The Unlikely Buddha

The deleterious effects on TikTok it's viewers. TikTok's algorithm has been criticized for potentially exposing viewers, especially young people, to harmful content that can negatively impact their mental health and well-being. Here are some key points: Promotion of Disturbing Content TikTok's personalized "For You" feed can inadvertently promote disturbing content related to self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, and other mental health issues to vulnerable users. The algorithm tends to serve more of the same type of content that a user engages with, potentially creating a harmful feedback loop. Normalization of Mental Health Struggles While TikTok allows users to share personal experiences, there are concerns that the platform may normalize or even glamorize mental health struggles, trauma, and harmful coping mechanisms like self-injury. This could lead to a distorted perception of these issues among impressionable viewers. Addictive Nature and Shortened At...

Serbia, a nation of 6.7 million in the heart of the Balkans, stands at a pivotal moment in its post-Yugoslav history. With a diverse population-predominantly Orthodox Serbs, but also significant Hungarian, Bosniak, Roma, and Albanian minorities-the country has long balanced East and West, tradition and modernity. Today, however, Serbia is defined by political turbulence, mass protest, and an increasingly authoritarian government. Aleksandar Vučić: From Populist to Strongman Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia’s president, has dominated the country’s political landscape for over a decade. His Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) controls parliament, the media, and key state institutions. Once seen as a pragmatic reformer, Vučić has consolidated power through a blend of populism, patronage, and centralized authority. He presents himself as the sole guarantor of stability, but critics accuse him of eroding democratic norms, suppressing dissent, and using state resources to entrench hi...