Sep 19 Facebook may be facing an ‘era of accountability’ By Barbara Ortutay, Associated Press The problems keep piling up for Facebook, and it's unclear how long the internet giant will be able to brush them aside as it barrels toward acquiring its next billion users. Continue reading
Sep 09 A Russian propaganda group purchased ads on Facebook during the 2016 election. Here’s what that means. By Dan Cooney Facebook announced this week that a Russian propaganda organization used the social media platform to purchase $100,000 of political advertising. Here’s what you need to know about this news. Continue reading
Sep 06 Twitter chat: Why suicide rates are on the rise, especially among teen girls By Lora Strum The suicide rate among teen girls doubled from 2007-2015, reaching a 40-year high according to new analysis from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. What are the risk factors and what can parents and educators do to support teens?… Continue reading
Aug 25 Watch 3:14 The problem with only liking things we find relatable By PBS News Hour The social media culture of “likes” is contributing to our conformity, says novelist and creative writing teacher Charmaine Craig. Instead of trying to empathize with the unfamiliar, we “like” and find refuge only in the things that seem most relatable. Continue watching
Aug 07 Watch 8:05 Are smartphones making a generation unhappy? By PBS News Hour The promise of social media is instant human connection. But for many teens, greater use of social media mans a far greater sense of isolation, according to an increasing body of evidence. William Brangham speaks with Jean Twenge, author of… Continue watching
Aug 04 Watch 2:55 Why Google is like truth serum for our most personal thoughts By PBS News Hour Seth Stephens-Davidowitz spent five years studying Google search data that revealed people's darkest and weirdest thoughts. It actually made him feel better. It also changed what he thought he knew about how the world works. Stephens-Davidowitz offers his humble opinion… Continue watching
Jun 29 Watch 11:54 How do Trump’s Twitter taunts affect the presidency? By PBS News Hour President Trump's Twitter attack on MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough -- whom he called "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" and "Psycho Joe" -- ignited a firestorm of sharp criticism, even from the president's Republican allies. John Yang reports and… Continue watching
Jun 27 Twitter Chat: Ask your questions about the Senate health care bill By Lora Strum Who wins and who loses if the Senate health care bill succeeds? Who’s backing it in Congress and just how likely is it to pass? Join us for a Twitter chat Thursday at 11 a.m. EDT. Continue reading
Jun 26 Study retracted: Everyone is too distracted to stop sharing fake news By Nsikan Akpan New research shows that everyone is prone to sharing fake news when dealing with a never-ending stream of updates. Continue reading
Jun 20 Watch 8:05 Schools are watching students’ social media, raising questions about free speech By PBS News Hour As universities have started paying close attention to the internet presence of prospective students, high schools have also begun cracking down, sometimes hiring outside companies to police social media posts for bullying or abusive language. But monitoring raises other problems,… Continue watching