Should young teenagers be banned from using social media? That’s the question being discussed by British MPs debating a bill that proposes the government should decide within a year whether to raise the age children can have social media accounts from 13 to 16. It follows a recent petition on the same topic that garnered nearly 130,000 signatures, […] … learn more→

The recent context of the elections in the United States and the controversies surrounding the image of Elon Musk making a Nazi salute have shown the need for education on these photos and videos that circulate massively online. The regulation of uses and technologies is an issue even if Europe measures the limits of the means at its […] … learn more→

The typical adult in the UK spends nearly two hours on social media per day. And for younger users, this can easily be up to five hours. The likes of Instagram or TikTok seem to draw us into their ever-changing feeds and it’s difficult to tear ourselves away from these platforms. Now our latest study shows that even our […] … learn more→

We often set ambitious goals, such as going to the gym, adopting healthier eating habits, or reducing our social media use. However, despite our best intentions, staying committed can often feel like an uphill battle. A review of evidence published in 2024 highlights why. While understanding the benefits of behaviour change and believing in its value […] … learn more→

Not long ago I attended a concert. It was a band that I had been waiting a while to see and so I was excited to be there in the crowd. Part way through, they played my favourite song and I noticed that I felt something different. It felt like a pinnacle moment where the […] … learn more→

Imagine you are asked to give a small amount of money to a stranger. It’s not your money, so it doesn’t cost you anything. You’re just deciding how much they get. But first, a pair of coins is flipped – one for you and one for the stranger – and you are told the results. […] … learn more→

I teach a course on the relationship between social media and society at Durham College. As part of their assessments, I ask my students to reflect on their social media use. A recurring theme is that they cannot be separated from their smartphones. Many admit to spending significant time daily on social media watching short videos without […] … learn more→

It all begins innocently – a late-night peek at your favourite social media site before bed. You catch a headline that grabs your attention with “breaking news” you can’t afford to miss. Like following digital breadcrumbs, one click leads to another. Before you know it, you’re tumbling down a rabbit hole of endless updates and […] … learn more→

During a long holiday period like the one we just went through, many parents spend more time with their teenagers and monitor their screen time in the hope that they will get outside. They will be keeping an eye on one type of behavior in particular: time spent scrolling . In particular, doomscrolling , which involves scrolling endlessly across […] … learn more→

Imagine attending a funeral where the person who has died speaks directly to you, answering your questions and sharing memories. This happened at the funeral of Marina Smith, a Holocaust educator who died in 2022. Thanks to an AI technology company called StoryFile, Smith seemed to interact naturally with her family and friends. The system used prerecorded […] … learn more→