Victoria Song
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vicmsong.bsky.social
Victoria Song
@vicmsong.bsky.social
14K followers 300 following 880 posts
Senior reviewer and author of the Optimizer newsletter for The Verge. I write about wearables, health tech, the wellness wild west, and other gadgets. Previously: Gizmodo, PCMag, Yomiuri Shimbun.

Signal: @vicmsong.14

Grand poobah of the penguin brigade.
Posts Replies Media Videos
vicmsong.bsky.social
Happy Valentine’s Day!

No matter how yours goes today, I assure you it can’t be as weird as the AI dating cafe pop-up I went to where I went on 4 speed dates with AI companions.

tinyurl.com/4ua4vvme
My uncanny AI valentines
A new meaning for cuffing season.
tinyurl.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:10 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
AI is very dumb.
February 14, 2026 at 1:45 AM
vicmsong.bsky.social
I’d really like the world to stop speed running toward maximum chaos.

Like I enjoy little a chaos, as a treat, but based on my analysis of the data, global chaos trends right now are rising at an unsustainable rate for both my blood pressure and modern medicine.
February 13, 2026 at 9:56 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
Earlier this week, I read that Oura is lobbying for a "digital health screeners" classification to ease the FDA clearance process.

So I chatted with Oura's chief medical officers about it. Aka once again, I'm here in Optimizer to yell about "Wellness"

www.theverge.com/column/87833...
‘Wellness’ feels like it’s losing all meaning in health tech
Oura is trying to relax wearable regulation, but wellness is already a confusing term.
www.theverge.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:08 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
Shit like this is why I spent a big chunk of my Meta Ray-Ban Display review talking about privacy and what it mean culturally that we haven't figured out how it works with smart glasses.

I still think a bigger backlash is coming.

www.theverge.com/tech/878725/...
Meta reportedly wants to add face recognition to smart glasses while privacy advocates are distracted
The feature could arrive as soon as this year.
www.theverge.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
gabydvj.bsky.social
i went to minneapolis and wrote about what i saw (a massive, robust mutual aid network that is ultimately just a bunch of regular people) and what i didn’t see (thousands of people who are terrified to leave their homes)
ICE is pushing Minneapolis underground
Scenes from a city under siege
www.theverge.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:38 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
In 2026, Love is Blind season 10 is my 13th reason.
February 12, 2026 at 2:28 AM
vicmsong.bsky.social
We're at 56% of our goal with about two weeks left to go in the fundraising window.

It's a tough time for journalists out there, and anything you can do to support those of us who've been laid off land a little more softly is deeply appreciated.
February 11, 2026 at 3:11 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
It’s too cold to run outside. I was very silly for contemplating it.
February 9, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
theverge.com
Wellness branding often slips into science-washing — and that can be incredibly hard for the average person to spot in the age of influencer marketing.

Read more of this week's Optimizer from @vicmsong.bsky.social: buff.ly/fbHcPvl
February 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
rcmacleod.bsky.social
It's taken me all day to figure out what to say about today's WaPo layoffs, an unnecessary upending of the careers of hundreds of journalists, the paper itself, and the way millions of readers understand our current world
aftermath.site/washington-p...
An outlet with the talent the Post has on hand, with the resources Bezos is able to pour into it, should not be doing layoffs of this scope and scale. Not just because, essentially, it doesn’t need to, but because any decision-maker who’s risen to the position of calling these shots should be smart enough to look at the paper and recognize that the value of the thing they have comes from its abundance: the various desks and experts and coverage areas that all work together to make the paper what it is. A lesser paper is not going to win more subscribers or bring the company more money. A narrow focus on a particular conception of politics, at a time when Trump and his ilk are using every avenue possible–the arts, the environment, healthcare, sports, and more–to foster their agenda will not serve readers or stand up to power. It’s just going to make the Post’s coverage worse, and its staff more overworked and unhappy, and the paper less relevant to readers who need a robust free press. Maybe this is what Bezos wants. It’s certainly what Trump and his administration want. Not just a worse paper, but a worse environment for journalism as a whole, with fewer jobs, less coverage to draw from, a shorter horizon to picture as young journalists imagine what their careers could be. Immiseration is one of the ruling class’ most powerful tools these days, and that feels like the only logic today’s layoffs have. They make the public less informed, and silence current and would-be journalists without the need for lawsuits and insults. Today’s cuts feel like a PR move as much as a corporate one, a reminder of the power of the rich, who can make worse so many lives without having to do anything, without even having to acknowledge it.
February 4, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
lopatto.bsky.social
I wrote about the Epstein files (gift link) www.theverge.com/tech/874721/...
How the men in the Epstein files defeated #MeToo
The emails show the “anti-woke” crusaders are afraid of accountability.
www.theverge.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
reckless.bsky.social
One of the reasons I think brand deals are so weird and icky is that like the entire creator economy is propped up by AG1 and no one can say the obvious thing: it’s nonsense! @vicmsong.bsky.social dives in (gift link!) www.theverge.com/column/87469...
AG1 is a lot less science-y than it sounds
“Clinically backed” isn’t the endorsement you think it is.
www.theverge.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:22 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
Trying a new-ish thing with Optimizer this week where I evaluate how wellness brands communicate their science online.

First up: Athletic Greens

“Clinically backed” doesn’t mean what you think.

tinyurl.com/3693w28j
AG1 is a lot less science-y than it sounds
“Clinically backed” isn’t the endorsement you think it is.
tinyurl.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:24 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
You know what I took for granted?

A slow news day. Remember those?
February 6, 2026 at 1:05 AM
vicmsong.bsky.social
Screaming because health reporters are vital in this era of gray market peptides, vaccine doubt, and the wellness wild west.
fenitn.bsky.social Fenit Nirappil @fenitn.bsky.social · 12d
The Washington Post gutted the health team which I helped to lead despite our stories being among the most widely read, impactful and adept at reaching new audiences.
I couldn't string sentences together yesterday, Maybe that's a sign that I shouldn't have been spared when all my fantastic colleagues who unfairly lost their jobs pushed through their grief to write beautiful notes about their careers and the situation at The Washington Post. The health team lost 8 out of 13 reporters yesterday despite health listed as part of The Post's new pared down focus. Just six months after becoming an editor and having the honor to lead an all-star team covering federal health agencies and public health, I have to go back to reporting because there are barely any health reporters left to edit. I'll say more about the reporters we lost later today, but as a team, we did everything we were supposed to do under the vision for The Post to be a digital innovator that breaks news, offers hard-hitting accountability and directly address reader concerns. We landed exclusives on the CDC director's firing, plans to overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule, projections for steep ACA marketplace rate increases and more. We avoided dutiful iterative stories and covered storylines such as the expiration of enhanced ACA premiums with smart targeted angles that were widely read. We broke the mold of a traditional newspaper with clever formats including a pop-up newsletter and live chats to help readers navigate new restrictions on coronavirus vaccines, a quiz to understand new dietary guidelines and vertical videos to showcase reporter expertise. The Metro section where I started my career (and offers a clear reason for millions of potential subscribers to pay for us instead of or in addition to other national outlets!) is hollowed out. Reporters around the world wiped out after the owner set a vision for international relevance. A sports department home to journalistic legends shuttered. And so much more bleeding across the entire newsroom.
February 5, 2026 at 4:24 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
My proposal is that since 2026 is off to a tremendously stupid start, we call this dumpster fire of the last few weeks 2025 and start 2026 over again on the lunar new year, February 17th.
February 4, 2026 at 11:05 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
🫩 I dream of a day where gofundmes aren’t necessary. But until then, please help if you can or signal boost.

I know it can get exhausting to see media gofundmes pop up every few weeks but, it’s hard and we need good journalists in all fields more than ever.
February 4, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
nationalsliker.bsky.social
Unbelievable
February 4, 2026 at 4:36 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
At a time when journalism is vital and WaPo’s owner spent how much on the Melania doc rights again.
benmullin.bsky.social Ben Mullin @benmullin.bsky.social · 13d
New: Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray and HR Chief Wayne Connell tell employees to stay home for a zoom webinar ahead of “significant actions across the company.” Widely expected layoffs are scheduled to begin today.
February 4, 2026 at 12:53 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
:cry-laughs in Matt Rife and Dave Chappelle comedy specials:
reckless.bsky.social nilay patel @reckless.bsky.social · 13d
Today a Republican senator took a huge hit of concentrated culture war and said Netflix makes - this is real! - “THE WOKEST CONTENT IN THE WORLD” www.theverge.com/policy/87353...
Republicans haul Netflix before Congress for being too ‘woke’
Yes, they brought up Cuties again.
www.theverge.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Reposted by Victoria Song
sarahjeong.bsky.social
ICE tear gassed a bunch of children on Saturday. This was a massive escalation of force. They were shooting tear gas at the back of the crowd, it took these unmasked people maybe 3-5 minutes in the cloud of tear gas to escape in without trampling. www.theverge.com/policy/87278...
ICE is afraid of children protesting
“Next time, I’ll be back with a gas mask.”
www.theverge.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
twit.tv
Leo Laporte and guests @devindra.bsky.social, @grivlin.bsky.social, and @vicmsong.bsky.social break down AI agent social networks, social media on trial, and shifting tech economics.
Listen:
This Week in Tech: In My Head I Have 3 Buckets | TWiT.TV
What happens when AI bots get their own social network, Silicon Valley execs cozy up to power, and Apple takes a cut from creators? This week’s panel calls out the bold
buff.ly
February 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM
vicmsong.bsky.social
We are only about 30% to our goal. If you have the means to help, we would be grateful. It’s hard times in media right now and those affected at Vox were stellar storytellers and editors at a time when journalism is desperately needed.

Even a signal boost helps!
February 3, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Victoria Song
henrytcasey.net
this reporting from @vicmsong.bsky.social is maybe my favorite thing I've read in tech this year. yes, I'm biased because I'm a former Supernatural user who's frustrated with how it went down, but god damn this @theverge.com piece is good journalism. www.theverge.com/tech/871250/...
Supernatural was a breakout VR fitness sensation — meet the women furious with Mark Zuckerberg for killing it
‘I despise Meta.’
www.theverge.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:14 PM