A server at Texas Roadhouse just got fired. The reason why? She kept posting on her social media account, which led to ongoing tension and hostility throughout her workplace. Eventually, she snapped at a co-worker, quickly leading her out the door despite her dedication to the restaurant. 

In a video with over 1.7 million views, Brittany (@brittanyspurlock627) explained how she was recently forced out of her workplace—where she was a server for almost eight years—due to her social media presence and a few hostile comments from co-workers. She and her spouse, Brett, worked at the same Texas Roadhouse. For a while, they made positive content showcasing the restaurant. They followed “all of the rules and guidelines” the company established. 

Then, she started getting pulled into the office for different posts she was making. 

Management starts to have issues

It started off with food posts. Her management let her know that she wasn’t supposed to show steaks, salads, or appetizers on her personal account. Then, she was brought into the office and told she couldn’t showcase any alcoholic beverages on her account. She complied, limiting her content further. 

Although she and her husband were some of the company’s strongest workers, she said she started to get called out for “little things.” She would answer a TikTok comment and offer advice on beer picks. However, she got told she was trying to “sell company recipes.”

“I showed a beer menu and I got in trouble because they were accusing me of trying to share recipes, which was not the case at all. I was just showing draft [beers],” she said. 

She also would post about internal issues with the company, something management quickly tried to control. When other servers got four sections at a time, she would point it out in her comments section. 

Brittany stops filming altogether—but she’s still in trouble

Eventually, she felt so deeply uncomfortable that she decided to only film off the clock. “And then it got to the point where I was trying to stop the social media altogether,” she said. “No more filming on the clock, no more at work. Only before and after our shifts, mainly in our vehicle. And that was still an issue.”

She would go to work feeling paranoid. “ I would still go to work [and] not even touch my phone. I was being watched like a hawk to the point where I was even having photos taken of me. [Those photos were] being sent to my boss,” she added. 

She noticed other employees were allowed to use their phones during “legendary hours.” These were times when Texas Roadhouse required its employees to focus on their guests and keep screens away. 

It all chipped away at her, but it got worse when the company monitored her posts further. 

Brittany continues to get berated for making TikToks

Brittany made a post on her platform about a cash tip she had lost while working one night. That’s because another table grabbed her tip before she could actually get it. 

News outlets such as The Mary Sue ended up covering the story, popularizing it enough for Texas Roadhouse’s upper management to become aware of it. Around “three or four” different publications shared the incident within a matter of days, according to Brittany. Instead of siding with their own staff member and looking into the incident, however, Texas Roadhouse spoke with her about it. 

“I  was fully aware that I was getting in trouble for talking about the guests, but I wasn’t trying to necessarily talk about the guests,” Brittany said.

The 18-dollar tip that Brittany received meant a lot to her, she said. This was because she only had a few tables that day. It was a slow day with few to no tables. 

Halloween: the breaking point

Then came Halloween. Brittany asked for permission to film all of the Texas Roadhouse staff in their Halloween costumes, an idea that management approved. One of the staff members, with whom she had multiple tense run-ins, ended up reporting her to upper management. This is despite her explicitly asking to take the video beforehand.

“ This was also the same person that was taking photos of me and trying to send them to my boss. [She was] trying to get me in trouble. So at this point, I’ve had a lot of frustration built up toward her,” Brittany said. 

Brittany asked the other employee whether she had reported her to her boss, and the other employee “flat out lied.” She called the other woman, who had been to her birthday parties, personally spent time with her, and was a “friend,” a snitch. The other employee very quickly reported her to management, and management fired Brittany that very same day.

“ My boss asked if I had called her a snitch. I admitted to it, and I was fired right then on the spot. That’s… it. Obviously, calling her out at work was probably not the best case [scenario], but it was before my shift started.”

Brittany cited growing hostility in the workplace as an issue that eventually led her to snap. 

“ Over the last few months, it’s just become… so stressful to the point I’ve even come home crying. I’m the type that doesn’t really like crying online or really in front of anyone,” Brittany said. “ I truly love[d] my job… I never [tried] to drag anyone through the mud.” 

@brittanyspurlock627 I will miss working with Brett & my coworkers ? Part 2 later today!! I had about 6 higher ups watching my account through secret accounts!! #fired #texasroadhouse #texasroadhouserolls #fyp #husbandwife ♬ original sound – brittanyspurlock627

Brittany’s final update—what now? 

In a final update, Brittany let her audience know that her boss had a discussion with her regarding her termination. Ultimately, Brittany vied to get her job back. But unfortunately didn’t receive any updates from the team that she could rejoin the Texas Roadhouse staff. 

 “ I [got] a text back saying he’s talking to his team and that… he will reach out to me with a date and time of when we can meet,” she said. She ended up taking full accountability for her role in her termination, including some of her TikToks and comments to a fellow employee. 

Her boss let her know that he wouldn’t have any problems taking her back. However, some managers didn’t necessarily want her to return. He also let her know that Texas Roadhouse was unlikely to hire her again.

The company then ghosted her, not letting her know anything regarding her employment status despite speaking with her a bit more about the termination. She chose to share her entire story online because “no response is a response.” She was tired of getting in trouble for “every little thing” and feeling unwelcome in her workplace. 

Despite all of the trouble, Brittany is looking ahead and hopeful about her future employment. Her TikTok content may change, but she’s hoping her audience will follow along on the next part of her journey. 

The Mary Sue has reached out to Texas Roadhouse and Brittany via email.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Rachel Thomas

Rachel Joy Thomas is a music journalist, freelance writer, and hopeful author who resides in Los Angeles, CA. You can email her at [email protected].

Dolly Parton is reassuring her fans after sparking health concerns.

“I wanna say something,” Parton, 79, began via a two-minute social media video on Wednesday, October 8. “Well, today’s October the 8th and, obviously, I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I’m dressed kinda like a country western girl.”

She continued, “But before I got started I wanted to say I know lately everybody thinks that I’m sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here. Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate. And I appreciate your prayers ’cause I’m a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I’m OK.”

Parton noted that she’s “got some [health] problems,” which she has “mentioned” previously.

Related: Dolly Parton Is Fine, Dealing With Kidney Stones, Rep Says

Dolly Parton’s rep is assuring fans she is fine amid concerns over her health. The “Jolene” singer’s fans expressed their concern on Tuesday, October 7, after Dolly’s sister Freida Parton shared in a Facebook post that she was “up all night praying” for the star. Dolly, 79, recently postponed several Las Vegas shows due to take […]

“Back when my husband, Carl, was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of,” she said. “So, anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said we need to take care of this, we need to take care of that. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home and closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center] where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there. But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying.”

Parton went on to address a fake photo of her and Reba McEntire that had further fueled rumors.

I ain’t dead yet! pic.twitter.com/Mp553laadI

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) October 8, 2025

“Did you see that AI picture of Reba and me? Ooh, Lordy. I mean, they had Reba at my deathbed. And we both looked like we needed to be buried,” she continued. “But I thought, ‘Oh, my Lord, if I was really dying, I don’t think Reba would be the one at my deathbed.’ She might come visit me earlier, but anyway, there are just a lot of rumors flying around, but I figured if you heard it from me you’d know that I was OK. So anyhow, that’s what I wanted to say, and I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working. So I love you for caring, and keep praying for me.”

Dolly’s sister Freida Parton had sent fans into a spiral on Tuesday, October 7, when she shared via Facebook that she was “up all night praying” for the “Jolene” singer.

Related: Another One of Dolly Parton’s Sisters Speaks Out About Singer’s Health

Dolly Parton’s younger sister Stella Parton has spoken out amid the widespread discussion about the singer’s health. “My big sister Dolly posted last week, giving her fans an update concerning her health and that she has been seeking treatment for kidney stones,” she wrote via Facebook on Wednesday, October 8. “My sister Freida is concerned […]

“Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me,” Freida continued. “She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my silly Dolly. We all love you.”

Dolly’s manager, Olly Rowland, later assured fans on Tuesday that Dolly is in good health.

“It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those,” Rowland told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”

OpenAI is preparing to launch a stand-alone app for its video generation AI model Sora 2, WIRED has learned. The app, which features a vertical video feed with swipe-to-scroll navigation, appears to closely resemble TikTok—except all of the content is AI-generated. There’s a For You–style page powered by a recommendation algorithm. On the right side of the feed, a menu bar gives users the option to like, comment, or remix a video.

Users can create videoclips up to 10 seconds long using OpenAI’s next-generation video model, according to documents viewed by WIRED. There is no option to upload photos or videos from a user’s camera roll or other apps.

The Sora 2 App has an identity verification feature that allows users to confirm their likeness. If a user has verified their identity, they can use their likeness in videos. Other users can also tag them and use their likeness in clips. For example, someone could generate a video of themselves riding a roller coaster at a theme park with a friend. Users will get a notification whenever their likeness is used—even if the clip remains in draft form and is never posted, sources say.

OpenAI launched the app internally last week. So far, it’s received overwhelmingly positive feedback from employees, according to documents viewed by WIRED. Employees have been using the tool so frequently that some managers have joked it could become a drain on productivity.

OpenAI declined to comment.

OpenAI appears to be betting that the Sora 2 app will let people interact with AI-generated video in a way that fundamentally changes their experience of the technology—similar to how ChatGPT helped users realize the potential of AI-generated text. Internally, sources say, there’s also a feeling that President Trump’s on-again, off-again deal to sell TikTok’s US operations has given OpenAI a unique opportunity to launch a short-form video app—particularly one without close ties to China.

OpenAI officially launched Sora in December of last year. Initially, people could only access it via a web page, but it was soon incorporated directly into the ChatGPT app. At the time, the model was among the most state-of-the-art AI video generators, though OpenAI noted it had some limitations. For example, it didn’t seem to fully understand physics and struggled to produce realistic action scenes, especially in longer clips.

OpenAI’s Sora 2 app will compete with new AI video offerings from tech giants like Meta and Google. Last week, Meta introduced a new feed in its Meta AI app called Vibes, which is dedicated exclusively to creating and sharing short AI-generated videos. Earlier this month, Google announced that it was integrating a custom version of its latest video generation model, Veo 3, into YouTube.

TikTok, on the other hand, has taken a more cautious approach to AI-generated content. The video app recently redefined its rules around what kind of AI-generated videos it allows on the platform. It now explicitly bans AI-generated content that’s “misleading about matters of public importance or harmful to individuals.”

Oftentimes, the Sora 2 app refuses to generate videos due to copyright safeguards and other filters, sources say. OpenAI is currently fighting a series of lawsuits over alleged copyright infringements, including a high-profile case brought by The New York Times. The Times case centers on allegations that OpenAI trained its models on the paper’s copyrighted material.

OpenAI is also facing mounting criticism over child safety issues. On Monday, the company released new parental controls, including the option for parents and teenagers to link their accounts. The company also said that it is working on an age-prediction tool that could automatically route users believed to be under the age of 18 to a more restricted version of ChatGPT that doesn’t allow for romantic interactions, among other things. It is not known what age restrictions might be incorporated into the Sora 2 app.

This is an edition of the Model Behavior newsletter. Read previous newsletters here.

Meta Platforms (META 1.93%), one of the leading social media companies, went public in 2012. Since then, the stock has performed exceptionally well. Its returns over this period are well above those of broader equities. However, some might argue that it’s too late to get in on the bandwagon.

Meta Platforms is now worth almost $2 trillion. Can the stock still generate life-changing returns? Let’s find out.

The bullish case for Meta Platforms

Meta’s bread and butter is advertising. The company boasts a portfolio of social media brands that includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It has more than 3 billion daily active users across these platforms as of the end of the second quarter of 2025. The sheer volume of Meta’s ecosystem makes it an attractive place to run ads, but the company goes even further.

It has access to a considerable amount of data from its users, including basic demographic information, interests, favorite celebrities, and much more. This enables the company to assist businesses in crafting ads that are carefully targeted toward specific audiences, making them highly cost-effective.

Meta Platforms’ strategy has been successful, as evidenced by its financial results. Second-quarter revenue increased 22% year over year to $47.5 billion, while earnings per share came in at $7.14, 38% higher than the year-ago period.

Image source: Getty Images.

The company’s core advertising business will remain central to its results for the foreseeable future. And here is the good news: Meta is improving its ad business thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). On the one hand, it helps improve the ad launch process with AI-powered tools that assist businesses in crafting ads, including by generating relevant messages and images and further enhancing targeting. On the other hand, AI-powered algorithms are boosting engagement on the company’s websites and apps.

The result: Time spent on Facebook and Instagram has increased lately. And according to a study the company ran, AI-powered ad tools improved return on ad spend by 22%.Meta is looking to automate the ad process completely, which should lead to even greater gains. The company could perform well as it moves toward that goal. But what happens beyond advertising?

In my view, Meta Platforms’ greatest strength is its ecosystem and culture of innovation. With several billion users, the tech giant can develop various monetization schemes, only a few of which need to take off to have a meaningful impact on its financial results. Meta is gradually expanding into other avenues, including paid messaging on WhatsApp. The company is investing in AI glasses, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes will become the norm within the next decade.

Thanks to its core business, its vast ecosystem, and various other initiatives, Meta could still deliver market-beating returns over the next 20 years.

Some risks to consider

Meta Platforms may encounter some obstacles. For instance, the company is spending a small fortune on AI infrastructure. That could be a problem if its AI initiatives don’t have the impact it hopes they will, especially if we enter an economic recession. Consumers spend less — and so do businesses, including on advertising — when the economy is struggling. The combination of slower revenue growth (if ad spending decreases) and increased expenses due to Meta’s investments in AI could harm the company’s financial results.

Antitrust lawsuits could present another potential threat to Meta Platforms. Regulators in the U.S. have argued that Meta has a monopoly in the social networking space. These lawsuits are still ongoing. In the worst-case scenario, Meta may be forced to divest some of its assets. Do these potential challenges justify avoiding the stock? Not in my view. Meta proved it could navigate economic challenges a couple of years ago.

Amid growing expenses, declining user growth, and slower revenue increases, the company regrouped, cut costs, and emerged from the ordeal stronger than ever. Meta’s AI plans are, so far, yielding tangible results, and we haven’t seen all that the company can do in this area yet.

Regarding the company’s legal problems, while it’s worth keeping an eye on those, a potential and uncertain worst-case scenario shouldn’t deter investors from this robust, well-run business that is firing on all cylinders. It might be worth revisiting the question if Meta loses its antitrust case, but the stock’s prospects remain highly attractive as things stand.

Lastly, Meta is now a dividend stock — a fairly new development — and reinvesting the payout will boost what should already be superior returns over the long run. So can Meta Platforms set investors up for life? I think it can.

Is it finally time to burn social media to the ground?

”To save civil society, we need to end our decade-long experiment with global social platforms. We tried them. They became dark and awful. It’s time to move on.”

This line from Cal Newport’s recent reflections on Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the dangers of social platforms got me thinking. His call to abandon these platforms entirely stems from a real concern: that online discourse, when amplified and distorted, can spill into real-world consequences. I agree with Cal’s intent to highlight the corrosive role of these tools. But I also think his conclusion—that the only option is to quit them outright—feels too absolute.

In his message, Cal frames quitting as one “option to consider,” yet in the next breath he describes social platforms as a “decade-long experiment” that “became dark and awful.”

I see it differently.

The platforms themselves are not inherently awful—they are amplifiers. They extend our capacity for connection, for better and for worse. Yes, they can embolden harmful behavior. But they’ve also allowed people to raise funds for loved ones through GoFundMe shares, to find belonging in niche communities, and to pursue hobbies and friendships across distance. I live on an island, but my interests in coffee and fountain pens have flourished because of the connections made possible by these same networks.

The issue isn’t the existence of the platforms—it’s the absence of curation. Without boundaries, they overwhelm. Yet with discernment, they can enrich.

That’s where the Spheres of Attention come in. In The Productivity Diet, I introduce four levels of engagement—Noticing, Awareness, Focus, and Concentration—that help you decide not just what to engage with, but how deeply. Instead of being consumed by endless updates, we can:

• Notice selectively: Not every headline or post deserves our time.
• Recognize patterns: Many stories are designed for engagement, not understanding.
• Choose where to focus: Prioritize depth over breadth.
• Protect concentration: Save your best energy for what truly matters.

Civil society won’t be saved by abandoning these tools altogether. It will be saved by people who engage responsibly—curating their inputs instead of cremating them. Even Cal’s own Digital Minimalism made the case for using technology with intention. That spirit remains vital today. But rather than declaring the experiment failed, I believe we need to reclaim it—by choosing carefully, engaging deliberately, and remembering that connection can still be a force for good.

Enough is enough, yes. But enough doesn’t mean ending the experiment. It means learning to run it wisely.

Article created by: Justinas Keturka

While you scroll through an eternity of your Twitter feed, it’s easy to get lost in anything from politics to societal problems, have your temperature soar and your mood drop on a day that otherwise was perfectly if not fine, then okay-ish.

So it’s no secret that on some occasions, we all benefit from more light-hearted content avoiding all the heated discussions on trending threads as if you were playing Minesweeper.

Luckily, there’s a subreddit dedicated to precisely this. Titled “NonPoliticalTwitter,” it celebrates Twitter posts that are politics-free and have some vibes instead. “Come vibe with us,” the page’s description says and 73.8k members have already signed up for it. So what do you get? A hilariously accurate selection of the best tweets for anyone from a weird sense of humor to a more pragmatic attitude towards life.

The ladies of the internet never fail to brighten our day with their brilliant and succinct wit.

Each week, HuffPost Women rounds up their hilarious musings. Scroll through this week’s great tweets, threads and other posts from women, and then visit our “Funniest Tweets From Women” page for past roundups.

The ladies of the internet never fail to brighten our day with their brilliant and succinct wit.

Each week, HuffPost Women rounds up their hilarious musings. Scroll through this week’s great tweets, threads and other posts from women, and then visit our “Funniest Tweets From Women” page for past roundups.

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”
Lao Tzu

Today I’d like to focus on a negative habit that creates insecurity within, erodes self-esteem and can make you feel quite unhappy with your own life.

It’s something that has sprung up as we have moved a part of our lives on to the internet and social media.

And that habit is to compare yourself and your life to other people’s highlight reels.

What do I mean by that?

That it’s so easy to start comparing your life to the lives of friends, old classmates or celebrities of all sizes as you each day see how perfect their homes, kids, love lives are and how filled their lives are with wonderful moments.

But is that their whole lives that is shared on Facebook and Instagram?

Usually not.

It’s just the highlight reel of that person’s life. The positive moments.

And it’s natural thing really, to want to share such moments or days with your friends or followers.

Now, for some people this may develop into something destructive.

Into a way of creating a more perfect image of one’s life to get that hit of instant gratification as people add positivity via comments, likes and upvotes.

But everyone has problems at times.

They fail. Get sick. Have flaws, bad days or negative habits.

No matter who you are or what you look like or do.

I have those issues too. Just like anyone else.

I still stumble and fall on some days. Doubt myself or am pessimistic from time to time. That’s human.

So don’t strive for being perfect or measuring yourself against someone else’s highlight reel.

Here are three healthier steps you can take instead:

Step 1: Compare in a smarter way. 

There will always be people who have more or nicer things than you.

Or are better than you at something. No matter what you do.

So if you want to compare then do it in a way that won’t make you feel envious and inferior.

Do it by comparing yourself to yourself. See how far you have come. Look back at the obstacles you have overcome, what you have learned and how you have grown.

Step 2: Spend your energy and time on what matters the most. 

Step by step spend the hours in your day and week on building habits that will make you a better person and a happier one too.

For example, aim at being optimistic 70% of the time if you have been it maybe 50% in the past month.

Or spend more of your weekly free time on your favorite hobby or on sharpening a valuable skill. 

Step 3: Let go of what drags you down. 

If necessary, unsubscribe or remove social media accounts from your feed if you feel they are dragging you down and lowering your self-esteem. Even if those things might also be entertaining right now.

Life isn’t just a highlight reel no matter who shares it.

So look beyond that, remember that everyone is human and stop comparing yourself to that limited view of someone.

In the long run you’ll be happy that you did.