youth Archives

AppWizard

July 22, 2026

Herschel x ‘Minecraft’ Collaboration Is Now Available, Offers Lineup of Bags, Apparel

Herschel Supply Co. has launched a collaboration with "Minecraft," featuring a collection of bags, accessories, and apparel for the back-to-school season. The collection includes the Classic Backpack in three variations (The End, Overworld, Nether), the Heritage Backpack themed around Creeper, Pink Sheep, and Enderman, and the Cube Backpack with a blocky aesthetic. The Cube Little America Backpack is also available in Black, Grass, and Orange Block designs. The collection is available on Herschel's website, with prices ranging from approximately for smaller accessories to 0 for the Cube Little America Backpack. Herschel offers free ground shipping on orders over a specified amount. Additionally, there is a free Herschel Backpack Trials Add-On for "Bedrock Edition" players in the Minecraft Marketplace, allowing players to upgrade their in-game backpack. The collection includes various items such as different styles of backpacks, lunch boxes, pencil cases, caps, and beanies.

AppWizard

July 19, 2026

Get 15 games for $15 in Humble’s 2K Megahits bundle, including Bioshock Infinite, Risk of Rain 2, and one of my favourite shooters of all time

2K and Humble have launched a 2026 'Megahits' bundle featuring 15 games for a minimum price, with notable titles including Risk of Rain 2, Borderlands 3, Mafia 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Homeworld: Remastered Collection, Bioshock Infinite, Tales from The Borderlands, The Quarry, Hidden and Dangerous 1 and 2, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour, Tribes of Midgard, The Darkness 2, and Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition. The bundle has a combined value of , and a portion of the proceeds will support Covenant House, a charity for homeless and trafficked youth in North and South America.

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

The toughest choices in PC games

PC gaming has explored moral dilemmas since 1985 with Ultima 4, which introduced a moral compass for players. The genre expanded in 2003 with Knights of the Old Republic, emphasizing light versus dark choices. Fable presented morality as whimsical, while BioShock's choices lacked depth due to enticing rewards for "good" actions. The ending of Far Cry 3 confused players rather than provoking deep thought. In The Walking Dead, players must protect refugees and make critical decisions during a siege, affecting character fates. Dishonored presents chaos where high chaos leads to grim realities, while alternative choices can also have disturbing consequences. Mass Effect 2 challenges players with the fate of the heretic geth, balancing noble actions against future threats. The Witcher 3 features a decision in the Whispering Hillock quest where Geralt must choose between killing a tree spirit or freeing it, impacting many lives. Batman: The Telltale Series allows players to shape Bruce Wayne's early interactions with villains, affecting future relationships. Dragon Age: Origins places players in political turmoil, deciding between supporting different leaders, each with significant consequences. Frostpunk presents a moral dilemma regarding child labor laws, weighing the innocence of youth against community survival. Fallout 3 features Harold, where players must decide between granting him peace or keeping him alive for potential future benefits, highlighting moral ambiguity in a post-apocalyptic setting.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

India Blocks Telegram Access Ahead of Medical School Retest Amid ‘Fake Leak’ Scandal

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India has imposed a week-long ban on the messaging app Telegram amid a scandal related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). This decision, enacted under the Information Technology (IT) Act, aims to protect national integrity and sovereignty, following significant irregularities in the original exam held on May 3. The National Testing Agency (NTA) invalidated the initial exam after discovering question leaks, and the upcoming retest is scheduled for June 21. The ban also includes the disabling of Telegram's 'message editing' feature until June 30. Despite the NTA's assurances that no questions have leaked for the retest, concerns about organized cheating groups using Telegram to spread misinformation persist. Pavel Durov, Telegram's CEO, criticized the ban for impacting millions of users without addressing underlying issues. Protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan have occurred, and the case has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has arrested approximately 11 individuals based on preliminary findings of leaked questions in the exam.

AppWizard

June 12, 2026

Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger experience outage

Meta's suite of services, including Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, is experiencing significant disruptions, with users reporting issues such as inability to refresh news feeds, challenges in viewing messages, and problems logging into accounts. Many users encounter error messages or find that the services do not load. Meta has not issued any official statement about the causes of the outage or when it might be resolved. Additionally, both Google and Meta are facing a setback in efforts to dismiss a lawsuit related to youth social media addiction.

AppWizard

June 3, 2026

Meta expands content protections for teen accounts

Meta has enhanced content settings for teen users on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp to create a safer online environment. This includes blocking teenagers from viewing inappropriate content and restricting interactions with unsuitable groups, events, profiles, and pages. This initiative follows a legal ruling in Los Angeles that found Meta and YouTube negligent in their application designs, contributing to harmful effects on children. The changes reflect Meta's commitment to safeguarding younger users and responding to concerns about social media's impact on youth.

AppWizard

June 3, 2026

Australia warns of crypto investment scams on messaging apps

Australia's financial regulatory authority, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has issued a cautionary note about a rise in investment scams that exploit messaging apps and social media, particularly targeting younger individuals. These scams often start with enticing ads on social media promoting stock trading tips, leading victims to messaging apps where they are misled into thinking they are receiving legitimate investment advice from impersonated figures. Victims are then directed to counterfeit digital asset trading platforms, resulting in lost funds and additional withdrawal fees. Research from Moneysmart reveals that 23% of Australians aged 18 to 28 own digital assets, with 66% taking a speculative approach to investing, and 29% influenced by social media personalities. Additionally, 72% of Gen Z respondents encountered social media ads for digital assets, and 41% were approached to invest in cryptocurrencies. ASIC has proposed measures to mitigate risks, including avoiding sharing personal information from social media, verifying investment platforms through AUSTRAC, and acting quickly if something seems suspicious. The Australian Parliament passed a digital asset framework bill in April requiring digital asset platforms to obtain an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) within a year to comply with new regulations.

AppWizard

June 3, 2026

Meta expands teen safety features across Facebook, Messenger

Meta is enhancing protections for younger users by expanding its Teen Accounts framework across Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. This includes implementing stricter content settings that limit exposure to inappropriate material, such as violence and self-harm. A new "Limited Content" setting will be introduced for Facebook and Messenger to provide additional content restrictions. Additionally, Instagram is testing a feature to diversify content recommendations for teens, reducing repetitive exposure to similar topics. These initiatives come amid increased regulatory scrutiny regarding youth safety on social media platforms.

AppWizard

June 2, 2026

Teen safety updates coming to Facebook, Instagram, Messenger

Meta is expanding its content settings for teenage users on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger to enhance their safety. New restrictions will protect teens from inappropriate content in their feeds and limit their interactions with profiles, pages, groups, and events that share unsuitable material. Additionally, there will be measures to reduce exposure to potentially harmful topics in the apps' Explore, Feed, and Reels tabs. These updates are part of Meta's ongoing efforts, following a previous announcement in October 2025 about age-appropriate content settings. The changes come after a jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in designing apps that contributed to social media addiction in children, resulting in a ruling for damages. Meta plans to appeal this verdict, emphasizing the complexity of teen mental health issues.

AppWizard

June 2, 2026

Meta announces global Teen Accounts for Facebook, Messenger

Meta has launched 13+ Teen Accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, aiming to create a safer online environment for younger users. The rollout includes default settings that resulted in a 68% reduction in mature content on Instagram compared to other platforms. Meta is collaborating with the trust and safety firm Alice to test these new settings and is exploring ways to limit specific content types, particularly related to nutrition and anxiety. A report by whistleblower Arturo Béjar raised concerns about the effectiveness of Meta's teen safety features, leading to an overhaul of Instagram Teen Accounts. Meta faced controversy for comparing its content restrictions to PG-13 guidelines without authorization from the MPAA, which resulted in a cease and desist order but ended in a resolution. Additionally, new features have been introduced, including enhanced parental supervision tools and global age detection capabilities.