Tag: social media

Clubhouse a sandbox for talking ‘influencers’

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Launched nearly a year ago, Clubhouse — which has already encountered a censorship hiccup in China — is looking to establish itself as the standard-bearer for audio-only social media

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An internet spin on talk radio, the new social network Clubhouse has become a sandbox for people tinkering with ways to win fans and make money with audio.

Clubhouse, still invite-only and accessible just through apps on Apple mobile devices, lets users drop into virtual rooms to join hosted conversations on any of a gamut of topics.

Taz Zammit recounted being in a Clubhouse “room” while a beloved DJ made millions of dollars auctioning off musical creations tuned to the hot trend of authentication with “non fungible token” technology.

“It was super exciting for me to get to experience such an amazing moment with him and his family and friends,” said the 26-year-old Australian, who is also a DJ.

Also Read | Twitter to roll out its Clubhouse-like Spaces feature soon for all users

“Those are the rooms that you just cannot get out of. You’ve got to stay there because it’s just too good.”

Launched nearly a year ago, Clubhouse — which has already encountered a censorship hiccup in China — is looking to establish itself as the standard-bearer for audio-only social media.

The concept is simple: once you’re invited to join, you can start or listen to conversations in digital “rooms,” ranging from a talk by someone famous to a chat within a small group.

Clubhouse is already valued at $1 billion and boasts some 10 million users a week.

Its popularity has been boosted by the pandemic and appearances by attention-getting figures such as Tesla founder Elon Musk and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg.

Also Read | ByteDance developing Clubhouse-like app for China amid copycat rush

“You get a lot of different perspectives, different insights and inputs, that are so real, and timely,” said former television and radio personality Judyth Jernudd, now a leadership coach.

“While it’s still in beta, some of us are using it as a beta, too, for programs and shows we might want to launch.”

Feeling intimate

Unlike most major social media, Clubhouse lets people rest screen-weary eyes or tend to other tasks while feeling engaged in intimate conversations.

Fans are dabbling with ways to weave Clubhouse into their lives with uses like group study or work sessions that are mostly silence.

Facebook is rumored to be working on an audio offering, tentatively called Fireside.

Meanwhile, Twitter has been testing “Spaces” live audio conversations as alternatives to text tweets.

Twitter head of research Nikkia Reveillac said such a move could broaden the appeal of the platform because “some people want to engage in conversations, but have found it difficult to find these spaces, no pun intended, where you can have more nuanced empathetic conversations that are off-timeline.”

Time to tip?

Those able to draw followings or stage online events hope to make money.

Also Read | Clubhouse says reviewing data protection practices after report points to flaws

DigitalMarketing.org founder Gary Henderson advocates using “creator coins,” digital currency personalized with an influencer’s moniker.

“For example, we’re doing some private Clubhouse events,” Henderson said.

Clubhouse planned to test enabling gratuities, ticket sales, or paid memberships.

“They definitely need to start thinking about ways for us to monetize quickly,” said filmmaker Toni Thai, a founder of an Audio Collective creators’ group at Clubhouse.

“I’ve had some really amazing rooms so far and I don’t want to burn out all my great ideas.”

Thai sees Clubhouse one day adding a sophisticated content recommendation system, like Netflix does for television shows or Spotify does for music, and perhaps adding podcasts.

Clubhouse is preparing to welcome all comers, which will ramp up challenges when it comes to keeping exchanges civil in rooms.

Also Read | Clubhouse | The new network on the block

People running rooms can find themselves faced with tough decisions regarding what should or shouldn’t be allowed.

Zammit recalled a Clubhouse conversation with an LGBT theme during which a moderator cut someone off because of what was being said.

“The room had a really great discussion afterward, about how we can’t just silence people just because they have different beliefs to us,” Zammit said.

“But I also felt for the moderator who had to make that call because it was his room. And he wanted to protect that space.”

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No proposal to appoint regulator for social media: Prasad

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“The social media platforms are enjoined to develop a robust grievance redressal system.”

The government on Wednesday informed Parliament that there is no proposal with the IT ministry to set up a regulator for social media.

Union IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, however, said that the government has released Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, under the IT Act that specifies the due diligence to be followed by all the intermediaries, including the social media intermediaries.

“The social media platforms are enjoined to develop a robust grievance redressal system. Presently, there is no proposal with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to appoint a regulator for social media,” Mr. Prasad informed the Lok Sabha.

 

The government in February had announced sweeping regulations for social media firms like Facebook and Twitter as well as OTT players such as Netflix, requiring them to remove any content flagged by authorities within 36 hours and setting up a complaint redressal mechanism with an officer being based in the country.

The guidelines also make it mandatory for platforms such as Twitter and WhatsApp to identify the originator of a message that authorities consider to be anti-national and against security and sovereignty of the country.

The new rules related to social media platforms are to be handled by the IT ministry while the Information and Broadcasting ministry will look after content related issues on entertainment apps and online news portals.

Mr. Prasad said under provision of section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the government blocks unlawful and malicious online content including social media account, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above.

“Under this provision, 9,849 URLs/accounts/webpages, mostly on social media platforms, were blocked during the year 2020,” Mr. Prasad said.

 

In response to question whether the government has conducted any study regarding the impact of government’s control over social media vis-a-vis right to freedom of expression enshrined in the constitution, Prasad denied any such study undertaken by the government.

He said that the government welcomes criticism, dissent and also the rights of people to ask questions on social media.

“However, this needs to be acknowledged that the fundamental right of speech and expression under article 19(1) is also subject to reasonable restrictions under article 19(2) of the Constitution which can be imposed in the interest of security, safety and sovereignty of India, public order, friendly relations with foreign countries etc,” Mr. Prasad said.

The minister said it is equally important that social media should not be abused or misused to defame, promote terrorism, rampant violence and compromise the dignity of women.

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Don’t be a victim of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

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Have you been staying up late in the night and consciously delaying sleep to enjoy late night movies or play games on your mobile simply because you were too busy during the day? Doctors warn against making it a habit though it is not a serious clinical condition, yet

During the lockdown many of us may have binge-watched TV shows to beat the craving for entertainment. Or, we got so caught up with work during the day and found no free time that we delayed sleep just to unwind.

Sacrificing sleep hours when you are rushing against a deadline or partying is something we are all occasionally guilty of. But when we stay up later than intended without a valid reason, even when we know the next day begins early and the lack of sleep may affect our work or mood, it is called Revenge Bedtime Procrastination (RBP).

Doctors say COVID-19 stay-at-home orders ushered in lifestyle changes and many people engaged in RBP without realising how it slowly and silently turns into a habit, taking a toll on their health in the long run. Dr Pavan Yadav, Consultant (Interventional Pulmonology, Sleep Medicine and Lung transplantation) with Aster RV Hospital, Bengaluru, puts it simply: “Bedtime procrastination is viewed as getting ‘revenge’ on a daytime that gives us no leisure hours.”

It is an emerging concept in sleep science and the debate on the psychology behind the voluntary sleep reduction is still on, he says and adds, “It is not an established clinical condition requiring treatment unless it becomes really serious.”

In fact, the word ‘revenge’ was added to the concept of ‘bedtime procrastination’ on social media when people from China expressed how frustrating their long stressful hours were with no time for personal enjoyment. The feeling resonated and gained traction in response to the stress in the pandemic year.

Dr Yadav confirms an increase in the number of sleep disruption/deprivation cases, which could also be attributed to factors such as anxiety. While RBP can be tempting in the moment, when sleep debt leads to brain fog and poor emotional regulation, the issue needs to be addressed.

Behaviour associated with RBP is easy to identify: It’s the conscious delaying of going to sleep; the absence of a valid reason for staying up late and remaining glued to electronic gadgets – all this while being aware of the consequences of insufficient sleep.

An exploratory study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health last August points towards RBP as an intentional behaviour. Some people may treat staying up late as recovery time, while others may have difficulty in self-regulation or self-control, which is at its lowest at the end of the day.

Future research may lead to a deeper understanding on the whys of RBP, but all doctors are in agreement that sleep – both quality and quantity — should not be compromised upon. “Sleep hygiene is the key to happiness, better memory and concentration, reduced irritability and fatigue,” says Dr Yadav.

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Instagram announces new safety features for teens – Times of India

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Facebook-owned photo sharing app Instagram has announced that it is set to roll out new features to keep in mind the safety of teenagers who make use of the platform.
In a blog post, the company has listed out 4 new features it is set to rollout. Here’s a look at them in a bit more detail:
Restricting DMs between teens and adults they don’t follow
Instagram will prevent adults from sending messages to people under 18 who don’t follow them. This means if any adult tries to message a teen who doesn’t follow them, they receive a notification that sending them a Direct Message (DM) is not an option.
“This feature relies on our work to predict peoples’ ages using machine learning technology, and the age people give us when they sign up,” added the company.
Prompting teens to be cautious
The platform will also “encourage” teens to be cautious by showing them safety notices in DMs. These safety notices are said to notify teens when an adult “who has been exhibiting potentially suspicious behaviour is interacting with them in DMs.”
In the safety notice, people will be able to see options to end the conversation, or block, report, or restrict the person.
Restricting adults with suspicious behaviour to find teens
Instagram said that in the coming weeks, it will explore ways to make it difficult for adults who have been exhibiting potentially suspicious behaviour to interact with teens.
This, the company suggests, will be done by restricting adults from seeing teen accounts in ‘Suggested Users’, preventing them from discovering teen content in Reels or Explore, and automatically hiding their comments on public posts by teens.
Encouraging teens to make their accounts private
For new users under the age of 18 who have set their account as public, Instagram says that it will send them a notification later on highlighting the benefits of a private account and reminding them to check their settings.

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Aamir Khan quits social media

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The actor said future updates on himself and his films can be found on his production banner’s official account

Bollywood superstar-producer Aamir Khan on Monday announced that he has decided to leave social media, adding that updates about his future projects will be available on his production banner’s official account.

Khan, who turned 56 yesterday, also thanked his well-wishers for their love and warmth on his birthday.

“Thank you so much for all the love and warmth on my birthday. My heart is full,” the actor said in a statement shared on his social media pages.

“In other news, this is going to be my last post on social media. Considering that I am so active anyway, I have decided to drop the pretence. We will continue to communicate as we did before,” he added.

Khan, who has backed films such as “Lagaan”, “Taare Zameen Par”, “Dangal”, and his upcoming “Laal Singh Chaddha” under his stable Aamir Khan Productions, also revealed that the production house has come up with its verified page.

“In addition, AKP has created its official channel! So future updates on me and my films can be found there. Here is the official handle @akppl_official,” he added.

“Laal Singh Chaddha”, also starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, is slated to be released on Christmas 2021.

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No govt communication ever threatened social media platforms’ staff of jail term: IT Ministry

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The government had ordered Twitter to take down hundreds of posts, accounts and hashtags, that it saw violating rules.

The government has never threatened employees of any social media platform, such as Twitter, of jail term, the IT Ministry has said.

Reacting to reports that alluded to Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter employees being threatened with jail term, the Ministry said social media platforms are “obliged to follow the laws of India and the Constitution of India, just like all other businesses in India have to.” “As has been conveyed on the floor of Parliament, users of social media can criticise the government, the Prime Minister or any Minister but promotion of violence, rampant communal divide and stoking the flames of terrorism will have to be reflected upon,” it said.

The government had ordered Twitter to take down hundreds of posts, accounts and hashtags, that it saw violating rules. Twitter initially did not fully comply but fell in line after the government showed the rule book that contained penal provisions.

The IT Ministry went on to state that the recent guidelines pertaining to social media simply require the platforms to put in place a robust grievance redressal mechanism for users.

“None of the government communications, either written or oral, have ever threatened the employees of any of the social media platforms of jail term,” it said.

“The government welcomes criticism and dissent. However, of late, repeated instances of abuse of social media to foment hate, discord and violence by terrorist groups from outside India and circulation of morphed images of women, revenge porn posing threat to the safety of users especially women users have become grave concerns,” it said.

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Karnataka Woman at Oxford University Forced to Quit as Students’ Union President Over ‘Racist’ Posts

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Just five days after she was elected as the first Indian woman president of the Oxford University Students Union, a 22-year-old student from Karnataka was forced to step down after some of her old social media posts were termed as “anti-Semitic” and “racist”, leading to outrage.

Despite issuing an open letter of apology for “unintentionally” hurting sentiments, Rashmi Saman, who hails from Udupi and was elected on February 11, was forced to resign, Indian Express reported.

The Oxford Students Union Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality (CRAE) and Oxford LGBTQ Campaign accused her of hurting the sentiments of various communities and insisted that she step down from her new post.

CRAE said Saman’s post were “racially insensitive” and she refused to acknowledge the “the harm caused by her actions” when questioned.

“I wish to ask a question to all who termed me insensitive and racist citing my social media posts of the past. Are you being sensitive when you judge a person’s worth based on social media captions of a non-native English speaking teenager that were posted years before the person formed convictions on issues of race? They were the posts of a teenager who just had access to the world of social media. I again reiterate my apology to those genuinely hurt for my ignorance but not to those with malicious intent,” Saman was quoted in the report as saying.

According to Indian Express, Saman is now weighing her options and is likely to take legal action against one university faculty member who allegedly put up a photo of her mother alongside a ‘Jai Shri Ram’ poster and suggested that the family has Islamophobic tendencies.

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From current affairs to social change: here’s what Indian women talked most about on Twitter

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Some women also tweet about challenges like working from home and being a single mom. This has helped them build connections by sharing experiences, the company noted

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Just six years ago a study by Observer Research Foundation highlighted that women in India are underrepresented in Twitter’s political conversations. That seems to be changing as a recent survey commissioned by the microblogging platform shows Indian women discuss diverse topics on the platform, ranging from current affairs to social change.

Twitter analysed over 5 lakh accounts of women across 19 Indian cities between January 2019 and February 2021 to understand what they enjoyed talking about on the platform, and they found passion and interests topped conversation themes, with fashion, books, beauty, sports and entertainment being the most talked-about topics.

More than 40% women said they discovered a new interest on Twitter and those from Guwahati, Pune and Lucknow tweet the most about their passions.

Also Read | India’s digital skilled workforce needs to grow nine-fold by 2025: AWS survey

A fourth of women turn to the platform to stay informed of current affairs, and those from Guwahati and Delhi are leading the list. Topics that dominated conversations in the category include ‘COVID-19’, ‘Delhi Elections 2020’ and ‘Student Exams’.

Women have also turned to Twitter to share their professional and personal victories. Users from Chennai, Kolkata and Madurai tweeted the most about both small and big wins, the survey noted.

Nearly 37% women said they have made real-life friendships on the platform. Women from Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have tweeted the most to make personal connections. Some have also used the platform to come together with other women with similar interests, creating several hashtags including #WomenInScience and #WomenInMarketing.

Also Read | Social media abuse drives girls off Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: poll

A large number of women have posted tweets to empower through online movements, and those from Bengaluru, Guwahati and Delhi tweeted the most about social issues.

Some women also tweet about challenges like working from home and being a single mom. This has helped them build connections by sharing experiences, the company noted.

Other common conversation themes include showcasing creative interests like photography, dance and poetry to a virtual audience.

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Facebook to Lift Its Temporary Ban on Political Advertisements

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Facebook will lift its temporary ban on political advertising in the United States on Thursday, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday. The social media giant has had a months-long freeze on political, electoral and social ads, which it introduced as part of an effort to crack down on misinformation and abuses around the November 3 elections.

Facebook had temporarily lifted its ad pause in Georgia for the state’s January runoff elections but put it back in place. Alphabet’s Google, which had lifted its own political ad ban in December, later reinstated it following the January 6 siege at the US Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Google lifted the ban last week.

ALSO READ: Facebook to Ban Ads Promoting Weapon Accessories Ahead of US President-Elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration

Democratic and Republican digital strategists have argued that such bans were overly broad and failed to combat the issue of organic misinformation on the platforms. Earlier on Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) issued a statement criticising Facebook for not committing to a clear date to end the ban, saying the freeze had made it harder for campaigns and organisations to reach voters.

Facebook, which noted in its blog post that its systems do not distinguish between political and electoral ads and “social issue” ads, said it would look in the coming months at what other changes to its ads might be needed.



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Twitter Tackles Covid-19 Vaccine Misinformation With Labels, Strike Policy

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LONDON: Twitter said it would apply warnings to tweets that contain misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines and implement a strike system of enforcement that could see users permanently banned for repeat violations.

The social media network started promoting public health information before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. It also aimed to remove demonstrably false or misleading content about the virus that had the highest risk of causing harm.

Since introducing its COVID-19 guidance, it said it had removed more than 8,400 tweets and challenged 11.5 million accounts.

With more and more people now looking for authoritative public health information about vaccines as programs were rolled out across the world, it said it would expand the guidance.

Katy Minshall, Twitter’s head of UK public policy, said the company recognised the role it played in giving people credible public health information.

“We continue to work with health authorities around the world – including (Britain’s health service) the NHS  – to ensure high visibility access to trusted and accurate public health information on our service, including about COVID-19 vaccines,” she told Reuters.

“Today we will begin applying labels to tweets that may contain misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to our continued efforts to remove the most harmful COVID-19 misleading information from the service.”

She said the approach built on existing work to guard against false claims about the safety and effectiveness of inoculation.

Vaccines are at the centre of government plans to fight the pandemic that has caused more than 2.6 million deaths to date.

There have been concerns, however, that public distrust of the shots could jeopardize the success of vaccination programs.

Surveys and data show varying levels of willingness to receive a shot according to country and demographic group.

In Britain, where more than a third of adults have received at least one vaccine shot, authorities are working to overcome hesitancy among some ethnic groups.



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