We have all been trapped in one. You get randomly added to a massive group chat, and suddenly your phone is completely hijacked. Whether it is a chaotic group of college friends planning a trip to Chicago, or you are waking up to five hundred unread messages from a massive time zone spanning chat in … Continue more
For about ten years, WhatsApp was like a clingy partner. It demanded total loyalty. “One Number. One Phone.” That was the rule. If you tried to log into your WhatsApp on a second phone, it would ruthlessly kick you out of the first one. It was a digital tug of war that you couldn’t win. … Continue more
You are feeling incredibly nostalgic. Maybe you are looking back at a long term relationship, checking in on a childhood friendship, or you just want to see the exact awkward greeting you sent someone three years ago. You open Snapchat, jump into the chat thread, and start scrolling up. Five minutes go by. Your thumb … Continue more
You find a profile. It looks cool. You tap the big blue “Follow” button. It turns white. It says “Following” (or “Requested”). You feel good. Connection made. You refresh the page, or maybe you check back ten minutes later. And there it is again. The blue button. “Follow.” Wait. Didn’t you just press that? You … Continue more
It is the notification every business owner dreads. Your phone buzzes. You open the Google Business app. 1 Star. No comment. Just a rating. Or maybe it’s a long, rambling paragraph full of lies from a user named “Google User” or “John D.” You know you never served this person. You suspect it’s a competitor, … Continue more
You are doing a little digital recon. Maybe you are managing a brand and you just noticed your biggest competitor got a massive spike in engagement. You need to know exactly who is suddenly paying attention to them. Or maybe you are just being nosy. We have all been there. You pull up their profile … Continue more
It usually happens on a Sunday afternoon. Or maybe during your lunch break. Your iPhone buzzes. A text from a random number you don’t recognize. Unknown Number (Area Code 213): “Hi Mandy! Are we still on for yoga at 3 PM?” You look at your phone. You are not Mandy. You do not do yoga. … Continue more
It is the digital equivalent of having a door slammed right in your face. You tap a link someone sent you in a group chat, or you click through a profile from your explore page, and instead of seeing the photo, your screen goes completely blank. A massive, unhelpful line of text sits in the … Continue more
It happens to all of us. You are doom-scrolling on Instagram at 11 PM. You see a really cool gadget or a t-shirt you like. You think, “I’ll check that in a second.” Then your finger slips. You accidentally refresh the feed. Poof. The ad is gone. You try searching for “cool t-shirt” but you … Continue more
I spent last Tuesday negotiating with a criminal syndicate based in Eastern Europe. They weren’t asking for a hostage exchange or a briefcase full of cash. They were asking for 0.5 Bitcoin because they had encrypted the laptop of a freelance photographer in Seattle. She was crying on the other line. Her entire portfolio weddings, … Continue more
