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#PrimeDayAmazon is joined by the Amazon Strike, social media, not video games, is linked to depression according to a new report, and the Federal Trade Commission approves a $5B settlement with Facebook.
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It’s #PrimeDay, so people are emptying their wallets en masse and making a lot of noise on Twitter about it, but this time, the #AmazonStrike hashtag is making waves, too. The AmazonStrike hashtag is aimed educating people about Amazon warehouse employees and how they’re seeking better compensation and working conditions. The conversation is top of mind for many in light of recent stories highlighting Amazon’s steep expectations for workers at their “fulfillment centres” and the break-neck pace they’re expected to maintain. A fulfillment centre outside Minneapolis specifically is hosting a protest, which according to the Washington Post, is the first major strike from U.S. Amazon employees on a high-demand sales event like PrimeDay. Last year, employees across Spain, Poland and Germany did the same thing, demanding better working conditions.
Playing video games does not contribute to depressive symptoms, social media however – that’s a different story. A new study by researchers at Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Hospital says that social media screen time in particular is linked to an increase in depressive symptoms in teenagers. The study, which is trending on Reddit, looks at the relationship between depression and exposure to different forms of screen time over a four-year period among adolescents. Conducted over a four-year period, the study analyzed the behaviour of more than 3,800 young people from 2012 to 2018 and was published this week by the American Medical Association. The study emphasizes how social media consistently exposes teens to images that promote “upward social comparison” and makes then feel bad about themselves.
And lastly, trending on LinkedIn, following an extensive investigation into the tech company’s privacy scandals, the Federal Trade Commision voted to approve a $5B settlement with Facebook. As a result, the settlement now moves to the Justice Department for approval, where it’s expected to introduce tighter government restrictions on how Facebook treats user privacy. The FTC investigation began more than a year ago after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The $5B settlement will easily exceed FTC’s last record-setting penalty, which was given to Google in 2012. That fine, however, was only $22.5 million.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing.
