Social Media – Changes: 1) META To Hide Posts About Suicide, Eating Disorders From Teens’ Instagram And Facebook Feeds, 2) People Are Sharing The Weird Food Combinations They Love And Calling It A “Rat Snack”
1) META To Hide Posts About Suicide, Eating Disorders From Teens’ Instagram And Facebook Feeds
CRITICS SAID META’S MOVES DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH
Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian PressPublished: Jan 10th, 2024
Barbara Ortutay – The Associated Press
Meta said Tuesday it will start hiding inappropriate content from teenagers’ accounts on Instagram and Facebook, including posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.
The social media giant based in Menlo Park, California, said in a blog post that while it already aims not to recommend such “age-inappropriate” material to teens, now it also won’t show it in their feeds, even if it is shared by an account they follow.
“We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences on our apps,” Meta said.
Teen users — provided they did not lie about their age when they signed up for Instagram or Facebook — will also see their accounts placed on the most restrictive settings on the platforms, and they will be blocked from searching for terms that might be harmful.
“Take the example of someone posting about their ongoing struggle with thoughts of self-harm. This is an important story and can help destigmatize these issues, but it’s a complex topic and isn’t necessarily suitable for all young people,” Meta said. “Now, we’ll start to remove this type of content from teens’ experiences on Instagram and Facebook, as well as other types of age-inappropriate content.”
Meta’s announcement comes as the company faces lawsuits from dozens of U.S. states that accuse it of harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.
Critics said Meta’s moves don’t go far enough.
“Today’s announcement by Meta is yet another desperate attempt to avoid regulation and an incredible slap in the face to parents who have lost their kids to online harms on Instagram,” said Josh Golin, executive director of the children’s online advocacy group Fairplay. “If the company is capable of hiding pro-suicide and eating disorder content, why have they waited until 2024 to announce these changes?”
2) People Are Sharing
2) People Are Sharing The Weird Food Combinations They Love And Calling It A “Rat Snack”
Courtesy of Barrie360.com: WHAT’S TRENDING WITH MJ
MJ BradfordPublished: Jan 10th, 2024
A new term for that weird snack you make yourself is now called “Rat Snack.”
People on TikTok are sharing the odd food creations they make up in a hurry to satisfy their peckish feelings.
“Rat Snacks” typically combine foods that wouldn’t normally go together and aren’t part of a big meal.
Most of the time, you won’t even sit down to eat it.
One example someone shared was crumpling potato chips with a spoon of vinegar on top and eating them with a spoon.https://giphy.com/embed/xzpUegZia6tnprmrIO
One lady posted that she put butter and cinnamon on a piece of bread and then threw a cheese slice on top.
Abby Sharp, a registered dietician, has a hunch on why many people, especially the younger groups, are jumping on this trend, also known as an unhinged snack.
In an interview with Bustle ,Via the “New York Post” Sharp says this trend comes more out of a need of necessity due to finances.
“With the rise in grocery costs, people are trying to find any way that they can save money and for a lot of people, this means digging deep into the pantry, freezer, or fridge to pull together any little bits and pieces that may not traditionally go together.”
She added, “People often don’t see themselves making the smoothie bowls that they see on Instagram, but they can pull together a piece of cheese and a pickle with a pinch of salt because they have it on hand.”
Feature image from Abbey Sharp via TikTok