Very Online

Very Online: Twitter is a Salve for Black People. It’s Also Anti-Black.

Three Black people use their phones. The words “Twitter is ant-Black” are overlaid.
by Rachel Charlene Lewis
July 29, 2020 at 11:47am
What does Twitter’s commitment to Black people actually look like, and what is the impact when Twitter fails Black users?
Hunter Schafer, a white trans teen girl with blond hair and sparkly makeup, as Jules.

Very Online: Why Are “Euphoria” Viewers So Desperate to Paint Jules as the Villain?

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
July 10, 2020 at 12:30pm
The desperate desire to paint Jules as a villain is thinily veiled transphobia. Read more »
A white woman reads a book. The text next to her reads, “I’m tired of white people ‘trying.’”

Very Online: Anti-Racist Readers Are Plaguing the DMs of Black People

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
June 26, 2020 at 10:53am
We’re in the time of the online anti-racism book club. Read more »
A Black woman holds a book. The text overlay reads: They paid you how much?

Very Online: The Literary World May Never Recover from #PublishingPaidMe

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
June 12, 2020 at 12:45pm
For Black writers, Twitter acts as a guiding force. Read more »
A margarita with the words “urge to escape.”

Very Online: Wine Memes Are Taking over during Quarantine, and They’re Targeting Women

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
May 22, 2020 at 11:03am
It’s not cute and relatable for a brand to keep pushing women toward alcohol during a pandemic. Read more »
A person types on a laptop alongside the words "freelance isn't free".

Very Online: Twitter Has United Freelance Writers and Fair-Pay Advocates

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
May 8, 2020 at 10:50am
“People are reading more content, and there are more freelancers, but there are fewer editors and staffers, and less money.” Read more »
A white woman with blond hair and a button up shirt on smiles against a breeze. There's a text overlay that reads, Okay, Karen.

Very Online: “Karen” Isn’t a Slur—It’s a Critique of Entitled White Womanhood

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
April 10, 2020 at 9:47am
A Karen’s racism is inextricable from her white womanhood. Read more »
A statue holds a crown over its head; the text "the work ethic of Shakespeare" is overlaid.

Very Online: All the Ways the Internet Is Pushing Hustle Culture during the Quarantine

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
March 20, 2020 at 12:01pm
Apparently, doing nothing is not allowed—even during an international pandemic. Read more »
A pile of money with the text "eat the rich."

Very Online: Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Tried to Make Capitalism “Cool”

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
March 6, 2020 at 12:57pm
Bloomberg set a dangerous precedent, creating yet another space where the wealthy can skirt social-media restrictions—and do so in a way that makes users who are Very Online cringe. Read more »
Controversial political commentator Kaitlin Bennett interviews college students about Thanksgiving and other social/political topics at Rutgers University on November 22, 2019.

Very Online: Kaitlin Bennett Is the Latest Conservative White Woman to Build a Career on Outrage

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
February 25, 2020 at 4:46pm
Kaitlin Bennett has built a career via the digitization of white women’s tears. Read more »
A Black woman's face peaks out, partially obscured. The words "full-blown stalkerware" are overlaid.

Very Online: Making Facial Recognition Easier Might Make Stalking Easier Too

by Rachel Charlene Lewis
January 31, 2020 at 3:59pm
 This technology is powerful and incredibly invasive. Read more »

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