2+ hour, 52+ min ago  (751+ words) Somewhere along the way to adulthood, time to play fades away. We tend to trade silliness and imagination for seriousness and busyness. Yet there is clear evidence that adults benefit from playfulness just as children do. Research shows that adults…...

1+ mon, 4+ day ago  (600+ words) Researchers have linked spending more time playing video games with a boost in intelligence in children, which goes some way to contradicting the narrative that gaming is bad for young minds. While the difference in cognitive abilities was a small…...

1+ mon, 2+ week ago  (590+ words) Precise changes in the connectivity between neurons caused by an imbalance of gut bacteria may help explain depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder, a new animal study suggests. Researchers from Zhejiang University in China used fecal transplants to transfer gut bacteria…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago  (948+ words) Online short-form video has shifted from a light distraction to a constant backdrop in many children's lives. What used to fill a spare moment now shapes how young people relax, communicate, and form opinions, with TikTok, Instagram Reels, Douyin, and…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago  (964+ words) After months of anticipation and debate, Australia's social media ban is now in force. Young Australians under 16 must now come to grips with the new reality of being unable to have an account on some social media platforms, including Instagram,…...

2+ mon, 2+ week ago  (602+ words) We're fast learning how smartphones impact childhood, and the findings of a new study about young tweens on the cusp of adolescence make for some more uncomfortable reading. Researchers in the US have found that owning a phone at the…...

3+ mon, 3+ day ago  (475+ words) Led by researchers from Comenius University in Slovakia, the study used stool samples to assess the gut microbiomes of 117 children. The exploratory study included 30 boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 21 girls with anorexia nervosa, and 14 children with attention deficit hyperactivity…...

3+ mon, 4+ week ago  (567+ words) 'Forever chemicals' already have a shocking reputation, and now new research has linked these substances " named for the way they stick around in the environment for so long " to brain changes in children born to mothers exposed to common PFAS…...

4+ mon, 6+ day ago  (545+ words) Lead is often thought of as a modern toxin, but a new study has found that it's been haunting us and our ancestors for almost 2 million years. Stranger still, exposure could actually have given humans an edge over our closest…...

4+ mon, 2+ week ago  (730+ words) Walk down the health aisle of any supermarket and you'll see shelves lined with brightly packaged vitamin and mineral supplements designed for children. These products promise to support immunity, boost brain development, and promote healthy growth " leading many parents to…...