There is little reliable data to show that interacting with a post on social media can actually influence a person’s opinion. There is plenty of research, however, that suggests that social media can harden existing beliefs and points of view. This applies to subjects ranging from who to vote for in an election to current conflicts such as in Gaza and Ukraine or even which professional footballer is the true "Goat".
Excessive use of social media can also reduce empathy for others, research suggests. Platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are not effective mediums for changing hearts and minds.
Fiction, in contrast, has been shown to help foster empathy in the reader.
The British magazine The Bookseller this month quoted Mary Mount, publisher at Picador, saying that 2024 is likely to be “one of the richest years for fiction” ever for the UK publishing industry, which is good news for potentially increasing levels of empathy at a time when we acutely feel the deep division and argument bubbling up on social media.
There is a delicious irony at work which is worthy of a book plot. TikTok is changing the face of publishing through "BookTok" – the umbrella term for any content related to books on TikTok – by selling millions more books. It is a vibrant platform for those who love reading fiction.
Some users spoke to The Bookseller recently about their love of books. According to the person behind the @whatbritreads account on TikTok, which has 56,300 followers: “It’s hard for [BookTok] not to be political because the creators are people and life is ultimately political and so are the books we’re reading, even if we’re not consciously aware of it […] Books have always been a very powerful political tool, so of course the communities intertwined with them are going to have strong political beliefs too.”
There is a delicious irony at work – TikTok is changing the face of publishing through 'BookTok'
However, social media is only the tip of the spear of the wider technological changes affecting society. For example, the argument over the application of artificial intelligence has become just as controversial a debate for writers and publishers as it has for other industries and businesses.
The question of whether we should allow its use at all in the creation of books has seemingly been rejected by many writers, agents and editors, according to what is being articulated on X (formerly Twitter). However, Japan’s newest literary sensation has shown it is possible to embrace AI and still ensure the human aspects of creativity remain at the forefront of art.
Rie Kudan, who was awarded the Akutagawa Prize for the best work of fiction by a promising new writer, said part of her novel, The Tokyo Tower of Sympathy, was generated by AI.
“This is a novel written by making full use of a generative AI like ChatGPT, and probably about 5 per cent of the whole text is written directly from the generative AI,” Kudan said, according to The Japan Times.
“I would like to work well with them to express my creativity.”
She said that in her personal life, she consults with ChatGPT about problems she feels she cannot discuss with others.
“When the AI did not say what I expected, I sometimes reflected my feelings in the lines of the main character," she said.
Kudan’s brilliance on the page is the result of a considered and deep process of discovery and understanding. Social media use as a discipline represents the polar opposite process to fiction writing. Perhaps that is why books are shown to be more powerful influencers than social media content, ultimately.
Next week, in Dubai, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will have the chance to highlight this trend in person. The event “is a big celebration of books and the stories that live within them. But it's also a platform for important conversations, the kind that go on to impact and shape the world of tomorrow”, according to a post on LinkedIn by its organisers the Emirates Literature Foundation.
Among those scheduled to be part of this celebration are Sudanese novelist and three times nominee of the Women's Prize for Fiction Leila Aboulela, award-winning Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib, celebrated Palestinian poet Dana Dajani, critically acclaimed Pakistani writer Awais Khan, the British "godfather of modern poetry" Roger McGough and Paul Lynch, the Irish author of the Booker prize-winning novel Prophet Song.
The latter is a story about an ordinary family living in a version of Ireland that descends into a civil war. It is eerily reminiscent of what happened in Syria and the writing pulls you right in, as if you are cheek by jowl with the protagonist.
In an increasingly digital world, there is still nothing more immersive than reading a novel.
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):
PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)
Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
