"Preteens and teens may appear dazzlingly fluent, flitting among social-media sites, uploading selfies and texting friends. But they're often clueless about evaluating the accuracy and trustworthiness of what they find.
Some 82% of middle-schoolers couldn't distinguish between an ad labeled "sponsored content" and a real news story on a website, according to a Stanford University study of 7,804 students from middle school through college. The study, set for release Tuesday, is the biggest so far on how teens evaluate information they find online. Many students judged the credibility of newsy tweets based on how much detail they contained or whether a large photo was attached, rather than on the source."
"Plenty of adults remember their junior high years as more angsty than amazing. But there's a lot to like about the preteen and early teen years. For many kids, middle school is the first time they've gotten to tackle meaty, adult topics in class, whether it's biology or the Civil War. In that spirit, we've compiled a list of eight outstanding educational apps to give your middle school student some extra resources for the new school year. "
"As adults witness the rising tides of teenaged anxiety, it's tough not to notice a common thread that runs through the epidemic - something that past generations never dealt with. Clutched in the hand of nearly every teen is a smartphone, buzzing and beeping and blinking with social media notifications.
Parents, all too often, just want to grab their teen's phone and stuff it in a drawer. But is social media and the omnipresence of digital interactions really the cause of all this anxiety?
The short answer is: It's complicated."
"Forget the image of a sulky video gamer alone in his bedroom with a computer and three days' worth of pizza boxes. Now that esports - live video game competitions - are a high school sport, young game enthusiasts might be moving into the spotlight. These kids aren't just taking over high school computer labs across the country; they're changing what it means to be a student athlete. And while you may not relish the idea of your kid spending even more time playing video games, pro gamers can make big bucks - and top student esports players can even win college scholarships."