Fake News Is Getting a Big Boost From Real Companies

More and more advertising money is being funneled away from legitimate news websites and to click-bait ad farm sites that spread hyper-sensational, misleading, and sometimes outright false news, according to a new report.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/fake-news-advertising-networks/

 

Fortnite is free, but kids are getting bullied into spending money

As Fortnite has shifted into a hangout spot, the messiness of social hierarchies has followed. And in the realm of Fortnite, there is nothing worse that having a standard character, otherwise known as a “default.”

https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/7/18534431/fortnite-rare-default-skins-bullying-harassment

Vulnerable Groups Could Be Targeted And Silenced Online Ahead Of 2020 US Election, Researchers Warn

Members of vulnerable groups such as the Latino, Muslim, and Jewish communities are being disproportionately targeted online with disinformation, harassment, and computational propaganda — and they don’t trust big social platforms to help them, according to new research by the Palo Alto–based Institute for the Future’s Digital Intelligence Lab.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/extremists-disproportionally-target-and-silence-latinos

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/06/childrens-social-media-use-has-trivial-effect-on-happiness-study

Digital economy is bigger than mining, forestry, oil and gas, StatsCan says

While it's not an industry on its own per se, the data agency defines the digital economy as any economic activity that is either affected by or enabling digitization. So the term would include everything from e-commerce to telecommunications, and software to consumer and business services that are provided over the internet.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/digital-economy-jobs-1.5121594

Tip Sheet: Video Games and Your Family

Are your kids obsessed with Fortnite?

Many parents feel they don’t know enough about the games their children are playing, and worry about the role gaming plays in their children’s lives. Here are some ways to make video games a healthy part of your kids’ lives, and a fun part of family life as well:

http://mediasmarts.ca/tipsheet/video-games-and-your-family

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Do you enjoy MediaSmarts’ daily news headlines?

Please support us in ensuring that children and youth have the critical skills they need for their 24/7 media world by making a one-time, tax-deductible charitable donation. Your support helps us keep our resources up-to-date, free, and copyright cleared for use in homes, schools and communities.