This Month
I gave up my phone as an example to my teenagers – it was disastrous
Before you ban your kids from using smartphones, ask yourself why.
- Bethan Ryder
‘Grazed, but not Dazed’: Trump T-shirts go viral
Entrepreneurs in Asia were quick to cash in on the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.
- Marcus Lum and Sophie Yu
- Opinion
If you really want to relax, put that phone down
The dopamine hit of smartphones, described as the modern-day hypodermic needle, is not the same as switching off.
- Jemima Kelly
- Analysis
- The Breakdown
Mark Zuckerberg shows he is, like a teen, desperate to be cool
The man who has everything is still stung by criticism and anxious for validation online, proving his critics right about Meta’s effects on mental health.
- Nick Bonyhady
‘I feel helpless’: techies are banning their kids from social media
The professionals who understand most how social media and other tech platforms work are keeping their own children away from them for as long as possible.
- Paul Smith
Big tech ordered to develop solutions to stop kids finding porn
The eSafety Commissioner has given internet companies six months to find a plan to stop kids stumbling across porn while searching for sites such as YouTube.
- Tess Bennett
Brands hit up TikTok as Instagram, Facebook lose their lustre
The Victorian Chamber of Commerce found expanding marketing was a top priority for members, striking a deal with the platform to educate owners how to do it.
- Patrick Durkin
June
Nine Entertainment to cut 200 jobs as Meta content deal ends
CEO Mike Sneesby made the announcement as Nine battles a weaker advertising market and a content deal with Meta, which runs Instagram and Facebook, ends.
- Max Mason
Are your socks showing your age?
Millennials are having to up their game in the sock war with Gen Z.
- Ashley Fetters Maloy and Samantha Chery
- Opinion
- Careers
There’s nothing funny about LinkedIn’s ‘weird’ makeover
If the professional social network is now a place for personal posts, why isn’t it funnier?
- Emma Jacobs
Calls to ban Facebook and Instagram in Australia
The heads of major media organisations say Meta’s refusal to renew about $70 million in commercial deals with news outlets will likely lead to job losses and newspaper closures.
- Updated
- Hannah Wootton
- Opinion
- AFR Magazine
Instagram and TikTok are threatened, so fashion is switching channels
Snap, Pinterest and Substack are poised to pick up where other social media platforms once dominated.
- Lauren Sams
US surgeon-general urges tobacco-style warnings on social media
Vivek Murthy’s call to action comes as regulators and legislators increasingly scrutinise links between social media use and children’s mental health.
- Cristiano Lima-Strong and Aaron Gregg
Social media set to overtake TV as top source of news
The survey findings come as a Labor-led parliamentary committee demands tech firms and media companies face questions about the influence of such platforms.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
Social media ban on kids faces big technical hurdles: experts
Australia has bipartisan support for a 16-year-old limit for using social media, as Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton argued about who was first to demand it.
- Paul Smith
- Opinion
- AI
Why the growing ‘slop’ on your social feeds is dangerous
Like the other type of slop, AI-assisted search comes together quickly, but not necessarily in a way critical thinkers can stomach.
- Benjamin Hoffman
eSafety drops case against Musk’s X over bishop stabbing video
The online safety watchdog has abandoned its court case against X after suffering a legal setback.
- Tess Bennett
May
TikTok video about finance bros is a viral hit
A 19-second song poking fun at old stereotypes has become a viral hit.
- Crystal Tse
Why age restrictions on social media ‘won’t happen overnight’
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner says it is difficult to judge the correct age to ban kids from social media.
- Tess Bennett
What type As are doing when they want a real challenge
Running 42.2 kilometres continuously will always be impressive. But for a rising number of extreme exercisers, it is no more than a starting point.
- Euan Black
