Why GIFs are the Internet’s Emotional Art Form
Meme expert and GIPHY Editor-in-Chief Tyler Menzel ’06 explains why GIFs are so universally funny — and meaningful. (A story partly told in GIFs.)
What makes an ad go viral on YouTube?
Unlike expensive TV time, YouTube is free and has over 1 billion users. But how do you grab them with an enticing ad? One USC Marshall professor has a few tips.
Study: Exposure to videos of race-based violence can lead to mental health issues
A new USC study finds that viewing violent videos of police shootings may be harmful to the mental health of adolescents of color.
From Away to Everlane, why are direct-to-consumer brands the hot retail trend?
USC experts explain what’s behind the sweeping switch from brick-and-mortars to online-only brands.
5 ways to stay safe on social media
USC researchers weigh in on the biggest social media dangers — and how to avoid them.
Grandparents’ move to Facebook spurs both embarrassing ‘fails’ and opportunities
Social networks are like nightclubs — where parents and grandparents sometimes crash the party — USC expert says.
Smartphone use linked to behavioral problems in kids
Teens who frequently use tablets and mobile apps are more likely to develop ADHD symptoms.
What is coded computing and why is it vital for cellphones and the internet?
Engineering student Qian Yu wins a Google Fellowship for his work in a new field that began at USC.
Alzheimer’s tool lets people 50 and older monitor their risk over time
Healthy people at increased risk of developing the disease could join clinical trials sooner, says director of USC therapeutic institute.
Stalking in the age of social media
Unwanted phone calls or texts? Threats of violence or blackmail? If this sounds familiar, you may be a victim of stalkers, USC expert says.
Internet use at home soars to more than 17 hours per week
USC Annenberg’s Center for the Digital Future reveals facts and figures on the net’s surging impact in America.
From startup to Google and beyond: Analytics expert takes on financial technology
Brett Crosby’s small company created software that led to the service tracking website analytics.
Marketing and PR secrets of the internet — he’s teaching them
Social media expert Robert Kozinets shows USC Annenberg students how to analyze data that could identify the Next Big Thing.
Joi Wade chronicles her USC freshman experience on YouTube
Thousands of followers are watching as she navigates life as a new Trojan and offers advice to kids preparing for college.
Real or not? USC study finds many political tweets come from fake accounts
A deep scientific analysis of political tweets this #Election reveals bots are swaying the discourse, according to scientists at the USC Information Sciences Institute.
Laptop program narrows digital divide for college-bound foster youth
Nonprofit asks USC professor to evaluate the effect of giving computers to teens in the foster care system.
We’re in a digital world filled with lots of social bots
Networks of automated agents hold sway over social media, with major implications for politics, national security and free speech.
Prepare to pay the price for online celebrity
Social media is providing platforms where nearly anyone can make his or her voice heard. The result is ample opportunity for each of us to reap the rewards — or consequences — of online identities.
Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Students go to court as digital forensics experts in an annual exercise that simulates an actual trial.
The longer you’re on the web, the less interesting your commentary becomes
Prolonged online sessions lead to a lower ‘readability score,’ USC research finds.
Facebook fellow is inside the Internet every waking hour
USC Viterbi student works on issues that get between you and your destination while flooding the net with likes, selfies and those funny cat videos.
Is the Internet fueling social change or giving license to engage in lazy activism?
USC Dornsife scholars give insight into the influence of online political activism on society and on participants’ individual psyches.
USC study tracks the Internet’s rising political influence
The Internet assumes a more prominent role in political communication, study finds.
Michael and Linda Keston endow position at Information Sciences Institute
Real estate entrepreneur and his wife provide support for research in information processing and communications technologies.