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More than half of Year 11 students at an inner-city school have agreed to give up social media during their exams to boost grades. Cumberland Community School in Plaistow, East London, has convinced 160 students to delete social networking apps from their phones in a bid to keep them more focussed on their exams.

Throughout May and June, while taking their GCSEs, there will be no Instagram posting, WhatsApp messaging or snapchats for the students who have agreed to take part in the social media ban. Many have also agreed to hand in their mobile phones while in school taking exams to avoid any temptation or distraction.

Since introducing compulsory revision sessions, Cumberland has become among the best in the country for GCSE exam results. Its Progress 8 score jumped an entire grade from minus 0.46 to plus 0.55, making it the most improved in the country.

The school runs compulsory early morning, late afternoon, weekend and holiday revision sessions with year 11 students starting at 7am - and not being able to leave until 4.30pm every day. There are 300 children in the year group. 160 have agreed to delete social media during their exams.

Student Dania Olajide, 16, from Tower Hamlets, said: Doing my mocks I was still on social media so tried to balance revising with socialising. Now that Im off social media I expect my grades to improve. This will be an interesting test to see if I do better than my friends who arent giving up. I think I will.

I spend a lot of time on Instagram, Tik Tok and Snapchat but so far I have not had many withdrawals. I read a lot so now just occupy myself when Im not studying doing that. I think this is a great idea by the school because it pushes us to be the best we can be. They are looking out for us.

Student Amin Opayemi, 16, from Beckton, added: I already feel like it has helped me and its only been a few days. I have stopped procrastinating, checking my phone every five minutes while revising. Social media is highly addictive and so you can easily get sucked in. You say you yourself you will just check your phone then an hour has gone past and you havent revised.

It has massively helped to clear my head as well. Once I put it down for a few days the desire to pick it up started to leave me. I would advise all students who are serious about doing well on their exams to give this a try. Its only a few months and could make a huge difference to their futures.

Headteacher Ekhlas Rahman predicts the students taking part will see a significant uplift in their results. He said: As adults we know what a time thief these social networking site can be. For teenagers the temptation is even stronger.

If you are tweeting or posting or WhatsApping you are not revising. We predict it is going to make a huge difference, possibly an entire grade point in each subject. We will monitor their progress against students not taking part in the scheme with similar grade predictions to see how they get on.

We are always looking for an extra edge to give our students the best possible chance of getting strong grades. We have had the children in every day at 7am studying for their exams and they are here after school every day until 4.30pm.

Newham is one of the poorest boroughs in the country so most of our parents cannot afford a private tutor so we provide it all for free, every day. Cumberland Community School is operated by the Community Schools Trust.

CEO Simon Elliott said: I dont think it is controversial to say that these phones are highly addictive. At a time when they need to be concentrating on their exams many are glued to their phones.

I am very proud of what these students and this school is trying to achieve. It takes a lot for a young person to step away from the crowd, they are pioneers. I am not a betting man but a huge uplift in the exam results of these students is as close to a sure thing as you can get.

Their future selves will be very grateful the made this sacrifice at such a crucial stage of their academic careers.

See the article here:
Students agree to give up social media during their exams to boost ... - Nottinghamshire Live

After spending the past few months shaking up Twitter internally, Elon Musk is now looking to the future.

Just days after announcing a new CEO, Twitter is reportedly acquiring tech talent hiring platform Laskie, Bloomberg first reported on Tuesday.

Laskie was co-created by serial Twitter user and startup founder Chris Bakke, who previously sold hiring startup Interviewed to Indeed six years ago.

Neither Laskie nor Twitter confirmed the acquisition or announced the terms of the deal. And Bakke, who I always see on my Twitter feed, has been suspiciously offline since early May.

Grow your revenue with all-in-one prospecting solutions powered by the leader in private-company data.

Its a surprising move for Twitter, which recently cut upward of 3,500 employees and sold its pricey office furniture, and is still, after all that, being sued by at least six companies for not paying its bills.

But perhaps the acquisition is a sign the company is on the mend. Musk previously announced Linda Yaccarino, an ex-NBCUniversal executive, will take on the role of CEO and he will act as the chief technology officer.

After acquiring Twitter against his will, Musk said his aspirations for the social media company involved becoming a super app, a one-stop shop for every digital interaction from messaging to buying groceries. Its a goal Snap CEO Evan Spiegel has long aspired to achieve and something many companies in China already function as today

Laskie, which matches job seekers with prospective employers, may bring Twitter a step closer to its super app goal and allow it to compete with LinkedIn as a professional social networking platform.

However, Twitter doesnt have a great track record with maintaining its acquisitions. The incredibly popular six-second video platform Vine was acquired by Twitter in 2012 for around $30 million and subsequently shut down four years later.

Twitter at the time said it wanted to reallocate resources toward live streaming instead of Vine, but then shut down its livestreaming platform Periscope in 2021, citing unsustainable levels of maintenance for the product. Periscope survived only six years under Twitters management.

This is Twitters first acquisition under Musk, but Im not sure if Twitter will be able to catch up with Facebook and Amazon, both of which are far closer to super app status than the bird website is.

Illustration: Dom Guzman

Stay up to date with recent funding rounds, acquisitions, and more with the Crunchbase Daily.

Originally posted here:
Elon Musk Moves Twitter Closer To 'Super App' Status With Startup ... - Crunchbase News

A photo of the wedding card of a BJP leader's daughter who is marrying a Muslim man has gone viral on social media with several people, including Hindutva hardliners, trolling the former MLA and the saffron party alleging ''double standards''.

The wedding is slated to take place at a resort here on May 28.

People close to the leader, Yashpal Benam, said on condition of anonymity that his daughter studied at Lucknow University and was in a relationship with the man whom she is going to marry.

Benam is the chairman of the Pauri Municipal Corporation. He was earlier with the Congress and won as an independent from Pauri Assembly constituency in 2007.

Political leaders from both the BJP and the Congress have been invited to the wedding.

Several social media users slammed Benam, saying while the BJP talks about ''Love jihad'', its leader has failed to stop his daughter from marrying a Muslim man.

''The BJP-ruled states are making films like 'The Kerala Story' tax-free while here a BJP leader's daughter is marrying a Muslim man. These are double standards of the BJP and party workers will get demoralised,'' said a user on social networking site Facebook. ''Love jihad'' is a term often used by BJP leaders as well as right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The rest is here:
BJP leader's daughter to marry a Muslim, photo of wedding card goes viral on social media - Devdiscourse

Survey Discloses: 40% of Women Encounter or Observe Sexual Harassment on Social Media Platforms

Key Findings:

One out of every five women, accounting for 20.8%, has personally endured sexual harassment on various social media platforms. Approximately 39.7% of women have either experienced or witnessed sexual harassment online within the realm of social media. Among female social media users who encountered sexual harassment, a staggering 57% reported experiencing it on Facebook and Facebook Messenger. Regarding the nature of the harassment, 79% of affected women received unwelcome messages and/or sexual comments. An alarming 68.2% of the surveyed 3,000 women who actively use social media expressed dissatisfaction with social media companies efforts in safeguarding users.

Introduction & Survey Objectives

SellCell, a leading online mobile phone price comparison site, in collaboration with OnePoll, conducted a comprehensive survey to investigate the issue of online sexual harassment targeting women on social media platforms. The survey, administered to 3,000 women in the UK who actively engage with social media and related apps, aimed to gauge the prevalence of sexual harassment experiences among women and examine their perceptions regarding the protective measures taken by social media platforms.

Main Survey Results

(Please note that the questions and answers contain sensitive content)

Among the 3,000 UK women who responded to the survey and actively use social media, 40% confirmed they had either experienced or witnessed sexual harassment on social media platforms or apps. Out of the total respondents, 21% disclosed their personal experiences with sexual harassment on social media platforms or apps. Within this group, 57% reported that their encounters with sexual harassment occurred on Facebook or Facebook Messenger. Of those who experienced harassment, 79% received unsolicited sexual comments or messages. When confronted with sexual harassment on social media, 76% of women took action by blocking the offender or offenders. Approximately 32% of victims noted that the long-term effects of social media sexual harassment included feelings of violation and/or intimidation. Among the 2,342 respondents who had not experienced sexual harassment on social media, the majority (69%) attributed their safety to their careful selection process when choosing whom to follow or accept as friends. A significant 68.2% of the surveyed female social media users agreed that social media platforms do not invest enough effort in protecting individuals from online sexual harassment.

Summary of Survey Questions

SellCell and OnePoll posed the following questions to 3,000 UK women who actively use social media, regarding their experiences with sexual harassment on social media platforms and applications. Content advisory: Some survey questions and responses contain sensitive and/or sexual language.

Question 1) Which of the following statements best describes your experience with sexual harassment through a social media platform or app?

The survey inquired 3,000 UK women who actively use social media, Which of the following statements best describes your experience with sexual harassment through a social media platform or app? Among the respondents, 39.7% (1,190) acknowledged either personal experiences with sexual harassment or witnessing such incidents on social media platforms or apps. Moreover, 20.8% (624) of the total respondents admitted to personally enduring sexual harassment on social platforms or applications, leaving the remaining 79.2% who have not experienced such harassment.

Question 2) (If you have never personally experienced sexual harassment through a social media platform or application) Why do you think you have avoided personally experiencing sexual harassment on social media? [Select all that apply]

In response to this question, 69% (1,605) of the 2,342 women who have not personally experienced sexual harassment on social media attributed their safety to their meticulousness in selecting whom they follow or accept friend requests from. Additionally, 42% of respondents keep their social media accounts private to avoid harassment, while 41% refrain from sharing much about themselves due to a lack of trust in platform security. Furthermore, 32% use social media solely for staying updated with news and activities rather than socializing, and 5% limit their social media use to work or business purposes.

Question 3) (If you have personally experienced sexual harassment through a social media platform or application) On which social media platforms/apps have you personally experienced sexual harassment? [Select all that apply]

Among the 624 women who reported personal experiences with sexual harassment on social media, 57% identified Facebook and/or Facebook Messenger as the platforms or apps where they were most likely to face harassment. Additionally, 37% of these women cited Instagram as the source, while 26% attributed their experiences to dating apps like Tinder or Hinge. Interestingly, 4% of the respondents fell victim to online sexual harassment on LinkedIn, a professional networking platform.

Question 4) (If you have personally experienced sexual harassment through a social media platform or application) What types of sexual harassment have you personally experienced on social media platforms/apps? [Select all that apply]

An overwhelming majority of 79% of those who encountered sexual harassment on social media reported unwelcome sexual comments or messages as the primary form of harassment.

Furthermore, 59% of victims received friend requests or invitations from strangers, leading to discomfort.

48% of those targeted stated that the offender sent them pornographic photos or videos.

9% of victims faced threats of sexual violence as a form of online social media sexual harassment.

Question 5) (If you have personally experienced sexual harassment through a social media platform or application) When you personally experienced sexual harassment on social media, did you report this to anyone/take any action? [Select all that apply]

Of the 624 women who confirmed being sexually harassed on social media, 76% took action by blocking the individuals responsible for the harassment. 42% of the respondents reported the offender to the respective social media app or platform. 5% escalated the matter to the police, while regrettably, 11% did not take any action, knowing that the platform, app, or police would not respond to the issue.

Question 6) (If you have personally experienced sexual harassment through a social media platform or application) Which, if any, long-term effects have you experienced as a result of the online sexual harassment you encountered? [Select all that apply]

Of the women who confirmed experiencing sexual harassment in question one, 32% expressed feeling violated and/or intimidated due to their experiences. 21% stated that the sexual harassment caused them to doubt their personal appearance, while 19% reported suffering from anxiety as a consequence. The sexual harassment negatively impacted the current intimate relationships of 10% of victims, and 3% reported detrimental effects on their careers.

Question 7) (All respondents) Which of the following statements best describes your experience with sexual harassment through a social media platform or app?

An overwhelming majority of 68.2% (2,045 women) among the 3,000 respondents expressed dissatisfaction with social media companies actions against sexual harassment on their platforms or applications. Only 7.8% believed that social media companies are doing enough to combat sexual harassment, while 24.0% of respondents remained uncertain about the adequacy of these companies measures to protect female users from harassment.

To access the full report, please visit: (https://www.sellcell.com/blog/social-media-sexual-harrassment-survey-2023/)

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Survey Unveils Disturbing Prevalence of Sexual Harassment ... - Business Cheshire

Social media networks such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube and Instagram have been shown to have significantly transformed student behaviour. But the focus has been on students social behaviour. And on how the English language is being spoken because of social media use.

The relationship between social media and students English language writing has been largely ignored.

Our team of four researchers who specialise in language studies set out to study the relationship between social media use and English language performance. We studied one English as a Second Language class at Fiaseman Senior High School in Tarkwa, western Ghana.

English is Ghanas official language and is the medium of instruction for all levels of education.

We learnt from the students that they spend significantly long periods of time on various social media platforms. Some even described their use as an addiction. We also found that their social media use had resulted in their adoption of shortened forms of English words in their writing, including in their English examinations.

We concluded from our findings that the significantly long periods of time spent on social media platforms was worrying, considering that most of the sites they visited are not pro-learning. This means that they are sites where most activities are not academically oriented.

In our view as language and communication experts, this situation could culminate in poor performances in the English language, as the valuable time students need to study to improve their proficiency is channelled into unproductive exploits on social media.

Our findings are important because in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, English language is a core subject that students need to pass before gaining entry into institutions of higher learning like universities and training colleges.

In Ghana, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination is taken by students after completing their high school coursework. It is primarily a written examination.

Our research targeted a Form 2 class (students who are a year away from writing their final high school exams), made up of 47 students aged 17 and 18 on average. They were one of the largest classes in the school, which offers English as a general subject and Literature-in-English as an elective subject.

All the students in the class volunteered to take part in our study.

We divided the students into seven groups. Our rationale was to obtain diverse in-depth knowledge from them.

The study found that the students were exposed to most social media platforms, especially WhatsApp and Facebook. We also found that participants paid regular visits to social networking sites and spent significantly long periods of time there. One respondent said:

I visit social media twice in a day. Sir, I visit there every day. I cant count. Im always there.

In addition, participants had been active on social media platforms for significant periods, even before their enrolment into the school. Most participants admitted that they were addicted to social media.

Please, yes. That is very true. I am hundred percent addicted. I can see that Im very addicted because it is very difficult to control my presence there.

Based on this experience we argue that there are two critical consequences here: the participants are likely not to give their studies the needed time and attention, and their English language performances will be negatively affected, culminating in poor academic progression.

Exacerbating this is the finding that the students frequently use short forms in their academic writings.

Short forms are the unacceptable written forms of English such as 4 in place of for, u in place of you and d in place of the that students transfer from their informal social media interactions into their formal English language examination writing.

Our research indicates that it is a frequent student practice. Interestingly, we found that the participants know that such deviant practices affect their English language performances.

For my side, I use short hands doing chats on social media, and I forget myself and use them in my compositions. I sometimes find myself using short hands in my notes and also in exams.

We concluded that the way in which English is being used in examinations by students is being undermined by their use of the English language on social media. This is a growing trend that will see students struggle to get ahead in the subject, as more formal English language writing is needed for examinations and for further studies.

We recommend that those involved in education should consider integrating teaching practices that take advantage of social media to engage students. This would allow students to learn during their time on social media platforms. Online dictionaries with pronunciation buttons and websites that offer free educational materials to students, for instance, could come in handy.

Also, teachers should assist students in selecting appropriate social media sites. The academic counselling units of high schools should engage students to sensitise them on social media sites, their importance, dangers and how best to use social media, especially for academic purposes.

All those involved in education should be taking students use of social media seriously. Until innovative approaches are implemented, Ghana risks recording mass failures in the English language component of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

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Ghana school students talk about their social media addiction, and how it affects their use of English - The Conversation Indonesia