Information Ministry to serve as central hub for late President Geingob’s funeral plans

Information Ministry to serve as central hub for late President Geingob’s funeral plans

Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga, has urged the public to disregard information circulating on social media regarding the mourning and funeral arrangements of the late President Hage Geingob. Geingob who was 82, died on Sunday in Windhoek.

February 7, 2024 20

Opinion Pieces

Using AI to monitor the internet for terror content is inescapable – but also fraught with pitfalls

shutterstock. metamorworks/Shutterstock Stuart Macdonald, Swansea University; Ashley A. Mattheis, Dublin City University, and David Wells, Swansea University Every minute, millions of social media posts, photos and videos flood the internet. On average, Facebook users share 694,000 stories, X (formerly Twitter) users post 360,000 posts, Snapchat users send 2.7 million snaps and YouTube users upload more than 500 hours of video. This vast ocean of online material needs to be constantly […]

February 7, 2024 18

Opinion Pieces

Are social media apps ‘dangerous products’? 2 scholars explain how the companies rely on young users but fail to protect them

The CEOs of Discord, Snap, TikTok, X and Meta prepare to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 31, 2024. Alex Wong/Getty Images Joan Donovan, Boston University and Sara Parker, McGill University “You have blood on your hands.” “I’m sorry for everything you have all been through.” These quotes, the first from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaking to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and the second from Zuckerberg to families […]

February 2, 2024 28

World

Zuckerberg apologises to families over social media impact on children

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has apologised to families who say their children had been harmed by social media, during a fiery hearing in the US Senate. Zuckerberg - who runs Instagram and Facebook - turned to them and said "No one should go through" what they had. Lawmakers wanted to know what they are doing to protect children online. It was a rare opportunity for the US senators to question […]

February 1, 2024 8

Opinion Pieces

Teens on social media need both protection and privacy – AI could help get the balance right

Social media can be both dangerous and a lifeline for teens. The Good Brigade/DigitalVision via Getty Images Afsaneh Razi, Drexel University Meta announced on Jan. 9, 2024, that it will protect teen users by blocking them from viewing content on Instagram and Facebook that the company deems to be harmful, including content related to suicide and eating disorders. The move comes as federal and state governments have increased pressure on […]

February 1, 2024 28

Lifestyle

Disinformation is often blamed for swaying elections – the research says something else

Alexandru Nika/Shutterstock Magda Osman, Cambridge Judge Business School Many countries face general elections this year. Political campaigning will include misleading and even false information. Just days ago, it was reported that a robocall impersonating US president Joe Biden had told recipients not to vote in the presidential primary. But can disinformation significantly influence voting? There are two typical styles of election campaigning. One is positive, presenting favourable attributes of politicians […]

January 29, 2024 15

Africa

Uganda’s battle for the youth vote – how Museveni keeps Bobi Wine’s reach in check

By Rebecca Tapscott, University of York and Anna Macdonald, University of East Anglia Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world, with an average age of 15.9 years. Young people aged below 30 make up about 77% of the country’s population of 47 million people. Young people have legitimate and wide-ranging grievances, from unemployment to disenfranchisement. Opportunities remain limited, with two-thirds of Ugandans working for themselves or […]

January 17, 2024 6

Business / Economics

The Importance of Business Planning for the Closing Seasons

By Josef Kefas Sheehama The holiday season is a particular instance when you might have a lot of different demands on your time, both professionally and personally. Before you know it, you’re halfway through December and the Christmas shut-down period is just around the corner. In order to really switch off from your business it pays to do a little forward planning first. Just because you’re taking a well-earned break […]

November 29, 2023 12

Health / Medical

Why a social media detox may not be as good for you as you think – new research

DimaBerlin/Shutterstock Niklas Ihssen, Durham University and Michael Wadsley, Durham University Whether you’re an influencer, an occasional poster, or just a lurker, you likely spend more time than you’d like on social media. Globally, working-age people with internet access now spend more than 2.5 hours per day on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook or X (Twitter). Social media use can become excessive and problematic when it interferes with school or work, […]

November 28, 2023 15