Tech
Survey: This is the most distracting app for teens
For U.S. teens who use TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, one of the apps stands out as more of a distraction than the others, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.
More than a quarter of teens shared that they spend too much time on TikTok, while more than a third said the app negatively affects their sleep. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said TikTok hurts their productivity. Smaller shares of teens reported similar feelings about Instagram and Snapchat.
Still, eight in 10 teens said they turned to TikTok specifically for entertainment. While respondents also considered Instagram and Snapchat reliably entertaining, teens were more likely to use those apps to keep up with friends and family, compared to TikTok.
Despite acknowledging TikTok's negative impact on their sleep and productivity, 71 percent of teens said the app neither hurt or helped their mental health. Three-quarters of teens said the same of Instagram and Snapchat. Nineteen percent of respondents shared that TikTok actually improved their mental health.
In general, about seven in 10 teens said their experiences on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are mostly positive. Only three percent reported largely negative experiences. The remaining teens characterize their engagement on the platforms as a mix of both good and bad.
The findings are based on Pew Research Center's survey of 1,458 U.S. teens and their parents last fall.
Critics have argued that social media companies are facing a "Big Tobacco moment" following a landmark court case against Meta and YouTube, which alleged that both platforms were negligently designed in ways that harmed a young user's mental health. TikTok and Snapchat settled with the plaintiff prior to the jury trial. A separate trial against Meta found the company liable for misleading consumers about child safety.
The Pew Research Center survey, which was conducted well before the trials ended, suggests that teens may feel less negative about TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat than expected.
Regardless, a quarter of parents surveyed by Pew Research Center said that social media hurt their teen's mental health while only eight percent of the teens said the same. Parents were also more likely to say their teen spent too much time on social media.
When it came to TikTok, only 28 percent of teens characterized their use in this way, but that figure increased to 44 percent when parents answered the same question.
It seems like software developers are launching new AI-powered dictation apps every other day now. However, this latest one is a bit different. Why? Because unlike the other ones created by startups or solo indie hackers, this one is brought you by a Big Tech behemoth.
On Monday, Google quietly launched its own AI dictation app for iOS devices. The app is called Google AI Edge Eloquent, and it's currently available to download for free on Apple's App Store.
Google's AI dictation app can work completely offline, as the app downloads Google's local Gemma-based speech recognition models directly to the user's iPhone. As everything is local, Google AI Edge Eloquent provides unlimited, and most notably, completely subscription-free use.
Users also have the option to turn cloud mode on if they are interested in using Gemini's AI capabilities. Cloud-based model usage is free, at least for now, as well.
Once Google AI Edge Eloquent is downloaded, users simply need to open the app, hit record, and start talking. Google AI Edge Eloquent will provide the speech-to-text transcription. Thanks to its AI capabilities, the app is able to clean up the text output and remove filler words like "ums" and "uhs" and any corrections made during the voice recording.
When the transcription is complete, users can ask for AI-powered summaries or rewrites by choosing the Polish, Key points, Formal, and Short options provided under the transcription.
The app has a history tab that saves all previous transcriptions. Users can search within all of their transcriptions and also view stats for each session, such as words-per-minute or number of words spoken.
Users can also create their own personal dictionary, familiarizing the app with unique words and names so it can accurately transcribe them.
According to Google's description for the app, an integrated iOS keyboard is coming soon.
The official site for Google AI Edge Eloquent is hosted on Google's google.dev domain name, suggesting that this app is very much a work-in-progress.
It's also interesting that there doesn't currently appear to be an Android version of the app, although Google says on its website that it's "evaluating other platforms," including a desktop version.
Google releasing an AI dictation app at all is fairly notable as it's a fairly simple AI use case when compared to what else Google is doing in the space. However, perhaps the growing trend and market for AI dictation apps was just too much for Google to pass on.
That, or the app could prove to be a valuable source of training data in the future.
SAVE $50: The Ninja FrostVault Go Can Soft Cooler Backpack (24 can size) is on sale at Amazon for $149.99 in select colorways, down from the list price of $199.99. That's a 25% discount.
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What's a spring or summer adventure without snacks? If your journeys tend to be more mobile than is suitable for a wheeled cooler, you might want to consider a backpack cooler. These can carry your snacks, drinks, and even ice for days while still being ultra portable. If that sounds like something your adventures could use, check out this deal.
As of April 7, the Ninja FrostVault Go Can Soft Cooler Backpack (24 can size) is on sale at Amazon for $149.99 in select colorways, marked down from the normal price of $199.99. That's a 25% discount that shaves $50 off the price.
The Cuisinart FastFreeze ice cream maker is on sale for under $100 in time for warmer weather
With room for 24 cans, built-in side cup holder, and storage drawer, the Ninja FrostVault Go backpack would like an invite on your next outing. It's a great backpack cooler option for picnics at the park, the beach, or for taking along on a day hike. The storage drawer is ideal for keeping foods dry from ice and safe from getting squished, while still keeping chilled. Ninja also added a built-in bottle opener, so you'll never need to wonder if you packed one.
The ergonomic straps prove comfortable enough to get the cooler to your destination while fully loaded and the top features a leakproof zipper. That'll come in handy if you'll be adding ice to the cooler. You can also take advantage of the two included Ninja ice packs.
Before your weekend plans get packed with activities, make sure you're ready for snack transportation with the Ninja FrostVault Go backpack. It's on sale at Amazon for under $150 for a limited time only.
TL;DR: Save up to 20% when you switch to T-Mobile, compared to Verizon and AT&T.
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Spring is here, and if you’ve been thinking about spring cleaning your phone plan, it’s worth checking out T-Mobile. Switching from Verizon or AT&T can save you up to 20%.
T-Mobile has a few plans to choose from, each absolutely stacked with benefits. You can get free or discounted streaming services, such as Netflix, Apple TV, and Hulu. Depending on the plan you choose, you'll save up to $117 per month compared to Verizon and AT&T.
No matter how many lines you add to your plan, T-Mobile always works out to be cheaper than the competition. If you’re curious about the cost breakdown, T-Mobile’s site features a helpful chart that shows you the cost across each company as you add more lines.
If you’ve been searching for a new phone plan, T-Mobile is surely worth a look.
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Google just dropped an AI dictation app for iPhone: How to try AI Edge Eloquent
Set off on an adventure with the Ninja FrostVault Go backpack cooler while its $50 off
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