social media - The Atlantic

social media

Sending a Silly Meme Is an Act of Love

October 22, 2026

animation of a woman sitting at a café who clicks on a notification she’s just received, and a head pops out of the screen and kisses her on the cheek.

Some Revised Scenes From The Social Network

Alexandra Petri

October 12, 2026

An illustration of Jesse Eisenberg filming The Social Network

A Left-Wing Politics Based on Calling People Names

October 11, 2026

The Wonder Reader

Even Good Friends Can Be Bad Texters

October 10, 2026

A hand holding a phone in a red background with shadows

Carrie, With Kid Gloves

October 7, 2026

Summer H. Howell as Carrie White in "Carrie," looking concerned

Modern Media Weaken the Presidency

Richard J. Tofel

September 26, 2026

A collage of media equipment around a black-and-white graphic of the White House over a red background

This Is Your Brain on Short-Form Video

September 16, 2026

A human brain being obscured by a hand holding a phone playing a short-form video app, which shows a green, glowing human brain

The Original Sin of AI

September 11, 2026

Illustration of multiple overlapping red text bubbles with an identical gray robot’s head inside each one. The illustration is set to a black background.

Inside a Conservative Operation to Hijack Your Social-Media Feed

September 2, 2026

An image of a phone with a red elephant, and cash spiraling into the phone

How to Lose $12 Billion and Still Win

Kaitlyn Tiffany

August 26, 2026

A photo collage of Mark Zuckerberg and a judge's gavel

Algorithmic Dysmorphia

Julie Beck and Natalie Brennan

August 10, 2026

On a cream colored background there are green loops hand drawn across the middle resembling grass. In the center is a black and white photo of a woman holding a small round hand mirror. We are looking over her shoulder. In the mirror is her face looking back at us. She has a slight smile and dark lipstick. Her fingernails are also painted a dark color.

How Social Media Makes Our Lives Smaller

August 7, 2026

Image of Charlie Warzel side-by-side with image of Kathryn Jezer-Morton

The Atlantic Daily

Trump Tests the Definition of Insider Trading

August 4, 2026

Trump through a car window using his phone

Which Screen Is the ‘Good Screen’ Now?

Kaitlyn Tiffany

August 2, 2026

Two people sit on a couch and watch Instagram on their TV

Believe the Hype About Teen Takeovers

Robert F. Worth

July 10, 2026

An image of a large group of teenagers gathering near Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Instagram Plus Is a New Low

Annie Joy Williams

June 28, 2026

An illustration of eyes peeking through a massive pile of cash

A Writer Learns How to Read Again

June 26, 2026

Image of Charlie Warzel side-by-side with John Paul Brammer

America’s Greatest Food Export

June 23, 2026

A color GIF showing a bowl of ranch dressing with sparkles flashing around it.

The Cult of Delayed Gratification Is a Lie

June 16, 2026

Illustration of a small girl figurine surrounded by marshmallows.

Obsession Knows What the TikTok Generation Fears Most

June 5, 2026

A girl rests her head on a boy's shoulder while they are sitting in bed

The Strange Appeal of the Solitude Influencer

June 2, 2026

An illustration of a woman sitting on the couch alone with a play symbol over it

An Urgent Question for Anyone Who Uses Social Media

May 13, 2026

A group of people looking inside a dollhouse filled with a family

What Happens When the Tradwife Dream Goes Wrong?

May 11, 2026

Collage of a contemporary woman in an apron, surrounded by an older image of pioneers with a horse

Flipping Off Phones

May 8, 2026

Image of Charlie Warzel side by side with Kaitlyn Tiffany

My Role as a ‘Complicit’ Journalist

Michael Scherer

May 5, 2026

angry emojis popping up over a scrolling feed

Deepfakes Are Coming for Your Bank Account

May 2, 2026

A fake ID made by AI

How Short-Form Clips Took Over the Internet

April 24, 2026

Image of Charlie Warzel side-by-side with Ed Elson

The New Age of Performance Anxiety

April 21, 2026

A hazy illustration of a person looking at their phone

National Security

Iran Out-Trolled the Troller in Chief

April 10, 2026

Illustration of the flags of the United States and Iran, and emojis

How Fake People Became Real Influencers

April 10, 2026

Image of Charlie Warzel side-by-side with Tiffany Hsu

It’s Not Gambling, It’s ‘Girl Math’

April 1, 2026

An illustration of a slot machine where the icons are coffee, stilettos, and a martini

The Worst-Case Scenario for AI and the News Is Already Here

March 27, 2026

Photograph of Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the U.N. podium with his image blurred, as if moving quickly

What Is Twitter’s Legacy, 20 Years Later?

March 27, 2026

Image of Charlie Warzel side-by-side with Jason Goldman

The Tension That Defines Modern Life

March 27, 2026

photo illustration of hand reaching for a smartphone

A Legal Decision That Could Change Social Media

Kaitlyn Tiffany

March 25, 2026

Photograph of a child looking at a phone in a dark room with a dim red light

The Meme-Washing of RFK Jr.

Nicholas Florko

March 24, 2026

An illustration of Robert F. Kennnedy Jr.'s face inside of a "like" emoji