2024 Social Media Quiz: TikTok, X, and Meta Trivia Questions

Meta (formerly known as Facebook) tossed another social media player into the ring on July 6, 2023. This contender, named ‘Threads,’ is a text-based conversation app. It’s like Twitter but with a Zuck instead of a Musk. Users can conveniently use their existing Instagram login details to sign up. Threads became an overnight sensation, attracting over 100 million users only days after its launch.

Instagram has introduced a series of new features aimed at enhancing the safety of its younger users, particularly to combat sexual extortion. One significant feature is the automatic blurring of images that contain nudity in direct messages. This tool protects recipients from unsolicited explicit content. It is part of a broader effort by Instagram to implement protective measures that encourage responsible behavior among senders. The feature will be enabled by default for users under 18, with adults receiving a prompt to activate it for their accounts.

Lizzo clarified that her “I quit” statement on Instagram on March 29, 2024, was not about leaving the music industry or abandoning her social media platforms. Instead, it was a declaration of her decision to stop focusing on and empowering negative feedback and unhelpful energy online. She emphasized her commitment to making music and connecting with her audience, stating that these activities bring joy to her life.

On Dec. 29, 2023, Martha Stewart, at 82, posted a mirror selfie on Instagram, showcasing her in a silver nightgown after a trip from Westchester to Palm Beach. This post is part of a series of ‘thirst traps’ Stewart has shared, starting with a viral pool selfie in July 2020.

What’s a “Thirst Trap”?

“Thirst trap” refers to a photo shared on social media to attract attention through seductiveness. Martha Stewart’s “thirst trap” photos typically feature her in poses or outfits that challenge traditional notions of age and attractiveness.

Mark Zuckerberg was born on May 14, 1984. Elon Musk was born 13 years earlier, on June 28, 1971. Zuckerberg shared a photo of him training with UFC stars Israel Adesanya and Alex Volkanvski at his home in Northern California on July 11, 2023. Musk has been taunting Zuckerberg on social media and said he would donate $1 billion to charity if Zuckerberg wins a UFC-style cage fight against him.

In April 2024, under immense national security pressure and bipartisan concern, President Joe Biden signed a law that required TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to either sell TikTok to a US owner or shut down its operations in the US. This drastic measure reflects worries about Chinese government interference and data privacy issues. Although TikTok has expressed intentions to challenge this in court, citing First Amendment rights and a lack of concrete evidence from the government, the clock is now ticking.

The European Union, in its role as the guardian of digital spaces, has turned its regulatory gaze towards TikTok. On Feb. 19, 2024, the EU launched a formal investigation into TikTok over concerns that the platform might not be doing enough to protect its youngest users – the minors, from falling down the so-called “rabbit holes” of content that could be harmful. This investigation also scrutinizes TikTok’s compliance with the Digital Services Act, focusing on the platform’s addictive design, age verification processes, and default privacy settings.

“Mean Girls” celebrated “Mean Girls Day” on Oct. 3, 2023, by launching the entire film on TikTok, divided into 23 parts. It’s the first Hollywood studio film adapted for TikTok. Fans celebrate this day due to a notable scene where Cady Heron (played by Lindsay Lohan) informs Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett) that the date is Oct. 3. Paramount Pictures made this strategic move to bring the beloved 2004 movie, written by Tina Fey, to a younger audience. Fans of the franchise can look forward to the upcoming “Mean Girls” movie, based on the Broadway musical adaptation, set to hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.

Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok during his presidency in 2020 due to concerns over its Chinese ownership and potential national security risks. Legal challenges halted the ban. In an ironic twist, Trump’s campaign joined TikTok on May 8, 2024, quickly gaining 3 million followers as part of his strategy to appeal to younger voters in his 2024 presidential run.

The Blockout 2024 movement began on May 6, 2024, coinciding with the Met Gala and an Israeli attack on Rafah in Gaza. It started after influencer Haley Kalil posted a TikTok video using an audio clip from the film Marie Antoinette, which many found insensitive. TikTok user @ladyfromtheoutside responded by calling for a “digital guillotine,” urging people to block celebrities who did not speak out about the Gaza conflict. The movement aims to reduce these celebrities’ social media influence and revenue. It quickly gained momentum, targeting high-profile figures like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Selena Gomez.

On March 27, 2024, Elon Musk made a strategic move by awarding free blue checkmarks to users with more than 2,500 verified subscriber followers, granting them Premium features, and to those with over 5,000, providing Premium+ features at no cost. The blue checkmark, once a symbol of paid subscription, now also nods to users who wield considerable influence in the X sphere, all without opening their digital wallets.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced on Nov. 27, 2023, that she was quitting X, formerly known as Twitter. She criticized the platform for devolving into a source of disinformation, hatred, anti-Semitism, and racism, heightening tensions and conflicts in society. Or, as she put it, a ‘global sewer’ destroying democracies. Several major advertisers paused their campaigns on X due to similar concerns about the platform. Hidalgo’s stance may be rooted in the criticism she received for a partially taxpayer-funded trip to Tahiti. This trip was intended to view a 2024 Olympics surfing site, but it was also noted that she visited her daughter, who lives there.

In a Sept. 18, 2023, live-streamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk spilled some beans about Twitter, now known as “X”. Among the tidbits, he mentioned that X has 550 million monthly users. Musk suggested introducing a “small monthly payment” for X users during the same chat. Why, you ask? To combat those pesky “vast armies of bots.”

When Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter/X, tweeted his agreement with a controversial statement accusing Jewish people of “hating white people” in November 2023, major companies like IBM, Apple, Lionsgate, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, Warner Bros Discovery, and The Walt Disney Company announced they have stopped advertising on the platform. Soon after, X announced it was suing Media Matters, an organization monitoring hate speech in social media, for defamation.