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How teenagers navigate the nuances of social media – and what adults can learn from them

How teenagers navigate the nuances of social media – and what adults can learn from them

FOR older generations, social media might feel like a specific and often new way of interacting – markedly different from meeting in person or talking on the phone. For most teenagers, though, it is part of an interconnected social landscape. They may not necessarily need to distinguish social connections as either online or offline. These can be fluid across digital and physical spaces. LINDA KAYE, Associate Head of Psychology (Knowledge Exchange and Marketing), Edge Hill University But there are nuances to interacting on social media – and teens are often acutely aware of them. Social media accounts are often characterised…
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South Africa’s ‘wild west’ WhatsApp groups fuel racism, surveillance

South Africa’s ‘wild west’ WhatsApp groups fuel racism, surveillance

KIM HARRISBERG WHEN South African content manager Happiness Kisten chased her family's escaped puppy up the road in the early hours of the morning in her Durban suburb, she did not realise she was being watched. But when Kisten, a Black South African adopted by Indian parents, arrived home puppy in tow, her mother showed her a message on the neighbourhood WhatsApp group that warned residents about a Black woman seen running after a dog. "At first I laughed, but afterwards I was like, that's very problematic. It left me with an ugly feeling in my gut," said Kisten, 29,…
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