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Op-Ed: Teens Actually Don't Love AI in Their Schools
Op-Ed: There's a Teen
Rebellion Afoot Over AI
OPINION
Mar 12, 2026 2:40 PM CDT

Op-Ed: There's a Teen Rebellion Afoot Over AI

Writing for NYT , Jessica Grose details pushback against surveillance in schools, teachers' AI use

(Newser) - Teen rebellion these days isn't about sneaking in more screen time: It's about demanding less of it, and on one's own terms. In a New York Times opinion piece , Jessica Grose spotlights teens who are pushing back against school tech policies, surveillance software, and even their teachers'...

Chatbots Helped 'Teens' Plan Real-World Violence
Chatbots Thought
They Were Teens,
Encouraged
Violence
INVESTIGATION
Mar 11, 2026 9:40 AM CDT

Chatbots Thought They Were Teens, Encouraged Violence

In tests run by CNN and Center for Countering Digital Hate, AI offered maps, weapon tips, targets

(Newser) - An ample group of chatbots aimed at helping people think and learn instead helped teenagers figure out where to go and what to use to hurt people. In hundreds of controlled tests run by CNN and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, accounts designed to appear as if they were...

FDA Scales Back Support of Drug for Autism Treatment

Agency instead approves leucovorin only for ultra-rare folate disorder, despite RFK Jr. lauding it in fall

(Newser) - Federal regulators are distancing themselves from earlier optimism about a cheap, decades-old drug touted as a potential breakthrough for children with autism. Per Politico , two senior FDA officials said on Monday that the agency doesn't have enough solid evidence to support leucovorin (aka folinic acid) as an autism treatment—...

Dozens Injured in Peru Nightclub Bombing

No motive or claims of responsibility revealed yet after blast at Dali, in Trujillo province

(Newser) - A bombing at a nightclub in Peru has injured 33 people, including minors, authorities said Saturday. The explosion happened in the predawn hours at the Dali nightclub in the province of Trujillo, along Peru's northern coast, according to a statement from the local Emergency Operations Center. It's a region...

It's a Grim Outlook for Kids' Obesity Rates

World Obesity Federation projects that 227M kids globally will be considered obese by 2040

(Newser) - A new forecast says the world is on track to have more children living with obesity than ever. The World Obesity Federation's 2026 atlas projects that by 2040, about 227 million kids and teens ages 5 to 19 will be considered obese, up from roughly 180 million last year,...

Pediatricians Join the Fight to Boost Kids' Literacy

Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, is screening children as early as age 3

(Newser) - For some young children in Columbus, Ohio, reading assessments don't start in the classroom—they happen first in the doctor's office. With concerns rising about the nation's lagging childhood literacy rates, Nationwide Children's Hospital has begun screening children's literacy skills starting at age 3 during...

Instagram Will Alert Parents to Teens' Self-Harm Searches

Alerts will include guidance for parents on mental health conversations

(Newser) - Parents could soon get a digital heads-up if their teen is looking for the darkest corners of Instagram. Meta says that beginning next week, adults who've enabled Instagram's supervision tools will be notified when a teen repeatedly carries out searches for content or terms tied to suicide or...

Child Obesity Hits Record High, as Adult Rates Level Off

CDC data show 1 in 5 youths is now considered obese, up from 1 in 20 in the early '70s

(Newser) - American adults may finally be hitting a plateau on obesity. Kids, however, are not. Two new CDC reports based on decades of federal health survey data find, among other things, that 40.3% of US adults ages 20 and older were obese between August 2021 and August 2023, slightly below...

Eric Dane's Final Words to Kids Recorded Before His Death
Eric Dane's Final Words to Kids
Recorded Before His Death
in case you missed it
Feb 22, 2026 11:00 AM CST

Eric Dane's Final Words to Kids Recorded Before His Death

Late actor also had words of love for ex Gayheart; Grey's Anatomy co-star Dempsey pays tribute

(Newser) - Eric Dane's death from ALS has left fans reeling, but it's his family he was most concerned with at the end. People reports that the Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria actor recorded a final interview with Netflix's Famous Last Words before he died, with thoughts specifically for...

Parents, Get Ready for 'Chicken Banana'

It may be the new '6-7'—unless the trend has already passed, of course

(Newser) - If parents or anyone who spends time around grade-school kids hasn't heard the phrase "chicken banana" yet, just hang on, writes Sydni Ellis at SheKnows : "It's coming." The meaningless phrase hasn't hit the catchphrase stratosphere that "6-7" did among Gen Alpha, but don'...

Boy, 9, Severely Burned After Microwaving Viral Toy

Illinois hospital notes multiple similar burn cases tied to online challenges

(Newser) - A 9-year-old Illinois boy was left with serious burns after a viral challenge gone wrong. Loyola Medicine says Caleb Chabolla put his NeeDoh cube—a squishy sensory toy—into the microwave on Jan. 20 after hearing from a classmate that heating it up was a thing to try. His mother,...

Kelly Clarkson Ready to Move Onto Her 'Next Chapter'

She's ending her daytime talk show after 7 seasons to concentrate on her kids, music

(Newser) - Daytime TV is losing a big voice: Kelly Clarkson is shutting down her talk show after its seventh season wraps this fall. The decision was hers, she said in a social media post , explaining that stepping away from a daily schedule will let her put her two children first "...

TikTok Settles Ahead of Looming Youth Addiction Trial

Meta, YouTube are in the hot seat at trial amid accusations they deliberately harm kids

(Newser) - TikTok agreed to settle a landmark social media addiction lawsuit just before the trial kicked off, the plaintiff's attorneys confirmed. The social video platform was one of three companies—along with Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube—facing claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. A...

3 Brothers Drown in Icy Texas Pond
3 Brothers Drown
in Icy Texas Pond
Jan 27, 2026 12:16 PM CST

3 Brothers Drown in Icy Texas Pond

Tragedy in Bonham just one of many as extreme winter weather sweeps across nation

(Newser) - The toll from this week's winter storm grows: Three brothers, all under 10 years old, drowned after falling through the ice on a pond in Texas, a county sheriff said on Tuesday. The boys, ages 6, 8, and 9, died on Monday, according to Fannin County Sheriff Cody Shook...

Teens Can Say Goodbye to AI Characters on Meta

Instagram owner says access will be denied to minors until 'the updated experience is ready'

(Newser) - Meta is halting teens' access to artificial intelligence characters, at least temporarily, the company said in an updated blog post on Friday. Meta Platforms Inc., which own Instagram and WhatsApp, said that starting in the "coming weeks," teens will no longer be able to access AI characters, "...

To Shield Parents From Deportation, US Citizens Join 'PIP'

Parole in Place program allows US citizens to join military, keep undocumented parents, spouses safe

(Newser) - In parts of rural America, the pitch to join the military now comes with an unusual hook: It might keep your parents from being deported. A little-used federal program called Parole in Place, or PIP, has quietly turned into a recruiting tool for the National Guard, especially in immigrant-heavy pockets...

Police: Boy, 11, Shot Dad Dead After Nintendo Switch Dispute

Pennsylvania authorities say child used key to access gun safe after parents had gone to sleep

(Newser) - An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy is accused of fatally shooting his father after going to look for a confiscated Nintendo Switch, according to court records. The child has been charged with criminal homicide in the killing on Tuesday at the family's home in Duncannon Borough, about 20 miles north of...

New Research Good News for Tylenol, Bad News for Trump

Review of studies on acetaminophen boosts wide consensus that it doesn't up risk of autism, ADHD

(Newser) - A new review of studies has found that taking Tylenol during pregnancy doesn't up the risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities, adding to the growing body of research refuting claims made by the Trump administration. President Trump last year promoted unproven ties between the painkiller and autism, telling...

Hochul, Mamdani Team Up for Free NYC Child Care

New York Dems are set to unveil their plan at a Thursday presser

(Newser) - New York City parents may soon have access to free child care for their 2-year-olds, under a plan set to be unveiled Thursday by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The two Democrats are expected to detail the program at a Thursday morning presser, along with a pledge from...

Lego Unveils 'Most Revolutionary Innovation' in 50 Years

New sensor-packed 'Smart Bricks' are sparking debate over imagination vs. interactivity

(Newser) - Lego is rolling out a high-tech twist on its classic bricks, though not everyone is thrilled about it. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, the Danish company introduced "Smart Bricks," sensor-packed tiny blocks that light up, make sounds, and respond to movement, launching in March with a Star ...

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