Among 88,183 U.S. high school students, marijuana use declined from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021, with first-time use before age 13 dropping from 8.1% to 4.9%. In 2021, use was highest among 12th graders (22.4%) and 11th graders (18.7%). Notably, girls (17.8%) surpassed boys (13.6%) in reported use in 2021, reversing past trends. While Asian, Hispanic, and white adolescents saw declines, Black adolescents had a higher usage rate of 20.5% in 2021, indicating ongoing racial disparities.
Tag: Teenagers
Even on Instagram, teens mostly feel bored
A University of Washington study found that teens open Instagram because they’re bored. Then they sift through largely irrelevant content, mostly feeling bored, while seeking interesting bits to share with their friends in direct messages. Then, eventually bored with what researchers call a “content soup,” they log off.
The Trials and Tribulations of Teens on TV
Tasha Oren, director of the Film and Media Studies Program, says contemporary representations of teens on TV and film resonate because they feel reflective of teens’ actual experiences (if, at times, only emotionally or in over-dramatized form).
Teenagers need better reproductive health education to tackle parenthood fears
Nearly half of teenagers are worried about having children and many lack knowledge about their reproductive health, find two new studies by UCL researchers.
Are us teenagers more likely than others to exaggerate their math abilities?
A major new study has revealed that American teenagers are more likely than any other nationality to brag about their math ability.
Deprived teens with poor learning skills at greatest risk from email scams, says expert
Disadvantaged teenagers are at greater risk of email scams and need better protection, according to an international study published in the peer-reviewed British Journal of Educational Studies.
Poor report card for children’s wellbeing
While COVID-19 lockdowns are no longer mandated, the stress and anxiety of the pandemic still lingers, especially among young South Australians, say health experts at the University of South Australia.
Strict tech rules at boarding school a bonus for teens’ sleep
Struggling with a teenager who refuses to ditch digital devices at night and wakes up grumpy? Boarding school could be the answer.
GW Experts: U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Social Media Concerns for Children & Teens
WASHINGTON (May 25, 2022) – The U.S. Surgeon General is sounding the alarm on the risk social media poses to children’s mental health. It comes amid a national youth mental health crisis. In an advisory issued Tuesday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy…
Teens who trust online information find it less stressful
Teens’ trust in the news they consume on social media – or lack of it – may be key to whether it supports or detracts from their well-being, according to Cornell-led psychology research.
Debunking pain myths could help teens recover faster
Whether it’s headaches, abdominal pain, or unrelenting joint soreness, up to a third of young people in Australia experience chronic pain. Now, a world-first study from the University of South Australia is providing valuable insights about how young people understand chronic pain, potentially helping thousands of sufferers to better manage their symptoms and long-term wellbeing.
Watch weekend tech as teens settle into school
We all know that teenagers love their sleep. But if your teen is a regular night owl, then they could be overdosing on technology at the expense of their sleep, according to new research from the University of South Australia.
Close Relationships with Parents Promote Healthier Brain Development in High-Risk Teens, Buffering Against Alcohol Use Disorder
For teens at elevated risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD), close relationships with parents can help mitigate their genetic and environmental vulnerability, a new study suggests. The offspring of people with AUD are four times more likely than others to develop the disorder. Increasing evidence suggests that this heritable risk may be either amplified or mitigated by the quality of parenting.
Violence on TV: the effects can stretch from age 3 into the teens
A study suggests that exposure to violent screen content in the preschool years is associated with a heightened risk of psychological and academic difficulties in adolescence.
Youngest Girls Who Get Pregnant Have Highest Risk of Poor Outcomes, Study Finds
Pregnant teens in the U.S. have long been known to face increased health risks and pregnancy complications, but a new study for the first time finds that girls ages 13 or younger who get pregnant face even greater risks. These very young girls are significantly more likely to experience preterm birth, cesarean delivery, and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) compared to older pregnant teens.
COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders served to decrease adolescent drinking
During the COVID-19 pandemic, policy interventions designed to reduce the virus’ spread included shelter-in-place (SIP) orders and phased “reopenings” of public spaces. Knowing that adult alcohol and substance use generally rose during the pandemic due to factors such as stress, boredom, worsening mental health, and increased alcohol availability, a new study sought to understand the impact of SIPs and reopenings on adolescent alcohol use in California. Analysis shows SIP decreased frequency of alcohol use. Also, compliance with SIP orders was associated with decreased frequency and quantity of use.
Legalizing recreational marijuana for adults increases local accessibility for high school students
As of March 2022, 18 states and the District of Columbia allow recreational use of marijuana among adults 21 years and older, and recreational marijuana sales is legal in 14 of these states.
Teens ate less ultra-processed food consumption during pandemic, reversing trend of three decades
For the first time in the last 30 years, the consumption of ultra-processed foods among teenagers in the United States declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study presented at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.
As COVID-19 and Online Misinformation Spread, Children and Teens Were Poisoned with Hand Sanitizer and Alcoholic Drinks
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, as false health information spread on social media, the number of children and teens poisoned with hand sanitizer or alcoholic beverages surged in Iran. These poisonings resulted in hundreds of hospitalizations and 22 deaths. Misinformation circulating on social media included the false suggestion that consuming alcohol (methanol) or hand sanitizer (ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) protected against COVID-19 infection (it does not). A major alcohol poisoning outbreak sickened nearly 6,000 Iranian adults, of whom 800 died. It was not known, however, to what extent children and adolescents were affected. For the study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, investigators compared pediatric hospitalizations for ethanol and methanol poisoning during the early COVID-19 pandemic in Iran with the same period the previous year. They also looked at types of exposure and how those were linked to the children’s ages and clinical outcomes.
Teens who use cannabis frequently more likely to have premature baby, study suggests
Teenagers who use cannabis frequently may be more likely to have children born preterm, when they become parents up to twenty years later, finds a new University of Bristol-led study. The research, published in Scientific Reports, repeatedly assessed 665 participants in a general population cohort on their tobacco and cannabis use between ages 14 to 29 years, before pregnancy.
More American parents of teens are purchasing firearms during the pandemic, study finds
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 10% of all households with high school-age teens reported buying a firearm, and 3% of U.S. households with teens became first-time gun owners. For households that already owned a firearm, these new firearms were more likely to be acquired by those who already reported storing at least one gun unlocked and loaded. This concerned researchers, as the single biggest risk factor for adolescent firearm injuries is access to an unsecured firearm.
Adulting 101 Course Helps Teens Transition to a Successful Future
The University of Kentucky is offering a web-based course this summer to help students hone important life skills to make the transition to adulthood easier.
Adulting 101 is an eight-week summer course beginning on June 15 and meeting every Tuesday through Zoom. Organized by the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the UK Cooperative Extension Service, the course is open to teenagers nationwide, no matter their goals. Adulting 101 originated as a county-based family and consumer sciences extension program piloted in Central Kentucky.
Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health
As families settle back into a new school year, sleep experts at the University of South Australia are reminding parents about the importance of teenagers getting enough sleep, cautioning them that insufficient sleep can negatively affect their mental health.
Cut chores and kill chill time: new advice to boost children’s academic achievement
Determining a child’s best daily balance of sleep, activity and relaxation can be a challenge, but if you’re hoping to improve their academic results, then it’s time to cut back on chores and chill time, according to new research from the University of South Australia.
Recognizing signs of depression in teens as we head into a difficult winter
As National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month comes to a close, and health officials warn of a difficult pandemic winter ahead, it’s important for parents to know how to identify symptoms of depression in their teenagers — and what…
When can kids return to sports after COVID-19? Doctors weigh in
Pediatric cardiologists are offering important advice on if and when it is safe for children and teens to return to playing sports after recovering from COVID-19.
Increased attention to sad faces predicts depression risk in teenagers
Teenagers who tend to pay more attention to sad faces are more likely to develop depression, but specifically within the context of stress, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Teen Museum Educators Increase Engagement, Learning, in Tween Visitors
A new study finds teen docents at museums have an overall positive effect on visitor experiences, learning and information retention. The positive effects accrued across age groups regardless of museum type, but were most apparent in children ages 9 to 11.
Augmented reality helps teens tackle anxiety, head on
World first research that will test the ability of augmented reality to improve the delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as a treatment for symptoms of childhood anxiety among kids with asthma.
KU Cancer Center partners with Fox4 to host Teen Town Hall on Vaping
The University of Kansas Cancer Center has partnered with Fox4 and the Kansas City Kansas School district to host a town hall on vaping at Sumner Academy February 27.
Many Teens are Victims of Digital Dating Abuse; Boys Get the Brunt of It
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, but there is nothing romantic about new research illuminating how teen dating abuse is manifesting online. A study of U.S. middle and high school students showed that 28.1 percent had been the victim of at least one form of digital dating abuse. More than one-third had been the victim of traditional dating abuse (offline). Boys in heterosexual relationships experienced all forms of digital dating abuse more than girls and were even more likely to experience physical aggression.
It’s 2020: Time to Teach Teens ‘Safe’ Sexting
Telling youth not to “sext” doesn’t seem to be reducing the prevalence of them sharing nude photos or videos. A national sample of about 5,000 youth ages 12 to 17 showed 14 percent had sent and 23 percent had received sexually explicit images. Researchers say it’s time to teach teens ‘safe’ sexting and provide important tips to avoid significant and long-term consequences, such as humiliation, extortion, victimization, school sanction, reputational damage, and even criminal charges.
Me, me, me! How narcissism changes throughout life
New research from Michigan State University conducted the longest study on narcissism to date, revealing how it changes over time.
Mechanism connects early binge drinking to adult behaviors
Intermittent exposure to high levels of alcohol in adolescent animals leads to increased levels of microRNA-137 in the brains of adults; blocking the molecule helps to reverse or reduce the lasting effects of youth drinking, such as increased alcohol use and anxiety.
Study: Teens who have a loving relationship with their mother are less likely to enter abusive relationships
A mother’s warmth and acceptance toward her teenagers may help prevent those children from being in an abusive relationship later in life, even if her own marriage is contentious, according to a new University at Buffalo study.
‘Junk Food’ Diet May Predict Future Depression Symptoms in Teens
An innovative study finds that sodium and potassium levels—reflections of a person’s typical diet—may be predictors of future depression in teens. The first-of-its-kind study is published in Physiological Reports.