Metroscene Mag - For the young, empowered & creative

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok recently, you’ve definitely seen it. The "Factory Reset" trend is currently dominating the FYP . The format is simple: a creator starts the video presenting as visibly queer—sporting short hair, masculine energy, or posing with a same-sex partner. Suddenly, a "glitch" effect hits the screen. When it clears, they’ve been "reset" into hyper-traditional, heteronormative roles . Men reappear in "alpha" masculine styles, and women appear in feminine dresses with long hair, all set to the upbeat strumming of Moira Dela Torre ’s Titibo-tibo . While many users dismiss it as harmless fun, queer activist and content creator Neo sees something much more clinical and cold behind the "Factory Reset" trend. For Neo, the trend isn't just a meme but an indicator of a regression. @mariia_ligayaa Napalambot din nga talaga ii 🤣🥰💕 yan ang plot twist HAHA 😘 labyu boi @「 SON 」 #factoryreset #trend #titibot...

Move over, basic slides. The fashion world just got a major hit of nostalgia and high-key chaos. The LEGO Group and Crocs have officially locked in a multi-year partnership, and their debut drop is exactly what 2026 needed: the LEGO Brick Clog .

If there’s one thing we know about Bretman Rock , it’s that he’s a man of many hats—literally. He’s a singer, songwriter, actor, athlete, activist, and a scientist on the side. He’s the star of " Crystal of the Day-ay-ay-ay ," a fashion icon, and a fitness inspiration. But above all the that he is—most definitely— A FILIPINO . In a recent viral video, the 27-year-old internet sensation took us back to his roots, sporting a traditional bahag (a native loincloth used by various indigenous groups in the Philippines) with the kind of confidence only Bretman can muster. "Do you ever wake up and realize, damn, I'm Filipino as fuck? I could literally be in my bahag all day because I can. And who's gonna tell me I can't? Nobody. Yeah, like Filipino hair, Filipino skin," he shared. 

We live in a culture that mastered the art of the performative cringe . It happens every time—a cycle as vicious as it is predictable. A name trends, timelines blow up, and suddenly, everyone transforms into a digital detective, and suddenly, “links please” is trending. In 2026, scandal culture remains a full-blown crisis of digital consent in the Philippines. It doesn't matter if the person involved is a celebrity or an ordinary individual who went viral overnight; the thirst for the "leak" is the same. As much as we like to insist we’re a "God-fearing" nation, our collective actions are shouting a much uglier truth. Sex scandals have evolved from  front pages of tabloids into a systemic crisis of Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV) . We’ve become a society that wears a veil of modesty while hiding a browser history full of violations. It is time to talk about the "utter hypocrisy" of the Filipino public in the face of sex scandals. You Are What Yo...