The internet is so fascinating.
And messy.
Thanks to YouTube and TikTok, so many hours can be spent lost in the world of video.
You pick a simple topic or name to check, and then it's tomorrow... and you've binged every army family reunion story.
And so much time to waste, depending on your keystroke choices.
Redditor imboredaa wanted to discuss all the ways so many of us get lost watching things on the internet, so they asked:
"What are some of the craziest/strangest rabbit holes you’ve ever been down?"
I constantly get lost on talent show audition rabbit holes.
And I am proud!
Restored
Serial Killer Chainsaw GIF by Rise RecordsGiphy"YouTube videos of old chainsaw restorations. No idea why, but I guess that’s why it’s a rabbit hole. I don’t even own a chainsaw or have a need for one."
aretelio
'rooms/shared'
"I really enjoy going on a city’s Craigslist, then to 'rooms/shared' (or whatever it is for finding a room mate) and then typing words like 'warning' or 'beware' in the search to see what kind of horror show nightmare room mate scenarios people have decided to write about... it's usually some juicy headline like 'warning!!!'"
"Do NOT rent from this woman!!!! She is a PSYCHO!!….'"
"And after reading it, it’s always a guess to decide who is the actual crazy person, the landlord or tenant. Could be a bitter ex, tenant, or a scam, or whatever. But it’s an easy way to dive quick into some weird corners of the internet that are filled with drama."
After the Ice
"I spent a bunch of time about 12 years or so ago reading about all the details of the Titanic, how it sunk, what happened as it was sinking, who died, who survived. I got into the life stories of the people who died, and what became of the people who survived. And then I very nearly bought a piece of carpet from the Titanic."
SweetCosmicPope
Expeditions
"Andrée's Arctic balloon expedition"
"Dumb, then numb, a** thought he could fly a balloon to the North Pole. They had cyanide capsules and all, in case they crashed and were about to freeze to death. Or get eaten by a polar bear during a three month night. He and his assistants somehow managed to do both."
"Plot twist: Andree, the worst captain of all time, noticed the balloon was leaking the night before they were about to leave, pumped it up a bit, and said 'f**k it that'll do.' It did not do."
Needydadthrowaway
Thanks John
"An Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. Started with 1 and ended up with a 20+ collection."
originalsanitizer
"Uncle John's Bathroom Readers are so addictive."
evanman69
Toilet time can be knowledge time.
Living Sky High
City In The Sky Vfx GIF by PBSGiphy"Turning old planes into houses! About 10 years ago I found a company that would do it for you. The wings were decks and the plane was mounted to a pedestal that allowed it to be rotate with the sun!"
BeeEyeAm
Doggerland
"Mega tsunamis. Thousand foot walls of water moving at hundreds of mph? It happens more than you would think. The Azore-Gibraltar fault will cause one one day. There evidence they happened a few times in the Pacific. It doesn't take a meteor to happen, it could be an underwater landslide (Doggerland), or a large section of a volcanic island shearing off and falling into the ocean (Oahu). Doggerland is another rabbit hole that is worth googling."
KD_Burner_Account133
Hitting the Keys
"Mechanical keyboards. I wanted to buy one, so I started researching and watching videos of reviews. I went deeper and deeper, seeing special cables, obscure companies, the tons of switches, etc etc."
"I stopped when a Youtuber I watched made a video asking her viewers and discord users to stop bullying and harassing her for using some kind of switches or keycaps. I bought my keyboard and never went back to that crazy fandom."
NirvanaForce
In the Sky
"I worked in administration at an aviation academy for a few years and decided I’d start listening to aviation podcasts since I didn’t know much about it. I came across a plane crash podcast that talks about crashes in history and how it improved the safety of flying."
"I was fascinated by it, and found myself gradually needing to know more and listening to more of the same type of podcasts, watching videos, and listening to black box recordings. It was eerie but interesting at the time. Now, I regret it tremendously because since then I’ve developed horrible anxiety when flying."
contagiousphrase
The Big Questions
steve harvey lol GIF by TV Land ClassicGiphy"Spent a lot of time in the 'quantum consciousness' rabbit hole. I had just deconstructed from religion and wanted answers about life, death, and reality. It was long before I made peace with not knowing. I spent around a year obsessed with quantum experiments, psychedelics, and the general philosophy of consciousness."
excusetheblood
Lives (and chores) can be put on serious hold when you find a juicy enough topic to research!
Well, what rabbit holes have you gotten lost in? Let us know in the comments below.
You hear them all the time.
Commonly used expressions or sayings, slogans and catchphrases, reminders in television or internet ads, and they drive you up the wall.
Something about what they're saying, how it's said, or just the repetitive nature can make you wish your ears no longer worked.
Fortunately, the internet exists so we can all share in our auditory misery.
Reddit user, KamuiT, wanted to know what expressions should get in the bin when they asked:
"What is a phrase or saying that you hate?"
Spend enough time online and you'll come across some commonly used expressions that you are absolutely sick of. It's not that they're super offensive or anything, but after seeing them a hundred, thousand times, it might be time to try saying something else.
Now I'm Not Doing It Out Of Spite
"Please like and subscribe."
Autisten1996
"Smash that like button, check out the merch, and consider supporting me on Patreon so you can get the exact same content, but before I bother editing it!"
JADW27
"I could care less"
"NO! It is I COULDN'T CARE LESS"
kennyd612
"I should OF known better cringe"
Hattrick_Swayze2
There's Only One Truth
"That's my truth"
igottathinkofaname
Not to be confused with "The truth".
SaltRocksicle
"Worse, "I know my truth."
"In other words, they're convinced of their own infallibility."
AlterEgoSumMortis
All You TikTokkers On Your InstaTweets
"Tell me you're ___ without telling me you're ___"
PumpkinPieIsGreat
*robotic woman voice on TikTok*
ddh85
It's not the saying itself that might give you a headache, but the way it's being used. Typically, these expressions are used to cover up someone's ignorance or lack of honesty.
Keeping Information To Yourself
"Up to Sale: Up to 80% off" 2 items at 80%, the rest at 50% and less."
oh_no_name
"Save up to 15% or more! Your savings are somewhere within the set of all real numbers!"
ill_Skillz
"I love the weight loss commercials that are like "YOU COULD LOSE UP TO TWENTY POUNDS OR MORE IN THE FIRST WEEK""
"So what is it you a--holes? Up to 20 pounds? Or more than that?"
Spiderbubble
They're Doing A Job. Compensate Them As Such.
"Not all heroes wear capes"
"It's been getting on my nerves lately. It's been overused."
WhichWayzUp
“You’re doing gods/the lords work”
josey__wales
We're Not All Scientists And That's The Point
"Do your own research!"
"People suck at doing their own research that's why we trust experts."
IFeelSorry4UrMothers
"Do your own research [on COVID]"
"Yeah, I'll just pop down to the virology lab in my basement and toss some samples into the centrifuge. Everyone has their own virology lab, right?"
TheBelhade
And then there's these, the true definition of "ear-achingly bad." Hearing these can make you immediately zone out of a conversation, hang up the call, and never speak to that person again.
Maybe not that far, but it'll certainly feel like it.
We're Living In A Time Of Condensed Pop Culture
"I'll start:"
"I hate the phrase on the radio that says "80s, 90s, and Today!'"
"Today has been 23 years now."
KamuiT
Let's Normalize Not Saying "Let's Normalize"
“Let’s normalize…(insert something that’s already normal to do)”
Hawaiiliving43
"Lets normalize driving cars and eating food"
AliceP00per
"let's stop normalizing....thing that's normal but they just don't like"
RUfuqingkiddingme
Parental Nicknames...Ugh...
“Hubby” and “preggers”
Burrito_Loyalist
"When parents refer to their kids as "my littles". It's in EVERY mommy blog. Just call them your kids! I don't even have kids and it annoys me so much."
violent_delights_9
Wait For It...
“No offense but…(insert offense)”
Nice-Advertising-551
"Usually when someone says no offense, what follows is some rude remark. The term pretty much means nothing"
Whenindoubtpinkyout3
Best Regards
"Hope this email finds you well."
personofinterest18·
Backhanded Compliments
"you do you"
"People say it like it's a positive note to end a discussion, when really it's the most backhanded comment of "I think you are doing this wrong, but whatever"
Drawn-Otterix·
Caveman
"Look who came out of their cave!"
Old-@ss-enthusiasm·
No Thanks
"Anything about paying your dues. This was said a lot when I was in unpaid internships that asked way too much of me while I was also a full time student and working part time. Being paid in experience doesn’t cover my groceries."
alistofthingsIhate
Round of Applause
"Clapback."
"I like the idea, but the word just sounds gross to me."
Avicii_DrWho
It's okay to fall back on easily understandable expressions to get across your point. Maybe do a little consideration once in a while so you don't always say what everyone else is saying. It might seem hard at first...
but whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Ew.
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People Divulge Which Legitimate Products And Services Feel Like A Total Scam
You're hungry one night, so you order food. You select your items, go to place your order, and see that the order has an extra $15 in fees tacked on to it, and that's not even including tip!
Believe it or not, there was a time before delivery services. You can very easily just call the restaurant you want and place the order directly. It's pretty easy–and you and the restaurant get to avoid the middle man.
But delivery services have become so ubiquitous over the years that many of us just put up with it. They're legitimate services but honestly, when you see the final price tag, how could you not feel like you've been totally scammed?
People shared their thoughts after Redditor AnnFaulskabek asked the online community,
"What is a legitimate product / service that still feels like a scam?"
"At first I didn't mind..."
"YouTube Premium. At first I didn’t mind the single ad you could skip but now it’s up to two long ads you can’t skip with the mid-roll ads thrown in. They keep upping the ante to force you to subscribe to Premium."
BiffChildfromBanger
Given the increasingly high number of ads on YouTube, it's pretty astounding that I haven't signed up for Premium yet.
"When you work out..."
"Overdraft fees. When you work out the effective interest rates on overdraft fees, you find there’s a lot of hurting people paying interest that would make a loan shark blush."
TiredofDebates
Yep, what's up with those?
They're actually a thing. Just try explaining to someone who doesn't know how you get punished for having no money so you have to pay more money and see how they react.
"Phones that no longer..."
"Phones that no longer come with Micro SD card slots so you have to pay for cloud storage if you need more."
SeriousLee3
One of the most frustrating things. It was so much easier before!
"In the U.S..."
"In the U.S. Having to do my own taxes or pay a company to do my taxes even though the IRS already has all the relevant information."
sprechenSIEdeutsch
Well, let's be clear: They don't have everything. What happens if you have items you need to deduct? They definitely don't know how much you've donated to charity.
"There used to be restrictions..."
"Credit/interest rates. There used to be restrictions on who gets a loan and what the rates could be, but private enterprise I guess."
Skyeyes27
When it comes to having no credit or bad credit, I would choose no credit every single time.
"Insanely good prices..."
"Humble Bundle. Insanely good prices and I can select where my payment goes, so I could donate 100% to the charity. It feels like it's too good to be true. I'm still blown away by it."
tempestering
Never heard of this before and now I will be on the prowl. Going to do some reading and see if it lives up to the hype.
"Enjoy your entry level job..."
"Student loans."
"Oh, you graduated cum laude? Enjoy your entry level job that barely covers the interest on your monthly payment."
tiralabasura2055
Hahahaha don't make me cry.
Please, stop.
"THE ABSURDITY OF THE BATTERY LIFE."
"Dell laptops. THE ABSURDITY OF THE BATTERY LIFE."
"Like how the f**k are people are still buying them is beyond me but like, I have one for school and that motherf**ker dies an hour after taking it off the charger. And I don’t even keep background tabs running."
"The whole Dell company is literally a f**king scam."
Wolftimber05
I think I forget that Dell laptops exist until I see comments like these.
I'll go back to being ignorant, thanks.
"The 15 different streaming services..."
"The 15 different streaming services that you have to sign up for to watch the one good exclusive show on each one instead of just being able to watch them all in one place."
zeanomourph
Streaming could have put an end to piracy but then they got so greedy.
"You can't really get away from them."
"My electric company also providing water, natural gas, landline phone and internet."
"You can't really get away from them. Even if you live in an area of town where you can get AT&T or Suddenlink, you still have to pay the electric company for everything else."
KnockMeYourLobes
Say what! They really have a perfect monopoly going on, don't they?
Well, well, well... there are many things we could add to the list, to be fair.
Like health insurance in the United States. What's up with that? It would be comical if it wasn't so evil.
What do you think is missing from this list? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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With QAnon conspiracies and radical disinformation abounding, it's easy to forget that the internet began as a technology to help democratize information and empower individuals.
Putting those evil echo chambers on the shelf for just a moment, it can be illuminating to take stock of what global, digital connection has created.
Crowdsourcing allows multiple perspectives and experts to gather in an instant and collaborate. Similarly, well-meaning folks can pool money to help good causes overnight.
People of all ages can express themselves with videos and blogs, honing their musical, poetic, and visual voices.
And, of course, there is so much knowledge. Encyclopedias and tutorials are everywhere you look. It's actually amazing that so many people took the time to teach the viewers they'll never meet, or even see.
But alas, those tutorials have saved more people in a pinch than we could ever count.
vic403403 asked, "People of Reddit, what was the most useful tutorial on YouTube you have ever seen?"
Many people find themselves against the ropes with a product or tool so specific that seems like it takes a pilot's license to work with.
Luckily, the internet is a numbers game. And with so many people out there making videos, there's bound to be at least one person who took the time to explain that tool, that model, from that year, and all for free.
Boiler Back Online
"Some dude explaining how to fix my obscure brand of hot water boiler."
"The manual exists nowhere online, nowhere sells it anywhere, but there are gods among men out there who make YouTube tutorials all the same."
Saving Cash, Saving Clothes
"I was able to take apart my dryer to replace the belt with a YouTube video of the exact brand" -- _Goose_
"I just did the same thing a month ago. It was tough but $30 in parts and two hours of labor saved me well over $100." -- chrissoindie
A Long History of Time and Money Saved
"That's a hard question to answer for me. It's going to be a mix of videos on various car and appliance repairs."
"A quick peek at Google/YouTube for how-tos have saved me several thousand dollars over the years by showing me how to fix a problem that I'd otherwise have had to use an auto shop or appliance center to fix."
"I try to always throw them a $5 or $10 tip as thanks when I can find donation or Patreon info as thanks, but not all of them have ways to donate.
"Giving a few hundred dollars in thank-you tips over the years is far better than thousands of dollars it would have otherwise cost."
One Screen to Another
"Lived in a rental house where my lease said that we were responsible for the window screens, including replacing them if needed. A bunch were broken or falling out of the frames."
"The move-out paperwork said every broken screen would cost $60."
"Found a YouTube tutorial with links to cheap supplies and really well-done directions. Saved hundreds of dollars and it was super easy."
For others, it's all about the hair.
Few things are more important than a person's look. Style never takes a back seat. So you can rest assured that plenty of people have made videos to express their own choices and teach a little in the process.
There When He Needed It
"Way way back in the day... how to style men's hair... as a trans man it means to much to open a video and have a guy talk to you like a man and say things like 'you got this man' or 'now you're looking sharp man' and stupid things like saying bro and handsome."
"Sometimes I'd open one just to feel validated. 10/10 highly recommend for the dysphoric."
-- Kuneria
Quarantine Needs
"Cutting your own hair tutorials. Lifesaver through lockdown" -- JistHaudOanAMinute
"Lol, my husband has not cut his hair since before lockdown. His hair is now longer than mine." -- donttouchmycupcake
"Should have watched that before shaving my head and i might have realized beforehand that 6mm is really short, lol" -- xMoonbreaker
Many people owe their understanding of basic life skills to Youtube. Sure our parents teach us some of the big ones, but there are so many things to tackle throughout a lifetime that we could never rely on one or two people to cover them all.
Thankfully, complete strangers help take on the chaotic world.
Whichever the Animals, You'll Need It, Gents
"How to tie a tie" -- Ayush189
"I had seen a couple. It wasn't until watching the show Dexter that it finally clicked for me. Something about a rabbit jumping over a log." -- payokat
"I had to watch one of those videos when I was late for school. Phew!" -- Trex1873
Getting More Miles on Your Pants
"How to hand sew a zigzag stitch (which is what lets stitching stretch with a fabric so they dont just break). It took me way to long because all the tutorials I found were for how to hit the zigzag stitch button on a sewing machine. Smh"
Huge
"How to put on duvet covers by folding it like a burrito... been using it for years now" -- rcclee
"How to put a king size duvet back into the cover without a second person. Not much but my god it removed a source of fury from my life" -- Mischief_Makers
Ya Never Know
"Artificial insemination of Bulldog"
"Don't judge me. It was 3am in the morning. Learnt a lot that night."
Keep Those Wheels Movin'
"How to check and fill a tire. Not that I was never taught that, but since all knowledge escapes me in panic mode it got me out of a pinch." -- kannakantplay
"Any bike-related stuff on Park Tool. I'm a beginner cyclist and their vids are logical and straightforward." -- WowIsLoveWowIsLife
Joining Contemporary Life
"genuinely taking a screenshot."
"before being inside 24/7/365 (almost yay), I had the tech skills of a dead Amish animal and since I've made a Reddit account, I've been making memes by having a blank template and putting words on it using PowerPoint and screenshotting it..."
"...then posting it to Reddit on various meme Subreddits. being a no-life has let me to amass a high volume of a useless internet points in a relatively short amount of time and it's great"
Oat Tips
"How to make oat milk - basic af but saves me a lot of money as oat milk is expensive in Australia y'all." -- donttouchmycupcake
"Recently watched a video where a women soaks her oats in amalayse first so it's not like slimy and one other person suggested freezing oats first. If I get it perfect I'll definitely start making my own again" -- laz0rtears
Up Your Dinner Party Game
"How to use a chefs knife correctly and how to even find the best knife that fits your personal style and preferences."
"Changed me and my cooking skills forever and saved me tons of time. Also made my cooking much more safe."
"The problem with most of these skills is that people don't even know what their missing"
-- Ehrensohn
Youtube: the Eternally Patient Teacher
"For me it was how to drive a manual."
"I hadn't learned and I was in my 30s. I tried having people teach me in person. No luck and usually just frustration on all ends (telling someone to shift when it feels right doesn't always work)."
"Watched a few videos and, more or less, got in and took off."
-- rudeorange
Resorting to Your Own Devices
"Khan Academy tutorials."
"We had an absolute shi**y teacher in our microeconomics course... the kind that stopped keeping touch with academics long ago and just teaches for the sake of it. The classes turned more pathetic online."
"She would literally just read out the slides, no explanations, nothing, couldn't give a satisfactory answers to the class's questions either. The micro tutorials of khan academy saved my grade and sanity. God bless that channel."
-- bratbeep
So next time you ever wonder how to do anything, have some confidence that at least one other person out there encountered exactly that difficulty.
The question becomes obvious: did they make a video about that?
If they didn't, maybe it's your turn.
Cosmetic Brand's Founder Cuts Ties With His Own Sister Over Her Transphobic Remarks About YouTuber Nikkie De Jager
Nikkie de Jager, better known as makeup YouTuber NikkieTutorials, recently came out as a trans woman via a video on her YouTube channel.
Nikkie was being blackmailed by someone who wanted to leak her story to the media, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and tell the world herself.
Nikkie bared her soul to her fans in the 17-minute video.
"Today I am here to share something with you that I've always wanted to share with you one day, but under my own circumstances. And it looks like that chance has been taken away from me. So today I am taking back my own power."
Many of Nikkie's fans were extremely supportive of her coming out, even though the circumstances forced her to share her truth before she was ready.
@NikkieTutorials Oh my god 😭 I love you so much. Grew up watching you. Thank you for sharing this. ❤️— Sanjati 🔮🎮 MASS EFFECT 3 (@Sanjati 🔮🎮 MASS EFFECT 3) 1578947132
Me finding out nikkietutorials is trans and then me finding out someone tried to blackmail her into coming out https://t.co/lvj0vBBlSs— ❄ Local Plague Dr ❄ (@❄ Local Plague Dr ❄) 1579005155
Even after de Jager's heartfelt coming out video, there were still some people who thought it would be a good idea to be transphobic and poke fun at her.
Among these was the sister of cosmetics company Too Faced founder Jerrod Blandino, who also worked for the company.
The post, made from an account where she uses the name Dani California, drew instant ire and criticism from internet users—along with a call to boycott the brand.
I will never EVER support too faced. https://t.co/lN0sM6wItx— literallylewis2.0 - ig 🌈 (@literallylewis2.0 - ig 🌈) 1578970593
She quickly attempted to backtrack after her bigotry was noticed, but to no avail.
@dropdeadlewis She changed her bio at least five times since that screenshot was taken. This is what is written now… https://t.co/msaeEOGADv— ℕ𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕒 (@ℕ𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕒) 1578992540
Jerrod soon released a statement, via the company's Twitter account, condemning his sister's actions and saying that she had been fired from her work at Too Faced.
"I do not tolerate this behavior, and she is no longer an employee of Too Faced. I would like to say how proud I am of Nikkie Tutorials, and how inspired I am for her strength and sharing her beautiful truth with the world. I am sending all my love to her."
A message from Our Founder Jerrod Blandino https://t.co/OdnCT67INK— Too Faced Cosmetics (@Too Faced Cosmetics) 1579030654
Even after Jerrod's apology, many people pointed to a long history of problematic actions as a reason to avoid the company.
@TooFaced Hm... Feels like you only apologized bc people are pissed 🤦🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️ this brand has always been so rude t… https://t.co/SQma2OoMQj— 🖤Skye🖤 (@🖤Skye🖤) 1579031007
@TooFaced Does he really expect us to believe she is off the payroll? She may have lost her title but I suspect tha… https://t.co/MwYlfSeSXa— Stacy (@Stacy) 1579058437
@TooFaced Too late. Lisa publically bullied Nikkie for ages and you guys did nothing about it, while she was the vi… https://t.co/qJuWy95PEf— Shining --- ☆★☆ (@Shining --- ☆★☆) 1579035066
Many folks on Twitter pointed out that this isn't the first time Blandino's sister has posted hurtful, bigoted things on social media.
@TooFaced She should’ve been let go ages ago, she’s been this way and it’s left a bad taste in people’s mouths for… https://t.co/NsqV3k3opG— tea spill (@tea spill) 1579031625
@TooFaced @TeaSpillYT Glad to see this - sad to see she wasn’t fired when she made racist comments to someone on behalf of TF— Max ✨ (@Max ✨) 1579031615
@TooFaced Still makes me sick how awful your sister has been. Going on a bullying spree and representing you and the brand. She’s unhinged— JustAGirlInTheWorld (@JustAGirlInTheWorld) 1579033283
@TooFaced Lisa has been mouthing off on Instagram for a while now regarding Nikkie and others so I’m glad the right thing was finally done.— DramaLynn (@DramaLynn) 1579031844
While his sister's termination and public chastisement were definitely warranted, many makeup fans—both those who are fans of Nikkie and those who just won't tolerate bigotry in the industry—are still questioning whether Jerrod's actions were enough.
Her hurtful comments about de Jager in an especially vulnerable time were completely unacceptable to fans, and part of a pattern of behavior that had not been addressed until now.