January 2016
Why the iPad is a far bigger threat to our children than anyone realises: Ten years ago, psychologist SUE PALMER predicted the toxic effects of social media. Now she sees a worrying new danger…
Today, on average, children spend five to six hours a day staring at screens. And they’re often on two or more screens at once – for example, watching TV while playing on an iPad. Because technology moves so fast, and children have embraced it so quickly, it’s been difficult for parents to control it. And when it comes to spending a childhood in front of a screen, this generation are like lab rats. The long-term impact is not known. Even before iPads hit the market in 2010, experts were warning that 80 per cent of children arrived at school with poor co-ordination, due to a sedentary lifestyle. Along with colleagues in the field of child development, I’d seen a rise in prescriptions for Ritalin, a drug for attention deficit and hyperactivity – a four-fold increase in less than a decade.
The Daily Mail 27/1/2016
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BBC may ask over-75s to give up free TV licence
People over 75 may be asked to give up their free TV licence or make a voluntary contribution to it, under plans being considered by the BBC. The corporation must absorb the loss of £650m worth of licences for over-75s from 2020 as part of a funding deal agreed with ministers last year. A report on ways to appeal for voluntary contributions is due in 2016. The BBC has refused to comment on suggestions that older celebrities might front a publicity campaign. The Times reported that such a campaign could be run by personalities such as Sir Michael Parkinson and actress Dame Helen Mirren. Historically, the government has met the cost of free licence fees for over-75s, transferring the money to the BBC annually. In 2013-14 the total bill for the government was £608m, which amounted to about a fifth of the BBC’s budget.
BBC News Online 25/1/2016
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ITV’s Jekyll and Hyde was too ‘violent and frightening’ for kids, says watchdog
Ofcom has ruled that ITV broke UK broadcasting rules for airing “violent and frightening” drama Jekyll and Hyde early in the evening when children were watching. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom received 504 complaints, while ITV was contacted by almost 400 people, about the drama’s violent scenes and disturbing imagery. The first episode of Jekyll and Hyde aired at 6.30pm on a Sunday featuring potentially disturbing images from the start, with one character bludgeoned to death within the first minute, and further violent deaths including someone being set on fire and another being shot in the stomach. “We found this programme broke our rules requiring children to be protected from unsuitable material by appropriate scheduling,” said Ofcom. “The cumulative effect of violent and frightening scenes made this programme – the first in the series – unsuitable for children when scheduled to start at 6.30pm on a Sunday, and without a clear warning before it started.”
The Guardian 25/1/2016
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Social media and internet porn abuse punished by councils
There was a rise in the number of UK council workers suspended last year after being accused of breaking social media rules, according to a Freedom of Information request made by BBC Radio 5 live. The response showed that more than 51 workers were suspended. However, only a minority were later dismissed or resigned. The exact figure is not known because some councils did not specify how many of their employees had been suspended. The data also reveals 11 people were suspended for viewing online porn.
BBC News Online 25/1/2016
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Downton star Jessica Brown Findlay calls for the web to be ‘policed’ over treatment of women after her nude pictures were leaked in 2014 celebrity hacking scandal
Downton actress Jessica Brown Findlay has spoken for the first time about her distress when nude images of her were hacked and leaked online. Jessica, 26, revealed her feelings because she wants ‘the treatment of women’ to change after the infamous hacking which also targeted stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Kirsten Dunst. The actress, best known for playing Lady Sybil Branson in the ITV drama, told the Sunday Telegraph the internet needed to be ‘better policed’.
The Daily Mail 24/1/2016
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I couldn’t save my child from being killed by an online predator
Lorin’s story starts with a son who, like so many other boys, loved gaming. Breck was born in 1999 – his American parents, Lorin and Barry, had come to the UK two years before for Barry’s work as an oil trader. Two years later, their triplets were born – Carly, Chloe and Sebastian, now 14. Though Barry and Lorin separated in 2006, Barry remained close, having the children every other weekend. “From the start, Breck loved fixing things, taking them apart, putting them togther,” says Lorin. “At school, Breck wasn’t with the footballers, he wasn’t competitive. He was in the ‘Lego gang’ – a little group who made rockets and guns and ran around playing out little fantasies.” Later, computers drew him in. “He dismantled and rebuilt them,” says Lorin. “We didn’t buy the set-up he had. He was very resourceful, saving birthday and Christmas money, selling and exchanging parts.”
The Guardian 23/1/2016
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Teenagers who stay up all night texting ‘are less likely to excel at school because they’re sleep deprived’
Many teenagers are so attached to their phones – they don’t go to bed without it. And so, they frequently stay up late into the night, texting at all hours. Thus, many of them end up yawning and struggling at school the next day – absolutely exhausted from their nightlong chatting. As a result, teenagers who text late into the night have poorer academic performance and are sleepier at school, a new study revealed. Dr Xue Ming, of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said: ‘We need to be aware that teenagers are using electronic devices excessively and have a unique physiology. ‘They tend to go to sleep late and get up late. ‘When we go against that natural rhythm, students become less efficient.’
The Daily Mail 22/1/2016
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Ridding the internet of child pornography: ‘some of the work being done is hugely impressive’
Meet John Carr, writer and consultant on children and young people’s use of the internet and associated technologies. John Carr is a leading expert on child online protection. He has advised the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the European Union and several major high tech companies including Google and Vodaphone.
The Guardian 2/1/206
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Jimmy Savile report: BBC culture ‘to be criticised’
A report into cases of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile linked to the BBC is set to criticise the corporation’s culture, according to a leaked draft. News website Exaro says Dame Janet Smith’s draft report says the BBC had a “deferential culture”, “untouchable stars” and “above the law” managers. BBC head Lord Hall said lessons would be learned from a “dark chapter”. Dame Janet’s team said they were “disappointed” Exaro had published the “early draft”.
BBC News Online 21/1/2016
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Broadband firms face new advert rules in the UK
The UK’s broadband providers have been told to expect tougher rules on how they advertise their services. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority said it was considering the step to ensure people “aren’t misled by pricing claims”. It follows a study that indicated most users could not correctly calculate bills based on the information given in a selection of broadband ads. The ASA said it would make a final decision before June. A lobby group representing the broadband industry has suggested more research is needed before any changes are imposed. But one of the internet service providers has already said it supports reform.
BBC News Online 21/1/2016
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Google blocked 780m ‘bad ads’ in 2015 such as weight-loss scams
Google banned almost 800m “bad” adverts from its online ad networks last year as the web giant continued to crack down on advertising fraud. The figure of 780m was an almost 50% increase on 2014. Google also said that this year would see a major focus on stepping up efforts to fight back against bots – software applications that mimic the behaviour of internet users. “In 2016, we’re planning updates like further restricting what can be advertised as effective for weight loss, and adding new protections against malware and bots,” said Sridhar Ramaswamy, senior vice president of ads and commerce at Google, in a blog post on Thursday. “We want to make sure all the ads you see are helpful and welcome and we’ll keep fighting to make that a reality.
The Guardian 21/1/2016
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Revenge porn victim calls for law change over anonymity
A victim of revenge porn has said that she “probably wouldn’t have reported” her attack, if she knew that her identity was not being given anonymity. Keeley Richards-Shaw, whose ex-boyfriend was the first sentenced under the revenge-porn law, said media coverage had increased her distress. Alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, Julia Mulligan, she is campaigning for victims of revenge porn to be given the same anonymity as victims of sexual offences. Keeley also claimed that it was “never” explained to her that her identity would be made public.
BBC Radio 5 Live 18/1/2016
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BBC poll finds that viewers just can’t let go
He who lives by opinion polls and “consultations” must sometimes swallow his lumps. The BBC, offering listeners and viewers new digital and related services as more traditional channels (farewell, BBC3) disappear, wants its trust and audience enthusiasm to proceed. But the trust, with a little help from ICM, is sucking its thumb. “Most often, the concern is that new services will be funded by cutting existing services.” And, since you ask, “particularly in relation to the World Service, there are questions whether the BBC should fund certain services at all”.
The Guardian 17/1/2016
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YouTube Music Videos ‘Pose Health Risk To Teens’
British teenagers are being exposed to a high level of tobacco and alcohol images in online music videos, experts warn. Research from the University of Nottingham suggests girls aged between 13 and 15 are the most exposed. The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, analysed 32 of the most popular music videos during a 12-week period. Experts estimated, using the census and their own data, that the average percentage of viewing of those videos was 22% for teenagers and 6% for adults. They worked out the total number of depictions (impressions) of alcohol and tobacco in 10-second slots throughout the music videos seen by viewers. Overall, the videos produced 1,006 million “impressions” of alcohol and 203 million of tobacco.
Sky News 15/1/2016
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The internet – not an equaliser
Here’s the story about the global impact of the internet. In the last 20 years, the digital revolution and its leapfrog technologies have allowed developing countries to close the gap with richer nations, and have brought huge advances in health, education and transparent government. Well, not quite, according to the World Bank. Its annual World Development Report, this year entitled Digital Dividends, pours some cold water on that utopian view. True, it sees plenty of good things emerging from the advance of technology, but it warns that poor governance and a lack of skills is making it hard for all of those benefits to be realised even once countries do get connected to the internet.
BBC News Online 15/1/2016
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Viewers blast ‘disgusting’ Derren Brown stunt that saw him brainwash innocent members of the public into ‘MURDERING’ a man by pushing him off a roof
Viewers have blasted Derren Brown for a ‘cruel’ and ‘disgusting’ TV experiment that saw him lead members of the public into believing they had murdered an innocent man. In Darren Brown: Pushed To The Edge, which aired last night on Channel 4, the illusionist set up an elaborate hoax in which three strangers were separately guided to the point where they shoved the man off the roof, seemingly to his death. The scam was part of Brown’s demonstration of the power of social compliance: following orders because someone in authority tells you it’s the right thing to do. But the stunt prompted a barrage of criticism on social media, with twitter users branding Brown ‘manipulative’ and questioning the long-term effect the programme could have on its participants.
The Daily Mail 13/1/2016
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Celebrity Big Brother receives over 200 complaints for airing Angie Bowie’s reaction to her ex husband’s death and Tiffany Pollard’s explosive misunderstanding
Media watchdog Ofcom have confirmed to MailOnline that they have received over 200 complaints over the explosive scenes aired on Tuesday night’s episode of Celebrity Big Brother. The Channel 5 show showed Angie Bowie grieving the news of her ex husband David’s death. While the 66-year-old was told of the singer’s passing off camera, a number of viewers have complained that scenes of her crying in the diary room were intrusive. In addition Tiffany Pollard’s misunderstanding over the news, with the US star believing her housemate David Gest had died, also attracted complaints.
The Daily Mail 13/1/2016
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Does porn make you more aggressive?
Millions of Americans watch porn — but whether that’s actually harmful remains a longstanding debate. One new study says yes, finding a link between viewing adult material and committing acts of sexual aggression, including rape. The paper, published in the Journal of Communication, is a meta-analysis of 22 studies from seven different countries. The collected data looks at self-reports of pornography consumption and acts of sexual aggression, including sexual harassment and the use of force or threats to, as the study puts it, “obtain sex.” The researchers, from Indiana University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, found that “consumption of pornography was associated with an increased likelihood of committing actual acts of sexual aggression.”
The Week 11/1/2016
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Radio Four’s Today programme to become a TV show in bid to attract a new army of younger online fans
The BBC’s Today programme is set to make its TV debut with an increased focus on online videos. The move is part of a reinvention of the Today brand designed to deepen the connection between the Radio 4 flagship news show and a younger audience,The Independent reported. As a first step the team behind the programme will produce their own Today-branded Meet The Author books programme for the BBC News Channel. They hope other similar ventures will follow. And bosses are keen to make more use of video of the hard-hitting interviews which remain the programme’s hallmark. ‘I want us to completely overhaul how we do digital content and to exploit the Today brand and the presenter brands,’ Today editor Jamie Angus told the newspaper.
The Daily Mail 11/1/2016
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Twitter tackles the free speech conundrum
First they came for the stars, turning them into hearts, and we said nothing, or maybe “whatevs”. Then they came for the 140 character count and we looked a bit annoyed and rolled our eyes but essentially did nothing except retweet a couple of “wtf”s. Now they are recalibrating global standards of free speech, so what now? When Twitter last week removed the blue tick of a writer (Breitbart contributor Milo Yiannopoulos) for breaching its newly created guidelines for speech and conduct on the platform, it pointed the way to a different future for social speech. Anything no longer goes. Those who cling to the fragile frame of Twitter’s protocol design treat most changes to the platform like they once would have responded to someone messing around with the last half hour of Today on Radio 4. Twitter and its fellow social platforms are the new public media, addressing the global villages, and trying to do it all both efficently and profitably. They are in a very real sense doing things which have never been done before.
The Guardian 10/1/2016
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BBC launches review of news arm, saying it can’t ‘afford to do everything’
The head of BBC News has launched a review to reshape the operation for the next decade, while admitting that it “can’t afford to do everything” as it faces millions of pounds worth of cuts. James Harding, the director of news and current affairs, called a meeting on Friday to tell staff they are “set for a defining year”. “We are going to have to make choices,” he wrote to staff in a blogpost. “Technology is transforming the news. Audience expectations are changing, too. And the funding settlement for the BBC requires both cuts and the reallocation of spending.” Harding, who needs to find an initial £5m in savings as part of the corporation’s overall target of £150m in annual savings by 2017, said he was launching a three-month review on the future of BBC News.
The Guardian 8/1/2016
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Channel 4 audience share climbs for first time in a decade
Channel 4 appears to have turned a corner last year with shows including the drama Humans, reality series Hunted and ratings stalwart Gogglebox helping its flagship channel to record its first increase in audience share in a decade. The broadcaster’s audience share on its Channel 4 station fell to a 31-year low in 2014, but reported a small uptick from 5.86% in 2014 to 5.92% last year. Its 2o14 audience share was the lowest it had recorded since 1984, the channel’s second year on air, and led to criticism of the channel’s management after its top executives received substantial remuneration packages nonetheless. Last year’s rise in audience share to 5.92%, however marginal, is the first increase since 2006.
The Guardian 8/1/2016
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The ‘spy’ software that defends privacy
“Google takes data and serves ads, and in response you get a free service,” Mr Meiri said. “Our model is radically different – we take your data, transform it into knowledge that you can sell back to companies. “We are like PayPal for the internet of things. “We facilitate transactions, and our currency is your digital identity. “It is a spy technology, but it is powered by trust.”
BBC News Online 7/1/2016
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Why are British kids so unhappy? Two words: screen time
It’s 12.30am, and time for my pre-bed ritual: tiptoe upstairs so as not to wake the children, brush my teeth, turn out the lights … and then catch sight of that telltale, flickering blue glow coming from under the 15-year-old’s bedroom door. I mentally prepare myself for the nightly battle, and knock on the door.
Guardian 7/1/2016
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Online pressures creating ‘nation of deeply unhappy children’, says charity
Britain’s children are “deeply unhappy” and have to deal with fears and worries that did not exist 30 years ago, a charity has warned. Modern pressures such as cyberbullying and social media are affecting children’s confidence and self-esteem, according to ChildLine, the confidential counselling service run by the NSPCC.
In 1986, when the 24-hour helpline began, children’s biggest concerns were sexual abuse, family problems, physical abuse and pregnancy, according to ChildLine’s figures. Last year, the main issues raised were family relationships, low self-esteem and unhappiness, bullying (including cyberbullying) and self-harm.
Guardian 7/1/2016
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Parents ‘struggle to get children off devices’
Many UK parents find it easier to get their children to do homework, go to bed or have a bath than turn off their phones, laptops and TVs, a poll finds. A survey for the charity Action for Children found almost one in four mothers and fathers (23.1%) struggle to control their children’s screen use. But just 10% found it hard to get them to do their homework, while 17.5% struggled to get them off to bed. Just under 5% found it difficult to get their offspring to have a bath.
BBC News Online 6/1/2016
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ITV axes gory tea-time show Jekyll and Hyde after just one series following 800 complaints over violence and horrific scenes before the watershed.
Tea-time drama Jekyll and Hyde has been axed by ITV after viewers complained it was too scary. The programme attracted more than 800 complaints about violence and other horrific scenes after the first episode was broadcast in October at 6.30pm, two and a half hours before the watershed. It had featured a half-man half-dog creature, the brutal murder of a couple and a fight in an alleyway, among other disturbing scenes.
The Daily Mail 6/1/2016
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Maria Eagle pledges to challenge Tories on BBC and Leveson in new culture role
Maria Eagle, Labour’s new shadow culture secretary, has pledged to take the Conservatives to task on its “attack” on the BBC and will call on the government to push forward with implementing the Leveson proposals on press regulation. Eagle, who had a brief stint as shadow defence secretary following a reshuffle in September after Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour leader, was something of a surprise appointment, announced in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The 54-year-old, who is viewed as having been demoted in the shadow cabinet because her support for the Trident nuclear deterrent put her at odds with Corbyn, moved quickly to set out her stall to show she is determined to make an impact in her new role. Eagle said she was “pleased” to have been appointed to the role and immediately went on the offensive attacking the Tories over cuts, the BBC and press regulation.
The Guardian 6/1/2016
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Parents, put down your phones! Distracted mothers can damage their baby’s brain development by not giving ‘consistent care’
Reports in August revealed how children are increasingly feeling ignored due to their parents’ constant use of mobile phones, but this habit could also be having a much more damaging effect. Chaotic care by distracted mothers has been found to disrupt a baby’s brain development and may even lead to emotional disorders later in life, such as drug-seeking behaviour, experts have warned. The study suggests that seemingly harmless everyday interruptions, such as calls and messages, can have a long-lasting effect on a child – even though the research was conducted on rodents.
The Daily Mail 6/1/2016
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Celebrity Big Brother: Ofcom ‘assessing’ complaints
TV watchdog Ofcom has received 165 complaints about comments made by Winston McKenzie on the launch show for Celebrity Big Brother. In his entry video, the London Mayoral candidate said he would “cope with a homosexual in the house” by “standing against a brick wall all the time”. The former boxer was booed by the live crowd as he entered the house. Ofcom said it would assess the complaints before deciding whether to investigate. Channel 5 has declined to comment.
BBC News Online 6/1/2016
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Twitter boss Jack Dorsey hints at longer tweets – but says site will not lose its character
Twitter users who struggle to stay inside the limits of their 140-character tweets could see that extended by thousands after the site’s co-founder hinted at change. Following reports the social networking site will employ a new feature allowing users to tweet up to 10,000 characters at a time, chief executive Jack Dorsey posted a message saying the company will not be “shy” about giving its users more power. The current 140-character restriction was introduced in Twitter’s early days, in a similar way to short text messages, and while Mr Dorsey praised it as a ” beautiful constraint” he noted that users already find ways to cram more into a tweet by posting images with more words.
The Belfast Telegraph 6/1/2016
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BBC Three reveals new logo and switchover date
A new logo has been revealed for BBC Three ahead of its move online, with 16 February announced as the date for the channel’s switchover. The new logo is made up of two white bars and an exclamation mark on a pink background. It has been criticised on Twitter for the fact it seems to say BBC 2! in Roman numerals. BBC Three’s head of marketing, Nikki Carr, acknowledged the critics but added she was “not worried”. “Some people are resistant to change and we wanted to be bold and create something that looks forward and will be around for years to come,” she said.
BBC News Online 5/1/2016
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Is Facebook the enemy of truth and civic unity?
Every new technology threatens to kill off some revered institution. But in the waning months of 2015, more than a few smart and tech-savvy commentators began suggesting a radical hypothesis: that the rise of social media threatened to deliver a death blow to civic consensus and even to truth itself. “The news brims with instantly produced ‘hot takes’ and a raft of fact-free assertions,” Farhad Manjoo observed in the New York Times. “The extremists of all stripes are ascendant, and just about everywhere you look, much of the internet is terrible.” In the Washington Post, Anne Applebaum went so far as to demand that Mark Zuckerberg donate the entirety of his fortune to undo the damage Facebook has done to democracy. “If different versions of the truth appear in different online versions; if no one can agree upon what actually happened yesterday; if fake, manipulated or mendacious news websites are backed up by mobs of internet trolls; then conspiracy theories, whether of the far left or far right, will soon have the same weight as reality. Politicians who lie will be backed by a claque of supporters.”
The Guardian 2/1/2016
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11-year-old is youngest victim of revenge porn: Nearly 830 cases have been reported to police – around 24 a week – since new laws came into force last April
Nearly 830 cases of revenge porn have been reported to police since the introduction of new laws last April. An 11-year-old, from Nottinghamshire, is the youngest to have been allegedly targeted in the last eight months, according to Freedom of Information requests. A 14-year-old from West Mercia and a 56-year-old from Devon were also among the hundreds who made complaints. The Metropolitan Police received the most complaints with 238 offences reported between April and December, data obtained from 20 police forces in England and Wales by MailOnline showed.
The Daily Mail 1/1/2016
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