All articles tagged with #adolescence
An aunt catches her brother’s 12-year-old and 14-year-old nephews smoking weed at his house; he admits giving them permission, claiming it’s safer to have them do it there where he can supervise. She should first talk with him to understand his reasoning and any underlying issues, address safety and marijuana risks, and avoid informing the nephews’ mother until she has full context, since the situation could affect custody and family trust.
A Nature study of over 5,000 Italian teens finds that opening a social media account in the 6th grade (ages 11–12) correlates with lower math and Italian scores by age 15–16, an effect about six months of schooling and that grows over time; the impact is smaller for 7th grade starts and negligible by 8th grade, with English scores unaffected. The authors caution that correlation does not imply causation and discuss possible policy implications amid debates over age restrictions for minors.
Using fMRI data from about 5,800 preteens in the ABCD study, researchers found that baseline amygdala response to emotional faces uniquely predicted social health two years later, with high reactivity linked to more peer involvement in girls but less in boys, suggesting sex-specific brain development trajectories.
A large longitudinal study of over 5,400 girls from the ABCD project finds that rising testosterone between ages 10–12 strongly predicts later anxiety and depressive symptoms, independent of visible puberty changes; early DHEA spikes (by age 9) and a later estrogen increase may modulate mood, suggesting an 10–12 year window for proactive emotional support to curb mental-health risks.
New research reinforces that potency, user age, and use patterns matter most for cannabis’ brain effects. High-THC products can disrupt brain connectivity and working memory, especially in younger users, while moderate adult use may have fewer cognitive impacts. Although some studies question cannabis’ mental-health benefits and teenage use raises risks for psychosis-like symptoms and long-term cognitive changes, abstinence can lead to partial cognitive rebound, and early lab work hints at possible neuroprotective effects for aging brains (not yet proven in humans). Public health messaging emphasizing boundaries around when, where, and why to use cannabis could help reduce harm as legalization expands.
Tom Holland says Owen Cooper would be awesome as Spider-Man, praising the Adolescence star’s talent as a future MCU web-slinger. Cooper has earned BAFTA, Golden Globes, and Emmy recognition; the next Spider-Man, Brand New Day, is set for July 31, 2026, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton with Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, and Liza Colón-Zayas, and Holland says he wants to help guide the next actor.
A longitudinal study of over 800 youths tracked for up to nine years finds that early experimentation with alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine is driven by a low baseline dopamine system rather than excess dopamine. Using brain tissue iron as a proxy for dopamine, researchers identified a distinct “youth-peak” group whose low dopamine levels predicted increased substance use in early adolescence that sharply declined as dopamine networks matured into adulthood. This challenges the idea that higher dopamine drives teen risk, suggesting most teen experimentation is a normal, temporary phase, and highlighting potential prevention approaches that channel risk-taking into healthy outlets; the study also notes digital environments may provide a modern alternative reward channel.
A comprehensive review of 73 studies finds that poor diets in infancy are linked to lower intelligence scores in adolescence, while adolescence as a second opportunity for nutritional intervention remains unsettled; authors call for a life-course framework and seven guiding principles to improve future nutritional neuroscience research.
A Brown University-led study with 81 adolescents (14–17) found that repeated cannabis use, especially high-potency products, correlates with lower brain tissue iron in dopamine-rich regions, signaling disrupted maturation of the dopamine system and reward processing. This first-of-its-kind MRI work suggests reduced dopamine-related neurophysiology in teens who use cannabis and highlights potential increased addiction vulnerability, warranting longitudinal follow-up to assess long-term outcomes.
A large longitudinal study using ABCD data shows ADHD symptom paths in adolescence—persistent, remitting, emergent, and control—map to distinct brain development signs. Persistent symptoms link to faster cortical thinning in frontal areas; emergent symptoms to slower thinning in the right posterior cingulate; remitting symptoms to faster left hippocampal growth. A machine-learning model with baseline brain data predicted symptom severity three years later and was replicated in European adult samples. Medication did not reliably predict remission; findings point to brain-based biomarkers and non-pharmacological interventions like aerobic exercise, while acknowledging observational limitations.
Adolescence dominated the BAFTA TV Awards in London, sweeping four major prizes: Best Limited Drama plus Leading Actor (Stephen Graham), Supporting Actor (Owen Cooper) and Supporting Actress (Christine Tremarco). Seth Rogen also won Best International Series for The Studio, dedicating the award to Catherine O’Hara, as the night celebrated a slate of wins across drama, comedy and various categories.
Owen Cooper, 16, won the BAFTA TV Award for Supporting Actor for Netflix’s Adolescence, completing an unprecedented sweep of the four major U.S. TV awards for a single performance and becoming the youngest winner of the feat; his co-star Christine Tremarco also won Best Supporting Actress, as Adolescence racks up honors across Gotham, Independent Spirit, and Royal Television Society awards.
Adolescence dominated the 2026 BAFTA TV Awards in London, taking four honors including Best Limited Series; Stephen Graham won Best Actor and Narges Rashidi won Lead Actress for Prisoner 951, while Code of Silence was named Best Drama Series; The Studio clinched Best International Series; Gaza: Doctors Under Attack won Current Affairs amid creator criticisms of the BBC; The Celebrity Traitors and Last One Laughing also secured multiple prizes on a night hosted by Greg Davies.
Stephen Graham won Leading Actor as Adolescence dominated the BAFTA TV Awards, sweeping four prizes including Limited Drama with supporting wins for Owen Cooper and Christine Tremarco, marking a record haul for the Netflix-backed series; Apple TV+’s The Studio took Best International and Gaza: Doctors Under Attack won Current Affairs.
Adolescence dominated the Bafta TV Awards 2026, winning four prizes including best limited series, with Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco taking acting honours and 16-year-old Owen Cooper becoming the youngest ever winner for best supporting actor. The Celebrity Traitors and Last One Laughing each took two awards; Gaza: Doctors Under Attack won the current affairs prize, and Narges Rashidi earned best leading actress for Prisoner 951. Lifetime and special prizes went to Dame Mary Berry and Martin Lewis respectively, rounding out a night of memorable moments.