Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) uses the internet to self-diagnose their own mental health conditions, but not in the ways one might reflexively (or judgmentally) assume. A new survey and report from the Made of Millions Foundation, a nonprofit mental health advocacy organization, found that only a small fraction of Gen Z youth relies solely on the internet to interpret their symptoms and make their own conclusions about a diagnosis or disorder. The majority of youth surveyed instead consult online resources, including social media, in conjunction with seeking or receiving mental health care and treatment. The findings counter a prevailing narrative that it’s become trendy, and common, for young people to diagnose themselves with a specific condition without any professional help or support. SEE ALSO: Why teens are telling strangers their secrets online In fact, of the 970 people between ages of 13 and 28 surveyed for the Made of Millions report, 431 of them were in some phase of what the researchers described as a mental health “journey.” Of the subset of nationally representative participants who had a diagnosis, a mere five percent, or 10 people, said they were self-diagnosed and had no plans to follow up with a clinician. Eight percent intended to see a mental health professional after having made a diagnosis for themselves, based on internet research. But nearly three quarters of respondents who said they had a diagnosis received it either exclusively from a clinician or through a combination of clinical expertise and…How Gen Z uses the internet to self diagnose and get help
Apple And Walmart And Payments
Capgemini’s annual World Payments Report is always interesting reading for money nerds like me and the just-released 2025 report is no different. There is a lot of focus on account-to-account (A2A) payments in the report, just as you would expect given current trends, and it goes so far as to say that A2A’s potential to cannibalize traditional card payments (a significant revenue source for banks) “demands a strategic response”. Yes, it does, because the cannibals are not other banks, but strategic competitors able to change the direction of the payments industry. And one of them is Walmart..Subscribe nowIf banks they do nothing, they will end up as pipes. Brazil provides a useful case study that illustrates this dynamic well. The Pix instant payments scheme has expanded rapidly to the point where it has some 165 million users and is an existential threat to the domestic debit network Elo. Younger consumers, raised on Pix, have no interest in acquiring or using cards. No wonder banks are worried about losing their card businesses and the interchange they generate.But losing it to who? Well, top banker Jamie Dimon has previously said that competition from Big Tech and Walmart is “here to stay” and that he sees competition from Apple and Walmart “intensifying”. It is interesting that alongside the usual Big Tech players, he specifically points to Walmart. Interesting because when Walmart speaks, banks listen. Hence the news that the dominant retailer plans to step up its online pay-by-bank option in 2025 using both…Apple And Walmart And Payments
Meta-funded program teaches tweens about online exploitation
Parents and educators have a new tool in the fight against online exploitation. Meta announced Tuesday the launch of curriculum designed to help middle schoolers spot and avoid online exploitation, including a technique commonly known as sextortion. Victims of such exploitation often believe they are messaging with another teen and eventually share a graphic or explicit image of themselves. The person then threatens to make the picture public unless the victim pays them. SEE ALSO: Parents need to talk to their kids about this online danger right now Childhelp, a leading child safety non-profit organization, developed the curriculum in partnership with Meta, and in consultation with other topic experts, including the Department of Homeland Security and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Adults can access the educational materials for free. The content offers videos, scripted lesson plans, and interactive classroom activities. The goal is to help young people learn about personal boundaries, safe relationships, and how to ask for help. “With the increase in online dangers, this partnership will allow facilitators of the lessons to empower millions of young people to speak up and be comfortable in asking for help,” Michael Medoro, chief of staff at Childhelp, said in a statement. While sextortion can happen on any platform, and between people who know each other in person, criminals and scammers have used Meta to target victims. Last year, the company removed at least 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria that attempted to financially extort victims. The scams were highly…Meta-funded program teaches tweens about online exploitation
Duolingo kills its owl mascot Duo
Duolingo, the language-learning app, killed off its owl mascot named Duo on Tuesday in what is assuredly some kind of publicity stunt. In fact, here were are writing about it. So, well played, Duolingo.Duolingo posted the news on social media. “It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead,” the company’s post reads, while joking that authorities were investigating the matter. View this post on Instagram “[To be honest], he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know,” the post contined. “We’re aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments. If you feel inclined to share, please also include your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory.”The internet, predictably, made jokes and memes about Duolingo killing off its mascot. The company itself retweeted posts from gossip sites about it. Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Duolingo has long leaned-in to internet culture, positioning its owl mascot and brand accounts as unhinged — or as unhinged as corporate comms gets. Killing off its mascot is just another example of that branding. In fact, it’s not really even an original stunt. Planters killed off Mr. Peanut ahead of the Super…Duolingo kills its owl mascot Duo
Open-source AI is definitely happening — the only question is how
If a powerful technology poses significant risks to business and society, should it ever be freely available? Many argue that AI falls into this category. Some even warn of existential threats. Since the advent of foundation models like ChatGPT, debates among AI experts, executives and regulators have centered around whether these models should be open-sourced. But this has been the wrong focus all along. The emergence of DeepSeek, and its creators’ decision to open-source an AI model almost on par with frontier models (for significantly cheaper), shifts the debate. The question is no longer “if” but “how” we can open-source AI — maximizing benefits while managing safety and misuse concerns. Open-source AI takes the idea beyond just code to include data, algorithms and model weights — the learned parameters from training AI. A fully open-source AI system includes open datasets, open-source code and open model weights, but many organizations only release the model weights, which limits the ability to fully understand or rebuild the system. This becomes more complicated if the weights are trained on data that is not disclosed, potentially raising liability concerns. While openness can encourage innovation, it can also bring up questions about responsibility and security risks. But the “unexpected” rise of DeepSeek could indicate that we may be on a one-way path for AI foundation models. The shift toward openness of these models, which can fuel applications very broadly and create financial value that can further support model improvements, may prove simply inevitable. Just like Linux…Open-source AI is definitely happening — the only question is how
Open-source AI is definitely happening — the only question is how
If a powerful technology poses significant risks to business and society, should it ever be freely available? Many argue that AI falls into this category. Some even warn of existential threats. Since the advent of foundation models like ChatGPT, debates among AI experts, executives and regulators have centered around whether these models should be open-sourced. But this has been the wrong focus all along. The emergence of DeepSeek, and its creators’ decision to open-source an AI model almost on par with frontier models (for significantly cheaper), shifts the debate. The question is no longer “if” but “how” we can open-source AI — maximizing benefits while managing safety and misuse concerns. Open-source AI takes the idea beyond just code to include data, algorithms and model weights — the learned parameters from training AI. A fully open-source AI system includes open datasets, open-source code and open model weights, but many organizations only release the model weights, which limits the ability to fully understand or rebuild the system. This becomes more complicated if the weights are trained on data that is not disclosed, potentially raising liability concerns. While openness can encourage innovation, it can also bring up questions about responsibility and security risks. But the “unexpected” rise of DeepSeek could indicate that we may be on a one-way path for AI foundation models. The shift toward openness of these models, which can fuel applications very broadly and create financial value that can further support model improvements, may prove simply inevitable. Just like Linux…Open-source AI is definitely happening — the only question is how
Kendrick Lamar halftime show surprise: Internet predictions from Drake to Taylor Swift
Kendrick Lamar is about to take the stage for the Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans, and naturally, the internet is deep in its favorite pastime: unhinged speculation.Will there be another seismic shift in the Kendrick-Drake saga, fresh off the Grammys where “Not Like Us” — a diss track turned song of the summer — won Best Record? Maybe. Will there be a few thinly veiled jabs at President Donald Trump, the first sitting president to grace the Big Game with his presence? Couldn’t tell ya. And then there’s the Taylor Swift of it all— she’ll be in the stands, cheering on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, but could she also make a surprise cameo? Who’s to say? SEE ALSO: Super Bowl 2025 cheat sheet: Everything you need to know for Chiefs vs. Eagles We certainly don’t know, but we’ve rounded up the wildest, most diluted, and downright deranged theories about what Kendrick has in store.Is Taylor Swift joining Kendrick at halftime?One of the more far-fetched predictions is a Taylor Swift cameo. The mega-pop star will be in the building, and she and Kendrick have history with their 2014 hit “Bad Blood.” The chances of her actually appearing on stage are slim, with Vegas setting the odds at +750. Still, if it happens, the internet will implode. Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Drake and Trump disses?If you somehow missed it, in 2024, Drake and Kendrick…Kendrick Lamar halftime show surprise: Internet predictions from Drake to Taylor Swift
Travis Kelce Super Bowl outfit: The internet verdict is swift
Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are gunning for a three-peat at the Super Bowl, this time facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles. But before any cleats hit the field, there’s the all-important pregame fashion spectacle. Saquon Barkley, as always, delivered — effortlessly sleek, the man does not miss.Kelce, on the other hand? He showed up in a 70’s-inspired look that can only be described as a choice. The internet, predictably, had thoughts — some heralding the fit as vintage excellence, others questioning whether he lost a bet. Either way, the man knows how to keep us talking. Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Featured Video For You Why Super Bowl Parties SuckTravis Kelce Super Bowl outfit: The internet verdict is swift
DOGE staffer resigns after racist posts uncovered. Elon Musk might bring him back.
Marko Elez, a 25-year-old engineer, is the first of Elon Musk’s DOGE crew to lose their job.Elez resigned from his post at Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, on Thursday after the Wall Street Journal uncovered that Elez had published racist statements on an anonymous account that once bore his name. However, on Friday, Musk confirmed he could bring Elez back to DOGE.”He will be brought back,” Musk posted to his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, while quoting Vice President JD Vance’s post supporting Elez’s rehiring. “To err is human, to forgive divine.” Tweet may have been deleted On Friday morning, Elon Musk posted a poll on X asking his followers if he should reinstate the engineer who posted racist remarks.”Bring back @DOGE staffer who made inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym?” posted Musk alongside a poll on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter.The poll received more than 385,000 votes, which were overwhelmingly in favor of Musk rehiring Elez. Tweet may have been deleted When working for DOGE, Elez was assigned to the Treasury Department. As Wired reported, Elez was given direct access to the federal government’s payment system, which includes U.S. citizens’ tax returns and Social Security payment information.”Normalize Indian hate,” posted Elez under the username @nullllptr on X in July. The account formerly was tied to Elez directly by name before he changed it to an anonymous handle.”Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool,” Elez also posted. “You could…DOGE staffer resigns after racist posts uncovered. Elon Musk might bring him back.
Trump wants a TikTok deal, but China still might let it die
President Donald Trump boasted that he would save the popular social media platform TikTok from a ban in the U.S. And that still could happen. However, according to those close to the talks, negotiations between the U.S. and TikTok’s parent company, the China-based ByteDance, have stalled.In a new report from the Washington Post, sources involved in the deal discussions say that it appears the Chinese government may still let it die unless it receives “larger concessions” from the Trump administration on other policies, such as trade. ByteDance requires approval from China’s government before signing off on any sale, and Trump’s new tariffs certainly haven’t done a potential deal any favors. SEE ALSO: Trump says U.S. government could buy TikTok During his first term, Trump initiated the push to ban TikTok in the U.S., citing national security concerns. However, Trump left office without taking any action to shut TikTok down in the States. Congress later took up the mantle, passing legislation that then-President Joe Biden later signed into law. This required ByteDance to sell off TikTok in 90 days or face a ban in the U.S., which would mean those in the U.S. wouldn’t be able to download or update the app, and it wouldn’t appear in U.S. app stores. That deadline came during Trump’s inauguration weekend last month. TikTok temporarily blocked U.S. users from the platform. After discussions with Trump, during which Trump posed the issue of him “saving TikTok,” TikTok opened its doors back to U.S. users less than…Trump wants a TikTok deal, but China still might let it die