CategorySocial Media
X Now Banned in Brazil; Huge Fines Threaten Secret Users
The Supreme Court’s ruling seems to be part of an international trend toward attempted government control of the news stream
Does Mark Zuckerberg Really Regret All the Censorship?
He says he does. But is it too late to roll back government interference in news dissemination?
What’s Behind the World Advertiser Boycott Against X?
Elon Musk’s refusal to censor news has made him enemies in top boardrooms
Google Decision Challenges Trillion-Dollar Internet Gatekeeper
How one company cornered the market for the human mind
As Trust in Media Declines, Media Seek Allies in Government
The internet crashes the cost of almost every factor except time so more and more independent sources are jumping in
The Dark Art of Online “Nudging”: How to Protect Yourself
Organizations of all kinds use psychological tricks to move our minds as we browse — but a handy acronym helps detect them
Social Media Cutting Into Your Sanity? Try the Great Unplug
Video producer Adam Nieri looks at the pros and cons of a post-AI world and recommends structured timeouts to regain perspective
YouTube Tries to Take Down Deepfake Impersonations… Well, Sort Of
The difficulty is, as the technology explodes, so does a minefield of complications
View: Universities Should Not Speak Up Against Dissenting Profs!
Jay Bhattacharya and Wesley J. Smith respond to an article in a medical journal arguing that universities SHOULD censure dissenters on the faculty
Identity Theft: You’d Be Amazed At What You Did Last Night Online
All the more so if you didn't do it — that is, if your identity was stolen online
Interpol Crackdown: Have You Been Scammed on Social Media Too?
Some details of the law enforcement release hint at the intimate reach of international online crime as well as its broad scope
Zuck and Co Are Under Fire (Again)
Meta targeted teens, according to internal company emailsIs there any company out there who has hurt young people more than Mark Zuckerberg’s gargantuan Meta empire? A host of lawsuits and a damning report from the New York Times tells us that the massive parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp willingly pursued its addictive business model despite the evident damage its products were doing to users, particularly kids. Who remembers when Facebook launched and its promises of a more connected world? Who remembers the optimists hailing the internet as the next step in human connectivity? A mere twenty years later and the technology lords are facing an overdue reckoning. Natasha Singer writes, The state lawsuits against Meta reflect mounting concerns that teenagers and children on social media Read More ›
Ozempic: Weight Loss Drug or Supermodel Shortcut?
Social media fuels impossible body standards. So, Gen Z flocks to weight loss drugs.Ozempic, the weight loss medication that diminishes one’s sense of hunger, has been used as a simple and yet effective treatment for obesity. There is debate on whether the use of drugs to combat weight gain is healthy, or should be pushed back against by simply eating better and engaging in regular exercise. Now, though, a certain brand of Ozempic users is complicating the discussion. People, particularly the young, are starting to use Ozempic to carve out the ideal beach bod. But the risks to this aren’t benign, according to a report by the New York Post. Using Ozempic or other weight loss drugs without a proper prescription can be dangerous. Per the Post: “Drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy should Read More ›
X Now Allows Adult Content According to Policy Update
Formerly, the platform didn't have an actual rule. That's now changed.
Haidt on AI: Social Media Companies Use It to Hook the Vulnerable
The famous American social psychologist and professor at New York University, Jonathan Haidt, thinks phones have essentially ruined a generation
“Dopamine-Maximizing AI”
Elon Musk on addictive algorithms and the future of AI
A World-Famous Pediatrician on How To Help Kids Learn Better
Start, Ben Carson says, by eliminating the distractions created by constant input from media. Today, that must include the smartphoneBen Carson is a world-famous pediatric neurosurgeon and professor of medicine emeritus at Johns Hopkins. He … performed the first successful separation of conjoined twins who were attached at the back of the head (occipital craniopagus twins). The operation, which took place in 1987, lasted some 22 hours and involved a 70-member surgical team. Carson also refined a technique known as hemispherectomy, in which one-half of the brain is removed to prevent seizures in persons with severe epilepsy. – Britannica Carson started out comparatively disadvantaged but his mother made sure he got a good education: He later became active in politics, serving as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1917–21). But he also retained a longstanding concern for education, especially Read More ›
Is the New Synthesia Piano Program a Crutch—or a Skateboard?
The Synthesia program is a piano roll in digital form. But instead of a player piano, there is a human piano player, playing the part of the player piano's trackerbar.