What Reddit vs X says about internet groupthink
Multiple subreddits are banning X links in protest of Elon Musk’s salute at the presidential inauguration. The implosion of ideological groupthink online highlights the fascinating potential of digital community. Elon Musk was one of a number of tech-giants who took center stage at Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. The X...
Current in Social
TikTok may be back but influencers are not
How far will content creators go for fame and money? Ahead of the short-lived TikTok ban, audiences found out with the "one more secret" trend. Credibility on social media has always been a hot topic. While some people trust that the influencers they follow maintain their integrity despite their fame, there...
Opinion – Life online is losing its appeal
As we review the digital habits of the last few years and question what they might look like going forward, several factors point to a future in which we aren’t quite so wrapped up in the virtual world. Isn’t it strange to recall a time when social media didn’t exist? For...
Trans youth are turning to TikTok for support
In uncertain political times, America’s young LGBTQIA+ community are using social media as a vital crowdfunding tool. The day after the 2024 US presidential election, thousands of trans youth across the country woke to a sense of a dread. Iris, a 20-year-old Black trans woman living in Texas, was one of...
Owner of the ‘UK Nightlife’ TikTok account has been arrested
A new era of public exposure has landed us here. A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of stalking and harassment after covertly filming women on nights out and uploading the videos to TikTok and Instagram. The clips, often titled ‘Manchester nightlife’ or ‘Liverpool nightlife’ were uploaded daily, and featured...
This year’s Spotify Wrapped is the most immersive yet
Each year, Spotify boosts the metrics and features included in its annual ‘Wrapped’ feature. In 2024, it’s utilised AI to take things up a notch while launching an immersive experience near one of London’s busiest tube stations. It’s the time of year that all Spotify users look forward to most:...
Everything you need to know about Bluesky
Does Jack Dorsey’s new Twitter-alternative mark the end of Musk’s X? The word ‘Bluesky’ first popped into the public consciousness when Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey launched the app last summer. But as Twitter (now X) becomes increasingly inundated with far-right rhetoric, and Donald Trump’s election launches X owner Elon Musk into the political limelight, a mass exodus of the social media app has given Bluesky its proverbial moment in the sun. For...
Why the world hasn’t fully adopted digital voting
Despite technological advancements, many countries remain hesitant to fully embrace digital voting systems with concerns such as security, accessibility, and trust playing a part. Many tables this year would have seen the topic of elections during dinner. Many elections occur worldwide, and the results determine the fate of nations and regions. The most significant ones occurred in top global economies ranging from the European Union to the United States of America....
Grim revelations arise from two-year TikTok investigation
Previously redacted documents about TikTok’s practices have been mulled over by several news outlets. The grim revelations bring to question the platform’s duty of care and lax precautions, particularly when it comes to young users. Two years ago, TikTok discovered some truly disgusting things were taking place on their platform. Children as young as 14 had been stripping on livestream and taking requests from adults in exchange for gifts or digital...
The dystopia of watching Hurricane Milton unfold online
On one side of the internet, content creators and clout chasers used the natural disaster to entertain and engage. On the other, it triggered a surge in misinformation and conspiracy theories. While social media platforms function as a go-to news source for many, is this proof that things have gone too far? Arriving just a fortnight after the misery brought about by Helene, Hurricane Milton tore through Florida last...
