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
Mindfulness and meditation
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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
Childhood and adolescence
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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
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
Mental health
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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
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
Personality
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Childhood shyness can be advantageous – don’t pathologise it
Given their cautious vigilance, shy children are more likely to detect social threats and anticipate how events will unfold
by Raha Hassan & Kristie Poole
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
Sex and sexuality
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Teenagers are going to sext, let’s teach them to do it safely
Preaching abstinence doesn’t work – in sex as in sexting. Instead, we should teach how to reduce risk and sext safely
by Joris Van Ouytsel
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
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
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