No seriously, are you? If you need help answering this question, a group researchers in Norway have identified six signs that you may be addicted — something that they’re calling the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. The list ranges from stuff like becoming “restless or troubled if you are prohibited from using Facebook,” to using the social media site “to forget about personal problems,” to trying “to cut down on the use of Facebook without success.” We don’t know about you guys, but that last one sounds like almost every person who we know.
“It occurs more regularly among younger than older users,” explains Cecilie Schou Andreassen, who conducted the study, which was based on 423 students. “We have also found that people who are anxious and socially insecure use Facebook more than those with lower scores on those traits, probably because those who are anxious find it easier to communicate via social media than face-to-face.” Apparently women are also at greater risk. Curious how you’d score? Head over to Mashable to take the test now.
Today at Flavorpill, we got hungry for the the Girl Scout cookie candy bar. We went inside Baltimore’s new National Pinball Museum. We listened to The Hood Internet’s new mixtape. We browsed Courtney Love’s food diary. We found out how mobsters decorate their homes. We welcomed Brad Pitt as the new face of Chanel No. 5. We discovered why dogs yawn. We watched a supercut of Adam Yauch’s opening lines from every single Beastie Boys song. We found out when geek became chic. We spotted similar images in North by Northwest and Suspiria. We learned a few ways to make our Instagram photos better, and we saw a concept for a physical Instagram camera. We check out the best places to be LGBT. And finally, we listened to Brian Eno’s lecture on art and music. “Recording as a form of art is closer to painting than it is to music,” he shares.
Today at Flavorpill, we learned about a gang of thieves who stole a 10-ton Czech bridge. We watched Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka dance on Inside the Actor’s Studio. We were curious about a Henry David Thoreau-inspired video game. We read a 1943 Disney employee handbook. We followed the maturation of billionaire boy-man Mark Zuckerberg. We were charmed by a self-aware article’s feelings about the Internet. We found out what TV shows are getting 21st-century technology right. We saw what the collaborative design for the 2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London by Ai Weiwei and company looked like. We were jealous that a high school student had Breaking Bad’s Walter White endorsing his campaign. We loved Walt Disney’s Taxi Driver. We felt the commitment in this Converse All-Stars tattoo. And finally, we played 7 Minutes in Heaven with Olivia Wilde. She really needs to brush up on her Gaelic.
You can tell a lot about a person based on who they religiously follow on Twitter — or least that’s the driving idea behind this new weekly feature. Every Monday we’ll ask an influential web editor to share some of his or her most prized feeds with you, along with a few exemplary tweets that will illustrate why you’ll soon be following along too. Our hope is that you’ll get a tiny glimpse inside the creative minds of some of online media’s brightest stars — and a more interesting Twitter feed of your own to boot!
Our latest batch of suggestions comes to you from Neha Gandhi, the pop culture-obsessed (not to mention style savvy) Deputy Editor of one of our all-time favorite fashion and beauty sites, Refinery29. Click through to check out her interesting picks, and be sure to follow @nehaintown as well as @refinery29 on Twitter to keep up-to-date the latest style news and gossip, emerging trends, and where to buy what.
Read More »
Today at Flavorpill, we accepted the dance photography and Instagram challenge. We watched a trailer for a documentary about basketball in New York City. We looked back on the “bed-hoppingest” characters on TV. We pondered the Fig Newtons name change. We couldn’t get enough of Ayn Randers’ advice. We loved this Game of Thrones intro in Lego form. We explored a visual history of Presidential campaign slogans. We watched Bruce Springsteen’s tribute to The Band’s Levon Helm. We discovered 10 things that commencement speakers won’t tell you. We felt a little twisted reading Reddit’s “What secret could ruin your life if it came out?” thread. We found out why Jerry Saltz hates big-money art auctions. We read up on Vogue’s brand new “health initiative.” And finally, we got excited for Star Wars Day tomorrow with this propaganda-style Darth Vader poster. “He’s watching you,” gave us chills.
“Ask Me Anything” message threads on Reddit, also known as AMAs, have become a sensation on the Internet. Louis CK, Aziz Ansari, Joss Whedon, and many other celebrities have moderated their own Q&A sessions through this medium, and at this point they actually have the power affect a star’s reputation (remember the Woody Harrelson AMA fiasco? We bet he wishes you wouldn’t).
Although stars’ AMAs understandably attract lots of media coverage, non-celebrity threads don’t get nearly as much publicity, which is a shame. Some of the stories regular people share on Reddit are among the most compelling we’ve ever read — sometimes horrifying, sometimes hilarious, and always fascinating. Here’s a list of a few of our favorites, by everyone from a Disneyland cast member to a religious cult escapee. Add to our list of must-read non-celebrity AMAs in the comments.
Read More »
Today at Flavorpill, we found out what Pizza Hut’s Crown Crust pizza says about global fast food marketing. We saw dollar signs reading about Edvard Munch’s The Scream at auction. We brushed up on factoids about children’s books with Mental Floss. We wondered how LA will feel about hosting the giant Marilyn Monroe statue. We got real with supervillains. We looked at some haunting (and depressing) photos inside the Chelsea Hotel. We agreed with Criterion’s three reasons to watch/buy Harold and Maude. We played the Perfect Strangers game. We considered buying this massive 1980s iPhone case. We learned how a former prosecutor rates Law and Order: SVU. (Doink Doink!) We discovered Catholics really like Modern Family. And finally, we found out where all the “bronies” will be hanging out. A new exhibition in LA pays homage to My Little Pony.
You can tell a lot about a person based on who they religiously follow on Twitter — or least that’s the driving idea behind this new feature. Every week we’ll ask an influential web editor to share some of his or her most prized feeds with you, along with a few exemplary tweets that will illustrate why you’ll soon be following along too. Our hope is that you’ll get a tiny glimpse inside the creative minds of some of online media’s brightest stars — and a more interesting Twitter feed of your own to boot!
This week’s stellar set of recommendations — an eclectic mix of cultural-, political-, and business-themed feeds — comes to you from Tim Morrison, a former Arts editor at TIME magazine, and the current Mobile Projects editor for TIME.com, as well as the editor of NewsFeed. Click through to check out his top picks, be sure to follow both Morrison and @TIMENewsFeed on Twitter, and peruse past installments of our series here.
Read More »
Today at Flavorpill, we browsed a list of canceled TV shows for the 2011-2012 season — and there are many. We survived a tweet-by-tweet update of the National Zoo’s artificial insemination of panda Mei Xiang. We listened to a dark remix of the song of the summer (you know which one!) from our social media team who also happen to be in a Twin Peaks-inspired band. We discovered a new Star Wars cookbook. We loved this iPhone diorama. We found itsy-bitsy Super Mario YOUCH piranha plant earrings. We looked inside Barbie’s world of fashion circa 1984. We discovered some really good books about horses. We appeased our need for shoes by reading this interview with Girls’ costume designer Jenn Rogein. We bought our homemade Mother’s Day cards early and prepped for a massive Etsy strike on May 10. We tried listening to Kim Basinger’s 1989 R&B album. And finally, we met an 86-year-old man who has lived alone on an island since 1962. The area is also home to over 100 land tortoises and has been named the smallest national park in the world.
The winners of the 16th annual Webby Awards have been announced, and among the celebrities being honored by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (yes, that’s a real thing) are Louis C.K., whose wildly successful $5 distribution method for his “Live at the Beacon Theater” comedy special earned him Person of the Year; Will Ferrell, who scored Best Individual Performance for his portrayal of George W. Bush in a Funny or Die clip about the death of Osama Bin Laden; and Bjork, who will receive a Special Recognition Award for Artist of the Year.
Other winners of note include Graydon Sheppard and Juliette Lewis, who nabbed Actresses of the Year for their “Shit Girls Say” videos; Funny or Die’s cameo-packed “Drunk History Christmas,” which won for Best Online Film or Video Comedy; and Pinterest and Spotify, which were selected as the top social media site and music app, respectively. Check out a full list of Webby winners who will be honored at the Patton Oswalt-hosted awards ceremony on May 21st here. [via PopWatch]
