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Mental health programs increased emotional problems in English schools
Programs designed to improve students' mental health made things worse in the long run, reports a study in England.
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 82 min read
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You may have a few dings, but you're not 'broken'
Telling students they're "broken" is a bad message.
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 92 min read
2 comments


Troubled 12-year-old was 'fast-tracked' for hormones, mastectomy, charges lawsuit
A young woman is suing "gender affirming care" providers for starting her on drugs and surgery at age 12.
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 15, 20242 min read
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Teens say: America, meh
Young Americans are less patriotic than older generations.
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 3, 20241 min read
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Transgender teens are unhappy -- or unhappy teens blame their gender
More than 3 percent of high school students identify as transgender, more than double the number a few years ago.
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 12, 20241 min read
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The anti-anxiety experiment: Friends without phones, adult-free camping
British mother persuaded teens to go smartphone-free for a month, then camp out for the weekend on their own.
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 15, 20243 min read
1 comment


Bullying, violence are up: 1 in 10 teens are afraid to go to school, says CDC
Teens aren't quite as sad or suicidal as they were in 2021, reports the CDC, but violence, bullying and school avoidance are up.
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 12, 20242 min read
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Teaching depression: Mental health programs can make students feel worse
Mental health awareness campaigns aimed at teenagers may backfire, writes Ellen Barry in the New York Times. While the truly troubled may...
Joanne Jacobs
May 11, 20242 min read
4 comments

Digital addiction starts early: 30% of K-2 kids use TikTok
Young children are becoming digital addicts, hooked on fast-paced scrolling, swiping and mini-rewards designed into platforms such as...
Joanne Jacobs
May 4, 20242 min read
4 comments


Childhood's end
Phone-centered childhood is a disaster, writes Jonathan Haidt in The Atlantic. In the early 2010s, "adolescents in rich countries traded...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 24, 20243 min read
1 comment


Four years after 'two weeks to flatten the curve' ...
Four years ago, schools across the country closed their doors. It was supposed to be for two weeks or three or . . . Most schools stayed...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 22, 20242 min read
9 comments


If you want to climb a mountain, don't go two steps and ask, 'How do I feel?'
Nearly all public schools offer some type of counseling, mental health or "wellness" lessons, writes Abigail Shrier in Free Press. But...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 29, 20243 min read
5 comments


Psych out: Why are we teaching kids to be hopeless and helpless?
"Anti-racists" are demoralizing black students, write Julian Adorney and Jake Mackey on Quillette. Teenage depression and suicide rates...
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 30, 20242 min read
2 comments


Ban phones in school: The experiment with kids' minds has failed
Smart phones are making students less smart, writes Derek Thompson in The Atlantic. Student achievement has been falling around the world...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 23, 20232 min read
6 comments


Scared and sad: Gen Z fears the world
The world is a dangerous place, teenagers and young adults believe. Members of Gen Z -- those born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20232 min read
13 comments


The therapist is online
New York City is offering free online therapy to teenagers 13 to 17 years old, reports Michael Elsen-Rooney on Chalkbeat. Teenagers can...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 19, 20231 min read
1 comment


Teen angst is normal: 'Wellness' may backfire
Mental health doesn't mean feeling good all the time, writes psychologist Lisa Damour in The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 11, 20232 min read
1 comment


'Smartphones are kryptonite for learning'
Schools are going phone free to remove distractions in class and encourage students to socialize in their free time, report Meg Oliver...
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 20, 20231 min read
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Teens spend 4.8 hours a day on social media, says Gallup
U.S. teenagers average 4.8 hours a day on social media apps such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter),...
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 19, 20232 min read
9 comments


For failing students, lockdown was freedom, school is 'prison'
School is "like being in prison," says 14-year-old Kieran, who has dyslexia and ADHD. He prefers doing physical labor with his father....
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 9, 20232 min read
2 comments
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