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The archive
Find your next rabbit hole.
The apps, objects, rituals and inside jokes that had their moment. Pick a collection, revisit a decade, or follow a story somewhere unexpected.
30 stories to exploreAll stories
Showing 1–12 of 30
Apps · 2021
Clubhouse: anyone got an invite?
Clubhouse made an app invitation worth asking around for in 2021. Inside, Indian hosts were reading newspapers, making music and trying to keep people coming back.
Internet rituals · 2020 lockdown
Dalgona coffee: the drink came with homework.
Dalgona coffee gave the 2020 lockdown an achievable kitchen project and a very photogenic glass. In India, the whisking was familiar even when the name was new.
Collectibles · 2017
Fidget spinners: can you do it on one finger?
In 2017, fidget spinners reached Indian traffic junctions, toy shops and school-gate checks. A simple spinning toy acquired tricks, arguments and a grander sales pitch.
Meme moments · May 2019
JCB Ki Khudai: there goes the afternoon.
In May 2019, watching a JCB dig became a meme. The jokes involved enormous crowds, abandoned plans and a surprisingly hard-to-pin-down beginning.
Meme moments · October–November 2023
Just Looking Like a Wow: the suit had a very good salesperson.
Delhi boutique owner Jasmeen Kaur was selling clothes before her enthusiastic compliment became a 2023 catchphrase. The colours in her sales videos were part of the pleasure too.
Meme moments · 2021–2022; wider reel wave in 2022
Kacha Badam: the song was selling something.
Bhuban Badyakar made Kacha Badam to sell peanuts in Birbhum. The 2022 reel wave spread his voice much faster than it settled questions about credit and income.
Apps · 2020 lockdown
Ludo King: the group chat got a board game.
During the 2020 lockdown, Ludo King let friends and families share a familiar board from separate homes. Even the advice about winning made room for a rematch.
Internet rituals · Late 2016
The Mannequin Challenge: don’t move, the camera’s coming.
Late in 2016, groups froze while a camera toured the scene. Indian versions included Be YouNick’s demonetisation take and Priyanka Chopra’s team holding still.
Apps · 2000s–2014
Orkut: would you write me a testimonial?
Scraps, communities and a friend writing nice things about you: Orkut offered a very particular way to be social online before its 2014 goodbye.
Meme moments · February 2021
Pawri Ho Rahi Hai: they had stopped for food.
Dananeer Mobeen’s roadside clip became a February 2021 cross-border joke. Her account of the outing is as ordinary as the announcement was memorable.
Apps · 2017–2018
Sarahah: one link, far too many suspects.
In 2017, Sarahah links and turquoise screenshots filled social feeds. Anonymous compliments invited guessing games; abusive messages showed the cost of a missing name.
Collectibles · Late 1990s–2000s
Tazos: the chips were just the packaging.
A Parker pen traded for a snack-packet disc: Tazos inspired some serious negotiations in 1999. The missing designs could matter much more than the chips.