By now you’re probably exhausted from looking at your phone. Every day brings with it a new cycle of bad news you can’t seem to stop scrolling through, even though it only ends in a spiral of panic every time. There’s a name for this: “doomscrolling,” and we recently detailed how to kick the habit ahead of Election Day, which — TL;DR — involves not looking at social media.
But while we totally recommend throwing your phone into the nearest dumpster fire and embarking on a weeklong nap tomorrow, we understand your compulsion to know what’s going on tonight. So next to whatever news site you’re following for election coverage, we’ve rounded up a few reliable social accounts you can follow that’ll keep you informed without making you dizzy.
Additionally, we’ve included a few accounts to check for a well-needed boost of serotonin in between election updates, featuring furry beavers, kinetic sand and lots of very good doggos.
Accounts to Keep You Informed
Jane Lytvynenko (@JaneLytv)
As Jane Lytvynenko, a senior reporter for Buzzfeed News who reports on mis- and disinformation, has already pointed out, Election Day is gonna be a massive breeding ground for false information. While Lytvynenko has outlined how you can detect rumors and misinformation, she’ll most likely be fact-checking those viral, fake posts in realtime, stopping you from spreading them to everyone you know.
Nate Silver (@NateSilver538)
We know everyone has been yelling at you to not listen to the polls, and we can’t really blame them. We’re sure you recall 2016’s infamous polling blunder that had major forecasters predicting a Hillary Clinton victory, which was clearly … not the case. But while you may be scorned by pollsters, you shouldn’t swear them off for good, as explained by FiveThirtyEight. The data-driven news website founded by Nate Silver gained popularity for successfully predicting the 2008 US presidential election outcome in 49 of the 50 states and all 50 states in 2012. And while Silver also predicted a Clinton victory in 2016, he projected a much higher probability of Donald Trump winning than other pollsters. Today, you’ll find Silver breaking down abstract numbers into concepts we can all digest while offering transparent insight into polling and how mindful you should be about all of it.
Astead W. Herndon (@AsteadWesley)
New York Times national politics reporter, CNN contributor and noted Tottenham fan Astead W. Herndon offers some of the most straightforward, sobering insight and analysis on the current state of politics. This coupled with memes and funny commentary (both related and unrelated to politics) means you’ll know what’s going on and maybe even laugh amid your election anxiety.
Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins)
If you’ve ever caught a glimpse of CNN, no doubt you’ve seen Kaitlan Collins explaining what the hell is going on at the White House in a clear, frank manner. For updates on what the White House is up to on election night, Collins is your gal.
Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict)
House Editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, Dave Wasserman analyzes the U.S. House of Representative races (because those are happening too!) as well as offers insight into the presidential election outcome. Two months before the 2016 election, Wasserman penned the (at the time) controversial “How Trump Could Win The White House While Losing The Popular Vote.” So you might wanna have him on deck.
Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn)
Domestic correspondent for The Upshot at the New York Times, Nate Cohn covers elections, polling and demographics. Cohn and The Upshot are famously known for the prognosticating “Needle” on the Times‘ homepage that analyzes incomplete election results to show who’s on track to win. The needle is more infamously known, however, for giving Clinton an 85% probability of winning.
Well, the needle is back, but this time it’s taking on a smaller, more accurate feat: displaying the live estimates for only Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. As the Times notes, these states make readily available the kind of data to offer an accurate estimate, and those results could be indicative of the election’s outcome.
@washingtonpost In some states, election officials can’t count mail-in ballots until Election Day ##Election2020
♬ original sound – Profile
Washington Post’s TikTok (@washingtonpost)
While you may already follow The Washington Post on other social platforms, the newspaper has a surprisingly great TikTok account. Run by Dave Jorgenson, the account is the perfect mix of informative and funny, succinctly capturing the current chaotic feeling we’re all experiencing while explaining the news.
Accounts to Soothe Your Anxiety-Ridden Little Brain
@beaverbabyfurrylove Dam Building ##2 ##doitbold ##dialitforward ##animalsdoingthings ##HorrorTok ##fyp ##foryou
♬ original sound – Beave
Beave (@beaverbabyfurrylove)
My personal favorite TikTok account at the moment involves an adorable, furry little beaver named Beave. The account @beaverbabyfurrylove is run by a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist who details the everyday activities of Beave’s rehabilitation: swimming, practicing dam building and chewing every square inch of this specialist’s home. While the videos of Beave are, of course, incredibly cute, the account is also crazy informative.
Almost every question left in the comment section about Beave and his rehabilitation is thoughtfully answered, and the account, in un-Tiger King-like fashion, homes in on the fact that wild animals are not pets and even wildlife rehab itself is “the absolute last resort before death.” And while that may sound super depressing, watching a cute-as-hell beaver get a second chance at life is truly inspiring.
@evieisntreal My own take on the classic ##Negroni, but with smoked ##rosemary. ##nyc ##cocktail ##fidi ##nycapartment ##campari ##stilllearning
♬ La vie en Rose – Edith Piaf
@evieisntreal
While there are tons of cocktail accounts on TikTok, @evieisntreal is a particularly soothing one. You’ve got fancy crystal glasses, an aesthetically pleasing downtown Manhattan view, neatly poured drinks and a very old-school soundtrack. Get lost in the relaxing, hazy vibes and maybe even find a cocktail you can chug later tonight.
@sandwoah SandWoah Fall & Crush ##satisfying ##asmr ##fyp
♬ original sound – sandwoah
Sand Woah (@sandwoah)
These satisfying kinetic sand videos have taken over TikTok, and after viewing one, it’s not hard to understand why. The account @sandwoah, which has 5.4 million followers, uses elements of ASMR to produce an oddly gratifying viewer experience. After you vote, it’s totally acceptable to spend the rest of the day mindlessly scrolling this account.
WeRateDogs (@dog_rates)
If you’re not already following WeRateDogs on Twitter, you need to seriously get your priorities in check. For those devastatingly unaware, WeRateDogs hands out ratings to user-submitted photos of adorable lil doggos. No worries, every dog gets an above-10 rating (because they’re good dogs Brent).
@christmas.tok2020 cake cupcakes are so cute 🥺🥺 ##christmas ##foryou ##fyp ##christmascountdown2020 ##christmastok ##christmas2020 ##christmasbaking
♬ It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters – 🎄🎄🎄
Christmas TikTok
Since like July, “Christmas TikTok” has been a growing phenomenon on the video-sharing app, with many users escaping their current hellscape for the comfort and coziness of the holidays. On Christmas TikTok, you’ll find tons of holiday baking videos, present wrapping and cheery seasonal tunes from accounts like @christmas.tok2020 and @xmasstiktokk.
Every* Beanie Baby (@beaniebabybot)
“Every* Beanie Baby” is a Twitter account that posts a photo + info about a particular Beanie Baby on its birthday. As noted in their bio, they do not do appraisals. Is this the weirdest fucking account you’ve ever seen? Yeah, and it’s beautiful.
Drinking Things (@drinking_things)
We’re shamelessly self-plugging. Deal with it. InsideHook’s very own Drinking Things is the Instagram account you should be following period, but especially on election night. Come join us as we and everyone else drink all the things tonight.
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