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WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP: AUGUST 19TH, 2000.
As the online world becomes a greater presence in all of our lives, so do the problems that come with such a big change in our everyday lives. What worries experts the most, naturally, is the myriad of health issues that come with being online for hours a day.
Medical experts and parents alike are calling for more scrutiny on major technology companies like CyberConnect Corporation and their role in promoting bad habits that lead to these health issues, particularly for what is now known as Doll Syndrome.
Causing those who are affected by it to fall into an unresponsive state, there is not much else known about Doll Syndrome other than its name. Those who are impacted by it usually recover within several days, or in some cases, after almost a week. For that duration, however, those with the condition will not respond to any external stimuli despite PET scans taken during actives case of Doll Syndrome showing significant amounts of brain activity. These results have only puzzled doctors, though some are beginning to develop theories as to why this might be happening.
Doll Syndrome primarily impacts young people, leading experts to wonder if the high prevalence of VR usage among young people is causing their brains to no longer process reality outside of the game they are playing. Others have suggested faulty internet connections even overheated computer systems as the trigger for Doll Syndrome, but many are beginning to see the connection between it and VR. Regardless, medical professionals everywhere advise that everyone limit their internet usage to only an hour or two per day.
Having robots vacuum our floors wasn't enough—we also had to have them start bringing us food too. In the past year, the rise of food delivery robots has led to entire packs of them in the street, rolling along in a group to their next delivery. It's convenient, it's fast, and it's cheap.
However, what is convenient, fast, and cheap is not always without its own drawbacks. Pedestrians of major cities have begun to lodge complaints to their city councils and local governments regarding food delivery robots, often stating that they're in the way or that they cross streets when they aren't supposed to, leading to dangerous situations. Some feel so passionately about this subject that they have created entire online communities around documenting their issues with food delivery robots, and even gathering support for petitions to get them banned from entire cities.
Online groups aren't the only passionate ones, however. Videos circulating online have shown pedestrians getting into all-out brawls with these robots, occasionally fighting an entire group of them. Kicking, throwing, punching are all fair game in the war against these food delivery robots, it seems, and these videos go viral time and time again online, especially with those who consider this a form of vigilante justice.
Public policy experts have chimed in to say that there needs to be some level of regulation when it comes to how many of these robots can be rolling out on the streets. A couple is fine, but the dozens that have been seen rolling through some neighborhoods is a few steps too far. This situation will sort itself eventually, but some wonder if that will be through ordinances or by pedestrians taking matters into their own hands.
We told cats and dogs to move over the other week, but now we have to add Pet Potatoes to the list too, because there's yet another new pet in town—the snail!
Much in the same way the snails take off when they begin a race, the concept itself has taken off and topped the list of hot topics for the last week. Snail racing is exactly how it sounds: two or more snails line up on a makeshift track and whoever gets to the finish line first is the winner! But trends don't take off when it's just the basics, not in this day in age.
What has inspired so many with snail racing is the different snail-appropriate costumes and chariots being constructed and shown off in their respective online communities. Membership in snail racing and snail owner groups has skyrocketed as people flock to images of snails in little outfits placed carefully atop their shells, or snails racing or taking a breather in their elaborately decorated racetracks. One such popular racetrack is one modeled after some of the biggest and most well-known sports stadiums in the world. With over two million likes, it's not a surprise that this single miniature racetrack has inspired many to come up with their own ideas!
It's not too late to get in on this new snail racing trend. Livestreams are still popping up daily with thousands of viewers, some even going as far as to have dedicated announcers for the races. Get your virtual ticket to these livestreams while you still can!
World News Roundup receives partial funding from CyberConnect Corporation of Japan. Opinions expressed within these articles are not representative of the views of our organization.