Holiday gifts inspired by the Internet, memes, online culture - Los Angeles Times
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13 gifts for the very online person in your life

Christmas tree ornament illustration
(Roselly Monegro / For The Times)
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This is part of the L.A. Times 2021 gift guide. See the full guide here. If you make a purchase off one of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated.

Everyone’s internet experience is different, which means there’s no one way to be “very online.” This gift guide is our attempt to address that. For some, online-ness means a nice laptop and phone cases. For others, it means being involved in social justice causes and supporting meaningful organizations. And in a lot of cases it means they’ve seen all the good memes before you. Here are 13 gifts to show your appreciation and encourage people to rest their eyes once in a while too.

Forvr Mood candles

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: Forvr Mood Candles
(Forvr Mood)

Influencer merch can be hit or miss, but YouTube star Jackie Aina’s fun and flirty candles — with names like Thotumn and Bad and Boozy — are perfect for friends or loved ones who learned how to do makeup on YouTube.

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$35+ | 👉 Purchase here

A Cameo

A selection of famous people available for Cameos.
(Cameo)

Literally everyone who is slightly famous or just past their 15 minutes of fame is on Cameo. If you’re shopping for the type of person who has everything they need, surprise them with something that serves zero actual value save for maybe a good laugh. While a Cameo from pro-skater (and “Masked Singer” star?) Tony Hawk costs $250, a video from William Knight, who went viral for his “there’s no such thing as a coincidence” TikTok meme, is $99. He’s been expecting you.

Varies | 👉 Purchase here

‘Crying in H Mart’ from Reparations Club

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: Reparations Club Crying in H Mart
(Alfred A. Knopf)

This memoir from Michelle Zauner, a singer-songwriter known as Japanese Breakfast, started off as a popular essay in the New Yorker about grief, mourning and growing up Korean. Soon, it will be a movie. And while it might seem counterintuitive to get a book from a physical bookstore for an online person, stores like L.A.’s Black-owned Reparations Club host many of the IRL and virtual book readings and speaking events online people love to be the first to know about.

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$26.95 | 👉 Purchase here

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Use the Internet for Good sweatshirt from the Mayfair Group

Use the Internet for Good sweatshirt from The Mayfair Group.
(Mayfair Group)

The Mayfair Group’s aesthetic is a combination of positivity, vulnerability, a little bit of humor and a lot of fashion consciousness. Gift this to someone who regularly pines for a less toxic internet culture in their Instagram captions.

$108 | 👉 Purchase here

Smiley ring from NYZ Accessory Shop

Gold ring with a smiley emoji front.
(NYZ Accessory Shop)
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Gen Z may have said the smiley emoji is for old people, but this stainless steel, 18kt gold-plated ring is still cool.

$50 | 👉 Purchase here

Food Is Personal/Political tote bag from Now Serving

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: Now Serving Food is Personal/Food is Political denim tote
(Now Serving)

For the person who wears their heart on their sleeve and their politics on their cotton canvas totes, get this bag from L.A. cookbook shop Now Serving. And if your gift recipient has spent the last 18 months reading recipes online, maybe throw in an old-fashioned physical book too.

$42 | 👉 Purchase here

Rickey Thompson iPhone case from Wildflower

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: Wildflower iPhone case - Rickey Thompson collab
(Wildflower Cases)
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If you’re reading this, the person you’re shopping for probably spends a decent chunk of time on their phone. Why not give them the gift of a trendy-looking one? Wildflower, an L.A.-based, women-owned company, frequently partners with influencers on limited-edition phone cases. We like their recent partnership with Rickey Thompson, who rose to fame from his viral comedic videos on Vine and Instagram.

$35 | 👉 Purchase here

Love Without Reason dad hat from LaRayia’s Bodega

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: LaRayia's Bodega Love W/O Reason dad hat
(LaRayia’s Bodega)

LaRayia Gaston’s Westlake bodega doesn’t just offer low-cost meals and $1 snacks for the community — there’s also a collection of crystals, jewelry, shirts, household items and hats, including this ‘90s-style dad hat.

$33.33 | 👉 Purchase here

Chemex starter kit from Canyon Coffee

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: Canyon Coffee Chemex starter kit
(Canyon Coffee)
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I personally spend a lot of time online, and a lot of time drinking coffee, and so the two have become connected to me. Reading about different ways to brew coffee, different tools I can use, and what different beans from different parts of the world taste like has been my version of quarantine sourdough. If you know someone like me (or if you actually know me!), get them this Chemex starter kit, which comes with a bag of the L.A.-based roaster’s coffee.

$72 | 👉 Purchase here

Go Get Em Tiger coffee subscription

Go Get 'Em Tiger Pre-paid coffee subscription
(Go Get ‘Em Tiger)

If your coffee lover already has every tool and gadget you can think of, just get them more coffee. We like this three month subscription from L.A.’s Go Get Em Tiger, but there’s also goodboybob, Patria Coffee and YesPlz.

$112 | 👉 Purchase here

Polaroid Go starter set

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: Polaroid Polaroid Go starter set
(Polaroid)
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iPhone cameras have come a long way (or so I’ve heard, I’m still on the iPhone 7), but sometimes it’s nice to put your phone away and leave with a physical copy of the picture.

$119 | 👉 Purchase here

Copper Dry Brush from Nourish by the Now

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: The Now Dry brushes
(The Now)

The Now, an L.A.-based massage parlor, created its copper dry brush to help “combat the environmental stressors of modern life while elevating your beauty and wellness routine.” Dry brushing isn’t a miracle cure, but its benefits include exfoliation and boosting circulation.

$42 | 👉 Purchase here

Home & Away Lotion kit from Supergoop!

GIFT GUIDE - ONLINE PEOPLE: Supergoop! Home & Away lotion set
(Supergoop!)
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A lighthearted gift that says: I love you, now go outside.

$77 | 👉 Purchase here

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