Hawaii sues TikTok parent company ByteDance, claims app harms children
Hawaii claims that ByteDance designed TikTok to manipulate dopamine production, similar to gambling industry tactics.
Spotify Wrapped 2025 arrives: What’s new, and who took over Taylor Swift as most-streamed
Spotify Wrapped is here. Ever wonder how Spotify counts your listening data throughout the year? Here’s an peek inside.
YouTube fishing creator Mikey Rijavec found dead days after mayday call off Mexico coast
California fisherman Mikey Rijavec, creator of the SD Fish and Sips YouTube channel, was found dead off Mexico coast days after issuing mayday call during solo fishing trip.
Cloudflare resolves network outage that affected X, and other sites
The web company resolved a massive outage that affected users of platforms like X, ChatGPT, and Spotify.
Wisconsin dad's TikTok antics go viral, racking up millions of views
A Whitefish Bay dad's attempt to connect and get under his daughters' skin has gone viral after his TikTok account caught fire among an audience that can't get enough of the antics.
‘Wait Until 8th’ movement aims to protect kids by delaying smartphone use
The national campaign encourages parents to delay giving smartphones until after 8th grade, easing social pressure and helping shield children from the negative effects of social media.
YouTube gives deadline for users to recover accounts banned for COVID-19, election speech
YouTube is giving creators a chance to recover accounts banned over content related to COVID-19 and elections.
Chicago area man threatened to kill President Trump on Instagram, prosecutors say
A suburban Chicago man is in federal custody after authorities said he posted an online threat to President Donald Trump.
New study shows that nearly 75% of Americans have a 'love/hate' relationship with group chats
According to a new consumer study, most Americans have a “love/hate” relationship with their group chats. And most of us – 94% actually – are in at least one of them. But what's the deal with group chats? What is missing in the endless digital chatter?
ChatGPT Atlas: OpenAI launches new web browser
ChatGPT's Atlas is the latest tech initiative from OpenAI, following the launch of its online shopping experience and AI video social media app, Sora, last month.
Johnson floats social media tax to close $1.15B Chicago budget gap
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is proposing a social media tax to address the city’s massive budget deficit, drawing mixed reactions.
Is YouTube down? Hundreds of thousands report issues with online video-sharing platform
Downdetector reported over 300,000 users were having issues with YouTube.
New trend has people taping their mouths shut at night: Here's why you shouldn't
TikTok influencers are telling people to tape their mouths shut at night for better sleep. Here's why doctors say it’s a bad idea.
YouTube reversing bans on creators flagged for COVID and election misinformation
YouTube will allow creators banned under its old COVID-19 and election misinformation policies to return, Alphabet said in a letter to Congress.
Gen Alpha slang in 2025: The meaning behind words like 'clanker,' '67,' 'crashout'
Times have changed quite a lot since we went over terms like “Alpha Sigma" and “Skibidi Ohio Rizz." The language of "the kids these days" is literally evolving by the day.
Burnout is killing creativity — Here’s how to get it back | ChicagoNOW
Actor and author Josh Pais, known for his new book Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility, joins us to share how simple resets can spark innovation, why anxiety can actually fuel creativity, and how embracing all of our emotions — not just the “positive” ones — can transform stress into breakthroughs.
