Childhood and adolescence

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Technology and media

idea

Why teenagers are deliberately seeking brain rot on TikTok

Talking to teens reveals a hidden sophistication to their media use. Rather than policing it, maybe we could learn from it

by Emilie Owens

Photo of school assembly with pupils in uniform, many faces blurred. One student is in focus in the centre of the image.

Mindfulness and meditation

idea

It’s time to hear what adolescents think of mindfulness in schools

Mindfulness for adolescents backfires when it imposes moral ideals, stirs up trauma, or fails to treat young people as agents

by Elena Hailwood, William Wannyn & Suparna Choudhury

Stone statue of a Moai head with a prominent brow and nose against a black background, photo.

Gender

guide

How to be a man

Old ideas of manliness make us miserable. Being labelled ‘toxic’ doesn’t help. A reimagined masculinity is the way forward

by Andrew Reiner

Abstract painting of various musical instruments, including drums, a trombone, a banjo, and a guitar, with a silhouetted figure in foreground.

Poetry

film

Childhood collides with the adult world in this haunting Bukowski adaptation

A film by Jonathan Hodgson

Old photo of a girl standing in a dirt lane between wooden houses with people walking in the background.

Childhood and adolescence

idea

Young children use reason, not gut feelings, to decide moral issues

It’s not just ‘gut feelings’: humans form moral judgments that align with moral principles and beliefs from a young age

by Audun Dahl

Photo of children in a classroom interacting with a teacher, sitting at a table with a board game.

Learning and education

idea

This is how to nurture curiosity in children (and yourself)

The curiosity that comes naturally to babies and young children can soon wilt – but there are ways to help it grow

by Shayla Love

Parenting and families

guide

How to raise a resilient child

Put that helicopter back in the hangar and let your children find their own way. Their independence will likely surprise you

by Judith Locke

Black-and-white drawing of a girl walking between busy sun loungers by a tiled pool area, seen from behind.

Childhood and adolescence

film

One girl’s long, scary route from changing room to swimming pool

A film by Elise Augarten

Photo of a girl swinging high above a cityscape with a cloudy sky in the background.

Mental health

idea

Why does early puberty pose a risk to girls’ mental health?

Girls who start puberty earlier are at greater risk of depression and anxiety. To know why, we must look beyond biology

by Marjolein E A Barendse & Michelle L Byrne

Photo of two people sitting on a rock by a stream surrounded by greenery, one with an arm around the other.

Nature and the environment

idea

Rewilding attachment theory by recognising Earth as a caregiver

We are raised by people, but we are also raised by the Earth – here’s what that means for our emotional development

by Vanessa Chakour

Blurry photo of a child in a blue shirt sitting at a desk with open books and magazines.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

guide

How to empower a teen with ADHD

As they go through the most challenging period of their life, there are ways you can help them not just cope but thrive

by Margaret Sibley

Surreal scene of a person with a clay mask and blue hair at a table with others in masks in the background, in a dimly lit room.

Communication and language

film

Navigating a pub, Shaun’s anxieties are (quite literally) plastered on his face

Directed by Sam Gainsborough