Social Media
Mediawatch for 9 October 2022
FBoy Island controversy; TVNZ's boss on the concerns about the public media merger aired on Parliamentary hearings; can epic-scale social media platforms be hacked down to size? Audio
Christchurch Call pushes against the algorithms
New Zealand is leading a bid to break open social media’s secret algorithms as part of The Christchurch Call response, with backing from some big tech outfits. But without input from the biggest… Video, Audio
Brands blast Twitter for ads next to child sex abuse accounts
Some major advertisers have suspended or pulled their ads from parts of Twitter after their promotions appeared alongside tweets soliciting child sex-abuse material.
All the eggs in one basket at poultry farm after rebranding
Lincoln University graduate Anna Craig has overhauled the marketing story for her family's free range egg farming business in North Otago. Audio
Tech: Facebook's TikTok look, retail giants dump facial
Technology correspondent Dr Dennis Desmond joins Susie to talk about the big changes Meta is introducing to Facebook that will make it run along the lines of TikTok - why do some think this will mark… Audio
The reason why America has become 'uniquely stupid'
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt says he knows why the last 10 years in America have been "uniquely stupid". Perhaps unsurprisingly, he lays the blame squarely on social media platforms like… Audio
How to simplify your time management with the 'rule of four'
Many of us go through life as if one day, eventually, we might get through everything on our to-do lists and satisfy everybody's demands. This is simply impossible, says writer Oliver Burkeman, so we… Video, Audio
Smooth operator: How Kenny G created his own genre
In 'Listening to Kenny G,' director Penny Lane traces the saxophonist's rise from his start as a high school musician in Seattle through to the current day, highlighting what makes him tick and why… Audio
Two decades of internet disruption
The Internet hasn’t just disrupted the media business in this millennium so far: it’s transformed it - and, in some cases, overwhelmed it. As he steps down after two decades at Internet NZ, Jordan… Audio
The oddities of the English language
In Dr Arika Okrent's latest book, Highly Irregular: Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme - and Other Oddities of the English Language, the linguist examines the weirdness of the English language… Audio
How oligarchs are being undone by social media
Journalist Greg Walters has been writing about how influencers and "beautiful people" posting glamorous selfies aboard Russian oligarchs' yachts are helping to bring down the incredibly rich people… Video, Audio
Slaves to the algorithm?
Big tech and social media bosses pledged to eradicate online extremism in Christchurch Call three years ago in Paris - and today they claim atrocities which echo the 15 March massacre don't go viral… Audio
Social media breaks improve mental health: study
It won't come as a surprise to many people to learn that taking a break from social media can lead to improvements in things like depression and anxiety. But a new study out of the University of Bath… Audio
'Slim-thick' body type more dangerous than ultra-thin
The 'thin' ideal has long been identified as a threat to girls' body image, but new research has shown that there is an even more dangerous body type than 'ultra-thin' - and we have Kim Kardashian to… Audio
What happens to Twitter now Elon Musk is in charge?
The world's richest man has bought the world's biggest megaphone. What's he going to do with it? Tech expert Mark Pesce tells Kathryn Ryan what we know so far. Video, Audio
The weird wonders of Wikipedia
Neuroscience student Annie Rauwerda loves trivia that's both educational and funny and Wikipedia is her favourite source. A couple of years ago in lockdown, the 22-year-old started sharing screenshots… Audio
Covid anxieties on the rise for teenage girls
In Aotearoa and around the world, teenage girls are struggling with their mental health at higher rates than boys. Yet the extra anxiety delivered by Covid-19 could help this generation become more… Video, Audio
My Current Song: Park Bench, 'Castaway'
Park Bench is a four piece alternative band from Auckland's Western Springs College. They got together in music class and hope to keep things going once their secondary schooling is completed at the… Audio
Deliberate ignorance: why people choose not to know
There are plenty of things that people are happy to remain in the dark about. It's called deliberate ignorance. Psychologist Jennifer Howell has tested deliberate ignorance in the lab and uncovered… Audio
Tweens to teens: The muddle of the middle school years
The "middle years" of 11 to 15 year-olds can be a bit of a muddle, when children are stepping away from the influence of their parents and into that of their peers - and social media influencers… Audio