Entertainment, Features, Media, Movies / TV
Is Social Media the New Television? 10 Social Media Series That Are Like Modern TV
There’s nothing like turning off the television and getting up close and personal with your smartphone, which feels a lot like cable these days. Truthfully, that’s the reality of 2026, especially as social media acts as the new television. Continuous hours of entertainment without even realizing time has flown by is a common experience. You find yourself in a constant state of binge-watching, making it harder to stay away from the phone. It’s even more intense now as social media web series take over one episode at a time. With so many to watch, a few have caught the eye of Inclub, making it hard to skip. Take a look at 10 of the best social media series, in no particular order.
1. ‘The Orange Tree’ starring Vic Mensa
One orange at a time, musician, activist, actor and star of “The Orange Tree series,” Vic Mensa, provides commentary about the political climate. Filming in the backyard of his home, Mensa pulls an orange off his orange tree and discusses current political events and standpoints. Receiving widespread praise, his Instagram and TikTok series have taken over social media, earning him a Webby Award nomination this year. One orange a day makes it harder to stray, and in this case, that’s away from his social content series.
@vicmensa is speaking truth worth it? link in bio to vote ya boy for @The Webby Awards #fyp #explore #vote #usa #whatever
2. ‘Roomies Roomies Roomies’ by Bilt
Would you believe that an app designed to allow its users to earn points on rent payments without transaction fees created a social series about living arrangements, roommates and rent? Stunned by the fact that social media series are even backed by companies and corporations, “Roomies Roomies Roomies” is an Instagram series created by Bilt that centers on relatable content for renters, specifically four roommates and one NYC apartment. Each episode is two minutes long, just enough to keep viewers engaged. While it is unclear if this is a business move, marketing strategy, or neither, the episodes are engaging and relatable.
@roomiesroomiesroomies Ellie from Ohio has 3 weeks to make it in NYC
3. ‘Meet Cutes NYC’
“Are you two a couple?” That’s the famous question from the “Meet Cutes NYC” social media series. Traveling across New York City, the host interviews couples who are willing to explain to viewers how they met and fell in love. Though different from the standard episode format, which continues a plot, Meet Cutes NYC focuses on storytelling like any other social media series. Meet Cutes NYC keeps the same theme for each video. Every episode contains a love story worth sharing, listening to and highlighting. The series definitely lives up to the word “cute” in its title.
@meetcutesnyc I Know You #meetcute #love #nyc #streetinterview
4. ‘Besties NYC’
“Are you two friends?” Similarly, “Besties NYC” includes storytelling content, but this time in a friendship format. While traveling across New York City, the host looks for friends with a strong story and a bond. Often, the friends featured in the videos have an outstanding journey, meeting years, even decades ago.
@besties_nyc Never Alone #besties #nyc #love #streetinterview
5. ‘The Intern’ by InStyle Magazine
While at InClub, we pride ourselves on having an extraordinary magazine, we must also give credit to other publications where it’s due. InStyle Magazine has created a mockumentary-style social media series that has been immensely successful. The plot follows a few interns as they learn to navigate office life in the fashion industry. The series is comedic and even demonstrates some of the harsh, chaotic realities of the workplace. It almost puts viewers in the mindset of the hit television show, “The Office.”
@instyle Yep, your favorite fashion magazine’s favorite fashion magazine’s scripted social series ‘InStyle’s The Intern’ is back! I sincerely hope everyone is having a relaxing summer because our new crop of rising stars are low-key more stressful than ever? Sorority girl and TikTok star @Micky💋 has the fresh face, bubbly energy, and Gen Z aura that we were looking for to create content and assist Beauty Editor @KaraJillianBrown in the product closet, but when she said she’d be “locked in” to the role, well…follow along here and see how that goes. Stay tuned for five more brand-new episodes, dropping here on InStagram every day as we prepare the launch of our Fall Imagemakers Issue. Pray for us and watch ‘The Intern’ seasons 1 & 2 highlighted on @instylemagazine’s profile now.
6. ‘Odd One Out’ by Jubilee
One social media channel with videos that make you feel like television and cable are of the past is Jubilee. With so many different series like Spectrum, Versus 1, Ranking, Surrounded and of course “Odd One Out,” Jubilee produces a wide range of social media series. But for this list, we’ll focus on “Odd One Out.”
“Odd One Out” on YouTube maintains the same level of consistency in its content. A set of people can relate to an experience or identity, while one person or group stands out for their distinctness and inability to relate. Viewers must use their best judgment to decide who is the “Odd One Out.”
7. ‘BK Coffee Shop’
Lucky number seven includes one of the strongest social media series on this list. “BK Coffee Shop” is primarily on Instagram and takes place in an Artisanal Brooklyn Coffee Shop. Customers/characters come in and out of the shop with unique personalities, awkward energy or simply humorous interactions. In short, the series is about customers who enter and exit the shop and engage in interesting exchanges.
@bkcoffeeshop The BK Coffeeshop is open for business! ☕️ Starring @Pooja Tripathi as Thyme Darryl Gene Jr as Cale, and @Sarah Beth Luciano as our first customer. Special thanks to our coffeeshop location Larry’s Ca Phe in Williamsburg #brooklyn #bushwick #williamsburg #nyc #coffee #coffeeshop #hipster #comedy
8. ‘According to Ryan’
Have you ever watched an animated social media series? A few years ago, my answer would have been no, but today it’s definitely yes, especially because “According to Ryan” exists. “According to Ryan,” as fans describe, is the perfect mix-up between Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and the animated sitcom, “Daria.” It’s a TikTok series about how the main character, Ryan, learns to navigate life after being freshly laid off and lost. It’s relatable in many aspects and has a strong audience.
@accordingtoryanseries Season 1 Episode 1: “This Ain’t The Plan” After losing her corporate job, Ryan’s world flips — and after a six-day spiral, she decides it’s now or never to chase her real dream: screenwriting. #animatedstories #animated #blackanimation #blackstories #blackwomen #blacklove #ComingOfAge #shortseries #BlackTikTok #blacktiktokcommunity #blacktiktoks #filmandtelevision #blackfilm #blacktvshows #blackwebseries #webseries #accordingtoryan #aianimation
9. ‘Tastebuds NYC’
While crafting this list, I learned about the “Tastebuds NYC” series. Two men who live in New York spin a wheel and visit different restaurants in the city. It may sound simple, but the series has layers. The two men’s goal is to try food from every country, but only eat those foods in New York City. Every week, they land in a random country, then find their food somewhere in New York. The wheel includes different countries. The two are experiencing the city through food culture and various countries.
@tastebuds_nyc Trying food from every country in the world, without leaving New York City. Episode 19: Honduras 🇭🇳 S/O @tiktok for helping us find @siesvecinos 🌎 #nyc #food #tiktok
10. ‘Crosswalk Crush’
Giving “love advice from the streets,” according to its bio, “Crosswalk Crush” is the social media series by Now This that creates conversations that need to be had. The beautiful pink couch set and the host Jamila dive into topics such as red flags in relationships, romance, hot takes, dating tips and much more. Guests in the video share their personal love experiences from the streets.
@crosswalkcrush emotionally vulnerable & down to spin the block 😙 (with @Jamila + @darius) #crosswalkcrush #bachelor #relationship
Featured image credit: Screenshot via @bkcoffeeshop on Instagram
