From X to Bluesky: why are people fleeing Elon Musk’s ‘digital town square’?
Musk’s platform has lost 2.7 million active US users in two months, while its rival has gained 2.5 million
Who’s the most basic person on the internet? A court will have to decide between these two beige influencers
Sydney Nicole Gifford has accused rival Alyssa Sheil of copying her bland style, in a $150,000 lawsuit over lost income and ‘mental anguish’. What’s behind this race to the bottom, asks Arwa Mahdawi
Podcast picks of the week: Julia Davis turns agony aunt, the history of Grand Theft Auto and more
In a Hear Here special, we round up five of the best unscripted shows, and five of the best video game podcasts
Smartphones should carry health warning, Spanish government told
Report by committee of experts also calls for doctors to ask about screen time during checkups
Meta says it has taken down about 20 covert influence operations in 2024
Firm names Russia as top source of such activity but says it is ‘striking’ how little AI was used to try to trick voters
From Nigel Farage to farmers, Labour’s social media strategy is a flop. Here’s how to fix it
The party must realise that if it doesn’t emotionally engage with voters, someone else with a viral TikTok video will, writes content creator Sophia Smith Galer
Protecting or restricting? The effect of social media bans on the big dreams of young Australians
Australia is about to find out if stopping under-16s accessing sites will protect against harmful content or stifle creativity and block opportunity
Do you have ‘brain rot’ from endless social media? Try our quiz
As the Oxford word of the year for 2024 is announced, here are 12 questions to determine if you an overconsumer of mind-numbing online content
‘Brain rot’: Oxford word of the year 2024 reflects ‘trivial’ use of social media
Expression chosen after public vote describes impact of endless scrolling of mind-numbing content
Meta to force financial advertisers to be verified in bid to prevent celebrity scam ads targeting Australians
Exclusive: Businesses to require financial services licence number to post Facebook ads while individuals will need government-issued ID
‘Child poverty has got a lot worse’: outgoing charity boss lambasts Tory failures and social media giants
Peter Wanless of the NSPCC calls for more preventive action on child poverty, a ban on ‘morally repugnant’ smacking and favours guardrails online rather than bans
Instagram actively helping spread of self-harm among teenagers, study finds
Researchers say parent company Meta is failing to remove explicit images on the social media site
‘His Facebook was a shrine to my face’: the day I caught my catfish
I stumbled on a profile with my picture as the photo. What was this man doing with my identity? I set out to track him down …
Australian-style social media ban for under-16s ‘a retrograde step’, say UK charities
Child safety experts say similar move in Britain would penalise young people for the failings of tech companies
‘Teenage girls are feeling vulnerable’: fears grow over online beauty filters
Studies suggest children are having their self-esteem harmed by filters that ape the effects of cosmetic surgery