All articles tagged with #social media
Kylie Jenner kicked off Coachella weekend with a pre-fest clip of herself dancing in a pink face mask with friends, wearing yoga pants and a shirt featuring Justin Bieber’s face; her caption nods to a viral Bieber paparazzi confrontation as Bieber headlines the festival.
Meta is pulling ads that seek to recruit clients for social-media addiction lawsuits across its platforms after recent verdicts that could widen platform liability. Advertising from national firms linked youth mental health harms to features like infinite scrolling and filters, and Meta says it won’t allow trial lawyers to profit from its platforms while lawsuits proceed. The move underscores ongoing scrutiny of youth safety online, with Meta bracing for potential losses and a broader global push for tighter social‑media regulation.
The NYT explains how Iran orchestrated a rapid, cross‑platform information operation to push a claim that an American F‑18 was shot down near Chabahar, using IRGC and state media posts, embassies on X, Russian outlets, and influencers to amplify the narrative across X, Telegram, TikTok and more within about 69 minutes—well before CENTCOM denied the attack—showing how online ecosystems can spread propaganda before official verification.
Pro-Iran groups allegedly linked to Tehran are using AI-generated English-language memes to shape the war narrative and spread disinformation, aiming to undermine U.S. and Israeli messaging; analysts say the memes display sophistication and cultural targeting, but their real impact remains uncertain.
The piece traces a repeating pattern in which genuine social anxieties spark a scapegoat, who is then blamed and framed through shifting alliances and selective evidence—a process the author calls “stigma opportunity structures.” Using France’s absinthe ban as a historical example, it draws parallels to today’s scapegoating of social media’s impact on teen mental health and xenophobic reactions during the Covid-19 era, arguing that certainty about blame often outpaces evidence and that such blame can serve political and moral purposes rather than illuminate complex problems.
Greece plans to ban social media use for anyone under 15 starting in 2027, requiring platforms to verify ages and face penalties under the EU Digital Services Act; parents would use a state-backed 'Kids Wallet' app to block access, a move backed by adults and aiming to spur EU-wide action.
A California jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a landmark case about a young woman’s social-media addiction, while a large study shows that even short digital-detoxes—like a two-week internet-block—can dramatically improve attention and mental health, effectively reversing about a decade of age-related cognitive decline, though results vary and researchers caution that personalized approaches are needed.
A 1.2-million-square-foot Kimberly-Clark warehouse blaze in Ontario grew to six alarms, prompting a large response and evacuation of about 20 workers after a man allegedly lit fires in videos posted online. The suspect, Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, an employee of NFI Industries, was arrested; investigators are reviewing the videos and his social-media posts as police probe the incident.
A viral X account, NHL Follow Tracker, exposes which NHL players follow or unfollow on Instagram, turning private online activity into public drama after Olen Zellweger’s post. Turkish MBA student Fuat Aras built a bot to monitor hundreds of player accounts and launched a paid app, prompting teams to consider social-media education and players to rethink their online presence as privacy concerns grow.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel says players can express personal beliefs but must consider the impact on the team, addressing TreVeyon Henderson’s social posts connected to Jaden Ivey’s anti-LGBTQ comments and emphasizing education, inclusivity, and balancing faith with representing the organization.
Australia says five major social platforms aren’t fully complying with its age-law provisions, specifically citing Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for not fully enforcing child account bans, signaling ongoing regulatory pressure on platforms to curb underage access.
Want a calmer X feed? Skip the For You page and stay in Following, toggle between popular and recent, and use Lists to curate who you see. Refine your interests in Settings > Privacy and Safety > Content You See, and train the algorithm by marking Not interested in posts. Muting accounts or keywords helps suppress unwanted content, and being mindful of what you click nudges the feed away from engagement bait. If needed, you can wipe your history with tools like Redact or Deletetweets. In short: tailor your settings and behavior to build a feed that matches your preferences rather than the platform’s default mix.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani labels his wife Rama Duwaji a 'private person,' but several allies say she is a public figure as first lady amid scrutiny of her past online posts celebrating Hamas and using racial slurs. The controversy rekindles antisemitism concerns tied to Mamdani's circle and could press the mayor to address her actions publicly, though it remains unclear how much voters will weigh it.
TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas addresses online claims that she supports MAGA and donated to Trump fundraising groups after reposting a Michelle Obama post; she says she accidentally shared a conspiracy theory, voted for Obama twice, and has long supported veterans’ causes, asking for grace as she clarifies the situation.
At the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce drew massive social-media attention with moments that fans read as affectionate, while others dubbed their interaction awkward or robotic, fueling a viral debate about whether their chemistry is genuine or staged.