Online Culture

What Happened to Habbo? Habbo Hotel Turns 25

By Jenny O'Connor August 5, 2025
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Habbo Hotel turns 25 this year, marking a chaotic legacy of furniture scams, controversy, internet infamy and unexpected survival. Once a hotspot, it faced near collapse – but it's still online, and still finding ways to reinvent itself for a new generation.

Inside the Polly Pocket Compact… and Beyond the Designer Toy Boom

By Jenny O'Connor July 19, 2025
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This week’s Polly Pocket × GCDS compact isn’t just a nostalgic nod; it’s launching amid a flourishing designer toy scene. From Pop Mart’s Space Molly and sculptural Hironō to the gentle glow of Smiskis and TikTok’s Sonny Angel wave, miniature toys have become fashionable companions, mood activators and little cultural icons.

Has the Girl’s Girl Become the New Pick-Me Girl?

By Belle Law July 17, 2025
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Is this the disguised weapon against the divine feminine?

Tumblr’s Princess of Pop: MARINA Returns

By Jenny O'Connor June 10, 2025
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MARINA’s Princess of Pop sparkles with nostalgic synths and playful hyperfemininity. It’s a vibrant, sometimes cheesy, love letter to Tumblr-era melodrama, blending honeyed vocals with neon-bright metaphors. Not perfect, but utterly her — a bold, unapologetic celebration of pop’s glittery, chaotic heart.

Inside The Face at the National Portrait Gallery

By Belle Law April 15, 2025
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While everyone’s busy chasing nostalgia, The Face exhibition reminds us that the real magic was in its chaotic, collaborative spirit — part fashion shoot, part cultural time bomb.

Diva Detected: Florence the Diva Will See You Now

By Jenny O'Connor April 8, 2025
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From childhood dress-up games to full-blown diva domination, Florence the Diva has crafted a world where chaos reigns, fashion rules don’t exist, and confidence is everything. In this bold Q&A, she lets us into her glitter-drenched universe—complete with scandalous accessories, time travel fantasies, and her unapologetically unfiltered outlook.

Why Are We So Obsessed With Digital Cameras?

By Lauren Lees April 3, 2025
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As smartphones became our go-to for everything, digital cameras seemed to fade into obscurity. But Gen Z’s shift back to 2000s digicams reveals more than a desire for nostalgia—it’s a response to the pressure of perfection in a hyper-curated social media world. With their grainy, overexposed photos and spontaneous moments, these cameras allow us to break free from polished, posed images and embrace a more authentic way of capturing life.

Why is Gatekeeping Back?

By Jenny O'Connor March 5, 2025
Gatekeeping, once viewed negatively, is experiencing a resurgence as communities strive to maintain the integrity of their cultures. This revival reflects a desire to protect subcultures from dilution, ensuring that new participants engage meaningfully and respect the foundational values that define these communities.

Bhad Bhabie vs Alabama: Internet Beef and Viral Clout

By Jenny O'Connor February 28, 2025
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The feud between Bhad Bhabie and Alabama Barker is just another example of how the internet turns personal drama into public theatre. But beneath the diss tracks and Instagram rants lies a bigger truth: online culture thrives on conflict, and as long as there’s attention to be gained, the show must go on.

The Minecraft Library Preserving Press Freedom in a World of Censorship

By Jenny O'Connor February 16, 2025
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In a world where truth is increasingly under threat, a virtual library built in Minecraft offers a sanctuary for banned journalism, ensuring that suppressed stories are never truly erased.