Daniel Angus, Queensland University of Technology; Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology, and Ehsan Dehghan, Queensland University of Technology
From voting info to risqué quips, this election, online political ads are more pervasive than ever before.
The digital public sphere is constantly evolving, so we need a regulatory framework that helps to structure public discussion, and in turn guide our own public contributions as citizens.
A new Gilded Age of media barons?
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We are connecting ourselves, our homes and our workplaces to lots of internet-enabled devices: smartwatches, smart lightbulbs, toasters, fridges … How to keep all their data private?
Far-right candidates Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen have both benefited from substantial support by media groups sympathetic to their ideas.
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While many progressive movements have organised online, conservatives dominate because of better organisation, capital, and social inequality. France’s presidential elections are a case in point.
Farmers are at increased risk of loneliness and isolation.
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New research shows using social media can provide a much-needed boost to UK farmers’ wellbeing, connectedness and mental health, and even bank balances.
Social media provides spaces for participation – but also for misinformation.
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People used social media to connect with others, but after the pandemic, social media is increasingly fractured. Users adopt closed media spaces where they feel safe to express personal values.
The vacuum created by a drop in public trust in mainstream platforms has given rise to new media players who don’t always play by the rules.
The Kremlin has exerted tight control over news and social media in an effort to control the information Russians receive about the Ukraine war.
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Social media does have some redeeming features – and its utility will depend on how you use it. But for many of us, the reward no longer outweighs the harms.
TikTok now has over a billion daily users.
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For the metaverse to work, people need to own their virtual bodies and possessions and be able to spend money. The same cryptographic technology behind bitcoin will make that possible.
Using social media increases our natural tendency to compare ourselves. How does this affect our well-being?
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