APA Blogs
20 Results
Need a Break from Social Media and AI Chatbots? Here’s How to Do it
- By John Torous, M.D., and Nicole M. Benson, M.D., MBI
Whether you are a teen or anyone who has ever used social media (more than 80% of the US population (1)) or tried an AI chatbot, you’ve probably noticed two digital forces pulling for your attention at the same time: social media feeds that never end and AI chatbots that always want to answer. Neither is inherently “good” or “bad.” But both can quietly reshape mood, sleep, stress, and how you cope, especially when they become the default way to unwind, vent, or avoid hard feelings. Up to 95% of teenagers are active online (2).
Work Hard, Play Hard: Rethinking a Culture of Alcohol Use in Team Sports
Sports and alcohol use have long been intertwined, from beer sponsors at games to celebratory or consolatory drinks with the team after a match. For many athletes, especially those involved in team sports, these social norms can shape what “normal” drinking looks like. Indeed, adolescent athletes are more likely to use alcohol than their non-athlete peers, and those involved in team sports have higher rates of substance use disorders than those in individual sports.
Teens at Risk of Suicide Share Their Reasons for Living
New research shows that teens at risk of suicide say their reasons for living are “family,” “friends,” “sister,” and “brother.” These insights matter because understanding their reasons to live can be important in helping to improve therapy and prevent suicide.
Mindfulness Program Helps with College Stresses
Heading off to college often brings a great deal of change, and with it, significant stress. A program developed at the University of Washington, the Be REAL (REsilient Attitudes and Living), program may help. Be REAL is designed to promote the well-being of high-school age youth, college students, and staff, and its effectiveness is supported by research.
Youth Perspectives on Climate Change and Mental Health
Two new studies look at youth concerns about climate change and its impacts, including mental health, and at the impacts on youth mental health of exposure to climate-related disasters and mental distress.