Social media presents many challenges for the world of work. One is the potential for employees’ online comments when off-duty to become a fertile source of evidence for allegations of misconduct and grounds…
John Nimmo has been given eight weeks in prison for online abuse.
Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Two people have been jailed for making threats and sending abusive messages on Twitter to Caroline Criado-Perez, the feminist campaigner who sought to have a woman put on a British bank note. Isabella…
Can I interest you in the Acme Corporation? I’m hearing great things.
Rafael Matsunaga
On the morning of 22 January 2013 a story started to develop on Twitter about the imminent and unexpected resignation of Jens Weidmann, the CEO of Deutsche Bundesbank. The first documented tweet came at…
Caroline Criado Perez has spoken out about her experiences with trolls.
Canadian Pacific
As someone who researches online behaviours such as trolling, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking, I have, from time to time, ended up on the receiving end of abusive online behaviour myself. Out of a wide…
Economic hardship makes for blue books.
Nerissa's Ring
Literature has mirrored the shifting economic climate over the past century, according to a study published today by researchers in Bristol and London. When times are tough financially, it seems, books…
We’re all living in a bubble these days.
The Infatuated
The term “bubble” is now part of everyday conversation, particularly since the financial crisis of 2008. But bubbles are not just a problem in the world of banking. They can affect the choices you make…
Caroline Criado-Perez learnt the hard way about internet trolls in 2013.
Chris Ratcliffe/PA Wire/Press Association Images
It was an extraordinary year for social media. We saw sites such as Twitter shift from being a fun pastime to a fundamental part of life. The change might not have been unexpected but each time a new incident…
Is it time to give Facebook the flick?
Ben K Adams
Breaking up is hard to do, especially with social media. But thousands of people are doing just that, and with the new year and its inevitable resolutions just around the corner, it might be a good time…
“Booze pages” on Facebook that have as many as 10m “likes” have been blamed for promoting excessive drinking through giveaways and posts that suggest things like drinking early in the morning. Alcohol…
The Arab Spring marked a shift in news-gathering methods used by journalists. But how reliable was the information, and what problems did it pose for traditional journalists?
EPA/Julien Warnand
The Arab Spring protests have presented interesting examples of the complex power relations between traditional and new methods of social media reporting in times of crisis. Traditionally, global crisis…
Clint Eastwood and his empty chair don’t let facts get in the way of a good narrative.
Lynne Sladky/AP/Press Association Images
Human beings have long been easily influenced by the opinions of others but the social media networks that have come to dominate our lives may be making this “social proof” a problem. A recent study in…
It looks like you’re playing a ukulele. Would you like to buy some quinoa?
Lilah Shepherd
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, are developing an algorithm that aims to identify whether you’re a hipster, a goth or a punk, just from the cut of your social media jib. The team…
Emily Darling, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Scientists are increasingly turning to social media to publicise their research. While some see Twitter and Facebook as a bit of fun, others find online tools are becoming integral to their work. In an…
Bleuurgh, gross! Get it on Facebook quick.
Nick Saltmarsh
Our awareness of food waste is increasing all the time, yet we continue to throw away vast amounts of produce even when we don’t need to. We are getting tired of being lectured on our habits so its time…
Social media has long been said to enable “produsage”, where viewers can also be content producers. But new research shows this is not how we use these networks.
The Conversation
The democratising potential of social media have long been heralded. Successive government ministers, starting with Helen Coonan, Stephen Conroy and now Malcolm Turnbull, have all talked up the marvels…
Twitter has become the latest online tool to be used to monitor the spread of disease. Researchers are looking at whether health providers can identify the locale of a disease outbreak by monitoring the…
Twitter is awash with trolls, spammers and misanthropes, all keen to ruin your day with a mean-spirited message or even a threat that can cause you genuine fear. It seems all too easy to set up an account…