Newsbeat Investigates how Social Media is used to Sell Drugs
- For the past 6 months, Newsbeat have been investigating how social media is being used to sell drugs on platforms like Snapchat
- Liz McCulloch, Director of VolteFace, stated that poll data they used showed 1 in 4 young people are now seeing drugs for sale on social media
- Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, whose son Daniel died after taking MDMA, has been leading a campaign from a group of mums who have all lost a child to illegal drugs
- Campaigners want social media companies to do more to take down content from drug dealers
U-Turn in how GCSEs and A-Levels Graded Cause Stress
- Four days after A-level results were released, Ministers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have decided to revert to using teacher assessed grades rather than rely on the algorithm designed to moderate them
- This has caused much distress for young people who are now scrambling to attain university places.
- Pressure will also be on university admission offices in relation to staffing, capacity and facilities – particularly with social distancing measures in place. Some universities have reported that they have no places left
- Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has stated he is “incredibly sorry” for the stressed caused and his focus is on “youngsters getting the grades that they deserve”
UNICEF Survey: COVID-19 Disrupts Child Protection Services
- A global survey by UNICEF has shown that more than 100 countries have had their violence and response services disrupted during COVID-19
- This has left children at increased risk of violence, exploitation and abuse
- UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore stated; “Ongoing school closures and movement restrictions have left some children stuck at home with increasingly stressed abusers. The subsequent impact on protection services and social workers means children have nowhere to turn for help.”
- In response UNICEF is working with governments, to maintain and adapt critical prevention and response services for children affected by violence during COVID-19
Facebook Removes 7 Million Posts for Coronavirus Misinformation
- This week Facebook announced that it removed 7 million posts for sharing false information about the Coronavirus, including content promoting fake preventative measure and exaggerated cures
- The social media platform also removed about 22.5 million posts containing hate speech, a dramatic increase from 9.6 million in the first quarter
- The data was published as part of its sixth Community Standards Enforcement Report, which it introduced in 2018 along with more stringent decorum rules in response to a backlash over its lax approach to policing content on its platforms
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