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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...
Food critic Keith Lee has launched an initiative to ensure people on SNAP benefits can remain fed. During what is now the longest U.S. government shutdown, individuals and families are not receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as of Nov. 5, meaning some families may not have the means to buy groceries amid the holiday season. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Providence, RI, has ordered the Trump administration to use a contingency fund for those who rely on SNAP benefits. The Hill reports the administration has agreed, but payments will still be delayed and are projected to be half the amount of what recipients typically receive. Community support is needed more than ever, and Lee is using his platform, which includes 17.3 million TikTok followers alone (at the time of this writing), to launch a relief initiative for those impacted by changes in SNAP benefits. Lee revealed that when he got his start on TikTok, he was...
Toni Bravo grew up playing with makeup and is now finding success as a beauty creator. The Long Beach, CA, native’s foray into the industry was not an overnight switch. She attended the University of California, Irvine, to pursue film and media studies and at the time she did not have a big interest in beauty, she told AFROTECH™. However, she did begin ramping up content and sharing it online during her sophomore year, which she attributes to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She moved home from college in spring 2020, per Buffer. Her family has played a major role in her interests as well, from her dabbling in her mother’s makeup with her fraternal twin sister to roller skating. In 2020, she started sharing videos of her roller skating on TikTok. “As I became an adult and got into roller skating and documenting it for the internet, that was fully my thing,” Bravo recalled. @bonitravo Replying to @Mel Oliva yes i am a sagittarius who has lived a million lives!!❤️ #rollerskating ♬...
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,...
President Donald Trump announced on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, that Chinese President Xi Jinping had approved a deal that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States, Forbes reports. However, Trump did not provide further information about the discussions. According to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders discussed TikTok during a phone call, with Xi noting that China “respects corporate decisions and welcomes business negotiations that follow market rules and produce solutions consistent with Chinese laws and balanced interests.” The statement highlighted that China and the U.S. had agreed to provide an open, fair, and non-discriminatory environment for investment and economic cooperation. Xi had also requested during the conversation that “unilateral trade restrictions” not be imposed by the U.S. in order to keep the ongoing consultation between the two parties productive. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that a...
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...
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...
A new version of TikTok is expected to launch in the United States on Sept. 5, 2025, according to The Verge. TikTok’s staff is reportedly working on the separate app, internally dubbed “M2,” which succeeds the current version known as “M.” The original TikTok app will be removed from app stores once M2 launches, and it is expected to stop functioning entirely by March 2026. Reports of the new TikTok app comes days after President Donald Trump said the U.S. “pretty much has a deal” for an American company to acquire TikTok, The New York Times reported. “We’re going to start Monday or Tuesday talking to China,” Trump told reporters traveling on Air Force One on Friday, July 4. “We think we probably have to get it approved by China. Not definitely, but probably.” He added, “I think the deal is good for China, and it’s good for us. It’s money, it’s a lot of money.” Though no company has been named, Trump mentioned, per The Verve, that it would be a group of “Non-Chinese” investors with...
What happens when TikTok energy collides with food delivery? You get BiteSight — a new, Black-owned app rising fast in the Apple App Store rankings. It all started with a viral trend: a sister playfully “bullying” TikTok into supporting her brother’s startup. The internet listened — and now, BiteSight is taking off. As of June 24, 2025, the app holds a rating of 4.9 stars out of 5 from over 1,200 reviews. @realeater.flou It’s called BiteSight and it’s really fun I promise 🙂 #foodelivery #nyc #founder ♬ original sound – Lucious ~ Building BiteSight🍔 “I built this because I wanted to see all of my friends’ favorite food delivery spots,” founder Lucious shared. “Now, I can, like, go to their profile, see the places they like and what they rated them… and everything you see, you can get it delivered in like 15 minutes. It’s really cool.” On BiteSight, users scroll through short videos and photos from some of the best real spots in New York City, according to its description on the App...
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...
TikTok will be granted another 90-day extension to prevent its ban in the U.S. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, former President Joe Biden signed a law on April 24, 2024, that would require TikTok’s Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform within a year or it would face a nationwide ban. The U.S. has national security concerns about the app and China’s possible access to American citizens’ private data. TikTok is used by an estimated 170 million users, notes NPR. The Supreme Court had also upheld the law signed by Biden in January 2025. “There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the court had written in an unsigned opinion, according to another NPR report. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship...
Twitch star Kai Cenat received calls from major networks due to the buzz around Streamer University. What Is Streamer University? As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Streamer University was a weekend-long program that provided educational opportunities for both small and larger creators at the University of Akron campus in Ohio. Among the instructors was Agent00, who taught the following classes: Monetization for Dummies and Pocket Watching 101. His contributions earned him the title of Professor of the Year during an award ceremony held on Sunday, May 25. Creators were also supported with the brand-new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, featuring a 200 MP wide-angle lens, and received a complimentary year of 5G service from T-Mobile. More than 1 million creators applied to be part of the experience, and nearly 150 were admitted to what became a breeding ground for content, garnering millions of views collectively. What Happened At Streamer University? Whether you are chronically online or...
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...
