US takeover Emma Roth Jan 26 Internal chats show how social media companies discussed teen engagement Lauren Feiner Jan 26 TikTok blames its US problems on a power outage Emma Roth Jan 26 TikTok USA is broken Dominic Preston Jan 26 2026 is the year of social media’s legal reckoning Lauren Feiner Jan 26 R Richard Lawler Jan 25 Link TikTok is breaking down. Whether this is just a regular outage or a result of this week’s changes in management , reports tracked on Downdetector and Reddit confirm many people are having trouble loading TikTok right now. If the mobile app loads, it’s not consistently showing comments or other features, and the algorithm managing the For You page doesn’t feel like it’s working correctly. Update, January 26th: TikTok is still having problems in the US, which it s ays are connected to a data center power outage . Screenshot: Downdetector Get ready for the AI ad-pocalypse Jess Weatherbed Jan 24 Congress doesn’t seem to know if the TikTok deal complies with its law Lauren Feiner Jan 23 What TikTok’s new owners mean for your feed Emma Roth Jan 23 The TikTok deal is done, finally Richard Lawler Jan 23 L External Link Lauren Feiner Jan 22 Link Lawmakers want to give creators a way to find out if their work was used to train AI. A pair of bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks (TRAIN) Act in the House, letting copyright holders see if AI models were trained on their work. It’s already been introduced in the Senate, and counts the Recording Industry Association of America and SAG-AFTRA among its endorsers. Dean, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Creators from Unauthorized AI Training [ Congresswoman Madeleine Dean ] Substack is launching a TV app, and not everyone is happy Mia Sato Jan 22 Most Popular Most Popular Apple’s doing something on March 4th Why are Epstein’s emails full of equals signs? OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI The Pocket Taco is the best way to turn your phone into a Game Boy Anker’s USB-C cable that lets you charge two gadgets at once is 20 percent off Advertiser Content From This is the title for the native ad
Executive Summary
The Verge's Creators section explores the evolving landscape of digital content creation, focusing on the intersection of creators, platforms, and audiences. It delves into the strategies creators employ to monetize their work, the challenges they face due to platform policies, and the broader implications of these dynamics on digital media consumption. The section highlights the adaptability required of creators in response to platform changes and societal trends.
Key Points
- ▸ The Verge's Creators section covers the impact of online platforms on media creation and consumption.
- ▸ It examines how creators monetize their work through various means, including Patreon, merchandise, and crowdfunding.
- ▸ The section discusses the challenges creators face due to platform policies and the need to adapt to changing circumstances.
Merits
Comprehensive Coverage
The section provides a broad overview of the digital content creation landscape, covering various platforms and types of creators.
Relevance
The topics discussed are highly relevant to current trends and issues in digital media, making it a valuable resource for both creators and audiences.
Demerits
Lack of Depth
While the section covers a wide range of topics, it often lacks in-depth analysis, which could be beneficial for a more nuanced understanding of the issues.
Bias Towards Popular Creators
The focus tends to be on well-known creators and platforms, potentially overlooking the experiences of smaller or independent creators.
Expert Commentary
The Verge's Creators section offers a timely and relevant exploration of the digital content creation ecosystem. It effectively highlights the dynamic nature of the industry, where creators must constantly adapt to platform changes and audience preferences. The section's focus on monetization strategies provides valuable insights into the economic aspects of content creation, which is crucial for both aspiring and established creators. However, the analysis could benefit from a more critical examination of the power dynamics between platforms and creators, as well as a deeper dive into the challenges faced by less prominent creators. The section's relevance to current trends and issues makes it a valuable resource for understanding the broader implications of digital media on society.
Recommendations
- ✓ The Verge should consider incorporating more in-depth analyses and case studies to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the issues discussed.
- ✓ Future articles should aim to include a broader range of creators, including those who are not as well-known, to offer a more balanced perspective on the digital content creation landscape.
