All posts tagged: dependence

Rising dependence on AI chatbots sparks concern among teens

Rising dependence on AI chatbots sparks concern among teens

Published by Jenni Sidey

More teens are turning to AI companions for comfort, distraction, and a sense of connection. For some, that comfort seems to be hardening into something more troubling. A new Drexel University study, based on 318 Reddit posts from users who identified themselves as 13 to 17 years old, found repeated signs that some teens using Character.AI were struggling to pull away. In post after post, they described a pattern that started with boredom, loneliness, or emotional distress and then spilled into sleep problems, school struggles, damaged friendships, and a growing sense that the chatbot mattered more than it should. “This study provides one of the first teen-centered accounts of overreliance on AI companions,” said Afsaneh Razi, an assistant professor in Drexel’s College of Computing & Informatics, whose ETHOS lab led the research. “It highlights how these interactions are affecting the lives of young users and introduces a framework for chatbot design that promotes healthy interactions.” More teens are turning to AI companions for comfort, distraction, and a sense of connection. (CREDIT: Wikimedia / CC BY-SA …

A common antidepressant shows promise in treating methamphetamine dependence

A common antidepressant shows promise in treating methamphetamine dependence

Published by José Betancourt

Methamphetamine – more commonly known as meth, crystal or ice – is a highly addictive, stimulant drug. An estimated 7.4 million people in the world are dependent on it or “addicted” to it. They face multiple health risks including paranoia, feeling suicidal, heart problems, strokes, injuries from accidents, and a higher risk of early death. But there are no medications approved anywhere in the world to treat meth dependence. Now, a cheap, safe and readily available medicine that has been used to treat depression for years is showing promise. Our trial of mirtazapine, just published in JAMA Psychiatry, shows people who take it cut back their meth use. Few other options Australia has one of the highest number of people dependent on meth per capita worldwide. As there are no medications approved for meth dependence anywhere in the world, we have few treatment options. Currently available treatment options include counselling, detox or withdrawal and long-stay residential rehabilitation. However, access can be difficult and treatment dropout rates are high. Most people who go to rehab relapse. …

Trump’s war may hasten the end of oil and gas dependence

Trump’s war may hasten the end of oil and gas dependence

Published by Sam Flores

The joint U.S. and Israel war with Iran has triggered an energy crisis that is only deepening. Now President Donald Trump seems to be unexpectedly and unintentionally pushing the world away from oil and natural gas, a trend that may only expand the longer the war continues. The Iranian government has asserted their control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquid natural gas transits. Acting as a natural chokepoint, only ships from countries friendly to Iran have been able to pass the strait, limiting the amount of oil and natural gas leaving the Persian Gulf. So far, ships from Turkey, India and Pakistan have been allowed to pass, though other countries are in talks to arrange passage. Meanwhile, multiple parties in the war have suffered strikes to their energy infrastructure. While these strikes have been limited so far, an escalation could mean a prolonged disruption to oil and gas markets even long after the war ends. Related The ancient prophecy behind the Iran …

Can Europe reduce its dependence on the US and at what cost? | Business and Economy

Can Europe reduce its dependence on the US and at what cost? | Business and Economy

Published by Sam Flores

Trump’s tariffs, Greenland and defence spending are testing US-Europe alliance. United States President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on European goods, made a bid to take over Greenland and demanded Europe foot the bill for its own defence. European leaders now fear the era of US-led security protections may be over. They’re accelerating efforts to reduce their military and economic dependence on the US. At the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted his nation is not walking away from its allies. But few in the room were convinced. Instead, leader after leader took to the podium with the same message: Europe must stand on its own. Published On 19 Feb 202619 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Source link

Europe begins its slow retreat from US dependence – POLITICO

Europe begins its slow retreat from US dependence – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

From orders banning civil servants from using U.S.-based videoconferencing tools to trade deals with countries like India to a push to diversify Europe’s energy suppliers, efforts to minimize European dependence on the U.S. are gathering pace. EU leaders warn that transatlantic relations are unlikely to return to the pre-Trump status quo. EU officials stress that such measures amount to “de-risking” Europe’s relationship with the U.S., rather than “decoupling” — a term that implies a clean break in economic and strategic ties. Until recently, both expressions were mainly applied to European efforts to reduce dependence on China. Now, they are coming up in relation to the U.S., Europe’s main trade partner and security benefactor. The decoupling drive is in its infancy. The U.S. remains by far the largest trading partner for Europe, and it will take years for the bloc to wean itself off American tech and military support, according to Jean-Luc Demarty, who was in charge of the European Commission’s trade department under the body’s former president, Jean-Claude Juncker. Donald Trump’s threats to take over …

Georgia Scrambles After Leak Reveals Rising Dependence On Russian Gas

Georgia Scrambles After Leak Reveals Rising Dependence On Russian Gas

Published by Jenni Sidey

Via Eurasianet.org, Georgia’s imports of Russian gas rose sharply in 2025, with newly disclosed pricing showing higher costs than in previous years. The leak has sparked political backlash, as critics warn of renewed dependence on Gazprom and heightened risks of corruption and leverage. Authorities have launched a security investigation, framing the disclosure as a cyber incident rather than addressing the substance of the pricing shift. Officials are in damage-control mode in Georgia after the supposed unauthorized publication of a late 2025 state decree showing that the government’s reliance on Russian natural gas imports is growing and Tbilisi is now paying more for Russian imports than it has in the past. Earlier in January, Russia’s state-owned Gazprom announced it supplied 40.4 percent more gas to Georgia in 2025 than in the previous year. This surge can be seen within a broader Russian strategy to increase energy exports southward to partially offset the loss of the EU market due to sanctions. Gazprom also reported increases of over 20 percent in gas deliveries to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. But the …

Fears grow over Europe’s soaring dependence on US gas imports – POLITICO

Fears grow over Europe’s soaring dependence on US gas imports – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The EU’s growing reliance on imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas “has created a potentially high-risk new geopolitical dependency,” said Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz, lead energy analyst at the the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, the think tank that produced the research. “An over-reliance on U.S. gas contradicts the [EU policy] of enhancing EU energy security through diversification, demand reduction and boosting renewables supply,” she said. Alarm over this strategic weak spot is also growing among member countries, with some EU diplomats fretting that the Trump administration could exploit the new dependency to achieve its foreign policy goals. While “there are other sources of gas in the world” beyond the U.S., the risk of Trump cutting off supplies to Europe in the wake of an incursion in Greenland “should be taken into account,” one senior EU diplomat told POLITICO, who like others in this article spoke on condition of anonymity. But “hopefully we’ll not get there,” the official added. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the EU went to drastic lengths to wean itself off Russian natural …