Latest news with #Alethea
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
'People say my baby's name is ugly and hard to pronounce - they're tasteless'
A mum-to-be has revealed how her friends and relatives have branded her unborn baby's name 'ugly' and urged her to change it it - but she won't budge Choosing a baby name can be tricky at the best of times, and it's impossible to please everyone. Whether you fancy something unique or favour timeless classics, there's always someone who will disagree and make it known they're not keen on the choice. That's why it's wise for expectant parents to settle on a name together and then stand firm, no matter the opinions of other relatives or friends. One pregnant mum has found herself in this exact predicament, as her family has bluntly declared the name she's fond of as "ugly", and has claimed it's impossible to pronounce correctly. Taking to Reddit, the mum-to-be revealed that she and her husband had agreed upon a distinctive but not overly eccentric name for their soon-to-arrive baby girl. But when they shared it with their relatives, the reviews were decidedly mixed. The couple wanted to choose a Greek name for their daughter, even though neither of them has Greek heritage. They ruled out Athena because it's the name of her closest friend's child and ultimately decided on Alethea, an English name sourced from the Ancient Greek term alétheia, signifying "truth". She explained: "My husband's family either are able to pronounce it well or absolutely cannot pronounce it whatsoever. My brother told me to think about it because I'm naming a child, and that they'll have this name forever. I don't think it's bad. "I'm Latina, and my mum told my grandma and her stepmum about it, and they both said it's ugly af and asked why I'd choose that. It's a legit name, it's not like we are naming her Jocelyhn or Eughthena or something." The mother continued to explain the division among her family and friends, with some considering the name "beautiful" and others advising against it due to its pronunciation difficulties and the fact that it lies outside the cultural background of both parents. Opinions were divided online, too. Some commenters found the name lovely, whereas others echoed the sentiment that choosing a name people might struggle to pronounce isn't ideal. One person suggested: "As a girl with a not-exactly-ugly but definitely cumbersome and unusual Greek first name, I suggest that you keep looking for other options. I mean this with the best intentions." They also shared their personal experience: "I have been on this planet for decades and can count on one hand how many non-Greeks have pronounced my name properly. There are several other beautiful Greek names to choose from." Another countered: "I'm surprised at lots of the comments on here against the name. I knew an Alethea at school, and her name was literally never an issue. No one was confused by it. It was just her name." Another person advised: "I always recommend pregnant women don't tell people the names they are planning. They tend to get backlash, and people will ruin the name for them. "People are much less likely to state their opinion to the mother after the birth."
The Independent
18-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
TikTok removes videos promoting birth control misinformation after The Independent investigation
TikTok has removed videos promoting birth control misinformation after The Independent found that some influencers were spreading unproven claims to millions of users. An investigation by The Independent and tech company Alethea revealed misleading videos claimed the risks of birth control, such as cancer or psychological side effects, outweigh its benefits. Some videos, since taken down, also suggested that a herbal supplement called Queen Anne's Lace could act as a contraceptive, and promoted the idea that women should "detox" after stopping their birth control prescription. The TikTok videos, which appeared generic, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing, were posted by three prominent wellness influencers - reaching 15 million viewers on the platform between February 2021 and July 2024, and being shared 21,000 times. Out of the 1,449 total videos posted by the three influencers during the time period, 115 were tagged with #birthcontrol. Using data collection, Alethea — a leading technology company specialising in online risk detection and mitigation — identified the top myths being spread by three prominent TikTok influencers. The Independent also collated and flagged hashtags used specifically by these influencers on TikTok, which aimed to push this content to a wider audience than just their followers, such as #womenshealth #truth #holistichealth #fertilityawareness and #holistichealing. TikTok did not respond when asked if it took action on these. Many of the videos were also published on platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. Dr Viki Male, senior lecturer in reproductive immunology at Imperial College London, told The Independent: 'Contraception, like any medication, has risks—but they are low and far lower than the risks of pregnancy. 'There's no strong evidence that Queen Anne's Lace works as a contraceptive—it's certainly not something I would rely on. In communities that try to use herbal birth control, they have a really high rate of unplanned pregnancies. 'It's a myth that the longer you take birth control, the longer it takes to get pregnant. Studies show no such 'wash-out' period exists for any hormonal contraceptives except for the injection. The injection does take a little while to leave your system, but that is exactly what it's designed to do.' But Dr Male did point out that some people taking contraception may experience side effects, adding: 'With every medication, there are always risks, but hormonal contraception is really safe and effective.' After The Independent presented the social media giant with its evidence, TikTok removed content relating to claims that the risks of birth control — like cancer or psychological side effects — outweigh its benefits and the false claim that Queens Annes Lace can work as a contraceptive. It did not remove videos relating to detoxing after taking birth control, however. It also removed content relating to these topics by these influencers that The Independent had not flagged. These videos specifically violated TikTok's policies around medical misinformation, the app said. Instagram and TikTok are now the preferred search engines for Gen Z when seeking local results, according to a study carried out in 2024 by marketing technology vendor SOCI. For Gen Z internet users in the US, Instagram was first, with 67 per cent saying they use it for search. TikTok is the second choice at 62 per cent of the 18 to 24 demographic search, while Google is third at 61 per cent. TikTok, along with Instagram and other social media platforms, has recently come under scrutiny for allowing misinformation to spread, especially around women's health. Another study in 2024 found that women are among the largest group of TikTok users in the United States and may be especially affected by the dissemination of health information on TikTok. The research suggested that health professionals and health communication scholars need to proactively consider using TikTok as a platform for disseminating health information to young women, because they are using TikTok for it despite preferring information from health professionals. TikTok said it removed content that violated its policies regarding medical misinformation. Its community guidelines prohibit inaccurate, misleading, or false content that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent. However, the guidelines allow TikTok users to share their own stories or experiences about medical treatment as long as they do not contain harmful misinformation. TikTok defines harmful health misinformation as inaccurate medical advice that discourages people from getting appropriate medical care for a life-threatening disease, or other misinformation that may cause negative health effects on an individual's life. The app announced a year-long collaboration with the World Health Organisation in 2024 to promote reliable mental well-being content and fight disinformation through the Fides Network, of trusted healthcare professionals, who are also TikTok creators.
