Social Media & Creators

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. – September 19, 2026 -- Alcatraz East Crime Museum is opening a new exhibit examining how TikTok has reshaped crime reporting, featuring criminal defense attorney and influencer Stephanie Giancristofaro, who has built a following of over 326,000 on the platform.

The exhibit arrives as TikTok marks its 10th anniversary on September 20, 2026. The app launched as Douyin from an apartment in China in 2016, expanded internationally the following year, and gained a major popularity boost in 2018 after merging with the lip-syncing app Musical.ly.

An attorney turned to TikTok to cut through case confusion

Giancristofaro began posting videos after the 2022 murder of four University of Idaho students, aiming to help viewers understand the legal proceedings surrounding the case. Her clips break down evidence, applicable law, and the line between fact and speculation, and now draw millions of views.

New York – September 18, 2026 -- Giggles, the fast-growing social video app, has relaunched with a ground-up redesign that swaps its old trading mechanics for a new points system called Aura and a set of collectible "trend cards."

Aura replaces trading with a simple rewards system

Users earn Aura by participating on the app and spend it on interactions and creator rewards. Aura carries no cash value, marking a clear departure from the trading economy the app was previously known for. Trend cards, meanwhile, are digital collectibles earned with Aura that mark viral moments and celebrate creators, memes, and content that define the platform.

The app remains focused on short-form video across five categories

Giggles still functions as a short-form video platform where users create, watch, and share content across comedy, food, sports, music, and memes.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Catawiki is expanding its livestreamed auction format, Catawiki Live, into seven new categories: fashion (bags, sneakers and accessories), minerals, coins, toys, vinyl records, hi-fi & radio, and comics & books.

Live auctions already outperform standard listings

Since launching in May, Catawiki Live has hosted hundreds of livestreams watched by tens of thousands of users over thousands of hours. Thousands of items have sold through the format, and one in three objects sold via Catawiki Live auctions went to someone watching the livestream in real time. Auctions using the Live format have also seen double-digit increases in both the number of bidders per item and total bids placed, compared to Catawiki's standard auctions.

St. Petersburg – September 13, 2026 -- Amped Fitness named Joel "J.D." Valdez the $10,000 Grand Prize winner of its first Amped Summer Creator Challenge, a three-month contest that drew more than 2,000 creators competing for a $25,000 total prize pool.

Over 100 million views flooded in from thousands of submitted videos

Launched in June as the debut activation of the Amped Creator Program, the challenge invited members to document their personal experiences with the gym brand. Content ranged from transformations and training milestones to friendships and setbacks, collectively racking up more than 100 million views across social media. Amped Fitness distributed the $25,000 prize pool across 12 winners over the course of the summer.

San Diego – September 13, 2026 -- Bonkers Toys has signed a master toy agreement with TikTok creator The Rizzler, real name Christian Savasta, bringing his viral "rizz face" to store shelves nationwide starting Fall 2027.

A 10-year-old's viral expression gets the toy treatment

The line will include collectible plush, figures, and accessories based on the exaggerated squinting-eyes, raised-eyebrow expression that made Savasta an internet sensation. It marks the first time his persona has been turned into an officially licensed toy line.

Bonkers Toys targets major US retailers

Dan Meyer, Head of Brands at Bonkers Toys, said the collection will capture the "rizz face" and the energy that turned The Rizzler into a pop-culture figure. The company plans to launch the products at major retailers across the United States.