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Childhood and adolescence

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Photo of a group of young people in casual clothing sitting on a concrete bench outside a historic building, some using phones.

Technology and media

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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 a child in a pink shirt concentrating on writing in a notebook while an adult assists, showing a learning activity.

Parenting and families

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Why are tiger parents willing to trade love for success?

Growing up under tiger parenting, I’ve seen that pushing a child to succeed often fails – and isn’t worth the emotional cost

by Louis Li

Two women wearing bathing suits sit on a rock by a waterfall in nature; one has her arm around the other. Towels are draped over the rock.

Nature and the environment

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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

Black-and-white photo of a child standing in front of a large aquarium, watching big fish swim by.

Transcendent experience

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To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help

Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives

by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang

A young child passenger sits on the front of a motor scooter, with an older male rider partly visible behind. The rider has tattooed arms and a sign on the scooter reads ‘Thailand’

Personality

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How babies’ and children’s temperament varies around the world

International research reveals intriguing regional differences in temperament – the infant precursor to adult personality

by Matt Huston

A child meeting Santa in a mall looks disbelieving

Childhood and adolescence

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At what point does the Santa myth become a harmful deception?

Exactly when and how children discover they’ve been duped makes an important difference to the revelatory experience

by Shayla Love

Several children and a teacher interact happily at a table in a classroom, with one boy laughing and a girl in blue looking on.

Learning and education

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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

People standing and walking near a street corner with a brick building and a colourful mural in the background on a sunny day.

Childhood and adolescence

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Adolescence is a ‘use it or lose it’ time for moral development

For certain neural pathways, including those involved in moral decision making, adolescence is a one-shot chance of development

by Brandon Bretl

Black and white photo of children dancing energetically in a studio, with a girl in the foreground expressing excitement.

Home

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How war destroys the childhood sense-scape we call ‘home’

What we grow up with determines the gestures, textures, spaces, sights, smells, sounds and thoughts we call ‘home’

by Julia F Christensen

Photo of an outdoor market with fruit stalls, a masked man carrying bags and two people in green vests walking past.

Friendship

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Empathic friends can provide the right kind of peer pressure

Research on empathy development in adolescents suggests an under-appreciated potential for positive peer influence

by Marta Miklikowska & Lauree Tilton-Weaver

Photo of a child cuddling a small dog, sitting on a blanket indoors. The child gently rests their face against the dog.

Evaluating therapies

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Time to move beyond the anecdotes around animal-assisted therapies

There’s so much excitement about using animals to help children with mental health problems, but what does the science say?

by Mirena Dimolareva

Rock art painting with red pigments on a weathered stone surface showing abstract shapes and natural cracks.

Artists and art history

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The art of Ice Age children offers a tactile sense of the past

Small hands in dark caves: Ice Age art reveals the role of artistic expression and child’s play in ancient societies

by Izzy Wisher