Tag Archives: youth

Instagram’s Ongoing Commitment to Youth Safety: Will the New “PG-13” Guidelines Make a Difference?

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For months, Instagram has faced challenges in persuading parents, advocates, and officials that it is a safe environment for children, despite increasing evidence indicating otherwise. Now, the platform is rolling out another safety feature intended to protect teens. Yet, given its track record, parents remain skeptical.

Beginning this week, all users under 18 will automatically be categorized for ages 13+ and their feeds will be restricted to content suitable for the U.S. PG-13 movie rating.

However, Instagram’s previous unfulfilled commitments make this latest content restriction feel like mere window dressing—an illusion of action without genuine effectiveness.

The company has accrued substantial profits while advocacy groups have long cautioned against exposing minors to inappropriate content and individuals. $100 billion annually is what it reports in profits. Meta’s own estimates suggest that about 100,000 children using Facebook and Instagram face online sexual harassment daily. This is concerning, especially considering that as of July 2020, internal communications revealed that the measures to prevent child grooming on the platform were, at best, “between zero and negligible.” The lawsuit in New Mexico claims that Meta’s social networks, including Instagram, have essentially become a haven for child predators. (Meta refutes these core allegations, claiming the lawsuit is ‘unfair’.)

Last year, the firm finally enacted mandatory Instagram accounts for teenagers. However, a recent study led by a whistleblower revealed that 64% of the new safety features designed for teens were ineffective.

Research indicates that 47% of young teen users on Instagram encounter unsafe content, and 37% of users aged 13 to 15 receive at least one unsafe piece of content or unwanted message weekly. This includes “approximately 1 in 7 users viewing self-harm content, unwanted sexual content, discriminatory content, or substance-related content every week.”

“These failures showcase a corporate culture at Meta that prioritizes engagement and profit over safety,” stated Andy Burrows, CEO of the UK’s Molly Rose Foundation, which advocates for stronger online safety legislation, as part of the investigative team. BBC reported. A spokesperson for Meta countered that the study “misrepresents our commitment to empowering parents and protecting youth, and mischaracterizes the functionality of our safety tools and their use by millions of parents and youth.”

Concurrently, measures introduced last year followed a significant moment for Meta’s public perception. In January 2024, the leaders of the world’s major social media firms were summoned to the U.S. Senate to discuss their security policies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued an apology to parents whose children allegedly endured harm from social media.

Despite Instagram’s lengthy struggle to address these concerns, it appears to continually place children at risk, only to issue apologies afterward. On Monday, Reuters reported that it has been found in company-specific research that teens who frequently felt negative about their bodies on Instagram encountered three times more “eating disorder-related content” than their peers. Alarmingly, technology companies and social media platforms have become so entrenched in everyday life that it’s nearly impossible to engage with society without them, particularly for children.

So, what is the resolution? Primarily, we must acknowledge online spaces as extensions of the real world, rather than merely digital counterparts. Social media platforms replicate real-life violence and can cause other tangible harms, putting children at a higher risk.

It’s essential for lawmakers to require these companies to incorporate safety measures into their design processes rather than treating them as an afterthought. Equally vital is for parents to educate their children on online safety, just as they would about physical safety in public.

The technology developed by these profit-driven companies is pervasive. If we cannot rely on them to safeguard our most vulnerable users, it falls upon us to ensure our own protection.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Smoking Avatars in Online Games: Big Tobacco’s Strategy to Reach Youth in the Metaverse

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In the image, a group of friends is gathered at the bar, with smoke curling upwards from a cigarette in hand. Additional cigarettes are in open packets resting on the table between them. This is not a photo from before the ban, but rather one shared on social media from a Metaverse gathering.

Virtual online environments are emerging as a new frontier for marketing, as tobacco and alcohol promoters target the youth without facing any legislative repercussions.

A report presented at the World Conference on Tobacco Management in Dublin last month provided several examples. New technologies such as digital token launches and sponsorships from vaping companies in online games are being utilized to promote smoking and vaping.

This information is derived from a surveillance initiative known as Canary—acting like a canary in the coal mine. The project is managed by public health organizations around the globe.




The caption for this post reads, “I’m drinking coffee at Metaverse.” Has someone stolen the writer? Photo: Icperience.id Instagram via Instagram

“Cigarette companies are no longer waiting for regulations to catch up. They are proactively advancing while we’re still trying to comprehend what’s happening on social media, and they’re already operating in unregulated spaces like the Metaverse.” “They utilize NFTs [non-fungible tokens] and immersive events to attract young audiences to their offerings.”

In India, one tobacco company has launched an NFT symbolizing ownership of digital assets, celebrating its 93rd anniversary.

Canary monitors and analyzes tobacco marketing on various social media platforms and news sites in India, Indonesia, and Mexico, and has recently expanded to Brazil and China, covering alcohol and ultra-processed food marketing as well.

The Metaverse is not fully monitored. This 3D immersive internet allows interactions in digital environments using technologies like virtual reality headsets. However, references to activities happening there are captured through links and information shared on traditional social media platforms.

Researchers suggest that children are more susceptible to tobacco marketing in this new digital arena, given the age demographics—over half of the active Metaverse users are under 13 years old.

Social media companies possess extensive insights into how to boost engagement and attract users back for more, according to Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, CEO of Vital Strategies.

“When you combine this with the tobacco industry’s experience in hooking individuals, these two elements converge in a murky, unknown space.”

Mark Zuckerberg, a prominent proponent of the Metaverse, has stated that in the future, you’ll be able to do almost anything you can envision. This already encompasses virtual shopping and concerts.

However, Magsambol describes it as “a new battleground for all of us,” shifting towards entities pushing products that are detrimental to health.

“My daughter is usually quite reserved, but in [the gaming platform] Roblox, while battling zombies and ghosts, she morphs into an avatar resembling a blend of Alexander the Great, Bruce Lee, and John Wick. She becomes quite bloodthirsty,” she remarked.

“Our behaviors shift. Social norms evolve… the tobacco industry is highly aware of this, making it easier to subtly promote the idea that anything is possible.”

The Metaverse art encountered by the team in Indonesia was showcased on the Instagram account of music enthusiasts linked to Djarum, one of Indonesia’s largest tobacco firms. Another instance highlighted a group enjoying coffee searching for something lighter.

All of this contributes to an initiative aimed at “normalizing” smoking and vaping, according to Magsambol. “Such behaviors are enacted by your avatar, but do they seep into your real life?”

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“Digital platforms are being leveraged to evade traditional advertising barriers and appeal to younger audiences,” she states. “This scenario reflects not merely a shift in marketing strategies, but a transformation in influence dynamics.”

Other researchers have presented instances where alcohol is marketed and sold in virtual stores.

Online marketing constitutes a global concern. At the same conference, 53% of Irish researchers reported having seen e-cigarette posts daily on social media.

Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) note that the increase in youth smoking in Ukraine can be partially attributed to Covid and the war pushing children “online,” exposing them to various forms of marketing.


In India, youth ambassador Agamloop Kaur is leading a campaign for children to stay cigarette-free, which includes social media marketing to educate school children about the risks associated with cigarettes and vaping. She has noticed vapes being marketed as “wellness” products.

“I believe it’s crucial to educate young individuals about recognizing ads, understanding their implications, and realizing that they might not even be visibly tied to the tobacco industry. [Content posted by] influencers hold significant sway, as they help build awareness. Digital natives, when engaged on social media, can discern what’s genuine and what’s not; recognizing these attractions as empty is vital, especially for younger audiences.”

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandates strict regulations regarding tobacco advertising, promotions, and sponsorships. Last year, signatories acknowledged the necessity for action to focus on “digital marketing channels such as social media that amplify tobacco marketing exposure among adolescents and young individuals.”




A boy smokes a cigarette in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

Yet, there are no straightforward solutions, as Andrew Black from the framework’s secretariat points out.

“The difficulty in regulating the Internet isn’t inherently linked to cigarettes. Rather, it’s a tangible challenge for governments to devise ways to safeguard societal norms in a landscape where technological advancements have transcended borders.”

Nandita Murktla, who leads the Canary initiative, urges regulators to exercise caution:

Source: www.theguardian.com

From Chimpanzee Banananini to Ballerina Cappuccina: How Gen Alpha Went Wild for Italian Brainwashed Animals

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WOne of Tim’s eighth graders inquired about his “favorite Italian brain rot animal,” leading to some confusion. “My hearing isn’t the best, so I probably had to ask her to repeat it four or five times,” he reflects.

Tim (not his actual name) was aware of the phrase “brain corruption.” According to Oxford University Press’s Words of the Year for 2024, but he was puzzled by the Italian reference.

After instructing the students to continue their work, he opened his laptop and turned to Google.


He learned that “Italian Brain Corruption” involves a series of absurd, AI-generated animal characters with ridiculous Italian names (like Bombomini Gusini and Trippi Troppi), often showcased in TikTok videos with rapid, nonsensical Italian narration.

Essentially, it’s a meme popular among the emerging Generation Alpha (born 2010-2025) and the younger Gen Z (mostly born 1997-2012). For older individuals—whether they are heavily engaged online or consider themselves meme enthusiasts—it might seem perplexing, as Tim discovered while browsing.

As he shared his findings, he appeared horrified. “This one is Chimpanzee Banana: it’s a hybrid of a chimpanzee and a banana. Bombardiro Crocodilo is a crocodile that resembles a bomber plane. There are also characters that are just cappuccinos with legs…”

Ballerina Cappuccina. Photo: tiktok/@aironic.fun

That’s right, Ballerina Cappuccina: female ballet dancers are fused with coffee cups and often depicted in a relationship with Cappuccino Assassin (you can understand that).

“There’s a backstory to all these characters—lore,” Tim adds, pondering. “Some are even at war with each other, and there are songs about them.”

The kids in his class are intensely fascinated by it, unlike any trend Tim has seen before. “Once one person mentions it, the whole class starts buzzing. They’re obsessed with this Italian brain corruption.”

If you’re reading this and finding your own mind bewildered, it’s understandable. If you were born in a year that starts with a “1,” “Italian brain corruption” might not resonate with you.

However, its widespread popularity among the younger crowd is worth trying to understand, at least as a reflection of the evolution of online culture.

Tralala Rotralala. Photo: Tiktok

The first character to gain traction was Shark Sport Nike sneakers (three per fin); Torara Rotorarara. Shortly after, the voice of a male character first appeared, marking the start of Italian expressions on TikTok in early January.

New characters quickly proliferated on TikTok. Don Caldwell, Editor-in-Chief of Know Your Meme, identified Brr Brr Patapim as an example, describing it as a “material monkey that is also a tree.”

Tung Tung Tung Sahur. Photo: Tiktok/@noxaasht

Notably, there’s also brain rot in Indonesia. Tung Tung Tung Sahur (“This features a stick figure on a bat, telling people to wake up for food during Ramadan”) and Boneca Ambalabu (“A frog with a tire and human legs”) are examples.

Both are accompanied by AI-generated voices that, much like their Italian counterparts, aim to confuse rather than clarify.

“Audio is just as crucial, if not more so than visuals,” Caldwell explains. “They really amp it up, like Tra-la-.lero! tra-la-laLA!—that quintessential Italian sound.”

Is this offensive to Italians? “It seems like Italians are in on the joke,” Caldwell suggests. “I don’t think it is.”

The attraction of Italian (and Indonesian) brain corruption isn’t about being derogatory or harmful—it’s simply absurd.

Caldwell, who has been engaged with memes for 15 years, admits he doesn’t track every fleeting online trend. “But I genuinely enjoy this,” he remarks. “In my view, it’s the better side of memes.”

Bombardiro Crocodilo. Photo: Tiktok/@armenjiharhanyan

The simplicity and speed of creating these videos using tools like ChatGPT have contributed to the meme’s popularity. Users can prompt their AI to visualize something like Bombardiro Crocodilo in their preferred settings. “No prior video editing skills are necessary, nor do you have to use your own voice,” Caldwell notes.

For adults apprehensive of AI advancements, the Italian brain corruption can feel like a harmless indulgence. “It’s a non-threatening application of AI that doesn’t induce existential dread.”

Naturally, young people don’t view it in such a serious light. They spend more time online from an earlier age, significantly influencing digital culture. “You’ve got a super online kid today,” Caldwell remarks. “They grew up around iPads and TikTok, creating content and dictating the biggest cultural trends of the moment.”

Before Italian brain rot, there was the Skibidi Toilet meme, which spread virally from YouTube in 2023, captivating the younger generation of Gen Z, with millions of views.

Tim recalls discussing it in class: “The kids adore it. The term ‘Skibidi’ is now embedded in Gen Z and Gen Alpha vernacular.”

However, its meaning isn’t straightforward and is steeped in ironic ambiguity. “It can signify something good, something bad, or something bizarre… When they refer to it as ‘Skibidi,’ it’s a positive thing, and they’re laughing at it simultaneously.”

Both Skibidi Toilets and Italian brain corruption resist clear definitions, stimulating youthful imaginations with surreal imagery and crude humor while leaving adults scratching their heads with their more subdued humor.

Ebies.

“AI Art” isn’t just a shortcut for older users primarily active on Facebook, Caldwell states. Ebies example (please check). It increasingly cultivates its own lexicon, customs, and meanings that often elude many adults.

It’s intriguing to hear people declare that past memes were superior. Examine the originality of templates such as distracted boyfriends and layered visual jokes demonstrating endless possibilities for meaning-making. However, Caldwell—a millennial himself—suggests that Italian brain corruption represents another evolution in human creativity. “AI produces images, and text-to-speech gives voice, but the humor originates from the real person behind the screen.”

Tim is skeptical, noting that when he sets creative writing tasks for his class, many leap straight into their favorite Italian brain-rotting creatures. “I worry that the AI generation lacks moments for spontaneous imagination, as AI does so much for them. I tell them, ‘This must be entirely our creation. I don’t want chimpanzees bananini.'”

Nevertheless, he has started incorporating the students’ enthusiasm for Italian brain corruption into his lesson plans. In a multiple-choice quiz, one of the options is Tung Tung Tung Sahur.

He now confidently addresses his eighth graders. “My favorite is Blueberrinni Octopussini,” he shares. “It’s an octopus blended with blueberries.”

Do you have any thoughts on the topics discussed in this article? If you’d like to submit a response of up to 300 words for potential publication in our Letters section, please click here.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Blueprint for Youth: A new book on anti-aging

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Royal Institution Christmas Lecture

As the busiest year in the history of artificial intelligence (AI) comes to a close, Professor Mike Wooldridge is preparing to deliver the Royal Institution’s first Christmas lecture on this topic. BBC Science Focus news editor Noah Leach spoke with him to get a preview of the demonstrations included in his talk and to get some insight into how he thinks AI will change children’s world.

Billionaire’s Christmas List

If we were all millionaires, Christmas would be very different. We want to buy our loved ones a diamond chess set or a trip to the moon, but we’ve set our sights on more modest gifts. But who said we can’t dream? So this year, we’ve selected some of our favorite “money doesn’t matter” gifts, as well as some more realistic alternatives.

Natural disaster: earthquake

Earth-shaking earthquake events can occur far from fault lines between plates. And there’s no easy way to predict when and where they’ll hit (unless you’re at a Taylor Swift concert).

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  • Science in 2023, summary: Science news is always breaking, whether it’s an unexpected discovery or an answer to a question you never knew would be asked. We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting science articles that made headlines over the past 12 months.
  • Planet Earth III: join the bbc Planet Earth III Join the film crew as they go behind the scenes at an urban farm that has turned fields into towers and is run almost entirely by robots.
  • The future of law enforcement: In some cases, witnesses may identify the wrong suspect and an innocent person may be convicted of a crime they did not commit. But new interactive images could help eyewitnesses recall memories more accurately, revolutionize policing and reduce the number of wrongful convictions.

No. 399 Released on December 7, 2023

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Don’t forget that BBC Science Focus is also available on all major digital platforms. There is a version for android, Kindle Fire and Kindle e-readers, but also, iOS app for iPad and iPhone.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Report reveals former employee’s criticism of Instagram chief Adam Mosseri’s track record on youth safety

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Instagram boss Adam Mosseri has announced that his employees, even as parent company Meta Inc. faces increased legal scrutiny over concerns that the popular social media app is harming young users, have reportedly prevented or weakened the implementation of youth safety features. Mosseri, whose name frequently appears in a high-profile lawsuit brought by 33 states accusing Meta of having addictive features in its apps that harm the mental health of young people, reportedly ignored “pressure from employees” to install some of its safety features as default settings for Instagram users. According to the information.

Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook say their use is fueling a number of worrying trends among young people, including an increase in depression, anxiety, insomnia, body image issues, and eating disorders. This claim has drawn criticism from critics.

Despite this, Instagram executives have rejected pressure from members of the company’s “welfare team” to include app features that encourage users to stop comparing themselves to others, according to three former employees with knowledge of the details. The feature was implemented despite Mosseri himself acknowledging in an internal email that he considered “social comparisons” to be “an existential problem facing Instagram” and that “social comparisons are for Instagram.” It wasn’t done. [what] According to the state’s complaint, the election interference is against Facebook.

Adam Mosseri was appointed as the head of Instagram in 2018. Reuters

Additionally, a Mosseri-backed feature that addresses the “social comparison” problem by hiding Instagram like counts will eventually be “watered down” and an option that users can manually enable. The report states that this has been set up.

Internally, some employees have reportedly pointed out that the “like hiding” tool would hurt engagement in the app, resulting in less advertising revenue.

While some sources praised Mosseri’s efforts to promote youth safety, one told the magazine that Instagram has a pattern of making such features optional rather than automatically implementing them. There was also

A Meta spokesperson did not specifically answer questions about why the company rejected proposals for tools to combat problems arising from social comparison issues.

“We don’t know what triggers a particular individual to compare themselves to others, so we give people the tools to decide for themselves what they do and don’t want to see on Instagram. ,” a Meta spokesperson told the publication.

A coalition of state attorneys general is suing Instagram and Facebook. shutter stock

Mehta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Post.

Elsewhere, Mosseri allegedly objected to the use of a tool that automatically blocks offensive language in direct message requests. The reason for this, The Information reported, citing two former employees, was “because we thought it might prevent legitimate messages from being sent.”

Finally, Instagram approved an optional “filter” feature in 2021, allowing users to block the company’s curated list of offensive words or compile their own list of offensive phrases and emojis they’d like to block. I made it possible.

The move reportedly infuriated safety staff, including former Meta engineer Arturo Bejar. They believed that people of color should not be forced to confront offensive language in order to address the problem. In November, Mr. Behar testifies before Senate committee About harmful content on Instagram.

“I returned to Instagram with the hope that Adam would be proactive about addressing these issues, but there was no evidence of that in the two years I was there,” Bejart said, initially starting Meta in 2015. He retired in 2007 and returned to a safety management role. the team told the outlet in 2019.

Mehta has been accused of failing to protect young social media users. Just Right – Stock.adobe.com

Meta pushed back against the report, saying Instagram has implemented a series of safety defaults for teen users, including blocking adults 19 and older from sending direct messages to teen accounts that don’t follow them. It was pointed out that the function has been introduced.

For example, Meta said its tool called “Hidden Words,” which hides offensive phrases and emojis, will be enabled by default for teens starting in 2024. The company said it has announced more than 20 policies regarding teen safety since Mosseri took over Instagram. 2018.

Mosseri echoed this, writing that further investments in platform security would “strengthen our business.”

“If teens come to Instagram and feel bullied, receive unwanted advances, or see content that makes them uncomfortable, they will leave and go to a competitor.” said Mosseri. “I know how important this work is, and I know that my leadership will be determined by how much progress we make in this work. I look forward to continuing to do more.” Masu.”

Instagram, led by Adam Mosseri, has reportedly scrapped or watered down proposed safety tools. Getty Images

Mosseri was one of several meth executives who came under scrutiny as part of a major lawsuit filed in October by a coalition of 33 state attorneys general. The lawsuit claimed in part that Meta’s millions of underage Instagram users were the company’s “open secret.” The complaint includes an internal chat from November 2021 in which Mosseri appeared to acknowledge the app’s problems with underage users, saying, “Teens want access to Instagram. , who is my age and wants to get Instagram right now.”

A month later, Mosseri testified before the Senate that children under 13 “are not allowed to use Instagram.” He also told MPs that he believes online safety for young people is “very important”.

Separate from the state legal challenges, Meta is facing a separate lawsuit from New Mexico, alleging it failed to protect young people from alleged sex offenders and flooded them with adult sex material. confronting.

Source: nypost.com