Jonathan Haidt: Kids Should Put Down the Phones and Take More Risks
"We're too afraid they'll get abducted," says the author of The Anxious Generation. "That sets kids up to be weaker."
Children
Lawmakers Want To Shield Kids From AI Chatbots. But Restricting Them Could Cut Off a Mental Health Lifeline.
Crackdowns on AI chatbots over perceived risks to children's safety could ultimately put more children at risk.
How We Criminalized Childhood
Journalist and activist Lenore Skenazy explains how fear and over-parenting left kids more anxious and less independent, and and how a movement to restore that independence is gaining ground.
The Federal Trade Commission Goes After Pornhub
Plus: Nepal bans social media platforms and kills protesters, MAGA's war on the tech industry intensifies, and more...
Florida Boy Walked to Chick-Fil-A Alone. Police Returned Him Home and Didn't Arrest His Parents.
Five-year-old William woke early and snuck out for Chick-n-Minis. When cops were called, they spared the boy’s parents, breaking from their all-too-common habit of arresting and charging parents with neglect.
More Age Verification Fallout: Artist Blogs Blocked, Porn Data Leaked, Traffic Boosts for Noncompliant Sites
Unintended—but entirely predictable—consequences abound!
Should We Take More Kids From Their Homes or Fewer?
When children are abused, we want government to step in. But Child Protective Services sometimes goes too far.
Bluesky Blocks Mississippi Users
Age verification laws are already coming for Americans’ access to free speech.
Do Phones Really Wreck Kids' Lives?
"If your kids went through puberty on a smartphone with social media, they came out different than human beings before that," argues psychologist Jonathan Haidt.
Deb Fillman: Why Do We Send Kids to School?
Education writer and entrepreneur Deb Fillman joins Just Asking Questions to discuss the tenuous relationship between school and education.
Child Protective Services Investigated Her 4 Times Because She Let Her Kids Play Outside
A mom who trusted her kids to play outside ended up under repeated investigation.
Kids Don't Want Screens—They Want Freedom
A new poll finds that children crave real-world play with friends, not more screen time. But we’ve made that nearly impossible.
'Subway Surfing' Death Suit Against TikTok, Meta Further Chips Away at Section 230
Norma Nazario blames her son's death on social media algorithms.
How Portuguese Culture Makes It Easier To Parent
The Portuguese recognize that having children shouldn't relegate people to explicitly kid-friendly spaces.
Georgia Couple Whose Daughters Were Taken After False Child Abuse Claims File Lawsuit
Matt and Tuckey Hernandez lost their daughters for two years after their infant's medical issues were misidentified as abuse.
Legislation Will Not Protect Kids Online
New laws aimed at protecting kids online won’t work, and could even make things worse. Parents, not politicians, are the best defense against digital dangers.
Socialists Don't Understand Motherhood
To the socialist mind, families are not forces for good; they’re competitors to the state.
The 5th Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for a Child-Snatching Texas Cop Who Falsely Alleged Abandonment
Alexandra Weaver argued that she could not reasonably have been expected to know her actions were unconstitutional.
Reason Earns 15 Southern California Journalism Awards
First-place finishes include a piece on the Dutch "dropping" rite of passage, a documentary exploring citizen journalism and free speech, and a long-form interview with exoneree Amanda Knox.
Appeals Court Blocks Louisiana Ten Commandments in Classrooms Law
"If H.B. 71 goes into effect, Students will be subjected to unwelcome displays of the Ten Commandments for the entirety of their public school education. There is no opt-out option," the court's opinion reads.
Supreme Court Rules, Again, That Different Standards for Discrimination Plaintiffs Are Unconstitutional
The Court ruled unanimously in favor of a disabled teenage girl and her family, who faced a higher bar to prove that her school discriminated against her.
Aspen Police Department Warns Kids Having Fun Is a Crime
“You could end up with a ticket or a trip to the emergency room.”
FTC Pivots From Competition to Children
The result is the same: attacks on tech companies and attempts to violate Americans' rights.
Chronic Absenteeism Hasn't Gone Away After Lockdowns. Research Shows Poor Kids Are Hurt Most.
"The income gap really was the main driver that showed up over and over again," said one researcher.
C. Bradley Thompson and Jeremiah Johnson: Rise of the 'MAGA Manosphere'
Did mainstream conservatives and libertarians lose a generation of young men to the reactionary right?
Mothers Are Losing Custody Over Sketchy Drug Tests
Some hospitals are even reporting women for testing positive for drugs that were given to them during labor.
California Sex Trafficking Fight Erupts Over Punishment for Soliciting Minors
Democrats did the right thing, got attacked for it, then caved.
Ross Douthat: Why Digital Life Threatens Freedom and Family
The New York Times columnist warns that digital life may be eroding the cultural foundations needed to sustain meaning, family, and community.
Texas Closed Its Investigation Against These Parents. Why Are Their Names on a Child Abuse Registry?
A medical dispute over jaundice treatment prompted the state to take custody of Rodney and Temecia Jackson’s daughter for more than three weeks.
Will Florida Teens With Sexually Transmitted Diseases Have To Tell Their Parents Before They Can Get Treatment?
These bills would require exactly that—and a lot more.
Trump's New Birth Rate Plan: Menstrual Education?
The administration is reportedly considering government-funded menstrual education, affirmative action for parents, and $5,000 baby bonuses.
Does Tween Tech Study Prove Jonathan Haidt Right?
Nope, but it does show how complicated the issue is.
BBC Grills Member of Parliament for Not Watching Enough TV
Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch said she doesn’t have to watch Adolescence to understand the show’s themes.
Can a Pop Song Violate Children's Rights?
In Colombia, a court claims the answer is yes. Could that happen here?
Study: Kids With Smartphones Are Less Depressed, Anxious, Bullied Than Peers Without Them
A large new study finds smartphone ownership positively correlated with multiple measures of well being in 11- to 13-year-old kids.
Passport Applicants May Have To Affirm That They Are 'Not Required To Register' As Sex Offenders
The proposed State Department policy would add to the irrational burdens that registrants face.
Study: Age-Verification Laws Don't Work
At least not if the goal is keeping minors from viewing porn.
Why Do I Keep Finding Padlocked Playgrounds in New York City?
We're hemorrhaging our child population for a reason.
The Government Named This Baby 'Unakite Thirteen Hotel.' Years Later, Her Father Still Can't Change It.
He also can't get a birth certificate or Social Security number for his daughter.
Gay Penguins Face Florida's Classroom Speech Regulations
The authors of a picture book about two male penguins raising a chick together argue excluding their book from school libraries violates their free speech rights.
New Hampshire's Bad Parenting Bill Is a Nightmare
"I happen to be a tax-and-spend liberal," says Richard Wexler, "but this bill provides not one iota of additional help."
