Tanya Basu
MIT Tech Review
New York, NY, United States
Contact Tanya
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Tanya:
A new social-media platform wants to enforce “kindness.” Can that ever work?
Telepath thinks it can redefine social media by blocking bad actors, but experts aren’t so sure. → Read More
Why does it suddenly feel like 1999 on the internet?
The coronavirus pandemic has turned back the clock to a kinder time on the web, before the novelty of virtual connection wore off. Will it last? → Read More
Parents are using business software to plan their kids’ coronavirus homeschooling
Families in indefinite lockdown are turning to Asana and Trello to run their households. → Read More
Forget Zoom—children are using Facebook Messenger Kids to deal with coronavirus isolation
Kids are getting a crash course on texting and social media with “technology on training wheels.” → Read More
How coronavirus is transforming online dating and sex
Quarantines and lockdowns are forcing us to relearn how to date—and figure out how to have sex without touching. → Read More
This is how you can co-watch during a coronavirus lockdown
“Co-watching” is how we’ll be socializing for the next few weeks at least. → Read More
The coronavirus pandemic is a game changer for mental health care
Regulatory changes and anxiety heightened by isolation are leading to a boom in use of mental health apps and teletherapy—but are they good enough? → Read More
How to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic
Not everyone can work from home or cease traveling. Here’s what you can do when circumstance forces you to be out and about during the COVID-19 outbreak. → Read More
These are 6 of the main differences between flu and coronavirus
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus/Covid-19 outbreak. → Read More
Twitter is testing tweets that last just 24 hours, called “fleets”
The company will launch a story function that looks a lot like the ones at competitors Instagram and Snapchat—but there are already fears that it could be abused.The announcement: On Wednesday, the company announced that it was testing “fleets” in Brazil. → Read More
The WHO got on TikTok to teach teens about coronavirus
On Friday, the World Health Organization made its debut on TikTok in an effort to combat rampant disinformation about the coronavirus.The news: The WHO launched its TikTok presence with a video on Friday about what coronavirus is, and a follow-up video on Saturday about when and how to wear a mask. → Read More
Joshua Kushner’s Bedford is a social network for just two people
The app is another entrant in the new age of intimate social media. Can it actually make you feel closer to someone? → Read More
The robot does the hard work. Can you still attain enlightenment?
The robot mandala is a faster and—proponents argue, easier—way to create the traditional sand artwork used for Buddhist meditation. → Read More
Snapchat will now offer mental health tools in the app
Snapchat has released a beta version of a search tool called “Here For You” that will connect users to mental health resources.How will it work? → Read More
The coronavirus is the first true social-media “infodemic”
Social media has zipped information and misinformation around the world at unprecedented speeds, fueling panic, racism … and hope. → Read More
No, there’s no evidence that cell phones give you cancer
A new review from the FDA says it finds no evidence linking the two, but that research should continue.The findings: The report reviewed 125 experiments carried out on animals and 75 on humans between 2008 and August 2019. → Read More
The “manosphere” is getting more toxic as angry men join the incels
Men from the less extreme end of the misogynistic spectrum are drifting toward groups that espouse violence against women, a new study suggests. → Read More
How Instagram is making jigsaw puzzles cool again
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are suddenly full of people earnestly completing jigsaw puzzles. What’s going on? → Read More
A study of YouTube comments shows how it’s turning people on to the alt-right
A new study suggests what we’ve suspected for years is right: YouTube is a pipeline for extremism and hate.How do we know that? → Read More
Why private micro-networks could be the future of how we connect
Forget amassing likes or cultivating your online persona. Apps like Cocoon are all about being your true self with just a select few people. → Read More