Banning TikTok won’t solve social media’s foreign influence, teen harm and data privacy problems

TikTok is hardly a model social media platform, but it’s also far from an outlier when it comes to threats to Americans.

Sarah Florini, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, Arizona State University • conversation
April 25, 2024 • ~7 min

TikTok fears point to larger problem: Poor media literacy in the social media age

If the US wants to protect young people from misinformation and foreign influence, focusing on TikTok is barking up the wrong tree.

Nir Eisikovits, Professor of Philosophy and Director, Applied Ethics Center, UMass Boston • conversation
April 19, 2024 • ~8 min

In the age of cancel culture, shaming can be healthy for online communities – a political scientist explains when and how

There is no shortage of horror stories about online shaming, but it’s not always a bad thing. It comes down to who is doing the shaming and how cohesive the online community is.

Jennifer Forestal, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Loyola University Chicago • conversation
April 16, 2024 • ~8 min

Online child safety laws could help or hurt – 2 pediatricians explain what’s likely to work and what isn’t

Congress is considering bills to protect kids online. Some of what’s in those bills could help, but some elements could be harmful.

Jenny Radesky, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Michigan • conversation
April 4, 2024 • ~11 min

TikTok’s duet, green screen and stitch turn political point-scoring into an art form

TikTok’s features for combining different users’ videos have sparked a wave of creativity. They’ve also formed an arena for political arguments and insults.

Jessica Maddox, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Creative Media, University of Alabama • conversation
March 22, 2024 • ~7 min

Mothers’ dieting habits and self-talk have profound impact on daughters − 2 psychologists explain how to cultivate healthy behaviors and body image

Adopting healthy behaviors and thought patterns around food and nutrition takes time and intentional effort. But it will lead to more lasting change and positive outcomes than quick-fix dieting will.

Ashleigh Gallagher, Senior Lecturer, University of North Carolina – Greensboro • conversation
Feb. 22, 2024 • ~10 min

‘It is hijacking my brain’ – a team of experts found ways to help young people addicted to social media to cut the craving

You can free yourself from some of the time you spend online in as little as four weeks.

Nicholas Hunkins, Researcher in Data Science, University of Colorado Boulder • conversation
Feb. 15, 2024 • ~9 min

Wildlife selfies harm animals − even when scientists share images with warnings in the captions

The caption may say that only scientists and trained professionals should handle wild animals, but viewers remember the image, not the words.

Andrea l. DiGiorgio, Lecturer and Post Doctoral Researcher in Biological Anthropology, Princeton University • conversation
Feb. 14, 2024 • ~9 min

Using AI to monitor the internet for terror content is inescapable – but also fraught with pitfalls

The complex task of tackling online terror needs human eyes as well as artificial intelligence.

David Wells, Honorary Research Associate at the Cyber Threats Research Centre, Swansea University • conversation
Feb. 7, 2024 • ~8 min

We are living in a ‘digital dark age’ – here’s how to protect your photos, videos and other data

Future generations may not be able to access the digital artefacts we create today.

Esperanza Miyake, Chancellor's Fellow - Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Strathclyde • conversation
Feb. 1, 2024 • ~8 min

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