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Kristin Merrilees

@kristinmerrilees

internet culture writer, journalist @columbiajournalism, alum @barnard phonetime.news

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13.04.2023
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Latest posts by Kristin Merrilees @kristinmerrilees

Statement from the American Nurses Association regarding the death of registered nurse Alex Pretti The American Nurses Association (ANA) is deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the death of Alex Pretti, a registered nurse, in Minneapolis earlier today. We extend our condolences to Alex’s loved...

"The American Nurses Association (ANA) is deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the death of Alex Pretti, a registered nurse, in Minneapolis earlier today." www.nursingworld.org/news/news-re...

24.01.2026 22:22 πŸ‘ 42 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

i enjoy i enjoy music!!!!!πŸ’•

14.09.2025 22:30 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
I Enjoy Music is a callback to old-school music blogging A conversation with Molly Mary O'Brien about the state of music publications, the joys of personal writing, and how to get people to actually read things.

you should definitely subscribe to PHONE TIME and not just because i did an interview for it!

www.phonetime.news/p/i-enjoy-mu...

12.09.2025 18:02 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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music moots with PHONE TIME's Kristin Merrilees ("Keep Your Head" by David O'Dowda) We are extremely back withΒ Music Mootsβ„’, the blogseries where I ask someone to recommend me a song they like, and then I listen to the song and then write a little about it. Today we have Kristin Mer...

listened to a song rec by @kristinmerrilees.bsky.social, went down a bit of a rabbit hole of production music, TV theme songs, ARPEGGIATION, and a bonus Sliding Doors career moment...

www.ienjoymusic.net/music-moots-...

12.09.2025 17:58 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
While Mr. Mamdani was not a target of the hack, the information about him was included in a database of millions of student applications to Columbia going back decades. The data was shared with The Times by an intermediary who goes by the name CrΓ©mieux on Substack and X and who is an academic and an opponent of affirmative action. The Times agreed to withhold his real name.

While Mr. Mamdani was not a target of the hack, the information about him was included in a database of millions of student applications to Columbia going back decades. The data was shared with The Times by an intermediary who goes by the name CrΓ©mieux on Substack and X and who is an academic and an opponent of affirmative action. The Times agreed to withhold his real name.

Always curious to see who gets to be an anonymous source!

03.07.2025 22:08 πŸ‘ 4792 πŸ” 442 πŸ’¬ 61 πŸ“Œ 176

βœ¨πŸ’»

19.06.2025 17:17 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
the html review is a journal of literature 'made to exist on the web' Published each spring, the html review features poetry, nonfiction, fiction, graphics, and experimental works that use the web as a medium.

Chatted a little about The HTML Review with the great @kristinmerrilees.bsky.social www.phonetime.news/p/the-html-r...

19.06.2025 16:58 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Making games that disappear Game designer droqen on the evolution of his work, droqevers, and newest game "The End of Gameplay."

www.phonetime.news/p/making-gam...

yay phonetime! @kristinmerrilees.bsky.social and i had a nice phone time (we talked on the phone), she asked me some questions about my droqevers & we chatted abt various things

some of your droqever comments are immortalized there, in screenshots...

09.06.2025 22:37 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

thanks for chatting!!! :)

09.06.2025 22:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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I scrolled to the bottom of Instagram's Instagram grid Plus, an update from The Browser Company and the end of read-it-later app Pocket.

i did some scrolling for you

www.phonetime.news/p/i-scrolled...

29.05.2025 17:58 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

true achievement

13.05.2025 16:38 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Hasan Piker detained at the border and questioned for hours over politics "They straight up tried to get something out of me that I think they could use to basically detain me permanently"

β€œThe reason they’re doing [this] is to try to create an environment of fear, to try to get people like myself... to shut the fuck up,” Piker said on a stream recounting the details of the incident.

www.usermag.co/p/hasan-pike...

12.05.2025 19:47 πŸ‘ 4142 πŸ” 1200 πŸ’¬ 60 πŸ“Œ 209
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Material Grrrlz is building a fiber arts community through memes, meetups, and a magazine A conversation with Material Grrrlz founder Alexa Kari.

Material Grrrlz has built a fiber arts community through memes, a magazine, and meetups.

I talked with founder Alexa Kari in the latest PHONE TIME!! (pics courtesy Material Grrrlz)

open.substack.com/pub/phonetim...

04.05.2025 10:40 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Amy Burek on her publishing project Awkward Ladies Club, zine-making, and the joys of internet forums Burek has made zines about Wikipedia list pages, internet parenting advice, LiveJournal entries, and Craigslist dating ads.

My first interview for PHONE TIME was a few weeks ago with Amy Burek of Awkward Ladies Club. Burek has been making zines about the internetβ€”touching on Reddit, Wikipedia, LiveJournal, and moreβ€”since 2012

Thanks for reading, lots more to come :)

open.substack.com/pub/phonetim...

02.05.2025 14:13 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

thank you!!!!

14.04.2025 18:11 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Being offline is the hottest thing to post online Plus, some of my favorite corners from around the internet.

Glad that @kristinmerrilees.bsky.social is back to writing her newsletter again, her insights and pulse into where the Zoomers and post-Zoomers are trending is quality reading.

09.04.2025 06:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Hi! My name is Kristin Merrilees, and I’m a writer, journalist, and creator covering the internet β€” think TikTok trends, niche communities, memes, platform features, and more. 

Today, I’m launching PHONE TIME, a new publication and newsletter on Substack. It’s free (for now)!
A lot has changed since I first started writing about the internet a few years ago β€” from the Twitter-to-X transformation to TikTok’s rise as an impossible-to-ignore cultural and economic engine. At the same time, while trust in legacy outlets has declined, a new media ecosystem has flourished. Creators, Instagrammers, podcasters, Substackers, TikTokers, and others have built brands delivering incisive commentary and original insights across fashion, food, technology, and beyond.

Hi! My name is Kristin Merrilees, and I’m a writer, journalist, and creator covering the internet β€” think TikTok trends, niche communities, memes, platform features, and more. Today, I’m launching PHONE TIME, a new publication and newsletter on Substack. It’s free (for now)! A lot has changed since I first started writing about the internet a few years ago β€” from the Twitter-to-X transformation to TikTok’s rise as an impossible-to-ignore cultural and economic engine. At the same time, while trust in legacy outlets has declined, a new media ecosystem has flourished. Creators, Instagrammers, podcasters, Substackers, TikTokers, and others have built brands delivering incisive commentary and original insights across fashion, food, technology, and beyond.

The internet is facing real threats β€” from disinformation to increased corporate control β€” but it also remains a space of constant creativity and cultural shifts. With PHONE TIME, I aim to deliver critical writing and original reporting about the internet, not just looking at trends in isolation but digging deep into the cultural transformations happening before our eyes. 
Here’s a little bit more about what to expect: 

Reviews of new social apps, online tools, and internet/tech-related media (everything from books to movies to YouTube videos to Instagram accounts)

Interviews with online creators, technologists, and makers shaping digital culture

Service journalism on how to live with technology amidst fragmentation, information overload, and algorithmic feeds

Original reporting on online trends, platforms, and communities

The internet is facing real threats β€” from disinformation to increased corporate control β€” but it also remains a space of constant creativity and cultural shifts. With PHONE TIME, I aim to deliver critical writing and original reporting about the internet, not just looking at trends in isolation but digging deep into the cultural transformations happening before our eyes. Here’s a little bit more about what to expect: Reviews of new social apps, online tools, and internet/tech-related media (everything from books to movies to YouTube videos to Instagram accounts) Interviews with online creators, technologists, and makers shaping digital culture Service journalism on how to live with technology amidst fragmentation, information overload, and algorithmic feeds Original reporting on online trends, platforms, and communities

i haven’t shared it on bluesky yet but i have a new substack called PHONE TIME!!! i hope you will subscribe and enjoy!! :)

phonetime.substack.com

17.03.2025 00:11 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
An ad from a 1957 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. Up top, the title: "New! A machine that COMPOSES MUSIC!" To the top left, an image of the "Geniac Electric Brain," a masonite board with a set of six ceramic dials in which electronic components may be mounted; these dials are turned for input and the connections underneath serve as the analog "timer" of sorts; the side has a series of four lights, the machine's output. To the top right, an image of a tune created by the Geniac. Below, dense type promotes the machine ("Yes, you can build any one of 33 electric brain machines!" "Over 400 components and parts!" "Your cost for GENIAC kit: Only $19.95 postpaid" (roughly $200 today). A sidebar lists institutions that have purchased GENIACs (including IBM, Bell, and Westinghouse); at the bottom is an ordering sheet for the Oliver Garfield Co., plus options to show interest in various other scientific fields.

An ad from a 1957 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. Up top, the title: "New! A machine that COMPOSES MUSIC!" To the top left, an image of the "Geniac Electric Brain," a masonite board with a set of six ceramic dials in which electronic components may be mounted; these dials are turned for input and the connections underneath serve as the analog "timer" of sorts; the side has a series of four lights, the machine's output. To the top right, an image of a tune created by the Geniac. Below, dense type promotes the machine ("Yes, you can build any one of 33 electric brain machines!" "Over 400 components and parts!" "Your cost for GENIAC kit: Only $19.95 postpaid" (roughly $200 today). A sidebar lists institutions that have purchased GENIACs (including IBM, Bell, and Westinghouse); at the bottom is an ordering sheet for the Oliver Garfield Co., plus options to show interest in various other scientific fields.

One thing I have a devil of a time finding are 'electric brains', the various purpose-built devices made for computing after electrification but prior to modern electromechanical parts. Any leads are appreciated.

16.03.2025 22:05 πŸ‘ 48 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
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Workers at NASA Told to β€˜Drop Everything’ to Scrub Mentions of Indigenous People, Women from Its Websites "This is a drop everything and reprioritize your day request," a directive "per NASA HQ direction" stated.

NASA workers were told to "drop everything" and spend their time scrubbing mentions of women in leadership, indigenous people, and environmental justice from the web: www.404media.co/nasa-dei-dro...

04.02.2025 15:06 πŸ‘ 3541 πŸ” 2031 πŸ’¬ 225 πŸ“Œ 572
The Internet for Dummies & The Internet Complete Reference

The Internet for Dummies & The Internet Complete Reference

Part IV:
Finding Stuff on the Net

Part IV: Finding Stuff on the Net

$2 total from the used bookstore!!

18.01.2025 17:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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From blogging to Sidechat: A short history of social networking at Columbia From posting Instagram photo dumps at the end of the semester to checking Sidechat while procrastinating for finals, social media is a fact of life for virtually everyone at Columbia. The virtual plat...

Read my short history of social networking at Columbia β€” covering email, blogs, Facebook, Snapchat, Yik Yak, Instagram, meme pages, Sidechat, and more!!

www.columbiaspectator.com/arts-and-cul...

17.12.2024 02:34 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Memenome, founded by Jackie Ni, CC ’26, is turning PDFs into β€˜brainrot’ Step aside, ChatGPT: A new startup is betting on using β€œbrainrot” to help students learn.

my story on memenome, founded by jackie ni, cc β€˜26, which describes itself as β€œthe original pdf to brainrot”

www.columbiaspectator.com/arts-and-cul...

03.12.2024 14:59 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

is there a meme community on bluesky ‼️

19.11.2024 01:29 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

New report on America's news influencers from @pewresearch.org & @knightfdn.bsky.social offers some interesting insights:

- 21% of adults get news from influencers (more for young ppl)
- More influencers lean to the right (27 to 21%)
- More are men (63 to 30%)

www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2...

18.11.2024 18:13 πŸ‘ 21 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
the β€œnew york or la” meme with two women 
but it’s β€œtwitter or blue sky” and she responds β€œgoogle+”

the β€œnew york or la” meme with two women but it’s β€œtwitter or blue sky” and she responds β€œgoogle+”

meme for friends

16.11.2024 17:30 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Review: β€˜Paper of Wreckage’ delivers a juicy, comprehensive history of the New York Post Salacious headlines, a no-holds-barred approach to subject matter, and distinct cover pagesβ€”if you know New York City, then you know the New York Post. But, as argued in the recently released book β€œPa...

Read my review of β€œPaper of Wreckage” πŸ—žοΈ

www.columbiaspectator.com/arts-and-cul...

15.11.2024 18:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
elf bar vape with bluesky logo

elf bar vape with bluesky logo

15.11.2024 17:10 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
is it really worth it bluesky butterfly meme

is it really worth it bluesky butterfly meme

15.11.2024 16:51 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

ilyyyyy

15.11.2024 16:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

memes incoming

27.04.2023 04:33 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0