Social Media

It is often discussed that social media can be persuasive and misleading for those who over-indulge. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently conducted a study wherein students who had not yet started drinking took a survey that indicated their perception of their peers based on the number of “likes” they received, particularly […]

Every month, we keep you informed on the latest studies and research in our “Not My Teen” blog series. Today, we’re looking at the latest viral internet challenge that is putting teens at risk, the Tide Pod Challenge. You may have heard about the latest risky behavior some teens have been taking part in, The Tide […]

We are barely into the New Year and have had headlines of young people that have taken their lives after emotionally struggling with online and offline bullying. Unfortunately, Bullycide is now a term we have become too familiar with. From 14 year-old Dolly Everett in Australia, to 12 year-old Gabriella Green in Florida, to 13 […]

Teens today live and breathe for their cyber-life. It can even be more important to them than their offline activities. From generating “likes” to acquiring cyber-friends, youth today will build their self-worth on a digital barometer that can be extremely unhealthy as much of it is unrealistic. One thing is certain: It is tragic and […]

Over the last 20 years, the environment in which an American child grows up has changed drastically. Information technology was nowhere nearly as advanced, the internet was a dial-up modem and a mobile phone often resembled a bulky, plastic brick. The idea of combining the clunky dial-up modem and the bulky phone-brick was inconceivable. And […]

Today’s teenagers spend more time behind screens than ever before and social networks are now regular modes of communication, expression and affirmation. A recent Huffington Post article explored how this constant connection influences teens’ physical, mental and psychological health, and looked to several studies for answers. In a study from the Centre for Addiction and […]