Browse recent news stories from the University of Michigan, as well as from respected outlets around the nation, about the most popular social media platforms, tools and trends.

  1. Cyberstalking: What You Need to Know

    As January is Stalking Awareness Month, representatives from the Division of Public Safety & Security (DPSS) Special Victims Unit (SVU) and U-M Police Computer Forensics Unit provide information on resources and support at U-M.  According to Michigan law, stalking is defined as “a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual…

  2. Influencing an Insurgence: The Role and Responsibility of Social Media

    Social media’s impact on how we connect, communicate, and consume information is undeniable. Initially a catalyst for bringing people together, as these platforms have matured, they’ve also played a prominent role in sowing misinformation and division.

  3. INFLUENCING AN INSURGENCE: THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF SOCIAL MEDIA

    Social media’s impact on how we connect, communicate, and consume information is undeniable. Initially a catalyst for bringing people together, as these platforms have matured, they’ve also played a prominent role in sowing misinformation and division. Libby Hemphill, Associate Professor of Information and Associate Director of the Center for Social Media Responsibility, joins Nikki Sunstrum, U-M Director of Social Media and…

  4. Social Media Integrity Blog, Episode 7: Niki Fairchild Azevedo

    The “I Wish to Say” project is an effort to activate democracy through art. Since 2004 Sheryl Oring, and a group of typists, have set up portable offices at various locations around the country to dictate postcards to the President. This year, the project has taken a virtual form with a team of student typists…

  5. Social media’s struggle with self-censorship

    When Twitter users tried to share the New York Post article regarding emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop, they were unable to send the tweet because the link was identified as harmful. As social networks have become more active at “algorithmically ranking the content that users upload,” they have started to function more like publishers. 

  6. Database breach exposes profile data for 235M TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube accounts

    The data was likely collected through web-scraping, the automated process of extracting public data from a service or website. Personal data was found on the web with no password protection.

  7. Age discrimination seen @Twitter during #COVID19 pandemic

    Analysis recently published by Journals of Gerontology Series B provides evidence of “social media as an online platform that reproduces and reinforces existing ageism in society.”

  8. U-M study finds facial recognition technology in schools presents many problems, recommends ban

    A new study by Ford School of Public Policy indicates that facial recognition technology may exacerbate racism and invade privacy.

  9. Identifying and Avoiding Social Media Scams

    DPSS has some helpful tips for social media users to connect and share information safely.

  10. Allie Kench

    Social Media Integrity Blog, Episode 6: Allie Kench

    Allie Kench is a rising third year in the College of Engineering studying Computer Science. She was a part of WISE RP [Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program] for the past two years, is one of the co-chairs of ADE (Advocates for Diversity in Engineering), and is involved in the musical theatre group MUSKET….