Category: Social Media
Increased screen time ‘linked to growth in teenage depression’
Increased social media use and television viewing are linked to worsening teenage depression, researchers say. The more time adolescents spend on social media and in front of the television, the more severe their symptoms of depression become, it is suggested. The study of 1,786 girls and 2,028 boys aged 12 to 16 found that if…
Removing extremist groups from social media limits impact, report shows
Tommy Robinson was banned from Facebook (Aaron Chown/PA) Removing extremist groups from major social media platforms such as Facebook is an effective way to limit their impact and reach, new research suggests. A report by the Global Research Network on Terrorism and Technology says the example of far-right group Britain First…
Call for ‘urgent legislation’ against online electoral interference
The white paper is designed to make tech giants more accountable for content on their platforms (Nick Ansell/PA) MPs have accused the Government of ignoring urgent calls to protect future elections, in the face of growing fears around online interference from foreign players and the way campaigns are funded in…
Tech firms should protect us online, say 90% of children in NSPCC survey
Nine out of 10 children think tech firms should be responsible for protecting them from violent, sexual and inappropriate online content, according to an NSPCC survey. The charity’s research, which polled more than 2,000 children aged 11 to 16, also suggests youngsters overwhelmingly think social media platforms should have tools to help them remove posts…
Church of England launches social media guidelines
The Church of England has published social media guidelines for the first time in a bid to tackle online abuse and misleading content. The Archbishop of Canterbury is unveiling the set of online principles as part of a live Q&A at Facebook’s UK headquarters on Monday. Justin Welby will also outline a digital charter which…
Molly Russell’s father says there isn’t a ‘tech-lash’ against Facebook
Facebook will not have a long-term future if it does not tackle the harmful material which can be found online, the father of a 14-year-old who took her own life has warned. Ian Russell said there is not a tech-lash – or a backlash against technology firms - and there is not an overreaction amid…
Telegram confirms cyber attack on its messaging platform
Messaging platform Telegram has confirmed it was the target of a cyber attack but said it was aimed at disrupting the service rather than an attempt to steal user data. The app said some users will have experienced “connection issues” because of the attack on its servers. Telegram said it had been the subject of…
Top 4 ways parents can keep children safe on social media
Children as young as two are using social media, research from charity Barnardo’s has suggested. See story here. Internet companies are being pushed to do more to combat harmful content online but parents can also take steps to monitor how their children use the web. Here are some suggestions of how parents can help keep…
Two year olds using social media, research suggests
Children as young as two are accessing social media, service practitioners from across the country have suggested – leading to fears that more young people are becoming addicted. More than 60% of professionals who have dealt with vulnerable children in the past six months indicated that they were worried about under-fives using social networks, not…
Effects of social media on teenagers’ life satisfaction ‘trivial in size’
The effects of social media on the life satisfaction of teenagers are “trivial” in size, a new study suggests. Spending more time on sites such as Facebook has a limited impact on how content adolescents are with their lives, according to the research published in journal PNAS. Professor Andrew Przybylski, from the University of Oxford,…