Duval, Putnam join hundreds of other school districts filing lawsuits against major social media platforms
Two local school districts have now joined hundreds of others around the country in filing lawsuits against the major social media platforms saying they have a role in the mental health crisis among children in the country.
Florida bill to keep children under 16 off social media moves forward amid debate on governmentโs role, parental rights
Amid a debate about the role of government and parental rights, the Florida Senate on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to keep children under the age of 16 off social media platforms.
Clay County family sues social dating app Grindr after teenagerโs death
A Clay County family has filed a lawsuit against the LGBTQ social networking and dating site Grindr after their underage son's death, raising questions about the responsibility of social media platforms for the mental health and safety of their users. This federal case could potentially set a precedent for other families to hold social media giants accountable. The lawsuit claims that Grindr failed to verify the age of the minor and did not implement adequate safeguards to prevent underage access. The plaintiffs allege that Grindr intentionally allowed underage users to engage in sexual activities with adult users. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the liability of social media platforms in similar situations.
Parents, we want to know: How do you monitor your childโs activity on social media?
Sexual predators. Addictive features. Self-harm and eating disorders. Unrealistic beauty standards. Bullying. These are just some of the issues young people are dealing with on social media โ and childrenโs advocates and lawmakers say companies are not doing enough to protect them.
Facebook and Instagram roll out new tools to help parents keep their teens safe online
Online stranger danger is a real concern on social media. As a result, Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has rolled out new tools for parents that will limit messages with kids. This, as state lawmakers want to ban minors from using social media altogether.
TELL US: What do you think about stricter settings for teens on Instagram and Facebook?
Meta has announced stricter message settings for teens on Instagram and Facebook. The company said, "We're building on our work to provide age-appropriate experiences for teens, and to make it simpler for parents to shape their teens' online experiences."
Iowa school shooterโs TikTok post raises questions about social mediaโs role in mass shootings
After reports showed the 17-year-old Iowa school shooter made several social media posts around the time of the shooting, some people are questioning the role of social media in preventing tragedies like this.
โDangerous and audaciousโ: Street racers shut down Jacksonville highway to perform overnight car stunts
The video shows cars spinning out with passengers hanging out of the window recording video. Others perform a blockade on the highway. Thereโs a line of traffic stopped with some motorists honking their horns in anger.
I-TEAM: โDisingenuous and disappointing,โ African American pastor reacts to punishment of JSO Sergeant
JSO Sgt. Douglas Howell was accused of posting racist tweets. In one, he said Americaโs biggest problems are marijuana abuse and Black people. He also called members of the LGBTQ community sick and demented, and he made disparaging remarks about Mexicans. Following a six month investigation, internal affairs found that Howell did indeed violate two counts of JSOโs social media policy, but they did not find evidence to prove that his bias affected the way he does his job,
Suspect in custody after โcredibleโ social media threat against Sadie Tillis Elementary, DCPS police chief says
Sadie Tillis Elementary School was placed on lockdown Thursday morning because of a โcredibleโ social media threat, prompting buses to be diverted and a warning to families to keep their students home until further notice.
2 Bishop Snyder baseball players charged with making threats toward African American teammate
Two Bishop John J. Snyder High School baseball players were arrested Monday in connection with threats made toward their African American teammate, according to reports from the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office.
Controversy surrounds Bishop John J Snyder High School baseball team after alleged racist comments surface
Bishop John J Synder High School boy's Baseball team were the 2022 3A District Two Champions. But now, the team is in the limelight of social media for alleged racist comments and threats against its only African American player.
TELL US: What do you think about the proposed bans and restrictions on social media app TikTok?
The U.S. Senate has approved legislation to to ban the use of TikTok on government devices. Georgia and other states are either blocking or proposing to block TikTok on state devices, including college campuses.
Father of the year: Photo of soot-covered coal miner sitting with son at Kentucky basketball game goes viral
โMy amazing husband started his day at 4:45 a.m. that morning and worked all day. Then drove straight to the arena to meet us and enjoy the game with our son! We are truly blessed with such an amazing man, and beyond thankful! We love our coal miner.โ
โAs easy as 1-2-3โฒ: Social media trend encourages people to steal Kia, Hyundai cars using USB cables
Thieves tear out the steering column behind a push-to-start button and use a simple USB cable to start the ignition. This affects Kia models from 2011 to 2021 and Hyundai models from 2015 to 2021. Both companies say 2022 vehicles have been modified to prevent this.
In wake of mass shootings, psychologist breaks down how social media fosters aggression
We know the gunman who murdered 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school made chilling posts on social media. There are a lot of people blasting social media for glorifying violence and adding to the threat our children face.
โTry to take our guns and youโll learnโ: Florida lawmaker stirs controversy with tweet aimed at Biden
Florida lawmaker Randy Fine drew criticism Wednesday after tweeting a message aimed at President Joe Biden who called for the nation to act after a gunman shot and killed at least 19 children at a Texas elementary school.
Instagram page showing photos of students in bathroom removed, but similar accounts remain
Days after News4JAX reported about an Instagram page labeled as coming from Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts that included photos of students using the bathroom, the pageโs content was removed from the social media platform.
How many restrictions are too many when it comes to your childโs cellphone? Students give perspective
Your children's safety is your top priority, but there's a fine line to walk when protecting them, especially when it's time for their first cellphone. You want to trust them, but how do you also battle the pitfalls of social media, possible bullying and your child's curiosity?
DeSantis asks secretary of state to investigate Facebook
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis asked Floridaโs secretary of state to investigate Facebook on Monday based on a news article that reported the social media company gives preferential treatment to politicians, celebrities, professional athletes and other prominent people.
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didnโt happen last week
The image is designed to look like a Facebook post made by Long. US and EU COVID vaccines donโt contain aluminumCLAIM: COVID-19 vaccines contain aluminum, a toxic ingredient that enters the brain and causes disease. Some Chinese COVID-19 vaccines do use aluminum adjuvants, according to their ingredient lists. Adโ Jude Joffe-BlockGetting COVID-19 vaccine does not affect life insurance payoutsCLAIM: If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine and die, insurance companies will not pay out on the policy because the vaccine is experimental. !,โ one Facebook post said.
Trump plans to create his own social media platform
FILE - In this Thursday, June 18, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump looks at his phone during a roundtable with governors on the reopening of America's small businesses, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Though stripped of his Twitter account for inciting rebellion, President Donald Trump does have alternative options of much smaller reach. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON โ Former President Donald Trump plans to have his own social media platform available to the public in the next two or three months, according to one of his senior advisors. After the Capitol riot Jan. 6, Trump was suspended from Facebook, Twitter and other sites. Many social media platforms are reviewing their policies in regards to government officials and politicians after Trump was banned.
Facebook may be stalking you when youโre offline. But, thereโs an easy way to fix it
Why does โOff-Facebook Activityโ exist? However, by disengaging the โOff-Facebook Activityโ feature, the ads on the platform will be less personal to the user, according to the social media network. Click Your Facebook Information at the left column. Click Off-Facebook Activity to review. From here, you can also click Manage Your Off-Facebook Activity for more information.
The most popular social media stories of 2020 and every update that happened since
and Faye Brinson, the couple behind the most popular News4Jax social media story of 2020 and a screen grab from the video that made it so. Posted by WJXT4 The Local Station / News4JAX on Wednesday, May 13, 2020In 2020, you helped Louisa Gunter feel even more special and loved. In 2020, social media users certainly agreed when News4Jax posted Chic-fil-a would start selling its Chick-fil-A and Polynesian sauces in grocery stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Posted by WJXT4 The Local Station / News4JAX on Wednesday, June 10, 2020In 2020, social media was used as a force to bring justice. ๐ https://bit.ly/2W2RTaH Posted by WJXT4 The Local Station / News4JAX on Wednesday, March 11, 2020Was there a memorable story from 2020 you think should be mentioned?
Filter hate speech from your social media feed
Between politics, ongoing civil unrest, and the COVID pandemic, some days itโs hard to avoid doomscrolling -- when you just canโt stop looking at social media even if itโs upsetting to you. You actually have some control over what kinds of posts you see on social media. On its website, CR provides detailed instructions for filtering hate speech, hoaxes, and violence out of your social media feeds. Although social media companies have policies to curb hate speech and misinformation, consumers say theyโre still seeing it. For a link to all of CRโs instructions for customizing your social media accounts, visit consumerreports.org.
Do you need a social media detox?
Thereโs no doubt social media plays a big part in many of our lives. And while it helps us connect with family and friends, experts say it can also be damaging to our mental health. โWhen weโre on social media it isnโt always the healthiest kind of connection,โ said Jane Pernotto-Ehrman, a behavioral health specialist at Cleveland Clinic. In fact, research shows if you limit your time on social media to no more than 30 minutes each day, your mood can actually improve. โWhen we say, okay, I am going to check social media at this time of the day and keep it to that and not check it first thing in the morning and not check it every time they have a break,โ Pernotto-Ehrman said.
Blackout Tuesday: Here is why you will see a blackout on social media today
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ You may be wondering why you woke up this morning to find friends, families, celebrities, corporations and other individuals posting black squares on their social media accounts. This movement has spread on social media, where organizations, brands and individuals are posting solemn messages featuring stark black backgrounds. !โ A video scroll of the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on Instagram proves her point: Itโs row after row of black squares, with very few posts of note in between. And since people have been including the #BlackLivesMAtter tag, in the words of activist Feminista Jones, the protests have been erased from Instagram. "When you check the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, it's no longer videos, helpful information, resources, documentation of the injustice, it's rows of black screens," music artist Kehlani explained on her Instagram story.
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 โglobal digital mobilizations.โItโll be Digital Earth Day! Earth Day Network will provide live coverage of these โglobal digital mobilizations," which you can follow on its social media accounts. But organizers still want to โmobilize millions in a call for transformative action for our planet.โโAt Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. Thatโs 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
Anyone 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 donโt have to give up on social media in general, or even Facebook in particular. The social media giants say theyโre 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?
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 โglobal digital mobilizations.โItโll be Digital Earth Day! Earth Day Network will provide live coverage of these โglobal digital mobilizations," which you can follow on its social media accounts. But organizers still want to โmobilize millions in a call for transformative action for our planet.โโAt Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. Thatโs now been postponed to October 24-25, 2020 to mark the half birthday of Earth Day.
Picture perfect? Counselor weighs in on how face- and body-altering apps can affect mental health
These two age groups often feel pressure to project a certain image on social media. โThe problem with social media is, we think weโre putting things out there to share our lives with other people, but as a recipient of social media, weโre actually comparing ourselves to others,โ she said. What is the maximum daily time each person should spend on social media? What are some alternative activities we can do instead of social media? Social media use and the pressure to be picture perfect can cause a variety of mental health issues in teens and young adults.
Kobe Bryant paid tribute to MLK on Instagram just days before his death
Peruse the Instagram page of the late, great Kobe Bryant and youโll 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, โThank 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 wasnโt 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.โ#DearBlackAthlete: Kobe Bryant on Martin Luther King, Jr.