May 10, 2026

Seemingly overnight, my feed became littered with hundreds of students promoting AI study apps. I take a look at its origins, why it exists, and why these videos are suddenly everywhere.

Sources

  1. this ai study app makes $100k/mo. here's how (no-code)

    @SuperwallHQ (Youtube)

  2. What is a UGC creator? (Hootsuite)
  3. What makes user-generated content more helpful on social media platforms? Insights from creator interactivity perspective
  4. Guerrilla Marketing (Wikipedia)
  5. @kidwithcrocs (Instagram)
  6. Influencer self-disclosure practices on Instagram: A multi-country longitudinal study
  7. Endorsements on Social Media: An Empirical Study of Affiliate Marketing Disclosures on YouTube and Pinterest
  8. Cluely's UGC strategy X thread

    @im_roy_lee (X fka Twitter)

  9. Is Cluely Scamming Investors? The $120M Red Flags (3:27)

    @lobstercap (Youtube)

  10. Harvard Dropout: “Hard Work Is Dead!” Use AI to CHEAT And Get Rich | Roy Lee

    @jackneel (Youtube)

  11. AI Bubble (Wikipedia)

Corrections

  • Segment containing an interview with a UGC creator was removed at the request of said creator.

    In the segment the UGC creator explains that they got their start with UGC through an ad via social media. When asked on what they think about UGC, they said they believed it to be a good opportunity. I also use their segment to support my argument that UGC videos’ elements such as fruit cutting (commonly found with turbo ai) is not a new practice, and that it is just good marketing practice.