Xanthe Appleyard and I are BACK for May's State of the Internet debrief, where we try to make sense of WTF is going on in the internet each month.

Today's report includes:

• Spotify's AI-generated podcast announcement — what does this mean for podcast hosts? Why do tech CEOs feel SO out of touch with these decisions? Plus why reading T&C's is IMPERATIVE these days and what to do with this info.
• Hot Chef Threads drama — IYKYK, and if you don't, we'll explain. Do we "owe" our audiences anything after we make our personal lives very public? Is it okay to paywall your vulnerability? How can we be more mindful of the dynamic we play in our online communities?
• The Met Gala x tech billionaires funding the arts — is this a good or bad thing in the long-run? Why are tech bros so obsessed with inserting themselves in fashion right now? What amount of money makes people bend on their morals/values and why?
• Everlane gets bought up by SHEIN — WTF. Period.

We discuss everything through the lens of online leadership, digital behavior, and modern philosophy.

You’ll leave with clear takeaways to move forward with, as well as a deeper understanding of how these topics are already impacting the conversations you’re leading, online and off.

The internet is chaos — we'll help you make sense of it from our corner of it all.

Connect with Xanthe:

• Instagram
• Love You To The Core Podcast
• Life of the Party — enrolling right now! Use code NOTES for $100 off!
• Links to all offers, including Leisure Ethic Planner, Content Planner, Social Life membership and more

Social media is fickle AF, but your community doesn't have to be. Life of the Party is a content strategy program that helps creative leaders own their growth, engagement, and joy online. Walk away with a sustainable strategy to skyrocket the visibility of your biz, become known for your unique POV, and grow an online community stacked with the caliber of clients you've always dreamed of collabing with. Use code NOTES for $100

Connect with Chelsea:

• 🪐 Pitch Perfect Fall 2026 Waitlist
• ☄️ SUPERNOVA waitlist: the thinking lab for the deep thinkers, world-builders, and curious visionaries who see futures that don't exist yet.
• 💻 Website
• 🍿Popcorn Club: Monthly meet-up to debrief TV, movies, and the zeitgeist
• 📜 Footnotes newsletter filled with rabbit holes
• 💌 The Art of the Ask Podcast
• 📱 IG: ⁠@chelseariffe⁠
• 🧵 Threads: @chelseariffe

Support NFNTW: Your donations help cover costs of running the show; you can help fund NFTNW right HERE.

If you're unable to donate financially, share it. It all adds up!

Want to sponsor NFTNW? Email team@chelseariffe.com to discuss partnership packages!

Crack open a Loverboy. We have lots to discuss.

We get into the hard-hitting journalism, asking questions like:

• WTF is Amanda Batula's plan post-Summer House?
• Is West Wilson a Companion Robot?
• How did Ciara miss NO BEATS the entire episode?
• What did Jesse Soloman know?
• Are Sabrina and Dara more calculated than we think, or sweetie pies?
• Can we have a spinoff of just Ciara, KJ, and Mia called Pool House?
• Why is no one making a bigger deal of the Ben wanting to bang Amanda in Italy commentary?

We wrap with our favorite lines from the show and what answers we need in Part 2 & 3. Also, can we wish that Andy would ask Amanda and West to name all the things they love about each other? Girls can dream!

Connect with Shelly:

• Instagram

Social media is fickle AF, but your community doesn't have to be. Life of the Party is a content strategy program that helps creative leaders own their growth, engagement, and joy online. Walk away with a sustainable strategy to skyrocket the visibility of your biz, become known for your unique POV, and grow an online community stacked with the caliber of clients you've always dreamed of collabing with. Use code NOTES for $100

Connect with Chelsea:

• 🪐 Pitch Perfect Fall 2026 Waitlist
• ☄️ SUPERNOVA waitlist: the thinking lab for the deep thinkers, world-builders, and curious visionaries who see futures that don't exist yet.
• 💻 Website
• 🍿Popcorn Club: Monthly meet-up to debrief TV, movies, and the zeitgeist
• 📜 Footnotes newsletter filled with rabbit holes
• 💌 The Art of the Ask Podcast
• 📱 IG: ⁠@chelseariffe⁠
• 🧵 Threads: @chelseariffe

Support NFNTW: Your donations help cover costs of running the show; you can help fund NFTNW right HERE.

If you're unable to donate financially, share it. It all adds up!

Want to sponsor NFTNW? Email team@chelseariffe.com to discuss partnership packages!

K, grab your glass of red and come sit. We need to talk about AI.

The discourse has been rampant the last few months: vibe-coding, Claude Cowork, agentic AI, OpenAI and partnering with the Department of War, AI psychosis, custom dashboards, apps, and GPTs...

We are FLOODED with info right now, and instead of leading with curiosity, social media has become a 360 slam-dunk fest on who's right or wrong. When the internet is filled with black and white thinking, name-calling, and passive aggressive posts... I can't help but wonder: isn't this what led to the surge of AI in the first place? Did the AI boom happen due to a lack of communication, conflict resolution, and critical thinking skills?

Why would people turn to a robot instead of a human to ask questions about business, life and love? Why aren't we hiring real people right now, even when we know it's the "right" thing to do? What's the point of moving at lightning speed? Where is this all taking us?

These are all the questions I ask today, from both sides of the debate. I was a Power User not too long ago, and am currently on an "AI cleanse". I share how one long afternoon with a custom GPT and one too many prompts led me to this point...

As usual, no final answers here. Just observations, thoughts, questions, and ideas for how we can stop pieing each other in the face about AI and instead, build a bridge with curiosity, imagination, stories and some good ole fashioned empathy.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

People mentioned in this ep:

• Ximena - everyone's favorite Mexican Eco-Philosopher
• KP Pilley - Editorial Strategist & 9-Grid Extraordinaire
• Xanthe Appleyard & Social Life

Social media is fickle AF, but your community doesn't have to be. Life of the Party is a content strategy program that helps creative leaders own their growth, engagement, and joy online. Walk away with a sustainable strategy to skyrocket the visibility of your biz, become known for your unique POV, and grow an online community stacked with the caliber of clients you've always dreamed of collabing with. Use code NOTES for $100

Connect with Chelsea:

• 🪐 Pitch Perfect Fall 2026 Waitlist
• ☄️ SUPERNOVA waitlist: the thinking lab for the deep thinkers, world-builders, and curious visionaries who see futures that don't exist yet.
• 💻 Website
• 🍿Popcorn Club: Monthly meet-up to debrief TV, movies, and the zeitgeist
• 📜 Footnotes newsletter filled with rabbit holes
• 💌 The Art of the Ask Podcast
• 📱 IG: ⁠@chelseariffe⁠
• 🧵 Threads: @chelseariffe

Support NFNTW: Your donations help cover costs of running the show; you can help fund NFTNW right HERE.

If you're unable to donate financially, share it. It all adds up!

Want to sponsor NFTNW? Email team@chelseariffe.com to discuss partnership packages!