SafeUP app makes solo travelling safer for women
As a woman, travelling involves regularly assessing where is safe to go and what is safe to do. The SafeUP app is helping women stay connected to one another in case they need to ask for help - wherever they are. Women change their personal behaviours in the interest of...
Current in Social
Twitter plans to ban photos and videos taken of strangers in public
The social media platform says it will ban unsolicited videos in public settings. Unwitting strangers cannot give consent, creating a problematic grey area for social media content. Sceptics, however, are already asking a lot of questions. We’ve all seen them. The photos or videos of people in public doing strange...
Twelve social media accounts to follow ahead of COP 26
Looking to get clued up on all things COP 26 ahead of the big event in Glasgow? Here are a selection of accounts worth following to stay in the loop over the next few weeks. Forget Glastonbury, Coachella, or any other high-profile event that might be in your calendar. The...
Facebook expands into the metaverse with rebrand
Facebook has great ambitions for the future of our interaction with technology. Should we be scared or excited? The metaverse, Facebook’s new long-term project, is already in full swing with plans to create over 10 000 jobs in Europe alone. But what is the metaverse exactly? The company describes it...
Donald Trump to launch new social media platform ‘Truth Social’
After being banned from both Twitter and Facebook, Trump has announced he will be launching his own platform called ‘Truth Social’. Could it become a success? Former US president Donald Trump has announced he will be releasing a new social media platform called ‘Truth Social’ early next year. In a statement,...
Crypto investors raised $40 million to buy a copy of the US Constitution
Pipped at auction by a late bid, crypto investors were close to purchasing a rare and early copy of the US Constitution for over $40 million. Is a practical purchase ever made using cryptocurrency? Whether we’re talking of the multi-million dollar sales of eight bit gifs, the early year hijacking of...
New Instagram and Twitter updates target harmful online behaviours
The latest Twitter update will prompt users to reconsider the ‘vibe’ of a heated discussion, while an Instagram ‘nudge’ feature aims to steer teenagers away from harmful content. Despite a newfound urgency in recent years to finally address online hate and content tied to adverse mental health, the big social media platforms are still accused of being too reactionary and not proactive enough. When it comes to Gen Z specifically, the...
Domo reveals how the internet is used every minute in 2021
Domo has just released its annual infographic showing how we divide our time online every 60 seconds. With a pandemic-induced shift in digital trends, as well as a 10% rise in those with access to the internet, there are some notable changes from last year. Still reeling from the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp blackout? Not as much as the conglomerates and billionaire entrepreneurs at their helm you’re not. They’ll be counting...
Leaked report shows Instagram knows it damages mental health
An internal presentation outlining two years of research on the psychological effects of Instagram has been leaked. The reports conflict with company representative’s public narratives of the platform. By now, we’re all aware of the potentially negative consequences of social media use, whether that knowledge was obtained through our own personal afflictions, or endless news stories and academic reports on the subject. The only people who are totally unwilling to admit...
Most Gen Zers worry about being addicted to their phones
A new survey of over 2,000 adults by OnePoll indicates that almost 75% of young people worry about smartphone addiction. Should we be surprised at the numbers? Every wondered if you rely on your phone too much? Taking gadgets to the bathroom, sleeping next to a charger, or catching up on the latest episode of Love Is Blind via your bathtub are all fairly common behaviours, and are indicative of...
