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
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.
$35+ | 👉 Purchase here
A 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
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.
$26.95 | 👉 Purchase here
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Use the Internet for Good sweatshirt from the 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!
A lighthearted gift that says: I love you, now go outside.
$77 | 👉 Purchase here
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