Scrolling through my phone, wedged into a packed subway car, I catch myself daydreaming about my summer vacation. Images flash across my screen in rapid succession – puppies, kittens, recipes, comedy skits, a little bit of everything – until, suddenly, I hear the sound of cicadas.
The pace slows down; a beach, two straw chairs and the unmistakable little blue Greek cafe table perched on the sand beneath a tamarisk tree. Beyond it, the sea. A few fleeting seconds of calm play on a loop on my phone, and it feels like I’m already there.
With a swipe, I’m onto the next video: the rush of a river, a natural pool hidden in a lush green forest. The algorithm already knows what I’m longing for. Or am I just following it along?
In search of what’s truly behind the summer’s biggest Instagram and TikTok trends, I spoke with three Greek content creators.
[Angelos Barai]
