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Happy Friday! Do you peel carrots? Do you cut asparagus? I regret to inform you that you're probably not correctly prepping your fruits and veggies.
In today's big story, we're looking at how Threads' algorithm is sending you content that's sending you over the edge.
What's on deck:
- Markets: Some insiders aren't sold on Wall Street's pledge to cut down on junior bankers' hours.
- Tech: Nvidia's Jensen Huang has a plan for his GPUs if China invades Taiwan.
- Business: MrBeast could ultimately face the same fate as BuzzFeed.
But first, I can't believe she said that.
If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.
The big story
For You (to get angry)
They say love always wins, but on Threads hate can get you pretty far too.
Instagram's X alternative is barely a year old, but an interesting theme is emerging on the app. Engagement bait, particularly the kind that elicits impassioned reactions, is popping up all over Threads.
Business Insider's Katie Notopoulos is no stranger to diving head-first into internet trends (perhaps you're familiar with her "glue pizza" or testing out a vape phone). This time, she tried to drum up engagement on her Threads account with some rage bait.
Rage bait — if you're unfamiliar, congrats on not being chronically online — is content purposefully designed to generate strong reactions. Example: Should I charge the parents of my kid's friend for the playdate I hosted at my house?
While rage bait can be found across social media, its prominence on Threads is because of how the app promotes content. Instead of posts with lots of favorites or reshares getting top billing, stuff with the most replies gets the biggest push from Threads' algo.
And while Katie's rage baiting was an experiment, some online creators have gone all in on engagement-farming their way to the top of Threads. One digital marketer who Katie spoke with is looking to get a billion views on Threads in 30 days. (He's well on his way.)
If stories like Katie's annoy you, understand you're part of the problem.
(No, this is not meant to be rage bait.)
Social media can be frustrating for a number of reasons. But one common gripe from people is the type of content being pushed to them.
The algorithms powering TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter all operate differently, but the end goal is the same: Keep you on their apps as long as possible.
With that in mind, there's often something in your behavior on social media that's leading the apps to send those posts your way.
Granted, it's not a perfect system. Just because I linger on one video about expensive pens doesn't mean I need 15 more explaining which ink is the best for a Montblanc.
Which gets us back to rage bait and why it'll probably never die. People love responding to an obviously bad take. And it's especially fun when a ton of people agree with you. "Not only are you wrong, 100 of my random internet friends are validating my opinion."
In the grand scheme of things, rage bait is not the worst thing on social media by a long shot. And Big Tech shoulders the majority of the blame for the mental-health crisis social media has created.
But when it comes to rage bait's rise, the one worth getting upset at might be ourselves.
News brief
Top headlines
- Over 30,000 Boeing workers are preparing to strike after rejecting a new labor contract.
- Sam Altman tells Oprah he talks about AI with someone in government every few days.
- Trump says he won't debate Kamala Harris again.
- A Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama bin Laden is busy preparing for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan: report.
3 things in markets
- Junior bankers are bearish on Wall Street's ability to change. After the death of a Green Beret-turned-investment banker in May, JPMorgan and Bank of America vowed to cap junior bankers' hours at 80 per week "in most cases." But young employees doubt the rules will be enforced. "In reality, nothing is going to change," one incoming analyst told BI.
- Goldman Sachs' David Solomon isn't giving up hope on a 50-basis-point cut. The bank's CEO, who previously said he didn't see any rate cuts happening this year, now sees a path to a jumbo cut. Solomon said the percentage chance of a larger cut are in the low 30s thanks to a softening labor market.
- Warren Buffett's bad bet. The legendary investor's $13 billion investment in Occidental Petroleum isn't looking good. Shares in the company have dropped 29% since mid-April amid a wider selloff in crude oil.
3 things in tech
- How to turn a cold email into a VC partner gig. Kanu Gulati earned a Ph.D. in computer science and thought she'd spend her career in research labs. Instead, a cold email to Khosla Ventures led to an internship studying AI and GPUs. Now she's a partner at the firm, writing checks to back AI companies.
- It's survival of the richest in this stage of the AI race. Just ask OpenAI, which is reportedly in talks to raise billions despite having already secured $10 billion last year. The startup race to build powerful AI models looks set to get a whole lot more expensive.
- If anything happens in Taiwan, Nvidia will keep calm and carry on. Jensen Huang doesn't want you to worry about possible political escalation between China and Taiwan, where Nvidia's chips are made. "If anything were to happen" there, Huang said, Nvidia could move manufacturing somewhere else.
3 things in business
- MrBeast could go bust like BuzzFeed, a VC says. YouTube star MrBeast mastered social media algorithms to build a huge audience in no time. If that sounds familiar, it's because BuzzFeed cofounder Jonah Peretti did the same thing. A VC investor thinks MrBeast may run into the same business hurdles that plagued the digital brand.
- Warner Bros.' crucial cable deal just made HBO free for millions of people. The troubled media conglomerate just signed a deal with Charter, one of the country's biggest pay-TV distributors, that makes the HBO streaming service Max free for Charter subscribers. In return, Charter will continue carrying Warner Bros.' cable channels like TNT and Discovery.
- The most desirable employers for business and tech students. Thousands of business and tech students around the world told employee branding specialist Universum where they want to work in 2024. Here's what business students said, and here's what tech students said.
In other news
- You may not have noticed your big-ticket purchases are getting cheaper.
- Katy Perry's triumphant VMAs performance isn't good news for her career.
- Bosses forcing RTO may regret it.
What's happening today
- New iPhones are available to pre-order.
The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.