“Liking” has always been a core feature of any social networking site. Post something popular, and you’ll get a lot of likes. Get a like, and you get a small dopamine rush. It works for both sides: You try to post popular content, and the social networking sites get a lot of content that keeps people engaged.

So when Instagram announced they were going to hide likes, it raised some eyebrows. But not as many as you might think: The narrative around social networking and Instagram specifically has already changed. No one ever thought that popular Instagrammers were leading perfect lives, but the cracks have not only begun to show, they’ve grown into full rifts — and with it the idea that all these influencers are complicit in perpetuation a cycle of narcissism and envy for its users.

Tech giants wield enormous influence today, with little oversight. Facebook decided that they would allow politicians to say anything they want in their ads. Twitter not only can’t fight the Nazis on its site, it doesn’t even seem to recognize the problem. And Instagram used to be a safe haven for many, with mostly saccharine and inoffensive content, but is starting to crumble.

2020 could be a decisive year for big tech. Presidential candidates are openly calling for breaking them up. Users seem more aware of the dangers and pitfalls of social media, and their impact on society. And it remains to be seen whether Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, and Apple will survive the coming year unscathed, because a backlash against the uncontrolled, unfettered power of tech giants and their CEOs is slowly, but surely, brewing.

Impossible Food Physics

Our bodies are weird. Things rarely work as we think they do. Case in point: Your stomach. You feel full if you’ve eaten enough — but enough is not measured by calories, but by volume. And even then, after having stuffed yourself on the main course, you somehow always seem to have room for dessert (YouTube).

Experts’ Break Down

TV series and movies often reflect reality, but imperfectly. This is by design: It’s easy for us to relate to something we know, and it’s an easy way to establish a story setting or background. But it also means that script writers, directors, and actors are encroaching on someone else’s turf. Sometimes, they don’t get the details right. And sometimes, they don’t even get the big picture right. Which is why I love watching experts in their field break down series and movies, explaining what they got right, and what they got wrong — including how they got it wrong:

Among my recent favorites are (Note: YouTube links):

• Wildlife Expert Breaks Down Animal Scenes from Movies
• Bow Hunter Breaks Down Bow and Arrow Scenes from Movies & TV
• Movie Accent Expert Breaks Down 32 Actors’ Accents
• Surgical Resident Breaks Down 49 Medical Scenes From Film & TV
• Former CIA Chief of Disguise Breaks Down 30 Spy Scenes From Film & TV
• NASA Astronaut Breaks Down Space Scenes From Film & TV

Reverse Film School

In a similar vein, Vanity Fair shows what the different jobs on a movie set actually do — by showing what it would look like if they didn’t do their job. Enter Reverse Film School:

• What Happens When A Movie Has No Script Supervisor?
• What Happens When A Movie Has No Gaffer?
• Cinematographer Explains 3 Different Camera Lenses

📖 Weekly Longread 📚

This Tom Hanks Story Will Help You Feel Less Bad.

🦄 Unicorn Chaser 🦄

An Ariane rocket launches for the 250th time — the views were jawdropping.