The study… found that children who had a smartphone by age 12 were at higher risk of depression, obesity and insufficient sleep than those who did not yet have one. Researchers had analyzed data from more than 10,500 children who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. (Pearson, The New York Times)
Read MoreToday the conditions for apocalypticism—gaping inequality, pandemics, rapid technological development—are amply present. So perhaps it isn’t surprising that, over the past several years, a number of scholars and political figures have warned of a coming collapse, by which they tend to mean the destruction of the basic elements of society (Kinstler, The Atlantic)
Read MoreThese days, Advent calendars build off the popularity of “little treat culture.” Brands are now selling Advent calendars that contain everything from wine to jams to skin care to pet treats. Some have become coveted status symbols, especially those that are put out by luxury players like Diptyque and Dior Beauty. (Barkho, Modern Retail)
Read MoreAccording to WalletHub, the country is full of people committing sins. The outlet ranked nearly 200 American cities for sinfulness based on seven key dimensions—including anger and hatred, jealousy, excesses and vices, greed, lust, vanity, and laziness—to determine which cities are the most sinful and which are the least. (Obias, Mental Floss)
Read MoreIn his latest adventure, detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) encounters a congregation centered on its pastor’s authoritarian personality, rooted in reactiveness instead of restoration. Get ready for plenty of tropes about fire-and-brimstone fury. (Staub, Christianity Today)
Read MoreOxford University Press has chosen “rage bait” — defined as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive” — as its 2025 Word of the Year. (Schuessler, The New York Times)
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