Good morning. Nearly half of Gen Z wishes X and TikTok were "never invented," according to a recent survey by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and Harris Poll executive Will Johnson. But? More than half of respondents said social media has benefited their lives. One thing we don’t need a survey to know? We contain multitudes.

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

NASA Takes 50 Creators Behind the Scenes of the Europa Launch

NASA is giving up to 50 creators behind-the-scenes access to its Europa Clipper spacecraft launch in October. It’ll allow participants to tour the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and speak with subject matter experts ahead of the launch.

The organization’s goal? To educate (and excite) viewers who are learning about space on creator platforms like TikTok and YouTube. “NASA has always been kind of on the cutting edge of working with people who have audiences that are beyond their own,” space creator Emily Calandrelli told us.

Quick backstory: Calandrelli first participated in a NASA social program as the host of TV show Xploration Outer Space in 2014.

Back then, the space creator niche was “really all on Twitter,” Calandrelli said, with most industry coverage coming from traditional publications like TechCrunch and SpaceNews.

So what’s changed? Private investment in the space economy has taken off, increasing to $12.5 billion in 2023 from $300 million in 2012.

• With this growth, “there’s definitely more people talking about SpaceX and Blue Origin and all of these other space companies on TikTok and Instagram and YouTube,” Calandrelli told us.

• She said those companies have begun tapping into widespread interest on creator platforms to share their messaging. Case in point: SpaceX producing “very well-manicured [launch] livestreams” on YouTube and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos appearing in space creator Everyday Astronaut’s videos.

Big picture: Since NASA is a government organization, it needs public support in order to “vie for more budget in the future,” according to Calandrelli. Strengthening relationships with creators—and beefing up its own launch livestreams in recent years—is one path NASA is taking to build support.

LTKCon Recap: AI + Community Building

On Monday, creator commerce platform LTK kicked off its two-day conference, LTKCon, in Dallas—complete with a surprise show from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (many of whom are LTK creators).

The company announced new AI tools, touted $5 billion in annual sales (up from $4 billion last year), and featured creators sharing their business strategies. Here are the highlights →

LTK’s new Co-Pilot feature. The tool, which uses AI to auto-tag products in photo uploads, is “a huge help and time-saver instead of having to update Instagram with the latest links,” fashion creator Jen Reed told us.

Lofi video production. Lifestyle creator Kate Bartlett said lofi videos—as opposed to the highly polished content luxury brands are known for—was her key to standing out. “Tiffany’s told me to send the videographer home. Just prop up your phone and talk,” Bartlett said on a panel.

Community building. With Instagram now prioritizing views over other metrics like followers and comments, LTK wants to prioritize engagement through video features like auto captions and comments. “Don’t lose the plot—your community and ability to access them is the business,” LTK founder Amber Venz Box told us. “Ad-based platforms don’t have the same incentives as creators and it’s important not to fall too deep into algorithm trends. Creators should use these platforms to win the race.”

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Win a Webby. Be Recognized for Internet Excellence

Think you’re worthy of the Internet’s highest honor? The 29th Annual Webby Awards are now open for entries—with even more chances for creators to shine this year.

New awards like Individual Creator and Creator Excellence feature categories such as Best Series, Best Editing, and more. They’ve also expanded honors for Social Campaigns, Community or Fan Engagement, and Series & Channels to celebrate the incredible work of creators.

Winners are selected by both the public and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

Join past Creator winners like Mr. Beast, Mark Rober, Abi Marquez, Recess Therapy, Michelle Phan, and Patrick Starr.

Get the best pricing by submitting before the early entry deadline of October 25th. Enter today.

The Low-Down on Lunchly

Could Lunchables’ days be numbered?

Logan Paul, KSI, and MrBeast are teaming up to launch Lunchly, a refrigerated boxed lunch pack including a bottle of PRIME and a Feastables chocolate bar alongside cafeteria classics like nachos, pizza, and meat and cheese cracker sandwiches.

Lunchly, which is now available at select US grocers, is marketed as a healthier alternative to its competitors with more protein, less sugar, and fewer processed ingredients than Lunchables.

Big picture: Since PRIME and Feastables launched in 2022, each has become competitive in their respective category. PRIME generated $1.2 billion in sales in 2023, while MrBeast estimated $500 million in Feastables revenue for 2024. Worth noting, though: Lunchables brought in $1.8 billion in sales for its parent company Kraft Heinz in 2022.

➕ Community Tab

Last week, we asked whether you support a TikTok ban. The results?

• No: 45.7%

• Yes: 39.9%

• Not sure: 14.4%

TikTok appeared in front of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday to argue against the ban. We’ll keep you updated on what happens next.

🔥 Press Worthy

• MrBeast and Amazon are being sued by Beast Games contestants in a class action suit alleging sexual harassment and “chronic mistreatment.”

• X teams up with streamers including Dream to help improve its livestream product.

• Rainbolt hosts the second annual GeoGuesser World Cup Finals.

• Patreon now lets creators sell existing individual posts without requiring fans to sign up for a monthly membership.

• Instagram rolls out “teen accounts” with restrictive settings for users under 18.