social media

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Renegade Nuns Can Stay, as Long as They Log Off

Three elderly sisters in Austria fled their nursing home and snuck back into former convent

(Newser) - Three Austrian nuns in their 80s who gained international attention after fleeing their care home to return to their former convent have been granted permission to stay—provided they stay off social media. The sisters identified as Bernadette, 88, Regina, 86, and Rita, 82, defied church authorities in September by...

Online Manipulation Inspires Oxford's Word of the Year

'Rage bait' beats out 'aura farming' and 'biohack'

(Newser) - The Oxford University Press has named "rage bait" as its Word of the Year for 2025, following a public vote with over 30,000 participants. The phrase refers to online content crafted specifically to provoke anger or outrage, usually to drive engagement or web traffic. According to Oxford's...

Dermatologists Give Side-Eye to New Scalp Craze

Luxury head spas, social media are driving the trend in pursuit of healthier hair

(Newser) - A rising beauty trend has Americans massaging their scalps and flocking to high-end head spas—sometimes for hundreds of dollars a session—all in pursuit of healthier hair, even if dermatologists aren't convinced most people need the help, per the New York Times . The scalp has emerged as the...

Aussie Under-16s Really Not Happy With Social Media Ban

Two 15-year-olds are taking their right to TikTok, etc., to the nation's highest court

(Newser) - Australia's social media ban for anyone under 16 is facing a high-profile legal challenge from two teenagers, who say the measure tramples their constitutional rights to free communication. The law, which takes effect Dec. 10, requires platforms like Facebook , TikTok, and YouTube to block accounts for anyone under the...

Many MAGA Accounts on X Aren't Based in America

New feature reveals that a lot of polarizing content was likely posted to make money

(Newser) - They go by names like @TRUMP_ARMY or @MAGANationX, and their verified accounts proudly display portraits of President Trump, voter rallies, and American flags. And they're constantly posting about US politics to their followers, sounding like diehard fans of the president. But after a weekend update to the social media platform...

Brief Social Media 'Detox' Can Improve Mental Health

Study subjects were ages 18 to 24 and saw a drop in anxiety, depression, and insomnia symptoms

(Newser) - A weeklong break from social media may ease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia among young adults, according to new research published in the journal JAMA Network Open . The study tracked 295 volunteers aged 18 to 24 who agreed to dramatically cut back on social media use, reducing their average...

Study Reveals Just How Much Childhood Is Changing

There's a sharp drop in the number of kids who read for pleasure

(Newser) - Social media is altering childhood in extreme ways, suggests a major new study out of Australia. In a press release that calls it "one of the world's largest studies of after-school activities," researchers at the University of South Australia collected data on how more than 14,000...

Stranded Driver to Helper: 'Are You Justin Bieber?'

Singer greets surprised roadside stranger in viral TikTok

(Newser) - Justin Bieber is earning accolades online after a viral TikTok video showed the pop star unexpectedly stopping to help a stranded motorist. The video, posted by a man who goes by "Buku," captures his surprise as Bieber pulls over in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV to offer assistance, per...

Meta Tells Aussie Kids to Get Their Stuff Before They're Banned

Those under the age of 16 are told to start downloading files before Dec. 10 social media ban

(Newser) - Technology giant Meta on Thursday began sending thousands of young Australians a two-week warning to downland their digital histories and delete their accounts from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads before a world-first social media ban on accounts of children younger than 16 takes effect. The Australian government recently announced that the...

Man Named JD Vance Threatened to Kill VP

Michigan man who also threatened Trump, Musk sentenced to 2 years in prison

(Newser) - JD Vance is going to prison for threatening to kill JD Vance. A Michigan man with the same initials and last name as the vice president was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for online threats to kill President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, whose full name is...

Country Star on Being 2 Months Sober: 'I Feel Whole'

Zach Bryan says he sought therapy after panic attacks, and a year of public turmoil

(Newser) - Zach Bryan is opening up about his mental health struggles and decision to get sober, saying he hopes his story will reassure others who feel isolated or overwhelmed. In a candid message posted to social media , the singer described a year marked by personal upheaval, public scrutiny, and high-profile controversies—...

NJ Cop Accused of Drugging, Sexually Assaulting Child

Facing charges, former Dumont mayor Andrew LaBruno has been suspended without pay

(Newser) - A police officer in New Jersey, who once served as mayor of Dumont, is facing serious charges after allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a child he met online. Authorities allege Jersey City Police Sgt. Andrew LaBruno, 44, initiated contact with the victim via an unnamed social media app, then arranged...

Judge: Meta Doesn't Have to Break Off Instagram, WhatsApp

Company scores huge win in antitrust suit

(Newser) - Meta has prevailed over an existential challenge to its business that could have forced the tech giant to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp. US District Judge James Boasberg ruled Tuesday that the company does not hold a monopoly in social networking, the AP reports. The historic antitrust trial wrapped up...

Billie Eilish Slams Musk in Wake of Tesla Trillionaire Deal
Musk Responds
to Billie Eilish's Barbs
UPDATED
Nov 18, 2025 11:39 AM CST

Musk Responds to Billie Eilish's Barbs

After singer called Musk 'pathetic,' Tesla CEO reacts with some jabs of his own

(Newser) - Elon Musk is clapping back at Billie Eilish after the pop singer called him a "pathetic" expletive, expletive "coward" following Tesla's approval of a pay package that one day could make Musk the world's first trillionaire. Per Rolling Stone , Musk took to his X platform to...

YouTuber Arrested in Florida After Alleged Traffic Stunt

Police say Jack Doherty blocked traffic to film a video, had drugs on him

(Newser) - YouTuber Jack Doherty was arrested in Miami Beach early Saturday after police say he blocked traffic to film a social media video and was found carrying drugs, CBS News reports. Officers reported that Doherty was part of a group that entered the roadway around 3am on Washington Avenue in the...

Greene: I'm Now Getting Threats Over Trump Feud

She says harassers are being 'egged on by the most powerful man in the world'

(Newser) - Marjorie Taylor Greene says her escalating feud with President Trump is putting her in physical danger, reports Mediaite :
  • "I am now being contacted by private security firms with warnings for my safety as a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most
...

Boston U Student Faces Backlash for ICE Tip Claim

Raid at car wash near campus that led to detention of 9 sparks online uproar

(Newser) - A Boston University student is facing online backlash after claiming he'd alerted immigration authorities about workers at a local car wash, leading to a federal raid. Zac Segal, a junior at the school and president of the BU College Republicans, wrote on social media earlier this month that he'...

Man's Résumé Goes Viral After Jonas Brothers Concert

Concertgoer was seen looking at Scott Kelly's résumé during Buffalo gig

(Newser) - A Jonas Brothers concert in Buffalo on Sunday led to internet fame for one man who wasn't even in the audience. Jen Wilson and her roommate were enjoying the show when they noticed a man in front of them scrolling through a PDF labeled "Scott Kelly Resume Sept...

TikTok Star Ordered to Pay $1.75M for Ruining a Marriage

NC jury finds influencer liable in rare 'alienation of affection' case

(Newser) - A North Carolina jury has ordered TikTok influencer Brenay Kennard to pay $1.75 million to a woman who claimed Kennard stole her husband. The verdict, delivered Monday, included $1.5 million for "alienation of affection," the claim that Kennard came between the couple, and another $250,000...

Ohio Teen Looked to ChatGPT After Killing Neighbor: Cops

Boy takes plea deal, will be behind bars until age 21

(Newser) - A 14-year-old from Fairfax, Ohio, admitted to killing his 64-year-old neighbor after months of planning and online research, investigators revealed in court Monday. The teen, who was 13 at the time of the February killing of Sheila "Denise" Tenpenny, reportedly used AI tools like ChatGPT and other search engines...

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