Social Media

Who can't tweet about #Rio2016?

For ordinary people the answer is a definite no. You can use it in posts about your favourite athlete as much as you like.

But for companies it's a different matter. And the United States Olympic Committee has been accused of "bullying" firms that aren't official sponsors, to prevent them joining in the social media conversation about the upcoming games.

Like any major sporting event the organisers of the Olympics go to huge lengths to protect the rights of corporate sponsors who invest over a billion dollars in the games.

Qandeel Baloch: 'She was a girl just like you'

It's the one Qandeel Baloch rented for her parents. And this is where she died.

Inside, the walls are faded, the furniture is scarce. An old, disabled man is sobbing uncontrollably.

Qandeel's father Muhammad Azeem is grieving the death of his favourite daughter, allegedly at the hands of his own son, in the name of honour.

His wife sits on a day bed nearby. One moment she seems to sleeps as if to forget, the next she stares into space.

South China Sea: Chinese social media urges mango boycott

After an international tribunal on territorial disputes ruled against China and in favour of the Philippines, Chinese netizens used social media to call for a boycott of the Philippine fruit, as well as to make their feelings known through other memes and pictures.

Slogans like "If you want to eat mango, buy Thailand's" and "Starve the Filipinos to death" have been widely circulated on microblogging site Weibo.

"If you love China, don't buy Filipino imports", said one comment.

Social media 'outstrips TV' as news source for young people

     

Of the 18-to-24-year-olds surveyed, 28% cited social media as their main news source, compared with 24% for TV.

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism research also suggests 51% of people with online access use social media as a news source.

This trend and the rising use of mobile phones to access news are undermining traditional business models.

The report, now in its fifth year, is based on a YouGov survey of about 50,000 people across 26 countries, including 2,000 Britons.

Internet addiction and school burnout vicious for teens

Now a study finds that internet addiction is leaving some students feeling burnt out at school, which causes them to spend more time on the internet, creating a cycle that can leave teens feeling depressed.

The power of Social Media

With tools like Facebook and LinkedIn, you can learn the dominant languages spoken among your social media audience, as well as their age and gender.

Hosted by the Pacific Business Trust and presented by business expert and author Matt Jull, CEO of My Business People,  the Social Media workshop showcased to more than 50 participants how Social Media can help them not only as a professional, but market your business to other businesses and consumers.

Pope Francis: Texts, internet, social networks are 'gift of God'

"Emails, text messages, social networks and chats can also be fully human forms of communication," the pope said in his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Communications.

"It is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal," said.

Social media goes to the dogs (and cats)

Drones may soon be delivering packages, cars are driving themselves and dogs are posting on Instagram.

That's right, pets have taken to social media to connect and share their cuteness with the world. For the record, it's not really the pets that are running these accounts; it's their owners.

Pet owners are creating Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts for their furry friends in a trend that was boosted by celebrities.

From Earth to Paris: Social media used to deliver powerful Pacific message on oceans

The video has been watched over 17000 times in less than 24 hours, illustrating the power of social media to amplify Pacific voices during the Paris-based climate change negotiations.

The video and other messages from the Pacific are being promoted across social media using the common hashtag #4PacIslands.

Social media race on between Richie McCaw and Dan Carter

McCaw has only been on Facebook for a few weeks, after Carter finally convinced him to join the social media revolution in the wake of their World Cup final victory celebrations earlier this month.