How Gamification of Everything Is Manipulating You (and How to Recognize It)
Companies are using gamification to manipulate you. Here’s how to see it and fight against it. Click here for full article: Lifehacker
The Carbon Cost of Our Digital Habits
Getting lost in a scroll hole isn’t just bad for you, it’s bad for the planet too! Read this article to find out more. Click here: Time to Log Off
This Private Equity Firm Is Amassing Companies That Collect Data on America’s Children
Vista Equity Partners has been buying up software used in schools. Parents want to know what the companies do with kids’ data… Click here for article: themarkup.org
How can we minimize Instagram’s harmful effects?
The research is also clear that this is not just a problem for teens. Adults who use the app and are prone to social comparison consistently face problems with social anxiety, self-esteem, and mood (Jiang, S. & Ngien, A., Social Media + Society, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2020; Midgley, C., et…
Securing your digital life, part one: The basics
In this first of two parts, we go over some security steps everyone should be taking. Read this important article by clicking here: Ars Technica
Lawmakers Aim To Stop Social Media From Pushing Sexual Content On Kids, But Some Worry Their Plans Might Not Work
Executives from TikTok, Snap and YouTube are due to testify Tuesday before the Senate Commerce Committee on the harms their platforms may have on young users. Read the article here: dailycaller.com
China’s Crackdown on Video Games is Getting More Serious
Beijing is determined to weed out children’s obsession with video games, even if it hurts some of its biggest tech giants. Click HERE for article. Source: Quartz
High Court Rules Australian Media Companies Can be Liable for Defamatory Comments Posted on Facebook Pages
Decision rejecting appeal in Voller defamation case means companies will be likely to ban comments on more social media posts Click here for article: the Guardian
Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show (via WSJ)
Its own in-depth research shows a significant teen mental-health issue that Facebook plays down in public. Part 2 in a series offering an unparalleled look inside the social-media giant’s failings—and its unwillingness or inability to address them. Click here for article: WSJ
Opinion | This Is Our Chance to Pull Teenagers Out of the Smartphone Trap
Loneliness among students has soared worldwide. It doesn’t have to be like that. The New York Times Reasons to read: Globally, teenage loneliness started growing in 2012. The culprit? Likely smartphones. The effects of constant phone and social media access are not just detrimental to individuals, but to entire groups…
