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The creepiest Internet-related happenings of 2014 ... so far
Facebooks DeepFace recognition
With the introduction of programs like Facebook's "DeepFace" facial recognition technology, it seems there's nowhere left to hide online. - photo by istockphoto.com/SamBurt
Chandra Johnson
Deseret News National
Updated: Aug 7, 2014, 5:00 PM
Published: Aug 4, 2014, 3:34 PM

Whether the cases made the public shrug or close a social media account, some online happenings of 2014 left many Internet users feel freaked out, manipulated or paranoid. Think the Internet is generally a safe space? This list will make users think again.

1. The Slender Man attempted murder
Two 12-year-old girls allegedly tried to kill their friend earlier this year, leaving their friend stabbed several dozen times on the side of a Wisconsin road. Their motive wasn't jealousy or anger, but reverence to an Internet meme known as Slender Man — a cyber myth born on the Internet through cleverly Photoshopped pictures and creepy stories told in the corners of sites like Reddit. The case is a chilling reminder of how the Internet can blur the lines between fantasy and reality for the young and impressionable.

2. Facebook plays with user moods
Facebook opened itself up to major criticism this June when it admitted to allowing researchers to manipulate the site's algorithm to see if the content of a Facebook newsfeed could alter a user's mood. As it turns out they could, potentially making thousands if not millions of emotionally fragile users further into the doldrums of depression, many asserted online. The worst part, critics affirmed, was that the site performed these experiments without user knowledge or consent, crossing serious ethical lines.

3. OKCupid's admission of experimentation
If the Facebook experiments didn't have users down in the dumps, those attempting to find love online might be bewildered to learn that OKCupid experimented on its users in ways that included matching incompatible couples. While some disagree that what the dating site did was as "bad" as Facebook's experiments, many online like FastCompany condemned the site for "brag(ging) about messing with people's emotions for the sake of science."

4. Net neutrality in jeopardy
The terrifying thing about the net neutrality debate is what digital users don't know — that being what the Internet would look like if ISPs wind up with more control over the content of the Internet they now provide access to. For some, giving companies like Comcast more authority to essentially tax sites like Netflix for ideal speed is frightening enough. Others fear that too much power to ISPs could inadvertently result in an Internet that mirrors countries like China, with mandatory digital restrictions many Americans find, well, un-American.

5. The official death of Internet privacy
For many years in the infancy of the Internet, online privacy was like a unicorn: Most people had heard of it, but not everyone was convinced it existed. Now, many, like the Washington Post, claim it's official. If online privacy ever existed in the first place, it's dead now. With the introduction of programs like Facebook's "DeepFace" facial recognition technology and online tracker "Digital Shadow," it seems there's nowhere left to hide online. The programs prompt many to ask what even seemingly innocent pieces of information like snapshots can be used for.

Email: chjohnson@deseretnews.com
Twitter: ChandraMJohnson
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.