Sheryl Sandberg to Step Down from Meta Board: A Look Back at Her Impact

Sheryl Sandberg to Step Down from Meta Board: A Look Back at Her Impact

Business

Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta, announced her departure from Meta’s board. Sandberg was instrumental in transforming the social media giant and played a key role in its success. While serving as COO, Meta generated billions in revenue through targeted advertising. Sandberg’s departure leaves a question mark regarding board replacement. Since leaving her role, Sandberg has focused on philanthropic efforts, empowering young girls and promoting women’s sports. She recently organized an event addressing sexual violence at the United Nations.

‘Timhouthi Chalamet’: The TikTok Star Touring a Captured Ship in the Red Sea

‘Timhouthi Chalamet’: The TikTok Star Touring a Captured Ship in the Red Sea

Business

A young Yemeni man named Rashid Al Haddad, also known as ‘Timhouthi Chalamet,’ has gained online popularity by posting videos of himself touring a captured cargo ship in the Red Sea. While his TikTok account mysteriously disappeared, his Instagram page is still live. The videos provide a unique perspective on an escalating conflict in the region. Criticism arises from the glamorization of the Houthi group, accused of war crimes and human rights violations. The attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea carry significant implications for global trade and the economy.

Threads’ New Hashless Tags: A Gateway for Silly Trolling

Threads’ New Hashless Tags: A Gateway for Silly Trolling

Technology

Threads, the Instagram offshoot, recently introduced searchable “topic tags” to enhance user experience. However, users quickly discovered that these tags can be used for a silly trolling prank. By inserting a deceptive “Show more” tag within a Threads post, innocent users unknowingly click on it and get redirected to the page associated with that tag, resembling the classic “Rick Rolling” phenomenon. This prank has been successful due to its replication of familiar UI elements and the confusion of unsuspecting users.

Instagram Introduces Two-Second Looping Videos and Direct Replies to Notes

Instagram Introduces Two-Second Looping Videos and Direct Replies to Notes

Technology

Instagram has introduced two new features to its Notes feature – two-second looping videos and direct replies. Users can now include mini Boomerang-like videos in their Notes, adding a visual dynamic to the status update feature. Additionally, users can directly reply to Notes with GIFs, stickers, voice notes, photos, or text, enhancing interaction with friends’ updates. These updates aim to encourage sharing and foster meaningful connections within Instagram’s community. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, continues to explore new features to enhance the user experience.

Instagram’s Algorithm Under Scrutiny for Showing Inappropriate Content to Teen Followers

Instagram’s Algorithm Under Scrutiny for Showing Inappropriate Content to Teen Followers

Technology

Instagram, owned by Meta, is facing backlash for its algorithm that serves inappropriate content, including child-sexualizing reels, to followers of teen influencers. The Wall Street Journal revealed that the platform has been showing risqué and sexual adult videos to accounts associated with young gymnasts and cheerleaders. The experiment also found that the inappropriate content was accompanied by ads from prominent brands. Meta’s response to the issue has raised concerns among advertisers who are now more cautious about the placement of their ads. Current and former Meta employees have acknowledged the internal knowledge of the issue, and suggested that revamping the algorithm is necessary. However, internal documents suggest that Meta prioritizes traffic performance, making it challenging for the safety team to implement significant changes.

Instagram Testing Multiple Audience Lists for Stories

Instagram Testing Multiple Audience Lists for Stories

Technology

Instagram is testing a new feature that allows users to share Stories with specific groups of friends. This gives users more control over who sees their Stories. Instagram already has a ‘Close Friends’ feature, which allows users to create a list and share Stories exclusively with that group. However, this new feature would let users create and maintain multiple lists, giving them the ability to share with different groups of people and subsets of followers. Instagram head, Adam Mosseri, expressed his excitement about the possibility of creating additional lists for the people in his life. However, the feature is still being tested and may not be released widely.

The Disturbing Trend of Bone Smashing: A Dangerous and Baseless Beauty Myth

The Disturbing Trend of Bone Smashing: A Dangerous and Baseless Beauty Myth

Technology

Bone smashing, an alarming and dangerous trend, involves hitting one’s face with a hammer to supposedly increase facial bone size or structure. It is a concept born from the idea of ‘mewing,’ which claims that tongue exercises can enhance the jawline. However, there is no evidence to support these claims. Instead of achieving desired results, bone smashing often results in swelling, bruising, and potential injuries. This trend is part of a subculture obsessed with altering facial features to conform to perceived beauty standards. The notion that certain facial features determine one’s destiny is unfounded and reminiscent of harmful pseudoscience from the past.

Meta Faces Backlash Over AI Sticker Feature

Meta Faces Backlash Over AI Sticker Feature

Business

Meta received backlash when users discovered ways to create inappropriate images using its new AI sticker feature. The posts gained widespread attention and criticism, with users sharing controversial stickers featuring popular characters. Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies, questioned the effectiveness of Meta’s safeguards. This is not the first time AI-generated content has faced scrutiny, as Lensa, an AI avatar generator app, previously faced allegations of sexualizing and racializing user avatars.