Category: Youngsters

The teenage risk taking brain, maybe it’s not the prefrontal cortex after all

Eveline Crone already discussed it in her 2012 Nature review, “developmental neuroimaging studies do not support a simple model of frontal cortical immaturity” in explaining the risk-taking behavior of teens. This weekend an alternative explanation is given by Beatriz Luna, Ph.D., Staunton Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Pitt School of Medicine, in a panel discussion and press… Read More The teenage risk taking brain, maybe it’s not the prefrontal cortex after all

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Study says LGBT teens who come out at school have better self-esteem

It’s still often not easy, being a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adolescent even if on many places people are (finally) getting less prejudiced about it.  According to a new study led by University of Arizona researcher Stephen Russell, teens who come out at school have higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression as young adults,… Read More Study says LGBT teens who come out at school have better self-esteem

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Parents with traditional beliefs about gender may shortchange daughters on playing sports

I discussed the bias regarding girls a couple of times on this blog (e.g. check here), although girls are often outperforming boys (check e.g. here). This new study from the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology looks at the beliefds of parents and the link to girls playing sports. Parents with the most traditional beliefs… Read More Parents with traditional beliefs about gender may shortchange daughters on playing sports

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Can tutoring for math lower crime rates? Can a education program show a Nobel Prize winner wrong?

It could have been a typical Freakonomics-question, can teaching more math lower the crime rates? I was asked this question by Belgian radio on Monday based on this article in the NY Times: Closing the Math Gap for Boys. The article discusses a very interesting “math-tutoring-on-steroids experiment” in Chicago for teenagers who were as many as seven years… Read More Can tutoring for math lower crime rates? Can a education program show a Nobel Prize winner wrong?

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Creepy advice for parents: how to let your kid become a social media superstar

To be clear, this is a parody, still makes you think… “With the help of trained professionals, parents can help their children build a social ecosystem that will effect millions and maybe billions of people—and hopefully make millions and maybe someday even billions of dollars.” [Jessi Smiles, Vine-superster]

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Plea to reopen the screen time debate as the recommended guidelines are exceeded on a daily basis

The recommendations are probably well known. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an update in 2013 and the basis ideas are: Children should be limited to less than two hours of entertainment-based screen time per day, they shouldn’t have TVs or Internet access in their bedrooms, television and other entertainment media should be avoided for… Read More Plea to reopen the screen time debate as the recommended guidelines are exceeded on a daily basis

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Good read: Smartphones Don’t Make Us Dumb

Daniel Willingham is writing again. Some time ago the cognitive psychologist announced a blogging sabbatical but now he published short reviews of five books and this OpEd in the NY Times on smartphones allegedly making us dumber. He explains this is not the case (or rather that we don’t have much evidence for it). His conclusion is… Read More Good read: Smartphones Don’t Make Us Dumb

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For anyone who shared the post by a real teen on social media: read this post by danah boyd

I received the link a couple of times, Andrew Watts’ “A Teenager’s View on Social Media written by an actual teen.” I didn’t share it myself, danah boyd now explains why in this post I do share.  She is both harsh and correct. A first excerpt: Andrew’s depiction of his peers’ use of social media is… Read More For anyone who shared the post by a real teen on social media: read this post by danah boyd

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Both positive and negative experiences influence how genes affect the brain and behavior

Although media reports on genes are often misleading, this research shows how both positive and negative experiences influence how genetic variants affect the brain and thereby behavior. Maybe influence is not the correct word, ‘are associated with’ or ‘are correlated with’ seems more correct, as I look at the research. On the other hand, the interaction… Read More Both positive and negative experiences influence how genes affect the brain and behavior

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Teens aren’t shallow part 2: Teens create automated aeroponics garden kit with NASA tech

It’s not my plan to make a series about it, but this post does feel as a second part to this post on kids and Rembrandts’ famous ‘Nachtwacht’ painting. Check this video (HT @baekdal): The explanation: 5-year-old Erik Meike and Briana Das, along with their 12-year-old sisters Elise and Leona, wanted to create a “No-Touch… Read More Teens aren’t shallow part 2: Teens create automated aeroponics garden kit with NASA tech

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