Social Media HQ (2025)

02/01/2025

The big Silicon Valley tech companies keep telling us about all the efforts they are taking to protect young social media users. They keep pointing to all the money, time, and resources they are using to improve their social media platforms in response to suggestions from parents, educators, and advocacy groups. So, why then are they also actively working to block new social media legislation?...

We need new social media laws now. While they may be imperfect in some regards, they are much better than having nothing at all.

30/12/2024

Just about everyone agrees that the algorithms used by the big social media companies in Silicon Valley are somehow broken. They were originally designed to personalize the content you see in your daily social media feed, sort of like having your own personal curator aware of your tastes, preferences, and interests. However, now they are being used for one purpose only: optimizing…...

Just about everyone agrees that the algorithms used by the big social media companies in Silicon Valley are somehow broken.

26/12/2024

Instead of getting advice from financial advisors and tax professionals, young members of Generation Z are instead turning to social media influencers for advice. Often, this involves exploring TikTok for quick snippets of advice and how-to’s. Needless to say, this could lead to some very serious problems. TikTok vs. the IRS Take, for example, the number of people who now rely on…...

Instead of getting advice from financial advisors and tax professionals, young members of Generation Z are instead turning to social media influencers for advice. Often, this involves exploring TikTok for quick snippets of advice and how-to’s. Needless to say, this could lead to some very serious ...

23/12/2024

Social media users, you have been warned: some of the AI tools and apps that you see being advertised on social media platforms such as Facebook are total scams. In a best-case scenario, the apps don’t work as touted, or aren’t actually powered by AI. In a worst-case scenario, the ads will take you to a fake website and persuade you to download dangerous malware....

You have been warned: some of the AI tools and apps that you see being advertised on social media platforms such as Facebook are total scams.

19/12/2024

If you spend enough time on social media, you’d probably be convinced that content creators - and, specifically, social media influencers - are bringing in the big bucks these days. They seem to be vacationing at hot travel destinations, splurging on luxury goods, and generally living a fabulous life. And you hear stories all the time about how popular social media celebrities…...

If you spend enough time on social media, you’d probably be convinced that content creators – and, specifically, social media influencers – are bringing in the big bucks these days. They seem to be vacationing at hot travel destinations, splurging on luxury goods, and generally living a fabulo...

16/12/2024

When it comes to all the misinformation and disinformation on social media these days, it’s fashionable to blame the “super-spreaders” or any of the various “conspiracy theory” influencers out there. But maybe, just maybe, we should be taking a closer look at malicious social media bots, who may ultimately be responsible for much of the misinformation and disinformation on the internet....

When it comes to all the misinformation and disinformation on social media these days, it’s fashionable to blame the “super-spreaders” or any of the various “conspiracy theory” influencers out there. But maybe, just maybe, we should be taking a closer look at malicious social media bots, w...

12/12/2024

One social media buzzword that has taken off in recent years is “shadowban.” As the name suggests, it refers to getting banned on social media, without the content creator actually knowing what’s happening, Instead, the content creator gets all kinds of telltale signs - such as the inability to gain new subscribers, a reduction in views for each new video being created, or content no longer appearing on the first page of search results....

If you are a content creator, you likely view shadowbanning as a form of censorship.

09/12/2024

What Impact Will a Second Trump Presidency Have on Social Media?

The return of Donald J. Trump to the White House is already causing some nervous hand-wringing on social media. What impact will he have on the most popular social media platforms? And will he upset the delicate balance of power that exists among the big Silicon Valley social media players? Those ar...

05/12/2024

It’s perhaps no surprise that both Democrats and Republicans are now relying on social media influencers to get out the vote and help tip elections in their favor. What is surprising, though, is the amount of “dark money” that is exchanging hands, By some accounts, political campaigns from both parties are pouring millions of dollars into the social media influencer game....

It’s perhaps no surprise that both Democrats and Republicans are now relying on social media influencers to get out the vote and help tip elections in their favor. What is surprising, though, is the amount of “dark money” that is exchanging hands, By some accounts, political campaigns from bot...

02/12/2024

By now, it has become a fairly accepted narrative that extensive social media usage can cause a range of dangerous mental, emotional, and psychological effects, especially in very young users. This is an argument that has been picked up by politicians and regulators as they argue for safer social media experiences for kids. And, as you might imagine, Mark Zuckerberg continues to make the case that the big social media platforms are not to blame for everything from…...

Extensive social media usage can cause a range of dangerous mental, emotional, and psychological effects, especially in very young users.

28/11/2024

If you are looking to regain focus, clarity, and balance in your life, then a social media detox could be just what you need. The duration and extent of a social media detox experience can vary greatly, but you should probably plan on setting aside at least a full week if you want to get the best results. For that one week, you will need to resist the urge to check your phone for updates, alerts, and messages....

If you are looking to regain focus, clarity, and balance in your life, then a social media detox could be just what you need.

25/11/2024

It’s hard to believe, but major social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly called Twitter) have been around for nearly 20 years. In that time period, they’ve undergone quite a transformation. The problem is that the more that they’ve focused on making money from advertising and becoming profitable businesses, the more they seem to be getting away from their core values....

Social media now seems to be the root cause of just about every mental health problem encountered by teens and young adults.

21/11/2024

The novelty of social media wore off a long time ago. Unfortunately, social media just seems so boring some days. But there’s a surprising reason for this, and it’s not what you think. No, it has nothing to do with all the political content flooding social media platforms right now. And it has nothing to do with the media’s fascination with the latest viral trend....

Social media just seems so boring some days. But there’s a surprising reason for this, and it’s not what you think.

18/11/2024

There’s a trade-off involved anytime you use social media these days. That’s because you are leaving behind a trail of data everywhere you go online. And all of that data, if it’s used by the wrong people, can cause some serious problems for you later. In a worst-case scenario, these problems could deal a real blow to your online reputation....

There’s a trade-off involved anytime you use social media these days. That’s because you are leaving behind a trail of data.

14/11/2024

It’s hard to believe, but it has now been almost two years since ChatGPT first appeared. And, in those two years, it sometimes seems like ChatGPT has changed everything. Just to give you a sense of how mainstream ChatGPT has become, a whopping 92% of Fortune 500 companies now use ChatGPT in the workplace. So what’s next for ChatGPT? The best way to answer that question is to look at some of the innovations that have emerged in recent months, and then speculate how those innovations might impact our lives going forward....

So what’s next for ChatGPT? The best way to answer that question is to look at some of the innovations that have emerged in recent months.

11/11/2024

Within the modern workplace, there is no tolerance for offensive remarks, inappropriate content, or anything that could be even loosely deemed to be hate speech. Most people would agree with that statement, right? If you heard your office colleagues making racist or misogynist comments in the break room, you’d probably feel compelled to report it to somebody. The dilemma of free speech in the workplace…...

Would the simple act of hitting the “like” button on social media constitute grounds for that person being fired?

07/11/2024

If there’s a natural disaster happening, social media might turn out to be the ultimate lifesaver. Whether it’s getting the right information ahead of an impending disaster, or learning what to do after a disaster has destroyed your hometown, social media is being used in a number of creative ways during every phase of a natural disaster. Real-time information Most importantly, social media is being used by local governments, nonprofit organizations, and federal disaster relief authorities to push out real-time information to people in need....

If there’s a natural disaster happening, social media might turn out to be the ultimate lifesaver.

04/11/2024

Often, we spend so much time discussing “what’s wrong” with social media, that we don’t have time to discuss how to change social media for the better. And that’s why a recent conference hosted by Harvard’s Applied Social Media Lab is so interesting. The entire goal of the event was to consider ways to foster healthier, more satisfying civic discourse online....

Social media users collaborate with social media companies to create a better overall experience that goes well beyond just “promote and police.”

Social Media HQ