Facebook Is Making Significant Changes Keeping Young Adults In Mind, Meta Confirms

Facebook has been around for two decades now and that’s a long time when you think of a social network.

Over the years, we’ve seen one trend that just never seems to fade out. And that’s the company’s popularity amongst young adults. This might be one of the main reasons why the firm just announced how it is shifting focus to better appeal to the youth.

The company just rolled out a new update that explains how the platform is certainly for everyone but its future certainly lies with the youth. This is why a host of changes are being developed keeping the younger lot in mind.

The latest reorientation is not something shocking as it’s a true reflection of where it sees itself in the future and how it wishes to ensure the next generation can benefit the most.

For years, we’ve seen the tech giant’s executives do everything in their power to win over youngsters so that it could compete with its biggest arch rival which happens to be TikTok.

Three years back, Mark Zuckerberg said he wished to make the famous firm similar to the works of ‘North Star’. Both Alison and Zuckerberg were in the talks about this app and how it was focused on an algorithm whose feed was more aligned with discovery as compared to a user’s connections.

Now that vision is slowly and surely picking up the pace, The organization’s AI advancements are plenty and they’re improving as time goes by. Both Reels and Feed are rolling out advanced recommendations that have come into place after close and careful analysis.

Private sharing amongst so many users continues to be rising and more and more people share videos. While there is no update on how it wishes to get the video back on track, that might also be another possibility.

But what happened to the metaverse? It was alarming to see how the recent update by Meta on Facebook failed to mention the futuristic ideology. Zuckerberg saw this as the leading product capability enabled by the likes of AI which is the main goal at the end. It would help in attracting more young minds.

Looks like most metaverse initiatives are being rebranded as projects enabled through AI which makes more sense.

For now, it’s not quite clear what success Facebook’s parent firm would get in terms of winning over the youth with these changes. But Facebook feels five-quarters of its healthy growing population is made up of young minds located in the American and Canadian regions.

Today, the daily active user count has hit the 40 million target and it’s still quite small when you consider there are close to 205 million DAU across the US alone who use Facebook religiously. Mind you, such stats are linked to February. So we assume that the count has grown over the months.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: From 'Don't Be Evil' to Legal Battles: The Erosion of Google's User-Centric Philosophy
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

From 'Don't Be Evil' to Legal Battles: The Erosion of Google's User-Centric Philosophy

Google, once renowned as the best search engine, provided services like Google Maps and the Android Open Source Project, benefiting many people and companies at a low cost. Its initial public offering was even designed to help average investors. However, these positive steps seem to belong to the past, as Google's actions today suggest a shift away from focusing on consumers.

Originally, Google's motto "Don't be evil" highlighted its commitment to moral behavior, especially in separating ads from search results and protecting user privacy. But over time, this motto has become less visible, and the company's actions have diverged from its original moral standards. For instance, Google's search engine, once praised for its effectiveness, now often provides less helpful results. The company pushes artificial intelligence powered answers, making it harder to find genuine information unless users specifically seek the "verbatim" setting.

Google faces numerous lawsuits around the world, suggesting a shift towards prioritizing profit over user privacy and fair competition. These legal battles involve accusations of privacy violations, antitrust issues, and other unethical behaviors. High-profile cases include disputes with the U.S. Department of Justice, the European Union, and other governments and corporations, focusing on Google's practices around data privacy and competition.

Moreover, Google's reputation has suffered due to the discontinuation of many of its products. Each year, Google discontinues services that did not meet expectations or were poorly managed. This pattern has become a running joke among Google users, undermining trust in the company's new products and services.

Content creators and developers also face challenges due to Google's policies. YouTube creators struggle with vague content guidelines and inconsistent enforcement, which affects their ability to earn money. Android developers face similar issues, with Google's changes often forcing them to update their apps or risk losing revenue.

Despite these issues, Google still employs talented engineers who work to improve products and the user experience. The company has made some attempts to maintain reasonable prices for products like the Pixel 8a and supports open-source initiatives. However, whether Google can truly return to its original ethos of not being evil remains uncertain, as the company continues to prioritize data aggregation and advertising revenue over the interests of its users and partners.

Read next: New Research Shows People’s Usage of Smartphones in Bed in Morning and at Night
by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World

New Research Shows People’s Usage of Smartphones in Bed in Morning and at Night

There was a time when we used to wash our face or brush our teeth first thing in the morning. But now, the first thing we do after waking up is to check our phone. NordVPN commissioned a survey to find out how much we use our mobile phones in bed. According to the survey, it was found that 83% of the people in the world use their mobile phones in bed for different purposes like watching Netflix or catching up with news. Out of all the countries which participated in the survey, it was found out that Mexicans were the people who use their digital devices in bed the most with 97% claiming to do so. On the other hand, Swiss people use their digital devices in bed the least (75%).

88% of the respondents in the survey use their mobile phones in bed, 43% watch TV, 34% use their laptops while 29% use tablets in bed every night. There is also a difference in mobile usage among morning birds and night owls. 89% of people who stay up most of the night use their mobile phones in bed in the evening or at night while only 38% of the early risers engage in digital activities upon waking up. 90% of the people in Nordic countries use their mobile phones at night while 40% do so in the morning. 46% of the people in the US use their mobile phones in bed in the morning while 89% do so at night.

Mobile alarms are the main reason over half of the respondents of the survey wake up in the morning. After waking up in the morning, 72% of Mexicans check their media, 54% Germans check news and 73% Polish people check emails, messages and SMS while in bed. 51% of the people in the US check the weather forecast on their devices first thing in the morning, 57% check the emails and 51% watch videos. Only 27% of Americans are interested in reading and listening to news after waking up.

The research also says that out of 89% of respondents between the ages of 18-74 who use their mobile phones in bed, only 46% of them are satisfied with their screen times. 42%-45% of people in English speaking and Nordic countries admit that they spend more time on their digital devices than they want to. Residents of Spain, Mexico and Japan say that they use their mobile phones less than the intended times (25%-28%).

More than half of the respondents of the survey admitted to not using bedtime mode on their smartphones while 30%-40% of people living in Australia and Mexico use bedtime mode frequently. 63%-68% of Japanese, American and Polish do not use bedtime mode because they want to be available even when they are sleeping.

There is also a factor of doom scrolling while in bed. 39% of the respondents agreed that they doom scroll in bed while 31% weren’t sure if their scrolling could be categorized as doom scrolling. 44%-50% of Americans, Mexicans and Norwegians admitted to doom scrolling. 40% of the respondents also admitted that they doom scroll on their devices when they are next to their loved ones. 47%-52% of Brits, Australians and Mexicans didn’t find it odd to use their smartphones next to their loved ones in bed.

51% of the respondents admitted that using smartphones in their beds is a waste of their time while about 48% of them admitted that doom scrolling affects their sleep negatively. In the US, the percentage of people admitting the negative effects of using smartphones in bed was 58% while 54% use them next to their significant others.

Read next: HP, Apple, And Dell Dominate U.S. Laptop Market; Notable Shares Held By Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, Microsoft
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Numerous Global Networks Prevented From Manipulating And Abusing ChatGPT, OpenAI Confirms

Tech giant OpenAI is shedding light on how it was able to counteract several different covert operations designed to abuse and influence its ChatGPT models.

The company mentioned how several attempts arose between the 2023 and 2024 period and most of those were said to have been Russian, Iranian, Chinese, or Israeli in origin.

Their objective was designed to enhance engagement from global audiences due to the manipulative behavior being embedded in the popular AI tool, it confirmed.

From the start of this month, the campaigns didn’t seem to have increased any form of audience engagement or attained reach for these services. But OpenAI added how it was working closely with several members of the industry like those from the tech world, government, or civil services to prevent such behavior from arising

The news comes during a time when many experts are casting doubts over the capabilities of Generative AI and how it can end up doing more harm than good. And with the elections period above us all, this means doubtful results taking center stage.

The findings were made public by OpenAi including how several actors made intricate attempts to impact the workings of its popular chat assistants to attain their own gains. It’s not only text that was modified but even images and it arose in higher volumes than what was seen before.

Meanwhile, fake engagement was running high due to attempts to use AI to produce inaccurate and false comments throughout posts generated across social media.

In the past year or so, there’s been plenty of doubt cast on this front including what could possibly take place if such influential campaigns did begin.

During a recent press briefing, OpenAI experts claimed that such reports are eye-openers and lead to many questions getting generated including how loopholes must be filled to better comprehend what’s taking place.

An operation from Russa dubbed Doppelganger made use of the firm’s models to produce headlines for several stories and convert media pieces to posts on popular social media sites. This resulted in more engagement and room for comments in different languages to defer support for controversial topics like Ukraine and Russia’s war against it.

Another shocking report spoke about campaigns to debug codes for popular texting app Telegram which rolled out short comments from the world of politics in various languages.

As per the role of Chinese actors, they managed to produce influential posts for Meta’s Facebook and Instagram and used models to search for more similar activities and roll out texts in various languages on social media.

Similar behavior was noted by the makers of ChatGPT in Iran where the International Union of Virtual Media made use of AI to roll out content that appealed to various global communities.

The disclosure by OpenAi is very much like the ones made by various other tech giants that get published routinely.

For example, we saw Meta roll out a new report regarding coordinated behavior where Iran’s marketing companies made use of false accounts across Facebook to carry out influential campaigns across the app and target those in various regions including Asia, EU, Canada, and the US.

While Meta confirmed that it had worked hard to disband the situation, it wouldn’t be wrong to add how such activities keep arising despite the firm’s continuous efforts to put an end to them, once and for all.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: HP, Apple, And Dell Dominate U.S. Laptop Market; Notable Shares Held By Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, Microsoft
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

HP, Apple, And Dell Dominate U.S. Laptop Market; Notable Shares Held By Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, Microsoft

In 2024, the landscape of laptop brands preferred by Americans shows some interesting trends. HP leads as the most popular choice, found in 32% of households surveyed. Apple follows suit, with MacBooks being used in 28% of households. Dell holds the third spot, preferred by 24% of the surveyed households, completing the top three most popular brands.

Other significant players in the market include Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, and Microsoft. Each of these brands has a notable share, with ownership ranging from 10-14% in American households. The presence of these brands indicates a diverse competition in the sector.

Further down the list, ASUS, Toshiba, Alienware, DigitalStorm, Falcon, Huawei and Vaio also have their shares. These brands show percentages ranging from 1 to 9% reflecting a niche, but dedicated user base. Each brand brings something unique to the table, attracting different segments of consumers.

In terms of market growth, the research firm Technavio predicts a steady rise in the global laptop market. From 2024 to 2028, they expect an average growth rate of 3.2%. A significant part of this growth, around 42% is projected to come from North America. This suggests a strong and expanding market for laptop manufacturers in the region.

An interesting trend noted in the survey is the rising popularity of gaming laptops. These machines are not only sought after by gamers but are increasingly used for tasks requiring high processing power like AI and machine learning. The enhanced graphics processing units in these laptops make them suitable for demanding software applications. Recognizing this dual demand, some companies have begun releasing laptops specifically tailored to meet the needs of both gamers and professionals involved in high-performance computing.

A detailed snapshot of the U.S. laptop market in 2024 shows a vibrant and competitive landscape, with traditional computing needs merging with newer, more demanding applications. This blend of uses underlines the dynamic nature of the laptop market and the diverse preferences of American consumers.

The data is based on a survey conducted by Statista between April 2023 and March 2024, involving 6,843 American adults aged 18–64, who were asked about the laptop brands in their households.

Read next: Generative AI Ignorance: 20-30% of the Public Clueless About These Technologies!
by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World

Generative AI Ignorance: 20-30% of the Public Clueless About These Technologies!

A recent study from the Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford highlights a surprising gap in the public’s knowledge of generative AI. Despite the rapid growth and integration of these tools in technology sectors, 20-30% people in several countries are still unaware of their existence. This survey involved around 12,000 participants from six diverse nations including Argentina, Denmark, France, Japan, the UK and the USA.

The study’s findings are quite revealing, especially considering the penetration of such technologies. For instance, ChatGPT by OpenAI is the most recognized among the surveyed AI tools. About half of the survey’s respondents have heard of ChatGPT. However, daily usage rates are quite low with only 1% in Japan, 2% in France and UK, and 7% in USA.

Other popular AI tools noted in the survey include Gemini by Google and Copilot by Microsoft. It appears that younger people are more inclined to use these AI tools. The data shows that 56% of individuals aged between 18 and 24 have tried using ChatGPT at least once. In contrast, only 16% of those aged 55 and older have done the same.

People mainly use these AI tools for creating various types of media like audio, code, images, and video. About 28% of users apply AI for these purposes, while 24% use it to gather information.

• Also read: What Are The Most Important Issues Facing The US Right Now? This New Survey Says It All

The impact of generative AI is expected to be significant across various sectors. A large majority of respondents, 72%, believe AI will greatly affect search and social media companies. Similarly, 66% feel that news media and the science sector will also see considerable changes due to AI advancements.

Despite the potential benefits, the general sentiment about the future of AI is not entirely optimistic. Many express concerns about issues like the cost of living, equality, and job security in relation to the spread of AI technologies. This mix of awareness, usage, and concern paints a complex picture of the global perspective on generative AI and its future role in society.

Read next: The Rising Trend of Dream scrolling Among Americans
by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World

The Rising Trend of Dream scrolling Among Americans

Americans are increasingly spending their time engaged in an activity known as “dream scrolling.” This involves browsing through items or experiences they aspire to own one day. According to research by Empower, the average American spends about two and a half hours each day on this activity. This adds up to roughly 873 hours or about 36 days annually.

Dream scrolling is particularly popular among different age groups, with Gen Zers leading at over three hours daily. Boomers, on the other hand, spend about an hour each day. Interestingly, half of the people surveyed engage in dream scrolling even while at work, with one in five admitting to spending three to four hours doing this during their work hours.

Many find that looking at potential purchases motivates them to manage their finances better. About 56% of Americans believe that dream scrolling helps them make smarter financial decisions and avoid unplanned spending. Around 30% think it keeps them from going into debt, and 25% say it aids in planning their financial goals. Furthermore, a significant number of people view dream scrolling as an investment in their future aspirations.

When it comes to financial goals, 42% of the respondents spend time envisioning their ideal retirement. This includes their age of retirement, where they will live and their expected monthly expenses. The trend of dream scrolling also reflects on the current economic landscape. About 34% of people feel they have bought fewer items from their dream list than they should have. Millennials feel the most pressure in this regard.

The study also highlighted that economic factors like rising prices, the inability to save money, and increasing debt are major hurdles. Despite these challenges, dreamscrolling remains a hopeful activity for many. Half of the respondents noted that they are spending more time dreamscrolling than in previous years and plan to buy something from their dream list before the end of the year.

People dreamscroll for various reasons. Some browse for homes or vacations, while others look at beauty products, items for their pets, or technology. Despite the challenges, 65% are optimistic about eventually purchasing everything on their dream list. However, nearly a quarter believe they might never be able to afford most of their dream items. More than half of the respondents think that owning their dream items would enhance their financial security, and nearly half see the value in working with a financial professional to achieve their goals.

Read next: The Happiness Chasm: What's Driving Mauritius, U.S, Canada, Uzbekistan, and China's Youth Apart from Their Elders?
by Mahrukh Shahid via Digital Information World