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Amid Alia Bhatt's global appearances, including the recent Met Gala and Gucci Cruise 2025, she has now found herself in a controversy. The "Blockout 2024" movement has added her name to their list, criticizing her silence on the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This movement, gaining traction on TikTok and other social networking sites, involves social media users blocking celebrities perceived as indifferent to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

The Blockout 2024 movement accuses Bhatt and other global stars of complicity due to their perceived inaction on the Gaza crisis. Over 100 celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Nick Jonas, Rihanna, BLACKPINK, and Kim Kardashian, are on the list. These stars attended high-profile events but allegedly remained silent on this pressing humanitarian issue. The list is being shared among social media users along with links to celebrity handles.

Since the war erupted on October 7, 2023, with Hamas's deadly attacks, Israel's military has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. The Blockout movement started around the same time as the Met Gala. When images of Israel launching a military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah circulated, some users highlighted the stark contrast between the gala's celebrity opulence and the dire situation in Gaza.

The Met Gala 2024 has become a focal point of the Blockout 2024 movement's frustration. The event, attended by A-list celebrities from various entertainment spheres, drew parallels to the Hollywood movie Hunger Games among social media users. Pro-Palestinian activists have urged these stars to use their influence to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. However, even attempts by celebrities to address these demands have faced criticism for alleged "opportunism."

Read more from the original source:
Alia Bhatt lands on 'Blockout' list over Gaza crisis silence - NewsBytes

Social media is a bit of a mess in 2024. Facebook and Instagram are being inundated with AI search functionality, TikTok is on the verge of a national ban in the US, and Twitter/X has been well, lets just say that Elon Musk hasnt exactly improved the platform since acquiring it in 2022. To users of these services, it would seem that people looking to connect with their friends and family while staying up to date on current events might soon be left without a non-toxic option. But thats not entirely the case if youre willing to look in unconventional places.

Thats right, WhatsApp the popular messaging app has been rolling out some features that seem like they belong in its other Meta-owned social media counterparts. Sure, emoji reactions on WhatsApp are a start, but this goes far beyond that. As a result, these features have made WhatsApp a viable option for those looking for a stripped-down version of social media that wont devolve into petty arguments and cannon fodder for porn bots. Here are some of the reasons why WhatsApp might be your new favorite social media app for your excellent Android phone or computer.

WhatsApp has largely been geared towards person-to-person communication over the years, but in 2022, the service took a big step in providing more group-centric functionality with the Communities feature. This lets users more effectively organize groups and subgroups, allowing for more comprehensive communication. Its not too dissimilar to Discord, allowing you to combine and communicate with particular facets of your life in one place.

Thats not all though. In 2023, WhatsApp also added a Channels feature, which allows you to follow brands for updates. In essence, its just a one-sided WhatsApp message in which a brand, like the New York Times or BuzzFeed, provides regular updates about current events, not entirely unlike a Twitter thread.

WhatsApp, like pretty much all social media apps at this point in history, offers a Status update feature, which operates similarly to that of Instagram or Facebook. Post a picture or write an update, and your contacts can see and interact with it. It even shows up as a little bubble on your Updates tab, although the circle is, of course, green instead of blue or orange like the other Meta-owned platforms.

Granted, this isnt necessarily a new feature. In fact, status updates have been available on WhatsApp since 2017, with the app rolling out the functionality as a response to Snapchat Stories, which were becoming increasingly popular around the same time. Still, WhatsApp is always improving app functionality, so its safe to assume that Status updates will continue to evolve with the times.

Its clear that WhatsApp is leaning into the social media element a bit more, as the service has future plans that will make your actual social life that much easier. Calendar organization for groups, for example, is a feature that would allow you to schedule meetups with users in your group chats. Granted, there is no release date for this feature, but these kinds of leaks prove that WhatsApp is more than happy to be lumped in with its social media compatriots.

Suffice it to say, WhatsApp is making a case for itself as a social media platform that isn't as toxic as Twitter/X, as convoluted as Facebook and Instagram, or as steeped in controversy as TikTok. Even better, the platform is owned by Meta, so there's a good chance that more and more features will roll out to establish it even further as a viable alternative to these legacy platforms.

Let's be honest, though, if you're getting sick of social media, it probably wouldn't hurt to log off and touch some grass. Because while the WhatsApp logo may be green, it won't give you the same feeling as a little bit of fresh air.

More:
3 reasons WhatsApp could be your next big social network - Android Police

On May 16 the world will mark the UN International Day of Living Together in Peace. It is a rallying call for people to listen respectfully to others and promote tolerance and understanding.

Perhaps someone should tell tech entrepreneurs Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. The online platforms they head up Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X have become synonymous with fake news, hate speech, misinformation and other online harms.

Social media has been widely blamed for destabilising democracies and fomenting civil unrest in Europe and North America. In July 2023, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, proposed restricting access to online platforms in order to quell rioting.

This is a far cry from 2009, when Facebook proudly claimed it had created friendships between seemingly irredeemably rival groups: Sunni and Shia Muslims, Muslims and Jews, Pakistanis and Indians, Greeks and Turks, conservatives and liberals.

Peace on Facebook was a classic example of what social scientist Nicholas John refers to as social media bullshit. Such PR blurb is designed to convince the public these tech companies are a force for good. They purposefully describe themselves as platforms rather than commercial entities to emphasise how benign they are.

In reality, these companies financially benefit from every click, like, share and comment users on their platforms make. The more inflammatory the content, the more profitable it is. My research shows that such online incivility only makes it harder to promote peaceful coexistence

There appears little chance of social media platforms taking stronger action to remove divisive content. Since tech entrepreneur Elon Musks acquisition of the X (formerly Twitter) microblogging platform in October 2022, the guardrails designed to protect minorities have, in fact, been dismantled.

Twitters Trust and Safety Council was dissolved in December 2022. This move, among many other policy changes, prompted an insider to go public with their fears that the site could no longer protect users from trolling, disinformation and sexual exploitation.

Musk has reportedly described himself as a free speech absolutist. This is particularly problematic for those whose real job it is to promote peace in deeply divided societies.

There is already extensive evidence that online platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have been used to spread hate speech. They have been used to incite sectarian violence, too, in countries including India and Myanmar.

In Sri Lanka, following anti-Muslim rioting in 2018, Facebook issued an apology for its role in the unrest. The company hired Article One, the human rights consultancy, to investigate what had happened. It concluded that the hate speech and misinformation that was amplified by Facebook users online may have led to violence offline.

My research shows that rumours, misinformation and disinformation have frequently been amplified by social media during contentious parades and protests in Northern Ireland. There is little evidence that such online activity inevitably leads to sectarian rioting. The indirect effects of online incivility, however, is that it makes it harder to promote reconciliation between former antagonists.

In effect, online platforms at present focus more attention on what divides rather than unites different communities.

Research shows that unsupervised intergroup contact, both on and offline, is unlikely to foster positive peace in societies that are transitioning out of conflict. Reducing prejudices against outgroups is much easier when there are rules in place to respond to content that inflames tensions between different communities. In other words, rival groups are unlikely to find common ground in unregulated online spaces where hate speech flourishes.

Clearly, frequent exposure to the online hate speech amplified by social media platforms is unlikely to aid peacebuilding. Communities who do not typically share the same physical space are unlikely to think differently about each other when they see such negative stereotypes being perpetuated online.

Social media such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) might not be the best place to promote peace. These platforms are designed to generate profit, not improve community relations.

For intergroup dialogue in contemporary societies to be effective minorities and vulnerable communities need stronger protections, not less. A public service internet, guardrails included, might be a better way to promote reconciliation in divided societies.

More:
Why removing protections on social media in the name of free speech is bad for peacebuilding - The Conversation

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USWNT midfielder Korbin Albert apologized last week after reposts and other social media activity resurfaced online, including one post on TikTok that included a sermon given in a Christian worship space talking about how being gay and feeling transgender is wrong.

This incident has prompted questions around the U.S. Soccer Federations social media policies.

Albert is currently in camp with the USWNT ahead of this weeks SheBelieve Cup, with the team facing off against Japan on Saturday. The federation itself has not formally addressed Alberts social media activity, nor has interim head coach Twila Kilgore. Largely, reaction crystallized around a post from former USWNT player Megan Rapinoe until Wednesday, when team captain Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan issued a statement during a virtual media availability.

We just want to address the disappointing situation regarding Korbin that has unfolded over this past week. Weve worked extremely hard to uphold the integrity of this national team through all of the generations, and we are extremely, extremely sad that this standard was not upheld, Horan said. Our fans and our supporters feel like this is a team that they can rally behind, and its so important that they feel and continue to feel undeniably heard and seen.

We stand by maintaining a safe and respectful space, especially as allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community, Morgan continued in the statement. This platform has given us an opportunity to highlight causes that matter to us, something that we never take for granted.

GO DEEPER

Morgan, Horan on Albert situation: 'disappointing'

While Albert has provided a current example of how social media may cause unintended consequences in the workplace, its not the first time its happened in womens soccer. At the club level, Sydny Nasello was drafted by Portland Thorns FC ahead of the 2022 NWSL season, but the team did not sign her after her social media activity surfaced, including posts and shared content. While Nasello apologized at the time, she later said on a Tampa Bay radio show that her personal politics had prevented her from playing in the league.

Its a dream that was stripped from me just because I have different political beliefs, Nasello said. And the NWSL is so one-sided in that aspect that I think its sad and its disheartening to see. Because you can be an advocate for politics, but only if youre on one side.

For U.S. Soccer, a national governing body (that is not a governmental entity) and a non-profit, the approach to how to handle a player who has shared what it deems to be personal religious or political beliefs seems like it could differ from that of a single NWSL team that is part of a privately owned, for-profit league.

What are U.S. Soccers policies that are already in place that could address this or a similar situation? Does U.S. Soccer have the power to stop calling up a national team player due to their social media activity? Wheres the line on what would trigger discipline? Would the organization use such a power?

This examination of existing guidance from the federation focuses more on content that could be defined as a personal belief.

The first policy to consider is the collective bargaining agreement between the federation and the U.S. womens national team players association. There is a fairly standard article that bans discrimination for both parties on a number of factors, including religion, race, sex, gender, gender identity, age, and more, in Article 6.

Its Article 8 that could conceivably give U.S. Soccer some far-ranging space to make such a call, which reads: All Federation decisions concerning the selection and participation of Players with or on the WNT shall be made solely to promote and/or enhance the best interests of the WNT and the WNT Program. The federation could make a case that if a player is posting or sharing content online that it views as harmful or offensive, that is not in the best interests of the team or program.

U.S. Soccer has its own policies as well, publicly available on its website, including a code of conduct and a prohibited conduct policy. A U.S. Soccer spokesperson confirmed the federation has a social media document, but said it reflected guidance more than a policy.

The code of conduct includes a section titled Guiding Your Behavior, which asks four questions: Is it consistent with the Code? Is it ethical? Is it Legal? Will it reflect well on me and U.S. Soccer? If the answer to any of those questions is no, the guide concludes DONT DO IT.

While there are no specific rules in the code of conduct on social media use, the document stresses that people treat each other with respect and dignity in a section on how to work as a team. This means we raise our criticism constructively, acknowledge that professional disagreement may nonetheless exist, and understand that all team members are entitled to work in an environment that is free of harassment, bullying or unlawful discrimination.

This is a notable section given that Albert also engaged with social media posts that both wished for, then celebrated, Megan Rapinoes injury to close out her career, which could also impact Alberts standing in the locker room amongst her teammates.

Consequences for any violations of this code are not specified, though the federation says it takes all reports seriously and reserves the right to take all available disciplinary and/or remedial measures for violation of this code.

Under the prohibited conduct policy, harassment is defined as unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based upon a persons protected status. U.S. Soccer will not tolerate harassing conduct that affects tangible job benefits, that unreasonably interferes with an individuals work performance, or safety, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

In Alberts case, the current roster for the SheBelieves Cup largely stayed out of the ensuing discussion on social media. Center back Abby Dahlkemper shared Megan Rapinoes post on her own Instagram, but it was mostly either retired players or players not heading to Aprils camp, such as Alana Cook and Lynn Williams, who publicly engaged.

On Tuesday, Williams and Sam Mewis both teammates to Jaelene Daniels in North Carolina discussed Alberts social media activity and apology. Daniels history with the USWNT has some similarities to Alberts, with Daniels having posted a reaction to the Supreme Courts ruling for marriage equality on her social media, but her status with the U.S. national team was also more complicated by the fact that she turned down a call-up because she refused to wear rainbow numbers during Pride matches. That social activity occurred in 2015, and she was subsequently called up to the national team under then head coach Jill Ellis.

Back then, we didnt know how to approach the situation and we put soccer first, Williams said on the episode of Good Vibes FC. I feel like, if Ive learned anything, its that there are just some things bigger than soccer, and one of them is human rights.

On Wednesday, Morgan said that the USWNT had an internal conversation about the current situation, but that the conversation would remain internal. One thing to also know is that we have never shied away from hard conversations within this team, she said.

While theres certainly precedent in the United States to terminate employees over social media posts, right now the federation does not appear to have the policies in place to support such a decision. Albert likely wont be the last player to have personal viewpoints clash with the culture associated with the USWNT.

(Photo of Korbin Albert: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

See the original post here:
Can U.S. Soccer punish Korbin Albert for social media activity? The policies and guidance in play - The Athletic

More and more people are relying on social media for health advice. Consequently, the people creating health-promoting content hold a growing responsibility for the information shared. This responsibility extends beyond their audience, as it pertains to their entire profession.

Scepticism is likely on the rise due to all the self-proclaimed experts present on various social media platforms. With every action that online health professionals take they must therefore safeguard the integrity of their field.

Professionals of preventive health who are creating content on social media may consciously or unconsciously be shaped by the content they share. We may ask: how much is social media linked to their professional identity and in what way?

And even further, is there a two-way relationship wherein these individuals may simultaneously use social media to build a professional image?

The role professionals of preventive health fields play in society is ever expanding as their voices are being magnified with social media. Should we be exploring how to leverage the role of social media in educating and forming future health professionals?

Identity may be defined as an individuals organised constellation of traits, attitudes, self-representations, and social roles. With the advent of social media, and all it offers in terms of a person's ability to share different aspects of themselves, there has been a revitalisation of research around identity.

In the context of professional identity, where an individual showcases their self-concept, and sense of belonging within a specific professional community, social media has greatly aided in this aspect of self-representation.

The fields of preventive medicine and public health share several objectives, including promoting general health, and preventing disease. When looking at the link between preventive health fields and social media, promotion is an important aspect.

One example of health promotion is the recent debate in Norway surrounding nutritionists who have been leveraging their platforms to promote healthy baby food. However, the products and recipes they promote might not provide babies with all the iron and other nutrients they need.

This raises several questions. When a professional nutritionist posts on social media, thereby becoming a content creator, does he or she post solely for the benefit of the audience, or is it about establishing themselves as professional nutritionists?

The same questions would go to professionals within other preventive health fields. Look at mental health professionals, for instance. According to Triplett, there is a growing number of mental health professionals who use social media to share informative content with a broader public.

Information that would traditionally be communicated in a therapeutic setting is thus distributed through social networking platforms. Is this about painting a picture of themselves as professionals in the field?

Trainers and physical education instructors are no strangers to this social media takeover, either. In a study by Raggatt and others, half of the participants (a total of 180) indicated that they themselves are interested in learning about health and fitness through online communities.

In other words, social networking platforms have helped in shaping them as professional trainers.

On the one hand, professional identity construction is considered to always be under development. On the other hand, social media has a growing importance in the construction of professional identities as it offers places where individuals showcase their private lives as well as their professional experiences.

Thus, if social media is becoming more important in constructing identities, could we foresee how professions would be changing in the next years? And how can we prepare for that change?

References:

The ScienceNorway Researchers' zone consists of opinions, blogs and popular science pieces written by researchers and scientists from or based in Norway. Want to contribute? Send us an email!

The rest is here:
Does social media content creation impact the professional identity of preventive health professionals? - Sciencenorway