NEWSWORTHY
Understanding how social media can land you in hot water
Only seven weeks into the year and Japan already has a new buzzword to worry about. In the past few weeks, baito tero (part-time terrorism) has become a major talking point on social media following a string of incidents featuring workers at various chain ...
From photos to personal posts and private messages, social media users leave a long digital trail behind them. Who owns that data when they die? With about 1 in 3 people worldwide estimated to have a social media account, the question has become more pressing ...
Japan's temples turn to social media, video streaming and apps to lure visitors
Temples across the country, including in the Chugoku region, are increasingly turning to mobile apps, videos and social media to entice visitors. Some temples even offer an app that adds up points each time an individual visits, while others livestream Buddhist services for people unable ...
Loft under fire for its outdated portrayal of women in advertising campaign
Retailers typically strive to promote their products by creating ad campaigns that attract consumers’ attention. Loft Co. appears to have achieved this with the recent launch of its 2019 Valentine’s Day campaign, albeit for the wrong reason. The chain, which sells everyday commodities in Japan and ...
Facebook bums us out, but we'll pay for it anyway
Those who deactivated their accounts for a month were less anxious and depressed.
Learning to talk again: Two-week blackout gives Tonga taste of life without internet
A two-week cyber blackout caused financial headache and social heartache in remote Tonga, but it also forced residents of the Pacific island kingdom to rediscover the art of offline communication. The sudden internet outage on Jan. 20 brought an abrupt halt to many businesses and ...
Culture of impunity for Pakistan police in 'encounter killings' faces trial by social media
Five policemen raise their guns and fire dozens of times into a parked car at point-blank range in Pakistan. Then they reach inside, around the dead bodies, to pull out three crying children. The footage filmed by shocked witnesses of the killing went viral, sending ...
Vegan Ariana Grande lightly roasted over tattoo's accidental homage to Japanese barbecue grill
Too bad pop star Ariana Grande is vegan — she just tattooed an accidental homage to a Japanese barbecue grill on her palm. The American singer's attempt to ink an ode to her hit single "7 Rings" backfired Wednesday, after social media quickly chimed in ...
Taiwan's 'Bikini Climber' social media star dies after falling down ravine
Taiwanese rescue teams were trying Tuesday to retrieve the body of a dead hiker who became famous on social media for taking selfies on top of mountain peaks dressed in a bikini. Gigi Wu — dubbed the "Bikini Climber" by fans — used a satellite ...
Social media users flip #10yearchallenge to spotlight changes caused by war and climate change
The #10YearChallenge — posting a new photo of yourself next to an old one — is being repurposed by social media users to highlight more serious issues than aging faces, from climate change to the devastation of war. The trend started on Facebook, Instagram and ...
#StandUpJapan and other hashtags allow for new voices to be heard
On the morning of Jan. 14, 20-year-old women decked out in brightly colored kimono scrambled to catch trains to take them to ceremonies across the country to mark Coming of Age Day. The day's related ceremonies, targeted at young men and women who have or ...
Facebook follows Google with $300 million in funds to support local-level journalism
Facebook announced Tuesday that it will invest $300 million over three years to support journalism, with an emphasis on promoting hard-hit local-level news organizations. The move, on the heels of a similar initiative by Google last year, comes with online platforms dominating the internet advertising ...
