WEATHER ALERT
‘We’ll have to take it one day at a time’: Roanoke City Schools superintendent responds to school threats
Read full article: ‘We’ll have to take it one day at a time’: Roanoke City Schools superintendent responds to school threatsThe school division says they'll continue to have conversations regarding the damaging effects of school threats.
Rockbridge County Public Schools to take legal action against popular social media sites
Read full article: Rockbridge County Public Schools to take legal action against popular social media sitesRockbridge County school leaders are taking legal action against popular social media sites, with plans to join a lawsuit alongside over 400 school divisions nationwide.
Psychiatrist discusses impacts of children seeing war on TV, online
Read full article: Psychiatrist discusses impacts of children seeing war on TV, onlineAs we’re covering the war in Israel, we wanted to speak with a mental health expert about children and the effects of seeing war on television and online.
The Snapchat AI feature makes me want to delete the app
Read full article: The Snapchat AI feature makes me want to delete the appI’m very much aware that I have no control over the decisions social media apps and organizations make, but it would have been nice to know that a strange little AI bot was going to show up as a Snapchat friend.
Rockbridge County authorities warn against social media use after teen goes missing
Read full article: Rockbridge County authorities warn against social media use after teen goes missingA 15-year-old girl is now safe with her family after being abducted and found in Michigan, but social media could have led to her disappearance.
Hey, brother! How these siblings from Roanoke, Virginia became the oh-so popular ‘Super Carlin Brothers’
Read full article: Hey, brother! How these siblings from Roanoke, Virginia became the oh-so popular ‘Super Carlin Brothers’You have to meet Jonathan and Ben Carlin, if you’re not familiar with them already.
Growing up on social media: Women, experts discuss the harm to the mental health of teenage girls
Read full article: Growing up on social media: Women, experts discuss the harm to the mental health of teenage girlsContinued research shows the alarming impact it’s having on teenage girls, including increased anxiety, depression and poor body image.
Becoming an influencer: How a love for ‘Real Housewives’ turned into a career for this Detroiter
Read full article: Becoming an influencer: How a love for ‘Real Housewives’ turned into a career for this DetroiterSamantha Bush created the Instagram account @BravoHistorian on a whim, just looking for an outlet to share her opinions about all the ridiculous reality TV shows on the Bravo network.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner advocates for stricter guidelines on social media
Read full article: Virginia Sen. Mark Warner advocates for stricter guidelines on social mediaWednesday on Capitol Hill, the CEO of Instagram faced tough questions from a Senate committee on whether his company’s new safety measures go far enough to protect kids online.
Social Media Hacking: The posts putting you at risk and how to protect yourself
Read full article: Social Media Hacking: The posts putting you at risk and how to protect yourselfJordan Nallen is just like any other mom. She has a 2-year-old daughter and posts photos on social media to share with friends and family.
President Trump remains blocked from some social media sites following Capitol riot
Read full article: President Trump remains blocked from some social media sites following Capitol riotThe shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining... Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, January 7, 2021YouTube pulled down the President’s address to the rioters Wednesday. Twitter banned the President for 12 hours. When Trump got back on Twitter, he posted a video in which he conceded to Biden and condemned the ‘heinous attack’ on the Capitol. Dr. Horning believes this move will do little long-term to stop the spread of misinformation. Social media experts say the precedent this move sets for future leaders is unknown.
Expert weighs in on how to spot misinformation on social media
Read full article: Expert weighs in on how to spot misinformation on social mediaROANOKE, Va – The uncertainty of the election has caused the spread of misinformation on social to spread at an alarming rate. It can be overwhelming to log onto social media at a time like this. 10 News verification expert Fergus Bell monitors elections across the world and says the spread of misinformation is not uncommon. Bell says social media giants like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have taken measures to stop the rumors in their tracks, even from the president. “In the last few days related to the election, Twitter especially has put warnings on tweets it has hidden them and it has prevented them from being shared,” Bell said.
‘We take this very seriously’: Social media post creates confusion over Virginia’s votes
Read full article: ‘We take this very seriously’: Social media post creates confusion over Virginia’s votesFINCASTLE, Va. – Some Virginia voters doubted if their votes had been counted on Election Day after a viral, but misleading, social media post. The post claimed some votes were ignored by the Commonwealth based on a section of the Virginia Department of Elections' voter information page. “Different offices across the state are different sizes and have different numbers of staff, which means they move at different paces.”The Virginia Department of Elections also used social media to counter the claims about the ballots. Clark hopes voters understand there is no need to worry about a ballot once it is in the system. “We’ve probably been working anywhere from 10 to 16 hour days at the election office," Clark said.
Social media expert warns of false information as the election nears
Read full article: Social media expert warns of false information as the election nearsBLACKSBURG, Va – A social media expert from Virginia Tech is warning of the spread of false information as the November presidential election is just around the corner. Mike Horning with the Virginia Tech School of Communication says the spread of misinformation after the election could make some American’s think the process is unfair. “They are paying attention to the possibilities and anticipating that there could be problems and it’s difficult because the rate of information really flows faster than there are people to fact check it,” social media expert, Mike Horning said. In a recent study, Horning looked at how audiences are dealing with misinformation on social media. The results found that people were worried about the spread of fake news.
‘This is the time for us to be gracious’: Liberty alum’s Facebook post following Falwell’s leave of absence spreads quickly
Read full article: ‘This is the time for us to be gracious’: Liberty alum’s Facebook post following Falwell’s leave of absence spreads quicklyLYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty University alum Lauren Smith reacted to Jerry Falwell, Jr. taking an “indefinite leave of absence” as university president with a Facebook post. Within a day, her post gained popularity in the Liberty University community. They said it is important for Liberty alums to remember their biblical lessons during Falwell’s time of adversity. It can be judgment or it can be grace.”“This is an opportunity right now to show the rest of the world, who is watching, who Jesus really is and what he’s all about,” Lauren Smith said. “That’s grace, that’s forgiveness, that’s mercy.
Danville police say social media rumors of smash & grab planned at Walmart are false
Read full article: Danville police say social media rumors of smash & grab planned at Walmart are falseDANVILLE, Va. Police shared a warning on Tuesday evening that unconfirmed rumors circulating on social media of a violent raid planned for the Danville Walmart are not true. Danville police shared a photo that suggests a planned smash & grab." They wrote, The picture below is FALSE information.Police said they are aware of the misinformation and said the rumor is several days old, however, because it had been widely shared on social media, Walmarts management decided to close the store early on Tuesday as a precaution. There have been no issues regarding a violent event at Walmart, Danville police said.
VT professor: Trump’s executive order may lack enough ‘teeth’ to be enforced
Read full article: VT professor: Trump’s executive order may lack enough ‘teeth’ to be enforcedOn Thursday, Trump signed an executive order asking federal agencies to explore ways to hold social media more accountable for perceived biases on social networks.
Earth Day organizers say we should celebrate 50th anniversary online -- so, how do we do that?
Read full article: Earth Day organizers say we should celebrate 50th anniversary online -- so, how do we do that?Have you ever celebrated Earth Day, perhaps by planting a tree or doing something good for the environment? Considering the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic, the Earth Day Network has announced a shift to “global digital mobilizations.”It’ll be Digital Earth Day! Earth Day Network will provide live coverage of these “global digital mobilizations," which you can follow on its social media accounts. But organizers still want to “mobilize millions in a call for transformative action for our planet.”“At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. That’s now been postponed to October 24-25, 2020 to mark the half birthday of Earth Day.
Simple, effective ways to make your Facebook conversations more civil
Read full article: Simple, effective ways to make your Facebook conversations more civilAnyone else finding themselves spending more time than usual on social media, considering the coronavirus pandemic? But like most things, Facebook is whatever you want to make it. You don’t have to give up on social media in general, or even Facebook in particular. The social media giants say they’re working hard behind the scenes to remove bot accounts and build a better platform. In the meantime, here are some simple yet effective things you can do to make your own Facebook interactions less contentious and more civil.
Earth Day organizers say we should celebrate 50th anniversary online -- so, how do we do that?
Read full article: Earth Day organizers say we should celebrate 50th anniversary online -- so, how do we do that?Have you ever celebrated Earth Day, perhaps by planting a tree or doing something good for the environment? Considering the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic, the Earth Day Network has announced a shift to “global digital mobilizations.”It’ll be Digital Earth Day! Earth Day Network will provide live coverage of these “global digital mobilizations," which you can follow on its social media accounts. But organizers still want to “mobilize millions in a call for transformative action for our planet.”“At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. That’s now been postponed to October 24-25, 2020 to mark the half birthday of Earth Day.
Kobe Bryant paid tribute to MLK on Instagram just days before his death
Read full article: Kobe Bryant paid tribute to MLK on Instagram just days before his deathPeruse the Instagram page of the late, great Kobe Bryant and you’ll notice a few things: The love he had for his wife and daughters, and just how thoughtful he was in several facets of life. In the post before that one, Bryant gave thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr., saying, “Thank you for THE dream. Bryant posted the sentiment on Jan. 20, which marks the federal holiday on which we celebrate and honor the life of MLK. This wasn’t the only time Bryant has commented on the icon that was Civil Rights leader MLK. And the determination to stick with that, and believe that the human spirit will eventually triumph, are the things that inspire me the most.”#DearBlackAthlete: Kobe Bryant on Martin Luther King, Jr.