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This is today’s download.,Our weekly newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s happening in the world of technology.
We may not fully understand how video games affect our well-being
For decades, lawmakers, researchers, journalists, and parents have worried that video games are bad for us: that they encourage violent behavior or harm mental health. These fears feed into policy decisions that affect millions of people.
The World Health Organization In 2019, “gaming disorder” was added to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), but China has banned under-18s from playing games for more than three hours a week to prevent addiction.
However, a growing body of research in recent years has argued that video games are actually good for us, improving cognition, relieving stress and improving communication skills.
The truth, a new study suggests, is that we simply don’t have a good grasp of how games affect our well-being, illustrating the complexity of drawing firm conclusions about how and why playing video games affects us. Read the full story.
– Rhiannon Williams
How do strong muscles keep your mind healthy?
We often think of muscles as separate from the mind. In fact, our brain and muscles are in constant conversation, sending electrochemical signals back and forth. In a very real way, our mental health depends on keeping our muscles moving.
Exercise stimulates what scientists call muscle-brain “cross-talk,” and the protein molecules released when muscles contract help trigger important responses in the brain. These may include the formation of new neurons and increased synaptic plasticity, both of which enhance learning and memory. Read the full story.
– Bonnie Thuy
It should be read
I’ve scoured the internet for the most entertaining/important/scary/amazing stories about technology today.
1 Google has flagged a father’s medical photos of his son as abuse
When Big Tech’s abuse detection tools go wrong, the consequences can be dire. (NYT$)
2 Software can perform better than ‘male’, ‘female’ and ‘other’.
In many cases, a few simple lines of code are all it takes. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Carbon removal requires a code of conduct
The industry has spawned many wild claims. Codes of conduct help to control the likelihood of fraud. (protocol)
+ Seville is using ancient Persian technology to combat climate change. (Bloomberg $)
+ Companies hoping to develop carbon-sucking kelp may be rushing ahead of science.. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Black market abortion pill websites are thriving.
It is not always clear where the pills come from or how they are used. (WSJ$)
+ Crossing state lines is taking a toll on abortion seekers. (Slate)
+ Where to find abortions and how to use them. (MIT Technology Review)
5 NSO Group has a new CEO.
As part of a larger internal shakeup. (FT$)
+ The hacking industry is facing the end of an era. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Big Tech is bracing itself for a new ‘big lie’ of misinformation.
Critics say outdated detection and elimination methods won’t help protect midterm elections. (WP$)
7 There is no evidence that student behavior apps work.
But schools across the US are teaching it. (darkness)
+ Software that tracks students during exams is inconsistent and violates privacy. (MIT Technology Review)
8 are amputees with failed prostheses.
Well-meaning engineers fail to understand why amputees need prosthetics. (IEEE Spectrum)
9 in reddit’s worst nude marketplace
In addition to selling images and videos, the community works together to denigrate the women featured in them. (BBC)
+ Scary new AI app turns women into sex videos with a click.. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Thai activists are touring their kingdom.
Me and Harry Potter Using Tropes. (Foreign Policy $)
Quote of the day
“It’s another thing to remind you to reach for your phone.”
—Deborah McKenzie, 23, explains why she won’t join the youth ranks using BeReal, which promotes authenticity, The Guardian.
The big story
Video games are dividing South Korea.
December 2019
When American entertainment company Blizzard released its real-time science fiction strategy game StarCraft in 1998, it wasn’t just a hit – it was a revival. Back then, South Korea was seen as a technological backwater rather than a mainstream market. Blizzard didn’t even bother to make the game Korean.
Despite this, StarCraft—where players battle an army of warring galactic species—was a runaway success. Of the 11 million copies sold worldwide, 4.5 million were in South Korea.
StarCraft and PC Bang Culture spoke to South Korean youth amid economic stress and increasing academic pressure. The social aspect of StarCraft has set the stage for another phenomenon: e-sports. Read the full story.
– Max S. Kim
We can still have something good.
A place of comfort, relaxation and distraction in these strange times. (Got an idea? Drop me a line orTweet at me.)
+ You heard it here first—here are the hottest colors of 2023.
+ This story of a seal that broke into a biologist’s house is hilarious.
+ This automated cringy LinkedIn post generator has given me hours of fun.
+ How amazing does Catherine Zeta-Jones look in the new Addams Family saga, Wednesday?
+ Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation is such a tune, it breaks laptops.
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