Hello and welcome to this week’s Student Hub digest - in this edition we look at how Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta project is going, we look at gamification and control and how playfulness can be used against you. We have some tips for anyone returning from abroad after Erasmus and Una Mullally compares Berlin’s approach to the energy crisis with the experience in Dublin.
Inside Zuckerberg’s metaverse struggles: Meta has spent billions of dollars and assigned thousands of employees to make Zuckerberg’s dream feasible. But Meta’s metaverse efforts have had a rocky start.
Gamification and control: Beware of how playfulness can be used against you: Gamification, which is generally viewed positively as a way of making boring and repetitive tasks more fun while boosting desired outcomes, has a dark and in some cases sinister side, according to the author of a new book. Adrian Hon, an experienced and successful games designer, says that “with today’s gamification, you are no longer the player, you are being played”.
I’ve just come back to Ireland. The reverse culture shock is all too real: Erasmus exchanges have shown so many of us what life can be like. Here are some tips for readjusting to Irish realities.
Una Mullally: Berlin has dimmed the lights while Dublin’s are still blazing: It feels as though we are still sleepwalking into a three-pronged crisis that will dominate the winter.
Universities to create posts to tackle sexual harassment on campus: Universities are to create a range of new management posts to help drive “zero tolerance” of sexual harassment on college campuses. In addition, skilled external investigators may also be hired to investigate cases of sexual violence and harassment against staff and students.
Bill Murray ‘pays $100,000′ to settle film-set complaint of inappropriate behaviour: Production was shut down on Being Mortal after the claims against the actor, who ‘knows very well the way he can behave’, according to fellow star Geena Davis.
Michael McDowell: Once Northern Ireland leaves UK, political unionism becomes extinct: Confederalism is more likely to bring true conciliation and partnership in the North and on this island.
Trinity College slips in latest set of world university rankings: Trinity College Dublin, Ireland’s top-ranked university, has slipped 15 places to 161st in the latest set of world university rankings.
Access to third level in Border region neglected for too long: The north-west region of Ireland has suffered from historic underinvestment spanning both jurisdictions within the island. This is reflected in the quality of transport and other infrastructure relative to other parts of the island.
An Cailín Ciúin becomes first Irish language film to gross over €1m at box office: An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) has become the first Irish language film to gross more than €1 million at the box office. Since its release in May, just 22 weeks ago, Colm Bairéad’s coming-of-age drama has been a major hit at international film festivals and won a slew of awards.
The best 20 intimate indoor Irish gigs between now and Christmas: Tony Clayton-Lea trawls the music listings in search of memorable shows to light up the dark evenings ahead.
