Gen Z flocks to BirdTok as birding takes flight: ‘It’s a craving for something real’

The Guardian UK Saturday 15 August 2026, 09:00 UTC By Dan Milmo Global technology editor 1 min read

Key Points

Social media and Shazam-like birdsong apps drawing young people to hobby as they seek a gentler connection to the outside worldSorry Elon, but they’re not your kind of tweets. Social media users are flocking to TikTok to join a burgeoning trend for birding videos as the hobby attracts a younger demographic. With the internet ever more cluttered with polarising, shouty and AI content, evidence is emerging of Britons preferring a gentler, more melodic window on the world in the shape of...

Social media and Shazam-like birdsong apps drawing young people to hobby as they seek a gentler connection to the outside world

Sorry Elon, but they’re not your kind of tweets. Social media users are flocking to TikTok to join a burgeoning trend for birding videos as the hobby attracts a younger demographic.

With the internet ever more cluttered with polarising, shouty and AI content, evidence is emerging of Britons preferring a gentler, more melodic window on the world in the shape of footage of the nation’s feathered friends.

Gen Z (ORG) BirdTok (ORG) TikTok (ORG) AI (ORG) Britons (ORG)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

Apple Watches are smart little gadgets, but they don't always fit the vibe. There were plenty of nights when I left mine at home because, as much as I wanted to check my notifications discreetly, the watch just didn't match my outfit. I've also had my fair share of faux pas and just let the neon orange sport band clash with my neutral ensemble.

Wired 28m ago

Puerto Rico Is Rationing Water. It Could’ve Avoided It by Harvesting Rainwater

Puerto Rico is experiencing a historic drought that’s led to water rationing following the driest month on record in July. Yet one ready-made solution is barely being tapped: the normally copious rainfall. Anywhere from 30 to 169 inches of precipitation falls on the territory annually, but the government doesn't require US citizens in Puerto Rico to install catchment systems to take advantage of the free resource—unlike some other island states.

Wired 31m ago

Alibaba AI Models Hit 3 Billion Downloads, Passing Meta, Google

Alibaba AI Models Hit 3 Billion Downloads, Passing Meta, Google Alibaba Group Holding’s open-weight models have accumulated more than 3 billion global downloads in the past six months, eclipsing Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc. and domestic peers to become the world’s No. 1 artificial-intelligence model. Qwen, Alibaba’s family of AI models, has open-sourced more than 460 models and its ecosystem has spawned 300,000-plus derivatives, the Chinese technology company said in an emailed statement.

Bloomberg Technology 45m ago

Sports Team Sale Prices Keep Hitting New Highs

A statue of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar outside Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers.

NYT Business 59m ago

Gen Z flocks to BirdTok as birding takes flight: ‘It’s a craving for something real’

Related Stories

5 Best Apple Watch Bands: Nike, Nomad, and Hermés (2026)

Puerto Rico Is Rationing Water. It Could’ve Avoided It by Harvesting Rainwater

Alibaba AI Models Hit 3 Billion Downloads, Passing Meta, Google

Sports Team Sale Prices Keep Hitting New Highs