Devotees Defy Rowdy Mobs and Long Odds to Feed Their Addiction to Creepy Dolls

Creepy little trolls started popping up on Shannon Goodwin's TikTok feed in March. Before she knew it, she had plunged deep into their world.
She is now storing dozens of keychain versions of the 'ugly little critters,' also known as Labubus, in a closet alongside her Louis Vuitton bags to avoid being judged by her teenage daughter.

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Yahoo

41 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Why social media injury recovery videos could do more harm than help

When Kim Kardashian glided into the launch party of her NYC SKIMS boutique on a knee scooter, a mobility aid for people with lower leg injuries – stiletto on one foot, designer cast on the other – she wasn't just managing an injury. She was creating content. And she's far from alone. In 2024, rapper Kid Cudi turned his own broken foot into a viral storyline, posting updates of himself on crutches and in a surgical boot after a mishap at the Coachella festival in California. These high profile injuries don't just invite sympathy; they generate style points, followers and millions of views. But as injury recovery morphs into online entertainment, it raises an important question: is this trend helping people heal or encouraging risky behaviour that can delay recovery? Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Open any social media feed and you'll likely stumble across videos of people hobbling through supermarkets, dancing on crutches, or sweating through workouts in a medical boot. Hashtags like #BrokenFootClub and #InjuryRecovery have spawned thriving online communities where users share advice, frustrations and recovery milestones. For many, rehab has become a public performance, complete with triumphant comeback narratives. And it's not just celebrities. All sorts of people are turning their injuries, from hiking sprains to post-surgery recoveries, into digital diaries. Some offer helpful tips or emotional support, while others focus on fast-tracked progress, sometimes glossing over the slower, necessary steps that true healing demands. Watching others navigate recovery can be deeply reassuring. Seeing someone joke about wobbling to the bathroom or demonstrate how to climb stairs with crutches can ease the loneliness that often comes with injury. And some creators are genuinely getting it right. Increasing numbers of healthcare professionals, from orthopaedic surgeons to physiotherapists and podiatrists, now use social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to share safe exercises, realistic timelines and expert tips on navigating recovery. For people who struggle to access in-person care, this clinically sound content can be a lifeline. But not all content is created equal – and some can do more harm than good. But on social media, rest isn't always part of the narrative. The most viewed recovery videos often aren't posted by healthcare professionals but by influencers eager to showcase rapid progress. Some discard crutches too soon, hop unaided, or attempt high-impact exercises while their bodies are still vulnerable – all for the sake of engagement. What's often missing is the unglamorous reality: swelling, setbacks, rest and the slow, sometimes frustrating, pace of real healing. Bones, tendons and ligaments aren't impressed by likes or follower counts. Healing requires time and carefully structured loading: a gradual, deliberate increase in weight bearing and movement to rebuild strength without risking re-injury. Ignoring this process can lead to delayed healing, chronic pain, re-injury, or even long term joint and muscle complications that can affect the knees, hips, or back. And this isn't just speculation. A 2025 study examining TikTok content on acute knee injuries found that most videos were produced by non-experts and often contained incomplete or inaccurate information. Researchers warned that this misinformation may not only distort patient expectations but also lead to decisions that hinder proper recovery. Similar trends were found in anterior cruciate ligament knee injury videos, where dangerous, non-evidence based practices were widely promoted to millions of viewers. Healthcare professionals are now seeing the ripple effects firsthand. Many physiotherapists and podiatrists report a growing number of patients arriving with unrealistic expectations shaped by social media, rather than medical advice. Some patients feel frustrated when their recovery doesn't match the rapid progress they see online. Others attempt risky exercises before their bodies are ready, setting themselves back. A 2025 study examining TikTok content on acute knee injuries found that most videos were produced by non-experts and often contained incomplete or inaccurate information. Researchers warned that this misinformation may not only distort patient expectations but also lead to decisions that hinder proper recovery. The World Health Organization has also flagged the dangers of online health misinformation. When social media shortcuts replace professional care, patients risk not only slower recovery but potentially more complex medical problems, while clinicians are left managing the aftermath. While supportive online communities can be a valuable source of comfort, the pressure to 'bounce back' quickly can be dangerous. Viral videos and celebrity recoveries can create a toxic sense of comparison, tempting people to rush their own healing process. Research shows that the psychological drive to return to activity, particularly among younger adults, can reduce rehab compliance and sharply increase the risk of re-injury. True recovery isn't governed by trending hashtags; it follows a personal, biologically determined timeline that requires patience, rest, and carefully structured rehabilitation. Seeing stars like Kim Kardashian with a designer cast might make injury look fashionable. But for most people, a broken foot is not glamorous; it's weeks of awkward movement, discomfort, adaptation and quiet, steady healing. Mobility content can inspire, motivate, and connect – but it's not a road map for your own recovery. If you're injured, approach online content with curiosity, not comparison. Learn from others, but listen to your body. Healing is personal. Your recovery won't be dictated by views, likes, or viral trends – it will unfold on your body's own timetable. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Craig Gwynne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Forbes

an hour ago

• Forbes

Hozier's Two Biggest Singles Tie One Another

Hozier's 'Too Sweet' ties 'Take Me to Church' as his longest-running hit on Billboard's rock and ... More alternative charts, as both have spent 64 weeks on the rankings. WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 02: Hozier attends the Elton John foundation annual viewing party with Tequila Don Julio at West Hollywood Park on March 02, 2025 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo byfor Tequila Don Julio) More than a decade ago, Irish rocker Andrew Hozier-Byrne — known mononymously as Hozier — became a global superstar with his breakout single "Take Me to Church." The tune, which called out the hypocrisy of religious institutions, was noted as controversial to some, but also hugely commercially successful all around the world. The hit turned Hozier into one of the most exciting new names in his field. Now, 10 years after "Take Me to Church," "Too Sweet" has helped the musician stray from one-hit wonder status, and it's the latter track that is in the midst of a thrilling period on the charts in America at the moment. 'Too Sweet' Ties "Take Me to Church" "Too Sweet" remains a huge smash across more than half a dozen Billboard charts in the United States. The track is still living inside the top 10 on many of the company's rock and alternative tallies, including those focused on streaming activity, pure purchases, and overall consumption. As "Too Sweet" holds on and earns its sixty-fourth stay on both the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs rankings, it ties "Take Me to Church" as Hozier's longest-running hit on those lists. 'Too Sweet' Vs. "Take Me to Church" Both "Take Me to Church" and "Too Sweet" may have spent 64 weeks on Billboard's rankings of the most consumed rock and alternative tracks and rock-only tunes, but their performances on the two tallies are not exactly the same. On the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, "Take Me to Church" ruled for 23 weeks, while "Too Sweet" racked up 17 stays at No. 1. The opposite is true when looking specifically at the Hot Rock Songs chart. On that ranking, "Too Sweet" has managed to reign for 63 of the 64 weeks it has spent somewhere on the list, while "Take Me to Church" scored just 23 frames at the summit. Hozier Could Replace Billie Eilish at No. 1 "Too Sweet" could easily return to the No. 1 spot on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ranking at some point, as it's currently not far from the throne, sitting in the runner-up space. At the moment, only "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish is beating Hozier, as her poppy cut dominates for a forty-fifth nonconsecutive stint.

Washington Post

an hour ago

• Washington Post

A MacArthur 'genius' skewers philanthropy in a farcical play tackling oligarchy and arts funding

NEW YORK — Taylor Mac does not set out to bite the hand that feeds in a new play satirizing cultural philanthropy. The MacArthur 'genius grant' recipient claims to be 'just trying to get some lipstick on it.' Set at a not-for-profit dance company's gala, 'Prosperous Fools' invites questions about the moral value of philanthropy in a society denounced by the comedy as 'feudal.' A boorish patron goes mad trying vainly to wield his lacking creative capital and thus confirms the choreographer's fears of selling out to a sleazy oligarch who represents everything his art opposes. The show, written by Mac and directed by Darko Tresnjak, runs through June 29 at Brooklyn's Polonsky Shakespeare Center.