Tag: Social networking

The media missed the biggest story: How a generation fed on consumerism and hate found its voice

NB: Listen to Arvind Anjum’s interviews with the new arrivals at the protest site. Pakistani youth express their admiration and solidarity with struggling Indian students: BBC report. DS The protest has convincingly established not just the irrelevance of legacy TV channels but also their continued abandonment of basic journalistic norms Kalpana Sharma There were broken… Read More The media missed the biggest story: How a generation fed on consumerism and hate found its voice

Dilip

Why Is Digital Freedom Making Us Exhausted and Sad? The philosophy of Byung-Chul Han

From “The Burnout Society” to “The Tonality of Thought,” tech philosopher Byung-Chul Han’s ultra-short books reveal why online liberation has felt more like voluntary captivity. Matt Elmore Byung-Chul Han is one of Europe’s most widely read philosophers. His audience in the United States has grown considerably over the last decade, though mostly outside the academy;… Read More Why Is Digital Freedom Making Us Exhausted and Sad? The philosophy of Byung-Chul Han

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How social media turned Indian film star Vijay into a political force / Podcast: Making sense of TVK’s victory: Why and how did Vijay win?

Anbarasan Ethirajan When pictures of Madhar Badhurudeen, campaigning in the recent assembly elections in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state, emerged on social media, few thought he would stand a chance. Badhurudeen belongs to the political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), headed by film star-turned-politician Chandrasekhar Joseph Vijay, popularly called Thalapathy (Commander) Vijay. He contested from the… Read More How social media turned Indian film star Vijay into a political force / Podcast: Making sense of TVK’s victory: Why and how did Vijay win?

Dilip

Dear Parents: Everything You Need to Know About Your Son and Daughter’s University But Don’t

Ron Srigley Universities, in the interest of increasing enrollments (= money), are willing to flatter you and your children so shamelessly … “During one class a couple of years ago, I dimmed the lights in order to show a clip of an interview. The moment the lights went down I saw dozens and dozens of… Read More Dear Parents: Everything You Need to Know About Your Son and Daughter’s University But Don’t

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Scientists have found an alarming environmental impact of vast data centers

Laura Paddison The vast data centers that power artificial intelligence guzzle huge amounts of energy but they also have another alarming impact, according to new research. They are creating “heat islands,” warming the land around them by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit, and making life hotter for more than 340 million people. There are still… Read More Scientists have found an alarming environmental impact of vast data centers

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‘The era of invincibility is over’: the week big tech was brought to heel

Ruling that Meta and YouTube deliberately designed addictive products marks possible watershed moment for social media Dan Milmo and Robert Booth The young woman at the heart of what has been called the tech industry’s “big tobacco” moment was on YouTube at six and Instagram by nine. More than a decade later, she says, she still can’t live without… Read More ‘The era of invincibility is over’: the week big tech was brought to heel

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‘It’s the most urgent public health issue’: Dr Rangan Chatterjee on screen time, mental health – and banning social media until 18

The hit podcaster, author and former GP says a failure to regulate big tech is ‘failing a generation of children’. He explains why he quit the NHS and why he wants a ban on screen-based homework Emine Saner A16-year-old boy and his mum went to see their GP, Dr Rangan Chatterjee, on a busy Monday… Read More ‘It’s the most urgent public health issue’: Dr Rangan Chatterjee on screen time, mental health – and banning social media until 18

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Social Media Is Absolutely Nuking Children’s Brains, New Research Finds

“Our study suggests that it is specifically social media that affects children’s ability to concentrate.” By Victor Tangermann A barrage of AI-generated brain rot is haunting children across numerous screens, from personal smartphones to school-issued laptops to televisions. Social media is adding significantly to that cacophony, making it harder than ever for kids to concentrate. Now, new research… Read More Social Media Is Absolutely Nuking Children’s Brains, New Research Finds

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‘You’re not rushing. You’re just ready:’ Parents say ChatGPT encouraged son to kill himself

NB: This is the most horrifying example of what AI represents and what it can do to humanity. This is pure nihilism. I don’t need to say more. DS Zane Shamblin sat alone in his car with a loaded handgun, his face illuminated in the predawn dark by the dull glow of a phone. He… Read More ‘You’re not rushing. You’re just ready:’ Parents say ChatGPT encouraged son to kill himself

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