Society & Culture - May 19, 2010 15:15 - 5 Comments

Why is smoking so ‘hot’ on YouTube?

MICHIGAN STATE (US)—Pro-smoking videos—especially those that are sexual in nature—are prominent on the online video site YouTube and very accessible to young people, according to a new study. (more…)

Society & Culture - May 18, 2010 11:32 - 0 Comments

Should FTC set rules for Facebook?

U. MINNESOTA (US)—Concerns about changes to Facebook policies regarding sharing user information have some asking if the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should set up social media guidelines to protect users’ privacy. (more…)

Society & Culture - May 3, 2010 8:40 - 2 Comments

Chinese bloggers no threat to regime

U. BUFFALO (US)—A new study confirms what was made evident by the very public Google-Chinese government dispute over Internet censorship: China’s cyberculture may be growing rapidly but that growth is not a harbinger of new political freedom. (more…)

Society & Culture - Apr 12, 2010 15:25 - 4 Comments

Digital sink or swim for college undergrads

U. OREGON (US)—Students entering college either have it or they don’t—and which side of the digital divide they fall on may shape what career path they take. (more…)

Society & Culture - Apr 7, 2010 10:59 - 1 Comment

Web access alone won’t bridge digital divide

NORTHWESTERN (US)—There is more to the Internet access story than just the difference between the Web-connected versus those not online at all. (more…)

Society & Culture - Mar 8, 2010 11:38 - 5 Comments

Gay youth reluctant to report cyberbullying

IOWA STATE—One out of two lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth have been victims of cyberbullying, according to a new survey. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 8, 2010 11:17 - 12 Comments

Second opinion: Health blogs viewed skeptically

PENN STATE (US)—Health information written by a doctor is rated as more credible when it appears on a Web site rather than in a blog or an individual’s homepage, according to a study of college students. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Feb 2, 2010 22:48 - 7 Comments

Internet addicts download depression

U. LEEDS (UK)—People who spend a lot of time browsing the net are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 9, 2009 11:43 - 7 Comments

Googling God

PENN STATE (US)—Online searches of a spiritual nature are not on the decline in the United States despite that fact that most search engines perform poorly in response to religious queries, researchers find. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 1, 2009 16:57 - 4 Comments

Facebook profiles reveal true self

TEXAS-AUSTIN (US)—Online social networks such as Facebook are being used to express and communicate real personality, instead of an idealized virtual identity, according to new research from psychologist Sam Gosling. (more…)

Science & Technology - Nov 30, 2009 13:43 - 7 Comments

Computer learns to think like a child

U. PENN (US)—Computer scientist Ben Taskar says one of the biggest stumbling blocks in terms of artificial intelligence is the fact that computers learn slower than children. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 23, 2009 17:20 - 4 Comments

Learning powered by search engines

PENN STATE (US)—Using Internet search engines is no longer just a daily convenience, but has evolved to become part of the learning process as well, according to new research. (more…)

Science & Technology - Nov 16, 2009 18:20 - 2 Comments

Asking smarter security questions

RUTGERS (US)—The trouble with most online security questions is that they’re not very secure, according to Danfeng Yao. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 12, 2009 15:52 - 0 Comments

Internet meltdown unlikely

U. MINNESOTA (US)—Even as Internet traffic grows by as much as 50 percent a year, concerns that usage will eventually overwhelm the system are unfounded, according to work by mathematics professor Andrew Odlyzko. (more…)

Society & Culture - Oct 15, 2009 16:59 - 0 Comments

Giving away privacy by sharing online?

DUKE (US)—Millions of Internet users have been enjoying the fun—and free—services provided by advertiser-supported online social networks like Facebook. But are those users risking their privacy? (more…)

Health & Medicine - Oct 13, 2009 11:40 - 1 Comment

Gauge flu symptoms with online tool

EMORY (US)—A new H1N1 self-assessment tool for consumers and health care workers is available on several major national Web sites—including flu.gov. The tool is designed to help people decide what to do if they are worried that they or someone they love has flu symptoms. (more…)

Society & Culture - Sep 11, 2009 11:40 - 3 Comments

Putting social media to work in a crisis

“When situations are dire, and the magnitude of an emergency affects a region, we know that people are quite resourceful at doing what they can to survive and to help others,” says computer scientist Leysia Palen. “Today this means turning to online sources to collate information from many places to try to make the best decisions possible.”

Science & Technology - Jul 23, 2009 5:00 - 0 Comments

Delete that tweet! System makes e-text vanish

Lead author Roxana Geambasu and undergraduate student Amit Levy helped create Vanish, a prototype system that makes online text self destruct and disappear.

Posts Tagged ‘Internet’