The link between social media and mental health continues to dominate headlines across the media landscape as we learn more about its impact on all of us, especially our kids. It seems we cannot escape the gloomy news nor the doomsday forecast for our kids as they age in the era of social first. For this reason, I was inspired this week by one mom’s first-hand lesson on how to handle potentially dangerous social media posts your kids encounter as more tweens and teens use these platforms to express their self-harm and suicidal ideations. It is also critical that we check in with our kids about their mental health and foster open and honest conversations about mental illness. I was also inspired by a group of USC students who were able to launch a rocket into space, and encouraged by the scientists who are testing emotionally-aware robots as models for children with autism. And lastly, I am heartened by those climate change activists who are working tirelessly against the clock to save our world from the negative impacts of climate change on our children’s health and future.
Here are my picks for the top Parenting for the Future stories this week:
Science says parents of successful kids have these 23 things in common
Did you know that all those hours spent at work away from your kids may actually be doing them good? These 23 things tend to create more successful kids.
How to talk to your kids about their mental health
Stay on top of your child’s mental health by learning to have the right conversations with them and to be open and honest about your own mental health.
Social media, self harm and suicide. How can parents help kids help a friend?
With incidents of suicide and self harm on the rise among tweens and young teens, and social media now a platform for this type of content — it’s almost inevitable your child will come across these kinds of posts. Here’s how you can both prepare to handle this type of serious situation.
Are Baby Boomers Putting Their Millennial Children At Financial Risk?
Wall Street Journal writer Joseph C. Sternberg thinks baby boomer parents have made it much harder for millennials to achieve financial success while trying to assure their own.
A rocket built by students reached space for the first time
University of Southern California students emerged victorious in a race among US and UK college students to see who would send a rocket above the Kármán line — the imaginary boundary that separates Earth’s atmosphere and space — making them the second amateur team in history to achieve this space success.
Empathic AI mirrors human emotions to help autistic children
Emotionally aware robots may be used to teach children on the autism spectrum to model human emotions.
New drug trial in Auckland could make life easier for autistic children
Scientists in New Zealand are hopeful that two new drugs that alter a person’s gut health may help people with autism struggling with anxiety and social pragmatic skills that can can impact learning and long-term success.
IIHMR University Jaipur ventures into the world of activism via a film on Climate Change
IIHMR University Jaipure’s film highlights climate change’s impact on children’s health — specifically how the rise in temperature, water scarcity, and air pollution have created water-borne diseases and dangerous respiratory conditions in one of the world’s hardest hit areas the Sundarbans, the mangrove forest delta shared by India and Bangladesh.
Climate change: Extreme weather linked to childhood gastro
Scientists have discovered a common parasite linked to childhood gastro issues that may be caused by extreme weather conditions attributed to climate change. Heavy rainfalls and flooding flush the parasite through drinking water resulting in gastro issues for kids, especially in those younger than five.