Tech
The Uber drivers facing abuse from riders over mask rules
In the firing line — Drivers have been on the receiving end of physical and verbal abuse from riders who refuse to wear a mask. They say that Uber has failed to protect them, reflecting a wider pattern of the app’s abysmal treatment of its workers.
Written by: Tallulah Belassie-Page
Why more young people are ditching their smartphones
Return of the brick — As Covid-19 causes people to become increasingly glued to their devices, growing numbers of Gen Zers are shunning their phones and embracing a way of life that they say is improving their mental health. But how easy is it really to kick the habit?
Written by: Serena Smith
The TikTokers calling out spiritual appropriation
Dark magic — On #SpiritualTok, witches and guides are gaining exposure for stealing practices belonging to other cultures – but a group of outspoken TikTok users are confronting the whitewashing of their ancestors’ rituals.
Written by: Chloé Meley
Coded Bias: how AI threatens our civil rights
Dystopian reality — Director Shalini Kantayya discusses her new film shedding light on the urgent threats machine learning poses to individual freedoms and democracy, and what society must do to combat these sinister technologies.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
The unstoppable rise of the Celtic language influencer
From Kernowek to Gaelic — Despite their continued marginalisation, indigenous languages survive – and some speakers are proudly sharing their tongues online, showing their followers the value in an ancient way of communicating.
Written by: Anna Samson
Inside the online ‘safe space’ for female incels
Enter the pink pill — After being kicked off Reddit, femcels are the latest banned community to build their own platform. They claim to just want somewhere to speak free from harassment – but some experts question whether the site will descend into toxicity.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
Instagram’s prison chefs are cooking up a storm
‘Food is therapy‘ — Prisons are failing inmates when it comes to food. But using a kettle and whatever supplies they can find, inmates are getting creative and showcasing some of their most impressive culinary creations to devoted social media followings.
Written by: Jake Missing
The TikTok students taking on gun violence in schools
‘We beg for change’ — Young Americans say the Capitol riots mirrored school shootings. While many are doubtful it'll be a wake-up call for Congress, TikTok is offering a space for them to process their trauma.
Written by: Daisy Schofield
The young hackers transforming rural China
Blockchain Chicken Farm — In their new book, author and technologist Xiaowei Wang meets the residents of a place often left out of Silicon Valley narratives who are building their own high-tech future.
Written by: Josh Gabert-Doyon
Online AA meetings might just be the future
A new world — During a pandemic, digital therapy sessions can help keep you sober. However, as writer Jeremy Allen discovered, they also offer plenty of other benefits.
Written by: Jeremy Allen