In her 50th Instagram post veteran actor Zeenat Aman flaunts her grey hair and talks about embracing natural beauty. Take a look at some of her looks.

Here's why Zeenat Aman's 50th Instagram post is going viral

Sarah Brady shared some screenshots of texts from jonah hill. Hill sent out a list to Brady, a list of things that were dealbreakers for him. He labelled them "boundaries". Can controlling behaviour and emotional abuse pass as "boundaries"? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Why are Jonah Hill's viral texts problematic

In today's day and age, it is very easy to lie social media has made life easy for people who love faking it. The biggest liars are none other than millennials. Sounds very odd well, according to a recent study people born between 1981 and 1996 tend to lie the most at work and on social media compared to other age groups.

Millennials are the biggest liars of any generation, says survey

Social media platforms like Meta, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp have given rise to the new term 'sharenting'. It's essentially a mashup of the words overshare and parenting. Many parents post their kids' stories, photos, and videos on social media, but is sharing things safe? Can revealing your child's face and identity on social media endanger your child? Here's more to the story.

Is it safe to show your kid's faces on social media?

<p>The release of Meta's Threads mobile app has set a new milestone in app history, garnering significant attention and admiration.</p>

<p>According to data from Sensor Tower, the app experienced an extraordinary achievement on its launch day, surpassing previous records by amassing approximately 40 million downloads worldwide, as reported by NDTV.</p>

<h2><strong>Impressive downloads and operating system breakdown</strong></h2>

<p>Threads witnessed an overwhelming number of downloads, with Android accounting for 75 per cent&nbsp;of the total downloads compared to iOS. On an international scale, India took the lead with 22 per cent&nbsp;of the downloads, closely followed by Brazil with 16 per cent. The United States contributed around 5.5 million downloads, forming a significant portion of the overall tally.</p>

<h2><strong>Threads' performance in comparison to other apps</strong></h2>

<p>Threads exceeded the launch performances of popular games like Pokemon GO and Call of Duty Mobile, both of which had fewer than 20 million downloads on their respective debut days. It also outshined concurrent social media apps, with its closest competitor, Truth Social, accumulating only 144,000 downloads on its inauguration day. Established social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram continue to dominate in terms of worldwide Monthly Active Users (MAUs), followed by TikTok, Snap Inc., Twitter, and BeReal.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/explained-threat-of-threads-how-metas-version-of-twitter-is-not-new-at-all-612577">Explained: Threat of Threads? How Meta's version of Twitter is not new at all</a></p>

<h2><strong>User base insights and overlaps</strong></h2>

<p>Analysis of Threads' user base revealed intriguing findings. A significant majority, 96 per cent, of Threads users were found to be concurrently active on Instagram.</p>

<p>There were also substantial overlaps with other platforms, including WhatsApp (80 per cent), Facebook (58 per cent), and Twitter (56 per cent). Instagram, in turn, exhibited high concurrent user engagement, with 79 per cent&nbsp;of its users also active on WhatsApp. Twitter demonstrated an 83 per cent&nbsp;overlap with Instagram and a 49 per cent&nbsp;overlap with Facebook.</p>

<p>Threads made a noticeable impact on the app install rates in various countries.</p>

<p>In the United States, Threads accounted for 14 per cent&nbsp;of all app installations on its launch day. The app had an even more significant impact in the United Kingdom and Brazil, contributing to 20 per cent&nbsp;and 26 per cent&nbsp;of the overall installs, respectively.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: Threads: Another app to doomscroll?</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>Demographics of Threads users</strong></h2>

<p>Insights from Sensor Tower's mobile device panel revealed a male-dominated user base, with approximately 68 per cent&nbsp;identifying as males and 32 per cent as females. Among different age groups, males aged 25 to 35 exhibited the highest engagement at 28 per cent. Users between 18 and 25 accounted for 11 per cent&nbsp;of males and slightly over 5 per cent of females. Users above the age of 45 were in the minority, with males at 3 per cent and females at less than two&nbsp;per cent.</p>

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The release of Meta's Threads mobile app has set a new milestone in app history, garnering significant attention and admiration. According to data from Sensor Tower, the app experienced an extraordinary achievement on its launch day, surpassing previous records by amassing approximately 40 million downloads worldwide, as reported by NDTV.

The release of Meta's Threads mobile app has set a new milestone in app history, garnering significant attention and admiration. According to data from Sensor Tower, the app experienced an extraordinary achievement on its launch day, surpassing previous records by amassing approximately 40 million downloads worldwide, as reported by NDTV. Impressive downloads and operating system breakdown Threads witnessed an overwhelming number of downloads, with Android accounting for 75 per cent of the total downloads compared to iOS. On an international scale, India took the lead with 22 per cent of the downloads, closely followed by Brazil with 16 per cent. The United States contributed around 5.5 million downloads, forming a significant portion of the overall tally. Threads' performance in comparison to other apps Threads exceeded the launch performances of popular games like Pokemon GO and Call of Duty Mobile, both of which had fewer than 20 million downloads on their respective debut days. It also outshined concurrent social media apps, with its closest competitor, Truth Social, accumulating only 144,000 downloads on its inauguration day. Established social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram continue to dominate in terms of worldwide Monthly Active Users (MAUs), followed by TikTok, Snap Inc., Twitter, and BeReal. Also read | Explained: Threat of Threads? How Meta's version of Twitter is not new at all User base insights and overlaps Analysis of Threads' user base revealed intriguing findings. A significant majority, 96 per cent, of Threads users were found to be concurrently active on Instagram. There were also substantial overlaps with other platforms, including WhatsApp (80 per cent), Facebook (58 per cent), and Twitter (56 per cent). Instagram, in turn, exhibited high concurrent user engagement, with 79 per cent of its users also active on WhatsApp. Twitter demonstrated an 83 per cent overlap with Instagram and a 49 per cent overlap with Facebook. Threads made a noticeable impact on the app install rates in various countries. In the United States, Threads accounted for 14 per cent of all app installations on its launch day. The app had an even more significant impact in the United Kingdom and Brazil, contributing to 20 per cent and 26 per cent of the overall installs, respectively. Also watch | Gravitas Plus: Threads: Another app to doomscroll? Demographics of Threads users Insights from Sensor Tower's mobile device panel revealed a male-dominated user base, with approximately 68 per cent identifying as males and 32 per cent as females. Among different age groups, males aged 25 to 35 exhibited the highest engagement at 28 per cent. Users between 18 and 25 accounted for 11 per cent of males and slightly over 5 per cent of females. Users above the age of 45 were in the minority, with males at 3 per cent and females at less than two per cent. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India takes the lead as Threads registers over 40 million downloads on launch day worldwide

<p>Twitter issued a legal threat to Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, over its recently launched Threads platform, unravelling the battle between the rivals for social media supremacy, say media reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meta's Threads platform has already garnered over 30 million sign-ups since its launch. The app seeks to rival Elon Musk's Twitter by leveraging Instagram's vast user base.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a letter addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter's lawyer Alex Spiro warned that the company intends to sue Meta if it does not cease using Twitter's trade secrets and confidential information, reports Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-man-found-guilty-of-raping-impregnating-9-year-old-girl-gets-life-sentence-612846">US: Man found guilty of raping, impregnating 9-year-old girl gets life sentence</a></p>

<p>The letter alleged that Meta has hired former Twitter employees who possess confidential information about the microblogging site.&nbsp;"Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information," Spiro wrote in the letter.</p>

<p>The report said that these hired employees "had and continue to have access to Twitter's trade secrets and other highly confidential information."&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Threads to challenge Twitter dominance</strong></h2>

<p>Meta aims to compete directly with Twitter and capitalise on Instagram's billions of users. Threads platform poses a significant challenge to Twitter's market position. Users who used Threads noticed that there are many similarities between the two rival platforms, however, Threads lacks a few key features.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-police-arrest-four-men-for-allegedly-aiding-overseas-activists-612850">Hong Kong police arrest four men for allegedly aiding overseas activists</a></p>

<p>Although Threads shares a striking resemblance to Twitter's microblogging platform, it does not support keyword searches or direct messages.</p>

<p>While the user interface may be reminiscent of Twitter, the absence of these essential features sets Threads apart from its competitor.</p>

<p>At present, neither Meta nor Twitter provided an official response to the reported legal dispute, Reuters reported.</p>

<h2><strong>What is Threads?&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Threads app is designed for sharing text updates and engaging in public discussions. With Threads, users can conveniently log in using their Instagram accounts and craft posts that can stretch up to 500 characters. The app supports various media formats, allowing users to include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Russian expert claims the US is working on weaponising asteroids against their enemies</strong></p>

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<p>As part of its vision for the future of the internet, Instagram is actively working on expanding Threads' compatibility with open and interoperable social networks. This move aims to foster a more connected and inclusive online experience, where users can seamlessly interact across different platforms.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On 6 July, Meta rolled out Threads in more than 100 countries for iOS and Android, and people in those countries can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.&nbsp;</p>

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Twitter issued a legal threat to Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, over its recently launched Threads platform, unravelling the battle between the rivals for social media supremacy, say media reports.

Twitter issued a legal threat to Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, over its recently launched Threads platform, unravelling the battle between the rivals for social media supremacy, say media reports. Meta's Threads platform has already garnered over 30 million sign-ups since its launch. The app seeks to rival Elon Musk's Twitter by leveraging Instagram's vast user base. In a letter addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter's lawyer Alex Spiro warned that the company intends to sue Meta if it does not cease using Twitter's trade secrets and confidential information, reports Reuters. Also Read | US: Man found guilty of raping, impregnating 9-year-old girl gets life sentence The letter alleged that Meta has hired former Twitter employees who possess confidential information about the microblogging site. "Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information," Spiro wrote in the letter. The report said that these hired employees "had and continue to have access to Twitter's trade secrets and other highly confidential information." Threads to challenge Twitter dominance Meta aims to compete directly with Twitter and capitalise on Instagram's billions of users. Threads platform poses a significant challenge to Twitter's market position. Users who used Threads noticed that there are many similarities between the two rival platforms, however, Threads lacks a few key features. Also Read | Hong Kong police arrest four men for allegedly aiding overseas activists Although Threads shares a striking resemblance to Twitter's microblogging platform, it does not support keyword searches or direct messages. While the user interface may be reminiscent of Twitter, the absence of these essential features sets Threads apart from its competitor. At present, neither Meta nor Twitter provided an official response to the reported legal dispute, Reuters reported. What is Threads? Threads app is designed for sharing text updates and engaging in public discussions. With Threads, users can conveniently log in using their Instagram accounts and craft posts that can stretch up to 500 characters. The app supports various media formats, allowing users to include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. Watch | Russian expert claims the US is working on weaponising asteroids against their enemies × As part of its vision for the future of the internet, Instagram is actively working on expanding Threads' compatibility with open and interoperable social networks. This move aims to foster a more connected and inclusive online experience, where users can seamlessly interact across different platforms. On 6 July, Meta rolled out Threads in more than 100 countries for iOS and Android, and people in those countries can download the app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Twitter threatens legal action against Meta's Threads, unraveling battle for social media supremacy

A research has revealed that people who use social media passively (only consuming content created by others) are more likely to feel lonely and experience psychological distress than people who use social media in a more active way (sharing their own content and interacting with others). Watch this to know more.

Excessive use of social media apps can make you lonely and depressed: Study

A US court has placed restrictions on officials and agencies of the Biden Administration, preventing them from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate content

US federal court orders on social media content apply to top officials & US agencies

WhatsApp is widely used to share photos and videos sometimes, this is required to retain the quality of videos being shared but the app forcefully reduced the quality of videos and that is something a lot of people are complaining about. Check out what WhatsApp has done to make it right.

You can now share HD-quality videos on WhatsApp on iOS app | World DNA

A US court has placed restrictions on officials and agencies of the Biden Administration, preventing them from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate content.

US federal court orders on social media content apply to top officials & US agencies | World DNA

<p>A US federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing.</p>

<p>The injunction came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that U.S. government officials went too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.</p>

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<p>The ruling said government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI could not talk to social media companies for "the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech" under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.</p>

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<p>A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluations its options.</p>

<p>The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions.</p>

<p>Judge Terry Doughty, in an order filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Gravitas: Russia says Ukraine attacked Moscow with 5 drones</strong></p>

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<p>The injunction was first reported by the Washington Post.</p>

<p>Tuesday's order marks a win for Republicans who had sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the coronavirus health crisis and the threat of misinformation as an excuse to curb views that disagreed with the government.</p>

<p>U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths.</p>

<p>Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms (META.O), Twitter, and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>

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A US federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing.

A US federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. The injunction came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that U.S. government officials went too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. Also Read | Discovery of cocaine in White House library prompts secret service investigation The ruling said government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI could not talk to social media companies for "the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech" under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Also Read | Israeli military is ‘completing mission’ in West Bank, says PM Netanyahu; death toll in Jenin rises to 11 A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluations its options. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. Judge Terry Doughty, in an order filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity. WATCH | Gravitas: Russia says Ukraine attacked Moscow with 5 drones × The injunction was first reported by the Washington Post. Tuesday's order marks a win for Republicans who had sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the coronavirus health crisis and the threat of misinformation as an excuse to curb views that disagreed with the government. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms (META.O), Twitter, and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

US judge restricts Biden officials from contact with social media firms

The riots in France are showing no prospects of respite. Cars are engulfed in flames, showrooms are being vandalised & tear gas is thrown open on protesters. France is burning because of the violent protests in the aftermath of the police killing of a teen. Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager, was shot dead by police in Nanterre during a traffic stop. The incident sparked outrage among citizens of France. Social media acted as fuel in this blaze of violence.

The role of social media platforms in fuelling riots in France

China is experiencing a rise in domestic violence and there is outrage on social media platforms. This comes as China already faces a population crisis. What is happening in China? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: China's youth calls out the rise in domestic violence cases

<p>Humans, on their future long-range trips to space like one on Mars, would be required to cultivate some of the crops, which makes it essential to understand how plants grow in space.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the wake of this growing need, NASA has been planting flower crops in space since 2015 when the Veggie system and its rooting "pillows", which contained zinnia seeds, were activated by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren.</p>

<h2><strong>NASA shares photo of bloom&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Now, NASA posted a photo of the flower that bloomed in the zinnia plant which was sowed and grown in the International Space Station.</p>

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<p>Posting the image of the flower on social media platforms, the space agency NASA wrote, "This zinnia was grown in orbit as part of the veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Scientists have been studying plants in space since the 1970s, but this particular experiment was started on the ISS in 2015 by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren."</p>

<h2><strong>NASA's space garden</strong></h2>

<p>Emphasising the space garden's importance, NASA stated,&nbsp;"Our space garden isn't just for show: learning how plants develop in orbit will help us understand how to grow crops off the Earth, providing a valuable source of fresh food on long-term missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. @NASAAstronauts have also grown lettuce, tomatoes, and chile peppers on the ISS, among other vegetables—with plenty more plants to come."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-detects-brightest-gamma-ray-burst-of-all-time-its-70-times-brighter-than-previous-record-holder-603775">NASA detects brightest gamma-ray burst of all time, it's 70 times brighter than previous record holder</a></p>

<p>A spectacular space garden has been developed by the ISS, which demonstrates the possibility of growing foods outside of the limits of Earth.</p>

<p>Lettuce, tomatoes, and chile peppers have earlier been grown by the NASA astronauts on the ISS, along with other vegetables as plenty more plants are set to come.</p>

<h2><strong>Growing plants in microgravity</strong></h2>

<p>As per NASA, the challenging procedure of blooming the zinnias gave an exceptional opportunity for scientists back on Earth to get a better understanding of how people can grow plants in microgravity.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;NASA scientist admits that the Moon 'might already have life on it'</strong></p>

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<p>It also helped astronauts to practise doing what these people will be asked to do on their deep space mission - autonomous gardening.</p>

<p>The photograph left many science aficionados excited and they responded in huge numbers in the comment section.</p>

<p>"Two special things that come together are flowers and space. Thank you, NASA," stated a user.</p>

<p>"Unbelievable and beautiful," commented another user.</p>

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<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

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Humans, on their future long-range trips to space like one on Mars, would be required to cultivate some of the crops, which makes it essential to understand how plants grow in space.

Humans, on their future long-range trips to space like one on Mars, would be required to cultivate some of the crops, which makes it essential to understand how plants grow in space. In the wake of this growing need, NASA has been planting flower crops in space since 2015 when the Veggie system and its rooting "pillows", which contained zinnia seeds, were activated by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren. NASA shares photo of bloom Now, NASA posted a photo of the flower that bloomed in the zinnia plant which was sowed and grown in the International Space Station. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × Posting the image of the flower on social media platforms, the space agency NASA wrote, "This zinnia was grown in orbit as part of the veggie facility aboard the International Space Station. Scientists have been studying plants in space since the 1970s, but this particular experiment was started on the ISS in 2015 by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren." NASA's space garden Emphasising the space garden's importance, NASA stated, "Our space garden isn't just for show: learning how plants develop in orbit will help us understand how to grow crops off the Earth, providing a valuable source of fresh food on long-term missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. @NASAAstronauts have also grown lettuce, tomatoes, and chile peppers on the ISS, among other vegetables—with plenty more plants to come." ALSO READ | NASA detects brightest gamma-ray burst of all time, it's 70 times brighter than previous record holder A spectacular space garden has been developed by the ISS, which demonstrates the possibility of growing foods outside of the limits of Earth. Lettuce, tomatoes, and chile peppers have earlier been grown by the NASA astronauts on the ISS, along with other vegetables as plenty more plants are set to come. Growing plants in microgravity As per NASA, the challenging procedure of blooming the zinnias gave an exceptional opportunity for scientists back on Earth to get a better understanding of how people can grow plants in microgravity. WATCH | NASA scientist admits that the Moon 'might already have life on it' It also helped astronauts to practise doing what these people will be asked to do on their deep space mission - autonomous gardening. The photograph left many science aficionados excited and they responded in huge numbers in the comment section. "Two special things that come together are flowers and space. Thank you, NASA," stated a user. "Unbelievable and beautiful," commented another user. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

NASA grows flower in space, shares image of bloom on social media

In an explosive interview, Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey claimed that India had threatened to shut down the social media platform and raid the house of Twitter. Is Dorsey lying?

Gravitas | India Vs Jack Dorsey: Is the Ex-Twitter CEO lying about threats from the Modi govt?

<p>A week ago my younger son called me while I was at work to inform me that he wasn’t too happy with the limits we had placed on his internet usage. The reason being his friends got to do much more, so these rules were unfair. He’s not into social media yet but using the internet for games and research for studies and creating videos or graphics seemed to excite him, as did the prospect of communicating with his friends via Skype and Zoom calls.<br />
<br />
That night I sat down with him to discuss the reasons we were doing this and also if he understood what safe internet or even social media usage is. For an about to be ten-year-old, he seemed to have quite a bit of clarity over it. “Well, right now I’m not asking you for a phone that most kids have. I’m willing to wait until I’m 13 only because I feel that when we surf the internet, many a time, a lot of inappropriate content pops up and it’s difficult to understand all that. This happens even when I'm playing games or surfing the net.”<br />
<br />
When prodded a bit more, he revealed that he knew the internet and social media weren’t all about good things but it was a necessary evil and could I please understand that and give him more time to access the internet for school work? I agreed and at the same time, I thought that this conversation would have to be repeated quite frequently so that I knew whatever was going on in his mind and even in his peer group about these issues.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
And then a friend’s daughter at 16, is heavily into social media with her Instagram page boasting almost 7k followers because of the fashionable pictures she posts, after boring a hole into my friend's pocket with her demands for the latest fashionable stuff, A teen influencer if you may call her, as of late she’s started getting a lot of paid and barter deals from companies as is the norm when you manage to get a fan following.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
So far so good. No harm done.<br />
<br />
But there are also instances of children, especially teenagers who are hooked on social media and have faced instances of losing their sleep and thereby faring badly in academics because of constantly checking their feeds and also getting anxious and depressed when a picture or a reel didn’t fetch as many likes and comments as they thought it would.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/uae-emerges-as-social-media-capital-of-world-india-comes-19th-report-590554">UAE emerges as social media capital of world, India comes 19th: Report</a><br />
<br />
Some have started existing in a virtual world where they wake up and post the first feed of the day, bleary eyed from their beds to their daily morning bathroom ablutions and then their breakfasts to when they’re studying and hanging out with friends and well, the list is endless. Their life is public and fodder for the public means if you get likes, you will also get dislikes in the sense that anybody can comment, troll or DM you what they feel about you and your life on the internet. The logic is: if you want to go public, dare to take whatever comes with it.<br />
<br />
According to the Pew Research Center survey conducted from April 14 to May 4, 2022, a vast majority of teens have access to digital devices, such as smartphones (95%), desktop or laptop computers (90%) and gaming consoles (80%). And the study shows there has been an uptick in daily teen internet users, from 92% in 2014-15 to 97% today. In addition, the share of teens who say they are online almost constantly has roughly doubled since 2014-15 (46% now and 24% then).<br />
<br />
A report in UNICEF says that too much use of social media can be unhealthy and has been linked to feelings of envy, inadequacy and less satisfaction with life. Studies have even suggested that it can lead to ADHD symptoms, depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation. With depression on the rise worldwide and half of all mental illnesses starting at age 14 though, the potential issues warrant further exploration.<br />
<br />
Cyberbullying happens, as unsavoury remarks, being approached by strangers, violence through content showcased on social media, and exposure to nude videos and pictures that are strewn all over the internet, therefore anxiety and depression can set in because, at this age, children cannot and are not expected to know how to deal with all these factors.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A lot of parents I spoke to felt their child spent too much time on the phone or computer scrolling through social media feeds instead of getting real work done in the real world. They worried it could affect their grades and academic performance.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A real fear if there ever was any. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently US Surgeon General Vivek H Murthy spoke about the ill effects of social media on kids. He says technology companies should put better protections in place and help parents because social media is affecting the mental health of children. They are getting bullied, anxious, and depressed and they can't seem to stop. All his comments are backed up by hard facts and research.</p>

<p>He adds that the love for one’s children is a unique kind of love and that as they near adolescence, there is more need to pay attention to how social, media can affect their health and well-being. His advisory says that nearly 70 per cent of parents say their job is harder now than it was for parents 20 years ago, mainly because of technology and social media and nearly all teenagers in the United States (95 per cent) use social media platforms — two-thirds use them daily and more than one-third “almost constantly.”&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Murthy’s statement also clarified that as of now there is not enough evidence to conclude that social media is sufficiently safe for our kids. In fact, there is increasing evidence that social media use during adolescence — a critical stage of brain development — is associated with harm to mental health and well-being. He says policymakers and technology companies should establish age-appropriate health and safety standards that protect against exposure to harmful content and they should be transparent with the public, including independent researchers and parents, about what the data tells us about how social media is affecting our kids.<br />
<br />
What can we do? Can we do anything at all now that social media and the life of our kids are intertwined? Dr Samir Parikh, Psychiatrist and Director of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, Delhi who has authored numerous books including one called <em>How To Raise Confident Children</em>, says firstly content can be incorrect and that can falsely influence and increase stereotyping. For this, they should be given media literacy training in schools. Secondly, if not balanced with outdoor or social activities and academics, the overuse can cause concern. Thirdly, peer influence and the pressure of conformity affects the individual self-development of children.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
This tells us how important a concern this should be for parents of children who use the internet frequently and more so, social media use. While banning social media or phones or hovering around the kids 24/7 is certainly not a solution, what we can do is lay down a set of rules for its use. But how?<br />
Says Dr Anupam Sibal, paediatrician, Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals Group and also the author of Is <em>Your Child Ready to Face the World</em>, “It is important to have some clear parameters. How much time and what time of the day, needs to be defined. Absolutely no usage zones like the dining table need to be adhered to. Late night use is a no-no as the stimulation tricks the brain that it isn't time to sleep and the sleep cycle is disturbed.”<br />
<br />
The most important rule is of course the no-negotiation rule that because it is social media, the less used the better. While we as parents cannot always ensure this, the least we can do is try and keep regular checks and most important keep the channels of communication open and keep the discussions ongoing with the kids. It’s the least we can do for those we love so much and who we want to keep safe always.<br />
<br />
For the rest, the government needs to take this up as a very serious concern and put checks in place before it's too late.<br />
<br />
<strong>Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>

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A week ago my younger son called me while I was at work to inform me that he wasn’t too happy with the limits we had placed on his internet usage. The reason being his friends got to do much more, so these rules were unfair.

A week ago my younger son called me while I was at work to inform me that he wasn’t too happy with the limits we had placed on his internet usage. The reason being his friends got to do much more, so these rules were unfair. He’s not into social media yet but using the internet for games and research for studies and creating videos or graphics seemed to excite him, as did the prospect of communicating with his friends via Skype and Zoom calls. That night I sat down with him to discuss the reasons we were doing this and also if he understood what safe internet or even social media usage is. For an about to be ten-year-old, he seemed to have quite a bit of clarity over it. “Well, right now I’m not asking you for a phone that most kids have. I’m willing to wait until I’m 13 only because I feel that when we surf the internet, many a time, a lot of inappropriate content pops up and it’s difficult to understand all that. This happens even when I'm playing games or surfing the net.” When prodded a bit more, he revealed that he knew the internet and social media weren’t all about good things but it was a necessary evil and could I please understand that and give him more time to access the internet for school work? I agreed and at the same time, I thought that this conversation would have to be repeated quite frequently so that I knew whatever was going on in his mind and even in his peer group about these issues. And then a friend’s daughter at 16, is heavily into social media with her Instagram page boasting almost 7k followers because of the fashionable pictures she posts, after boring a hole into my friend's pocket with her demands for the latest fashionable stuff, A teen influencer if you may call her, as of late she’s started getting a lot of paid and barter deals from companies as is the norm when you manage to get a fan following. So far so good. No harm done. But there are also instances of children, especially teenagers who are hooked on social media and have faced instances of losing their sleep and thereby faring badly in academics because of constantly checking their feeds and also getting anxious and depressed when a picture or a reel didn’t fetch as many likes and comments as they thought it would. ALSO READ| UAE emerges as social media capital of world, India comes 19th: Report Some have started existing in a virtual world where they wake up and post the first feed of the day, bleary eyed from their beds to their daily morning bathroom ablutions and then their breakfasts to when they’re studying and hanging out with friends and well, the list is endless. Their life is public and fodder for the public means if you get likes, you will also get dislikes in the sense that anybody can comment, troll or DM you what they feel about you and your life on the internet. The logic is: if you want to go public, dare to take whatever comes with it. According to the Pew Research Center survey conducted from April 14 to May 4, 2022, a vast majority of teens have access to digital devices, such as smartphones (95%), desktop or laptop computers (90%) and gaming consoles (80%). And the study shows there has been an uptick in daily teen internet users, from 92% in 2014-15 to 97% today. In addition, the share of teens who say they are online almost constantly has roughly doubled since 2014-15 (46% now and 24% then). A report in UNICEF says that too much use of social media can be unhealthy and has been linked to feelings of envy, inadequacy and less satisfaction with life. Studies have even suggested that it can lead to ADHD symptoms, depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation. With depression on the rise worldwide and half of all mental illnesses starting at age 14 though, the potential issues warrant further exploration. Cyberbullying happens, as unsavoury remarks, being approached by strangers, violence through content showcased on social media, and exposure to nude videos and pictures that are strewn all over the internet, therefore anxiety and depression can set in because, at this age, children cannot and are not expected to know how to deal with all these factors. A lot of parents I spoke to felt their child spent too much time on the phone or computer scrolling through social media feeds instead of getting real work done in the real world. They worried it could affect their grades and academic performance. A real fear if there ever was any. Recently US Surgeon General Vivek H Murthy spoke about the ill effects of social media on kids. He says technology companies should put better protections in place and help parents because social media is affecting the mental health of children. They are getting bullied, anxious, and depressed and they can't seem to stop. All his comments are backed up by hard facts and research. He adds that the love for one’s children is a unique kind of love and that as they near adolescence, there is more need to pay attention to how social, media can affect their health and well-being. His advisory says that nearly 70 per cent of parents say their job is harder now than it was for parents 20 years ago, mainly because of technology and social media and nearly all teenagers in the United States (95 per cent) use social media platforms — two-thirds use them daily and more than one-third “almost constantly.” Murthy’s statement also clarified that as of now there is not enough evidence to conclude that social media is sufficiently safe for our kids. In fact, there is increasing evidence that social media use during adolescence — a critical stage of brain development — is associated with harm to mental health and well-being. He says policymakers and technology companies should establish age-appropriate health and safety standards that protect against exposure to harmful content and they should be transparent with the public, including independent researchers and parents, about what the data tells us about how social media is affecting our kids. What can we do? Can we do anything at all now that social media and the life of our kids are intertwined? Dr Samir Parikh, Psychiatrist and Director of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, Delhi who has authored numerous books including one called How To Raise Confident Children, says firstly content can be incorrect and that can falsely influence and increase stereotyping. For this, they should be given media literacy training in schools. Secondly, if not balanced with outdoor or social activities and academics, the overuse can cause concern. Thirdly, peer influence and the pressure of conformity affects the individual self-development of children. This tells us how important a concern this should be for parents of children who use the internet frequently and more so, social media use. While banning social media or phones or hovering around the kids 24/7 is certainly not a solution, what we can do is lay down a set of rules for its use. But how? Says Dr Anupam Sibal, paediatrician, Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals Group and also the author of Is Your Child Ready to Face the World, “It is important to have some clear parameters. How much time and what time of the day, needs to be defined. Absolutely no usage zones like the dining table need to be adhered to. Late night use is a no-no as the stimulation tricks the brain that it isn't time to sleep and the sleep cycle is disturbed.” The most important rule is of course the no-negotiation rule that because it is social media, the less used the better. While we as parents cannot always ensure this, the least we can do is try and keep regular checks and most important keep the channels of communication open and keep the discussions ongoing with the kids. It’s the least we can do for those we love so much and who we want to keep safe always. For the rest, the government needs to take this up as a very serious concern and put checks in place before it's too late. Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Social media and the kids: Is it spiralling out of control?

<p>A young women's rights activist in Saudi Arabia was detained and imprisoned for having Twitter and Snapchat profiles that supported recent social advances while also demanding greater fundamental rights within the kingdom.</p>

<p>In November 2022, Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old certified fitness instructor and artist who regularly promoted&nbsp;female empowerment on her social media handles was detained. Saudi officials accused Otaibi, among other things, of using the hashtag #societyisready to push for an end to male guardianship regulations.</p>

<p>Otaibi is still being held without being convicted or punished. Previously, public demands for core women's rights, such as inheritance rights and the opportunity to leave a marriage with an abusive spouse, have been ruled seditious.</p>

<p>The case is the latest in a series of arrests and imprisonments of Saudis for using social media profiles to promote change or question Saudi authorities. Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi woman and former PhD student at Leeds University, was condemned to more than three decades in prison by a terrorist court for having a Twitter account and following and retweeting dissidents and activists.</p>

<p>Otaibi's social media handles present her as a young and progressive woman who enjoys fitness, art, yoga, and travel, as well as championing women's rights.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/brics-backed-new-development-bank-invites-saudi-arabia-to-join-the-club-598674">BRICS-backed New Development Bank invites Saudi Arabia to join the club</a></p>

<h2><strong>Accused of not wearing 'decent'&nbsp;clothes</strong></h2>

<p>As per&nbsp;court records, Otaibi is accused of not wearing "decent" clothing in addition to her usage of social media, which was reported to authorities by religious police. Her sister&nbsp;Fouz al-Otaibi&nbsp;was also accused of not dressing properly but was able to depart Saudi Arabia before her imprisonment. Maryam, another one of her&nbsp;sisters, is a well-known women's rights activist who was arrested, jailed, and subsequently freed in 2017 for challenging guardianship restrictions.</p>

<p>Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi expert and frequent commentator on US-Saudi relations, said: “Manahel’s case is an example of the hypocrisy and selective application of draconian laws by the Saudi government that hosts foreign Instagram models to promote tourism by posting pictures in swimsuits but jails Saudi women for posting photos without wearing Abayas.”</p>

<p>Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's government has frequently targeted Twitter users as part of a broader domestic and international repression campaign, which includes&nbsp;planting spies inside the company to extract confidential user data about anonymous Twitter accounts perceived to be a threat&nbsp;to the royal family.</p>

<p>At the same time, the prince has a significant indirect stake in Twitter through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund.</p>

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A young women's rights activist in Saudi Arabia was detained and imprisoned for having Twitter and Snapchat profiles that supported recent social advances while also demanding greater fundamental rights within the kingdom.

A young women's rights activist in Saudi Arabia was detained and imprisoned for having Twitter and Snapchat profiles that supported recent social advances while also demanding greater fundamental rights within the kingdom. In November 2022, Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old certified fitness instructor and artist who regularly promoted female empowerment on her social media handles was detained. Saudi officials accused Otaibi, among other things, of using the hashtag #societyisready to push for an end to male guardianship regulations. Otaibi is still being held without being convicted or punished. Previously, public demands for core women's rights, such as inheritance rights and the opportunity to leave a marriage with an abusive spouse, have been ruled seditious. The case is the latest in a series of arrests and imprisonments of Saudis for using social media profiles to promote change or question Saudi authorities. Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi woman and former PhD student at Leeds University, was condemned to more than three decades in prison by a terrorist court for having a Twitter account and following and retweeting dissidents and activists. Otaibi's social media handles present her as a young and progressive woman who enjoys fitness, art, yoga, and travel, as well as championing women's rights. ALSO READ | BRICS-backed New Development Bank invites Saudi Arabia to join the club Accused of not wearing 'decent' clothes As per court records, Otaibi is accused of not wearing "decent" clothing in addition to her usage of social media, which was reported to authorities by religious police. Her sister Fouz al-Otaibi was also accused of not dressing properly but was able to depart Saudi Arabia before her imprisonment. Maryam, another one of her sisters, is a well-known women's rights activist who was arrested, jailed, and subsequently freed in 2017 for challenging guardianship restrictions. Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi expert and frequent commentator on US-Saudi relations, said: “Manahel’s case is an example of the hypocrisy and selective application of draconian laws by the Saudi government that hosts foreign Instagram models to promote tourism by posting pictures in swimsuits but jails Saudi women for posting photos without wearing Abayas.” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's government has frequently targeted Twitter users as part of a broader domestic and international repression campaign, which includes planting spies inside the company to extract confidential user data about anonymous Twitter accounts perceived to be a threat to the royal family. At the same time, the prince has a significant indirect stake in Twitter through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Who is Manahel al-Otaibi? Saudi woman arrested for tweeting reform messages

the Vatican City which has urged Bishops in high-profile Catholic leaders to tone down their comments on social media the vatican's communication department has issued guidelines to tame the toxicity on Twitter and other social media platforms now the appeal to all Catholics is part of a 20-page a document it's called the Pastoral reflection it emphasized that some remarks were causing divisions stirring up unnecessary arguments that harm the entire church the document also did not mince words when it came to the dangers of fake news online abuse it highlighted how people have become Commodities with their personal data being sold without their consent the Vatican condemned the rising polarization and extremism on social media labeling it as digital tribalism

Pope Francis warning on smartphone addiction, Vatican issues social media guidelines for Catholics

In a massive crackdown on the social media users, China has suspended 1.4 million social media posts. The cyberspace administration of China has alleged misinformation, illegal profiteering, and impersonation of state officials.

China suspends 1.4 million media posts

<p>A 13-year-old girl in Melbourne lost her life while trying to attempt a social media trend called "chroming". The family members of the teenager have called for action to stop any more such deaths.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Esra Haynes took part in the social media trend chroming. Chroming involves people inhaling substances like petrol, metallic paints, &nbsp;chemicals from aerosol cans and solvents to experience a quick high.</p>

<h2>How did Esra Haynes die?</h2>

<p><br />
The incident took place when the teenager had gone for a sleepover on March 31, as reported by News.com.au.<br />
<br />
A deodorant may have been used by Esra, according to reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The girl suffered a cardiac arrest. She was put on life support for eight days. Doctors&nbsp; said her brain "was damaged beyond repair”. After this, her family took the tough decision of turning off life support machines.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The parents of the teenager, Paul and Andrea Haynes, and her older siblings Imogen, Seth and Charlie “cuddled her until the end”, reported the Australian media outlet.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/australian-teen-wears-six-layers-of-clothes-to-avoid-baggage-fees-gets-caught-and-fined-594678">Australian teen wears six layers of clothes to avoid baggage fees, gets caught and fined</a></p>

<h2><strong>Increasing cases of “chroming”</strong></h2>

<p>This is not the first time Australian teenagers have fallen victim to “chroming”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2019, two 16-year-old boys were killed after they participated in the trend. Another teenage girl had lost her life after she suffered brain damage due to chroming.</p>

<p>After the death of Esra, the Victorian Education Department stated that efforts are being made to provide children with more knowledge about chroming as well as its deadly side effects.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Parents speak out against chroming trend</h2>

<p>The parents of the deceased teenager are aiming to increase awareness about such dangerous social media trends.</p>

<p>They stated that they were unaware of “chroming” until they received a call which informed them that their daughter has been rushed to hospital.</p>

<p>The parents are appealing to children and teenagers to avoid repeating the same mistakes which were made by their daughter.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Australia first to open foreign universities campuses in India: Manpreet Vohra</strong></p>

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<p>“We want to help other children not fall into the silly trap of doing this silly thing. It’s unquestionable that this will be our crusade,” Paul Haynes said while speaking to the Herald Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“No matter how much you lead a horse to water, anyone can drag them away. It’s not something she would have done on her own,” he added.</p>

<p>The parents have further appealed for making cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR a compulsory lesson in schools, and also demanded the deodorant formula be made less toxic and more safer. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The American Addiction Centres stated chroming is more popular among younger people who don't have access to other drugs.</p>

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A 13-year-old girl in Melbourne lost her life while trying to attempt a social media trend called "chroming". The family members of the teenager have called for action to stop any more such deaths.

A 13-year-old girl in Melbourne lost her life while trying to attempt a social media trend called "chroming". The family members of the teenager have called for action to stop any more such deaths. Esra Haynes took part in the social media trend chroming. Chroming involves people inhaling substances like petrol, metallic paints, chemicals from aerosol cans and solvents to experience a quick high. How did Esra Haynes die? The incident took place when the teenager had gone for a sleepover on March 31, as reported by News.com.au. A deodorant may have been used by Esra, according to reports. The girl suffered a cardiac arrest. She was put on life support for eight days. Doctors said her brain "was damaged beyond repair”. After this, her family took the tough decision of turning off life support machines. The parents of the teenager, Paul and Andrea Haynes, and her older siblings Imogen, Seth and Charlie “cuddled her until the end”, reported the Australian media outlet. ALSO READ | Australian teen wears six layers of clothes to avoid baggage fees, gets caught and fined Increasing cases of “chroming” This is not the first time Australian teenagers have fallen victim to “chroming”. In 2019, two 16-year-old boys were killed after they participated in the trend. Another teenage girl had lost her life after she suffered brain damage due to chroming. After the death of Esra, the Victorian Education Department stated that efforts are being made to provide children with more knowledge about chroming as well as its deadly side effects. Parents speak out against chroming trend The parents of the deceased teenager are aiming to increase awareness about such dangerous social media trends. They stated that they were unaware of “chroming” until they received a call which informed them that their daughter has been rushed to hospital. The parents are appealing to children and teenagers to avoid repeating the same mistakes which were made by their daughter. WATCH | Australia first to open foreign universities campuses in India: Manpreet Vohra “We want to help other children not fall into the silly trap of doing this silly thing. It’s unquestionable that this will be our crusade,” Paul Haynes said while speaking to the Herald Sun. “No matter how much you lead a horse to water, anyone can drag them away. It’s not something she would have done on her own,” he added. The parents have further appealed for making cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR a compulsory lesson in schools, and also demanded the deodorant formula be made less toxic and more safer. The American Addiction Centres stated chroming is more popular among younger people who don't have access to other drugs. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Australia: Viral social media trend ‘chroming’ kills 13-year-old girl

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidN4Tl2NIBVIA4" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>United States Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has warned that the use of social media by children and adolescents can&nbsp;profoundly&nbsp;harm their mental health and well-being. An <strong><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf">advisory released on Tuesday </a></strong>(May 23) calls for attention to the growing concerns about the effects of social media on youth mental health. The advisory listed the positive and negative impacts that social media has on children.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Our children and adolescents don’t have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social media’s impact,” Dr Murthy said, adding that their childhoods are developing now.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Up to 95% of children aged 13-17 are on social media</h2>

<p>Tuesday's advisory said, up to 95 per cent&nbsp;of children between the ages of 13 and 17 have been reportedly using a social media platform, with over a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.”</p>

<p>"Although age 13 is commonly the required minimum age used by social media platforms in the US, nearly 40 per cent&nbsp;of children aged&nbsp;8–12 use social media. Despite this widespread use among children and adolescents, robust independent safety analysis on the impact of social media on youth have not yet been conducted," the advisory added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It pointed out that there are increasing concerns among researchers, parents, and healthcare experts&nbsp;about the impact of social media on the mental health of the youth.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>A few tips for children and parents</strong></h2>

<p>The advisory also listed a few tips that children and parents should follow on social media use.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When it comes to children, the advisory said that if children themselves or someone else they know is being negatively affected by social media, they should reach out to a trusted friend or adult for help. "If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate help," it said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The advisory urged children to create boundaries to help balance online and offline activities, develop protective strategies, be careful about what they share, protect themselves and others, and also to never keep online harassment or abuse a secret, and never take part in online harassment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The advisory urged parents and caregivers to teach children about technology, discussing the benefits and risks of social media "as well as the importance of respecting privacy and protecting personal information in age-appropriate ways."&nbsp;</p>

<p>It said that parents and caregivers should create tech-free zones and encourage children to foster in-person friendships.</p>

<p>"Talk to your child about their reporting options, and provide support, without judgment, if he or she tells or shows you that they (a) are being harassed through email, text message, online games, or social media or (b) have been contacted by an adult seeking private images or asking them to perform intimate or sexual acts," it said</p>

<p>"You or your child can report cyberbullying to the school and/or the online platform, or your local law enforcement," the advisory added.&nbsp;</p>

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United States Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has warned that the use of social media by children and adolescents can profoundly harm their mental health and well-being.

United States Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has warned that the use of social media by children and adolescents can profoundly harm their mental health and well-being. An advisory released on Tuesday (May 23) calls for attention to the growing concerns about the effects of social media on youth mental health. The advisory listed the positive and negative impacts that social media has on children. “Our children and adolescents don’t have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social media’s impact,” Dr Murthy said, adding that their childhoods are developing now. Up to 95% of children aged 13-17 are on social media Tuesday's advisory said, up to 95 per cent of children between the ages of 13 and 17 have been reportedly using a social media platform, with over a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.” "Although age 13 is commonly the required minimum age used by social media platforms in the US, nearly 40 per cent of children aged 8–12 use social media. Despite this widespread use among children and adolescents, robust independent safety analysis on the impact of social media on youth have not yet been conducted," the advisory added. It pointed out that there are increasing concerns among researchers, parents, and healthcare experts about the impact of social media on the mental health of the youth. A few tips for children and parents The advisory also listed a few tips that children and parents should follow on social media use. When it comes to children, the advisory said that if children themselves or someone else they know is being negatively affected by social media, they should reach out to a trusted friend or adult for help. "If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate help," it said. The advisory urged children to create boundaries to help balance online and offline activities, develop protective strategies, be careful about what they share, protect themselves and others, and also to never keep online harassment or abuse a secret, and never take part in online harassment. The advisory urged parents and caregivers to teach children about technology, discussing the benefits and risks of social media "as well as the importance of respecting privacy and protecting personal information in age-appropriate ways." It said that parents and caregivers should create tech-free zones and encourage children to foster in-person friendships. "Talk to your child about their reporting options, and provide support, without judgment, if he or she tells or shows you that they (a) are being harassed through email, text message, online games, or social media or (b) have been contacted by an adult seeking private images or asking them to perform intimate or sexual acts," it said "You or your child can report cyberbullying to the school and/or the online platform, or your local law enforcement," the advisory added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Profound risk of harm...: US surgeon general warns of risks of child social media use

<p>Scientists&nbsp;suffering insults and mass-spam are abandoning&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;for alternative social networks as hostile&nbsp;climate-change denialism&nbsp;surges&nbsp;on the platform following Elon Musk's takeover.</p>

<p>Researchers have documented an explosion of hate and misinformation on&nbsp;Twitter since the billionaire Tesla owner took over in October 2022 — and now experts say communicating about&nbsp;climate&nbsp;science on the social network on which many of them rely is getting harder.</p>

<p>Policies aimed at curbing the deadly effects of&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change are accelerating, prompting a rise in what experts identify as organised resistance by opponents of&nbsp;climate&nbsp;reform.</p>

<p>Peter Gleick, a&nbsp;climate&nbsp;and water specialist with nearly 99,000 followers, announced on May 21 he would no longer post on the platform because it was amplifying racism and sexism.</p>

<p>While he is accustomed to "offensive, personal, ad hominem attacks, up to and including direct physical threats", he told AFP, "in the past few months, since the takeover and changes at&nbsp;Twitter, the amount, vituperativeness, and intensity of abuse has skyrocketed".</p>

<h2><strong>Climate&nbsp;tweets decline&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Robert Rohde, a physicist and lead scientist at the non-profit environmental data analysis group Berkeley Earth, analysed activity on hundreds of accounts of widely followed specialists posting about&nbsp;climate&nbsp;science before and after the takeover.</p>

<p>He found&nbsp;climate&nbsp;scientists' tweets were losing impact. The average number of likes they received was down 38 per cent and average retweets fell 40 per cent.</p>

<p>Twitter&nbsp;has not commented directly about what changes it has made to the algorithms that drive traffic and visibility.</p>

<p>Contacted at its email address for comment, its press department returned its now customary reply, an automated email with a "poop" emoji.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Elon Musk &amp; Ron DeSantis to unite on Twitter spaces</strong></p>

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<p>But in a tweet seen as an acknowledgement of a deliberate change, Musk wrote in January: "People on the right should see more 'left-wing' stuff and people on the left should see more 'right-wing' stuff. But you can just block it if you want to stay in an echo chamber."</p>

<h2><strong>Climate</strong>&nbsp;denial bots&nbsp;</h2>

<p>In another analysis, prominent climatologist Katharine Hayhoe monitored responses to a tweet on&nbsp;<strong>climate</strong>&nbsp;change which she published twice, as an experiment, on separate dates before and after the takeover.</p>

<p>She counted the hostile comments and examined them for signs that they came from bots -– automated accounts that researchers say are pushing mass misinformation.</p>

<p>Inauthentic accounts can be identified by analysis tools such as Bot Sentinel.</p>

<p>Replies from apparent trolls or bots increased 15 to 30 times over a two-month period compared to the previous two years, Hayhoe tweeted in January 2023.</p>

<p>"Before October, my account was growing steadily at a rate of at least several thousand new followers a month. Since then, it has not changed," she told AFP.</p>

<h2><strong>Scientists</strong>&nbsp;leaving&nbsp;<strong>Twitter</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Andrew Dessler, professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&amp;M University, said he was moving most of his&nbsp;climate&nbsp;communication to Substack, a newsletter platform.</p>

<p>"Climate&nbsp;communications on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;are less useful (now) given that I can see that my tweets are getting less engagement," he said.</p>

<p>"In response to almost any tweet concerning&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change, I find my notifications inundated with replies from verified accounts making misleading or misguided claims."</p>

<p>Others have abandoned&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;altogether.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-is-elon-musk-a-republican-will-twitter-take-sides-with-desantis-link-595899">Explained: Is Elon Musk a Republican? Will Twitter take sides with Ron DeSantis link?</a></p>

<p>Hayhoe said that of a&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;list of 3,000&nbsp;climate&nbsp;scientists&nbsp;that she keeps, 100 disappeared after the takeover.</p>

<p>Glaciologist Ruth Mottram had more than 10,000 followers on&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;but left in February and joined an alternative&nbsp;scientists' forum powered by Mastodon -– a crowdfunded, decentralised grouping of social networks founded in 2016.</p>

<p>"It's really been a revelation in many ways. It's a much quieter and more thoughtful platform," she told AFP.</p>

<p>"On Mastodon, I haven't had any abuse at all or even people questioning&nbsp;climate change. I think we'd become far too used to it on&nbsp;Twitter... I had blocked loads of accounts over on the birdsite (Twitter)," she said.</p>

<h2><strong>'Organised' campaign&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Michael Mann, a prominent&nbsp;climate&nbsp;scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and a regular target for abuse by deniers of&nbsp;climate&nbsp;change, said he believed the rise in misinformation was "organised and orchestrated" by opponents of&nbsp;climate&nbsp;reforms.</p>

<p>"I've seen a huge rise in trolls and bots. Many target tweets of mine for attack," he said.</p>

<p>Mann's 2021 book "The New&nbsp;Climate&nbsp;War" documented action by oil producers to sow&nbsp;climate&nbsp;denialism on social media.</p>

<p>"The professional trolls manipulate the online environment with strategic posts that generate conflict and division, leading to a feeding frenzy," he told AFP.</p>

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Scientists suffering insults and mass-spam are abandoning Twitter for alternative social networks as hostile climate-change denialism surges on the platform following Elon Musk's takeover.

Scientists suffering insults and mass-spam are abandoning Twitter for alternative social networks as hostile climate-change denialism surges on the platform following Elon Musk's takeover. Researchers have documented an explosion of hate and misinformation on Twitter since the billionaire Tesla owner took over in October 2022 — and now experts say communicating about climate science on the social network on which many of them rely is getting harder. Policies aimed at curbing the deadly effects of climate change are accelerating, prompting a rise in what experts identify as organised resistance by opponents of climate reform. Peter Gleick, a climate and water specialist with nearly 99,000 followers, announced on May 21 he would no longer post on the platform because it was amplifying racism and sexism. While he is accustomed to "offensive, personal, ad hominem attacks, up to and including direct physical threats", he told AFP, "in the past few months, since the takeover and changes at Twitter, the amount, vituperativeness, and intensity of abuse has skyrocketed". Climate tweets decline Robert Rohde, a physicist and lead scientist at the non-profit environmental data analysis group Berkeley Earth, analysed activity on hundreds of accounts of widely followed specialists posting about climate science before and after the takeover. He found climate scientists' tweets were losing impact. The average number of likes they received was down 38 per cent and average retweets fell 40 per cent. Twitter has not commented directly about what changes it has made to the algorithms that drive traffic and visibility. Contacted at its email address for comment, its press department returned its now customary reply, an automated email with a "poop" emoji. ALSO WATCH | Elon Musk & Ron DeSantis to unite on Twitter spaces But in a tweet seen as an acknowledgement of a deliberate change, Musk wrote in January: "People on the right should see more 'left-wing' stuff and people on the left should see more 'right-wing' stuff. But you can just block it if you want to stay in an echo chamber." Climate denial bots In another analysis, prominent climatologist Katharine Hayhoe monitored responses to a tweet on climate change which she published twice, as an experiment, on separate dates before and after the takeover. She counted the hostile comments and examined them for signs that they came from bots -– automated accounts that researchers say are pushing mass misinformation. Inauthentic accounts can be identified by analysis tools such as Bot Sentinel. Replies from apparent trolls or bots increased 15 to 30 times over a two-month period compared to the previous two years, Hayhoe tweeted in January 2023. "Before October, my account was growing steadily at a rate of at least several thousand new followers a month. Since then, it has not changed," she told AFP. Scientists leaving Twitter Andrew Dessler, professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University, said he was moving most of his climate communication to Substack, a newsletter platform. "Climate communications on Twitter are less useful (now) given that I can see that my tweets are getting less engagement," he said. "In response to almost any tweet concerning climate change, I find my notifications inundated with replies from verified accounts making misleading or misguided claims." Others have abandoned Twitter altogether. ALSO READ | Explained: Is Elon Musk a Republican? Will Twitter take sides with Ron DeSantis link? Hayhoe said that of a Twitter list of 3,000 climate scientists that she keeps, 100 disappeared after the takeover. Glaciologist Ruth Mottram had more than 10,000 followers on Twitter but left in February and joined an alternative scientists' forum powered by Mastodon -– a crowdfunded, decentralised grouping of social networks founded in 2016. "It's really been a revelation in many ways. It's a much quieter and more thoughtful platform," she told AFP. "On Mastodon, I haven't had any abuse at all or even people questioning climate change. I think we'd become far too used to it on Twitter... I had blocked loads of accounts over on the birdsite (Twitter)," she said. 'Organised' campaign Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and a regular target for abuse by deniers of climate change, said he believed the rise in misinformation was "organised and orchestrated" by opponents of climate reforms. "I've seen a huge rise in trolls and bots. Many target tweets of mine for attack," he said. Mann's 2021 book "The New Climate War" documented action by oil producers to sow climate denialism on social media. "The professional trolls manipulate the online environment with strategic posts that generate conflict and division, leading to a feeding frenzy," he told AFP. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Climate scientists flee Twitter, allege hostile climate change denialism has surged on platform

Digital world is not without dangers while living in the world were social media is an integral part of our lives however there are consequences to this addiction too. Vivek Murthy the surgeon general of the United States warns us about how social media can seriously harm mental health of young people. He's calling on tech companies to protect children from social media on crucial stages of brain development.

The hidden dangers of digital age, social media's toll on young minds

Vivek Murthy the surgeon general of the United States warns us about how social media can seriously harm mental health of young people. He's calling on tech companies to protect children from social media on crucial stages of brain development. Watch to know more in this guest interview with psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty.

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Pakistani politics has gone through post prime minister Imran Khan went on attack mode against the current coalition government. Scathing attacks were launched even against Pakistan's all-powerful Army now the politics of polarization culminated in violent protests on the 9th of May, when Imran's arrest prompted a nationwide unrest the past one year also changed the manner in which national politics trickled down to the Grassroots levels in Pakistan. The medium of choice this time was social media not that social media in Pakistan was immune from political discussions before April last year but it was not as indispensable as it is now apart from existing platforms like Twitter and Facebook there was another platform which came to the fore it was TikTok which increasingly became a forum for political polarization in fact it has now silently become a forum for serious debate on some of the most contentious issues of the South Asian Nation.

Pakistan: Did PTI weaponise 'TikTok' for mass protests?

<p>“Is George Soros dead?”, “Has George Soros died?”—social media became flooded with such rumours after a Twitter user falsely claimed that Hungarian-born American investor George Soros died of a heart attack.</p>

<p>On May 14, a post from the Twitter account of Politics for All Ireland, a fake account with three followers at the time, tweeted that the 92-year-old had died, and claimed that it got the confirmation from the billionaire’s family.</p>

<p>This tweet was soon picked up by another Twitter user, Cillian, who has been termed by many as a conspiracy theorist. His tweet quickly became viral and was viewed more than 745,000 people at that time.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If the Mainstream Media—including The Daily Mail and The Sun—is calling me a “conspiracy theorist”, I must be doing something right! <a href="https://t.co/FGYxSYJhBM">pic.twitter.com/FGYxSYJhBM</a></p>
— Cillian (@CilComLFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CilComLFC/status/1658149939283652608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another prominent user, Matt Wallace, a right-wing influencer and crypto investor, who has been accused of sharing misleading content and investment "scams" in the past, further claimed that Soros died of a heart attack, without providing any evidence.</p>

<h2><strong>Gravitas Plus: Who is George Soros? Why is he attacking India?</strong></h2>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-who-is-george-soros-why-is-he-attacking-india-563685/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Soon, George Soros started trending on Twitter worldwide.</p>

<p>However, it has been confirmed that the 92-year-old investor is alive and kicking.</p>

<p>"George Soros is alive and healthy. Rumors on social media that he suffered a heart attack and died are false," a spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations, founded by Soros, told Newsweek in an email.</p>

<p>Soros, too, later took to Twitter to bust the death hoax.</p>

<p>&nbsp;“Rumors that I had a heart attack are completely false. I am alive and healthy."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rumors that I had a heart attack are completely false. I am alive and healthy.</p>
— George Soros (@georgesoros) <a href="https://twitter.com/georgesoros/status/1658098300203958272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>There are some reports suggesting that some pranksters began this trend to target him because he is Jewish.</p>

<p>Notably, this isn’t the first time that Soros death has gained traction on social media.</p>

<p>In 2013, Reuters news agency accidentally published his obituary. Hours later it removed the report after realising that it was just a hoax.</p>

<p><strong>Who is George Soros?</strong></p>

<p>Born in Hungary in 1930, Soros has lived through the Nazi occupation of 1944–1945, which resulted in the murder of over 500,000 Hungarian Jews.</p>

<p>His Jewish family survived by securing false identity papers, concealing their backgrounds, and helping others do the same, according to Open Society Foundations website. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Soros later recalled that “not only did we survive, but we managed to help others.”</p>

<p>After emigrating to England in 1947, Soros attended the London School of Economics (LSE) and began working at merchant banks, first in England and then in the US.</p>

<p>In 1969, George Soros started his own hedge fund. Thereafter, he started his second hedge fund, in 1970, Soros Fund Management.</p>

<p>As of 2023, he is reportedly worth £5.8 billion, that is after he gave away 80 percent of his wealth to charity.</p>

<p><strong>How is Soros perceived? </strong></p>

<p>Soros has been a frequent target of antisemitism, conspiracy theories, personal attacks by authoritarian political leaders such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.</p>

<p>He has been subjected to numerous conspiracy theories, with many claiming that Soros is responsible for stoking immigration, backing coups, sponsoring protests and seeking to push a multicultural and liberal agenda.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


“Is George Soros dead?”, “Has George Soros died?”—social media became flooded with such rumours after a Twitter user falsely claimed that Hungarian-born American investor George Soros died of a heart attack.

“Is George Soros dead?”, “Has George Soros died?”—social media became flooded with such rumours after a Twitter user falsely claimed that Hungarian-born American investor George Soros died of a heart attack. On May 14, a post from the Twitter account of Politics for All Ireland, a fake account with three followers at the time, tweeted that the 92-year-old had died, and claimed that it got the confirmation from the billionaire’s family. This tweet was soon picked up by another Twitter user, Cillian, who has been termed by many as a conspiracy theorist. His tweet quickly became viral and was viewed more than 745,000 people at that time. If the Mainstream Media—including The Daily Mail and The Sun—is calling me a “conspiracy theorist”, I must be doing something right! pic.twitter.com/FGYxSYJhBM — Cillian (@CilComLFC) May 15, 2023 × Another prominent user, Matt Wallace, a right-wing influencer and crypto investor, who has been accused of sharing misleading content and investment "scams" in the past, further claimed that Soros died of a heart attack, without providing any evidence. Gravitas Plus: Who is George Soros? Why is he attacking India? Soon, George Soros started trending on Twitter worldwide. However, it has been confirmed that the 92-year-old investor is alive and kicking. "George Soros is alive and healthy. Rumors on social media that he suffered a heart attack and died are false," a spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations, founded by Soros, told Newsweek in an email. Soros, too, later took to Twitter to bust the death hoax. “Rumors that I had a heart attack are completely false. I am alive and healthy." Rumors that I had a heart attack are completely false. I am alive and healthy. — George Soros (@georgesoros) May 15, 2023 × There are some reports suggesting that some pranksters began this trend to target him because he is Jewish. Notably, this isn’t the first time that Soros death has gained traction on social media. In 2013, Reuters news agency accidentally published his obituary. Hours later it removed the report after realising that it was just a hoax. Who is George Soros? Born in Hungary in 1930, Soros has lived through the Nazi occupation of 1944–1945, which resulted in the murder of over 500,000 Hungarian Jews. His Jewish family survived by securing false identity papers, concealing their backgrounds, and helping others do the same, according to Open Society Foundations website. Soros later recalled that “not only did we survive, but we managed to help others.” After emigrating to England in 1947, Soros attended the London School of Economics (LSE) and began working at merchant banks, first in England and then in the US. In 1969, George Soros started his own hedge fund. Thereafter, he started his second hedge fund, in 1970, Soros Fund Management. As of 2023, he is reportedly worth £5.8 billion, that is after he gave away 80 percent of his wealth to charity. How is Soros perceived? Soros has been a frequent target of antisemitism, conspiracy theories, personal attacks by authoritarian political leaders such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He has been subjected to numerous conspiracy theories, with many claiming that Soros is responsible for stoking immigration, backing coups, sponsoring protests and seeking to push a multicultural and liberal agenda. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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'Delicate dumping' is a new toxic breakup trend that you should be aware of. "It's the cowardly approach to ending a relationship, slowly retreating to avoid difficult conversations, or even ghosting," said Emma Hathorn, who works for a dating service, told Metro.

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Vietnam is clamping down on social media websites. The country is ready to make identity verification for all users. This new policy will apply to platforms both local and foreign. For details, watch the video.

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