Arianna Huffington Wants You to Leave Behind News Addiction
Arianna Huffington is trying to help you kick your smartphone habit.
The author of “The Sleep Revolution” and former Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post says that everything from apps like Instagram to games like Candy Crush to news alerts can be addictive.
“There’s absolutely no reason to be receiving 12 different notifications giving you the latest Trump tweet,” she told Cheddar. “If you want to pick one, pick one.”
She pointed out that the vast majority of people who aren’t in the news industry can just go directly to sites at leisure.
Those sentiments are part of why she launched the Thrive app, which allows users to limit app usage and go into “thrive mode,” where they don’t receive notifications from anyone who’s not on their “VIP List.” Everyone else gets an alert letting them know when the Thrive user will be available.
Its debut, though delayed from an intended December release, is timely given the increased focus on the dangers of too much technology. Two major Apple investors this month urged the iPhone maker to help curb device addiction in children.
Huffington knows the potential impact of being always-connected first hand. She founded Thrive Global in 2016 to counter burnout after collapsing from exhaustion and breaking her cheekbones a few years back. She’s since then been an advocate of sleep and wellness.
The Thrive app will only be available on Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 devices.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/arianna-huffington-launches-thrive-app-to-combat-tech-addiction).
A Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday looks to tackleonline safety for children by regulating Big Tech and social media platforms to deter users from content that can harm their mental health. Irene Ly, a policy counsel for the age-based ratings and review organization Common Sense Media, joined Cheddar News to break down the potential of the Kids Online Safety Act. "We can't be imposing such a big burden on parents to be doing it all on theirselves," Ly said. "I think you also have to keep in mind that parents often didn't grow up with social media, so they don't understand what it's like to be addicted to social media or really understand how they work."
While many still remain skeptical about the metaverse, big tech firms and even one big bank are ready to expand their virtual worlds. Facebook parent company has pivoted so hard it will now call its employees 'Metamates,' and even JPMorgan Chase has created its own digital lounge on one virtual platform. While the sector remains young, there seems to be significant investment opportunity, especially with companies like Nvidia. Adam Johnson, a portfolio strategist at Adviser Investments, joins Closing Bell to discuss which companies could win in this space, consumer appetite, and more.
Marc Blinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Aikon, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how his company is helping businesses use blockchain applications without needing to learn the intricacies of the new technology.
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a new bill to afford greater protection to minors on social media. The genesis of the Kids Online Safety Act came from a Facebook whistleblower case exposing the harm apps can have on the mental health of young girls.
Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
