Kids' Online Habits: Roblox and TikTok Lead, Generative AI Apps Gain Traction - Qustodio Report

Social media trends are always evolving and now with the use of VR, AR, and other AI technologies, users are finding different ways to engage with each other online. Surely, these new trends of online engagements are going to impact the next generation of young consumers. A report by Qustodio shows how the young generation of people are engaging themselves in new trends on different social media platforms. The report is based on a survey of 40,000 US families with kids ages between 4 to 18 years.

The report outlines the social media platforms where kids spend their time. It was revealed that kids are spending an average of 2 hours daily playing Roblox, a popular online game. Kids are also spending another 2 hours on average of their day on TikTok. However, in 2023, TikTok remained the most-blocked social media app for its influence on mental health and security concerns. Parents worldwide restrict access due to its controversial challenges, marking its second consecutive year as the top-blocked app.

Data from 2022 showed that kids from ages 4 to 18 spent an average of 107 minutes but now those minutes have increased to 112 minutes average per day in 2023. These stats have made TikTok the most famous social media app among the younger generation. Instagram is the next popular app after TikTok, followed by Facebook and then Pinterest.

Snapchat is also one of the most popular apps among young people but it is under the category of “Communications”. If it was under the category of “social media apps”, it would have been the second most popular social media app after TikTok. The report also shows that the younger generation is also interested in using generative AI apps. 20% of the kids in the survey used ChatGPT in 2023, which makes it the 18th most visited website in 2023.

The report also sheds light on how parents are using different parental control tools to supervise their kids’ activities. Many parents are using parental controls in different gaming and educational apps to monitor their children's activities. You can read the whole report to see comprehensively how kids are engaging on social media sites.

Read next: Survey: 80% of Consumers Prefer Free Services, Apps And Digital Content, Willing to Share Data for Ad-Based Access
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Cyberattacks Are Getting More Creative, Here's What You Need to Know

Charles Harry, an associate professor and director of the University of Maryland's Center for Governance of Technology and Systems, not to mention the former cyberwarfare expert for the NSA, has stated that cyberattacks are becoming a lot more complex. As a result of the fact that this is the case, they might come from places that you weren't expecting, which would make them a great deal more harmful than might have been the case otherwise.

According to Harry, these are the five least suspected places that a cyberattack could end up originating from:

LinkedIn

In the age of self promotion, LinkedIn has become a breeding ground for malicious actors that want to get you to click on some type of a link. They might pose as recruiters because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making your more likely to fill out a form, but if you were to try to upload your resume, your system would get infected by malware.

Your favorite website

Browsing popular websites is a great way to pass the time, but you should steer clear of any tempting ads that you end up seeing while you’re there. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that clicking on these ads might make you fall prey to something called malvertising, so it’s best to avoid interacting with them.

Flash drives

It’s quite common to get handed a free flash drive at a convention of some sort. It bears mentioning that these drives can contain malware, which is why you should never use hardware that you got from an untrustworthy source.

Personal printers

Owning a printer can be useful, but on the off chance that you get a notification asking you to download an update, you should never ignore it. These notifications are sent by the company whenever there is a security threat, although you should make sure that the source is legitimate.

People you know

You’d never expect a loved one to scam you, which is exactly what makes deepfakes and voice cloning so dangerous. In a nutshell, a malicious actor might pose as someone you know to ask for money, or to get you to give up your account details or password.

• Also read: Habits You Must Develop to Adapt to the Needs of Modern Workplace

Image: Digital Information World - AIgen

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Survey: 80% of Consumers Prefer Free Services, Apps And Digital Content, Willing to Share Data for Ad-Based Access

According to a survey by IAB with 1,500 consumers, it was revealed that many consumers are completely okay with using social media services with ads by exchanging their personal data with the sites. Consumers know that if they want to access the ad- based websites or apps for free, they need to exchange their personal data one way or another. The survey also shed light on advertisements, consumers’ stance on ad-free content and their preferences about sharing data to get free access to different sites.

80% of consumers in the survey said that they believe that social media and the internet should be free to all people. This is because people share their thoughts and views about different things on social media and paid social sites will stop them from freely sharing their opinions. Another reason is that not everyone can afford paid services on social media and it would be hard for them to pay for different websites and apps. Three in four consumers know that if they share their data with different websites, it helps them to personalize ads and 70% said that they have no problem with sharing their data with the websites as long as the website or app is free.

Internet, website, and app usage highly valued by consumers. IAB study reveals they'd seek $37,619 annually without free access. IAB survey shows how much the digital marketing sector has to compensate per year to users for not using the internet, social websites and apps. Gen-Z wants the highest compensation amount with $54,169 per year, followed by millennials with $40,343 compensation amount. Gen-X and Boomers demanded the least compensation amount with $36,932 and $29,407 respectively. If a user wants to use a website or app after paying for it, he will have to pay $164 on average.

Fourth-fifth of the consumers in the survey do believe that a free website means that they will have to see advertisements but Gen-Z don’t believe so. Gen-Z believes that websites are free for other reasons like basic rights or free speech. Overall, the study finds that consumers are more inclined to watch or see ads, than pay to browse ad-free.

Read next: Generative AI Showdown: Google's Bard, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft's Bing Chat, and Claude AI Face Off
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

New Survey of Business Executives by Fortune Shows that Elon Musk is the Most Overrated CEO in America

Elon Musk is probably the most popular CEO in America right now but it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have many haters. Fortune conducted a survey of hundreds of business executives in America and the results showed that Elon Musk is the most overrated CEO in America. Fortune hasn’t said anything about the exact number of people surveyed but the questions in the survey are public. Fortune asked these business executives to name the most underrated and most overrated CEO. Surprisingly, Elon Musk was also declared the most overrated CEO in America last year. This year, he received 399 votes and became the most overrated CEO once again. The second most overrated CEO was Disney’s Bob Iger who received 302 votes.

Elon Musk is always busy being the CEO to different companies including electric vehicle, Tesla, and rocket company known as SpaceX. Last year, he also bought Twitter and renamed it X. Elon Musk is greatly congratulated on starting electric vehicle and commercial space companies but on the other hand, he was also criticized for making extremely ambitious decisions. He is continuously postponing sending humans to Mars through SpaceX. In 2017, he said that he will send the first human to Mars in 2024. Then in 2021, he postponed it to 2026. Now, he is saying that humans will probably reach Mars in 2029. This shows that Elon Musk doesn’t have a proper timeline about when he will send a human to Mars. These kinds of empty promises have made people think of him as an overrated CEO who only knows how to talk but never takes any actions to fulfill his promises. Representatives of Musk have not commented about this survey yet.

Photo: Photo by Trevor Cokley / U.S. Air Force Academy / Dvidshub

Read next: Creator Economy Boom: $480 Billion by 2027, but Why Are Most Creators Still Struggling?
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Creator Economy Boom: $480 Billion by 2027, but Why Are Most Creators Still Struggling?

Creating content online sounds like an awesome way to make a living, right? You follow your passions, share your work, and build a fanbase that pays you. But here's the fact – most creators aren't making much money.

A recent report from Kajabi, a platform for creators, found that a whopping 96% of creators earn less than $100,000 a year. Not a shocker, really. Another study in 2022/2023 showed that less than 5% of creators make more than $100k annually, almost the same result.

So, even though the idea of making money from your hobbies is cool, the reality is that most creators can't quit their traditional 9to5 work role, and only a tiny group is making money through online ventures. While MrBeast is out there making big bucks, thousands of creators are barely making anything.

According to the Kajabi's report, the creator economy is supposed to hit $480 billion by 2027, with 50 million enthusiasts in the online creator world. And here comes the secret to success – 66% of creators in 2022 heavily relied on partnering with brands. Great for established creators, but for most, it's a journey with unexpected twists, as "they are unpredictable and [super] competitive" when it comes to small creates.

Successful influencers, the ones making substantial earnings, figured out that instead of just chasing followers or brand deals, they succeed by diversifying. They have income streams beyond social media, like digital products, teaching, and consulting.

• Also read: How Long Does It Take to Make a Living as a Creator?

YouTube is still the go-to platform for most creators, with 4 in 10 (42 percent to be exact) saying they'd lose over $50,000 annually without it. But here's the hard statistic – 88% of YouTube videos don't even hit 1,000 views.

In a gist, the report confirms what we already know, i.e. getting your content in front of people is one thing, but turning it into cash is a whole other challenge. Becoming a successful creator needs hard work, research, and years of dedication. It's not just about posting videos and waiting for money. If you're committed, there are more chances now, but it might take more effort than you think.

Read next: Your Smartphone Might Be Giving You ADHD, Here’s What You Need to Know
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

EU Members Make Final Compromise On AI Act

The AI Act is one that many EU nations have been debating over for quite some time.

We saw nations like Germany and France and now Italy put their reservations on the side and that has paved the way for other states in the EU to vote in favor of the last compromise in the much talked about AI Act.

While activists are celebrating the ordeal, many critics have become super wary of the exceptions on this side of the spectrum.

The final vote arose during the committee that featured members from every nation. There were deputy reps to the European Union. When we saw the ambassadors rubber-stamping the ordeal, it was a big endeavor that first came into the public eye last year in December.

This means the AI Act was green-lighted to be voted across the EU Council. It held the official decision-making powers and that’s when the decision first came across the European Parliament.

Once the majority comes into play, we shall see the AI Act get published in the EU’s Official Journal and transform into a law in about 20 days.

The entire AI Act would put a ban across all systems that have been outlined as having serious risks like those seen in different US states or social scoring formats found in places like China. These are used to classify individuals depending on the behavior at stake.

💻 Historical moment at #Coreper today!

🇪🇺 After 3 years of work and efforts by 7 presidencies, Ambassadors @EUCouncil just approved the final compromise text on the #AIAct.

👏 First of a kind in the world! https://t.co/vloepAYrYE pic.twitter.com/LZroC2lB6R

— Niels Timmermans - (he/him) (@timmermansniels) February 2, 2024

This is a draft legislation that is deemed to be one of the latest comprehensive AI laws out there today. It sets out new limits in terms of the high-risk AI and which systems get the chance to impact voters or harm an individual’s overall health.

To be more specific on this front, we’ve got plenty of generative AI models like ChatGPT that are subject to be targeted here. This would force the AI Act to make content generated through such means attain labels so people are more informed about what’s going on.

Last but not least, the bill would prohibit all such models from rolling out summaries regarding copyrighted data.

For a while, we’ve been seeing the impact of this AI Act be in constant threat thanks to countries like France and Germany as well as Italy. Meanwhile, the opposition put into place in terms of the control linked to foundation models was also a topic of debate in this regard.

For months, all EU member states were called out and told not to undermine this particular AI law by saying yes to all claims regarding AI Act adoption. They felt adopting the law would cause heavy regulation that would halt creativity and innovation.

The EU regulator also felt that it was not right to leave the regulatory burden across smaller actors and that’s when we witnessed a few countries take a step back. Both Germany as well as Italy added how they were on the rise to prevent double regulation across phases like implementation. There were many reps who added how Europe needs to design competitive AI models while not overburdening firms having high-risk obligations.

The European Parliament also said it was unacceptable to leave all the regulatory burden on smaller actors, and the trio finally relented.

Germany and Italy sent signals that would seek to avoid double regulation in the implementation phase, and France’s representatives said Europe still needs to build competitive AI models and avoid overburdening companies with high-risk obligations.

This is a major step taken in the EU and one that critics feel was a long time coming.

Photo: Digital Information World - AIgen

Read next: A New Study Shows that AI Can Help a Lot in Resolving Cases About Copyright Infringement
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Glass Shatters, But Functionality Persists: Vision Pro's Resilience Unveiled in Extreme Drop Test

Today marks the debut of Apple's Vision Pro headset, inviting immediate scrutiny through drop tests by AppleTrack geeks. Hand-on tutorials suggest the headset's glass resilience surpasses initial concerns.

In routine scenarios, like accidental collisions with walls while navigating your living space in the headset, the front glass endures surface scrapes without succumbing to severe damage.

"I've noticed that if you grab [the New Vision Pro], it just kind of falls off, and for something that is this top-heavy, I have already made the mistake. You really have to grab it by the band. So, the first thing to know is, don't grab it by the light seal.", highlighted the Sam Kohl in the video.

Remarkably, the audio pods cease function before the glass yields. While a fall from head height may lead to front glass shattering, the headset remains predominantly operational.

Photo: AppleTrack / YT

In simulating everyday mishaps, Kohl deliberately collided the Vision Pro with room walls. It withstood standard force levels, with the likelihood of personal injury surpassing that of glass fractures.

Despite an unscathed camera, glass, and lenses, the right-side speaker fell silent. An internal break along the band disrupted the connection, rendering the audio pod powerless.

The headset, however, demonstrated resilience, absorbing impacts from successive drops onto carpeted surfaces. Subsequent falls revealed increased speaker damage and vulnerability in the bands. The light seal frequently detached, owing to a weak magnetic connection.

In an extreme scenario, an eighth descent from considerable heights resulted in Vision Pro glass shattering. Strikingly, the shattered glass could be peeled away, and the primary functionality of the headset persisted. Both the internal and external EyeSight screens illuminated and operated normally, defying the absence of an intact front glass cover.

Interestingly, the EyeSight display appeared marginally brighter without the cover glass.

Kohl concluded that: "I've dropped it a couple of times, and for me, a couple of takeaways stand out. Firstly, the light seal should be a bit stronger, as it tends to pop off easily, having done so in literally every drop. If you pick it up like the Vision Pro, it's falling second. If bumped into stuff, I think your head is going to hurt more than the glass. I don't see a realistic scenario where running into an object with this would cause it to shatter. Even if it does, you're not going to cut yourself.", adding further, he explained that, "I'm most shocked that the speaker grills and one of the speakers fried before any other part, meaning it's built very well overall. The front giant piece of glass isn't the weakest point, contrary to what you might think. I'm generally shocked at how strong this is. The fact that it took 10 to 12 ft before breaking the Vision Pro is amazing. I'm still blown away that, for $3500, the build quality in this is actually really good."

The complete video documentation of this experiment is accessible on YouTube.



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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World