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At 21 years old, Brooklyn Frost brings her creativity to her streams, social media, and music, engaging millions of fans across Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube with her voice, energy, and perspective. Streaming Success Brooklyn Frost has built an audience that spans 1.3 million Instagram followers, 2.2 million TikTok followers, over 600,000 Twitch followers, and more than 1 million YouTube subscribers. Per Essence Girls United, watching her brother create content first, she said she was drawn to the energy, creativity, and connection that streaming offered. Stepping in front of the camera herself, she realized she could tell her own story. “Streaming gave me a space to be myself in real time, to laugh, to talk, and to build a genuine community that grew with me,” Frost told AFROTECH™. Her first Twitch subathon in December 2024 was a milestone, earning her 10,000 new subscribers and averaging 13,000 views per stream, according to Complex. Frost celebrated the achievement with...
Black women are facing increasing economic challenges today. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs or have exited the workforce. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, along with Trump’s tariffs, has contributed to these losses. Times are hard, and many are being stretched to make ends meet. Adding to these challenges, the stalling of SNAP benefits under the government shutdown is impacting millions of Americans. In addition, homelessness is at an all-time high , according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s most recent 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report. The study cites that homelessness rose by 18% since 2023, meaning roughly 118,000 more people experienced homelessness in 2024 compared with 2023. For some, like 22-year-old Imani, the instability of today’s landscape has made it increasingly difficult to secure employment and...
President Donald Trump signed an order advancing the sale of TikTok’s USA operations to American investors. According to Bloomberg, Vice President JD Vance said Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, that TikTok’s USA business has been valued at about $14 billion. Bloomberg reports that this valuation is below earlier estimates of around $40 billion. The order requires ByteDance Ltd., TikTok’s China-based parent company, to reduce its stake to less than 20% to comply with national security requirements, and investors have 120 days to complete the transaction. Per Bloomberg, Vance said the final purchase price will be determined by investors. TikTok’s USA Market TikTok maintains a significant presence in the U.S, with more than 170 million active users and over $10 billion in annual revenue. At the $14 billion valuation, TikTok’s U.S. operations carry a price-to-sales ratio of roughly 1.4 times, Bloomberg reports, comparable to companies such as Exxon Mobil and General Mills Inc. By comparison,...
Going against the grain changed Tabitha Brown’s trajectory permanently. The North Carolina native is a multi-hyphenate known for her work in acting, social media, and entrepreneurship. Just over a decade ago, she made ends meet as an Uber driver. However, her authentic review of a vegan BLT sandwich from Whole Foods was what ultimately changed the trajectory of Brown’s life, 21Ninety reported. She had been trying to find success as an actress for years, but through the simplicity of showcasing her personality from her phone she became an ambassador of Whole Foods. She also attracted the attention of the masses as she leaned further into social media, highlighting her vegan recipes with a positive outlook during the wake of COVID-19. Brown revealed in a former interview with AFROTECH™ that her agent at the time initially discouraged her from finding comfort behind the lens. “I wanted to be taken seriously as an actress,” she said. “So, I listened to my agent when she said not to...
Rolling Ray, the larger-than-life social media star who filled timelines with laughter, sass and unapologetic self-expression, became more than a viral sensation — he was a cultural force celebrated for his authenticity and advocacy. His vibrant legacy is now remembered with sadness, as TMZ reports his passing at just 28 years old. According to Entertainment Weekly, his passing was confirmed on Sept. 3 by Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, just days before his 29th birthday on Sept. 5. Zeus Network, where Rolling Ray starred in multiple reality shows, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram: “Gone way too soon. #RestInPeace to the BIG hearted, most Raw, & Real FRIEND & #Zeus Star #RaymondHarper aka @iamrollingray,” the network wrote, adding, “Your Laughter, Light, & Loving Spirit will Live on FOREVER! From #BobbyILoveYouPurrr to #TheConversation, you were Unapologetically & Authentically your TRUEST Self. From your ZEUS Fam, we Love, Thank, & will Miss you Always!” ...
TikTok is giving its messaging system a major boost. The platform has rolled out new features that let users send voice notes and share up to nine images or videos directly in DMs, whether in one-on-one or group chats, TechCrunch reports. With the update, TikTok is expanding beyond its reputation as a short-form video hub and positioning itself as a fuller communication platform. The features also bring its direct messaging experience closer to what other popular apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Apple’s Messages offer. TikTok users can now record and send audio clips up to 60 seconds long directly in DMs, a format that has been growing in popularity among younger audiences, especially Gen Z. According to TechCrunch, TikTok says the new functionality will reach users worldwide in the coming weeks. Voice notes aren’t entirely new to the social media space. Instagram rolled them out in 2018, while WhatsApp has supported them since 2013, per PCMag. TikTok has been slower to develop...
Instagram has started rolling out new features aimed at helping people connect in more personal and interactive ways. Among the latest updates, according to a news release from Meta Platforms, Inc., is a location-sharing tool called the Instagram map, along with new reposting capabilities and a dedicated Friends tab in Reels. Here’s what’s changing and how to use these features. Instagram Map: Real-Time Location Sharing With Friends View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) The new map feature allows Instagram users to share their live location with a selected group of friends, per the release. It’s opt-in only, and you decide who sees your location. Once activated, your real-time location updates only when you open the app. Users can also see friends’ locations if they’ve chosen to share. The map also highlights public content posted near a specific location, the company shared in the release. This includes tagged Reels, Stories, feed posts, and Notes...
A new app that went viral for helping women date more safely has hit a major snag. Tea, the women-only platform designed to crowdsource safety information about men, surged to popularity in July, hitting over 4 million users and topping Apple’s App Store, according to Complex. Marketed as a “space to safely talk about men,” the app lets women upload photos of guys, run reverse image searches, and perform background checks to identify someone as a “red flag” or “green flag” for dating. But just as the app was hitting its stride (going viral on TikTok, especially among Gen Z), Forbes reports, a massive data breach compromised the information of thousands of users. What Is The Tea App? Tea isn’t a traditional dating app. Instead, it acts as a safety tool. Per Forbes, users can upload photos of men they’re talking to, search by name or phone number, and ask the community if anyone has “tea,” or gossip, about the men. It offers features such as: Catfish Finder AI to identify fake or...
Don Lemon’s lawsuit against Elon Musk and his platform, X, is officially heading to trial. According to CNBC, a San Francisco judge ruled that the case accusing Musk and X of breach of contract and fraud can move forward. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Lemon filed the suit in 2024, claiming X pulled out of a $1.5 million content deal just hours after he recorded a tense, on-camera interview with Musk. That interview was meant to launch “The Don Lemon Show” exclusively on the platform. Lemon’s team had already started production, and both parties had publicly announced the show. The journalist had also reportedly “incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses” in preparation. But before the first episode could air, X canceled the deal, sparking allegations of retaliation and broken promises. Judge Backs Don Lemon Lawsuit In Court The courtroom developments mark a major step forward for Lemon’s legal claims. Judge Harold Kahn rejected Musk’s motion to dismiss the case or...
Amaya Espinal, also known as “Amaya Papaya,” may have a new career once she exits the villa. From A Nurse To A Reality TV Star The 25-year-old from New York is a first-generation American with roots in the Dominican Republic and is among the cast members on Season 7 of Peacock’s “Love Island USA”. Her search for love could lead to a $100,000 prize, one she may split with her partner if they make it to the finale — unless one of them decides to take it all. Espinal, who is currently coupled up with fellow cast member Bryan Arenales, has quickly become a fan favorite among viewers for wearing her heart on her sleeve. She already has a viral sound on platforms such as TikTok, where she currently has 2.3 million followers (at the time of this writing). @printedofperfection Song of the summer ✨ #fyp #loveislandusa #casaamor #amayapapaya ♬ original sound – Love love love A personal moment was captured of her singing in front of a mirror on the show. The sound bite of the original song has...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Social media , once a place for gathering and chatting with friends and family, has become another corporatized entity looking to sell you things. From clothing hauls to tummy teas, social media is all about advertising. With the introduction of influencer marketing, companies no longer advertise in the same way they did several years ago with traditional commercials and photo ads. Now, there is an army of influencers ready to sell reusable water bottles or skincare to consumers from the comfort of their living rooms, which isn’t much different than what you would see on QVC. TikTok has increased advertising on the platform, introducing a shopping tab where consumers can purchase their favorite products, sometimes at a discounted price. However, paying influencers can be pricey for a company that is worried about its bottom line. Unfortunately, as more and more tech companies look to automate...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Google announced that it will now allow users under 13 years old to access its Gemini AI chatbot. Gemini is a direct competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and has quickly been integrated into other Google services. Gemini will be available to kids whose parents use Family Link, which enables Google services for children only with the permission of the family. Young users will be able to communicate with the chatbot for text responses and create images generated by the system. Artificial intelligence has become the center of our lives as it disrupts industries and employment opportunities, and companies look to replace workers with AI. But while the AI industry is growing, there’s still so much we don’t know or understand about the technology as adults. Though Google has stated it won’t use data from younger users to train its AI, we shouldn’t trust this technology in the hands of young, impressionable...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Recent viral videos on TikTok by Chinese wholesalers are claiming that luxury handbags and other items are made in China . This is a strong assertion when the trade war between the United States and China has consumers thinking about how much more they will have to pay for everyday items, as well as more frivolous purchases. Luxury goods aren’t as necessary when compared to food, clothes, and certain machinery. However, in recent years, consumer purchasing habits have diverged among various generations. Some Millennials and Gen-Z are focused on splurging on regular items like coffee and little treats, so spending money on big-ticket items has taken a backseat. Even so, while luxury goods have a higher mark-up in price based on brand recognition, many still use quality items to construct their products. For example, Hermés, the French luxury house, does not manufacture its bags in China, according...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. In the 2024 presidential election , it was reported that voter turnout among Gen-Z voters dropped significantly compared to 2020. There was also a significant uptick in younger voters who supported President Donald Trump, according to the Guardian . Overall, Gen Z appears to be leaning slightly more conservative than their Millennial counterparts, a shift largely attributed to the influence of social media and its impact on shaping political perspectives. Social media’s prevalence in our daily lives has only gotten worse over the years. People now spend the majority of their time online, doom-scrolling. Younger generations are less likely to get their news from sources other than social media. They watch YouTube videos instead of regular television and don’t listen to the radio in the same way previous generations did. Videos targeted towards young men are laced with misogynistic messaging and the...
Snoop Dogg is rapidly losing social media followers after his appearance at President Donald Trump’s Crypto Ball. As of Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, the “Gin and Juice” rapper — Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. — has 88.1 million Instagram followers, a drop of 571,800, and 20.7 million on X, down 17,177, according to the New York Post. Snoop Dogg’s performance at the pre-inauguration bash on Jan. 17, 2025, drew significant backlash from people who pointed out his previous anti-Trump position and speculated that financial incentives may have motivated him to take part. “For all the hate, I’m going to answer with love. I love too much,” Snoop Dogg said, addressing the criticism on Instagram Live. “Get your life right, stop worrying about mine. I’m cool. I’m together. Still a black man. Still 100% black. All out till you ball out or till you fall out.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) Per another report by the Post, in September 2018, Snoop Dogg...
