Middle school is typically a time of chaotic emotions, confusing relationships and challenging growing pains. But it may also …
teenagers
Happy Teens Grow Up to Be Wealthier Too
Which comes first, happiness or money? Much scholarly head tapping has been devoted to examining whether richer people are happier and if so, how much richer? Nobel prize-winners have even looked into it. But a new study suggests …
Why the Teen Brain Is Drawn to Risk
If you’re the parent of a tween, be warned: your cautious 10-year-old is bound to turn into a wild child in a few short years, with seemingly no regard whatsoever for safety.
Nearly 1 in 3 Teens Sext, Study Says. Is This Cause for Worry?
Should teen sexting — the sending and receiving of nude photos — be considered criminal behavior or youthful indiscretion along the lines of spin the bottle and playing doctor?
Really? Teens Trying to Get Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
Here’s a new one. Some Los Angeles teens are going to great lengths to get buzzed by drinking hand sanitizer.
Debunking the Myth of the ‘Freshman 15’
Contrary to college folklore, the dreaded “freshman 15” — the notion that students gain 15 lbs. during their first year at school — is a myth, according to a study from Ohio State University.
The Healthland Podcast: How Vitamins Can Hurt, Teen Sex, and How Money Affects Marriage
We’re back with three great topics this week: research showing dietary supplements are linked to a higher risk of early death; evidence that the internet might actually be useful in teaching teens healthy sexual behavior; and new …
The Half-Baked Teen Brain: A Hazard or a Virtue?
Teenagers have a bad reputation. They’re moody, they thrive on drama. They take risks that terrify their parents and seem blithely unaware of the potential consequences of their actions. The reason for this, as scientists have …
The Healthland Podcast: Customizing Your Baby, Masturbation, and the Vaccine Wars
Welcome back! This week we debate the ethics of a blood test that can reveal your baby’s sex at just seven weeks of pregnancy. Also: a big new study on how masturbation affects sexual development. Finally, science editor Jeffrey …
The Healthland Podcast: Restaurant Calories, Nutraceuticals, and Sexting
This week on the podcast, we discuss three topics: How restaurant chains may mislead you when writing their menus; whether nutraceuticals work; and new data on the perils of sexting. To hear the podcast, click this play button:
Who Are Teens’ Sexual Role Models? Turns Out, It’s Their Parents
Parents may think their teens aren’t listening to them about anything, let alone sex, but new research shows that 45% of teens consider their parents — not their friends or celebrities — their sexual role models.
T.M.I., Mom. Parents and Adults Overshare on Facebook Too, Study Says
Many dire warnings have been sounded about kids using social media, particularly because teenage-sized wisdom tends to mix dangerously with Facebook-sized measures of public display. But a new study suggests that it’s not just …
Hollywood to Kids: Smoking Isn’t Cool
Were they still alive today, John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart might have been given a serious image makeover. The message from Hollywood last year: smoking in movies is not cool anymore.