Teenager

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia's new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalisation and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. And like efforts of the past to protect kids from things that parents believe they're not ready for, the nation's move is both ambitious and not exactly simple, particularly in a world where young people are often shaped, defined and judged by the online company they keep. The ban won't go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That's not clear, nor will it be easy. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have become so ingrained in young people's lives that going cold turkey will be ...

Debate over the internet use for children grows as Australia bans social media for teenagers under 16, sensing its negative impact. Here's how it is affecting them

14-year-old US teen ended his life after decided to "go home" and meet the "love" of his life, Daenerys Targaryen, a chatbot named after the leading character from the HBO drama series Game of Thrones

Users of such accounts can only be messaged and tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected to, while sensitive content settings will be dialed to the most restrictive available

YouTube stated that, although these videos do not violate its guidelines, experts have warned that repeated exposure could harm users' well-being

Granting bail to a man who allegedly eloped with and married a minor girl, the Allahabad High Court has expressed concern over the POCSO Act being "misused" in cases involving consensual romantic relationships between teenagers. Justice Krishan Pahal said the challenge lies in distinguishing between genuine cases of exploitation and those involving consensual relationships. "While the POCSO Act's primary objective is to protect children under the age of majority (18) from sexual exploitation, there are cases where it has been misused, particularly in consensual romantic relationships between teenage persons " the court said in its order dated July 3. "The challenge lies in distinguishing between genuine cases of exploitation and those involving consensual relationships. This requires a nuanced approach and careful judicial consideration to ensure justice is served appropriately," it said. Granting bail to the accused, Satish alias Chand, Justice Pahal said, "Admittedly, the age of

Banning phones in schools to limited screen times at home: Vivek Murthy is advocating for proactive steps by all to safeguard mental health of the youth on social media platforms

The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) here on Wednesday extended till June 25 the observation home remand of a 17-year-old boy allegedly involved in a car crash that killed two IT engineers in Pune last month. The Pune police through prosecutors sought the extension of the juvenile's custody for another 14 days at the observation home citing his safety. He was in the observation home remand till June 12. They also told the board that the teen's release at the current juncture may hinder the ongoing investigation into the case and other related matters, including alleged swapping of his blood samples taken after the May 19 accident. The defence opposed the Pune police's remand extension plea and told the board the minor must be released from the observation facility. After hearing arguments of both sides, the JJB extended the boy's stay at the observation home till June 25. The Porsche car driven by the teenager, son of builder Vishal Agrawal, crashed into a motorbike in the early hour

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The accused teenager's one of the friends and the former's driver who were accompanying him in the car when the accident occurred in Kalyani Nagar area, were also questioned

The hospital and Chennai-based NGO helped Pakistani family settle bill of more than Rs 35 lakh for the transplant

The attack comes as Sydney reels from a mass stabbing on Saturday at a shopping mall near the city's famed Bondi Beach that left six people dead and at least 12 injured

These measures come as regulatory bodies across the globe have been raising questions about the safety of children on these social media platforms

More than 86.8 per cent youngsters in the 14-18 years age bracket in the country are enrolled in educational institutions, while more than half of them opt for the humanities stream, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released on Wednesday. While the report noted small gender gaps in enrolment, it flagged notable differences between age groups. "Older youth are more likely to be not enrolled. The percentage of youth not enrolled is 3.9 per cent for 14-year-old youth and 32.6 per cent for 18-year-olds," the report said. Last year's report showed that the enrolment levels of children in the age bracket of six to 14 years had gone up from 96.6 per cent in 2010 to 96.7 per cent in 2014 and from 97.2 per cent in 2018 to 98.4 per cent in 2022. The report said more than 55 per cent students of Classes 11-12 opt for humanities, followed by science and commerce. It also pointed out that females are less likely to be enrolled in the STEM (science, technology, engineer

If you want to get financial independence at an early age you can begin your small business. Here are the 10 best business ideas for teens and young entrepreneurs

The BBC said Sunday that it has suspended a leading presenter who is alleged to have paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos. As senior British politicians urged a rapid investigation, the broadcaster said it was working to establish the facts of a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances. The UK's publicly funded national broadcaster was scrambling to head off a worsening crisis after The Sun newspaper reported allegations that the male presenter gave a youth 35,000 pounds ($45,000) starting in 2020 when the young person was 17. Neither the star nor the youth was identified. Amid speculation on social media about the identity of the presenter, several of the BBC's best-known stars spoke up to say it wasn't them. Though the age of sexual consent in Britain is 16, it's a crime to make or possess indecent images of anyone under 18. The Sun said the young person's mother had complained to the BBC in May but that the presenter had remained on the air. The BBC said in a state

"Any strategy to invite young users into a digital space rife with potential harms should not be driven by a goal to maximise profit," the senators wrote

Teenagers from underprivileged homes are more likely to report an addiction to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social media, according to studies

The West Bengal government in collaboration with UNICEF will form child-friendly sanghas' (clusters), comprising members of self-help groups, to curb child marriage and teenage pregnancy in the state, which is the highest in the country. To stop these twin menaces, the state government and UNICEF have planned, as a pilot project, to form 110 child-friendly sanghas' in the next six months in 87 blocks in all 23 districts of the state, a UNICEF release said here. "This initiative is aimed at addressing the issues that affect the lives of SHG members and their family members," Vibhu Goel, State Mission Director and CEO of West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM), said at the end of a validation workshop held here on Friday. West Bengal is at the top in cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancy, according to a National Family Health Survey report. As per the data available, after the National Family Health Survey-5 was conducted in 2019-20, a total 41.6 per cent of women a

Electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs will pay nearly USD 440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 states into the marketing of its high-nicotine vaping products, which have long been blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the deal Tuesday on behalf of the states plus Puerto Rico, which joined together in 2020 to probe Juul's early promotions and claims about the safety and benefits of its technology as a smoking alternative. The settlement resolves one of the biggest legal threats facing the beleaguered company, which still faces nine separate lawsuits from other states. Additionally, Juul faces hundreds of personal suits brought on behalf of teenagers and others who say they became addicted to the company's vaping products. The state investigation found that Juul marketed its e-cigarettes to underage teens with launch parties, product giveaways and ads and social media posts using youthful models, accordi