It goes without saying that many social media platforms today, despite various efforts are incapable of self-regulation. Facebook has once again made the daily headlines for misleading claims made toward advertisers and investors about public safety advertisement reach. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Maria Cantwell are urging federal regulations to look into Facebook or its executives to determine whether they have violated security laws. Particularly, Warren is calling on the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission. Cantwell, on the other hand published a letter in which she encouraged the Federal Trade Commission to hold Facebook accountable for its deceptive business practices. Evidence of the claims made by the Senators came directly from a testimony made by one of Instagram’s directors, Adam Mosseri, before a commerce subcommittee in regards to the protection of minors on the platform. Apparently, disclosures made by whistleblowing ex-employee- Frances Haugen- of security violation, laid the foundation for the building of tangible argument with an actual case. Warren uses Haugen’s statements to justify her initial request of putting Facebook in the spotlight. This post is important because privacy and social media are two elements that have long gone head to head in disagreement. Facebook policies have made headlines time and time again, and has yet to cease being reprimanded for policy regulation.

Source: CNBC News

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/09/sens-cantwell-warren-urge-federal-investigations-into-facebook.html

Your debt collectors can now message you on social media…Yes! It is happening. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has put out new rules regarding debt collectors getting in touch with their debtors. They can now text, email or private message people on social media. Although it has been made clear and an important rule that these debt collectors must announce their identity and their purpose of contact, as they are prohibited from simply befriending their debtors on Social Media.

Michael Lawton, a representative with Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institutions explained to TMJ news yesterday, that the traditional methods of communication are simply no longer utilized by folks. This includes phone calls and emails- this phenomenon has made it harder for debt collectors to get in touch with their clients in a timely manner. He also explained that this is the first change to ever have been made to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act since 1977. Though it may seem far fetched at first, the process of getting in touch is lawfully required to be very private, and as previously mentioned, debt collectors are required to identify themselves, and finally, recipients are granted an opt-out option at any time after receiving the messages. It is important to note that even with these changes, consumers still have rights to cease further contact, should the exchange of messages become excessive. This article is very important because it is a clear representation of our current definition of privacy, and superbly exemplifies the rising importance of social media in our lives.

Source: https://www.tmj4.com/news/i-team/debt-collectors-can-now-private-message-you-on-social-media-learn-about-new-rules-and-your-rights

Social media star MrBeast has recently recreated the entire set from the recent hit show Squid Games. There were 456 contestants that had played in his real-life recreation, costing him $2 million to make all the design sets. Though the outcomes of his games were not death, there were cash prizes for each contestant getting at least $2,000 in cash. Whoever was able to last the longest and won the challenge would win $456,000 and MrBeast used $1.5 million for the other cash prizes. Though this is one of the most expensive sets he’s done, this is not something new to his YouTube channel. 

The video has started out the same with the game in the Netflix tv series, Squid Games, with Red Light, Green Light. In this game, everyone wore a wireless device around their waist that is connected to the number they are wearing and burst open with fake blood letting everyone know they moved during the red light. After this event, only 232 contestants moved on into the next round, which is the famous honeycomb scene. In this challenge, the contestants had to carve out a shape in hardened sugar without breaking the shape. The shapes were a circle, triangle, star, and umbrella, if they were not able to take out the shape without breaking it they will not be able to move onto the next round. During this time, they were only given 10 minutes to put more pressure on them.  Only 142 contestants were able to complete the challenge. They then moved on to the tug of war game which split the contestants into groups of 10 with 12 groups total as 22 people had left before the start of the game to earn more money. This then lead to only 60 people left in the game with the next challenge being the Marbles. During this game, everyone is in a pair and only one of them can move on to the next round, which leaves only 30 people left in the game. In the next game, only 16 people were allowed to move on and it was to the first 16 people who were able to turn over a red envelope on the ground by throwing a blue envelope at it. Once the 16 people moved on to the next round, they had to cross a glass bridge. The glass bridge had two paths and with each step they took, there was a 50/50 chance of them taking the wrong path. In the end, only 6 contestants were able to cross and move into the next round. The last game was musical chairs and finally, there was a winner who got $456,000 and second place with $10,000. 

Squid Games has been out on Netflix since September 17^th of this year and has immediately gained a lot of popularity quickly. MrBeast has first tweeted about wanting to recreate the series in real life on October 14^th and how he was going to go all-in with the setup. Also during his video, some of the contestants have stated that they did not even watch the Netflix series as they want the cash prizes. Some people are commenting how it’s very ironic for him to do because the main reason why there was a Squid Game was for the wealthy people to watch these people suffer for only one person to win and to live through it. Though this video may seem a bit of a reach, MrBeast is also someone that puts his time and money into other things that are good for the environment and tries to give back to the people. During the time he was setting up the real-life Squid Games, he was also raising money for TeamSea. TeamSea is organized that helps remove waste from our oceans through donations they get. MrBeast also raised money to plant over 20 million trees.  

Source: https://bbc-edition.com/entertainment/squid-game-the-youtubeur-mrbeast-recreates-the-sets-of-the-series-for-a-game-in-reality/

One of the largest and most beloved platform for content creators of all different realms, YouTube has recently been experimenting with some of its video settings and is excited to announce a few very convenient updates. First and foremost, YouTube will give its audience members the opportunity to view any destinations mentioned in videos by creators on the spot, by providing an additional space with appropriate links directly after the spots have been mentioned. Though a minor change, it is important to note that up until now, YouTubers have had to add in text links to add information about places mentioned in the video. According to Social Media Today, This feature will simplify this process by adding a new visual ink format for videos where YouTube can detect a place to mention.

Youtube is also making changes in the subscription department through tightening its organizational strategies. There is a new “Collections” option in the work, and it is being tested currently. This option is intended to group together channel subscriptions that belong to the same category, and this will make it easier for audiences to find videos based on the creator channels that they are already subscribed to. This also prevent audiences from missing new content published by their favorite YouTubers and will decrease the likely hood of a channel becoming shadow-banned. I found this article important because as a regular content consumer since the very young age of eleven, I have always wondered about things that were featured on my YouTube page, and how that content landed on my screen. These strategies of content distribution are essential in enabling a well-functioning platform.

Source: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-looks-to-highlight-places-mentioned-in-videos-adds-collections-t/611354/

Twitter is a platform that is known for its audience and sometimes- the ruthlessness of that audience. Twitter has attempted for many years to mitigate the seriousness of the vulgar humor and reaction-provoking content that is displayed on its platform daily. On a mission to make this encounter more manageable, Twitter is planning to revamp its explore settings by updating them to resemble a TikTok format, on an Instagram Reel- one that displays content like images, videos and even text-based tweets in a vertical form and short bursts. This new feature has been tested in both Android and IOS and will this be made available in both formats. In addition to that, the Twitter team has decided on putting to the test a one-time warning feature that will allow users to flag their posts with different labels. In the past, users had to mark all of their content under a single, general label: Sensitive. With categories like Nudity and Violence made available through this update, Twitter is now closer than ever to a new human-first approach for distributing content on its website.

As per a recent tweet:

“‘Explore’ section will have just two tabs: For You and Trending. Although the format looks a lot like TikTok UI, however, on Twitter, the retweet, share and like options will be placed at the bottom of the video instead of the right side.” (Yahoo News).

Twitter is testing a TikTok-like format for its Explore Tab; also tests one-time warning feature

As the popularity of Meta steadily grows, the platform is now aiming to create opportunities for gamers worldwide, beginning in India. The main aspiration is to motivate gamers worldwide to build communities that are overseen by specially selected administrators. Known better as the gaming challenge, this initiative will give gamers access to several features including watching gaming videos, building connections in gaming group chats, playing games virutaly with people all around the world, and having the opportunity to follow their favorite game creators/game titles. All gaming groups on Facebook will be able to register for the challenge, and they will be classified into two different categories based on their time of creation: The groups that are younger than one year will be called “Lit”, and the groups that are one year or older will be called “Legends”. Community administrators are to be mentored by industry experts, understand masterclasses, and become well-versed in developing earning strategies

Manish Chopra, an executive over at Meta, has made a public statement:

“We are commited to growing the gaming ecosystem in the country, and through Game of Tribes we will offer connection and support to gaming communities looking to upgrade their skills and expand their gaming connections.” This strategy developed by Meta, of, creating gaming communities can be utilized in several ways. Gamers and enthusiasts can use it to host tournaments, connect with community members, upload videos, create livestreams, offer engaging topics of discussion among fellow gamers and much more. The activation partner for the game of tribes is Communique Marketing Solutions, and they are expected to execute the challenge.

Source: https://indianembassylaos.org/meta-presents-gaming-community-challenge-for-the-first-time-in-india/

Michigan is currently grieving the losses of four Oxford High School students ages 14-17 who were unfortunate victims of gun violence. Yet again, this headline takes America by storm. At around 1 pm. on November 30, 15 year old Ethan Crumbley began to open fire toward his classmates, killing four and wounding several others. What had unfolded before the shooting began is chilling, and unfortunately was not taken in consideration. Ethan Crumbley’s father, James, purchased a 9mm Sig Sauer SP 2022 from ACME Shooting Goods in Oxford. Apparently his son was with him, and this was considered by the family members a black Friday gift.

The next day during class, Ethan Crumbley’s teacher noticed him searching images of ammunition on Google and was concerned for him. She proceeded to find a note written by Ethan, which had the words “Blood Everywhere.” Shocked and appalled, she reached out to the school’s faculty, and Ethan was evaluated by a school psychologist. Being that Ethan’s note had portended that something awful was in the works, admins of Oxford High attempted to get in contact with Ethan’s parents, James and Jennifer but received no response.

As per ABC News’s Emily Shapiro:

“A prosecutor filed involuntary manslaughter charges Friday against the parents of a teen accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school, saying they failed to intervene on the day of the tragedy despite being confronted with a drawing and chilling message — “blood everywhere” — that was found at the boy’s desk.

James and Jennifer Crumbley committed “egregious” acts, from buying a gun on Black Friday and making it available to Ethan Crumbley to resisting his removal from school when they were summoned a few hours before the shooting, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said.”

I chose this article because it stood out to me, as I spent some time thinking about why this news story did not have as much coverage as others that we have heard of in previous years. Is there a secret or strategy to what makes the news? And is that strategy applied even in situations of tragedy? Additionally, here are some important things to know:

Ethan Crumbley is being charged as an adult.

James and Jennifer Crumbley have gone missing in action, are now considered fugitives, and there is a $10,000 reward for anyone that can provide information on their whereabouts.

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/charging-decision-due-parents-oxford-high-shooting-81538316

Yesterday, Netflix announced that they will be releasing a movie version of the heartwarming encounter between Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench on a thanksgiving morning in 2016. Thanksgiving grandma Wanda and Jamal Hinton just celebrated the six year anniversary of befriending one another through a random text. The two exchanged texts suddenly after Wanda reached out with an invitation that was intended for family members. Jamal, 17 at the time, responded kindly informing her that she was mistaken. She then ended up inviting Jamal, who she had never met, to her thanksgiving dinner. Jamal, of course, then took to Twitter to tell the story. Upon hearing their “Thanksgiving Fairytale” the streaming service offered to produce an adaptation of it and release it to the public.

The two have remained friends and have continued the tradition of celebrating thanksgiving together every year. Netflix’s version of this story is to be called “Thanksgiving Text” and will describe how the friendship of the pair came to be. Hinton took to Twitter once again to make the big announcement:

““I am very excited to announce our new partnership with Netflix,” Hinton, 22, shared on Twitter. Speaking on behalf of Dench, 64, he added, “We thank every single one of you for your love and support in our journey the last 6 years. We can’t wait to tell our story on the big screen!””

I am very excited to announce our new partnership with Netflix. We thank every single one of you for your love and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…—
Jamal Hinton (@Jamalhinton12) December 02, 2021

I am very excited to announce our new partnership with Netflix. We thank every single one of you for your love and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…—
Jamal Hinton (@Jamalhinton12) December 02, 2021

I am very excited to announce our new partnership with Netflix. We thank every single one of you for your love and support in our journey the last 6 years. We can’t wait to tell our story on the big screen! 🎥🍾 pic.twitter.com/0heCmEWMDM

— Jamal Hinton (@Jamalhinton12) December 2, 2021

Though it is yet undecided how Netflix will go about executing this adaptation, certain crew members have been hired, including “Salt-N-Peppa” Abdul Williams, to write the script. I chose this article because it is a good example of what makes a story go viral. We have had several discussions about this and statistics of going viral in class, and we have always discussed the cuteness and relatable factor. i think that this very simple story has happened many times and is very relatable. It has themes of kindness and festivity which makes it a great story to publish.

Source: https://madamenoire.com/1302934/thanksgiving-story-becoming-netflix-movie/.

Former President Donald Trump set out to invest in a brand new Media Company called “Truth Social” that would allegedly be the most reliable news source for audiences. The novel social media company had planned to release an invitation-only Beta version which was intended to be a new version of Twitter. However, it seems that there has been no action taken for this matter since the late October announcement. No sightings or images of an operational platform have been released to the public despite the “Truth Social” app being available for pre-order. In addition, the company that planned to merge with Trump’s social media firm, called Digital World Acquisition Corp. has seen a significant drop in its stock price since the TMTG initiative went public. It started out selling high, at a heaping $175 per share, and dropped down to just $44 per share on Wednesday.

According to Reuters, Trump’s new social media company mains to raise one billion dollars through share sales to Hedge funds and family offices at higher prices. Although it is natural for some companies to not be successful in launching their products on the initial deadline, the awaited appearance of Truth social was intended to serve as a clear test to companies and investors that contributed to its development through the stock market. Both parties of representatives, Trump Media & Technology group and Digital World Acquisition Corp. have been reluctant to to comment on the recent absence and have yet to provide answers for the public, as reported by CNBC news. It is also currently unclear on who is building the network, as TMTG has not disclosed any companies or executives’ names.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/01/trump-spac-social-media-company-appears-to-miss-first-deadline.html