NYU researcher challenges virality as key to cultural trends
Ruby J. Thelot tells WIRED that internet virality is an outdated measure of cultural adoption, suggesting digital trends are amplified by force-fed consumption within isolated online communities rather than genuine mainstream staying power.
NYU cyber-ethnographer and media theory researcher Ruby J. Thelot argues that internet virality has become an outdated metric for understanding cultural trends. In an interview with WIRED, Thelot contends that the online landscape is balkanised into digital islands where seemingly viral phenomena are often the result of engineered, force-fed consumption rather than genuine mainstream adoption.
Thelot points to Goodhart’s law to explain how the pursuit of virality as a target metric has led to content being architected for views rather than inherent value. He suggests that while trends like looksmaxxing or dating app burnout narratives may appear widespread, they frequently lack mainstream staying power because they are amplified within specific digital provinces rather than adopted by the masses.
The researcher also challenges the prevailing narrative of heteropessimism, or dating burnout, describing it as a mirage overblown by culture writers. Thelot cites a New York Times essay titled There’s Nothing Wrong With Wanting Men as an example of hetero-optimism countering the malaise. His analysis of approximately 1,000 social media posts with over one million views on Instagram and TikTok indicated that only around 25 percent of the content was negative.
Regarding the popularity of prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, Thelot suggests they function primarily as tools for social participation and bonding among young men rather than serious financial investments. He compares this activity to the trading of meme coins between 2020 and 2024, noting that both serve as gambling activities that facilitate group bonding in what participants call the trenches.
Thelot warns against overestimating the importance of artificial intelligence, arguing that human issues are bottlenecked by cooperation and coordination rather than intelligence. He references French philosopher Gilbert Simondon to argue that technological advancements often leave behind untapped human values, including emotional and artistic intelligence, which are neglected in the current focus on AI capabilities.
His book, In Defense of Being-On-Line, is scheduled for release this autumn. The interview highlights a broader critique of how digital metrics obscure the true nature of cultural engagement and human capability.
