The end of the year is right around the corner, but there are still three more weeks in 2024. Before you put your hands up for the last lap of this rollercoaster year, check out the stories you might have missed this week. From Australia’s banning of teens under 16 from social media to Mark Zuckerberg’s meeting with Trump, a lot happened.
Of course, it wasn’t just a hot news week. We also explored ways to keep your creative output up without burning out, looked at Spotify wrapped, and interviewed Addie Counts. So pour a drink and sit back. Here are the stories you might have missed on Passionfruit this week.
Australia Officially Passes Ban of Under-16s From Social Media
In early November, Australia introduced a game-changing new law that proposed to ban under-16s from all the main social media platforms. That includes Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and Snapchat. Under this law, it’s up to the tech companies to stop underage users from trying to use their sites. If they fail, they face a $32 million fine.
Mere weeks later, this law has already passed through the Australian Parliament and become ratified, with the law set to come into effect in November 2025. However, not all platforms agree with this law; arguing that a current age verification trial should be concluded first.
You can read the full piece here.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Date With Trump
It looks like Elon Musk isn’t the only Big Tech leader cosying up to President-elect Donald Trump. On the face of it, Mark Zuckerberg and Trump don’t have the easiest of relationships.
Trump previously dubbed Facebook an “enemy of the people” and even threatened to send Zuckerberg to jail. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg banned Trump from Facebook and Instagram following Jan. 6, although his accounts have since been reinstated.
Still, it looks like there’s something in the water, as a Meta spokesperson revealed that Trump invited Zuckerberg to dinner recently. We don’t know what exactly they discussed, but either way, it’s sure to mean big things for the future of tech.
You can read the full article here.
How to Create Content Quickly
As a content creator, it’s important to produce a steady stream of content. While quality is definitely a lot more important than quantity, there will be times where you will need to produce content fast. Fortunately, Merritt K has shared some tips on how to get content out fast without compromising on the quantity.
As explained in the piece, preparation is important: keep a list of ideas to streamline brainstorming, prepare some templates, break a large project into smaller, manageable chunk, and build a “content buffer” of existing content that you have ready to go.
There’s other things you can do too, like using royalty-free content and outsourcing work to freelancers, but to read more, click here.
Spotify Wrapped Has Arrived
It feels like forever, but as of Dec. 4, Spotify Wrapped 2024 is finally here. As well as giving us the usual scoop on the most popular musicians, podcasters, and audiobook authors, the platform has also added a number of innovative new features.
With the use of AI, for instance, users can now listen to a customized podcast of their own, Wrapped with two AI-generated hosts, who will provide extra information and trivia about their favorite artists.
Creators will also benefit a lot from Spotify Wrapped with its 2024 Wrapped Creator Experience. Podcast creators, artists, advertisers, and authors will have access to their own personal microsite to see how exactly Spotify users have engaged with their content.
For more on Wrapped, click here.
How One Content Creator Covered the Historic Transgender Care Arguments at the Supreme Court
Taylor Lorenz’s latest longread focussed on Erin Reed: one of the first trans content creators to secure press credentials for a Supreme Court trial. The trial in question was United States v Skirmetti, a historic case that questions whether bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors under the age of 18 violate the Fourteenth Amendment.
Reed documented the case for her 454,500 followers, and told Lorenz: “I think there’s a place for creators and independent journalists in those rooms because we’re often the ones making this information accessible,” Reed says. “A lot of people depend on my writing and videos to understand what’s happening in the world.”
You can read the full interview here.
Passionfruit on YouTube: The Reactorverse Podcast With Addie Counts
This week on The Reactorverse Podcast, we sat down with Addie Counts to discuss her journey in the reaction tube space. Over just a few short years, Counts has grown her following to over 100K subscribers with her blend of humor and warmth. Addie shares how her time in music theater helped influence her voice, horror movies, crying on camera, and building her following.
Most importantly, we cover how to avoid burnout while keeping a consistent schedule. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.
