For years, the narrative surrounding teenagers’ use of digital technology has been one of alarm. Time spent scrolling through TikTok or playing video games is widely seen to be driving the current crisis in youth mental health, fuelling rising rates of anxiety and depression. But our recent study suggests that this simple story of cause and effect is […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Evidence for link between digital technology use and teenage mental health problems is weak, our large study suggests
Adolescent mental health: social media amplifies problems observed offline, particularly among girls
Anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, cyberbullying, poor self-image, alcohol, cannabis and other psychoactive substance use… social networks exploit the vulnerabilities of young people and thus contribute to amplifying certain disorders of which they are victims. This is the conclusion of a major report by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety […] … learn more→
No gym or regular routine? Here’s how to stay fit over the holiday break
The festive season can throw our exercise routines out the window. You might be staying somewhere different, with no access to a gym. Maybe your yoga studio is closed or social sport is on a break. Or you might just be too flat out with social events to find the time. For some people, a […] … learn more→
Medical certificate
Dr. R. E. Search, PhD Professor and Specialist in Academic Wellbeing & Sustainable Scholarship The Institute for Sensible Research Practices Date: December 2024 To Whom It May Concern: This is to certify that I have examined the patient group known collectively as “Researchers and Doctoral Candidates” and have diagnosed the following acute conditions requiring immediate intervention: […] … learn more→
AI’s errors may be impossible to eliminate – what that means for its use in health care
In the past decade, AI’s success has led to uncurbed enthusiasm and bold claims – even though users frequently experience errors that AI makes. An AI-powered digital assistant can misunderstand someone’s speech in embarrassing ways, a chatbot could hallucinate facts, or, as I experienced, an AI-based navigation tool might even guide drivers through a corn field – all without […] … learn more→
Does trivial content cause ‘brain rot’? The answer isn’t that simple.
● Research findings on the effects of brain rot are still inconsistent and their significance is questionable. ● Brain rot could be a reflection of changes in human thinking. ● The impact of social media on cognition and mental health tends to be small and unstable. Brain rot is a metaphor to describe the negative impact of consuming too much […] … learn more→
AI is perpetuating unrealistic body ideals, objectification and a lack of diversity — especially for athletes
What does it look like to have an “athletic body?” What does artificial intelligence think it looks like to have one? A recent study we conducted at the University of Toronto analyzed appearance-related traits of AI-generated images of male and female athletes and non-athletes. We found that we’re being fed exaggerated — and likely impossible — body standards. Even […] … learn more→
Internet of beings: the dream of digitising human bodies for healthcare (and the nightmare)
In the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, a spacecraft and its crew are shrunk to microscopic size and injected into the body of an injured astronaut to remove a life-threatening blood clot from his brain. The Academy Award-winning movie – later developed into a novel by Isaac Asimov – seemed like pure fantasy at the time. […] … learn more→
College students are now slightly less likely to experience severe depression, research shows – but the mental health crisis is far from over
Many high school seniors across the country are in the throes of college applications – often a high-stakes, anxiety-ridden process. But the stress doesn’t necessarily stop once students are admitted. Emotional stress, mental health and tuition cost are the top three reasons that college students drop out, according to a 2023 Gallup poll of 14,032 students. By […] … learn more→
The quest for the “artificial womb”: between fiction and research advances
What if gestation, or at least part of the process, could be externalized using extrauterine devices, whether to continue the development of premature newborns or for more political purposes, such as combating declining birth rates? Such technology is still a long way from being feasible, but research is indeed being conducted in this area. Last […] … learn more→
