An already-undermined Canadian media landscape is facing further silencing from Big Tech. In retaliation to the passing of The Online News Act, otherwise known as Bill C-18, Google and Meta announced that they will be blocking posts from Canadian news outlets on their platforms. By passing Bill C-18, the Canadian[Read More…]
Tag: Social Media
Know Your Admin: McGill Athletics
If you’re a McGill student that cares even a little bit about McGill sports, odds are you follow @mcgillathletics on Instagram. With over 10,000 followers, the Instagram account connects athletes, students, fans, and alumni who root for the Martlets and the Redbirds. From schedule updates to analytics to live game[Read More…]
TikTok is an institution, and we are its humble students
It’s 1:00 p.m., and I’ve settled comfortably on my couch after a harrowing day of class. With last night’s leftovers in hand, I pull out my favourite entertainment receptacle––the iPhone––and begin a tricky balancing act, placing the bowl between my legs, a fork in one hand and my phone in[Read More…]
New anonymous social media platform Sidechat launches at McGill
On Feb. 13, many McGill student groups shared posts on social media advertising a new online platform designed for university students: Sidechat. Sidechat’s launch at McGill was accompanied by heavy marketing, with free cookies given to those who created an account, and money being offered to anyone who reposted the[Read More…]
Escape the digital world and touch some grass
It’s 2009: The early internet days. Poptropica and Club Penguin are booming, Microsoft released Windows 7, and Disney XD hit cable services. But then came social media, along with a lasting novelty that prompted an ineffable sense of enthusiasm to the extent that it is now an inextricable component of[Read More…]
Logan Paul’s genius strategies to make you rich!
Logan Paul is not the scam king that the media has falsely painted him to be. I, for one, am an avid supporter of the hotter Paul brother and have personally spent thousands of dollars on NFTs, which I don’t regret at all. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are the genius[Read More…]
To swipe or not to swipe: Dating in a post-lockdown world
Since March 2020, the comings and goings of COVID-19 have altered the structure of our social lives. For nearly two years, people of all ages reduced their in-person activities and turned to an online world of family gatherings, end-of-year parties, and even dating. Some embraced this shift in dating culture[Read More…]
Kanye West and the spectre of toxic masculinity on Twitter
Content Warning: Discussions of hate speech, bullying, and harassment. Since the inception of social media, online bullying and harassment have abounded, with platforms being used by certain figures to hide behind a screen without facing consequences head-on. At the scale of celebrities, the impacts of such bullying are magnified. People[Read More…]
Time to BeReal: Could the newly popular app be addictive?
Many students across North American university campuses receive identical notifications on their smartphones every day: Time to BeReal. The alert is sent out to all those who have downloaded the popular social media app BeReal, which delivers a less-filtered online experience to those looking to avoid overly-polished content. The recent[Read More…]
Where do I begin? BeReal
BeReal—this year’s new social media sensation—is an app that prides itself on its authenticity over other social media platforms, and has quickly amassed over 10 million daily users. The concept is straightforward: At a randomized time each day, a notification is sent out, giving users two minutes to post a[Read More…]