Social Web : All Tech Considered Sites like Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the Web, altered how we interact with each other and even changed the way news is gathered and delivered. Read about the impact of social media and its continuing evolution.

All Tech Considered

Tech, Culture and Connection

Social Web

Monday February 29, 2016

Teen Girls And Social Media: A Story Of 'Secret Lives' And Misogyny

Nancy Jo Sales interviewed more than 200 teenage girls about their social media and Internet habits while researching her book American Girls. Knopf hide caption

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Knopf

Social Web

Teen Girls And Social Media: A Story Of 'Secret Lives' And Misogyny

Fresh Air

February 29, 2016 • Author Nancy Jo Sales says the Internet fosters a kind of sexism that is harmful to teen girls. Her new book is American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers.

Teen Girls And Social Media: A Story Of 'Secret Lives' And Misogyny

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Wednesday February 24, 2016

Are You Liking Facebook's New Emojis? Scrap That. Do You 'Wow' Them?

Facebook's new 'reactions' are getting a lot of... reactions. Facebook hide caption

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Facebook

Social Web

Are You Liking Facebook's New Emojis? Scrap That. Do You 'Wow' Them?

February 24, 2016 • Facebook rolled out five new emojis globally. Now, users can not only "like" a post but also choose "haha," "angry" and other options. Users are taking to social media to voice their reactions.

Wednesday February 17, 2016

Space Archaeologist Wants Your Help To Find Ancient Sites

A satellite image of the archaeological site of Tanis, after processing. Sarah Parcak used satellite data to find the ancient Egyptian city. Courtesy of Sarah Parcak hide caption

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Courtesy of Sarah Parcak

Social Web

Space Archaeologist Wants Your Help To Find Ancient Sites

February 17, 2016 • Sarah Parcak uses satellite imagery to identify hidden sites. The winner of the 2016 TED Prize now plans to invite everyone to help her locate historical treasures.

Space Archaeologist Wants Your Help To Find Ancient Sites

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Sunday February 14, 2016

Oh! Darling: Sir Paul's Audible Emoji For Your Valentine

Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images

Social Web

Oh! Darling: Sir Paul's Audible Emoji For Your Valentine

February 14, 2016 • The former Beatle composed 10 five-second jingles to accompany Skype's love-themed emojis. They feature the sounds of his voice, a Moog synthesizer, guitar, harpsichord and other instruments.

McCartney's Octopus Moji

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Thursday January 28, 2016

How Do You Measure Passion? Figuring The Value Of Social Media Followers

Comedian and actress Grace Helbig is a star on YouTube. "Having an audience that listens to and resonates with your creative ideas is invaluable," she says. Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP hide caption

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Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP

Social Web

How Do You Measure Passion? Figuring The Value Of Social Media Followers

January 28, 2016 • Having millions of followers on Twitter or Instagram isn't necessarily a great achievement if they don't engage with you. Putting a value on social media followers is a burgeoning business.

How Do You Measure Passion? Figuring The Value Of Social Media Followers

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Monday January 25, 2016

Get A Grip On Your Information Overload With 'Infomagical'

John Hersey/WNYC

Society

Get A Grip On Your Information Overload With 'Infomagical'

WNYC

January 25, 2016 • Ever feel like you can't handle all the information pouring toward you from all the screens? But you keep reading and watching anyway? This five-day experiment from WNYC may just be for you.

Get A Grip On Your Information Overload With 'Infomagical'

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Saturday January 23, 2016

Yik Yak Tests Universities' Defense Of Free Speech

The Yik Yak app allows users to post anonymous messages, and to read anonymous messages posted in their current location. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption

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Ariel Zambelich/NPR

Behavior

Yik Yak Tests Universities' Defense Of Free Speech

WABE

January 23, 2016 • The social media app allows users to post anonymous comments visible to others in the same area. It's become a breeding ground for racial and violent threats, and some colleges may ban the app.

Yik Yak Tests Universities' Defense Of Free Speech

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Wednesday January 6, 2016

140-Character Twitter: If You Leave, Thanks For These Gifts

Bloomberg via Getty Images

Social Web

140-Character Twitter: If You Leave, Thanks For These Gifts

January 6, 2016 • Twitter may or may not be lifting its famous 140-character length maximum. We look back at some of the ways the restrictions made us get creative and spurred new phenomena, like "twitterature."

Saturday December 26, 2015

QUIZ: Are You Up To Speed On These Quirky Tech Stories Of 2015?

How would this wild black bear react to a drone? Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images hide caption

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Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images

Social Web

QUIZ: Are You Up To Speed On These Quirky Tech Stories Of 2015?

December 26, 2015 • In 2015, we reported on lots of tech news and uncovered some off-the-wall themes and elements of familiar trends. Can you remember or figure out some of the interesting findings from our coverage?

Tuesday December 22, 2015

IBM's Watson analyzes a Twitter account of an unnamed user, breaking down needs, values and five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism (aka emotional range). IBM hide caption

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IBM

Behavior

I Asked A Computer To Be My Life Coach

December 22, 2015 • Your online habits leave a constant digital trail. What does it say about the real you? I gave the world's most famous computer keys to my online life to see what it could tell me, about me.

I Asked A Computer To Be My Life Coach

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Tuesday December 15, 2015

What Can — Or Should — Internet Companies Do To Fight Terrorism?

After recent terrorist attacks, social media companies are under pressure to do more to stop messaging from terrorist groups. Patrick George/Ikon Images/Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick George/Ikon Images/Getty Images

Privacy & Security

What Can — Or Should — Internet Companies Do To Fight Terrorism?

December 15, 2015 • Politicians are pressing social media and tech firms to do more to rein in the online presence of terrorist groups. But there are challenges, including defining what constitutes terrorist content.

What Can — Or Should — Internet Companies Do To Fight Terrorism?

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Wednesday December 2, 2015

A Click Too Far: Why Using Social Media Isn't That Great For Fundraising

There are a lot of ways to donate to a cause online. While using social media may help in promotion, it may not be the most effective way to get people to actually give. Tomacco/Getty Images hide caption

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Tomacco/Getty Images

Behavior

A Click Too Far: Why Using Social Media Isn't That Great For Fundraising

December 2, 2015 • Empathy campaigns can spread like wildfire on Facebook and other social media. So how come data show that social networking sites direct very few clicks to charity donation pages?

Thursday November 26, 2015

This Thanksgiving, Struggling To Skip The Instagram Obsession

iStockphoto

Wednesday November 4, 2015

Could Your Social Media Footprint Step On Your Credit History?

iStockphoto

The Industry

Could Your Social Media Footprint Step On Your Credit History?

November 4, 2015 • The head of a credit scoring firm says Facebook posts can offer an insight into creditworthiness. If your online presence becomes a financial health gauge, there are legal protections to know about.

Could Your Social Media Footprint Step On Your Credit History?

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Thursday October 29, 2015

Uber Surge Price? Research Says Walk A Few Blocks, Wait A Few Minutes

This map, created by Christo Wilson of Northeastern University, shows Uber surge price areas in Boston. Courtesy of Christo Wilson hide caption

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Courtesy of Christo Wilson

The Industry

Uber Surge Price? Research Says Walk A Few Blocks, Wait A Few Minutes

October 29, 2015 • Northeastern University researchers wanted to figure out how Uber comes up with surge prices by studying Manhattan and San Francisco. They say the surges work, but maybe not the way they are intended.