News Articles

Here at Free Teens USA, we are having a debate about whether a Stanford professor is exaggerating the downsides of excessive time spent on video games and online porn (we DO agree that pornography can be both ADDICTIVE and DAMAGING to healthy male/female relationships) or to take his warning seriously. We’d like to ask YOUR opinion. Do you think playing video games is a healthy diversion for (mostly) guys or a potential sinkhole to avoid? Let us know what you think! The demise of guys: Stanford professor claims video games and online porn will lead to the extinction of men [...]

By Rebecca Ayer Courtesy of UGA Today Dating, especially during the teenage years, is thought to be an important way for young people to build self-identity, develop social skills, learn about other people, and grow emotionally. Yet new research from the University of Georgia has found that not dating can be an equally beneficial choice for teens. And in some ways, these teens fared even better. The study, published online in The Journal of School Health, found that adolescents who were not in romantic relationships during middle and high school had good social skills and low depression, and fared better [...]

By Evelyn M. Kappeler Courtesy of PubMed Central® One out of every eight people living in the United States today (about 42 million people) is a teenager.1 Most of these young people are healthy and developing well, and there is good cause for optimism in many areas of adolescent health. But too many teenagers still face preventable behavioral and mental health problems, substance abuse, injuries, violence, obesity, and other challenges. For example, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey concluded in 2013 that many high school students are still engaging in sexual risk behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and [...]

By Raushan Zhubanova Courtesy of Youth Time Magazine The society we live in that is well into the new millennium started to recognize serious concerns that affect the youth. Some issues have always been there but there have been new obstacles beginning to surface in the eyes of the public. American student news source The Bobcat View made up a list of 10 issues facing the youth today. How you find with them? Single Parent Households Since the 1950s, the numbers of the single parent households have significantly increased. Today, 14 million single parent homes are responsible for 28 million [...]

There’s new evidence that viewing habits can affect your thinking, political preferences, even cognitive ability. By Jonathan Rothwell Courtesy of New York Times Other than sleeping and working, Americans are more likely to watch television than engage in any other activity. A wave of new social science research shows that the quality of shows can influence us in important ways, shaping our thinking and political preferences, even affecting our cognitive ability. In this so-called golden age of television, some critics have pointed out that the best of the form is equivalent to the most enriching novels. And high-quality programming for [...]

Too old for camp. Too young to get a job. What to do? If you start early and know where to look, there's plenty out there to keep older kids happy and busy during summer break. By Connie Matthiessen Courtesy of Great Schools It’s a parent’s summertime nightmare. While you’re at work all day, your tween or teen is at home. Alone. With nothing to do. So what does she do? She turns your house into party central. This nightmare is exactly what happened to psychologist John Duffy’s clients, a family in a well-heeled Chicago suburb. “Every day when the parents [...]

By Lisa Damour Courtesy of the New York Times The arrival of spring is often prime time for hay fever, but adolescents seem to be able to develop an allergy to their parents, either intermittent or chronic, at any time of the year. This allergy usually has a sudden onset around age 13 and can last for months or, in some cases, years. While it’s no fun to become the parent who cannot order food or hum along to a song without irritating his or her own child, we’re better able to ride out this temporary adolescent affliction when we [...]

The good news about today's youth: 7 positive trends show them behaving more virtuously than earlier generations By Kristy Cooper Courtesy of Good News Network Have teens gotten a bad rap in recent years? They are typically characterized as self-involved, reckless, and only interested in “sharing” on their phones, but the youth of today, in reality, are actually behaving more virtuously than they have in a long time. Statistics tell an optimistic story. From smoking and drug use to unwanted pregnancies and abortions, the trends today show most teenagers making good choices. They are even volunteering in their communities more [...]

Four tips that will increase your child's happiness. By Marilyn Price-Mitchell Ph.D. Courtesy of Psychology Today Learning how to set and maintain emotional boundaries is an important part of growing up. It is also a key to developing relationships that are supportive, caring, and respectful. These kinds of positive relationships create the foundation for lifelong happiness. Unfortunately, many adults have difficulty setting their own emotional boundaries, let alone teaching their children. The reasons are simple. Setting boundaries is uncomfortable, forces us to speak for ourselves, and seldom results in a “thank you” from others. Yet, it is one of the [...]