Five things worth sharing from the last week or so, brought to you by a different member of the Browser Media team every Friday.
This week’s My Five is by Lisa.
1. In the age of social media
An EU proposal to raise the digital age of consent from 13 to 16 was discussed this week.
The appeal suggested that social media networks and messaging applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, should all ban under-16s from accessing their services – unless they gain express consent from their parents.
Many tech firms lobbied against the idea, and some internet safety groups claimed that the move would not only deprive young people of educational and social opportunities, but infact make them even more vulnerable online.
The EU regulators failed to come to agreement on the policy, so a new draft law has been put in place for each country to set their own age limits for social media use. This will be confirmed by a full parliament vote next year.
2. Trump card
In his campaign for presidency of the USA, Donald Trump has made some rather controversial claims. I won’t repeat any of them here, but I will highlight the fact that many Harry Potter fans have weighed in on the issue, comparing him to super villain, Lord Voldemort.
One particularly offended individual even went as far as to create a Google Chrome extension which seamlessly replaces every mention of Trump on the internet with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Tom Riddle, You-Know-Who, or Lord Voldemort. The result…
3. Lingerie Football
A controversial women’s football league claim that they are fighting for equality by having their players wear skimpy crop tops and hotpants.
The Lingerie Football League UK, recently launched in Manchester, is due to play their first match next week on December the 23rd. They’ve come under a lot of fire in the run up to the game, however, with many traditional football coaches and feminist groups branding them as “sexist”.
The founder of the sport insists that all of its players are “pioneers of football” working to raise awareness of the gender pay gap, increase funds and attract sponsorship.
4. Twitter seizes the moment
Twitter has launched (another) new feature, “Moments”, putting itself in more direct competition with broadcast outlets such as the BBC.
Curated by British journalists, the service collates the biggest stories of the day into categories of news, sports, and entertainment. There are currently 18 production partners including Sky News, Buzzfeed, The Sun and Glamour magazine. All have been trained to produce media content in the new format.
The Moments tab, symbolised by a lightning bolt logo, will apparently present stories in a more accessible way for individuals who are unfamiliar with the platform.
5. #BritishAstronautProblems
The UK’s first ‘official’ astronaut, Tim Peake has just been blasted into space for six months.
Tim is aboard the International Space Station to carry out experiments and educational projects in a bid to make science more appealing to young people. An amazing mark in British history! However, we must of course take a few moments to consider some of the very real problems he will be addressing up in space.
#britishastronautproblems Not being able to talk about the weather
— … – ..- ??? (@_Alfista) December 15, 2015
When you're busy astronauting but you get a flashback of the John Lewis Christmas advert and well up. #britishastronautproblems
— Stu ~Bat Country~ Nugent (@ThatSexToyGuy) December 15, 2015
When your space bus is late and then 3 come all at once. #britishastronautproblems
— ©ol (@Bigshirtlesscol) December 15, 2015
Someone sits next to you on the rocket, meaning you'll have to wait until later to eat your cheese & onion crisps #BritishAstronautProblems
— NorthernLine (@NrthrnLine) December 15, 2015
