On the Radar: Influencer Shark Attacks, Snapchat Lawsuits and ‘Rejection Cakes’

Influencers Increasing Shark Attacks

What? Scientists have noted an increase in shark attacks recently. And social media influencers are a likely cause. These “fin-fluencers,” as they’re sometimes called, post pictures and videos of themselves petting the predators, encouraging their followers to do the same. 

So What? Although most sharks actually aren’t the “bloodthirsty predators” fictionally depicted in onscreen, such as the infamous great white in Jaws, they are wild predators that will act in self-defense if they feel overwhelmed by human swimmers. Daily Mail shared videos of two influencers who were bitten after foolishly trying to touch the aquatic creatures.

Now What? “I can’t believe that ‘please don’t grab the 18-foot-long wild predator’ is something that needs to be explicitly said out loud, but here we are,” David Shiffman (a marine biologist) told The Washington Post in 2019 after one of the first “fin-fluencer” videos went viral. Although many social media influencers (and even more prominent celebrities, including Will Smith and Zac Efron) are trying to destigmatize the dangers of swimming with sharks, marine biologists and other scientists strongly discourage any form of physical interaction with sharks.

Florida Files Lawsuit Against Snapchat for Addictive Features

What? In 2024, Florida instituted a law making social media platforms with addictive features inaccessible to children 13 and younger and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-old users. Attorney General James Uthmeier has now filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc. (the parent company of social media giant Snapchat) for failure to comply.

So What? Uthmeier claims “Snap is deceiving Florida parents about the dangers children face on the app, from behavioral addictive features to allowing sexual predators and drug dealers access.”

Now What? Snap, for its part, has since launched the Snapchat Family Safety Hub, introducing parental access to teen accounts. Parents should certainly take advantage of this new hub, since it could help protect your children from the potential dangers of Snapchat. But parents should also remain vigilant, prioritizing an ongoing discussion with teens about the potential harms of social media and encouraging their children to utilize protective tools (such as blocking and reporting features) and habits (such as screentime breaks).

‘Rejection Cakes’ Counter ‘Bed Parties’

What? As high school seniors begin receiving acceptance or rejection letters from the colleges they’ve applied to, “rejection cakes”—cakes decorated with the logos of all the schools applicants didn’t get into—have begun trending on social media, reports USA Today.

So What? Because of the rise in popularity of “bed parties” and other acceptance videos, the social media feeds of college hopefuls have been flooded with the success of other students, sometimes creating feelings of distress for teens who were rejected from their top choices. But rejection cakes can counter some of those negative effects by demonstrating that not everyone is getting accepted into the schools they’d hoped.

Now What? Rejection cakes can be a humorous way to cope with the disappointment of college rejection (though they may not be for everyone). The trend also helps to remind us that the college admission process is much more complicated than we might think. College admission experts tell USA Today that it’s also important to help students focus on the end goal: What you do once you get to college is much more important than which college you get into.