After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s, with rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rising sharply. The author lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time, and then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults....

"Representation in the media has always been relevant. However, with recent developments such as Halle Bailey starring in Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, this topic has exploded on social media and in the news in a way that draws children into the conversation like never before. Understanding positive and negative representation not just of race but of gender, disability, sexuality, and other characteristics is crucial in this day...

"Over the last two decades, there has been an inescapable rise of anger and aggression across our planet. Hate speech has become increasingly prevalent online, Western governments are turning towards authoritarianism and populism, and extremist groups are rising across both the left and the right ends of the political spectrum. Every day, it seems, we're hearing more angry voices and fearful opinions, we're seeing more threats and frightening news,...