News

NPR
npr.org > 02/20/2026 > nx-s1-5675979 > school-education-kentucky-cell-phone-ban-consequences

What worked and what didn't with a cellphone ban at a Kentucky school

1+ hour, 39+ min ago  (1222+ words) Madelyn Whitt (left) and Quani'e Lanier read in the school library at the Academy @ Shawnee, a magnet middle and high school in Louisville, Kentucky. With cellphones banned at their school, students find other ways to pass time. Lydia Schweickart for…...

NPR
npr.org > 02/20/2026 > nx-s1-5720141 > social-media-addiction

Are you a social media “addict?” Only time will tell. : It's Been a Minute

3+ hour, 39+ min ago  (203+ words) Social media could fundamentally shift our understanding of what is and isn't "addictive."Tech companies are back in court...and likely will be for a while. A wave of lawsuits allege that platforms - like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat…...

NPR
npr.org > 02/06/2026 > nx-s1-5701382 > 2-months-in-how-are-australias-age-restrictions-for-social-media-working

2 months in, how are Australia's age restrictions for social media working?

1+ week, 6+ day ago  (487+ words) As more countries look to follow Australia's lead and introduce social media bans for children, we ask whether Australia's legislation is working. Spain and Greece are the latest countries to say they may follow Australia's lead and introduce social media…...

NPR
npr.org > 02/04/2026 > nx-s1-5697392 > moltbook-social-media-ai-agents

Moltbook is the newest social media platform — but it's just for AI bots

2+ week, 1+ day ago  (618+ words) A screenshot of the Moltbook communities page. Screenshot by NPR hide caption Can computer programs have faith? Can they conspire against the humans that created them? Or feel melancholy? On a social media platform built just for artificial intelligence bots,…...

NPR
npr.org > 02/03/2026 > nx-s1-5694669 > loneliness-isolation-app-are-you-dead-snug-alone

Here's why people say they're using 'Are You Dead?' and apps like it

2+ week, 3+ day ago  (1376+ words) A person holds a phone that displays the "Are You Dead?" app in Paris on Jan. 22. Felice Rosa/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images hide caption Each day, after feeding his cat and tidying up his home, Johnny Miller has…...

NPR
npr.org > 02/03/2026 > nx-s1-5696566 > all-these-data-centers-are-gonna-fry-my-electric-bill-right

All these data centers are gonna fry my electric bill … right? : The Indicator from Planet Money

2+ week, 3+ day ago  (269+ words) Data centers are getting a lot of heat right now. There's neighborhood pushback against them for water usage and environmental concerns, and some politicians on both sides of the aisle aren't fans for the same reasons. There's also fear that…...

NPR
npr.org > 01/27/2026 > nx-s1-5686537 > what-does-tiktoks-new-ownership-mean-for-users-in-the-u-s

What does TikTok's new ownership mean for users in the U.S.?

3+ week, 2+ day ago  (70+ words) Since news about TikTok finalizing a deal to spin-off its U.S. operations became public, users have questioned what U.S. ownership of the app means for them. What does TikTok's new ownership mean for users in the U.S.? Since news about TikTok finalizing a…...

NPR
npr.org > 01/27/2026 > nx-s1-5684196 > social-media-kids-addiction-mental-health-trial

Meta, TikTok and YouTube are on trial over whether their apps hurt children

3+ week, 3+ day ago  (960+ words) Social media apps have long been accused of being harmful to children. Now those claims will come before a jury for the first time in a trial kicking off Tuesday in a Los Angeles courtroom. A key question will be…...

NPR
npr.org > 01/25/2026 > nx-s1-5686514 > why-the-latest-iphone-update-is-leaving-ordinary-users-and-tech-experts-grumbling

Why the latest iPhone update is leaving ordinary users and tech experts grumbling

3+ week, 4+ day ago  (51+ words) NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to digital writer Patrick Holland about why some iPhone users dislike the latest iOS update. Why the latest iPhone update is leaving ordinary users and tech experts grumbling NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to digital writer Patrick…...

NPR
npr.org > 01/22/2026 > nx-s1-5680784 > iran-blocked-the-internet-amid-deadly-protests-some-voices-are-still-getting-through

Iran blocked the internet amid deadly protests. Some voices are still getting through

4+ week, 1+ day ago  (662+ words) Weeks into an internet blackout in Iran, NPR speaks to a protester who is still online and a U.S.-based activist who is trying to get more Starlink terminals into the country to get more people online. AREZOU REZVANI, BYLINE: The…...