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A single-second pause over a social video can dismantle your algorithm. Even at my best, I can still hesitate over a poorly shot video demonstrating the “latest tech” that I simply “can’t live without” and later learn I really could have lived without it. However, by then my feed is already filled with duplicate videos trying to push the same product.
Every day, social media creators publish videos about Amazon finds and TikTok Shop deals, changing how we might want to consume activities like what we eat and where we travel to. This time The Verge’s video team decided to give in and actually see if any of these portable devices that go viral are worth the hype the influencers say they are.
Follow along with our video and audio producer, Andru Marino, as he takes a train to a destination that has been self-advertised online as the “Pancake Capital of the World.” Andru is equipped with products from our feeds that might help him work on his travels, such as a fold-out monitor, a foldable keyboard, or a sun hat with solar-powered fans attached. Let us know which one is your favorite.