💬 Open Tabs: Shared TikTok feeds and Pantone picked... white

We’re back with another edition of Open Tabs, our weekly Substack live where we talk about the news and cultural moments that have been taking up space in our brains and Google tabs.Here are the topics we covered today:* TikTok is rolling out a Shared Feeds feature [0:00]. In the coming months, TikTok will be rolling out Shared Feeds, allowing users to create custom, shared For You Feeds with their friends. Additionally, TikTok is also launching Shared Collections, a new way for users to share and organize TikTok content in one place with friends or family.* Our POV: While this move signals that TikTok is making an effort to make the platform more social, we question if the Shared Feeds feature will dilute what audiences love about the platform: the intimacy and personalization of the FYP. We’ll come back with our final thoughts once the feature has launched.* Get ready for sponsored content on Substack [11:00]. Substack announced that they’ll be rolling out native subscriptions via Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me Substack. Currently in a pilot program with select creators, this program is designed to make it easier for writers to find and secure sponsorships for their publications. * Our POV: While this will open up new revenue pathways for writers, it also risks shifting Substack away from the ad-free, creator-first ethos that made it feel like an oasis. The real test will be whether Substack can build this infrastructure responsibly—without tilting the scales even further toward big-name publishers.* Pantone’s Color of the Year 2026 is…white [18:00]. Sorry, we mean Cloud Dancer. Since 1999, Pantone has predicted the color that will influence fashion, art, etc. for the next year. This year, audiences were underwhelmed with the bland choice.* Our POV: Anyone else think that this choice may have been intentional rage bait? While audiences pushed back against this year’s choice, it did get everyone talking. It's possible that Pantone chose the most neutral shade possible, knowing it would rile people up and supercharge engagement. It’s safe and spicy.* Gen Z is craving “Millennial Optimism” [27:00]. Has your TikTok FYP been flooded with videos of Gen Zs romanticizing the early 2010s? While they’ve historically made fun of Millennials for being “cringe,” they’re now earning for the young adulthood that they had. A time where not everyone had an iPhone and our Instagram feeds were chronological. * Our POV: Gen Z’s “millennial optimism” era isn’t about wanting to be millennials — it’s about wanting the version of adulthood they grew up expecting: fun jobs, small luxuries, and a little breathing room. What looks like nostalgia is really frustration with today’s reality, where everything (and everyone) starts to feel the same. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe