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
Technology and media
Let’s use bold, beautiful hearing aids to celebrate deafness
Hearing aids have always been designed to be concealed, yet they’re a beautiful affirmation of deafness – and should be seen
by Jaipreet Virdi
To be more tech-savvy, borrow these strategies from the Amish
With their focus on values and intentionality, the Amish offer a lesson in thinking critically about digital technology
by Alex Mayyasi
What does switching from paper to screens mean for how we read?
It’s well established that we absorb less well when reading on screen. But why? And can we do something to improve it?
by Lili Yu, Sixin Liao, Jan-Louis Kruger & Erik D Reichle
The sex tech to come could offer more than ‘the real thing’
Sexbots and other artificial lovers might arouse discomfort, but their continued advances could have unexpected upsides
by Rob Brooks
How to use social media if you have social anxiety
If anxiety derails your attempts to share and connect with others online, there are steps you can take to stay in the loop
by Emma Warnock-Parkes
DNA testing is easy. It can also turn your family upside down
DNA testing is bringing the era of family secrets to a close. When a surprise is uncovered, lives can change forever
by Libby Copeland
What did the ancient Babylonians discern in the skies above?
Ancient Babylonian astronomers help us see that our view of the world is as much a product of our senses as of our culture
by M Willis Monroe
Kafka warned us: surveillance turns the watched into watchers
Surveillance changes us in powerful ways, as Franz Kafka warned. Neither the watched nor their watcher escapes unscathed
by George Alliger
The pleasure, the pain and the politics of a digital detox
Studying why and how people take digital-media breaks can reveal what individuals and societies value in unmediated spaces
by Trine Syvertsen
In an era of split attention, there is more than one type of ADHD
ADHD is typically thought to be wired into the brain early. But many cases may be better seen as products of digital life
by Paul Kudlow, Karline Treurnicht Naylor & Elia Abi-Jaoude
The illusion of closeness: how social media redefined respect
As we share and like and post, have our notions of restraint transformed so profoundly that all dignity becomes abandoned?
by Lutif Ali Halo
To make online learning more three-dimensional, let it be bumpy
Effective online teaching requires actively tuning into students’ needs, to ensure they’re doing rich, difficult work
by William Germano & Kit Nicholls
What I learned from sharing my private self with an AI journal
‘Quantified self’ apps analyse our physical and behavioural data. Now, AI journals want to access our emotional lives too
by Angela Chen
For young people, AI is now a second brain – should we worry?
As a resident tutor, I’ve seen how students are using AI as more than a tool. It’s a psychological shift we’ll soon all make
by Rhea Tibrewala
A psychologist’s tips for getting a grip on your social media use
Is social media causing you problems? Here are some personal and practical ways to reap its benefits with fewer drawbacks
by Daria J Kuss