Things To Do In SW Florida

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and KAITLYN HUAMANI, AP Technology Writers

Social media addiction has been compared to casinos, opioids and cigarettes.

While there’s some debate among experts about the line between overuse and addiction, and whether social media can cause the latter, there is no doubt that many people feel like they can’t escape the pull of Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms.

The companies that designed your favorite apps have an incentive to keep you glued to them so they can serve up ads that make them billions of dollars in revenue. Resisting the pull of the endless scroll, the dopamine hits from short-form videos and the ego boost and validation that come from likes and positive interactions, can seem like an unfair fight. For some people, “rage-bait,” gloomy news and arguing with internet strangers also have an irresistible draw.

Much of the concern around social media addiction has focused on children. But adults are also susceptible to using social media so much that it starts affecting their day-to-day lives. read more

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Interested in starting a business, learning about artificial intelligence or exploring a new hobby? There’s a class for that.

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Millions of U.S. adults enroll in credit and non-credit college courses to earn professional certificates, learn new skills or to pursue academic degrees. Some older students are seeking career advancement, higher pay and job security, while others want to explore their personal interests or try new things.

“They might have kids, they might be working full-time, they might be older non-traditional students,” said Eric Deschamps, the director of continuing education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. But returning to school “opens doors to education for students that might not have those doors open to them otherwise.” read more

By PAUL WISEMAN, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices came in hotter than expected last month.

The Labor Department reported Friday that its producer price index, which measures inflation before it hits consumers, rose 0.5% from December and 2.9% from January 2025. Economists had forecast a 0.3% increase for the month and 1.6% year over year, according to a survey by the data firm FactSet.

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Excluding food and energy prices, which bounce around from month to month, so-called core wholesale prices rose 0.8% from December and 3.6% from January 2025 — both higher than forecasters had expected. The year-over-year increase in core prices was the biggest since March of last year. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks sank Friday as Wall Street kept punishing companies that could become losers in the artificial-intelligence revolution. A surprisingly discouraging update on inflation also hurt the market, while oil prices climbed with worries about tensions between the United States and Iran.

The S&P 500 fell 0.4% and staggered to the finish of just its second losing month in the last 10. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 521 points, or 1.1%, the Nasdaq composite sank 0.9%.

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The losses came as investors returned to knocking down software companies and other businesses they suspect could get supplanted by AI-powered competitors. read more

A recent development filing in Orange County offers insight into the new direction SeaWorld and its parent company are taking on some prime real estate around the theme park, after quietly pulling the plug on plans for two future hotels.

The company is seeking a so-called Change Determination Review that would allow it to build up to 670 multifamily units on undeveloped land along Sea Harbor Drive, across from the main parking lot, for a project called SeaWorld Vacation Village. The application identifies four parcels that would be affected, according to a report in GrowthSpotter: two owned by SeaWorld and two adjacent properties. One is home to the Renaissance Orlando Resort, and the other is occupied by the Sea Harbor Office Center, which houses the Visit Orlando and Wyndham Vacations offices.

Winter Park-based apartment developer, Epoch Residential, is listed as the developer in the project documents. The applicant is working with engineering firm Kimley-Horn on the planning and entitlements and FK Architecture. According to the preliminary plan, the new development would be built on the SeaWorld and Renaissance properties. The office parcel would be used only for its existing entrance drive and for emergency access. read more