Gaming inside sad rooms accessed by searching ‘depressed’ on Roblox

  • Searching ‘depressed’ on Roblox takes users to a selection of ‘sad’ games which are easily accessible to the user.
  • Some of these games are more melancholy, with soft music and grass fields, whereas others include gravestones and the option for characters to ‘cry’.
  • One game, called the ‘depression room’ has amassed 5.6 million visits and is advertised as ‘for all ages’.
  • Users in this game can sit in the darkness on a seat with their head bowed, or take a lift to the top of a skyscraper where their character stands by a railing, with the word ‘Alone’ opposite.
  • Users are also directed to a group chat called ‘Sociopath’ where whilst some young people try to help each other, others send more disturbing messages.
  • For more on this story, please visit Metro’s website.

Twitter vows to take ‘less severe actions’ against rule-breaking accounts

  • Twitter has said they will take ‘less severe actions’ when discipling accounts that break rules.
  • It will now only suspend Twitter accounts that engage in “severe or ongoing, repeat violations”.
  • They also said from February 1st, it will let users appeal suspensions.
  • The change means that Twitter will use tools like limiting visibility of tweets or telling a user to remove a tweet before they can return to the site, instead of them immediately banning the Twitter account.
  • The company also said they will begin to be more transparent with its enforcement actions.
  • Check out the full story on the Verge website.

45% of young people fear they will never earn enough to start a family

  • Research from the Prince’s Trust found that nearly half of all 16- to 25-year-olds in the UK fear they will never earn enough to support a family.
  • This comes amid the cost-of-living crisis.
  • The youth charity also found that this age groups’ happiness and confidence is at its lowest level since it started its’ research.
  • The charity found that young people are most unhappy about money and mental health.
  • 46% overall said that economic uncertainty made them feel hopeless about the future, and this rose to 55% for those from poorer backgrounds.
  • The Chief Executive of the Prince’s Trust said, “this year’s Prince’s Trust NatWest Youth Index is a warning sign that, post-pandemic, young people’s wellbeing has not recovered”.
  • To read the full story, please visit the Independent’s website.

Children ‘arriving hungry’ as nurseries in England plead ministers for extra funding

  • Ministers are facing calls to help nurseries to continue providing meals amid evidence that more young children are arriving hungry.
  • An analysis of a survey of 500 childcare providers and professionals shared with the Observer found rising food costs were having an impact.
  • Nearly 1 in 10 said they had turned to food redistribution charities to help provide food in their settings.
  • More than 60% said they had been forced to use cheaper ingredients and 15% have had to reduce portion sizes.
  • To read the full story, please visit the Guardian’s website.