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Research has shown that there is no evidence that surfing the web for 30 hours per week, which is considered normal use, harms the developing brains of teenagers.

However, this does not mean that there is no negative impact, said University College London PhD student Kathryn Mills, who analysed 134 previous studies focusing on occasional usage.

“Finding lack of evidence is different to finding evidence of no effect,” she explained.

Although it is still inconclusive, the study results should offer some peace of mind for parents with children who use the internet moderately, said Mills.

Occasional internet use could even help teenagers acquire new skills needed in the modern age, she added.

However, 2011 research by Chinese radiologists and neuroscientists showed that heavy internet usage, or surfing the web at least eight hours per day, damages the grey matter in the brains of teenagers.

The researchers warned that this could diminish their memory, concentration and decision-making skills. It could even lower their inhibitions, resulting in inappropriate behaviour.

Neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield also cautioned that computer use and social media sites could reduce the attention span of children.

In addition, adolescents who are addicted to the internet could suffer from brain damage that is normally observed in drug users, claimed a 2012 study.

Using MRI scans to compare the brains of frequent users and occasional users, this study discovered deterioration in the white matter of those who are addicted to online games.

More financial advisers are now starting to realise the value of social media, revealed a new study by American Century Investments.

In 2010, more than one fifth of financial advisers considered social media to be a fad with little long-term value. Now only 13 per cent of them see social media as a fad, with 61 per cent ranking its overall value to their business as medium or high.

Moreover, 56 per cent believe that social media has significant business potential, which is a marked improvement from 2010’s 44 per cent. The study also showed that the number of financial advisers who believe they are utilising social media to their advantage has increased from 11 per cent in 2010 to 30 per cent.

“If leveraged correctly, social media has proven to produce tangible business results, yet only 7 per cent of advisers surveyed chose business building and promotion as their top use of social media,” noted Jamie Needham, American Century’s digital marketing strategist.

The top reason for using social media cited by those surveyed was to gain insight and read expert commentary. Other uses of social media included monitoring and sharing industry news, researching clients, brand building and business promotion.

Meanwhile, regulatory and compliance issues emerged as the main concerns holding financial advisers back from engaging in social media. Other concerns cited included the potential for breach of privacy and company restrictions on the use of social media.

As the number of people fired as a result of social media posts increases, the question of whether employers should look into their employees’ social media posts has become an increasingly important one.

A 2013 survey by CareerBuilder showed that 39 per cent of employers checked candidates on social media sites, while 43 per cent indicated that they discovered something that led to their decision to nix a candidate, such as bad-mouthing a previous employer or posting inappropriate information or photos.

On the other hand, 19 per cent said they came across information that contributed to the hiring of the candidate, such as a professional image and good communication skills.

Some advocates believe that employers should be exerting more effort in monitoring social media, keeping an eye on the employees’ updates and tweets.

Worker advocates and privacy proponents argue that the majority of people’s posts are not work related, so they should not be monitored unless there is a strong reason to suspect wrongdoing.

According to Nancy Flynn, ePolicy Institute’s founder and executive director, monitoring employees on social media helps companies protect themselves from serious problems.

She believes that strict monitoring enables employers to immediately identify potential problems, get the information offline as soon as possible, and discipline the involved employee.

Meanwhile, National Workrights Institute president Lewis Maltby said the practice is unnecessary and counterproductive.

While he acknowledges the legal right of employers to monitor the conduct of their employees on their work computers, this should only occur when there is a good reason to believe that the employee is involved in illegal conduct.

He noted that when HR professionals reject a top candidate because of that person’s social media posts, the employer also loses.

In a surprise blow to Google, Europe’s top court declared that links to incorrect and irrelevant information about a particular person must be deleted by search engines.

“An Internet search engine operator is responsible for the processing that it carries out of personal data which appear on web pages published by third parties,” said the European Court of Justice.

Therefore, Google and other search companies such as Yahoo and Bing have to remove the links to these sites if there is a valid court order.

A Google spokesperson told CNN that it was disappointed with the legal outcome. The company previously argued that the websites posting the information should have the responsibility to erase such data.

“If we start to make intermediaries responsible for the actions or the content of other people, you’re establishing a model that leads to greater surveillance and a risk of censorship,” said Big Brother Watch.

The ruling stems from a 2010 complaint by Spaniard Mario Costeja Gonzalez, who was irked by a Google search result that led to a 1998 newspaper notice about his unpaid debt to the Spanish government.

Gonzalez pointed out that he has already repaid it, but it is still showing up in the search engine, infringing on his data protection rights. The court sided with him and will no longer accept any appeals.

While the ruling has been welcomed by privacy advocates, other organisations fear that it could be used to censor free speech or cover up illegal activities.

You will have worked very hard and created your business plan and you will also have gone through all the necessary steps to get everything to the point of starting trading. Now it is time to generate some cash flow, attract some customers and clients, and create a business administration system that will work for you and your employees. You will also be looking for ways to make the business more attractive to potential clients. One way of going about running a modern business and achieving those goals is to take advantage of the business apps that are now available. If you are unsure of what to do or where to start in respect of business apps Worry Free Labs can be of assistance and will guide you in the right direction.

New apps are continually being developed and they have become much more powerful and versatile than ever before. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners now rely upon these tools on a daily basis. These useful software tools can also help a business to grow. The apps can be placed on your smartphone for when you are out of the office on business and cannot get to your tablet or iPad to utilize the apps. Ready-made apps enable entrepreneurs and business owners to access and streamline business information without having any knowledge of computer language. There are apps for many types of business processes already created and some favorites include those that can be used within the particular existing system of the owner. For example, iPad users will need to use iPad related apps. Some apps are only designed for iPad or Apple products. Consider this as the apps are shopped for and reviewed.

A definite must-have to installing and using an app effectively is to have full control of the interface. The app must be able to easily connect to the devices you have and be easily accessible. Also, the app must allow all applicable users to be able to access it. If only one person can gain access to the information at one time, then this is not effective. The creation of additional profiles for users may be necessary in this case.

Google Drive is a great app that allows users to edit files between the PC and the tablet and to the phone. This full-featured software is in the cloud and is fully cloud driven. You will no longer have to store items on your computer. No more worries about your device failing and taking with it all of your important information and documents. Google apps are a top choice for small businesses on the go and on the road to expansion. With the Google Drive 5GB of storage is free, which is extremely budget friendly to a business that is just getting started.

ePrint is another app that can help with all of the paperwork. Scanning and printing are still sometimes necessary in the digital world. Documents have to be signed on paper instead of in the cloud or esigned. This app replaces having to go to the local printing shop and taking the time to drive there, then standing at the machine. It can even replace having to buy a machine to do the work.

Signing a document does not have to mean printing the sheet. The new digital method is to esign the document. There are a lot of these apps to choose from. Some are free and others not. Some will create a cursive-type of signature for you based on what you type. Other services will allow you to upload a copy of your own signature and that is what can simply be pulled up in order to apply it to a document. What a convenient app to have when on the go and then remembering that the document is not in the folder on the desk or that the computer shut down and is not available to find it again at the moment. Some apps can save the life of a valuable business relationship.

Apps are the new way of getting organized – every business should be on the app bandwagon to ensure the necessary everyday jobs are made easier.

Students and parents are using social media to abuse teachers, according to a new survey that polled 7,500 teachers.

Conducted by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), the survey showed that over 21 per cent of the respondents had negative comments posted about them online.

The comments are usually in the form of highly offensive and abusive language, which is coupled with remarks about the competence, appearance and sexuality of the teachers, said NASUWT.

Some students use Twitter to post cruel comments. In one case, a student used Facebook to announce his desire to kill his teacher while inviting other students to join him.

Although the majority (61 per cent) of the comments were made by students aged 14 to 16, there were two recorded comments that came from students as young as four to seven years old.

Around 47 per cent of the comments posted by students include insulting words or phrases, 26 per cent contain pictures or videos that were taken without their consent and 50 per cent include remarks about their performance.

63 per cent of the comments made by parents criticise their performance, 57 per cent contain insults, seven per cent include pictures or videos taken without their consent and another seven per cent involve threatening behaviour.

Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, noted that teachers are “often devastated by the vile nature of the abuse they are suffering” and are traumatised by the attacks.

In fact, some have lost their confidence to teach while others have suffered health problems.