For many, the pandemic switched the focus away from financial gain.
Commercial satellite companies provide views once reserved for governments, like this image of a Russian military training facility in Crimea.
Satellite image (c) 2021 Maxar Technologies via Getty Images
National security professionals and armchair sleuths alike are taking advantage of vast amounts of publicly available information and software tools to monitor geopolitical events around the world.
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.
The decision to broadcast an interview so far ahead of the final completion of the judicial process is a risky one. There was no pressing need to run this story now.
That impossibly beautiful model on Instagram might be just that. CGI influencers are already on social media, and Meta’s commercial interest means it shouldn’t be in charge of the ethical guidelines.
On TikTok, stories can be manufactured and dramatized like an investigative gossip reel.
Jenna Drenten
Female survivors of sexual violence in Indonesia tell stories of their experience on Twitter and Facebook to seek safe space and share fears, grievances, despair and anger.
The Sunwing saga highlighted the role of influencers, which in this case was negative, but they are still considered role models followers identify with, or whose example they want to follow.
(Unsplash/Mateus Campo Felipe)
The popularity of hashtags like #MeToo speaks to society’s increasing embrace of important issues like sexual assault and harassment
WitchTok is the subculture of pagans who use TikTok to share spells, learn about mythology and connect with co-religionists.
(northeasternherb, showthe8thhouse, greenwitchmystics/TikTok)
2021 was another unpredictable year and there’s no sign of life returning to normal just yet – but here are the digital trends you can expect in 2022.
A cutout display at a protest highlighted the connection between social media and the real-world effects of misinformation.
Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
Misinformation will continue to strain society in 2022 as the lines between misinformation and political speech blur, cynicism grows and the lack of regulation allows misinformation to flourish.
The cute economy is not only a network of cute content that people participate in making, sharing and circulating but also a multibillion-dollar business.
(Shutterstock)