New study reveals the extent of teenage smartphone use
A recent report from Common Sense Media has found that, on average, half of 11 to 17-year-olds get at least 237 notifications a day, raising concerns that this is affecting the cognitive ability, attention span, and memory of their still-developing brains. It’s no secret that young people are addicted to...
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UK grooming cases reach record highs amid online safety law delay
Amid the butting of heads between UK ministers and tech firms over end-to-end encryption, instances of child grooming have reached record highs in 2023. The ongoing impasse over end-to-end encryption is having severe consequences in the UK. In order to appease app users, an increasing number of tech firms are offering...
Young people are using TikTok to organise flashmob looting
Last week, chaos erupted on one of central London’s most popular shopping streets. Large groups of young people gathered together to loot shops in an event organised and promoted in viral videos on TikTok. While viral social media content has frequently resulted in positive collective action amongst the public,...
How ‘algospeak’ aids sensitive social media discussion
With life online increasingly controlled by overzealous censorship policies, users have begun inventing code words to dodge strict moderations on platforms like TikTok. Though you may not be familiar with the phrase ‘algospeak,’ what you’re likely to have come across is the slew of code words Internet users have...
Opinion – Has the Threads hype died already?
The arrival of Zuckerberg’s text-based social media platform Threads brought a sudden and fleeting moment of excitement to the digital sphere. Now, over half of the 100 million users who signed up have already stopped checking in. It hasn’t even been a month since the social media app Threads...
Ethiopia restores social media after 5 months of shutdown
Ethiopia has taken a momentous stride towards reinstating communication freedom and reconnecting its citizens with the digital realm by lifting its social media ban after a prolonged five-month shutdown. The restoration of access to popular platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, and YouTube comes as a welcome relief for millions of...
Why Elon Musk is rebranding Twitter as ‘X’
Having changed Twitter Inc to X Corp back in April, the inevitable rebrand of the social network as ‘X’ is now underway – but why? The bluebird is confirmed dead, and Elon Musk is holding the rifle. As you’ve no doubt seen already, the billionaire has been constantly touting ‘X’ on his profile this week while trolling those who proclaim that ‘Twitter is dead’ – which has trended a few times...
What is ‘phubbing’ and why is it damaging to relationships?
New research has uncovered that the phenomenon – whereby couples ignore each other in favour of their digital devices – is leading to increased conflict and reduced intimacy. While this may seem obvious, it’s taken a pair of psychologists to make us notice.
In this day and age, we’re all aware of how technology originally designed to strengthen connectivity has actually begun to do the opposite.
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Should Apple be taking on mental health?
Apple’s latest iOS update will allow iPhones and to track our mental health. The news is raising questions about the rise (and ethics) of digital health. In an era marked by unprecedented technological advancements, our relationship with digital devices has become deeply intertwined with our daily lives. Besides dominating the tech market, Apple has made a name for itself in the health world as of late. With the launch of the Apple...
Instagram officially launches Twitter competitor Threads
With Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter causing mounting problems, Instagram has swooped in with its own competitor, Threads. The app has officially launched. Zuckerberg has officially launched his direct Twitter competitor Threads. Largely based on a similar, endless feed of statuses, Threads directly moves over your Instagram profile and provides users with a parallel experience without the baggage of Elon Musk. There is no limit to how many statuses you...
