For Elmer, the protagonist of the Spanish series The Gardener , killing is as easy as planting petunias, since a childhood accident deprived him of feelings. Is it possible that physical changes in the brain activate or deactivate our ability to feel? The answer is yes: a brain injury not only affects speech or the mobility of […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Can you live without emotions?
Anxious and out of control of their time: this is how many hyperconnected college students feel.
“I waste a lot of time watching TikTok or reading the news on Twitter”; “My screen time is increasing, and that means I’m losing time that I could be spending or using better for other things”; “I think great ideas require great concentration, and compulsive mobile browsing is preventing me from finding those long breaks”; […] … learn more→
The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends
The word “crisis” is used frequently and, I would argue, inaccurately, to depict the psychological well-being of today’s college students. It is true that college students’ mental health has deteriorated in many regards during the past two decades. The Healthy Minds Study, which gathers national survey data on tens of thousands of students annually, has found that the percentage who […] … learn more→
TikTok and Teen Mental Health: Research Alerts
TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms among teenagers. According to research, the platform is reshaping their attentional, emotional, and cognitive cues, with a significant impact on their mental health and self-development. Testimonies from bereaved families have demonstrated the sometimes tragic consequences of unsupervised exposure. In November 2024, for example, seven French families sued […] … learn more→
A quarter of the world’s population are adolescents: major report sets out health and wellbeing trends
The Lancet has released its second global commission report on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Adolescents are defined as 10- to 24-year-olds. The report builds on the first one, done in 2016. The latest report presents substantial original research that supports actions it recommends to be taken across sectors as well as at global, regional, country and local level. […] … learn more→
How to Improve College Students’ Well-Being with Positive Psychology
The mental health of university students has become a global concern. In Spain, only 38% of young people consider themselves happy, a figure much lower than in other European countries such as the Netherlands, where 74% of young people say they are happy . We recently designed an intervention program based on positive psychology to increase optimism and […] … learn more→
Freeze branding: the new body modification technique causes serious and irreversible harm
If you’re a fan of the TV show Yellowstone, you’ll know the deal – you earn your place on the ranch by being branded. On the show, this means having a red-hot iron pressed into your flesh, leaving a permanent scar of loyalty to Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and its patriarch, John Dutton. In life imitating art, […] … learn more→
‘Perfect bodies and perfect lives’: how selfie-editing tools are distorting how young people see themselves
Like many of her peers, Abigail (21) takes a lot of selfies, tweaks them with purpose-made apps, and posts them on social media. But, she says, the selfie-editing apps do more than they were designed for: You look at that idealised version of yourself and you just want it – you just want it to […] … learn more→
Teens of any age who drink alcohol with their parents’ permission drink more as young adults, new research shows
Children and teenagers of any age who sip or taste alcohol with their parents’ permission are more likely to engage in risky drinking in young adulthood. That was the finding of a new study my colleagues and I published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. In the study, we examined questionnaires filled out annually between 2009 and 2018 […] … learn more→
Educate yourself on true anti-aging technologies: Diet and exercise
I n a world captivated by miracle creams, trendy supplements, and promises of eternal youth, we often overlook the most powerful anti-aging technologies readily available to us: diet and exercise. The quest to slow aging and extend healthy lifespan has driven scientific research for decades, and the evidence consistently points to these foundational lifestyle factors […] … learn more→
