Latest Stories from Charlie
How to optimise Facebook to better your mental health
Prolonged Facebook use can cause unwanted stress and anxiety, but there are ways to change the experience to better suit your needs. Facebook has become a social media dinosaur over the last five years or so. Where once it was at the cutting edge of teenage and twenty-something online interaction, it has steadily gathered a reputation for being a fake news rollout machine that can significantly disrupt the status quo and...
VICE launches specially designed virtual Metaverse offices
Danish architecture firm BIG has created virtual office spaces for VICE, which it calls the Viceverse. The launch demonstrates the potential for mainstream use of the Metaverse. It seems we may finally be entering the real-life Matrix. Okay, that may be a little melodramatic, but the Metaverse’s continual growth in popularity and mainstream adoption suggests we could be using digital worlds simultaneously alongside our physical one sooner than you might think. [caption...
How has Ukraine’s music scene been affected by the war?
Economies, oil prices, humanitarian aid, and many other services have been impacted by the ongoing Ukrainian and Russian conflict. Musicians and artists have asked for the right to protest on streaming services and indie labels could be irreversibly damaged. Ukrainian musicians and industry representatives have called for streaming services – such as Spotify and Apple Music – to approve the inclusion of political messages on album artwork. Those inside Ukraine...
You can now place your NFTs in a real-life display
Bought yourself an NFT and want to show it off in your own home? You can now purchase a real display that will broadcast each NFT from various angles, like a moving picture frame. NFTs are questionable - both environmentally and economically - but that won’t stop the market from booming. This new ‘NFT Display’ by Tokenframe is the latest product to demonstrate the explosive popularity of cryptocurrency and...
National Portrait Gallery finally cutting ties with BP
Following protests in London over the last several years, BP will finally stop gifting cash to the National Portrait Gallery at the end of this year. It will remain a sponsor of the British Museum, however. BP and the National Portrait Gallery have announced that they will not be extending their partnership beyond the final month of their current contract in December 2022. It follows years of protest and public outcry...
Opinion – We need to improve our response to public breakdowns
If you’ve been on Instagram the last week, you’ll have seen Kanye West’s turbulent posts airing his private grievances. He routinely displays concerning behaviour, yet our collective response remains unhelpful. Kanye West is once again causing havoc online. It seems like every year – usually around the time of an album release – the producer, fashion designer, and rapper will take to social media to generate buzz. A few years ago he...
Opinion – Brockhampton were the pivotal Gen Z hip-hop group
Formed in 2011 via a Kanye West forum, Brockhampton became a hip-hop phenomenon in the latter half of the last decade. As they head into retirement, they cement themselves as a crucial voice for Gen Z artistry, encompassing the volatile and eclectic nature of the social media era. Hip-hop group and self-renowned boyband Brockhampton are officially over. Well, at least they will be, after one final performance at Coachella later...
Is age verification on UK pornography viewing a good idea?
The UK is once again attempting to pass age verification checks for porn viewers. The bill asks all upload-based websites to act with a ‘duty of care’ and remove harmful or illegal content. It may sound like a good idea in theory, but the parameters are also worryingly vague. Pornography could be seeing a major overhaul in the UK soon. The Online Safety Bill, first introduced in 2021, would require...
Why are people outraged at this music NFT startup?
A new music-based NFT company called ‘HitPiece’ has emerged online, but it has been accused of widespread theft from both mainstream and indie artists. The situation highlights the unregulated, problematic rise of NFTs. Anyone who follows creatives on Twitter – musicians, graphic designers, and producers – has likely seen the controversy surrounding HitPiece this week. Popping up seemingly out of nowhere, HitPiece describes itself as a ‘community’ that offers...
Sweden is now using crows to pick up litter
Forget everything you thought you knew about litter, waste management, and birds. Sweden is shaking things up by using crows to clean up discarded cigarette ends. Have you ever looked at a murder of crows and thought – they look like a suitable clean-up crew? Wondered if your local birds could be upstanding citizens keeping the pavements cigarette free? You can rest easy knowing those fowl-based musings are finally being...
