Plus: How to avoid the digital subscription trap
| | | | We're living in a digital world but who's keeping track? |
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The way we live changed dramatically yet again this year, but have the requisite checks and balances kept up? In many areas, that doesn't appear to be the case. This year we took a closer look at the problems with some of the latest digital innovations, as well as how to solve them.
Do you know what a subscription trap is? And whether you're in one? According to research commissioned by ING Australia earlier this year, Australians are spending $1,261 a year on average on "unused subscriptions and forgotten outgoings". Dr Louise Grimmer told Life Matters that the "subscription economy" now has a global value of more than US$275 billion ($410 billion), a figure that's continuing to grow. But sometimes cancelling these subscriptions feels almost impossible – and that's no accident. Erin Turner, the CEO of the Consumer Policy Research Centre says many companies use "dark patterns" to keep us stuck. For tips on how to break free of the subscription trap, here's some expert advice.
There's nothing we love more than a smiley face in an SMS or email. But, as a series of recent legal cases around the world have shown, emoji use could be interpreted by the courts as constituting threatening behaviour, harassment and even defamation. The Law Report took a closer look at what constitutes crossing the line, while lawyer Andrew Rich and other experts had some sound advice for everyone who loves a quick thumbs up.
Most of us still juggle working from home and being in the office, but according to a recent Law Report episode, our employers could be watching closely as screenshotting, and keystroke and webcam monitoring become increasingly common. This can have huge consequences – for instance, Suzie Cheikho was allegedly fired when her employer determined that she wasn't at her computer as much as the company had expected her to be, based on her keystrokes. So, is an employer legally entitled to do this? We set out to learn more.
Digital hoarding is a relatively new phenomenon, which entails hanging onto thousands of digital emails, screenshots, photos and other digital content. Some of those who suffer with this shared their stories, while experts weighed in on just how widespread this could be. Darshana Sedera, the director of Southern Cross University's Digital Enterprise Lab told Future Tense that we're in the perfect environment for this behaviour to thrive. "Many of these devices, platforms, ecosystems that we have not just encourage us [to keep data], but it almost happens automatically."
These are some of the many thorny issues we tackled this year. Here's a selection of others for you to read about or listen to while you enjoy your holiday break.
Happy holidays
Alexandra Spring, Acting RN Editor Enjoy getting ABC RN in your inbox? Invite your friends to sign up too! |
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| Recent research has found men are more than twice as likely to own an electric vehicle. It's a trend that's got experts concerned. | | | |
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| Much of our lives are conducted online, and now some of our rituals around death are too. Companies are using smart technology to link online memorial sites to graves and urns. | | | |
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| Mental health apps have flourished in the gaps within mental healthcare. But the products are also exempt from regulations in Australia, with some experts concerned about user safety. | | | |
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| Australian men are reporting high-level loneliness. These experts are trying to understand why, and what can be done to fix the problem. | | | |
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| Some estimates say 60 per cent of buy now, pay later (BNPL) users are aged under 35, but academics say the service has too few compliance checks and protections for young people. | | | |
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| Phasing out cash has serious implications for privacy, safety and financial exclusion among marginalised communities. | | | |
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| Live streaming has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, as people pay to watch everything from someone sleeping to them eating chips. So what's the appeal? | | | |
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| The polite world of urban planning has become the latest target of conspiracy theorists. The 15-minute city concept — where neighbourhoods provide life's essentials in 15 minutes by foot or bike — has become a harbinger of big brother in conspiracy-land. | | | |
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| As an Aussie writer living in New York with the man she loved, Alexandra Collier has the dream life. Until, she wakes up with ‘baby fever’. And, her partner doesn’t feel the same. | | | |
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| Vienna is often pointed to as a Western city that is getting its housing strategy right. So how do they do it? | | |
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