The Affinity 100: The Most Impactful Creators of 2026

Who are people actually showing up for? For years, follower count has been the easiest way to describe a creator’s influence. It tells us how many people chose to follow someone, but not what happens when that creator posts. Do viewers keep watching? Do they respond? Do they share it with someone else? That is the question behind the inaugural Affinity 100, a ranking from What’s Trending founder Shira Lazar and media cartographer Evan Shapiro, sponsored by Whalar Group and its digital operating system, Foam. Using data provided by Foam, the list looks at audience engagement rather than treating reach

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Frankie LaPenna Takes on a ‘Terminator’ Robot in The First Human vs. Robot Fight

A man stepped into a fighting cage with a 6-foot humanoid robot, and the robot came out on top. Robotics startup REK staged the human-versus-humanoid kickboxing demonstration in San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 18, putting creator Frankie LaPenna inside a cage with the machine. The opponent was the 80-kilogram (176-pound) EngineAI T800, a humanoid built to look like the Terminator.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Frankie LaPenna (@frankielap) LaPenna, wearing a helmet and chest protector, landed a few punches before the robot kicked him in the head, according to the official video description. Footage