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For U.S. teens who use TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, one of the apps stands out as more of a distraction than the others, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.

More than a quarter of teens shared that they spend too much time on TikTok, while more than a third said the app negatively affects their sleep. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said TikTok hurts their productivity. Smaller shares of teens reported similar feelings about Instagram and Snapchat.

Still, eight in 10 teens said they turned to TikTok specifically for entertainment. While respondents also considered Instagram and Snapchat reliably entertaining, teens were more likely to use those apps to keep up with friends and family, compared to TikTok.

SEE ALSO: Study: Teen girls are using AI to create sexual imagery

Despite acknowledging TikTok's negative impact on their sleep and productivity, 71 percent of teens said the app neither hurt or helped their mental health. Three-quarters of teens said the same of Instagram and Snapchat. Nineteen percent of respondents shared that TikTok actually improved their mental health.

In general, about seven in 10 teens said their experiences on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are mostly positive. Only three percent reported largely negative experiences. The remaining teens characterize their engagement on the platforms as a mix of both good and bad.

The findings are based on Pew Research Center's survey of 1,458 U.S. teens and their parents last fall.

Critics have argued that social media companies are facing a "Big Tobacco moment" following a landmark court case against Meta and YouTube, which alleged that both platforms were negligently designed in ways that harmed a young user's mental health. TikTok and Snapchat settled with the plaintiff prior to the jury trial. A separate trial against Meta found the company liable for misleading consumers about child safety.

The Pew Research Center survey, which was conducted well before the trials ended, suggests that teens may feel less negative about TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat than expected.

Regardless, a quarter of parents surveyed by Pew Research Center said that social media hurt their teen's mental health while only eight percent of the teens said the same. Parents were also more likely to say their teen spent too much time on social media.

When it came to TikTok, only 28 percent of teens characterized their use in this way, but that figure increased to 44 percent when parents answered the same question.

The self-proclaimed "HBO of social media" is here.

Vylit, the web-based app from ex-OnlyFans CEO Amrapali (Ami) Gan, is publicly launching today following beta testing last year. While Vylit doesn't allow explicit content like OnlyFans, it does allow topless photos, like a version of Instagram that allows softcore. The app is built for both creators and fans, its founders told Mashable, with multiple ways for the former to monetize content (such as subscriptions or tiers like "premium" and "VIP"), and different ways the latter can access creators, like through chats.

SEE ALSO: What is OnlyFans?

"I spent years watching creators build audiences on one platform and monetize on another. That fragmentation doesn't work. Vylit brings both together," Gan said in a press release shared with Mashable. Gan was the CEO of OnlyFans between Dec. 2021 and July 2023.

Scrolling Vylit does feel a bit like scrolling Instagram, with a twist. In an interview with Mashable, Gan and her cofounder, Kailey Magder (also COO), said that they didn't want to change what users are used to, such as left-hand navigation, but they wanted to give the app a unique Vylit feel. There's a photo-based feed complete with "Glimpses," or its version of Stories, at the top, but Vylit also has distinct features neither Instagram nor OnlyFans has.

"We created Vylit because we were frustrated with how social media works today," said Magder in the press release.

One element that Magder and Gan were frustrated with on other platforms is search and discovery. Famously, OnlyFans has basically no search function, and creators need to market themselves on other platforms. But Gan and Madger want fans and creators to find each other easily on Vylit, so you can search by aesthetics you're into or shared interests with "Vybe Match."

"Platforms are cluttered with ads, political content, and algorithm-driven noise. We wanted to build something that focuses on people, content, and real communities — not engagement at all costs," Magder continued.

There are also AI elements (of course, it being 2026 and all). Creators can generate "AI twins" of themselves, and fans can chat with an AI version of creators. AI chats can be trained on someone's unique personality traits, and they can range from friendly to flirty to "frisky." AI images, meanwhile, can be made topless, but no further nudity.

Credit: Vylit Credit: Vylit

For the sake of transparency, a sparkle-like icon is placed on all AI-generated images. Chats between a real-life creator and their AI persona are explicitly distinguished, too.

As Vylit allows for topless photos, it's an adults-only platform. All users, creators or otherwise, need to be verified. When Mashable tried out Vylit ahead of launch, this was done through the third-party service Verifymy with an email address. The Vylit launch comes at a time of increasing age-verification laws, which require age checks beyond clicking "yes or no." When Mashable interviewed Gan in Nov. 2025, she said, "To us, the future of social media is very much 18 and over."

Vylit won't be on the App Store, as it takes 30 percent of earnings, the founders told Mashable. But you can sign up for Vylit on its website, and use the web-based app on either your phone or desktop.

TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League showcased some thrilling quarter-final first legs last week, but Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid was probably the best of the bunch. Bayern hold a 2-1 advantage coming into the second leg in Munich, but nothing is decided in this battle to advance to the next round.

Expect big performances from star names like Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Kylian Mbappé. It's going to be a really spectacle at the Allianz Arena, so clear your schedule this evening.

If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid?

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on April 15. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $9.01: As of April 15, the Apple MacBook Neo base model is on sale for $589.99 at Amazon. While that may not be a huge discount from its $599 list price, it's the best price we've seen since its March launch.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $589.99 at Amazon
$599 Save $9.01   Get Deal

Apple's new budget laptop, which just launched last month, is already selling in droves. It's hard to pass up a MacBook that only costs $599, after all. If you haven't already secured one for yourself, you can now pick one up for even less.

It ain't much, but at just $589.99 at Amazon, the Apple MacBook Neo base model (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is officially down to its best price ever. We saw the budget-friendly MacBook drop to $595 during the Big Spring Sale, but this is the first time it's broken through the $590 threshold.

Mashable's tech editor tested the MacBook Neo and loved it. "If I were a Windows laptop that cost under $1,000, I'd be shaking in my boots," he writes. It's not meant to be a hefty work laptop for professionals. Instead, it's designed for everyday tasks like streaming and web browsing — and for those tasks, it performs seamlessly (just as fast as an M4 MacBook Air). It has the same premium aluminum build as any other MacBook, but runs on an iPhone chip: the A18 Pro (same as the iPhone 16 Pro).

Other specs include a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 60Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 6, 8GB of RAM, two USB-C ports, a MagSage charging port, and a headphone jack. And for those concerned about the 8GB of RAM, Mashable's reviewer notes that "it performed surprisingly well." For students or those looking for a second laptop for non-work, the Neo is hard to beat.

Smart thermostats are a great way to save money. They give you control over your heating, allowing you to change the target temperature based on the time of day or turn off the heating when you're away from home. While my smart thermostat was saving me money, I was still using more energy than I needed to.

Do you spend most of your time in the terminal? Are you always on the lookout to improve your terminal-fu? If you're like me, you love learning new ways to solve problems, because they introduce concepts you never imagined before. I have five one-liner terminal commands that solve common issues, and perhaps they'll introduce new concepts to you, too.

SAVE $165: The Shure MoveMic Two Kit is on sale at Amazon for $384, down from the normal price of $549. That's a 30% discount and a record-low price at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shure Shure MoveMic Two Kit $384 at Amazon
$549 Save $165   Get Deal

By now you've heard (and seen) the buzz around the DJI Mic Mini, which took over every social media feed last summer. But content creators have many other options when it comes to wireless mics. If you're interested in a premium model that removes the need to use a receiver, there's a great deal at Amazon today.

As of April 15, the Shure MoveMic Two Kit is on sale at Amazon for $384, marked down from the normal price of $549. That's a 30% discount that shaves $165 off the price. It's also the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

The Shure MoveMic Two Kit is designed to be used with anything you'd possibly be recording with like an iPhone, Android device, or a DSLR. Each Shure kit includes a protective carrying case, two MoveMic wireless lavalier microphones, a charging case, and one MoveMic receiver. However, if you'd rather record directly to your phone, you can skip using the receiver with the Shure Motiv app pairing.

SEE ALSO: The DJI Power 2000 is on sale at Amazon for over $500 off — one of the best portable power stations for creators

Shure designed the MoveMic Two Kit to be user-friendly with long battery life, an IXP4 rating that resists rain, and a 100-foot sight range for recording. Each mic weighs just 8.2 grams and gets eight hours of battery life. The included charging case holds an additional two charging cycles for a total of 24 hours of operation before you'll need to recharge.

Since this is the lowest price we've ever seen, upgrade your content creation sessions with the Shure MoveMic Two Kit. It's 30% off at Amazon which brings the price down to $384, but since this is listed as a limited-time deal, it might be smart to act quickly.

Amazon is renewing its push into your living room by releasing two affordable smart home devices, including its answer to Samsung's popular The Frame TV.

Today, the President of the European Commission (the executive body of the European Union), Ursula von der Leyen, announced an EU age-verification app.

Users download the app, which works on any device including phones and computers, input their passport or ID card, and can prove their age when accessing online services, von der Leyen said in a live statement, the transcript of which is available on the EC's website. She said it's "completely anonymous" and users can't be tracked. Apparently, only one's age credential will be stored.

Von der Leyen compared the creation of this app to that of the COVID app once vaccines became available. Users could scan their vaccine cards if they needed proof of vaccination to travel. "Seventy-eight countries across four continents were using this app, so it was a huge success. And now we have taken this success and applied it to the age verification app," she said. "It follows the same principles, the same model."

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Various countries are already planning to integrate the age-verification app into their digital wallets, including France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland, von der Leyen said. Online platforms can also use the app or look at its code, as it's open source.

Von der Leyen said she's listened to concerns from both parents and member states of the EU, which is why she hosted the first meeting of a special panel on children's online safety a month ago. The second meeting will be tomorrow.

In recent years, countries across the Western world have enacted age verification laws with an outward objective to keep minors off of pornographic sites or viewing material deemed "restricted to adults" or "harmful to minors." Around half of the United States has these laws, while various EU states like France and Italy have established them as well. The UK also has age-verification with the Online Safety Act.

Two preliminary studies, however, have shown that age verification doesn't work for this purpose, as people (including minors) can use VPNs to pretend to be in a jurisdiction without these laws, or they can go to non-compliant sites. It remains to be seen how this new app in the EU will handle these cases, however.

Last week, Mashable reported that age-verification laws are hurting sex educators and sex workers, either by impacting their work or resulting in lower income.

If you've been ignoring the Copilot icon on your task bar, you're actually closer to Microsoft's own disclaimers than its marketing. From unreliable Excel functions to terms of service that claim the AI is for "entertainment," it's time to see the truth: Copilot is a distraction you don't need.

The Trump Mobile T1 smartphone is the gift that keeps on giving, at least in terms of consistently generating headlines without actually releasing a product.

As spotted by The Verge (which has been consistently on top of this), Trump Mobile overhauled its website this week, refreshing it with new photos that look completely different from the device teased last year. The website now reflects the phone redesign that Trump Mobile executives showed to publisher back in February, which still includes a signature Trump gold finish, like the company always promised it would.

SEE ALSO: 'The Daily Show' calls BS on Trump's AI Jesus post being a 'joke'

Of course, there is still no listed release date, despite the Trump Mobile T1 being promised for a 2025 release when it was first announced a year ago by the U.S. president's sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and then delayed multiple times. A recent FCC listing indicates the device does actually exist in some form, but we have no idea when customers will actually have one in their hands.

There it is, allegedly. Credit: Trump Mobile

The new website, where the phones are available for preorder, also includes some updated specs. The device is purported to have a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a triple lens rear camera array that includes both 50MP wide and telephoto lenses, and a vague promise of a non-specific Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 chip. Some of these specs are very different from previous iterations of the phone; at one point, it was listed with a 6.25-inch display, but that has ballooned for no apparent reason in the past year.

As for the Trump Mobile T1's price, there's a time-limited promotional window where it costs $499 with a $100 pre-order deposit, but we don't know how much it will cost after that window closes. This device was also originally marketed as being "made in America," but that seems to no longer be the case.

You can do whatever you want with your money, but it might be prudent to wait a bit before plopping down $100 on this thing.

Your NAS is, a lot of the time, the kind of device that you normally keep out of sight as you only hook up to it over a network. Whatever you do, though, don't think the perfect "out of sight" place is a closet. Let me explain.

Since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, Obsession has been gathering buzz from critics and horror fans who fell hard for the movie's gnarly vision of bad romance. Now, ahead of this freaky thriller's theatrical release, you can get your hands on the menacing MacGuffin at its center: the One Wish Willow.

Written and directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, Obsession centers on Bear (Michael Johnson), a shy and shiftless young man who's crushing hard on the dynamic and beautiful Nikki (Inde Navarrette). But she only seems interested in him as a friend. That is until Bear uses a One Wish Willow, wishing for her to love him "more than anyone in the entire world." Like the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

SEE ALSO: 'Obsession' trailer: Be careful what you wish for

You can get in on the twisted fun of the One Wish Willow, as Focus has debuted a commercial for the curious product, promising it will make your wish come true. But hey, listen closely to that disclaimer section. And if you need any help, the One Wish Willow website offers a FAQ and a helpline: 1-323-747-7118

However, having called the number, I'm not sure how helpful you'll really find it.

Obsession opens only in theater May 15.

SAVE $227.95: As of April 15, get the Sennheiser HD 600 wired headphones for $272 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $499.95. That's a discount of 46%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Sennheiser HD 600 wired headphones $272 at Amazon
$499.95 Save $227.95   Get Deal

Looking for a new pair of headphones? If you've tried the usual suspects, it might be time to go for a different company. May we suggest Sennheiser? One of the gurus of headphones and audio, the company has a pair of excellent wired headphones on offer right now at Amazon that can save you some significant cash if you're ready to make the move.

As of April 15, get the Sennheiser HD 600 wired headphones for $272 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $499.95. That's $227.95 off and a discount of 46%.

SEE ALSO: We tested the 9 best headphones and earbuds for working out

These audiophile-grade headphones were made for serious listeners, with an open-back design that has plush ear pads to make wearing them as comfortable as possible. They also feature neodymium ferrous magnets to bring you better audio and completely immerse you in the music.

Their metal mesh earpiece covers let air in to keep your ears from overheating, plus they come with a detachable Kevlar-reinforced cable to keep you from running into the same issue so many wired options fall victim to: one side of the headphones malfunctioning or breaking in and out.

Whether you're listening to your favorite album or joining a work call, these headphones offer comfort, style, and excellent audio for a low price today thanks to this Amazon discount. If you've tried all the other big, familiar brands, it might be time to take the plunge and see what else you've been missing in the wired headphone space.

SAVE $700: As of April 15, the LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV is on sale for just $799.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's over 46% off the original list price of $1,499.99 and its lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV $799.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $700   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV $799.99 at Best Buy
$1,499.99 Save $700   Get Deal

If a new TV is on your wist list and you want an upgrade that makes a noticeable difference, an OLED model is your best bet. And when it comes to OLED TVs, LG is our favorite brand. The entry-level LG B5 model is a good place to start — especially since it's on sale for nearly half off.

As of April 15, you can get the LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV for only $799.99 instead of $1,499.99 at either Amazon or Best Buy. Not only is that 46% in savings, but also its best price ever, which is reached just once before.

Whether you're upgrading to watch sports, new theatrical releases, or just the latest season of Euphoria or Malcolm in the Middle, you'll be impressed by the difference an OLED TV makes. OLEDs have the most advanced lighting system and are noticeably more vibrant and detailed than QLEDs, particularly while watching dim scenes or in dark rooms. The B5 model also features Dolby Vision, HDR10 Pro, Dolby Atmos, Filmmaker Mode, 120Hz gaming support, and NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility. There's also plenty of AI features if you're into that, like Concierge for content recommendations and the Personalized Picture and Sound Wizard to customize your viewing experience.

The B5 is LG's cheapest OLED from 2025, offering the best picture quality for the best price. And now that it's nearly half off its list price, it practically falls into budget TV territory.

When it comes to devices like eReaders, there's little reason to buy a new one unless your current model is broken beyond repair. It's a digital book. All it has to do is allow you to read comfortably. Not even battery degradation can bring these devices down, because they're light on power demand and easy to replace.

Sometimes on Linux you need a working instance of Windows just to do a quick task that can only be done in Microsoft's operating system. If you want to make that process as speedy as possible, check out Quickemu.

In theory, it sounds like it should be easy to get away from Google. There are alternative phones, different email services, a dozen cloud photo apps, and more video sites than I can count. Despite the variety of options, I still can't completely get away from Google no matter how hard I try. These are the services that keep pulling me back.

For a very long time, GIMP was the answer. If you wanted a free image editor, and you cared at all about open-source software, that was the app people pointed you toward. It was powerful, flexible, and established enough that it always seemed like the obvious choice.

SAVE $550: The DJI Power 2000 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $749, down from the usual price of $1,299. That's a 42% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Power 2000 $749 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $550   Get Deal

Portable power stations are everywhere these days. Your friends are using them for camping, the neighbors have one to run a backyard projector for movie nights, and your parents have one to keep the refrigerator running during a power outage. But there are a few models that cater specifically to content creators, and one of them is on a major discount today.

As of April 15, the DJI Power 2000 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $749, marked down from the usual price of $1,299. That's a 42% discount that takes a major $550 off the price.

DJI knows how to keep content creators happy. From the viral Mic Mini to the user-friendly Osmo Pocket 3, the brand is a go-to for creators. These days, DJI has several portable power stations to keep creators charged up while working. The largest of them is the DJI Power 2000, which offers 2,048Wh of capacity from a long-lasting LFP battery.

SEE ALSO: The Anker Solix F3800 Plus portable power station is over $400 off at Amazon

Like other portable power stations, the DJI has a collection of standard AC ports, USB-C, and USB-A options. But unlike other power stations, the DJI Power 2000 includes two SDC ports which have the ability to quick-charge DJI drone batteries. Two of the USB-C ports are capable of 140W output which will be ideal for recharging laptops.

Another benefit for creators is the quiet operation of the Power 2000. That'll be ideal if recording content in the same room as the Power 2000. There's also the 10 millisecond UPS switch time that'll keep devices running seamlessly during a power cut. Plus, the DJI power station can recharge to 80% in just 50 minutes with standard wall charging.

While it's sitting at a 42% discount, upgrade your content creation setup with the DJI Power 2000. It's great for content creators, camping, using during power outages, and for backyard movie nights this summer.