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Smartphone owners are equipped with access to limitless entertainment and consumption almost anytime, anywhere. However, its likely the prolonged use of these platforms can have negative impacts on some consumers.

According to the Digital 2022 Global Overview Report, the average person spends 6 hours and 58 minutes per day on screens connected to the internet.

Some individuals like Help Desk Support Specialist Jayson Feliciano found they benefit from a social media break.

I feel like Ive wasted my time, I feel like I couldve done so many other things instead of using screen time to go on social media. I couldve been doing my taxes, for example. I could have been trying to build meaningful connections or actually communicate with a friend, Feliciano said.

According to the Pew Research Center, 85% of Americans own a smartphone.

Hearing how much time others spent using their phone, I decided to check my own screen time. I opened my settings on my iPhone and to my horror found I was averaging 6 hours a day on my phone, spending a total of 41 hours looking at a screen in one week.

It sounds contradictory, right? Im on social media to be social but Im not even messaging my friends. I dont feel very good, Feliciano said.

On average, people spent 44% of their waking hours looking at a screen according to DataReportal.

Following my discovery, I decided it was time to make a change. There was no reason for me to frequent my phone so often unless it was productive.

I would say I have fewer social media apps than I used to, but the main ones I use are Facebook and Instagram. I would say I probably spend 2 to 3 hours a day on those, Feliciano said.

According to Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, both social anxiety and the need for social assurance are associated with the problematic use of Facebook.

Monday around midnight I posted on my Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat that I would be only available to contact through my cellphone number and my email. I also deleted my game apps to ensure I wasnt going to replace my social media browsing with crushing candies.

I was ready to experience life unplugged.

The platforms themselves are geared to hook people back into their products, so its counterproductive for them to help the user out. Theyd rather you have less access to control of your device or of your ability to navigate a website, Feliciano said.

41% of American adults admit to finding screen time management challenging, according to Pew Research Center.

Truly, it was a struggle, forgetting what I had deleted 20 minutes earlier as I attempted to open Snapchat to see how other people spent their day. I soon realized my task was more difficult than I may have imagined.

Similar to gambling, social media creates a feedback loop of dopamine, causing its users to adopt addictive behaviors, according to the Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology.

The goal of the company is to create more revenue, not to satisfy the user, Feliciano said.

Only equipped with apps like the calculator and Gmail, I began to notice how I crave social media the same way one might crave a cigarette.

Excess screen time can result in adverse health effects such as obesity, irregular sleep and declining academic performance, according to Mayo Clinic.

I knew the apps werent there, I even had many discussions with different people about my goal to stay off of them. Despite the awareness I had about these platforms and the impact they can have on its users, I was still severely underestimating my social media dependence.

Excessive use of smartphones is known to impact social communication in terms of reducing smiles when interacting with strangers, enjoyment of face-to-face interaction or drawing parents attention away from their children according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

It not only dictates what people do, it also pigeon holes people into little niches in society, and then when we go out to meet people and do things in physical reality we dont even know what to do anymore. We dont know how to expose ourselves to new ideas or have a simple conversation with a human, Feliciano said.

Tuesday I found myself questioning what I may be missing, or whether or not anyone had messaged me despite my posts announcing my departure.

Social media addiction is not recognized by the APA as a medical condition, however many people can struggle with the addictive properties. Using social media despite negative consequences, increasing screen time and difficulty reducing time spent online are signs of social media addiction according to American Addiction Centers.

I continued to open my phone with the intention of using social media only to be reminded of my hiatus. I was surprised to discover how often I was opening my phone without notifications pestering me to return to the digital world.

The average social media user engages with an average of 6.6 various social media platforms, according to the University of Maine.

On Thursday, I realized that I wasnt worrying about how I was being perceived or how many likes or views Ive gotten on my post. I was just concerned with the people and activities I surrounded myself with and felt good about.

The internet and what its turned into is enabling that feeling of connection, its an artifice. We are no longer connecting physically, like touch-starved is a thing that is rampant right now since 2020, Feliciano said.

Touch starvation occurs when positive physical touch is limited or completely eliminated, according to Texas Medical Center.

I felt like I was spending more time with my family and pets. I was also more willing to take my time doing things as I began taking morning walks and cooking meals for myself more often in place of the time I had been spending on my phone.

According to Data Reportal, 56.8% of the global population is active on social media networks.

Only the ones who are aware of the security implications of technology could have a healthy relationship with social media and their phones. Those people are not on social media, they just dont do it because they understand the security implication that they are being monitored and monetized and they refuse to take part in it, Feliciano said.

On Friday I noted my increased productivity. I didnt feel the need to procrastinate because I had more free time.

I was feeling mentally better, perhaps from getting schoolwork done sooner or being able to value time with friends and family more. Whatever it was, I was sure it was a result of removing myself from excess screen time.

According to DataReportal, 99% of social media users access their social media via smartphones.

Cynthia Popular is a junior at UNC Pembroke, and she currently manages her sororitys Instagram page as well as her own. She regularly uses social media as a tool to engage with fellow students.

Using social media allows us to reach more members on our campus and has allowed us to gain way more members than we would without using it, Popular said.

According to the University of Maine, 40% of all internet users worldwide utilize social media for work purposes.

Saturday, it was much easier to avoid compulsively grabbing my phone and I was experiencing an odd sense of pride as a result. This was likely my first week not using these platforms since I made my accounts in my teenage years.

Limit your usage and only follow people you actually like. Dont follow someone just because your friends are if you dont like their message or the things they promote, Popular said.

Mayo Clinic recommends reducing background TV, keeping devices out of your bedroom and to avoid eating in front of a screen to reduce the negative effects of screen time.

I began to ponder whether or not I should return to the apps I deleted following my positive experience without them. Something kept me hooked though: the want to stay connected.

I typically use it to follow new possible members and spread the message about what my sorority is about and what were looking for in new members. We also use it to share any events we might be having, Popular said.

As the end of the weekend creeped up on me, I considered ways I could limit my social media usage without completely purging my apps. On Sunday I made my decision, I would benefit from spending less time on social media.

Depending on what app I use and what content I see, I can feel drained and upset, or I can feel happy and confident in myself, Popular said.

Low self-esteem, loneliness, stress, depression and anxiety can all be worsened by social media according to the Social Media Victims Law Center.

I was pleased to see my screen time from last week had reduced significantly, most of the time spent on my devices was for writing and research purposes. My 2 hours and 20 minutes of social apps were spent on iMessages and Facebook Messenger.

Although it is a great tool, these platforms can be damaging to users like me if not used in moderation, so I have set limits on my social media through my screen time settings. I was surprised by how dependent I was on my phone and its applications, as well as how clueless I was of its impact on me until I quit.

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I stopped using social media for a week, this is what I learned - The Blue Banner

Disclaimer: Early release articles are not considered as final versions. Any changes will be reflected in the online version in the month the article is officially released.

Author affiliations: Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA (A. AlSalman, I.W. Martin, R. Mahatanan, E.A. Talbot); Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA (A. AlSalman, I.W. Martin, R. Mahatanan, E.A. Talbot); New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Concord, New Hampshire, USA (A. Mathewson, E.A. Talbot)

Echinococcus granulosus is a zoonotic cestode that lives in the intestine of its definitive host, canids (e.g., dogs, coyotes, foxes, wolves). Embryonated eggs released in canid feces are immediately infectious when consumed by an intermediate host, usually an ungulate (e.g., moose, deer, sheep) or sometimes a human (aberrant intermediate host). An ingested egg hatches in the small intestine, becoming an oncosphere that travels to organs such as the lung, liver, spleen, bone, or brain where it forms a thick-walled cyst. Canids become infected when they ingest flesh and viscera of an infected intermediate host (1). We report 2 human cases of E. granulosus tapeworm infection in northern New Hampshire, USA, during 2022.

Figure

Figure. Lung biopsy specimen from a patient with Echinococcus granulosustapeworm infection shows a daughter cyst containing multiple protoscolices with internal hooklets and calcareous corpuscles. Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original...

In April 2022, an otherwise healthy middle-aged man (patient 1) from rural northern New Hampshire sought care from his primary-care physician for a routine physical examination. On chest auscultation, the physician heard localized wheezes, prompting chest radiograph and subsequent computed tomography scan; the images showed a noncalcified 4-cm mass in the lower lobe of the right lung. After initial endobronchial biopsy of the mass was nondiagnostic, the patient underwent thoracoscopic lung wedge resection. A gray cystic lesion ruptured during the procedure, releasing clear fluid. The ruptured cyst was excised, and histologic examination showed the presence of a laminated outer cyst wall and numerous daughter cysts, each containing multiple protoscolices with internal hooklets and calcareous corpuscles (Figure), features diagnostic of E. granulosus tapeworm infection. The patient was prescribed a treatment course of albendazole and planned close follow-up, given the high risk for recurrence.

In December 2022, patient 2, an otherwise healthy middle-aged woman, sought medical attention for anaphylaxis that was determined to be caused by a ruptured cyst. Radiography showed 2 lung lesions and 1 small (<5 cm) liver lesion. Results of serum Echinococcus antibody testing was positive. A course of albendazole was prescribed (400 mg 2/d) and, 4 weeks into therapy, the patient had the first larger pulmonary lesion successfully excised with plans for resection of the second excision.

Both patients reported similar epidemiologic risk factors of dressing locally hunted moose and exposure to dogs in northern New Hampshire. Neither patient reported relevant travel history outside of New Hampshire. Patient 1 reported observing that the proportion of moose carcasses with extensive cystic lung lesions has increased in recent years. The stool of his 4-year-old domestic dog tested negative for E. granulosus through a commercial veterinary laboratory. We postulate that both patients acquired E. granulosus infection either by consuming produce contaminated with infected canid feces or through consumption of eggs shed in their dogs stool. The patients gave verbal permission to publish this report.

In the United States, locally acquired human E. granulosus infections remain rare. However, cases in Arctic and sub-Arctic areas of Canada and Alaska are well described, mainly among Native American populations (24). In the contiguous United States, a few human cases are reported annually in Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Utah (4). E. granulosus infections have been described in wildlife of northern New England (5,6); in 2012, surveillance of the hunter-harvested moose population (Alces alces) in Maine documented the presence of the G8 genotype E. granulosus (Canadensis) in 21/54 (39%) of lung sets examined. Domestic dogs and eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) were suggested as definitive hosts, given the absence of wolves in the area. Other areas in the contiguous United States where sylvatic cycles of transmission have been confirmed include Idaho, Minnesota, California, and Montana; stable cycles were described mainly in the Arctic and sub-Arctic areas of Canada and Alaska (2). Information about E. granulosus infections in local wild canids in northern New England is lacking.

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has notified healthcare providers caring for patients involved in moose hunting about preventive measures. Such measures include wearing waterproof gloves when dressing moose carcasses, preventing domestic dogs and wild canids from consuming raw viscera, disposing of all viscera in accordance with recommendations from New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, thoroughly cooking all game meat that is fed to dogs, and administering to dogs a deworming agent effective against tapeworms at least twice per year.

Dr. AlSalman completed a fellowship in infectious diseases as well as residency in general preventive medicine and public health at Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He is now an infectious diseases consultant at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines, Iowa.

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Early Release - Cystic Echinococcosis in Northern New Hampshire ... - CDC

Enlarge / Fitbit's now-dead Challenges feature.

Today's the day for Google's biggest change yet to Fitbit: It's shutting down some more features. As Google announced in February, the popular fitness gamification features, Fitbit "Challenges" and "Adventures," are being shut down today. Google is also removing the "Open Group" social networking feature.

Getting motivated to work out is tough for some people, so Fitbit's software included a few ways to gamify fitness to keep people interested. Challenges were introduced in 2014 as a way to share and compare your step counts with friends, hopefully motivating both of you to get more exercise. The feature came with badges that could be earned for specific tasks and trophies for winning a battle. Adventures were announced in 2017 as location-specific challenges that highlighted local places that were good for exercise and hiking, like national parks and landmarks. You could tackle these areas solo at your own pace or participate in multiplayer "Adventure Races" where you could track your hiking speed or progress against other Fitbit users. This seems like something that would only get better with Google Maps integration. Oh, well.

Adventures, Challenges, and all player-earned trophies and badges are going away today. The Fitbit community on Reddit has been furious over the feature removals, with the most popular post of the past year being a call to cancel your Fitbit Premium subscription over the changes. On Twitter, Fitbit tried celebrating the company's birthday yesterday, but nearly all the replies were about the feature shutdown and what other services people should switch to. Several users have confirmed today that the features are dead.

Fitbit

Google announced it would be acquiring Fitbit in 2019, and at the time, it described the deal by saying, "We see an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Google wearable devices into the market." Google's blog post did not make any mention of continuing to produce or support Fitbit's existing products and services, and rather than some kind of promise to supercharge Fitbit with Google technology, the blog post made it sound like Fitbit would be stripped for parts.

So far, we haven't seen anything from Google to dissuade us from the initial impression that Fitbit will be slowly killed. Google announced plans to shut down the Fitbit account system sometime this year and move existing users to Google accounts. Google killed Fitbit's PC and Mac syncing last year, so it's no longer possible to load music onto the wearables. Fitbit Studio, a browser-based SDK for developing Fitbit apps, was given an April 20 shutdown date last month. Fitbit's latest product launch, the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4, brought big feature regressions compared to the old models. They were stripped of the Fitbit app store, Google Assistant, Wi-Fi support, and music controls.

The only non-shutdown action we've seen Google do with Fitbit is rush a half-baked Fitbit app out the door exclusively for the Pixel Watch. That Fitbit app is both worse than a real Fitbit and worse than Wear OS' previous Google Fit app, before Google stripped out the advanced weight training options in 2020. There's also Fitbit Premium on the Pixel Watch, a $10-a-month subscription service that enables some sleep-tracking features and new statistics. Is this the future of Fitbit? Some software? An app that replaces Google Fit? It's still hard to say. Whatever Google's plans for the future are, we can't imagine that stripping all the key social features away from the existing community will earn it many repeat customers.

Read more:
Google is killing most of Fitbits social features today - Ars Technica

With the global public relations (PR) market expected to grow by more than $25 billion by 2027, it is clear organizations are increasingly relying on the industry to ensure their brands thrive in todays complex communications landscape. The rise of digital technology has further accelerated this demand in areas like multiplatform content creation, social media advertising and influencer relations.

USC Annenberg has created the new Master of Science in Public Relations Innovation, Strategy and Management (MSPRISM) to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to lead across the full spectrum of PR, marketing and advertising functions. While building a foundation in critical thinking, ethics and data-driven decision making, MSPRISM students learn to develop and deploy compelling, accurate and effective communication campaigns that incorporate technological advances.

Applications for admission are now being accepted for the Fall 2023 semester here. Students may earn their masters degree on a one-year or two-year track, with courses and admission entry points offered in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters.

Agility and comfort with relentless change are a must for PR practitioners, USC Annenberg Dean Willow Bay said. Weve designed the MSPRISM program for those who are eager to evolve and lead the industry as emerging technologies continue to expand the ways communication can impact nearly every facet of an organizations business.

Through courses focusing on areas such as multiplatform content creation, brand purpose communication, influencer relationship management, Web3 technologies and social media advertising, MSPRISM students build their capacity to formulate actionable insights based on research and forward-looking, holistic communication approaches. Students also explore the fundamentals of business, finance and economics, allowing them to enhance collaboration with leadership within their organizations and to effectively communicate with stakeholders.

Students will develop ethical, collaborative leadership skills and purpose-driven approaches to the PR and branding professions. Students will learn to support diverse perspectives in persuasive storytelling and content creation, and to collaborate with and manage teams with diverse backgrounds.

Public relations professionals are increasingly expected to manage communications across multiple channels, to strategize and respond to crises, and to counsel the C-suite, said Burghardt Tenderich, professor of professional practice. The MSPRISM program prepares them to lead authentically in their organizations by applying modern communication concepts with strategic problem-solving.

The MSPRISM program was designed by USC Annenberg faculty with input from industry executives, including from the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations Board of Advisors. These top public relations, marketing and communication leaders will continue to provide programmatic guidance and will connect with students directly through online and in-person networking events.

Communicators are leading the drive for true impact, connecting and amplifying stories and brands, said Melissa Waggener Zorkin, CEO and founder of WE Communications and a member of the Center for Public Relations advisory board. In order to counsel and lead in organizations, practitioners must be able to mine data, conduct strategic analysis, and influence behaviors in new ways. Those critical skills and more are front and center in the new, practice-focused MSPRISM curriculum at USC Annenberg.

MSPRISMs streamlined 24-unit curriculum, developed in partnership with USC Online, consists of 12 courses specifically designed to provide a pathway for working students to earn their masters in as little as one year.

USC Annenberg has long been the premier institution for studying public relations and a top destination for communication professionals seeking to advance their careers through our online degrees, said Neil Teixeira, assistant dean of digital learning and online programs. Now, with MSPRISM, professionals from across the globe can earn their PR masters online and develop the strategic and technological skills needed to lead organizations through the next wave of digital and AI-fueled transformation.

USC Annenberg offers 15 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels with 300 faculty members teaching 2,300 students, and an alumni network of more than 22,000 members. A national leader in communication and media studies, USC Annenberg is also consistently ranked among the top global institutions by QS World University Rankings. More information on the MSPRISM program can be found here.

Read more here:
USC Annenberg launches new online master's program in public ... - USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism |

SINGAPORE - The issue of protecting young users of social media apps against potentially harmful content has been thrown into the spotlight as TikTok faces intense scrutiny in the United States over concerns about data privacy and online harm.

Most social media platforms in Singapore are designed for users aged 13 years and above, but none has foolproof measures to stop underage users from lying about their age when they register for accounts. Most platforms do not have measures to verify a users age beyond simply asking for a declaration.

A 2021 survey in Singapore of parents of children between seven and 16 years old by Milieu Insight found that half of their children used Instagram and Facebook.

It also found that 36 per cent of the children used TikTok, which has an estimated two million users in Singapore.

Such surveys show that many children are using the app despite being under the age of 13. Between the first and third quarter of 2022, some 60 million suspected underage accounts were removed by TikTok, it said.

The chief executive of TikTok, Singaporean Chew Shou Zi, was grilled in the United States Congress on March 23 as lawmakers sought to ban the short-form video app which has amassed at least 150 million users in the US and more than one billion users globally.

In Congress, US lawmakers questioned the platforms content moderation policies and showed a collection of TikTok videos that appeared to glorify suicide and self-harm. Mr Chew said TikTok takes a serious view on such content, and later added that his children do not use the app.

The Straits Times outlines the checks in place on the app and other social media platforms, and the controls available to parents to protect young users.

In the version of TikTok available in Singapore, users under 13 are barred from creating an account. However, the app does not require users to prove their age.

TikTok said in March that it works to remove underage accounts that are either identified or flagged to the company via its online form.

The app also has family-friendly settings that allow parents to fine-tune their teens experience on the platform.

The teen must first accept his parents request to be supervised on the app, which will give the adult the power to limit the teens time spent watching videos.

A parent can also make certain subjects off-limits to a young user by deciding what content, users and hashtags the teen can search for.

Users need to be at least 16 years old before they can create Duet or Stitch content videos posted that are combined with another TikTokers video. To live-stream, users have to be above 18.

Those under 18 also have a 60-minute daily screen time limit, and a weekly recap of their usage is also sent to them.

These limits can be imposed only if the user agrees to be supervised.

Original post:
Amid TikTok scrutiny, how effective are parental curbs on social ... - The Straits Times