addictive

CES, Gadgets

“Discover Light’s Newest Minimalist Phone: Featuring an OLED Display, Free from Addictive Apps”

Light, the maker of the minimalist phone with an e-paper screen, is announcing its newest model, the Light Phone III. Like its earlier counterpart, the Light Phone III offers a simple black-and-white display, without access to social media, the internet or email. Between the first two models, the Light Phone I and Light Phone II, the company has shipped over 100,000 devices, with the latter accounting for roughly two-thirds of those sales. The Light Phone III will target the larger demographic that are already using the non-smartphone as their main device. Image Credits: LightAll the upgrades make the new device more expensive: The Light Phone III is $799 compared with the $299 Light Phone II.

Max Chen
June 11, 2024

Media & Entertainment

Limiting Children’s Access to ‘Addictive Feeds’ in New York City

New York’s state legislature has passed a bill that would prohibit social media companies from showing so-called “addictive feeds” to children under 18, unless they obtain parental consent. The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act defines an addictive feed as one where the content is recommended or prioritized based on information about the user or the user’s device — basically, these are the algorithmic news feeds used by most social apps. “Non-addictive feeds,” a category that includes “feeds listed in chronological order,” would still be allowed. “New York is leading the nation to protect our kids from addictive social media feeds and shield their personal data from predatory companies,” Governor Hochul said. It would also prohibit platforms from sending notifications related to these feeds between the ages of midnight and 6am without parental consent.