Children
Why Kids Need More Freedom
Psychologist Peter Gray discusses why kids need more unstructured play, how schools are fueling childhood anxiety, and why smartphones aren’t to blame.
Restoring Childhood Says It's Not Smartphones Making Teens Miserable. It's School.
Computers, video games, and the internet actually helped "restore childhood" in the 1990s, suggests psychologist Peter Gray in a new book. Then changes to our education system reversed those gains.
There's No Market Failure in Choosing to Stay Home. So Why Subsidize It?
J.D. Vance would like to give money to people for choices they're already making—without a workable plan to actually pay for it.
The Lindsay Clancy Jury Was Tasked With an Impossible Question
In the court of public opinion, there is little room for ambiguity here. But those who watched the trial know that reality is far less satisfying.
Lindsay Clancy, Heehaw the Donkey, and New Magneto Origins
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi discuss the stalled jury deliberations in Lindsay Clancy’s case and the police killing of Heehaw.
Virginia Mom Gets 6-Month Suspended Jail Sentence for Letting 5-Year-Old Walk to the Pond
The government also placed Karyann Parkinson on its child abuse and neglect registry, where she will remain for seven years.
Haidt's Moment
Plus: The scourge of scromiting, blaming air traffic control, and more...
A Federal Judge Just Struck Down Texas' Anti-Drag Law, Again
A Texas law restricting “sexually oriented performances” was struck down after a federal judge said it could apply to everything from cheerleading to karaoke to performances by Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and Miley Cyrus.
Study: Most Mealtime Screen Time Is TV, Not Social Media
What a new study of mealtime screen time does—and does not—say.
Forget the Population Bomb. The New Fear Is a Population Implosion.
Overpopulation panic is sooooo 20th Century! Welcome to the era of depopulation dread.
The War on Free-Range Kids Makes The New York Times
For too long, the government has acted as if any child venturing out unsupervised is in danger—and has negligent parents.
A Pennsylvania Mom Says the Cops Were Called on Her 4 Times—for Letting Her Kids Be Outside
State lawmakers are mulling a law that would establish commonsense protections for families that give their children a reasonable amount of independence.
'Class Divide' in Teen Social Media Habits Could Explain Differences Between Heavy and Light Users
A new survey finds most teens use social media moderately, though class divides persist.
European Commission Moves Us One Step Closer to the End of the Open Internet
It's coming faster than you might think.
How Do We Feel About Women's Work?
Plus: Rampant illiteracy, teen-suicide rates and screens, and more...
Responding to the "Birth Tourism" Objection to Birthright Citizenship
Not only is the problem overblown. It isn't really a problem at all. It's also irrelevant to the constitutional question addressed by the Supreme Court.
Over 100,000 Kids Have Died Due to Greenpeace Blocking Genetically Enhanced Rice, New Calculation Shows
Anti-technology activists have blocked the adoption of Golden Rice, which is genetically enhanced to produce the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene, for over two decades.
Carded Before Sexting?
The U.K. says tech companies have three months to stop minors from sending or receiving nude images—and universal identity checks for phone users may be the only way forward.
Police Kill 1-Year-Old Boy by Shooting Into Car of Suspected Shoplifters
The suspects—his mother and aunt—were accused of shoplifting diapers from Walmart.
Britain Wants To Ban Teens From Social Media. The Evidence Suggests It Won't Work.
Britain is following Australia into a policy that has already struggled to keep children off social media, while forcing adults through intrusive age checks.
New Embryo Editing Technique Takes Us a Step Closer to Designing Babies Without Disease
Gene-editing human embryos may now be a reality.
The Surgeon General's Screen Warning Is Not Science
The screen time advisory reveals why we don’t need a surgeon general.
The FCC Wants Warning Labels for Shows With 'Transgender' Content
But free speech advocates are pushing back.
Is Private Equity Really 'Buying Up the Rituals of American Childhood'?
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy says that capitalism is killing youth hockey and fueling a "crisis of resentment." But who exactly is pissed?
The Smartphone Theory of Birth Rate Decline Doesn't Hold Up
Fertility rates started falling centuries before the iPhone was introduced.
A New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Protect Free-Range Parenting and Redefine Neglect
Lawmakers cite examples of parents who were investigated for letting their kids play outside and walk to the store, among other ordinary childhood activities.
The Real Lord of the Flies Story Netflix Isn't Telling
The famous novel portrays kids as savages when left to their own devices. But is that actually true?
The Happy Capitalism of Richard Scarry's Busytown
Welcome to the pro-market world of children's book author and illustrator Richard Scarry.
How a Bill Banning AI Companions for Kids Could Usher in Widespread ID Checks Online
Plus: Supreme Court pauses ban on mail-order abortion pills, TikTok's artistic merit, a defense of pickup artists, and more...
Zyn Pouches Are Safer Than Cigarettes. Why Are Some Politicians Targeting Them?
Making less harmful products harder to get pushes people toward more dangerous ones.
Conservatives Want the Government To Pay Americans To Get Married and Have Kids
A Heritage Foundation report proposes tax credits and family accounts to incentivize family formation.
Most Young Australians Successfully Evade the Country's Social Media Ban
The anxious generation is proving more tech savvy than regulators.
Child Care Costs Over $13,000 a Year. Regulation Is a Big Reason Why.
Government rules have made it far more expensive for families.
Their Children Were Alone Outside. So Police Visited the Family—Twice.
Nick and Shaley Knickerbocker’s story shows how some people’s idea of “neglect” goes well beyond real risk.
Zoning's War on Cuddly Animals, Cute Kids, and Christian Charity
A recent string of zoning controversies show how land use regulations have become the enemy of all good things.
Sex Educators Say They're Being Harmed by Age Verification Laws
Plus: Wisconsin governor vetoes porn age-check bill, more charges for penis protester, the Komodo dragon theory of social media, and more...
A Jury Approves Damages After 2 Texas Cops Snatched a Supposedly 'Abandoned' Girl From Her Home
The jurors concluded that the officers violated the Fourth and 14th amendments when they seized a 14-year-old without evidence that she was in danger.
Taylor Lorenz: Is Social Media Responsible for Bad Parenting?
Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz discusses the Meta trial, the moral panic around social media, and the risks of regulating online speech.
#Addiction
Plus: Meta and Google found liable, what the verdict means, an OnlyFans-style campaign website, and more...
A Jury Hit Meta With a $375 Million Verdict. The Open Internet May Pay the Price.
Meta's loss in a New Mexico "product design" case could also be a blow against Section 230, free speech, and online privacy.
Court Backs First-Grader in Suit Over School Reaction to 'Any Life' Matters Drawing
Yes, 6-year-old students have First Amendment rights, the 9th Circuit says.
Blame Overregulation for High Child Care Costs
Politicians like New York’s Mayor Mamdani promise to solve a problem that they created.
A 'Goldilocks' Effect for Online Teens? Moderate Social Media Users Fare Better Than Abstainers or Heavy Users
“Both abstinence and excessive use can be problematic,” researchers suggest.
Why Mamdani's 'Free Child Care' Won't Work
The more the government intervenes in the market, the more New York parents pay for child care.
