It started with a cryptic Instagram story, then a snarky comment on a reel. Within hours, the Apoorva Makhija aka Rebel Kid controversy had spiralled into the Internet’s favourite spectator sport. Twitter threads dissected timestamps, explainer accounts uploaded 10-minute recaps with screenshots, and videos explaining the gossip called tea channels went into overdrive on Youtube. In WhatsApp groups and Instagram DMs, audiences swapped notes like detectives piecing together a case file. To the discerning Instagram user, it might look like digital noise. But for the scrollers, it felt like the latest season of Bigg Boss where the house was Instagram, and every scroll revealed a fresh twist.

Why are we so obsessed with the lives of influencers? Why does a feud between two creators command more attention than a celebrity’s perfectly PR-trained red carpet walk? The answer lies in the ecosystem we’ve built online: gossip is entertainment, influencers are the new reality stars, and tea channels are our narrators in this chaotic theatre.

If influencer drama is the show, then explainer channels are the recaps we can’t skip. Take Jeevika Singh, a 35-year-old creator, whose Instagram page thrives on stitching together the chaos of internet spats. “People neither have the time nor the patience to watch 30 stories and endless lives,” she laughs. “They want the gist, the context, and most importantly, the receipts. [evidence]”