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How Teen Drinking Is Influenced by Romantic Partner’s Pals

Like so many other socially “contagious” traits that have been studied before it — among them, happiness, loneliness, generosity, obesity, disordered eating and quitting smoking — teenagers’ drinking behavior may be influenced by their social networks, a new study finds.

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4 Out of 5 College Kids Sext

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Sexting and college, they go together like carnal and knowledge. But a recent survey from the University of Rhode Island has put some numbers on how widespread it is. And the answer is: w i d e.

The Healthland Podcast: Superobese Kids, Parents on Facebook and Betty Ford’s Mixed Legacy

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This week on the podcast, Healthland editor Sora Song asks whether child obesity is child abuse. TIME editor-at-large Belinda Luscombe reports that adults are less savvy on Facebook than teens. And TIME senior writer John Cloud makes a case against 12-step addiction treatment, popularized by Betty Ford. Click the play button below to listen.

How Social Networks Spread Eating Disorders

Sylvain Grandadam

Teens are undeniably influenced by those around them, and by what they see on social media from television to the internet. So what happens when western media infiltrates a remote island society?

Generosity Can Be Contagious

Image courtesy of James Fowler, U.C. San Diego

One person’s initial generosity can spark a chain reaction of benevolence, according to the latest study from prolific social contagion researchers James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis.