Social Media
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I Deleted a Facebook Post About Statistics
Today I deleted a Facebook post about UK rape statistics after a straightforward share turned into an argument about grooming gangs, race and immigration within minutes – which was not my intention. The graphic itself didn’t mention ethnicity or immigration status, but a comment dragged the conversation there anyway, and once the source of a…
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That Facebook Post Doing the Rounds. It’s Still Bollocks!
Every few months, your feed fills up with it again. Some variation of “big day tomorrow” or “just in case you missed it on TV” – followed by a wall of semi-legal gibberish, a declaration that Facebook / Meta no longer has permission to use your photos, a bit about AI, and a helpful instruction…
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The Algorithms of Addiction Are Finally on Trial
I’ve spent years writing about the intersection of mental health and the digital world (more specifically social media). For a long time, those of us pointing out the psychological manipulation baked into social media were often dismissed as “alarmist” or told that “personal responsibility” was the only factor. I’ll be the first to admit that…
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Facebook Isn’t Showing You What You Follow Anymore
You open Facebook expecting to see updates from people you chose to follow. Local businesses. Maybe a few familiar faces. Instead, you get a wall of absolute nonsense from pages you’ve never heard of and never asked for. That’s not bad luck. That’s how it works now. Your Feed Isn’t Yours Anymore It used to…
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I’d Pay Facebook to Show Me Less, Not More
Three Quid for Fewer Adverts. That’s Not the Problem. Facebook isn’t annoying because of the adverts. It’s annoying because it won’t leave you alone. I tried the £3 a month ad-free option. Not because I’m glued to it. I’m not. I dip in, check a couple of local groups, maybe post something for Andy’s Man…
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Are Teen Social Media Bans Really About Surveillance?
Politicians love a simple story: “Kids are in trouble online. Ban them from social media. Job done.” It sounds tough, it sounds decisive, and it sounds like it’s “for the children”. Is it also nonsense? A Teen Social Media Ban Could Do More Than Protect Our Kids – It Could Supercharge the Surveillance State An…
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Teen Social Media Bans Are Really About Surveillance
Politicians love a simple story: “Kids are in trouble online. Ban them from social media. Job done.” It sounds tough, it sounds decisive, and it sounds like it’s “for the children”. It’s also nonsense. A Teen Social Media Ban Won’t Save Our Kids – It’ll Just Supercharge the Surveillance State A ban on under-16s using…
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Casualties of Misinformation & Psychological Impact
I wrote about a false Facebook post earlier. Someone with a platform and self-declared expertise posted statistics about UK Reform that actually came from Estonia’s Reform Party. Different country. Different party. Same name. When I corrected it with the source, I got blocked. In Brief: False information posted with authority doesn’t just spread lies, it…
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Fact-Checking Gets You Blocked – A Misinformation Case Study
In Brief: I corrected false information on Facebook this morning. The person who posted it deleted the evidence, accused me of trolling, and blocked me. This wasn’t some random keyboard warrior spouting rubbish in a comments section. This was someone claiming to be a leading expert on violence against women and children in the UK,…
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Facebook has seriously passed its sell-by date!
Facebook used to be a decent platform. It was fun. Well, sort of. For a while. But now it feels like a cesspit you wade through for the odd useful post. The rest is AI tat (or AI Slop as most people are referring to it as), scammy ads, tired “news” and links that take…