TikTok is failing to protect young users
Sparking fresh concerns about the platform’s influence on children, new research has uncovered that its algorithm is pushing videos about eating disorders and self-harm to 13-year-olds. According to research from the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), TikTok appears to be pushing videos about eating disorders and self-harm to...
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Loud listening habits risk hearing loss for 1 billion young people
Take a walk outside and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone not wearing headphones. But could this everyday habit be detrimental to our hearing in the long run? Several recent studies say yes, if we’re not careful. Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you over my LOUD taste in...
Tuvalu to preserve its culture in the metaverse
Climate change is affecting the Pacific Island of Tuvalu in a serious way. Anticipating its population will be forced into climate migration in the near future, the government is turning to the metaverse to preserve its unique culture. While COP27 isn’t over, betting on actual environmental policy implementation is risky,...
Opinion – Musk should not be charging for Twitter’s blue tick status
New Twitter boss Elon Musk is planning to charge $240-per-year for blue tick status. Could shifting away from simple verification and toward an open premium service lead to fundamental flaws in the platform? We reckon so. Elon Musk’s hard-fought campaign to get his hands on Twitter was always superseded by...
Opinion – social media’s obsession with ‘aesthetic’ needs to stop
While there’s arguably nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from trends as a means of self-exploration, the sheer volume that’s being presented to us by social media on a daily basis is becoming increasingly problematic for both our wellbeing and the planet. Ever found yourself identity flip-flopping? Trends, aesthetics, and niche groups...
YouTube reports Gen Z want curated content over viral videos
It seems the days of dancing foxes, Gangnam Style, and other viral content are over. New studies suggest that Gen Z prefer to see specific, tailored content for them, rather than popular videos intended for all audiences. If you’re an older Gen Zer like myself, you may remember a...
20% of Americans use TikTok as their primary health consultant
TikTok influencers are deemed more accessible than health professionals by many Americans, according to a new survey conducted by CharityRx. In the current age of instant gratification, healthcare is frankly painfully slow. The entire world may feel as though it’s at the tips of our fingers at times, but the process of booking GP appointments, getting hospital referrals, and receiving specialist treatment is often long and arduous. In the west, where we’re...
Are tech companies failing to protect children?
With TikTok facing a £27m fine for endangering under-13s and a recent study uncovering that almost half of British children have seen harmful content online, we must address the threat posed by social media platforms and their blatant disregard for the wellbeing of young users. Earlier this week, news broke out that TikTok – with its 25% userbase of 10 to 19-year-olds – has been accused of processing the...
Is Twitter’s new ‘editing’ feature a good thing?
A new, highly anticipated ‘edit’ tool is being internally tested for Twitter. The update would let users amend tweets up to 30 minutes after posting. Could this open the door for even more misinformation problems? Most of us have probably had to delete a tweet before. Whether it was due to negligence, regret, drunken mistakes, or a typo, nearly every Twitter user has retracted content at one time or another....
Instagram’s new tool allows users to block weight loss ads
The option for Instagram users to customise their targeted ads was introduced in early June, with a ‘body weight control’ category only added this week. Is this enough to stifle the toxic culture that festers within the appearance-obsessed platform? Amidst the rise of body positive values in marketing tactics and amongst the general public, you’d think we’d no longer have to deal with inadvertently being shown weight loss adverts on...
