Fast Company: How I redesigned Twitter to be mostly harmless. “As we did with nicotine, we may someday discover that there is no safe dose of Twitter. For now, you may be (or just feel) compelled to use the platform. But who says you have to inhale its tar-filled content-vapors unfiltered? What if, when you visited twitter.com (because if you haven’t already deleted the app from your phone, do that immediately), you saw something that was barely a social network at all–and something more like a harmless linkblog?”
mental health
Michael K. Spencer: Facebook’s Suicide Algorithms are Invasive
Michael K. Spencer: Facebook’s Suicide Algorithms are Invasive. “We think of artificial intelligence as something that should better humanity, but user monitoring is an invasion of privacy. Facebook’s incessant experiments on us, whether with dating or blockchain are going to take a toll on us. But to be rated by how likely we are to self-harm? That’s state monitoring at its worst. It’s worse I think than Chinese parents wanting GPS smart clothing for their kids. There’s a place for AI to benefit people, but it’s not a company like Facebook to warn us or our loved ones if we are suicidal.”
The Guardian: Depression in girls linked to higher use of social media
The Guardian: Depression in girls linked to higher use of social media. “Girls’ much-higher rate of depression than boys is closely linked to the greater time they spend on social media, and online bullying and poor sleep are the main culprits for their low mood, new research reveals.”
New York Times: In Screening for Suicide Risk, Facebook Takes On Tricky Public Health Role
New York Times: In Screening for Suicide Risk, Facebook Takes On Tricky Public Health Role. “A police officer on the late shift in an Ohio town recently received an unusual call from Facebook. Earlier that day, a local woman wrote a Facebook post saying she was walking home and intended to kill herself when she got there, according to a police report on the case. Facebook called to warn the Police Department about the suicide threat.”
Block self-harm material: UK minister to Google, Facebook (New Indian Express)
New Indian Express: Block self-harm material: UK minister to Google, Facebook. “Internet giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter must take steps to block the spread of material that tells people how to end their lives, Britain’s minister for suicide prevention has demanded.”
BBC: Instagram tightens eating disorder filters after BBC investigation
BBC: Instagram tightens eating disorder filters after BBC investigation. “Instagram has placed more hashtags which could promote eating disorders on an ‘unsearchable’ list after a BBC investigation found that users were finding ways around the platform’s filters.”
EurekAlert: Internet therapy apps reduce depression symptoms, IU study finds
EurekAlert: Internet therapy apps reduce depression symptoms, IU study finds . “In the past several years, many internet-based apps and websites have made claims to treat depression. The subjects of the [Indiana University] study were specifically those applications that provide treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy, a form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing thought patterns and behavior to alleviate symptoms of depression and other mental disorders.”
