The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, says that social media should come with warning labels about its potential health impacts much like warnings on cigarettes and other tobacco products. In an op-ed in The New York Times, Murthy says that social media is an “important contributor” to the teen mental health crisis.

“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” Murthy wrote. “A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe.”

It’s not the first time Murthy has raised mental health concerns surrounding social media. Last year, he issued an advisory that made similar arguments last year, saying that social media posed a “profound risk” to teen mental health. In his latest op-ed, Murthy cited a study showing that higher social media use was associated with an increased risk for anxiety and depression, as well as a survey where almost half of teens reported that “social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.”

As Murthy notes, warning labels can’t happen without cooperation from Congress. And it's unclear what kind of support he might have for such a measure, though lawmakers around the country have shown some support for things like age verification laws as they look to crack down on social media companies over teen safety issues. 

He also points out that warning labels alone wouldn’t make social media safer, but would help better inform parents, schools, doctors and others. “There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids,” he wrote. “There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-surgeon-general-says-that-social-media-like-cigarettes-should-come-with-warning-labels-171005572.html?src=rss Взято отсюда

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has issued a statement in support of efforts aiming to restrict the use of smartphones in schools within the state. As The New York Times reports, the governor aired his stance merely hours before board members at the Los Angeles Unified School District voted to pass a proposal for a school phone ban. Newsom said he will work with lawmakers "to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day" this summer, because children and teens "should be focused on their studies — not their screens."

The governor also mentioned and agreed with the US Surgeon General's op-ed published by The Times, wherein he said that social media platforms should be required to display warning labels from his office because they can significantly harm teenagers' mental health. In his piece, Vivek Murthy explained that the label "which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe."

Newsom said the rules he develops will build upon the directive he signed in 2019, which authorizes (but doesn't require) districts to adopt phone bans. If California does pass a law to ban the use of phone during school hours, it'll join Florida and Indiana in the list of states with similar legislation. Florida's schools are required to prevent their students from using their phones during class time, and some districts even require them to ban phone use until it's time for the students to go home. Other states are poised to follow suit. New York City designated social media as a public health hazard earlier this year, and Governor Kathy Hochul previously said that she would pursue phone restrictions for schools in the New York state next year.

While LA's board members ultimately passed the proposal for a phone ban, two members voted against it. One told The Times that he voted no because teachers are already having difficulties imposing existing restrictions in schools. Perhaps more importantly, he said that parents need to be able to contact their children during emergencies, like school shootings, echoing the concerns of parents who opposed phone bans in the past. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/california-governor-gavin-newsom-wants-to-restrict-phone-use-in-schools-120012532.html?src=rss Взято отсюда

Yesterday (2019)
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Ready to Mingle (2019)
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Isavia, Iceland’s national airport and air navigation service provider, estimates that 2.4 million foreign tourists will pass through Keflavík Airport this summer, making it the country’s largest year for foreign tourist arrivals.

According to Isavia, an average of 178 flights will be taking place per day across 28 airlines. The highest number of airlines recorded was 29 in 2018.

Grétar Már Garðarsson, Director of Airlines and Route Development at Isavia, comments, “We look forward to receiving even more visitors this summer. The passenger forecast assumes that over the summer months, April to October, the number of passengers will increase by 391 thousand, which is an increase of 7.2% year-on-year.”

The expected number of arrivals and departures at the airport is set to total over 37,000, which is 5% higher than in 2023 and 36% higher than at the same time in 2019.

Keflavík Airport is Iceland’s international airport, located roughly 50km from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík.

The post Iceland expects tourist arrivals to hit all-time high this summer first appeared on IceNews - Daily News. Взято отсюда

Apple has revealed its commitment to a minimum of five years of iPhone security software updates from the date a device is launched, thanks to a new legal requirement in the United Kingdom (via Android Authority).


Earlier this year, the U.K. established new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) regulations, which force companies that sell internet-capable products in the country to comply with certain security requirements.

One of the requirements of the PSTI is that companies define a support period, or minimum length of time, for which security updates will be provided after sale. A "security update" is defined by the regulation as a "software update that protects or enhances the security of a product, including a software update that addresses security issues which have been discovered by or reported to the manufacturer."

In compliance with the regulation, Apple has submitted a public regulatory filing for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The PSTI filing shows that the device's "defined support period" is a "minimum five years from the first supply date." The "first supply date" is listed as "September 22, 2023," which is when the iPhone 15 series launched.

Unlike Samsung and Google, Apple is not usually explicit about its legacy software support for iPhone devices, so the five-year minimum should come as good news to Apple users holding onto older devices. However, as Android Authority notes, both Samsung and Google guarantee seven years of security updates as well as Android OS updates for their devices, which is two years longer than what Apple is guaranteeing here.

That said, Apple typically provides older devices with the latest security updates longer than the stated five-year period. For example, just this March Apple pushed a security update to iPhone 6s models, which launched in September 2015, or nine years ago.

Going back further, in November 2020, Apple released an update to patch major security issues for the ‌iPhone‌ 5S, which was released in 2013. That's seven years after the device went on sale. In other words, while the minimum-five year period is now set in stone, iPhone users can take comfort in the fact that Apple has a strong history of keeping legacy devices in the loop for several years longer.
This article, "Apple Commits to at Least Five Years of iPhone Security Updates" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of the biggest hits on Apple TV+ has been Silo, a dystopian sci-fi series that debuted last summer and at one point tracked as the top show in all of streaming.

Back during season one’s run, before its finale aired Apple confirmed a renewal of Silo for a second season. Now, we have some exciting news about the latest status of season two and the plan for future seasons beyond that.

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Spotify is once again raising the price of Spotify Premium in the United States. Although the ad-supported free tier remains available, the price of Spotify’s Premium tier is now more expensive than Apple Music. Spotify customers will be notified of the increases over the next month.

Spotify Premium Individual is now priced at $11.99 per month, compared to $10.99 per month for Apple Music. The Family plan price is also up and now costs $19.99, compared to $16.99 for Apple Music Family …

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Every once in a while, I see something travel-related that makes me cringe — people barefoot on planes, tourists with selfie sticks and, most recently, an influx of nonsensical and unnecessary words to describe different types of trips.

Enter: “sleepcation.” Seriously, it’s a thing. You’ll probably sigh as deeply as I did when I found out what it was.

Why do marketers insist on creating cutesy terms for things that already have names?

In fairness, a term like “glamping” (camping but with certain amenities that make it more glamorous) makes sense because it sounds like the original word: “camping.”

“Staycation” (when you take time off to stay home and do nothing or visit places nearby) also works because it rhymes with “vacation” — a word that, for decades, has sufficed to describe types of leisure travel that may or may not take you far away from home.

Now, it seems we have new jargon born from slapping “-cation” or “-moon” on the ends of words and calling them trends. Speaking of being born, don’t even get me started on “babymoon.” The whole thing is out of hand. In the infamous words of Regina George from “Mean Girls”: “Stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen.”

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the made-up travel terms that give me, as the kids say, “the ick.”

What is a ‘babymoon’?

A babymoon is the trip an expecting couple takes to spend time together before their baby arrives (or, possibly, to mourn the loss of their free time, disposable income and privacy).

What is ‘bleisure’ travel?

The word itself comes from a combination of “business” and “leisure.” It indicates that you’re either tacking on a few days of paid time off onto a business trip or bringing non-colleagues — like friends or family members — with you for the ride. This has become increasingly prevalent as remote work has enabled longer trips than used to be standard.

What is a ‘buddymoon’?

A buddymoon is a honeymoon where friends tag along. To me, this just sounds like a weird way to say “honeymoon where you have no alone time whatsoever.”

What is a ‘digital nomad’?

A digital nomad is someone who can work from anywhere, including remote destinations, and changes locations frequently to do so. As long as they have a Wi-Fi connection and a host of electronics, they’re set to be on a constant workcation. (See below.)

What is a ‘sleepcation’?

A sleepcation is a vacation a person takes for the purpose of finding a good night’s sleep. Imagine paying money to accomplish what you should, in theory, be able to do at home in your bed. The concept is almost as ridiculous as the word itself.

What is a ‘travel curator’?

A travel curator is someone who travelers pay for customized travel planning services. Essentially, it’s a travel agent with a fancy name. Other aliases include “travel advisers” and “travel designers.”

What is ‘voluntourism’?

Voluntourism is traveling for the combination of both pleasure (tourism) and volunteer opportunities. It can include everything from medical and conservation work to teaching abroad. The term is silly, but the premise behind it is noble — as long as participants are actually helping, that is.

Related: How to earn a free night in Hawaii by giving back to the community

What is a ‘workcation’?

Although similar to bleisure travel, a workcation is different in that the travel isn’t for business purposes. It’s for pleasure, but you work while you’re there. A workcation can be something you take as a one-off or, if you’re a digital nomad (see above), something almost constant or indefinite.

Bottom line

Some of these terms have been adopted more widely into the travel vernacular; others struggle to take hold. What they all have in common, though, is that they were coined by marketers trying to generate buzz around certain types of trips or to make things sound fancier than they are.

But remember: These trips aren’t necessarily what everyone makes them out to be simply because they have their own made-up words. Moving forward, just call them vacations.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you’re a first-time or frequent traveler
• Best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can’t travel without

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