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Spectator
3 days ago
- General
- Spectator
No, Zoomers: life wasn't better before the internet
Almost half of 16 to 21-year-olds wish they had grown up without the internet. A similar portion are even calling for a social media curfew, with a quarter wanting phones banned in schools, according to research from the British Standards Institution. Really? The truth is that Zoomers – those born between 1997 and 2012 – don't know how lucky they are to have come of age during an era in which they had access to the web. While my own generation of Millennials were early guinea pigs for Facebook, Twitter and – for the connoisseurs out there – MSN Messenger, much of our teenage lives remained firmly analogue. Having first snuck online to the sounds of a dial-up connection, my recollection is that life before the internet was often quite dull. Many teenagers today blame their woes on social media and smartphones.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
LIC secures BSI certification
Hyderabad: LIC of India, the leading public sector Insurer, has been awarded the ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI) reaffirming that the Insurer's Operational Resilience, Business Continuity Planning and Risk Management capabilities are consistent with global best practices.
Time Business News
24-05-2025
- General
- Time Business News
The Complete Guide to Fire Door Regulations and Standards in London
Fire doors play a crucial role in protecting lives and property during a fire. These specialized doors are designed to contain fire and smoke, preventing them from spreading throughout a building. In London, fire door regulations and standards are taken very seriously to ensure the safety of all occupants. Whether you're a property owner, landlord, or tenant, it's essential to understand the importance of fire doors and the legal requirements surrounding them. Additionally, if you're looking to ensure the safety of your building, consider professional services like Fire Alarm Installation London to further enhance fire prevention measures. Fire doors are specially constructed doors that can resist the spread of fire for a specific period. Made with fire-resistant materials and a solid core, they are designed to withstand high temperatures, preventing smoke and flames from spreading. Fire doors are a critical component in any fire protection system. In commercial and residential buildings, they are strategically placed in hallways, stairwells, and other key areas to create fire-resistant compartments. In London, fire door regulations are governed by a combination of local building codes, national standards, and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These rules aim to ensure that buildings are equipped with fire doors that are capable of preventing the spread of fire and protecting escape routes. Both residential and commercial properties are subject to these regulations, although the specifics may vary depending on the type of building. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is one of the key pieces of legislation that governs fire safety in non-domestic buildings. It requires employers and those responsible for the building to ensure that fire doors meet the necessary fire resistance standards. These standards help ensure that fire doors can provide adequate protection in the event of a fire, allowing occupants to safely exit the building while containing the fire within its designated area. For residential properties, particularly those in high-rise buildings, the requirements for fire doors are similarly strict. Fire doors are essential in these settings to protect residents and allow for the safe evacuation of the building. Another important set of regulations in London is the Building Regulations 2010, which includes Approved Document B. This document outlines the fire safety requirements for buildings in England and Wales. Fire doors are part of the passive fire protection measures outlined in this document, and they must meet specific fire resistance ratings. According to the regulations, fire doors should be able to withstand fire for a minimum of 30 minutes, although higher ratings may be required in certain cases. The fire rating of a door depends on the materials used, its design, and its installation. The standards governing fire doors in London are set out by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and other organizations. These standards ensure that fire doors meet the necessary criteria to provide effective fire protection. BS 476-22 is one of the most important standards that apply to fire doors. It specifies the test methods for measuring the fire resistance of building materials and components, including fire doors. A fire door must pass these tests to ensure it can withstand fire for the specified duration, typically 30, 60, or 90 minutes. The door's frame, glazing, and hardware must all be tested to meet these standards. BS EN 1634-1 is a European standard that applies to fire resistance and smoke control doors. This standard is crucial in ensuring that fire doors in London comply with internationally recognized fire safety measures. It outlines how fire doors should be tested to ensure their resistance to fire and smoke and their effectiveness in preventing the spread of flames. In addition to the fire resistance requirements, the standard also addresses the door's ability to contain smoke. Smoke can be just as dangerous as fire, and a properly tested fire door must prevent the passage of smoke into escape routes. One of the key elements in fire door compliance is certification. Fire doors must be clearly marked with appropriate labels and certification stamps that indicate their fire resistance rating. These markings often include details such as the manufacturer, the door's fire rating, and its certification number. This ensures that property owners, managers, and inspectors can quickly verify whether a fire door meets the required standards. It's essential to ensure that only certified fire doors are installed in your property. A non-compliant fire door can undermine the safety of the entire building and may be in violation of local regulations. Installing fire doors is only one part of the equation; proper maintenance and regular inspections are equally important. Over time, wear and tear can affect the door's ability to function correctly. A fire door that is improperly maintained or damaged may not provide the necessary protection in the event of a fire. Fire doors must be inspected regularly to ensure they remain in good condition. This includes checking the door's frame, seals, hinges, and locks. Ensuring the door closes properly and is free from obstructions is crucial for its functionality. If any part of the door is damaged, it should be repaired or replaced immediately. Maintenance for fire doors typically involves checking and testing various components, including the fire seals. Fire seals are designed to expand when exposed to heat, preventing smoke and flames from passing through the gaps around the door. If these seals are damaged or missing, the door's fire resistance could be compromised. Proper maintenance is not just about physical repairs; it also includes keeping fire doors free from unnecessary obstruction. Fire doors should not be propped open, as this can render them ineffective. In addition, doors should never be painted over in a way that could affect their fire-resistant properties. For landlords and employers in London, ensuring fire doors meet the required regulations is not just a legal obligation but also a moral responsibility. Failure to comply with fire door regulations can result in serious legal and financial consequences. In the event of a fire, property owners may be held liable for damages or injuries if their fire doors do not meet safety standards. Landlords are required to ensure that fire doors are installed and maintained in common areas of residential buildings, particularly those with multiple dwellings. Employers must also make sure that fire doors in commercial and industrial buildings are properly maintained and accessible for emergency evacuations. Fire doors are an essential component of building safety, helping to protect lives and property in the event of a fire. In London, strict regulations and standards govern the installation, maintenance, and inspection of fire doors to ensure they provide effective protection. Whether you are a property owner, landlord, or employer, understanding the legal requirements and ensuring your fire doors comply with the necessary standards is crucial for safety and peace of mind. Regular inspections, maintenance, and adherence to certification requirements are all part of ensuring that fire doors continue to offer the highest level of protection when it matters most, If you want to stay updated with posts like this, please follow us on Time Business News. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Nearly Half of Young People Wish the Internet Had Never Been Invented
It's a common refrain these days that some specific invention was a mistake, in our age of seemingly every human innovation blowing up catastrophically in our faces. And what better subject of our collective remorse than the advent of the entire internet, the glorious information superhighway now turned AI slop trough? According to a new survey conducted in the UK, this appears to be the sentiment held by nearly half of young people — at least across the pond — who are mourning missing out on the diverging timeline where they aren't chronically online and wracked with brain rot. Of the nearly 1,300 total participants between the ages of 16 to 21 years old, 68 percent said they feel worse after spending time on social media. A full 50 percent said they would support a "social media curfew" cutting off how long they could spend on these apps. And astonishingly, another 47 percent outright felt that they would prefer to be living their youth in a world without the internet at all. The survey, conducted by the British Standards Institution, raises tough questions about how the internet affects teenage and young adult mental health, and what should be done to intervene — without being too controlling or draconian. "That nearly half of young people would prefer to grow up without the internet should be a wake-up call for all of us," Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of Smart Phone Free Childhood, said in a statement. "We've built a world where it's normal for children to spend hours each day in digital spaces designed to keep them hooked." The problems may start practically when the young generations are just out of the womb. Studies have shown excessive iPad use in young children, for example, to be linked with emotional and social issues as they get older. Their online experience becomes especially fraught when they're teenagers, a point when they're exploring more of the web and begin to venture into adult spaces. This comes with excitement for youngsters, but plenty of danger, too, from being targeted by predators in video games to algorithms that draw them down an extremist pipeline. The rise of AI has added a whole new dimension of ethical nightmares. On Futurism, we extensively covered the chatbot platform whose putatively kid-friendly chatbots have attempted to groom underaged users. One 14 year-old-boy even developed an unhealthy with a chatbot before dying by suicide, resulting in an ongoing lawsuit against the company. According to the recent survey, two-thirds of the participants said they spend more than two hours on social media every day. Among them, young women reported facing more harassment, at 37 percent, than young men, at 28 percent. Merely using social media may itself be a source of misery: a recent study which followed 12,000 preteens as they grew up to become teenagers over the course of three years, found that as their social media usage went up, so did their depression symptoms. "Young people are now asking for boundaries — for curfews, age checks, meaningful limits, and real protection," argued Greenwell. "They are ready for change." But it won't be that simple. "We need to make clear that a digital curfew alone is not going to protect children from the risks they face online," Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, told The Guardian. "They will be able to see all these risks at other points of the day and they will still have the same impact." More on: US Surgeon General Warns Against 13-Year-Old Using Social Media
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Do young people like the internet? New UK study has the answer
We're in the era of the digital boom. From sun-up to sun-down, our lives are documented on social media, AIs have become our best friend, and the number of likes, comments, shares, and subscribers has become the marker of our happiness and success. It won't be an exaggeration to say, 'Our life is nothing but the internet's field day!' Despite all the mental health hiccups, self-esteem struggles – a large part of the young and young-adult population stay hooked to the internet, at the cost of their own emotional sanity. But do they really want to? A recent UK research has shed some light on that million-dollar question. What does the study say? According to a new survey, half of 16- to 21-year-olds support 'digital curfew' and nearly 70% feel worse after using social media. Almost half of young people would prefer to live in a world without the internet. The research shows that nearly 70% of 16- to 21-year-olds feel worse about themselves after using social media. Half (50%) support a 'digital curfew' that would limit access to certain apps and websites after 10 PM, while 46% would rather be young in a world without the internet altogether. The study, conducted by the British Standards Institution, surveyed 1,293 young people and found that 27% have shared their location online with strangers. Three-quarters of respondents said they spent more time online during the pandemic, and 68% felt that their online time hurt their mental health. A quarter of those surveyed spend four or more hours a day on social media. Additionally, 42% admitted to lying to their parents about their online activities. While online, 42% have lied about their age, 40% have created fake or 'burner' accounts, and 27% have pretended to be someone else. The reception of the research: These results of the study come after Technology Secretary (UK) Peter Kyle suggested that the government might make cut-off times mandatory for apps like TikTok and Instagram. Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the NSPCC, remarked that while digital curfews can help, they cannot protect children from harmful content unless other measures are also taken. She emphasized that children can still see risks online at other times of the day. Govender also stressed that companies and the government need to focus on creating safer and less addictive sites for kids. Excessive internet use can lead to a range of negative effects, impacting physical and mental health, social relationships, and academic or work performance. These effects can range from short-term, like neglecting responsibilities, to long-term, like physical ailments and mental health issues. Andy Burrows, the chief executive of the suicide prevention charity the Molly Rose Foundation, stated that young people recognize the risks online and want action from tech companies to protect them. He noted that algorithms can lead young people to harmful and distressing content quickly. He called for new laws to ensure that regulation prioritizes the safety needs of children and society over the interests of big tech. Early intervention extends lives of type 1 Diabetics
