Research + News

Boys Who Spend Lots Of Time Online More Likely To Cyberbully

Teens Dissatisfied With Virtual School

New study finds that teens in virtual classes are less satisfied with their school experience, but are no more likely to be depressed. Read the article here.

YouTube Dominates Social Media Reach, TikTok Now Rivals Snapchat, Twitter

In its debut in a highly regarded study of Americans’ social media platform usage, TikTok ranks just behind Snapchat and Twitter, and well ahead of far more established Reddit as a social media destination U.S. adults say they use. Read the article here.

What Parents Should Know About YouTube’s New Parental Controls For Teens

YouTube recently launched a new option specifically geared toward tweens, teens, and their parents with a supervised experience. Read the article here.

Instagram For Kids?! 3 Red Flags Every Parent Should Consider

Protect Young Minds provides reasons that Instagram for kids is not developmentally age-appropriate. Read the article here.

Advocacy Groups Urge FTC To Be Tougher On Google With Protecting Kids Privacy On Apps

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) said they plan to file a complaint with the FTC Wednesday asking regulators to investigate how the Google Play Store promotes apps for kids. Read the article here.

Selfie-Centered Kids? How To Teach Empathy With 5 Quick And Easy Activities

From a new article at ProtectYoungMinds.org:

Research shows that there’s a startling decline in empathy among kids. And in a world where capturing the perfect selfie, garnering likes and followers, and achieving social media fame are highly valued, it’s not hard to see why kids are becoming selfie-centered.

Read the full article here.

One Year Into Pandemic, What Are Kids And Parents Learning About Tech?

Physically being in school with friends and teachers is best, but it seems kids have made big gains in becoming tech savvy. Read the article here.

Facebook Is Working On An Instagram For Kids

Vishal Shah, Instagram’s vice president of product, reportedly announced the initiative in a Facebook post for employees. Read the article here.

Study Shows Stronger Brain Activity After Writing On Paper Than On Tablet Or Smartphone

Unique, complex information in analog methods likely gives brain more details to trigger memory. Read the article here.

Teens Organize Free Virtual Tutoring Programs To Aid Kids With Remote Learning Amid Pandemic

Many children have spent more than a year attending school virtually, raising significant concerns about a growing inequality gap. Watch the video here.

Preschoolers With Too Much Screen Time Struggle Making Friends, Have Shorter Attention Spans

Technology may help older children and adults connect with the world, but for toddlers, too much screen time may be doing lasting harm before they even enter school. Read the article here.

Gen Z Hit Hardest By Digital Fraud One Year After COVID-19, Study Shows

Fraudsters were more likely to go after Gen Z, 44%, and Millennials, 37%, more than any other age group globally. Read the article here.

TikTok Is “Like A Trap,’ Health Experts Say As Eating Disorders Among Teens Rise

Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of social media on people with eating disorders, but there are some aspects specific to TikTok that are concerning. Read the article here.

STDs Are Rising Among Teens. Can Video Games Help?

As the pandemic has driven learning online, some sex education game developers think this could be their moment. Read the article here.

New Data Highlight Disparities In Students Learning In Person

A new U.S. Education Department survey reveals that the percentage of students who are still attending school virtually may be higher than previously understood. Read the article here.

Teens Film TikTok Prank Telling 8-Year-Old Her Parents Died – How Should They Be Punished?

If you suspect your child is bullying others online or off, experts say parents need to be on the front lines of fixing the problem. Read the article here.

Social Media and Mental Health

Tips for families of older kids and teens from Common Sense Media. Read the article here.

For Creators, Everything Is For Sale

Creators are using online platforms to earn money by auctioning off, or taking polls, for what activities they should do next. Read the article here.

Instagram Will No Longer Let Adults Message Teens Who Don’t Follow Them

Teen users will also be shown safety prompts when messaging ‘suspicious’ adults. Read the article here.

How Tech Will Change Sex And Intimacy, For Better And Worse

Sex robots and better long-distance connections? Read the article here.

The New Late-Night

Video Game Revenue Soars, New Consoles Key

Video-game revenues — games, consoles and accessories — continue to spike, up 35% in February to a record $4.6 billion, according to the NPD Group. Read the article here.

Young Drivers Talking On Smartphones More Likely To Run Red Lights, Drive Intoxicated

Using a hand-held phone while driving is a major safety hazard at any age. Read the article here.

On TikTok, Mental Health Creators Are Confused For Therapists. That’s A Serious Problem

Creators who purport to reduce the stigma around mental health issues may be unintentionally spreading misinformation on the app, where people who post about mental health are easily confused with real professionals making similar content. Read the article here.

Research Identifies Impact Of Teenage Screen Use

Two thirds of children use more than one screen at the same time after school, in the evenings and at weekends as part of increasingly sedentary lifestyles, according to new research. Read the article here.

Selfie-Image Problem: 9 In 10 Young Women Edit, Filter Photos Before Posting Them Online

Most young women in the survey said they’re frequently bombarded with tailored ads for beauty products and cosmetic surgeries. Read the article here.

Almost 40% Of University Students Surveyed Are Addicted To Their Phones

A team of researchers at King’s College London has found that nearly 40% of students surveyed exhibited symptoms of addiction to their smartphone. Read the article here.

Teens And Their Smartphone Addictions

Addictions can develop in response to things other than chemical substances — smartphones, video gaming, certain forms of enabling and so on. Read the article here.

Many Teens Live Online, Alone. Here’s How To Stay Connected In The Pandemic

For many teens, the pandemic has created an environment in which most of their lives take place in the shadows. Read the article here.

Makers Of ‘Kid’s First Virtual World’ Animal Jam Targets Gen Z Teens With Fer.al Debut

The company behind the popular kids’ title, Animal Jam, is launching a new game, Fer.al, which builds on Animal Jam’s legacy while catering to a slightly older crowd of Gen Z teens. Read the article here.

Excessive Screen Time Impacts Teens’ Sleep, Weight, And Activity Levels

Experts are particularly concerned about young people using multiple devices at the same time. Read the article here.

Lonely Adolescents Are Susceptible To Internet Addiction

Loneliness is a risk factor associated with adolescents being drawn into compulsive internet use. Read the article here.

Study Shows Connection Between Social Media Use And Binge Eating In Pre-Teens

Learning to control your social media and TV habits early can help kids make healthier decisions as they get older. Read the article here.

An AI Is Training Counselors To Deal With LGBT Teens In Crisis

The Trevor Project, America’s hotline for LGBT youth, is turning to a GPT-2-powered chatbot to help troubled teenagers. Read the article here.

YouTube To Launch Parental Control Features For Families With Tweens and Teens

YouTube announced this morning it will soon introduce a new experience designed for teens and tweens who are now too old for the schoolager-focused YouTube Kids app, but who may not be ready to explore all of YouTube. Read the article here.

10-Year Study Shows Elevated Suicide Risk From Excess Social Media Time For Teen Girls

Girls who used social media for at least two to three hours per day at the beginning of the study–when they were about 13 years old–and then greatly increased their use over time were at a higher clinical risk for suicide as emerging adults. Read the article here.

Five Ideas To Manage Your Kids’ Screen Time In A Pandemic

We can avoid long-term issues, according to expert Rachel Simmons, by proactively putting some guidelines in place that steer attitudes and actions. Read the article here.

This “TikTok Meets Tinder” Dating App Wants To Help Gen Z Connect

As Gen Z enters the dating scene, this app wants to leave swiping right behind and use TikTok-esque short-form videos to connect young daters. Read the article here.

People Spend Nearly 2 1/2 Hours Daily On Social Media

Facebook remains the world’s most used social platform both in the U.S. and globally, followed by YouTube and WhatsApp. Read the article here.

Sending Nudes: Starting The Convo Early – 3 Tips For Smart Parents

Kids are growing up in a world where sending nudes is the norm. Read the article here.

How ‘Freaks and Geeks’ Has Become A Cult Favorite For Another Generation Of Teens On TikTok

Our Disappearing Attention Spans

The question that begs to be asked here is, “Is a short attention span a bad thing?” Read the article here.

Amazon Can Make Just About Anything – Except A Good Video Game

Teens, Social Media Use And Mental Health: What You Really Need To Know

There might be cause for concern, but that doesn’t mean you need to panic. Read the article here.

How Smartphones Can Help You Become Trans

Plume is a new medical service that allows people to go online and get whatever they want… including gender reassignment hormones and medical letters of support for reassignment surgery… all without actually seeing a doctor. Read the article here.

How To Tell How Much Is The Right Amount Of Screen Time For Kids

It’s no surprise that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the amount of time kids spend on a screen remains high. Read the article here.

The Esport Report

The pandemic has helped propel esports to new and unprecedented heights. Read the article here.

Solomon Islands Set To Ban Facebook In The Name Of ‘National Unity’

The Solomon Islands Government has defended its decision to place a temporary ban on Facebook, a move it says is aimed at tackling cyberbullying and online defamation. Read the article here.

Young Adults Who Spend 5+ Hours Daily On Social Media Much More Likely To Be Depressed

While younger people aren’t the only ones who can develop an addiction to surfing social media all day, a new study finds it can have a serious impact on their mental health. Read the article here.

Children Can ByPass Age Verification Procedures In Popular Social Media Apps

Lero study shows children can bypass apps’ age verification measures by lying. Read the article here.

Facebook And Twitter Bumming You Out? Doomscrolling Leads Users To Social Media Detox. Here’s How You Can, Too.

Doomscrolling, or doomsurfing, refers to the tendency to continue to scroll through bad news despite the content being saddening, disheartening or depressing. Read the article here.

TikTok Is Being Used By Vape Sellers Marketing To Teens

4 Teenagers Arrested Over ‘Live-Streamed’ Murder Of 15-Year-Old Girl In Walmart

Social Media Damages Teenagers’ Mental Health, Report Says

One in three girls was unhappy with their personal appearance by the age of 14, compared with one in seven at the end of primary school. Read the article here.

Tops Of 2020: Nielsen Streaming Unwrapped

When looking at the types of content that was successful in 2020, it was original content that sparked cultural phenomenons and shepherded in new subscribers to both established and nascent platforms. Read the report here.

When Cell Phones Come Between Teens And Studying

Where are kids keeping their phones while in the classroom or studying? Read the article here.

Teens Tutor Peers Online To Fill Need During Pandemic

TutorScope provides the one-on-one support that teachers have traditionally given while roving the aisles of their classrooms but now often can’t because of the time and technology constraints posed by online schooling. Read the article here.

New Trend Making Teens Vulnerable To Human Trafficking

How a trend to gain social media followers is making teens vulnerable to trafficking. Read the article here.

Teens Have Never Known A World Without Data Sharing, And It’s Creating A False Sense Of Security

The next generation — Generation Alpha, born 2010 and later — has had a digital footprint since birth. We have to recognize the positive impacts — connection, community, support, entertainment and creativity — while discussing potential harms. Read the article here.

Insider Created A TikTok Account And Set The Age At 14 To Test How Long Before A Plastic Surgeon’s Promotional Video Appeared. It Only Took 8 Minutes.

Videos promoting rhinoplasty are appearing on the For You Page of teenagers as young as 14. Read the article here.

The Biggest Questions Facing The Gaming World In 2021

Chat Service Discord Doubles Valuation To $7 Billion

The Paradox Of Online “Body Positivity”

It has always sucked to compare yourself to the prettiest girl in school, but it sucks a lot more to feel like everybody else in the entire world is the prettiest girl in school. Read the article here.

Teens And Screens: Limits Are Even More Critical During Remote School

Experts have long urged limits on screen time for children, but a new study says it is even more critical during pandemic remote learning. Read the article here.

TikTok Accounts Of Younger Teens Will Now Be Private By Default, All Minor Users Will Have Tighter Privacy

TikTok has made a set of changes to its app that will set the accounts of teenage users between 13 and 15 years private by default and also enable tighter privacy protections for all users under the age of 18. Read the article here.

Teens Are Putting Their Social Media Info Into Pants Pockets At Stores

There are TikTok videos of teenage girls stuffing cards with their personal information into pants, shorts, even underwear in sporting goods stores. This is how they are getting followers. Read the article here.

Parents Doing Whatever It Takes To Bond With Their Kids During COVID, Even Dancing On TikTok

A new survey finds many are working up a sweat just to bond with their kids more during the coronavirus pandemic. Read the article here.

TikTok Teens’ Latest Passion Is Enterprise Software

Five days into the new year, and TikTok’s hottest 2021 trend is teens using enterprise software to go viral. Read the article here.

10 Sneaky Ways Porn Will Target Your Kids In 2021

Porn targets kids even in the most trusted and mainstream places. Read the article here.

The Effects Of Technology On Teens

In a world of remote-learning, Zoom calls, and streaming, do the benefits out weigh the risks? Read the article here.

Experts Say This Is What Children Need To Survive The COVID-19 Pandemic

USA TODAY spoke with experts in child development on how remote school, reduced socialization and increased screen time is affecting kids. Read the article here.

‘PoshTok’ Is Where TikTok’s Richest Teens Hang Out

The concept of PoshTok is simple: what if having a ton of money didn’t just mean nice stuff, but also: internet clout? Read the article here.

What To Know About Teens And ‘Sadfishing’

Sadfishing is basically when someone posts a really sad picture (sometimes they are crying, or have a really sad look on their face) while telling an emotional or heart-wrenching story or event that happened. Sometimes these things are true and, well, sometimes they are simply to get some attention. Read the article here.

Tech Choices Dictate Teen Friendships During Pandemic

‘Want To Do The Spacegirl Dance With Me?’ How To Talk To Teens This Christmas

Between cancelled school formals and gap years, it’s a bleak time to be a teenager – but Nina Dillon Britton knows the right words to say. Read the article here.

Fed-Up Teens Are Outing Their Rapists On TikTok

Social media may feel like some women’s only route to justice. Read the article here.

Most Parents Fear Remote Learning Will Lead To Children Falling Behind In School

Will students who are attending school remotely fall behind compared to their peers taking in-person classes? Read the article here.

Online 24/7, But Totally Disconnected – New Findings On Teen Isolation During COVID-19

Interviews and diary entries from nearly 50 California teenagers reveal that they’re sleeping and exercising less and spending more time on social media and gaming. Read the article here.

Doctors Warn Teens Not To Try New ‘Scalp Popping’ TikTok Trend

A new TikTok trend has teens pulling their scalp in hopes of getting it to “pop.” Read the article here.

How To Motivate Teens Struggling With Remote School

Instagram Influencers Making Guys More Body-Conscious

Young men’s attitudes about body image and fitness can be affected by Instagram influencers, according to a new study. Read the article here.

The Year On TikTok: Top 100

TikTok shares the top moments of the past year within the TikTok community. See their report here.

One In Ten Florida Teens Report Engaging In “Digital Self-Harm”

Approximately 10 percent of Florida middle and high school students report having engaged in “digital self-harm” – they have cyberbullied  themselves. Read the article here.

Managing The Increase In Screen Time For Teens During The Pandemic

Because of the pandemic, platforms where day-to-day activities take place are requiring even more screen time. Read the article here.

What Parents Need To Know About Yubo, The ‘Tinder for Teens’

The app enables teenagers (or adults pretending to be them) to find others with similar interests and chat through private messaging or via public live streams. Read the article here.

TikTok Now Lets Parents Make Their Teens’ Accounts More Private

A parental controls update adds new search restrictions, too. Read the article here.

The Coronavirus, Social Media, And Teen Mental Health

Shifting trends over the last year reveal the roots of depression among young people. Read the article here.

Is Online Learning Worth It?

Juggling jobs and remote schoolwork, college students have started to wonder about the value of finishing their education. Read the article here.

Full (TikTok) House

Twitter Intros Fleets: Tweets That Disappear After 24 Hours

Following in the footsteps of Snapchat snaps and Instagram and Facebook “stories,” Twitter is rolling out fleets—tweets that disappear after 24 hours. Read the article here.

Technology Promises Connection, But Gen Z Sees A Paradox

The U.S. childhood and adolescent experience is mediated by screens, both in and outside the home. In light of this, how should teens and their families respond to the new force shaping their lives? Read the article from Barna here.

The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight, 2020

The latest research from Common Sense Media is now available. Access the report here.

Electronic Device Usage Nearly Doubled Among US Kids During The Pandemic

Porn Industry 101 For Parents: Discover What Your Kids Are Up Against

What exactly is the porn industry. And what should you know about it? Read the post from Protect Young Minds here.

Snifftok Is Where Teenagers Go To Post Videos Of Themselves High On MDMA

Anti-Capitalist Teens Are Sharing Shoplifting Tips On TikTok

Teens Benefit With Less Screen Time, More Time With Sports And Art

Walking away from TV, laptops and cellphones and spending more time in sports and other extracurricular activities boosts teens’ mental health, Canadian researchers say. Read the article here.

Teens Who Spend More Time In Extracurricular Activities And Less Time In Front Of Screens Have Better Mental Health, Study Finds

Quantity, Content, And Context Of Social Media Use May Affect Adolescents’ Sleep

A new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that checking social media often, viewing emotional or violent videos, and starting to use social media at an early age were significantly related to later bedtimes and fewer hours of sleep on school nights for early adolescents. Read the article here.