The Lonely Influencer

PRESENTED BY CONSTANT CONTACT

Happy Wednesday, Future Party. If you’re a Microsoft user, beware of the recently announced “Scout” AI personal assistant. In an internal Microsoft document, the company reportedly said it wants to “make people addicted” to its latest AI project. While it’s no surprise that a major corporation wants its customers hooked on its products, the explicit use of addiction language in the very first phase of its strategy is certainly alarming.

Major publishers like Time and Condé Nast have long relied on SEO and Google to drive traffic, but with the impending threat of Google Zero, their businesses could be at risk.

Why This Clicks: Google Zero is about to change the way we search and interact on the internet, prompting publishers to frantically strategize new ways to continue driving traffic to their sites.

Between the Links: With Google Zero, the idea is that people will stay on the search page, getting AI-generated answers to their questions instead of clicking through to the sites that did the work.

Planning Ahead: That same exec said, “If you plan as if Google is going to zero and it doesn’t, anything above zero is upside. If you plan for Google to be stable and it declines, then everything is catastrophic.” For now, publishers are experimenting with new ways to engage their audiences and keep ad revenue coming in.

The Future: Publications and businesses can no longer rely on SEO and Google to drive traffic or sales. If publishers can’t find new ways to engage their audiences, we could be headed toward a future in which many no longer exist, and the wealth of online information we have access to disappears in favor of AI.

Marketing that runs itself? Yeah, that’s a thing now.

Constant Contact’s automation tools work in the background, so you don’t have to.

Emails, texts, and offers go out exactly when you want them to — without needing to hit send every time.

Want to make customers feel seen? Use an automation template to send birthday wishes.

Trying to boost sales? Set up an abandoned cart email — a friendly reminder that often leads to a purchase.

Got customers who’ve gone MIA? Send a promo or special offer to bring them back.

You don’t need to micromanage any of it. Just choose your triggers — like someone clicking a link or leaving something in their cart — and the system handles the rest.

You stay focused on your actual to-do list while your marketing keeps humming in the background.

So, TFP readers: Ready to spend less time on repetitive tasks?

Give Constant Contact’s automation tools a try. It’s free to get started and could be a game-changer for your business.

Get started for free.

A subset of influencers on TikTok and Reels has been growing in popularity: young women going viral for having no friends.

Reeling Them In: According to a 2021 study by the American Psychological Association, the rate of loneliness in young adults has increased every year from 1976 to 2019. It makes sense that these so-called “loneliness influencers” are blowing up online. Their audience mostly consists of other young women who also feel alone.

Behind the Solitude: The videos usually feature a woman who describes herself as an introvert living alone with no kids or friends. 

 A Quiet Epidemic: While the male loneliness epidemic has dominated the conversation for years, these creators are a sign that the female version is just as real — only quieter. A woman filming her quiet night in can make a stranger feel less alone, or make friendlessness and solitude seem aspirational. The same clip can do both, depending on who’s watching and why.

The Future of Loneliness: Through these viral videos, women experiencing similar isolation may begin to find community in online spaces. Other TikTokers have built communities through their videos and personal stories in the past, and the same could certainly happen again.

Stat Significant is a free weekly newsletter featuring data-driven essays about movies, music, TV, and more.

When do we stop discovering new music?

Which TV shows got their finales right — and which didn’t?

Which movies popularized (or tarnished) baby names?

Subscribe for free to find out.

69.4% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Have you ever been a camp counselor?

“Never even been to camp.”

“Way too much responsibility for my first summer job as an adult.”

“My dad owned a sleepaway camp, so it was my life and love!”

“Loved doing it for 10 summers.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🎬 Martin Scorsese is embracing Hollywood’s AI era, joining Black Forest Labs as an advisor and using its generative tools to storyboard films faster.

📰 The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is getting a second act on July 24, with journalists, politicians, and President Trump set to reconvene after April’s event was cut short.

🎥 A24’s Backrooms delivered the studio’s biggest-ever opening weekend in the UK and Ireland with a $5.7 million debut.

🛡️ As AI infrastructure booms, physical data-center security is emerging as one of the industry’s fastest-growing job categories.

📱 Google is rolling out AI-powered fake call detection for Android, using device verification to help users spot deepfake impersonation scams before sharing money or sensitive information.

💼 OpenAI is turning Codex into a white-collar workhorse with new AI tools for everyone from designers to bankers.

🍸 Bumble is testing a paid group-dating feature called “Plans,” betting that curated IRL meetups can reignite engagement in a swipe-fatigued dating market.

🧘 Gen Z is embracing “solo-maxxing,” a trend that reframes staying single as an intentional lifestyle choice rather than a relationship status.

📚 Everand is taking on Amazon by bundling e-books, audiobooks, and online book clubs into a single subscription for modern readers.