Latest news and stories about social media in daily life in Portugal for expats and residents.
Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook experienced significant service outages in Portugal starting around 10:30 PM on Tuesday. The Downdetector platform recorded thousands of user complaints, with disruptions concentrated in major cities including Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, and Évora.
João Cotrim de Figueiredo’s campaign, which had been gaining momentum, suffered a serious setback after a strategic misstep on second-round strategy and the resurfacing of a harassment allegation on social media. By not ruling out support for Ventura, Cotrim exposed himself to attacks and fractured the narrative of steady progress; the harassment allegation — reportedly known within Iniciativa Liberal for two years — compounded the damage and prompted him to decry ‘low‑level’ and ‘dirty’ politics. The episode shifted the campaign’s focus onto Cotrim personally, energised opponents and risked undoing recent gains as rivals consolidated backing ahead of a possible second round.
In the days following the opening of the new Wells store at Centro Colombo in mid-July, social media was flooded with videos showcasing the different areas, brands, and services, as well as a famous '600-euro value' goodie bag that reached the first interested customers and influencers (or simply interested individuals)...
The conclusions follow two surveys conducted with PÚBLICO readers to understand their habits regarding the consumption of nutrition-related content on social media.
Until now, the issue of children and young people's access to social media was seen as a matter of individual responsibility. But that is changing. It is time to hold “platforms, policymakers, parents, and families accountable, because children do not have the maturity to make decisions, engage in conscious emotional regulation, assess risks, and manage to set limits,” states clinical psychologist Isa Silvestre.
On World Social Media Day, teachers and psychologists warn: early access leaves marks on cognitive and socio-emotional development that are difficult to reverse.
Research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry concludes that the earlier and more frequently adolescents use social media, the greater the likelihood of them experimenting with substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis.
AI will analyse height and “bone structure” to verify users' ages. Apps will notify parents if their children attempt to search for terms related to suicide or self-harm.
Contact with “hostile messages or content” related to politics, race, or ethnicity decreases over the years. The 16 to 24 age group is the most vulnerable.
Meta has bolstered teen accounts with new parental controls and AI-powered features that, among other things, notify parents if searches for sensitive topics are detected. The tech company announced it has implemented global content classification for Instagram users over 13, introducing new account adjustments. New default settings on Facebook aim to hide inappropriate content from teens in key sections like the Feed and Reels, while also limiting interactions with profiles or groups that post such content. Messenger restrictions now limit the ability to view links to inappropriate content or chat with accounts that frequently share it. Meta is using AI to identify minor accounts through context analysis and visual analysis of physical features—not facial recognition—to verify age. Additionally, Instagram will notify parents of repeated searches related to self-harm or suicide in the EU. Centralised management is available via the 'Family Center'. Meanwhile, the UK is considering banning social media for those under 16, with some doctors comparing the potential harm of social media to that of tobacco.
Meta has reinforced teen accounts with new parental controls and AI-powered features that, among other things, notify parents if searches for sensitive topics are detected. In an online statement, the tech company said it recently implemented Instagram content classification for minors...
Anxiety, a need for external validation, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances are some of the effects of excessive social media use by children, says psychologist Isa Silvestre.
The new social application WiYou has been released in Portugal, focusing on connecting users based on shared interests rather than physical looks.
Meta has not yet issued a statement.
Racism, sexism, and homophobia are the most frequent topics in these messages
To protect children from the dangers of social media, some propose banning young people's access to these networks or delaying the age at which they start using them. Expert Maree Davies has another solution: teaching children critical thinking so they know how to stay safe on the Internet.
A report indicates that 50% of internet users in Portugal were exposed to abusive or hostile content during the year 2025.
The data was published this Friday by the EU's statistical office, Eurostat.
False experts have always existed, but they have never had such an easy time gaining a platform as they do now. Today, the boundary separating knowledge and opinion is more blurred than ever. A column by Carmen Garcia.
Cherry mocktails, red light masks, or sleep tracking gadgets. The new social media trend is called sleepmaxing and it promises to improve sleep quality. Is that really the case?
The author explores the trend of 'Run Clubs' among Generation Z, questioning whether this demographic is genuinely committed to fitness or primarily focused on creating social media content. The article highlights a shift where the aesthetic of effort often outweighs the actual physical activity, with gyms increasingly serving as photo studios rather than spaces for training. While acknowledging that many young people are dedicated athletes, the author warns against the rise of 'active sedentary' lifestyles, where fitness is used as a tool for social media engagement rather than personal health.
Preventing sexting requires digital literacy and an open conversation between parents and children that encourages critical thinking about self-protection, respect in interpersonal relationships, and empathy. Opinion by Vera Ramalho.
Our guest today is Paolo Funassi, the larger-than-life Italian creator of Albufeira Paradise and Algarve Paradise, the social media phenomenon with 152,000 members and more than 15 million monthly views The post My Albufeira paradise! – Interview with Paolo Funassi appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Psychologist Catarina Lucas analyses the risks of minors using social media, at a time when Snapchat is being investigated for sexual grooming.
Social media opens 'a window to the world', but is designed to be addictive, warns psychologist Teresa Paula Marques. Is limiting the platforms enough? No. The key? Education for critical thinking.
Panoramic footage has been one of the attractions for tourists visiting Rio de Janeiro. Mayors, football teams, and even security forces are copying the marketing strategy.
Since 2023, the suspect had been posting advertisements, primarily on social media, by creating and using multiple fake profiles, with her actions harming dozens of victims from the north to the south of the country.
Dozens of victims were defrauded from the north to the south of the country.
A woman allegedly defrauded dozens of people across the country through a social media scheme, advertising the sale of tickets for concerts, festivals, and sporting events, as well as mobile phones, holiday accommodation, and even supermarket promotional stamps. The Judiciary Police carried out searches in the municipality of Palmela as part of an operation named Showbiz, seizing computer equipment identified as having been used in the alleged fraud. The woman, who had reportedly been using this scheme since 2023, has been named a formal suspect. According to a statement from the PJ, the suspect allegedly joined a plan to defraud various people via social media to receive money that did not belong to her and thus obtain illegitimate enrichment. The investigation, during which it was possible to identify the digital and financial trail of the alleged perpetrator, will continue to determine if there are more victims. The inquiry is being led by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Barcelos.
The 'Doa a Quem Doer' programme reveals the story of a man who sells various products on social media and is accused of being a fraudster. This week's episode investigates the case of a three-year-old girl who has passed away, but whose image is still being used to solicit monetary donations.
