What Internet Fandoms and Communities Can Tell Us About 2025

Inevitably, more of these situations will arise under the Trump administration, and I’m curious to see if any of Musk’s supporters abandon ship.

Drop shippers

The act of dropshipping—third-party sellers fulfilling retail orders—exploded in popularity in the late 2010s, becoming a staple of online hustle culture. Introducing the TikTok Shopdropshipping has entered a renaissance of sorts, with more and more people using the app to make fast money that can scale.

Imposing stiff tariffs on Chinese imports was one of Trump’s biggest economic promises this election cycle. If TikTok isn’t banned next month, the Chinese tariffs could ruin the dropshipping app’s profitability, as most of its product manufacturing takes place overseas. What happens to dropshippers? Where do they go next?

The Drone Hunters of New Jersey

Without much guidance or information from the government, conspiracy theories about mysterious drones which are supposed to be hovering over the east coast are out of control. just this week Real hosts star Bethenny Frankel posted a series of Instagram videos claiming she had a secret Pentagon source who told her the drones were looking for nuclear material.

I don’t claim to know the truth about drones, but I see what they do to people online. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been watching one of the largest Facebook pages dedicated to solving the mystery, and what started as a place for people to share their strange sightings has turned into hysteria. Members accuse the mods of working for the feds, hiding the “truth” (whatever that is), and encouraging others to invest in iodine pills, gas masks, and of course, toilet paper.

It’s too early to tell, but I’d wager that these groups are introducing already emotional and excited people to theories they wouldn’t otherwise believe. Is this what the alien and UAP communities have been waiting for? Maybe! In any case, don’t expect believers to believe anything the government says unless someone leaves an alien corpse in front of the photographers.

The chat room

For last week’s podcast, we made a few predictions about what the new year will bring. What do you think will happen in the next year in relation to technology and its influence on politics? Send your thoughts to mail@wired.com.

WIRED Read

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What else are we reading?

🔗 FTC issues rules requiring hotels and ticket sellers to disclose ‘junk fees’: There is at least one political victory we can all celebrate this holiday season. This week, the Federal Trade Commission laid out new rules prohibiting hotels and ticketing services from hiding surcharges or “junk fees.” (The Washington Post)

🔗 ‘It’s going to be brutal’: Inside Trump’s planned war on broadcasters and the press: The Trump administration is reportedly making new plans to go after the media, including more lawsuits and threats of subpoenas. (Rolling Stone)

🔗 Elon Musk and SpaceX face federal probes after breaches of security reporting rules: The US government is investigating whether Elon Musk and SpaceX repeatedly ignored disclosure protocols protecting state secrets, such as withholding information related to meetings with foreign leaders. (New York Times)

The download

When the newsletter came out last week, the latest episode of WIRED Political laboratory the podcast has not uploaded. If you haven’t heard the conversation I had with Tim Marchman and David Gilbert, I recommend giving it a listen here.

Coming off the election, I’m rethinking how the ballot will best serve all of you. If you have any ideas or requests, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll be spending the holidays completely offline, so you won’t see me entering your mailboxes again until January 9th.

I hope you find time to rest, read and spend time with loved ones. See you in the new year. 💞

That’s it for today – thank you again for subscribing. You can contact me via email, Instagram, Xand Signal in makenakelly.32.