Tag Archives: Social media

29Mar/26

Navigating the Friendship Recession and the Cost of Connection

March 29, 2026Lifestyledopamine, Emotions, Friendship, Friendship recession, Hikikomori, Interpersonal relationships, Japan, Joe Previte, John Cacioppo, Johnny, Kindness, Laura L. Carstensen, Loneliness, oxytocin, Phoenix, Social connection, Social isolation, Social issues, Social media, Social networks, the urban institute, United States, Vivek Murthyadmin

The Decline of the “Third Place” and the Rise of Global Isolation

March 30, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The Core Issue: The “Friendship Recession” Modern society is experiencing a severe decline in social capital and interpersonal connections, a phenomenon widely referred to as the “friendship recession”. Data shows a quantifiable collapse in the size of our social networks: in 1990, 33% of Americans reported having 10 or more close friends, but by 2021, that number had plummeted to just 13%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals reporting zero close friends has quadrupled. This erosion of social capital—the “glue” that holds communities together through networks, trust, and reciprocity—is undermining both civic engagement and personal well-being.

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26Mar/26

Suing social media for addictive design

March 26, 2026Internet.google, Anna Lembke, Australia, Big Tech, dopamine, Infinite scrolling, Instagram, Jayne Conroy, K.G.M. v. Meta et al., Los Angeles, Mark Zuckerberg, Matthew P. Bergman, Meta Platforms, Sarah Kreps, Section 230, SNAP, Social media, TikTok, U . S . Federal, United States, Video softwareadmin

Earthquake for Big Tech: Juries Hit Meta and YouTube with Multi-Million Dollar Verdicts Over Youth Social Media Addiction

March 26, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — A landmark legal shift is currently unfolding as social media giants face unprecedented liability for the mental health impacts of their platforms on minors.

Landmark Jury Verdicts In a first-of-its-kind bellwether trial in Los Angeles, a jury ordered Meta and Google (YouTube) to pay $3 million in compensatory damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages to a 20-year-old woman, known in court as K.G.M. or Kaley. The jury found that both companies acted negligently and with malice, oppression, or fraud by designing platforms that addicted the plaintiff as a child, exacerbating her depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia. Meta was assigned 70% of the responsibility for the harm, while YouTube bore 30%. TikTok and Snap, initially named as co-defendants, settled the claims against them just before the trial began. Continue reading →

21Jan/26

The Evolution of Digital Deception: How 2025 Scams Blended into Daily Online Life

January 21, 2026SecurityComputer security, Cybercrime, Deception, Deepfake, Facebook, Fraud, Malvertising, Phishing, Reddit, Social media, Symbian software, Twitter, WhatsAppadmin

Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Q4 2025 Gen Threat Report highlights a significant shift in cybercrime, where fraudulent advertisements and deepfake content have become the primary methods for targeting consumers. These findings indicate that attackers are increasingly exploiting trusted social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube to host fake online shops and deceptive investment schemes. Rather than using complex technical exploits, modern scams trick individuals into performing routine digital actions, such as clicking links or scanning QR codes, to compromise their data. The report also identifies GhostPairing attacks and a sharp rise in identity-related breaches as growing risks that bridge the gap between mobile and desktop devices. Ultimately, the data warns that malvertising has evolved into a sophisticated tool that allows threats to blend seamlessly into everyday internet browsing. Continue reading →

21Dec/25

2025 Analysis of Gobal Mobile App Trends

December 21, 2025MobileAdvertising, Instagram, Instant messaging, Internet culture, Internet privacy, Online advertising, Privacy, Social media, Targeted advertising, TikTok, Video software, VREELSadmin

Dec. 21, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — This report from examines the evolving landscape of the global mobile app market throughout 2025. The analysis identifies personalisation and short-form video content as primary tools for successful user discovery and engagement. It emphasizes that retaining existing users through improved onboarding is now just as critical as initial acquisition for long-term growth. Furthermore, the findings highlight a significant shift toward emerging markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Also explores how stricter privacy regulations have forced marketers to rely more heavily on first-party data rather than broad tracking. Continue reading →

23Nov/25

Video Strategy for Future News Formats

November 23, 2025MediaFacebook Reels, Instagram, Internet culture, John Burn-Murdoch, Mobile applications, Native video, Pulse Africa, Short-form content, Social media, TikTok, Video hosting, Video software, wan-ifra, YouTubeadmin

Nov. 23, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — The “Future Formats Accelerator 2025”, specifically focuses onThe “”Scroll-Stopping Stories: How to break through with videos” event hosted by FT Strategies and the Google News Initiative. The core subject is the necessity for news publishers to adopt video content, both short-form and long-form, to effectively reach younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, who increasingly rely on platforms like TikTok and YouTube for news. Continue reading →

26Dec/24

What does the X exodus to Bluesky mean for journalism

December 26, 2024MediaBluesky, Craig Robertson, Creative Commons, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Facebook, Frederic, Mastodon, Social media, Social networking services, Social software, Threads, Tweet, Twitter, Twitter under Elon Musk, United Kingdom, United Statesadmin

Craig Robertson, University of Oxford

When Elon Musk took over Twitter and changed its name to X, many users vowed to move to another platform. First was talk of a shift to Mastodon that never seemed to catch on. Then Meta tried to make Threads appealing by linking the app to Instagram – but this hasn’t had much cut-through either.

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06Dec/24

Metricool Launches Bluesky Social Integration: A New Era for Decentralized Community Building

December 6, 2024InternetAT Protocol, Bluesky, Digital marketing, Elon Musk, Social media, Social networking services, Social networks, Social software, SocialBee, Twitter, Twitter under Elon Muskadmin

Metricool, a global social media management platform, is taking social media strategy to the next level with the launch of its Bluesky Social integration. Free and Premium Metricool users can now schedule, manage and auto-publish “skeets” – Bluesky’s signature posts – alongside other social platforms, creating a centralized hub for community engagement. Continue reading

04Sep/24

Infinix Teams Up with Museum of Modern Art Curator and AI Video Mentor to Launch Mobile Vlog Awards 2024

September 4, 2024LifestyleFilter, Infinix Mobile, InfinixMVA, Internet culture, Social media, TikTok, Transsion, Vlogadmin

Infinix, a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers, has officially kicked off the second year of the Mobile Vlog Awards (MVA) 2024 on TikTok, a vlog competition designed to empower young creators worldwide. With the slogan “Capture Your Own Story” and the theme “Your Story, Your Style,” participants are invited to share their unique vlog creations by engaging with the hashtag #InfinixMVA and utilizing the specially developed TikTok filter. Continue reading

23Feb/24

Dating apps are accused of being ‘addictive’. What makes us keep swiping?

February 23, 2024MobileAnastasia Hronis, Creative Commons, Dating, Dating app, dopamine, Geosocial networking, Hinge, Instagram, match group, Mobile app, Online dating, Online dating applications, Social media, Sydney, The League, Tinder, United Statesadmin

Dr Anastasia Hronis, University of Technology Sydney

A class-action lawsuit filed in the United States against Match Group – the parent company of dating apps Tinder, Hinge and The League – is making headlines around the world.

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06Jan/24

Four tips for a healthy news diet in 2024, from an expert in media psychology

January 6, 2024MediaCreative Commons, Deception, Emotion, Filter bubble, Influence of mass media, Internet manipulation and propaganda, Media bias, Misinformation, Sharon Coen, SHUTTERSTOCK, Social influence, Social media, Social media as a news sourceadmin

Sharon Coen, University of Salford

The start of the new year brings inevitable pressure to start fresh, with new hobbies, exercise regimes and healthy diets. But there is one diet you may not have thought of improving this year: your media and news consumption.

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