Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Our top stories today are about a woman saying a TikTok challenge left her niece in the hospital, a House of the Dragon character becoming a meme, how PayPal is holding a tech startup’s money hostage, and a viral video that says you need to be an “ass kisser” to get ahead in corporate jobs.
After that, our Culture Reporter Michelle has her weekly “Now Streaming” column.
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
👀 VIRAL
‘$12 for 1 piece of chip and hospital bills’: TikToker says Paqui One Chip Challenge landed niece in the hospital
A woman says her niece ended up in a hospital after participating in one of the latest social media challenges—the Paqui One Chip Challenge.
📽️ CULTURE
This minor ‘House of the Dragon’ character is the next great meme
A fight in the new House of the Dragon between two suitors introduces viewers to a new favorite.
💻 TECH
A tech startup with a wildly successful GoFundMe is now at the mercy of PayPal, which is holding over $1.3 million in sales hostage
PayPal is making Flipper jump through hoops.
💼 WORK DYSTOPIA
Worker says you have to be ‘an a**-kisser’ to get promoted in the corporate world, sparking debate
A worker has gone viral on TikTok after sharing a lesson she says she learned in the corporate world: be an ass-kisser.
We crawl the web so you don’t have to. Sign up to receive web_crawlr, a daily newsletter from the Daily Dot, in your inbox each day.
🦾 Better living through tech
💰 SPONSORED
Blanket your home with 24/7 security
With SimpliSafe, the award-winning home security system, protecting your home has never been easier. The easy-to-install system includes a wide range of high-tech cameras and sensors to keep your entire home safe from break-ins, fires, floods, and more. Choose a package or customize your own security system and get 40% off plus a free indoor camera.
📺 Now Streaming
In the game of ‘House of the Dragon’ vs ‘The Rings of Power,’ viewers win
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Wednesdays our Culture Reporters Audra Schroeder and Michelle Jaworski review or analyze the latest streaming content in their “Now Streaming” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to you inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
🍗 A Wingstop employee recently went viral on TikTok after sharing a PSA to make customers’ lives a little better.
💾 A work-from-home software engineer said all he did in a workday was change a button from one shade of blue to another, leading many viewers to debate whether or not tech jobs are “cushy.”
☕ A Starbucks barista sparked a debate in the comments after she posted a video about new hires being on their phones.
💰 In a viral TikTok video, a DoorDash customer shares his complaints regarding the extra fees added to his single order of milk tea.
💍 These bridesmaid proposal boxes are the perfect way to pop the question your besties are dying to hear: “will you hold my wedding dress when I have to pee?”*
🍴 A TikToker is going viral after posting a video where she claimed she was denied service at a restaurant for not tipping previously.
🥤 Pop singer/songwriter and TikToker Brielle claims that she was called “ugly” while ordering a beverage through a McDonald’s drive-thru.
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
👋 Before you go
In a viral video, TikToker and Phone Fix Craft employee Matt shared a video of him and a man arguing about the difference between brown and white rice in regards to fixing a water-damaged phone.
“White rice does not repair phones,” Matt tells the man in the video, which has been viewed 3.5 million times. “I repair phones.”
🎶 Now Playing: “My Secret Friend” by IAMX feat. Imogen Heap 🎶