The company will launch a story function that looks a lot like the ones at competitors Instagram and Snapchat—but there are already fears that it could be abused. The announcement: On Wednesday, the company announced that it was testing “fleets” in Brazil. These …Continue reading
Snapchat will now offer mental health tools in the app
Snapchat has released a beta version of a search tool called “Here For You” that will connect users to mental health resources. How will it work? A user who types in words indicating distress will be guided to content designed to help. For …Continue reading
The WHO got on TikTok to teach teens about coronavirus
On Friday, the World Health Organization made its debut on TikTok in an effort to combat rampant disinformation about the coronavirus. The news: The WHO launched its TikTok presence with a video on Friday about what coronavirus is, and a follow-up video on Saturday about when and …Continue reading
No, there’s no evidence that cell phones give you cancer
A new review from the FDA says it finds no evidence linking the two, but that research should continue. The findings: The report reviewed 125 experiments carried out on animals and 75 on humans between 2008 and August 2019. In summary, the FDA said that …Continue reading
Facebook will now take down posts that spread coronavirus misinformation
The news: Facebook has started deleting posts that contain false claims about the coronavirus, especially ones spreading dangerous misinformation about treatment—such as that drinking bleach cures the virus—and incorrect advice about available health resources. Why it matters: This policy change, announced in a blog post, marks a …Continue reading
Google’s new idea to get you off your phone? Seal it in an envelope.
Google has announced a trio of projects meant to get you out in the real world and away from your phone. The “apps”: They are designed by Google’s Digital Wellbeing Experiments arm to make your Pixel3a (the only phone for which they work) barely functional. …Continue reading
How memes got weaponized: A short history
In October 2016, a friend of mine learned that one of his wedding photos had made its way into a post on a right-wing message board. The picture had been doctored to look like an ad for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and appeared …Continue reading
The US military is trying to read minds
In August, three graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University were crammed together in a small, windowless basement lab, using a jury-rigged 3D printer frame to zap a slice of mouse brain with electricity. The brain fragment, cut from the hippocampus, looked like …Continue reading
How iPads might actually help kids learn to read
A study out today in the journal Developmental Psychology suggests that animated text could make e-books superior to physical books. The study: Thirty-five children between three and five years old participated in a series of three experiments using two popular kids’ books: Cat’s Pajamas and Zoom City, both …Continue reading
Why the rise of the app has put thousands of people in the hospital
People are being distracted by apps on their phones, and getting injured as a result. Yes, people are stupid. The numbers: A new study, published today in JAMA, uses data submitted through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, which collects data on emergency …Continue reading