Representing CoSS at Kid Reporters Knowledge Exchange event
In March 2026 I represented the College of Social Sciences in the kid Reporters Knowledge Exchange programme. This collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Hillhead Primary School brought 90 school children to campus to learn more about the media, digital storytelling, and the University’s research.
My contribution revolved around how to stay safe online. The pupils asked a range of questions including whether I enjoyed my job, what my favourite colour was, and of course what cat I would like to be! We then went on a tour of the Advanced Research Centre before the class engaged in other creative sessions on the day including designing zines.
Full details on the Children in Media project can be found here. A video showcasing the project can be viewed below:
Many thanks to the Nicole Smith, Libby Nelson and Charlotte Morris for the invitation to participate, and to Kieran McCarroll for capturing the interviews.
We discussed the privacy concerns raised in relation to Threads, whether it can replace the immediacy and news of Twitter, and what politicians hope to gain from setting up accounts on the new platform.
A few selected quotes are below:
On the future for Twitter if Threads continues to grow in popularity:
“I do wonder if it doesn’t have the key functionality of Twitter, which is to break news and tofollow things, and that’s hashtag focused. To me, it probably has a limit in terms of how manypeople will give up on Twitter completely and move there. Unless Twitter does collapse and maybe that does happen“.
On whether people will migrate from Twitter to Threads in large numbers:
“I think it’s harder to pack up and move an entire group of people there [..] Particularly when they’re used to the kind of rhythms of Twitter and whether it’s following events or following things which are breaking“.
On why politicians might sign up to Threads:
“But there is a question mark there about these platforms, it’s as if almost every politician or party has to be on them because they think that’s where they’re going to reach younger people“
Bored Panda interview about how people share content on social media
I was interviewed by Ieva Gailiūtė for Lithuanian publication Bored Panda this week. We discussed why people share things on social media without checking their accuracy, and the negative impacts of people being shamed for historic posts.
Some quotes from the interview are below:
When asked why social media users often share their thoughts without thinking twice, Dr. Reilly explained the design of online platforms encourages instant responses and reactions. “The stories, images and posts that feature prominently in our social media timelines are often the most likely to elicit emotional responses from us.”
“The ‘publish then filter’ model of these sites also means our opinions are published immediately with no cooling off period for us to consider whether we want to post them or not,” he added.
When asked whether our online contributions always become permanent, Dr. Reilly told us, “Yes and No. It’s true that social media posts are no longer your property when you share them publicly, or even privately given that they can be shared by others. Even on encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat, people can take screenshots of content deleted by others and share them later.”
“However, there needs to be a motivation for someone to do this,” he continued. “This is why we see so many politicians being shamed for historic (and often deleted) social media posts. The consequences can be severe, ranging from embarrassment, reputational harm, people losing jobs and even worse.” Especially because sometimes, digital content can be made permanent in ways we never imagined. The posts can be changed, modified, or altered into something completely different from what they originally intended to be.
“People should ideally verify the information before they share it, but many don’t,” he said. “However, it should also be noted that people are better at detecting ‘fake news’ and disinformation than they are often given credit for.”
So even when we can essentially say whatever we want online — whether it’s objectively true or not — and not really have very serious consequences for it, we should all strive to make social media a better place. “Read the story before you share it. Satisfy yourself that it is based on an authoritative source. If it makes you feel an extreme emotion then be wary — this is often a sign that it is disinformation designed to polarize audiences,” Dr. Reilly concluded.
Many thanks to Ieva for the invitation. The article can be read here
Yesterday I was interviewed by David Hunter on BBC Radio Foyle’s The News at One on the US government antitrust lawsuit against Facebook. We discussed the precedent for this effort to break up Facebook’s control of other social media platforms and services, and the implications for citizens’ rights if this action is successful.
Thanks to David, Dean McLaughlin and BBC Radio Foyle for the invitation. The interview can be heard here
Yesterday I was interviewed by Toby Foster on BBC Radio Sheffield about the ‘fake news’ circulating online about coronavirus. We spoke about some of the ways people can identify false information on social media and the role of politicians in spreading misinformation about the virus. Thanks to Toby, Kat, Katie from BBC Radio Sheffield and Victoria Wood for making it happen.
You can listen back to the interview here (beginning at 3:10:38)
Last month, I was interviewed by freelance writer and journalist Hatty Nestor on the future of Vero, which has been heralded as the first ad-free social media platform. I raised questions about the long-term viability of Vero, which requires users to pay a monthly subscription fee rather than selling their data to advertisers.
The article, ‘Vero: ad free social media that puts privacy first,’ has now been published in Canvas8 and can be accessed here
