Spotify begins rolling out music videos feature
While it appeared Spotify had laid its hat on short-form video, the music service will now begin to roll out full music videos on the app across the coming months. Is this the beginning of the end for the looping Canvas videos everyone disables to save their battery life? In a...
Current in Social
Is a TikTok ban coming to the US?
A proposed ban on TikTok is making the rounds in Congress, garnering support from young people and policymakers alike. ‘If they pass it, I’ll sign it,’ said President Joe Biden on Friday. But what exactly does the ban entail? From the moment TikTok rose to widespread popularity, US government...
Royals photo commotion highlights challenge of discerning fake content
As artificial intelligence makes discerning between real and fake imagery increasingly tricky, people are undoubtedly becoming less trusting of media they’re presented with. Can we nip this growing scepticism in the bud? Society’s threshold for what qualifies as ‘uncanny valley’ in 2024 is becoming more debatable by the month. Public...
Why gamblers embracing AI is cause for concern
The perception that AI can eliminate risk and replace luck with foolproof strategy is concerning. Will this lead to more newcomers getting hooked and larger sums being lost? The over normalisation of betting is increasingly becoming a problem and the industry’s latest ‘coup’ has the potential to open an ever...
Do parenting influencers have a place on social media?
The recent sentencing of Ruby Franke, who dished out parenting advice online, has sparked conversation around the safety of so-called ‘sharenting’ via social media. When Ruby Franke was sentenced to four terms in prison, she had 2.3 million followers on a now-deleted YouTube channel titled ‘8 Passengers’. The premise of the...
Bumble to relaunch amidst waning Gen Z interest in dating apps
Gen Z are slowly ditching dating apps in favour of real-life socialising. It could wind up costing big companies like Bumble a fair buck. Now, it has announced a relaunch later in the year alongside widespread layoffs. Have you ever tried to using a dating app to find love? Algorithmic,...
Lawsuit filed against dating apps claims they are ‘fuelling addiction’
Since the emergence of online dating apps almost a decade ago, they’ve become one of the most common ways new couples meet. However, some users are claiming that their addictive nature is causing harm to our relationships and mental health. On Valentine’s Day, six dating app users filed a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps of using addictive, game-like features to encourage ‘compulsive use.’ Filed in the...
Reddit signs over its user data to train unnamed AI model
As user data becomes an increasingly hot commodity, an unnamed AI company is reportedly plotting a $60 million swoop to scrape Reddit for AI training purposes. Should we be concerned? Decades of Reddit ramblings could become fuel for the next generation of AI models. The self-proclaimed ‘front page of the internet’ has reportedly negotiated a content licensing deal with an unnamed AI company. For the cool price of $60 million,...
New AI tool can find any image of someone ever posted online
PimEyes is the latest AI tool causing a stir on the internet. Although it has been created to help artists, photographers, and individuals ‘protect their privacy’ and personal content online, other internet users see its potential to be ‘a stalkers’ dream.’ The capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) seem to be growing by the minute, but these tools are not always built with just convenience or efficiency in mind. ChatGPT can help...
Opinion – Social media’s ageist conversation is exhausting
TikTokers are currently discussing how and why Gen Z are ‘rapidly ageing’ compared to their Millennial peers. The conversation is symptomatic of a wider generational obsession with age, life milestones, and external societal pressures. The whole thing is draining. If you’re an avid TikTok or Instagram Reel user, you’ve probably seen some discussion around Gen Z ageing faster than their older Millennial peers this week. There’s been viral conversation over...
