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TikTok is expanding its eligibility to creator subscriptions.
Previously known as LIVE Subscription, the monetization feature was only available for creators who stream on the platform. But starting today, Sept. 23, Subscription is available to any creator who is 18 years or older, has at least 10,000 followers, and has accumulated at least 100,000 video views in the past calendar year. LIVE creators previously eligible for the feature will still have access.
SEE ALSO: 'Beetlejuice lips' TikTok trend celebrates the natural creases of your lipsLIVE Subscription was first launched in 2022 and was directed at the streaming space, competing with YouTube and Twitch.
TikTok offers three tiers of Subscription. Similar to Patreon, Instagram Subscription, and YouTube membership, users pay a monthly fee to have access to exclusive content, channels, and identifying stickers. Creators can chat directly with subscribers on "Sub Space" and subscribers will have differentiating badges and stickers during LIVEs.
Subscription is rolling out to Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, the UK, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. TikTok plans to roll it out to more markets in the coming weeks.
Currently, LIVE Subscriptions start at $2.99 monthly, with some creators charging $5.99. When the feature first launched, TechCrunch reported that prices would be comparable to Twitch subscriptions, which cost $4.99.
If you think it’s too early to start planning which toys you’re going to get your kiddos this holiday — it’s not. The longer you wait to make your list and start shopping, the greater the chance that the toys your kids want the most will be all snatched up.
This is where Walmart swoops in to save the holidays. Walmart has a rad lineup of exclusive toys and the brands that your kids will seriously flip out over — all in one place. You’ll find toys for kiddos of all ages from the likes of Bluey, Little Tikes, Barbie World, LEGO, Star Wars, and the list goes on. You’ll even find exclusive toys starting at just 10 bucks, so you can gift to the max without breaking the bank.
Check out this roundup of toys that are available only at Walmart and knock their little socks off this holiday. Walmart has loads more online, so get shopping.
Toys your tots will go gaga over Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Squishmallows Bluey HugMees $15.00 at WalmartIf your toddler is obsessed with Bluey — and whose toddler isn’t — this Squishmallows Bluey HugMees stuffed toy has its arms wide open and is always ready for a big hug. It feels as soft, plush, and cuddly as it looks, and it’s the perfect size for nap time. Add Bluey’s little sister, the Squishmallows Bingo HugMees, and make it a party snuggle.
Pre-schoolers will flip over these creative toys Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Fisher-Price Wooden Rainbow Stacking Shape Sorter $24.82 at WalmartFor a fresh take on an old-school favorite, the 25 wooden blocks included in the updated Fisher-Price Wooden Rainbow Stacking Shape Sorter all fit together in different ways, which can help sharpen your kiddo’s hand-eye coordination. The blocks are still as irresistibly bright and solid as you remember them — and they feel good in your little one’s paws. The wood is also from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests, a nice perk.
Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Little Tikes Creative Chefs Nacho Kit $14.86 at WalmartEvery night is nacho night with this loaded Little Tikes Creative Chefs Nacho Kit. The visual recipe card is easy to follow and your kiddo physically makes the nachos, beans, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tomato from colored, inedible sand that they put into the included molds and then cut up all pro-like with the play knife. It’s creative, it’s tactile, and it’s super fun for lil’ chefs.
Wow-factor toys for picky older kids Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Barbie World Game Room Set $24.97 at WalmartWant to see your child do a Barbie celebration dance? This Barbie World Game Room Set comes with 19 supercool accessories and makes a standout addition to your kid’s Barbie Dream House. The set includes a TV, a pink bean-bag chair, popcorn, cute bevs, pets, and everything else Barbie and her pals could ever need to kick back on the DL. The foosball table even has three balls and working spinners — it’s almost enough to make a parental jealous.
Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Phantom Menace Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator Starship $70.00 at WalmartIf your Star Wars fan is also a LEGO fan, the Phantom Menace Darth Maul’s Sith Infiltrator Starship will rock their universe. Your kid will have a blast putting together the 64-piece kit and battling it out with the LEGO Darth Maul, Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Saw Gerrera mini figures. They’ll also freak out over the starship’s foldout flight wings, retractable landing gear, and trigger-operated hatch that releases the Probe Droids.
Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart UNO Elite NFL Card Game $14.88 at WalmartIf you’re looking for budget-friendly stocking stuffers, the UNO Elite NFL Card Game will get your football fans all revved up. It’s basically played in the same way as the classic UNO card game that everyone loves, but what makes it Uno Elite is the addition of 60 action cards, all with full-color images of your kid’s favorite NFL players. Four of the action cards are even foil collectibles — don’t be surprised if the collectible cards disappear into your kid’s room for a huddle.
No matter how old your kiddos are or what kind of stuff they’re into, jumpstart your holiday shopping with Walmart’s impressive lineup of freak-out-worthy toys and get ahead of the pack. With the toys they want starting at just $10, you can score big gift wins, all in one place, and without dipping into their college fund.
Prime Day is one of the biggest shopping events on the internet, and fortunately for us, it happens twice a year — once in July and again in October. If you need a new TV, whether it’s for game day, movie nights, or, you know, becoming an absolute couch potato on weekends, Amazon’s got some pretty good early Prime Big Deal Days deals on TVs right now.
Best early Prime Day TV deals: Best TV deal overall 50-inch Amazon Fire TV 4-Series 4K UHD Smart TV with Fire TV $299.98 at Amazon (save $150.01) Get Deal Best runner-up deal 50-inch INSIGNIA Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV with Fire TV $219.99 at Amazon (save $80) Get Deal Best budget deal 40-inch VIZIO Smart TV (VFD40M-08) $148 at Amazon (save $21.99) Get DealPrime Day round two is almost here, and while many shoppers are waiting for the big event to score the best deal, we’ve already found some pretty decent discounts on smart TVs that you can take advantage of right now — weeks ahead of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days in October.
Here are some of the best early TV deals we’ve seen so far:
Best TV deal overall Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: 50-inch Amazon Fire TV 4-Series 4K UHD Smart TV with Fire TV $299.98 at AmazonWho says you need to spend a grand to get a big, nice smart TV? This 50-inch Amazon Fire TV 4-Series is only $299.98 and features 4K Ultra HD resolution, Dolby Digital Plus, and HRD 10 for a brighter, clearer picture.
Amazon’s Fire TV is built-in, so you can watch your favorite shows, movies, and live TV channels from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, etc. And because this is an Amazon TV, Alexa is just a voice command away. There are also four HDMI inputs for gaming consoles, cable boxes, and more.
The only caveat to this TV is that this model doesn’t support two-way video calling or hands-free voice control (you have to press the Alexa button to summon her help), but that’s not a dealbreaker when the price is this good.
Best runner-up deal Opens in a new window Credit: INSIGNIA Our pick: 50-inch INSIGNIA Class F30 Series (NS-50F301NA24) LED 4K UHD Smart TV with Fire TV $219.99 at AmazonIf you want a Fire TV, it’s probably best to buy an Amazon-brand TV. But if you want a Fire TV that isn’t an Amazon model, this 50-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV by INSIGNIA (NS-50F301NA24) is an affordable alternative.
It’s currently $219.99 at Amazon, slightly cheaper than the Amazon 50-inch Fire TV listed above. This smart TV has 4K Ultra 2160p resolution, Alexa voice control via the voice remote, and access to your faves via the built-in Fire TV. This TV doesn’t have Dolby Digital Plus or HDR10 like the Amazon 50-inch model, but it’s still a solid choice if you're on a budget.
Best budget deal Opens in a new window Credit: VIZIO Our pick: 40-inch VIZIO Smart TV (VFD40M-08) $148.00 at AmazonIf you’re really on a budget (who isn’t nowadays?), the VIZIO 40-inch Smart TV is a steal at just $148. This 1080p HD TV has all the basic smart features you’d want or need: a game-ready setup with HDR 10 support and an auto-low latency mode whenever a console or PC is connected.
The WatchFree Plus app gives you access to more than 275 free channels, and the full-array LED backlight makes for a bright and colorful picture. It also has Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, so you can connect it to your other smart home devices via Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
More TV deals24-inch INSIGNIA Calss F20 Series Smart HD TV with Fire TV (NS-24F201NA23) — $69.99 $79.99 (save $10)
40-inch Amazon Fire TV 2-Series HD Smart TV with Fire TV — $179.98 $249.99 (save $71.01)
40-inch VIZIO D-Series Full HD SMart TV (D40f-J09) — $204.99 $229.99 (save $25)
43-inch TCL Class S4 4K LED Smart TV with Roku TV (43S450R, 2023 Model) — $219.99 $279.99 (save $60)
55-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series 4K UHD Smart TV with Fire TV — $449.99 $599.99 (save $150)
55-inch Samsung QLED 4K Q60D Series (QN55Q60D) — $647.99 $797.99 (save $150)
Prime Big Deal Days is coming just mere months after Amazon's July Prime Day event. On October 8 and 9, the retailer will unleash a barrage of deals on just about everything you can imagine. While Amazon usually showcases its own products and services during the Prime Day event, plenty of other brands join in on the fun too.
Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, we're tracking deals on headphones and speakers. Historically, we've seen some of our favorite headphones drop down to their lowest prices during Prime Day. With Amazon's October Prime Day just two weeks away, there are some deals available now, but we're still holding out for more.
Right now you can find savings on Apple, Soundcore by Anker, and Sony, however, we're still waiting on bigger price drops to come on Bose headphones. Plus, with Apple's recent AirPod drop, we're eager to see if any of these new models will dip below full-price.
If you can't wait to start shopping, here are the early Prime Big Deal Day deals on headphones and speakers.
Best noise-cancelling headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max $429.00 at AmazonAirPods Max are stylish headphones with easy connectivity to boot. Just like the rest of the AirPods collection, the AirPods Max connect to iOS devices just by turning them on, plus you don't need an auxiliary app to control them. While AirPods Max aren't in our round-up of best headphones, we'll still sing their merits as they possess excellent audio quality and good battery life.
A big hang-up we have with the AirPods Max is their price tag because at $549, you can find headphones with the same quality for far cheaper. However, when the AirPods Max are on sale, we're all in. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can get the AirPods Max for $429, saving $120 for 22% off. This is just $50 short of their lowest price ever.
More noise-cancelling headphone dealsSoundcore by Anker Life Q20 Headphones — $39.90 $59.99 (save $20.09)
Sony WH-CH720N Headphones — $104.50 $149.99 (save $45.49)
Beats Studio 3 Headphones — $159 $349.95 (save $190.95)
Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones — $298 $348 (save $50)
Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones — $348 $399.99 (save $51.99)
If you're shopping Prime Big Deal Days and are focused on budget finds, let us point you toward the Soundcore by Anker P20i wireless earbuds. For under $25, these earbuds check most of our boxes including 10 hours of battery life, a charging case, and customizable audio. While they don't include active noise cancellation, they'll still deliver pleasing audio quality, even if they don't block out the world around you.
Normally $39.99, the Soundcore by Anker P20i earbuds are down to $19.99, for 50% and $20 in savings.
More earbud dealsJBL Vibe Beam Earbuds — $39.20 $49.95 (save $10.75)
Soundcore by Anker P30i Noise-cancelling Earbuds — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)
JBL Tune Flex Earbuds — $49.95 $99.95 (save $50)
Soundcore by Anker A40 Earbuds — $59 $79.99 (save $20.99)
Google Pixel Buds A-Series Earbuds — $64 $99 (save $35)
Sony WF-C700N Earbuds — $84.49 $119.99 (save $35.50)
Apple AirPods Pro 2 — $189.99 $249 (save $59.01)
Beats Powerbeats Earbuds — $199.95 $249.95 (save $50)
Maybe your Bluetooth speaker kicked the dust this summer after one too many pool parties. If you find yourself in the market for a new one, Prime Day is an especially great time to hit add to cart.
The Sony SRS-XE200 X-Series Bluetooth speaker is on sale ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. It comes with a corded strap, making it easy to tote around on your adventures. With a IP67 rating, it's water- and dust-proof, giving it a rugged build. Not to mention the 16 hours of battery life keeping the party going all day.
Ahead of the October Prime Day, this speaker is down to $66.74, down from $129.99. That's 49% off for $63.25 in savings.
More Bluetooth speaker dealsSony SRSXB13/B Extra Bass Speaker — $38 $59.99 (save $21.99)
JBL Clip 5 Speaker — $69.95 $79.95 (save $10)
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 Speaker — $79.99 $99.99 (save $20)
Ultimate Ears Boom 4 Speaker — $117.85 $149.99 (save $32.14)
It's pretty remarkable what technically savvy people can accomplish. To wit: A modder posted a YouTube video showing how they got ChatGPT running on a TI-84 calculator.
Now, how in the world could someone access an AI chatbot on a relatively analog machine designed to do calculations? Well, with a lot of work.
The creator, ChromaLock, posted how they accomplished the feat in detail.
To be frank, a lot of what they did was beyond my comprehension and certainly beyond my abilities. They used the TI-84's link port — typically used to transfer educational programs between calculators — to get internet access and a direct line to ChatGPT. ChromaLock said the ChatGPT-enabled TI-84 would be the ultimate cheating machine, but it doesn't seem likely students everywhere will soon follow their lead.
The process was pretty complicated, involving a custom circuitboard, a microcontroller, and lots of expertise. It's cool when someone does something so complicated just because they can. Meanwhile, my calculator tricks remain limited to writing the word "hello" by typing the number 0.7734 and turning the screen upside down.
If you're looking to bring home a new fitness tracker, Prime Day is a great time to shop. The retailer is putting up tons of deals on items across every department, fitness trackers included, with brands like Apple, Garmin and Samsung to name a few.
Now that the weather is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to change, you might be more inclined to start that jogging program you were looking forward to. Or you might decide to get ahead of New Year's resolutions and start heading to the gym. Whatever you're planning, one of these fitness tracker deals can help you get going.
Scoop up the savings with these Prime Day fitness tracker deals and grab something for yourself or a friend or loved one before these deals float away. Below, find some of our favorite picks that you can shop right now.
Best fitness tracker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Garmin Forerunner 265S $349.99 at AmazonThe Garmin Forerunner 265S functions as both a fitness tracker and a smartwatch, but its primary use case is for helping you keep an eye on everything your body does. It tracks your sleep, workouts, training readiness, recovery score, HRV, heart rate, pulse oximetry, and much more, with a morning report delivered to you each day about how you slept and what your day should be looking like in terms of fitness strategies. It has crisp, bright AMOLED display and lasts up to 15 days on a charge, too. With its 30 activity profiles, smartwatch options that let you stay synced to your phone and modern design, this is a great fitness tracker that can help you keep track of your day as well as your exercise.
Best Android fitness tracker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 $199.99 at AmazonThe Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is an Android-centric smartwatch that boasts a variety of fitness tracker features. It doesn't look like your typical tracker, and more like a watch than you'd expect, giving it a low-profile feel. But it tracks heart rate, sleep, rhythm and a variety of other aspects of your fitness journey. Plus, it can sync with your other Android devices to keep everything in check. If you want a fitness tracker that looks like a timepiece instead of something that's obviously being used to keep an eye on your activity, this is the smartwatch/tracker combo you'll want.
Best Fitbit fitness tracker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fitbit Sense $177.00 at AmazonThe Fitbit Sense is another fitness tracker and smartwatch hybrid that looks more like a timepiece on your wrist with a modern look, a comfortable strap, and a variety of tracking capabilities. It offers heart rate tracking, an ECG sensor, and an electrodermal sensor to track your skin temperature as well to help you keep an eye on your stress levels. It also offers haptic feedback across apps as well as a speaker that you can use alongside Google Assistant or Alexa for voice control.
More Prime Day fitness tracker dealsAmazfit Bip 5 — $74.98 $89.99 (save $15.01)
Amazfit GTS 4 (Renewed) — $79.99 $119.99 (save $40)
Garmin Forerunner 55 — $188 $199.99 (save $11.99)
Some iPhone 16 Pro owners are reporting problems with the phone's touchscreen.
According to 9to5Mac, a number of people online have claimed that their new premium iPhone (whether it's the regular Pro or Pro Max) is not correctly registering every tap and swipe it should be registering. Obviously, this is problematic for a phone that almost entirely lacks real buttons. Having this problem would make it difficult to perform even basic tasks on an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max.
SEE ALSO: Don’t do this on iOS 18 — or you may lose your textsThe good news is that there seems to be a consensus on what's happening and how to fix it. The predominant theory right now is that the problem is software-based, specifically that the accidental touch algorithm in iPhones (which is meant to disable the screen from unintended taps and swipes) is too sensitive. With the very small bezels on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, it might be a little too easy to accidentally have part of your hand on the screen without realizing it, which would disable taps and swipes on the rest of the screen.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: What are the differences?9to5Mac also pointed out that this doesn't happen when the phone is locked, and is much harder to replicate if the phone is in a case. In other words, this is almost certainly a software problem that is fixable on Apple's end, and even before that happens, you can avoid it by putting your iPhone 16 Pro in a case or being more careful about where you touch the screen.
Fitbit is the ultimate fitness tracker. Sure, the Apple Watch may be flashier and get more media attention, but for the average health-conscious consumer (read: anyone who wants to keep tabs on their step count and heart rate), Fitbit is a solid, more affordable option. And right now, you can score early Prime Big Deal Days deals on select Fitbit models before the main October event.
Early Prime Day Fitbit deals: Best Fitbit deal overall Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch $177 at Amazon (save $72.95) Get Deal Best runner-up deal Fitbit Sense 2 Advanced Health and Fitness Smartwatch $241.99 at Amazon (save $57.96) Get Deal Best budget deal Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition Health and Fitness Smartwatch $149.99 at Amazon (save $49.96) Get DealPrime Day ~fall edition~ is nearly here, and Fitbit is already getting in on the action. While not many models are on sale just yet, we’re anticipating more price drops as we get closer to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, which are happening on Oct. 8 and 9.
Whether you’re trying to get a jump start on holiday shopping or you just want to get a little something for yourself, here are the best early Fitbit deals we've found so far:
Best Fitbit deal overall Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch $177.00 at AmazonThe Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch is ideal for wellness-focused users. The EDA Scan app detects electrodermal activity (AKA a stress meter). The ECG app, which is only available in certain countries and intended for people who are 22 or older, checks heart rhythm for signs of atrial fibrillation, and the built-in GPS lets you track your runs without your phone.
The battery lasts six days on a full charge, and the fast-charge function gives you a full day's worth of use after just 12 minutes of charging (up to 12 hours with GPS mode on).
Best runner-up deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Sense 2 Advanced Health and Fitness Smartwatch $248.00 at AmazonThe Fitbit Sense 2 Advanced Health and Fitness Smartwatch is a bit pricier but equipped with more advanced health and wellness tracking features. This smartwatch is designed to help you sleep better and manage stress, thanks to its all-day stress detection and daily Stress Management Score. (Not sure I would acually want to know my score.) It also gives you a Sleep Score that lets you know how well you slept.
This model includes built-in GPS, a workout intensity map, a Daily Readiness Score, Active Zone Minutes, and more. It's water-resistant up to 50 meters, so you can swim with it on. It also comes with a six-month membership to Fitbit Premium, which gives you access to personalized insights and advanced metrics.
Best budget deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition Health and Fitness Smartwatch $149.99 at AmazonNormally, we'd recommend the Fitbit Inspire 3 as a budget pick (only $99.95), but it’s not on sale yet. The Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition Health and Fitness Smartwatch is a pretty good (basic Fitbit) alternative. It’s not the newest model, but it does feature a stylish band, a large display, and health monitoring features like a Sleep Score and 24/7 heart rate tracking.
More Fitbit dealsFitbit Inspire 2 (Renewed) — $55 $91.20 (save $36.20)
Fitbit Versa 2 (Renewed) — $119.38 $169.99 (save $50.61)
Fitbit Charge 4 — $144.99 $222.95 (save $77.96)
Fitbit Versa Lite — $149.99 $159.95 (save $9.96)
Fitbit Versa — $159.99 $199.95 (save $39.96)
The Prime Big Deal Days are coming up soon, so keep an eye out for more Fitbit deals. We’ll edit this post as we find more early Prime Day discounts.
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days is only two weeks away and the deals are slowly trickling in. We're keeping an eye out for all the best deals leading up to the shopping event — particularly on top brands we know and love. We've handpicked a few discounts we think are worth adding to your cart on Sept. 23, so you can kick off the savings a little bit early.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these catch your eye, be sure to check back throughout the week as we select new deals each day.
Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Ultimate Ears Ultimate Ears Boom 4 Bluetooth speaker $117.85 at AmazonMashable's Alex Perry called the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 "a powerful music tube with a bevy of customization options, excellent sound, and an all-day battery." Now, released just a few months ago, the Boom 4 is improving on the already great speaker with enhanced deep bass radiators for bigger sound, a new software trick called megaphone, and the coveted USB-C port. It's regularly $149.99, but as of Sept. 23, it's down to just $117.85 at Amazon. That's 21% in savings and the first time it's hit this low of a price. There's just one catch: the record-low price only applies to the black colorway.
Opens in a new window Credit: Tile Tile Starter Pack (Tile Mate + Tile Slim) $38.56 at AmazonTile's starter pack is a solid introduction to Bluetooth tracking devices. It includes one Tile Mate (one of our top picks for a Bluetooth tracker) and one Tile Slim for just $38.56. That's 30% cheaper than buying each one separately. The Tile Mate attaches to your keys, luggage, and more without much bulk, while the Slim is the shape of a credit card, so it can slip inside your wallet or purse. The pair are designed to reliably help you keep track of your stuff through GPS. Plus, you can opt into a paid Tile Premium subscription and unlock extra features, like notifications when you leave stuff behind and item reimbursement.
Opens in a new window Credit: Philips Philips 4000 Series Smart Lock $117.20 at AmazonThe Philips 4000 Series Smart Lock is on sale for just $117.20 at Amazon and serves as a great way to dabble in the smart home world without breaking the bank. It's usually $169.99, so you'll save about 31%. Just remember to check the box for the on-page coupon. We haven't had a chance to test the Philips smart lock, but our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) have and found it to be a sleek and effective device, but a bit expensive. Like any good smart lock, it gives you multiple ways to lock and unlock your door, including a fingerprint scan, PIN codes, a mobile app, and traditional keys. You'll need to purchase the WiFi bridge separately for remote access and voice control. But luckily, with this discount, you'll keep an extra $52.79 in your pocket. That's more than enough to pay for the WiFi bridge.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
Anyone who has attended a K-12 school or has a child, friend, or loved one who has attended one in the past decade knows one thing for sure — teachers and administrators are not fond of social media. One school is so critical of social media that it is suing the companies themselves.
The Lansing School District, which includes 25 schools in Michigan, filed a complaint against Meta, TikTok, Google, and Snap, Inc. on Sept. 12 for not providing "adequate warnings" to children about how harmful social media can be, according to the Lansing State Journal. The school filed its complaint in the Northern District of California.
Meta, TikTok, Google, and Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mashable. Ben Shuldiner, the superintendent of the Lansing School District, said in a statement emailed to Mashable that social media is an "incredible tool" that can "be used to learn and to teach." However, he argues, it can "also be used to harm, to threaten, and to intimidate."
"We, as a district, believe that social media companies must do more to protect and support our students when they use their product," the statement reads. "We believe that social media companies must do more to address threats and intimidation on their platforms. We believe that social media companies must do more to limit access to inappropriate material. To that end, the Lansing School District, along with hundreds of other districts across the country, is engaging in litigation. We look forward to the social media companies taking responsibility for their product and creating a safe environment for our children."
SEE ALSO: 'Profound risk of harm': Surgeon General issues warning about youth social media useWhile Lansing appears to be the only plaintiff in this case, it's not the only school district in the country suing social media companies. According to Education Week, Lansing is just one of 200 school districts that have sued social media companies for similar reasons. In March 2023, the San Mateo County School Board sued YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok, alleging that social media sites make kids depressed and anxious, leading students to act out, which drains school resources. Other districts have joined consolidated lawsuits against the platforms.
"Teachers and school administrators have been at the front lines of addressing this crisis and are overburdened by the negative effects on their students — from how it has affected mental health to behavior in the classroom," Lexi Hazam, an attorney with Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein and co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in a consolidated lawsuit, told Education Week. "Funds meant for educational purposes have been reallocated to address the misconduct of the corporations behind Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook. Social media companies should be held accountable and provide support to schools for the harms their products cause."
SEE ALSO: Instagram announces restrictive 'Teen Accounts' for users under 16There’s a long legal road ahead for Lansing, but it signals a continued fight for children and teens in the face of social media’s effect on their mental health.
It's once again time to "fall back," as the November time change approaches. If all this time shifting messes with your head, you're far from alone. Here's your twice-annual reminder about what this all means, and what to do.
The shortening of days as the weather cools down means Daylight Saving Time (DST) is coming to an end, and it's almost time to switch back to standard time, when we set our clocks back an hour. Yes, this is the clock change where you get an extra hour of sleep, rather than losing an hour of sleep like you do in spring.
SEE ALSO: When the clocks change for Daylight Saving Time, and why we do it at all When does Daylight Savings Time end in 2024?DST will technically end on Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 2 a.m. local time (if applicable in your area). Your smartphone will most likely change itself, but if you have, say, an old grandfather clock in your house, and you want to experience the time change as it happens, wait until 2 a.m. and set your clock back to 1 a.m. — yes, repeating the hour that just happened.
Alternatively, just set your grandfather clock back an hour before you go to bed on the night of Saturday, November 2.
What does the time change mean practically?The "saved" daylight in the warmer months is the daylight from hours around dawn transferred to the evening, meaning when we set our clocks back, mornings will feel brighter, but the dark will suddenly set in much earlier. You'll gain an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night, which might help you feel more rested on Sunday. You might feel like a night owl that first evening, having dinner under the stars instead of at twilight.
Am I in an area where the time change is observed?If you are in the U.S., you probably have to participate in DST, but you might be an exception if you live in:
Hawaii, where the southern latitudes make the "Daylight Saving" concept less useful
U.S. island territories like Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands (such as Saipan) where residents do not adjust their clocks for essentially the same reason as Hawaii
Arizona excluding Navajo Nation, where there's no time change, just because
"Daylight Saving" is an attempt to make use of "extra" daylight during the evenings in warmer months. Shifting the clock in the summer means the already longer days feel radically longer because most people's wake-ups are recalibrated to occur around sunrise, rather than having the first hour of valuable summer sunshine occur when most people are asleep.
In the colder months, when there's no "extra" daylight to be conserved, we return to standard time, which re-aligns most of our wake-up times with the sunrise, and temporarily restores the accuracy of the term "high noon" because the sun is straight overhead once again.
Astronomers have discovered that Earth's large, ever-looming moon is about to get company.
Beginning on Sunday, the planet will capture an asteroid sailing nearby, drawing it in for one loop around Earth before making its exit on Nov. 25. When it leaves, it will continue its trajectory around the sun. The two-month visit puts this space rock in the class of so-called "mini-moons."
The asteroid getting its proverbial 15 minutes of fame is called 2024 PT5, discovered with the help of a NASA-funded asteroid detection system and a South African observatory in August. But before digging out binoculars from the closet, know this: It's only 33 feet wide — about the length of a Greyhound bus — and not bright enough to view with the naked eye or an amateur telescope.
SEE ALSO: NASA's Mars rovers had a gangbusters summer of rocks Scientists suspect Earth's only fixed-orbit moon was formed 4.5 billion years ago. Credit: NASAThroughout the solar system, close to 300 moons orbit the eight planets and Pluto, and scientists often find new ones as survey methods improve. The vast majority of moons circle gas giants Saturn and Jupiter.
They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but their defining characteristic is that they orbit another cosmic object larger than themselves. While these natural satellites are quite common, moons are special to humans because Earth has just one in a fixed orbit — albeit a big rocky one roughly one-quarter Earth's size about 239,000 miles away.
Earth has captured asteroids and pulled them into orbit with its gravity before, but often these space rocks fly by without completing a full circuit around the planet. Compared to mini-moons of the recent past, 2024 PT5 is a short-timer. In July 2006, a visitor dubbed RH120 stayed in orbit around Earth for a year before getting flung out in July 2007. Astronomers believe one that escaped in May 2020 could have been sweeping around the planet for several years.
Throughout the solar system, close to 300 moons orbit the eight planets and Pluto, and scientists are often finding new ones as survey methods improve. Credit: NASA composition illustrationTwo astronomers from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain made the latest mini-moon discovery while calculating the dynamics of near-Earth objects. Their findings were published in the journal Research Notes of the AAS. Prior research through NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System had already shown that the space rock was not a threat to smashing into Earth.
While studying 2024 PT5's path, the research duo, Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos, could also trace back to its origin. The space rock likely came from the so-called Arjuna asteroid belt, a group of small rocks concentrated near Earth that was discovered in the early 1990s.
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