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Teenage boys can create their own 'dream girlfriend'
Boys won't learn how to talk to a real-life girl by chatting with a customized AI "companion" who agrees with everything.

Joanne Jacobs
22 hours ago2 min read


Boring books? Will teens love reading if books are 'accessible' (easier)?
Dump the classics and assign "accessible" books that teens might enjoy reading, argues a former English teacher.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 222 min read


Teens are on phones for 70 minutes at school, 300 minutes a day overall
Teens average more than an hour per school day -- and five hours a day -- on their phones, most on social media, video and gaming apps.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 182 min read


It's not smart to give smartphones to young children
The younger children are when they get their first smartphone the higher the risk of depression, obesity and poor sleep habits.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 6, 20252 min read


We broke the ladder
Teenagers aren't learning work skills in entry-level jobs. Employers prefer to hire immigrants.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 28, 20252 min read


AI will write your kid's suicide note
ChatGPT can be tricked into writing a suicide note, designing a starvation diet for an anorexic or offering advice on how to hide intoxication at school.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 23, 20252 min read


Illinois doubles down on schools as mental-health clinics
Illinois already spends a fortune on mental health services for students, and plans to spend more. It won't help.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 13, 20252 min read


No wonder kids don't like to read: YA books are vapid and ideological
Simplistic, heavily political YA books turn students off to reading.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 8, 20252 min read


Lazy days of summer
Stressed, overparented teens can benefit from a lazy, unenriched summer.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 5, 20252 min read


Teachers: Overparented students are less independent
Students are less independent, more likely to ask their parents to protect them from any effort.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 28, 20253 min read


Ban phones: Teens spend a quarter of the school day on their phones, says study
Teens average 90 minutes each school day on their phones.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 13, 20252 min read


The Mild Bunch: Teens don't like to take risks
Teenagers in 2024 are less likely to use drugs, alcohol or nicotine and many are postponing driving, work and sex.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 22, 20241 min read


Troubled 12-year-old was 'fast-tracked' for hormones, mastectomy, charges lawsuit
A young woman is suing "gender affirming care" providers for starting her on drugs and surgery at age 12.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 15, 20242 min read


Transgender teens are unhappy -- or unhappy teens blame their gender
More than 3 percent of high school students identify as transgender, more than double the number a few years ago.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 12, 20241 min read


Teens can vote for school board in Oakland, Berkeley -- but will they?
Teenagers 16 and 17 year old will be able to vote for school board in Oakland and Berkeley.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 17, 20241 min read


The anti-anxiety experiment: Friends without phones, adult-free camping
British mother persuaded teens to go smartphone-free for a month, then camp out for the weekend on their own.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 15, 20243 min read


Bullying, violence are up: 1 in 10 teens are afraid to go to school, says CDC
Teens aren't quite as sad or suicidal as they were in 2021, reports the CDC, but violence, bullying and school avoidance are up.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 12, 20242 min read


Boys can find uses for menstrual pads, but not in a good way
#TamponTim is in the news, tweets Kira Davis. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz requires schools to provide free menstrual products in all school...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 10, 20241 min read


'Learn to joke,' say teens who faked teacher TikToks with sex, pedophilia
Middle school is the worst. Kids hit puberty and turn deeply stupid for a few years before they learn to handle it. Even so, the seventh...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 7, 20242 min read


Teaching depression: Mental health programs can make students feel worse
Mental health awareness campaigns aimed at teenagers may backfire, writes Ellen Barry in the New York Times. While the truly troubled may...

Joanne Jacobs
May 11, 20242 min read
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