Tag: social media

Indian Farmer Protests: Cricket, Bollywood Icons v. Rihanna

Post author By lmacret
Post date February 6, 2021

Supporters of India's cricket team Izhar Khan/NurPhoto/ZUMA

NEW DELHI — India is a cricket-crazy nation. We love our cricketers and some of us even worship them. Also, we love our cinema. We look up to the reel life heroes and admire them with the expectation that they are real life heroes. But what happens when these influencers do something unexpected? When we keep someone on a pedestal we, unknowingly, keep them in the position of authority and give them the power to influence us, our decisions. From their fashion sense to their political ideologies, we believe everything they do could be correct, since they’ve achieved something we […]

Tags Anushka Deepak, celebrities, farmers, india, protests, rihanna, social media

Society

Catholic Miracles And Social Media From The Heart Of Calabria

Post author By
Post date December 29, 2020

Praying in front of the Madonna dello Scoglio in Calabira La Locride via Instagram

Social media platforms like Facebook have turned new attention to the Italian region’s long tradition of Catholic-themed mysteries and miracles.

Tags italy, religion, social media, superstition

In The News

Kardashian In Casablanca? A Plastic Surgery Boom In Morocco

Post author By
Post date December 4, 2020

Sofia Guedira Benzakour, an ambassador of the Guess Clinic Sofia Guedira Benzakour

In a kingdom torn between the rise of Islamism and always-connected digital world, more and more women are undergoing invasive operations, sometimes risking their lives.

Tags beauty standards, instagram, morocco, plastic surgery, social media

Ideas

Hashtag Activism And Human Rights In Iran

Post author By
Post date September 23, 2020

Tweeting in Tehran? Milad B. Fakurian

Iranian authorities have proven themselves amenable to online pressure. But to effect lasting change in the Islamic Republic, people also need to engage in real-world action.

Tags activism, hashtag, human rights, iran, smartphone, social media, twitter, united kingdom

In The News

Will COVID-19 Make China’s Movie Theaters Vanish Forever?

Post author By
Post date August 6, 2020

Seat distancing applied at a movie theater in Jinan Wang Kai/Xinhua/ZUMA

The pandemic has taken a huge toll on the Chinese film industry. But it’s the movie houses themselves that have suffered most.

Tags china, film, hollywood, movie theaters, social media, streaming, television

Geopolitics Society

Black Lives Matter In The Arab World: Fighting A Multidimensional Racism

Post author By
Post date June 26, 2020

BLM protests in Tunisia PPI/ZUMA

In Arab countries, the death of George Floyd has reignited the debate about racism against Blacks, a discrimination that worsens as it descends the social ladder.

Tags arab, black lives matter, instagram, lebanon, middle east, racism, social media

Ideas Society

Social Isolation And Social Media, A Toxic Combination

Post author By
Post date April 6, 2020

Working the screens Liu Dawei/Xinhua/ZUMA

Do we need to see influencers in their designer pajamas?

Tags confinement, germany, instagram, isolation, social distancing, social media

In The News

Hate Speech In India, And Why Reporting It Is Risky

Post author By lmacret
Post date April 8, 2019

Members of India's Rajput community shout slogans against film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali in protest Shilpa Thakur/ZUMA

A growing number of Indians — including some lawmakers — have taken to social media to incite violence, particularly against Muslims.

Future Ideas

Behold The Google-Facebook Duopoly

Post author By
Post date December 11, 2018

Rami Al-zayat

Google tried and failed to play the social media game. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the tech giant, which is doing just fine by sharing the tech market with California rival Facebook.

Tags advertising, google, network, social media, united states, Zuckerberg

In The News

Greetings From The Instagram Hotel

Post author By
Post date August 22, 2018

Hotels are now designed to be "Instagrammable" Riad BE Marrakech/Instagram

MUNICH — From a digital point of view, the Norwegian Erik Nissen Johansen is at the forefront: Even his cat has Instagram. No wonder then that the hotel designer also pays attention to Instagram on the professional front. Johansen is the founder and creative director of the design agency Stylt Trampoli, based in the Swedish […]

Tags germany, photography, social media, tourism

Geopolitics Society

India And Pakistan, A Virtual Return To History Of Shared Troubles

Post author By lmacret
Post date May 29, 2018

Lowering of the flags at the border between Pakistan and India Giridhar Appaji Nag Y

Using social media platforms, professors from Pakistan and India developed a course that looks at the two countries’ histories without nationalistic biases.

Tags culture, education, history, online classes, pakistan, social media, society

In The News

The Paradox Of The Hyper-Connected Traveler

Post author By
Post date February 3, 2018

The digital nomad is both here and elsewhere, and so he's often nowhere. Ragner Vorel

LAUSANNE — Margaux and her partner, Séverine, have spent more than a year traveling in a van from the United States to Patagonia. It makes sense then that they’ve come across #Vanlife, an Instagram hashtag van users like themselves use for posting pictures of their lives on the open road. The couple, from Lausanne, enjoy […]

Tags instagram, internet, social media, switzerland, traveling, vanlife

In The News

In Europe, Subtle Signs Of A Softening On Putin’s Russia

Post author By
Post date January 25, 2018

Putin in Svtiltsa, Russia, on Jan. 19 Alexei Druzhinin/Planet Pix/ZUMA

There are still plenty in the European Union taking a hardline against the Kremlin. But a counter bloc is emerging from the corridors of the European Parliament.

Tags democracy, disinformation, europe, propaganda, russia, social media

In The News

Consumerism, Pornography And Pigs Like Harvey Weinstein

Post author By
Post date November 2, 2017

Sexism on display s2art

For a Paris sex therapist, the fight against sexual abuse requires action against online pornography and the sexualization of youth. The victims are men and women alike.

Tags consumption, france, harvey weinstein, hypersexualization, industry, kevin spacey, me too, porn, sexual harrassment, social media

Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics

Obama’s Shadow, White House Photographer Pete Souza Looks Back

Post author By
Post date January 15, 2017

Pete Souza has worked for the Chicago Tribune, Life and National Geographic. He’s covered the war in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks and the beginning of Barack Obama’s Senate career. He’s been the White House’s official photographer twice, for Ronald Reagan and for Barack Obama. At 62, Souza is always ready for another shot. But […]

Tags obama, photography, pictures, social media, trump, united states, white house

Geopolitics Syria Crisis

Mom vs. ISIS: Indonesian Student Torn About Going To Syria

Post author By lmacret
Post date September 28, 2016

Teuku Akbar Maulana, saved from ISIS teukuakbarmaulana via Instagram

JAKARTA — Teuku Akbar Maulana, 17, is from the westernmost Indonesian province of Aceh. He was a brilliant student and was offered a scholarship to study in Turkey. Akbar left for the Turkish city of Kayseri in 2013 to attend the International Imam Khatip High School but grew tired of it after a few months. “We were studying something that I had learned before so I wasn’t getting what I wanted,” he says. Bored, Akbar, who was 15 at the time, started to spend more time on social media, including Facebook. His feed was flooded with brutal videos of what […]

Tags isis, islamic state, jihad, recruit, social media, terror, terrorism, turkey

Future Geopolitics

Anonymity Killer, Russian App Takes Facial Recognition Mainstream

Post author By
Post date June 26, 2016

A young man using FindFace FindFace Facebook Page

FindFace, a revolutionary facial recognition tool, makes it possible to instantly identify an attractive stranger or petty criminal. It could also provide states with new ways to monitor their citizens’ activities.

Tags anonymity, app, FaceFind, facial recognition, privacy, russia, social media

Future

A New Way To Track Photographic Footprints On The Internet

Post author By
Post date April 19, 2016

Where do they lead? Summer Skyes 11

Among the many potential applications are the defense of digital copyright for photographers, and the end of the hassle of online passwords.

Tags digital copyright, facebook, italy, photography, social media, startups

blog

April Fools’ Day Is No Joke In China

Post author By
Post date April 1, 2016

Slow Clap, Xi Jinping style... Voa Chinese

BEIJING — This is not a joke. Chinese citizens who’d like to lay some harmless April Fools’ Day pranks are hereby warned: “This is illegal.” Such is the official message published by Xinhua Viewpoint, the Chinese government’s microblogging account. “April Fool’s Day does not conform to our country’s cultural traditions and core socialist values. We […]

Tags April Fools, china, jokes, rumors, social media, socialist values

Eyes on the U.S. Future

Germany Asks: Is Zuckerberg Criminally Liable For Facebook Hate Speech?

Post author By
Post date February 29, 2016

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, between like and hate Alberto Pepe

Two German lawyers say the Facebook founder and CEO doesn’t do enough to stop hate speech.

Tags facebook, germany, mark zuckerberg, privacy, sedition, social media

Future Geopolitics Ideas Society

A Legal Age For Facebook? Parenting And The Rise Of Social Media

Post author By
Post date December 30, 2015

How long can you hold him? Loren Kerns

TURIN — In Brussels, it doesn’t matter if your 8-year-olds have a smartphone in their pockets with more computing power than the Rosetta space probe. The European Union passed a regulation this month that raised the legal age for the use of social media to 16, requiring parental consent before teenagers can open Facebook, Instagram, […]

Tags digital rights, eu, facebook, italy, parenting, social media, twitter

Economy Future Society

Collective To Connective: Does The Internet Undermine Human Institutions?

Post author By
Post date November 1, 2015

Digital words, real actions Backbone Campaign

Patients versus doctors, electors versus parties and disappointed refugee aid response. The Internet may actually widen the gap between citizens and modern democratic institutions.

Tags arab spring, croatia, democracy, internet, ipsa, occupy, social media

blog

Europe Deals Privacy Black Eye To Zuckerberg

Post author By
Post date October 7, 2015

Die Tageszeitung, Oct. 7, 2015 “In your face,” writes (in English) Berlin-based Die Tageszeitung on its Wednesday front page, one day after a landmark ruling by Europe’s highest court made it more dificult for Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook and thousands of other companies to transfer users’ data from Europe to the United States. The famously tongue-in-cheek […]

Tags facebook, germany, mark zuckerberg, privacy, private data, ruling, social media

blog

Extra! Turkey And The Big Social Media Blackout

Post author By
Post date April 7, 2015

Cumhuriyet, April 7, 2015 “Half Democracy,” Tuesday’s front page of Turkey’s center-left daily Cumhuriyet reads, after the government imposed a nationwide ban on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook Monday. The accompanying picture depicts a man divided between “CENSORSHIP” and “VIOLENCE.” Turkish authorities have now lifted the ban, which had been implemented in an attempt to prevent […]

Tags censorship, erdogan, facebook, social media, turkey, twitter, violence

Geopolitics

ISIS And Twitter: Don’t Shoot The Messenger

Post author By
Post date March 7, 2015

A suspended ISIS-linked Twitter account American Security Project

Governments are taking Twitter to task for inadvertently helping jihadists “recruit, incite and horrify.” But they’re forgetting what a valuable law enforcement resource the platform is too.

Tags egypt, facebook, isis, islamic state, social media, twitter, war

Economy Geopolitics

Argentina’s Economy Implodes, Internet Swoons For Hunky Finance Minister

Post author By
Post date August 28, 2014

Argentine Finance Minister Axel Kiciloff, a.k.a. "Kicilove," a.k.a. the "Minister of Love" 2violetas

His name is Axel Kicillof, but they call him “Kicilove.”

Tags argentina, Axel Kicillof, kicilov, kirchner, politician, social media

Geopolitics The Endless War

Gaza Ground War: Twitter Reacts In Arabic And Hebrew

Post author By
Post date July 18, 2014

Marios Lolos/Xinhua/ZUMA - Li Rui/Xinhua/ZUMA - Worldcrunch

Here is a sample of how Israel’s ground offensive into Gaza was playing out on Twitter in Arabic and Hebrew. Tweets in Arabic *A young Palestinian named Mustafa Abu Zir tweeted this morning from Gaza, “the electricity has been cut to our neighborhood for 18 hours.. my laptop and phone battery died and we have […]

Tags al sisi, hamas, iron dome, palestinian territory, reactions, social media, twitter

Society

Modern Couples, The Biggest Threat Isn’t Infidelity

Post author By
Post date July 10, 2014

Need to be more alone than this? Benjamin Random

Contemporary relationships are challenged not just by naughty temptations, but by competing personal interests and professional goals. How modern couples reflect whole new values.

Tags argentina, modernity, relationship, social media, together, women working

Future Geopolitics

Israeli Hostages, Gag Orders And Social Media

Post author By
Post date June 17, 2014

Gag orders vs. the digital age. Facebook page

The abduction of three young Israelis unfolded across the Internet, even as newspapers in Israel were barred from reporting it. What does social media mean for both democracy and security?

Tags Gag orders, israel, israeli hostages, palestinian people, social media

Geopolitics Society

What If Sardinia Became A Swiss Island?

Post author By
Post date March 31, 2014

Frivolous island? Worldcrunch montage

Could landlocked Switzerland finally get some coastline? There is a movement afoot pushing Swiss annexation of the Italian island of Sardinia.

Tags annexing, coastline, crimea, geopolitics, italy, lugano, politics, rome, social media, switzerland, Ticino, ukraine

Future Society

A Whirlwind Tour Of Silicon Valley’s Most Over-The-Top Headquarters

Post author By
Post date December 1, 2013

Google HQ's games room Mike Damkalidis via Instagram/Worldcrunch

From Twitter to Dropbox to Airbnb, where office life is the good life.

Tags apple, buildings, Cupertino, design, Dropbox, facebook, Flipboard, google, modernism, offices, Palo Alto, Pinterest, san francisco, social media, steve jobs, technology, twitter, united states

Ideas Society

Lampedusa, Racist Comments And Why Facebook Is Forever

Post author By
Post date October 11, 2013

Incendiary comment Worldcrunch

MUNICH — It only takes two minutes to gather enough material to make a person squirm or provoke them to pick up the phone to call a lawyer. Two minutes to see that racism flourishes not only on the fringes but also in the heart of our societies, in the minds of philosophy students and […]

Tags comments, facebook, germany, internet, lampedusa, opinion, social media

Food / Travel

The Argentine Amateur Chef Lighting It Up On FoodTube With Jamie Oliver

Post author By
Post date September 25, 2013

All smiles Facebook

BUENOS AIRES – Felicitas Pizarro’s huge smile is more than just glowing, it’s contagious. And now her life and her smile are about to enter radically new territory: Pizarro, a passionate amateur chef, is set to step up to the highest ranks of the foodie world, with the help of none other than British-born culinary […]

Tags argentina, Chimmichurri, competition, Felicitas Pizarro, Food Tube, jamie oliver, social media, sommelier, Steak, winner

Eyes on the U.S. Ideas

Social Media – The Digital Breadcrumbs That Feed Our Souls

Post author By
Post date September 14, 2013

"Enjoying" a performance by singer Robin Thicke Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA

-Essay- BOGOTA — Have you heard? Your phone is spying on you, Apple isn’t as friendly as you think, and Facebook is getting scarier by the day! Today, information is an increasingly valuable currency, not only because it allows companies to generate strange intangible assets that are so difficult to replicate, but also because what […]

Tags colombia, edward snowden, nsa files, privacy, social media, surveillance

Society

Not The Real Thing: How Coca-Cola Used The Internet To Try To Steal My Soul

Post author By
Post date August 29, 2013

Message in a bottle Julien Haler - Coca-Cola - Worldcrunch

GENEVA – The other day, someone posted a photo of a Coca-Cola bottle named Jonas on my Facebook wall. I was honored, though I couldn’t quite say why: was it because of the object itself, even though until then, I had been mostly annoyed by the new global marketing campaign where Coca-Cola replaced its logo […]

Tags coca cola, Coca-Cola social web, Coke, marketing, social media, social web, switzerland

blog Food / Travel

Berlin Restaurant Sparks Debate With Ban On Food Instagrams

Post author By
Post date August 16, 2013

There are currently 47,611,563 pictures under the #food hashtag... posts via Instagram

BERLIN – Denise from Sossenheim does it. “Mmm…,” it says under the picture of ochre-yellow lentil soup. David from Berlin does it too. On his Facebook page he shows what looks like the pizza he ordered for lunch with the words “Super Pizza” written underneath the image. For many young people, photographing their food and […]

Tags facebook, FB, food, germany, instagram, social media

Society

Tweet Offensive: Social Media Is Israeli Military’s Newest Weapon

Post author By
Post date July 21, 2013

The IDF's Facebook page Israel Defense Forces

The Israeli Defense Forces’ one-of-a-kind Internet strategy aims to bypass an international media known for unfriendly fire.

Tags Avital Leibovich, hamas, hezbollah, idf, israel, social media, tsahal

Geopolitics Ideas

Two Continents, One Refrain: What Binds Protest Movements in Brazil and Turkey

Post author By
Post date July 11, 2013

United we stand Sebati Karakurt/Facebook group

–OpEd– There are many similarities between the protests around Gezi Park in Turkey and those of the Free Pass Movement in Brazil. In both cases, initial demonstrations were small with specific objectives: to save the park and to obtain free public transport, respectively. And discontent in both countries reached a critical mass amid widespread perception […]

Tags brazil, erdogan, protests, rousseff, social media, turkey