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Whether its political leaders like Donald Trump expressing concern about immigration, or individuals forced to leave their homes due to conflict, the movement of people across bordersand where they end upis a highly debated global issue. Its also an area plagued by a lack of high-quality data. But a new solution may be on the horizon, offering near-real-time data sourced from Facebook. Researchers from Meta, the parent company of the social media platform, used anonymized data from more than 3 billion Facebook users to track and estimate global migration patterns. Their study, published in Cornell Universitys preprint server arXiv, monitors changes in users predicted home locations, covering 181 countries with monthly data from January 2019 to December 2022. It identifies genuine moves to another countrydefined as living abroad for 12 months or more, according to United Nations standardsby analyzing location signals such as IP addresses, self-reported hometowns, and activity patterns. In 2022, the system estimated that 39.1 million people migrated to a new country, representing about 0.63% of the studys population. The United States recorded the largest net inflow of migrantsnearly 3.3 million peoplewhile Ukraine saw the greatest outflow, with 2.34 million leaving after Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. The data revealed the rapid and vast scale of such movements: Migration from Ukraine increased tenfold after the war began, according to Facebook data. Traditional destination countries like the U.S., UAE, and Saudi Arabia led the inflow rankings, while India, Ukraine, and Pakistan topped the outflow list. But Ukraine wasnt the only example of migration following major events. After Myanmars 2021 military coup, the model tracked a fivefold increase in migration to Singapore. Likewise, emigration from Hong Kong to the U.K. surged fifteenfold after the 2020 passage of a controversial national security law critics saw as ushering in a Chinese-style surveillance state. To account for potential biases in the dataset, researchers implemented a correction. A single worldwide offset, which is calculated based on administrative migration data from New Zealand, is added to control the degree to which the bias of migrants on Facebook varies with GDP/capita, Guanghua Chi, a research scientist at Meta, writes in an email to Fast Company. This method allows us to account for the fact that in poorer countries, wealthier individuals are more likely to both use Facebook and also more likely to migrate. The results closely aligned with established migration datasets, but were produced much more quickly. We benchmarked our estimates against administrative datasets drawn from statistical offices of different countries and found a very high level of accuracy, Chi writes. For example, the correlation between our estimates and those produced by the New Zealand Statistical Office is 0.98. Chi hopes this level of accuracy will make the data a tool for future policymaking. We find that our estimates are aligned with administrative figures where they are available, he writes. In the [three in four] countries where these estimates are not available, we hope that these estimates can inform evidence-based policies and programs that benefit diverse communities and the governments that support them.
Category:
E-Commerce
Its no secret that internships offer a higher chance of landing a full-time job. However, they can be hard to nail down. Landing a full-time graduate job has become increasingly competitive, especially in an era where AI is prevalent. Researchers such as Sarah Bana talk about how companies will use AI to perform tasks like research and information gathering, basic content creation, and administrative tasks that were usually given to entry-level employees. In one study, 69% of hiring managers believed AI could do the work of a recent college graduate. This begs the question: How can you land an internship or a job as a young person just starting in the workplace? And the short answer to this is to build solutions, rather than just apply. Step one: Identify your values, interests, and goals for impact The starting point is the hardest step. Itll take time and patience, and most importantly, a commitment to a path forward. Rather than being open to any internship opportunities, youll probably need to hone in on one. This gives you the time to fully explore it and apply your skills to stand out from the crowd. For instance, if you have a degree in communications, you may want to dig a bit deeper into your values and explore which sector would inspire you. Are you interested health, engineering, education, infrastructure, and environment? Do your research and find one or two companies that inspire you and would be your dream job. This step requires significant commitment. Barry Schwartz, in his influential research on “The Paradox of Choice” found that people fall into two categories: “maximizers” and satisficers. Maximizers exhaustively search for the best possible option, and “satisficers” set standards, meet them, and are content. His studies revealed that college students who were maximizers reported significantly lower satisfaction and higher levels of regret than those who were satisficers when it came to selecting sources. By adopting a satisficer mindset, you’ll conserve your cognitive resources for deeper, more meaningful work. You wont waste them on the psychologically taxing process of constant comparison. Step two: Get to know the company, and help them improve Next, its time to study the company and what they do. Youll want to use the product (if you can), talk to various employees, and study the competitors. You’ll also want talk to the competitors employees, and try to figure out what you could improve and how. GenAI tools will be extremely helpful in this process as you sift through the details. Every company has projects and automation solution needs that they dont have the bandwidth to create. An outsiders perspective can be invaluable to an organization. Dont be afraid of building a technical solution, and build a working prototype. If youre able to get feedback from real users, do that before you present that solution to the company. Ideally, you want to get in front of the person who is leading that effort or someone with decision-making power. Yes, the time commitment to do this will not be trivial. However, your efforts will be focused and highly directional. You won’t be spending hundreds of hours sending a generic application to open positions. You might, however, spend the same amount of time on this project. What you will demonstrate is a few key characteristics, such as initiative, ability to innovate and build, and complex problem-solving skills. If you can build a working prototype and present it clearly to the project or team lead, youre much more likely to land a job. Yes, even one that the company isnt actively hiring for. AI skill sets are incredibly valuable in an AI-driven workplace. And what if you dont get hired? Youll still end up with a portfolio of work that will strengthen your résumé in a way that applying to hundreds of jobs does not. AI is changing the nature of work, how we hire, and how we grow in our careers. The traditional path from entry-level to gradual advancement is slowly becoming obsolete as companies use AI to automate the first-rung tasks. But you can be in control. Just as YouTube washed away the gatekeeping control universities had on knowledge, AI tools now offer you a chance to buck the hiring process. You won’t need to waste hundreds of hours and mental energy submitting to traditional application channels and hiring algorithms. Instead, you can use these powerful tools to research companies deeply, identify their actual problems, and build working solutions that demonstrate your value. And you can do all this before a recruiter sets up an interview. You show what you are truly capable of, which is something that no generic application form would capture. And in the end, this gives you the power to design your own entry point to your dream organization.
Category:
E-Commerce
On the first Saturday of May, millions of Americans tune in to the Kentucky Derby to watch horses and their jockeys compete on the Churchill Downs racetrack in Americas longest-running sporting event. The Derby has been held annually on the same racetrack since 1875; its an event largely built on tradition. Horse racing viewers tend to skew older, but this year, Churchill Downs is looking to modernize the event for new viewers by embracing old traditions while also introducing brand partnerships that appeal to Generation Z. Casey Ramage, Churchill Downs’ vice president of marketing, brand, and partnerships, says the Kentucky Derby is a cultural moment for everyone ages 18 to 80. It really is such a unique opportunity to get to engage with such a wide variety of a fan base, she says. Its our responsibility to stay relevant and always be recruiting that next generation of fans. Gen Z consumes content differently than other generations, Ramage says, so shes focused her marketing team on churning out social media content that can be both entertaining and educational about the sport. She hopes those teens and young adults can start going to the Churchill Downs infield at around ages 18 to 20, to begin their journey of loving the Derby. To attract those Gen Z fans to pay more than $100 to enter the event, the Derby is partnering with influencers. Influencer Alix Earle partnered with the Kentucky Derby last year and will do so again this yearmaking Derby-themed TikToks and handing out an award for the best groomed horse. Other popular online personalities and brands, including Livvy Dunne, Griffin Johnson, and Barstool Sports, have all been tapped to partner with the Derby in attempts to pique Gen Zs interest. And because many members of Gen Z are under the legal drinking age (and nonalcoholic beverages are a bit of a buzzy trend), the Derby is now offering its first official mocktail, aptly named The Pony. This drink is a sweet, ginger beer-based concoction that incorporates blackberries, mint, and lemon. According to Churchill Downss internal data, around 400,000 fans attend each yearthe size of six Super Bowl audiences. Millions more view at home. Last year the event saw 16.7 million TV viewers and was the top broadcasted telecast in the month of May, according to Nielsen. Outside of racing, the Derby is also a hub for culture, fashion, food, and lifestyle, Ramage says. Interest in any of these pillars can lead into interest in the whole event, she adds. To keep the century-old event fresh, Ramage says the marketing team has combined old traditions with new brand and influencer partnerships. The Derby stays loyal to traditions that have spanned generations and long defined the event. The winner of the Derby is awarded a garland of over 400 red rosesa tradition that has lasted since its inception in the 1890s. The mint julep, a bourbon-based cocktail complete with sprigs of fresh mint, has remained the Derbys official drink since the 1930s; Churchill Downs typically serves more than 120,000 of those drinks during Derby week. But the Derby is constantly evolving its event and brand, Ramage says. One of its newest traditions is having a celebrity announce Riders up! before the race to signal that jockeys should mount their horses. Ramage says that this tradition is their version of the Super Bowl coin toss. Traditionally, an event officiator would make that call; but since 2012, a celebrity has taken that honor. Last year, Martha Stewart made the call. This year it will be Simone Biles, whose appeal transcends demographics, according to Ramage. You can turn on the TV to see your favorite celebrity, but then we want you to get curious and interested in attending the event as well, Ramage says.
Category:
E-Commerce
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