Coroner rules Molly Russell died from ‘self-harm after suffering depression and negative impact of social media’

  • A senior coroner has ruled that social media content 14-year-old schoolgirl saw before she took her own life was not safe and “shouldn’t have been available for a child to see”.
  • The coroner did not believe it was safe to leave suicide as a conclusion for this case but instead found Molly “died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content”.
  • He added that Molly was “exposed to material that may have influenced her in a negative way and, in addition, what had started as a depression had become a more serious depressive illness”.
  • Find out more about this developing inquest on the Independent’s and the BBC’s website.

Fears in Belfast after 10-year-old ‘groomed online’ on Omegle

  • A mother has expressed concern regarding Omegle after her 10-year-old was threatened into performing a sex act online.
  • She has said that her daughter has been left “traumatised” by the ordeal, with the website becoming very popular with other children in her primary school.
  • The child was in contact with a man from another country who threatened them saying that he “knew where they lived and would kill their parents if they did not do as they were told”.
  • Find out more on the Belfast Live’s website.

Twitter is adding a new TikTok-like full screen video feature

  • Twitter is adding new features to make it easier for users to watch videos on its platform, including the launch of a scrollable, TikTok-like feed.
  • Due to be launched in the coming days, users will be able to click on a video in their feed to enter a scrollable video feed, with similar video content.
  • Twitter has said the purpose of the new immersive view is to make it easier for users to discover engaging videos.
  • You can read the full story on the Tech Crunch’s website.

‘Lottery’ fines for parents with absent children

  • A Panorama investigation has found parents in England whose children miss school face harsher penalties depending on where they live.
  • Some local councils have said no penalties have been issued, whereas other local authorities have handed out thousands.
  • Luton and Bolton had some of the highest rates, whereas Warrington and the City of London councils have issued no penalties at all.
  • Find out more on the BBC website.