Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

Parental Depression Tied to Offspring Depression in Teen Years

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on HealthDay.

Exposure to maternal depression during pregnancy and postpartum is strongly associated with greater offspring trajectories of depressive symptoms during adolescence, according to a study published online in BJPsych Open.

Priya Rajyaguru, M.B.B.Ch., from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and colleagues explored the timing of maternal and paternal perinatal depression in relation to patterns of change in offspring depressive mood during a 14-year period. Parental antenatal depression (ANTD) was assessed at 18 weeks of gestation and postnatal depression (PNTD) at eight weeks postpartum, while offspring were evaluated at nine time periods between 10 and 24 years of age. The analysis included 5,029 individuals.

The researchers found that offspring exposed to both timings of maternal depression had higher depressive symptoms across adolescence versus offspring not exposed to ANTD or PNTD. Specifically, higher offspring depressive symptoms at age 16 years and a greater rate of linear change in depressive symptoms were seen. Higher depressive symptoms at age 16 years were also associated with isolated maternal ANTD and to a lesser extent PNTD. Isolated maternal PNTD was associated with an increased rate of linear change in depressive symptoms across adolescence. While effect size was smaller, similar patterns were seen for paternal ANTD and PNTD.

"We found that the accumulation of exposure to both timings of ANTD and PNTD, from mothers and fathers, carried the greatest risk for offspring," the authors wrote.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/parental-depression-tied-to-offspring-symptoms-in-teen-years-2655172701.html

Play Ball! (It's Good for You)

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on MedicalXpress.

Boys who participate in sports in early childhood are less likely to experience later depressive and anxiety symptoms—known as emotional distress—in middle childhood, a new study led by Université de Montréal psycho educator Marie-Josée Harbec.

Published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the study also suggests that boys who experience less emotional distress in middle childhood are also more likely to be more physically active in early adolescence.

In the study, "we wanted to clarify the long-term and reciprocal relationship in school-aged children between participation in sports and depressive and anxiety symptoms," said Harbec, who did the work as a doctoral student supervised by UdeM psychoeducation professor Linda Pagani.

Harbec and Pagani examined the sporting and physical activity habits reported by the kids at ages 5 and 12 years, as well by their parents, and also looked at symptoms of emotional distress from ages 6 to 10 years that were reported by the kids' teachers.

"We found that 5-year-old boys who never participated in sports were more likely between the ages of 6 and 10 to look unhappy and tired, had difficulty having fun, cried a lot, and appeared fearful or worried," said Pagani, the study's senior author.

"Also, boys who exhibited higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms during middle childhood were subsequently less physically active at 12 years old. For girls, on the other hand, we did not find any significant changes."

Collaborating with researchers at McGill University and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Harbec and Pagani examined data from a Quebec cohort of kids born in 1997 and 1998, part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development done by the Institut de la Statistique du Québec.

Parents of 690 boys and 748 girls they looked at had reported their past-year participation in sport at age 5 and their weekly level of physical activity at age 12; their teachers assessed emotional-distress symptoms observed in school from ages 6 to 10. The data were stratified by sex to identify any significant link between physical activity and emotional distress.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-ball-good.html

Pandemic Changed Families' Eating Habits, for Good and Bad

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on HealthDay.

Over the past year and a half, the coronavirus pandemic has remade so much of everyday life, including the foods families eat.

In many families, that's been a good thing, with half cooking at home more often and two-thirds making healthier food choices, according to a nationwide poll of U.S. parents. For about 20% of parents, many of whom said they felt stressed-out and busy, the pandemic lifestyle has meant picking up fast food more often, however.

"Children's nutrition is really important and there's been a lot of disruption in kids' lives and in the lives of families," said pediatrician Dr. Gary Freed, co-director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. "We wanted to get a better sense of how that plays out and how it plays out for different types of families."

His team surveyed 2,019 parents with at least one child in the home between 3 and 18 years of age.

One in 6 said their child eats fast food at least twice a week. Parents who said their kids are overweight were almost twice as likely to give them fast food that often, the poll found.

Why? Forty-three percent of respondents said they were too busy to cook and 22% said they were too stressed. Parents of overweight kids reported these concerns more often.

Overall, 84% said fast food is fine in moderation and 72% said it's a good option when they're pressed for time. One-third said fast food is a good value, and 24% said it's cheaper than cooking at home.

"We should not and cannot tell parents that they're wrong, but what we can do is help them make healthier choices within the decisions they're making for their families," Freed said.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/9-21-pandemic-changed-families-eating-habits-for-good-and-bad-poll-2655035519.html

Marching Band Kids at Risk From Heat Illness

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on ScienceDaily.

Thousands of student-athletes are sidelined by heat illnesses each year, but while guidelines exist to help coaches and trainers keep their students safe, there's another group on the field that's still at risk: students in marching bands.

"You read all these stories in newspapers about marching band members experiencing heat-related illnesses, but no one's pulled together a comprehensive study of how often those illnesses occur, what the affected students were doing," said Andrew Grundstein, a professor at the University of Georgia's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Working with Rashawn Merchant, an undergraduate in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and lead author of the study, Grundstein and his team set out to fill that gap.

Published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, this study analyzed news reports of band members suffering heat-related illnesses from 1990 to 2020 and found almost 400 band students who overexerted themselves and became ill due to heat exposure. About half of these students were treated on-site and didn't require hospitalization, but 44% wound up in the hospital for treatment before being released the same day. The others suffered from heatstroke, requiring more than just one day in the hospital.

"Think about what they do," said Grundstein, corresponding author of the paper. "They go out there, and they often wear these really heavy wool uniforms. They practice many times for hours and hours outside. Some of them are carrying heavy instruments, and they're moving around a lot. There are a lot of risk factors that come into play for marching band members that people generally don't really think about."

Because the study relied on data from news reports, the number of total cases is likely an underestimate.

"This is a bare minimum of cases, but it still shows a real problem," Grundstein said. "In sports, you have an athletic trainer or coaches who receive some training in heat safety. They're keeping an eye on the athletes to make sure they're doing OK, and they're trained to spot problems. But the music director of a marching band probably hasn't had that training."

To better protect students, schools and organizations can implement similar guidelines to those used in the sports world. Things like giving students more breaks, encouraging them to drink water throughout practice to stay hydrated, and letting them wear lighter-weight clothing for practices would make a big difference.

"Our paper can raise awareness about this problem so that officials can come up with better safety policies so that we're more prepared for the future."

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210915135126.htm

What's Hot? 09/24/21

Trending Today on Twitter - 9/24/21
1. #RyderCup
2. #fridaymorning
3. Arizona
4. Grassley
5. Chris Cuomo
6. China FUD
7. Term
8. #FridayKiss
9. Tuscan Leather
10. Derek Chauvin
Source: Twitter

Trending Today on Google - 9/24/21
1. Arizona audit
2. Christian McCaffrey
3. Linda Evangelista
4. Ryder Cup 2021
5. Kenny Rogers
6. Kroger shooting
7. Dear Evan Hansen
8. Jelani Day
9. Tom Felton
10. Diablo 2: Resurrected
Source: Google

Top Five on Spotify - 9/24/21
1. INDUSTRY BABY (feat. Jack Harlow) - Lil Nas X
2. Way 2 Sexy (w/ Future & Young Thug) - Drake
3. STAY (w/ Justin Bieber) - The Kid LAROI
4. Knife Talk (w/ 21 Savage ft. Project Pat) - Drake
5. THATS WHAT I WANT - Lil Nas X
Source: Spotify

Top Five on Apple Music - 9/24/21
1. Way 2 Sexy (w/ Future & Young Thug) - Drake
2. Knife Talk (w/ 21 Savage ft. Project Pat) - Drake
3. Girls Want Girls (w/ Lil Baby) - Drake
4. Fair Trade (w/ Travis Scott) - Drake
5. In The Bible (feat. Lil Durk) - Drake
Source: Apple Music

TV Shows Trending on Streaming Services - 9/24/21
1. Ted Lasso - Apple TV+
2. Squid Game - Netflix
3. Hacks - HBOMax
4. Foundation - Apple TV+
5. Nine Perfect Strangers - Hulu
Source: Reelgood

Trending Today on YouTube - 9/24/21
1. Nintendo Direct - 9.23.2021
2. Young Boy Never Broke Again - Break Or Make Me
3. Coldplay X BTS - My Universe
4. Lisa - "Money" Exclusive Performance Video
5. 73 Questions With Kylie Jenner | Vogue
Source: YouTube

Netflix Top 5 in the U.S. Today - 9/24/21
1. BUNK'D
2. Sharkdog
3. Pokemon Master Journeys: The Series
4. Nightbooks
5. Nailed It!
Source: Netflix

Driving Technology Benefits Young Drivers Most And Could Slash Teen Crashes

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on Forbes.com.

Crash avoidance features and teen-specific vehicle systems could offer large safety benefits for teen drivers — they have the potential to prevent or mitigate up to three-quarters of fatal crashes.  And crash avoidance technologies appear to benefit young drivers more than older ones.

Those are the highlights of several new reports released earlier this month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit financed by the insurance industry, and its affiliate, the Highway Loss Data Institute.

One study that addressed the safety benefits of crash avoidance technologies like front crash prevention and lane departure prevention found that they can help a particularly crash-prone group of drivers – teenagers.

Researchers concluded that if the technologies were universally used and completely effective, they could prevent or mitigate 41% of all crashes involving teen drivers and as many as 47% of teen driver injuries and 78% of teen driver deaths.

Three other studies by the Highway Loss Data Institute based on an analysis of insurance data found that young drivers under 25 gained bigger benefits from crash avoidance tech like front crash prevention and lane departure warning than drivers 25 and older.

Source: Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2021/09/22/driving-technology-benefits-young-drivers-most-and-could-slash-teen-crashes-new-studies-find/

Family Meals Are More Frequent, Last Longer During Pandemic

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on StudyFinds.

Americans may love fast food, but it turns out more people are finally slowing down and enjoying their family meals. Dinnertime now lasts 15 minutes longer in the typical American household than it did before the pandemic began, according to a recent study of 2,004 people. Overall, the average family meal has gone from 70 minutes to 85 minutes now — nearly a 20 percent increase in length overall.

In the survey, conducted by OnePoll, researchers found that families are coming together for meals five times a week, compared to four times a week pre-pandemic. Those mealtimes are becoming more important, with 58 percent believing it is now the most relaxing part of their day. In fact, more Millennials (ages 25-40) agree with this in comparison to just 36 percent of Baby Boomers (age 57+).

Moreover, many now consider a close friend (55%), colleague (38%), or neighbor (36%) to be “part of the family.” More than two-thirds (68%) of Americans reported adding a new “family member” during the last 18 months and 43 percent of those are still including that person in family mealtime.

The increased time together has also led to greater bonding opportunities. More than half of American parents (55%) in the poll say that cooking with their kids is a regular part of family mealtime now. Respondents also shared stories of their most memorable mealtime moments, including holiday gatherings, unexpected proposals, food fights, and even one funny incident where burnt cooking gave way to a family pizza night.

Source: StudyFinds
https://www.studyfinds.org/family-dinners-pandemic/

Marijuana Use at ‘Historic High’ Among College-Aged Adults

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on StudyFinds.

College-age adults who do not use marijuana may soon be in the minority, according to a new national poll. Marijuana has steadily become more and more socially accepted and popular in recent years. Now, a new study reveals weed use among college students and their peers reached historically high levels in 2020. In fact, researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) say marijuana use hasn’t been this high since the 1980s.

However, the report shows both marijuana vaping and nicotine vaping trends leveled off a bit last year after experiencing big increases starting in 2017 among college-aged adults. As for other drugs, use of hallucinogens among college students increased in 2020, while alcohol consumption actually dropped significantly between 2019 and 2020.

The Monitoring the Future study has been tracking drug use among college students and non-college adults between ages 19 and 22 since 1980. Researchers conducted the 2020 edition of the survey online, with 1,550 young adults between March 20, 2020 and Nov. 30, 2020.

On an annual basis, marijuana use among college students has increased continually over the past five years. In 2020, it reached its highest level in three and a half decades. Close to half of college students in the poll (44%) reported using marijuana at some point in 2020. In 2015, that percentage was 38 percent. Similarly, 43 percent of college-aged adults not enrolled in school reported using cannabis.

Somewhat surprisingly, marijuana use among 12th-grade high school students hasn’t seen the same exponential growth. In 2020, 38 percent of high school seniors reported using cannabis.

Source: StudyFinds
https://www.studyfinds.org/marijuana-use-college-students/

Facebook Knows Instagram is Harmful to Teen Girls

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on Parents.com.

A bombshell report in the Wall Street Journal shows that Facebook, which owns Instagram, is well aware of the teen mental health crisis—and they've been purposely playing it down.

The WSJ reports that for the past three years, Facebook employees who work in data science, marketing, and product development have been researching exactly how the app affects young people.

In a March 2020 slide presentation posted to Facebook's internal message board, researchers pointed out that 32 percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse. "Comparisons on Instagram can change how young women view and describe themselves," they noted.

Several of the many troubling conclusions that the WSJ uncovered from the internal documents:

• "We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls."
• "Teens blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression. This reaction was unprompted and consistent across all groups."
• More than 40 percent of Instagram users who reported feeling "unattractive" said the feeling began on the app.
• "Sharing or viewing filtered selfies in stories made people feel worse."

And yet, as the WSJ points out, Facebook, which is currently working on a version of Instagram for children under 13, has played down these negative effects. "The research that we've seen is that using social apps to connect with other people can have positive mental health benefits," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at a March 2021 congressional hearing.

Source: Parents.com
https://www.parents.com/news/facebook-knows-instagram-is-harmful-to-teen-girls-and-is-downplaying-the-problem-according-to-a-new-report/

What's Hot? 09/17/21

Trending Today on Twitter - 9/17/21
1. #WildestDreamsTaylorsVersion
2. #fridaymorning
3. #ConstitutionDay
4. #MONTERO
5. Gene Wilder
6. Laura Loomer
7. apple card
8. #FridayFeeling
9. Clarence Thomas
10. Regeneron
Source: Twitter

Trending Today on Google - 9/17/21
1. Lil Nas X
2. Thursday Night Football
3. Michiyo Tsujimura
4. Europa League
5. Deltarune
6. Faith Hedgepeth
7. Shiba Inu coin
8. Copshop
9. Dua Lipa
10. Jane Powell
Source: Google

Top Five on Spotify - 9/17/21
1. Way 2 Sexy (w/ Future & Young Thug) - Drake
2. STAY (w/ Justin Bieber) - The Kid LAROI
3. Knife Talk (w/ 21 Savage ft. Project Pat) - Drake
4. INDUSTRY BABY (feat. Jack Harlow) - Lil Nas X
5. Fair Trade (w/ Travis Scott) - Drake
Source: Spotify

Top Five on Apple Music - 9/17/21
1. Way 2 Sexy (w/ Future & Young Thug) - Drake
2. Knife Talk (w/ 21 Savage ft. Project Pat) - Drake
3. Girls Want Girls (w/ Lil Baby) - Drake
4. Fair Trade (w/ Travis Scott) - Drake
5. Champagne Poetry - Drake
Source: Apple Music

TV Shows Trending on Streaming Services - 9/17/21
1. Ted Lasso - Apple TV+
2. Nine Perfect Strangers - Hulu
3. Y: The Last Man - M
4. Only Murders in the Building - Hulu
5. American Crime Story - Netflix
Source: Reelgood

Trending Today on YouTube - 9/17/21
1. Lil Nas X - THATS WHAT I WANT
2. Howard Remembers Stern Show Regular Norm Macdonald
3. Norm Macdonald's Moth Joke
4. Hermitcraft 8 Episode 12: Building My Boatem GIGA Base
5. @Lethal Shooter can really make a basket on anything!
Source: YouTube

Netflix Top 5 in the U.S. Today - 9/17/21
1. Lucifer
2. Clickbait
3. Kate
4. The Circle: A Social Media Competition
5. Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror
Source: Netflix