What’s the word of the year for 2024? Well, it depends on who you’re asking. The Collins Word of the Year is “brat,” meaning “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” Pop singer Charli XCX inspired this meaning with her album titled “Brat.” “Brat” can still mean a misbehaved child. However, this year, the…

Sweden is grappling with an increase in childhood gang activity with some members as young as 11 years old. The country’s government is now considering a move that could restrict social media use in an effort to combat the issue. Swedish police have seen gangs “shopping” on social media for teens to commit murders and…

A new bill introduced Monday, Dec. 9, in California’s Legislature, would, if passed, make it the first state to mandate mental health warning labels on social media sites. Supporters of the proposal say it is needed to protect children’s online safety and stop social media companies from viewing kids as a “commodity.” Victoria Hinks, who…

TikTok’s future in the United States remains up in the air. The platform asked a federal appeals court Monday, Dec. 9, to stop the Biden administration from enforcing a law that could lead to a ban in the coming weeks.  The company filed an emergency motion on Friday, Dec. 6, asking for an injunction that…

Romania’s presidential election was called off following accusations that the surprise frontrunner’s social media campaign was influenced by Russia. Far-right independent candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round of voting and rose to popularity by posting his “Romania first” nationalist brand on TikTok. His account gained more than 530,000 followers and over 5 million “likes”…

Millions of TikTok users could be in for a bit of shock come late January 2025. A federal appeals court ruled the ban or forced sale of TikTok by the Justice Department is constitutional and can move forward. Back in April 2025, The Biden Administration argued that the law is necessary to protect national security…

On Friday, Dec. 6, a federal appeals court upheld a law passed in April 2024 requiring Chinese-owned ByteDance to sell TikTok or face an effective ban in the United States. The law set a deadline of Jan. 19, 2025, for ByteDance to secure a non-Chinese buyer. President-elect Donald Trump has not indicated whether he will enforce a…

The pet business is projected to reach over $150 billion in sales this year and one big player in the industry is Lamb Chop. The beloved sock puppet from a children’s television show has become the hottest chew toy for dogs. In 2008, the pet product company Multipet got the license to Lamb Chop and…

It’s that time of year — Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay are here! These popular features give users a personalized reel of their top songs, artists and podcasts as the year draws to a close. Beyond the personalized stats, however, the platforms have also unveiled the year’s biggest trends and new features. Top songs…

A viral TikTok video is creating tension between the Texas Children’s Hospital and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican. The video, posted by one of the hospital’s doctors, criticizes an executive order signed by Abbott that requires Texas public hospitals to collect information on patients’ immigration status and report healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants. In…