All posts tagged: teen

AI Company Known for Teen Suicides Launches New Feature to Turn Books Into Roleplaying Experiences

AI Company Known for Teen Suicides Launches New Feature to Turn Books Into Roleplaying Experiences

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech AI company Character.AI has long garnered a reputation for hosting some extremely dubious content. Though it built its early success off explosive popularity among teen users, it was repeatedly caught hosting wildly inappropriate bots — like ones modeled after real-world mass shooters or designed to encourage eating disorders. Outrage grew when a teen died by suicide after developing an intense emotional connection to a Character.AI chatbot, followed by at least two other suicides and related lawsuits. The situation got so bad that last year, the company banned underage users from interacting with its bots entirely. Now the company has announced “c.ai Books,” a bizarre feature designed to turn books into “choose your own adventure” novels. “Interactive AI storytelling is powerful, but a blank page can be intimidating,” the company wrote in its announcement. “Books gives you a familiar starting point — characters you know, narratives you love, and stakes that are already built in.” The company scraped classic …

Cher ‘speechless’ as she discovers secret teen granddaughter in emotional phone call

Cher ‘speechless’ as she discovers secret teen granddaughter in emotional phone call

Published by Daniella Wilson

Cher was left “speechless” after discovering she has a secret 15-year-old granddaughter, a revelation that came during an emotional phone call and has since sparked a new chapter for the music icon. According to an interview given to The Sun on Sunday, the unexpected family connection was revealed by Kayti Edwards, who says she shares a daughter, Ever, with Cher’s son Elijah Allman following a brief romance in 2010. Kayti, who lives on a ranch in Joshua Tree, California, explained that the moment Cher learned the truth was nothing short of extraordinary. © Ron DavisElijah and his mother Cher “Cher got in touch with me last June and asked if it was true, so I had to confess,” she said. “When she heard the news, she was speechless.” The 79-year-old superstar had reportedly heard whispers of the situation years earlier, after Elijah allegedly mentioned it in passing in 2021, but had not known whether to believe it. © Getty ImagesCher’s reportedly now a grandma! “She said she had heard something about it from Elijah back in …

Teen engineer finds eco-friendly way to fight harmful algal blooms

Teen engineer finds eco-friendly way to fight harmful algal blooms

Published by skeptic

algal bloom: The rapid and largely uncontrolled growth of any of various aquatic species in waterways that received a sudden influx of nutrients. They’re generally referred to as algal blooms. Despite the name, however, not all algal blooms actually involve algae. Some are caused by bacteria, others by protists known as dinoflagellates. bacteria: (singular: bacterium) Single-celled organisms. These dwell nearly everywhere on Earth, from the bottom of the sea to inside other living organisms (such as plants and animals). Bacteria are one of the three domains of life on Earth. biochar: A type of charcoal often used in agriculture to improve soil for plant growth. It can help plants take up nutrients, improve soil drainage and increase crop yields. bloom: (in microbiology) The rapid and largely uncontrolled growth of a species, such as algae in waterways enriched with nutrients. chemical: A substance formed from two or more atoms that unite (bond) in a fixed proportion and structure. For example, water is a chemical made when two hydrogen atoms bond to one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is …

Teen and young adult cancer survivors face doubled risk of later cancers

Teen and young adult cancer survivors face doubled risk of later cancers

Published by skeptic

Researchers studying cancer survivors over a 34-year period observed that adolescent and young adult survivors of cancer were at a heightened risk of primary neoplasms – new cancers that develop after earlier cancers. The Alberta Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivor Study included all people in Alberta aged 15 to 39 years diagnosed with a first cancer between 1983 and 2017. In this 34-year study period, researchers analysed risks of future cancers, focusing on better understanding of the impact and risks of future disease and death. Of the 24,459 people included with a median follow-up of 7.4 years, 1442 (6%) developed at least one subsequent cancer. Hodgkin lymphoma and breast cancer were the most common types of cancer that saw primary neoplasms develop. The most common types of new cancer that were diagnosed were breast, lung and colorectal, representing 43% of cases. Primary neoplasms are known to occur after earlier cancers, often as a result of treatment “Although people with nearly all types of adolescent and young adult cancer investigated were at an increased risk …

Euphoria gave us TV’s darkest teen drama yet but just how true is it?

Euphoria gave us TV’s darkest teen drama yet but just how true is it?

Published by Daniella Wilson

Euphoria whipped up a storm when it first premiered in 2019. The teen drama from HBO triggered outrage and moral panic with a scene featuring 30 penises (yes, 30), as well as frequent and graphic depictions of drug use, sex and violence. The show, which released a second season in 2022, follows Rue (played by Zendaya), a 17-year-old drug addict who comes out of rehab and struggles to say sober, while also exploring the lives of her peers, who it soon emerges are equally – if not more – troubled (yes Nate, we’re looking at you), and is perhaps the darkest look at teenhood we’ve had on screen since Skins. But does it offer an accurate depiction of the pressures facing Gen Z today, or is it a sensationalised portrayal of adolescence? Ahead of season 3’s release, Radio Times talks to a psychoanalyst and psychotherapist about how true to life the show’s first two seasons are. Addiction and drug use A lot of the criticism levelled at the series focused on its portrayal of drug …

U.S.-Iran ceasefire; Teen birth rates; Bill Gates : NPR

U.S.-Iran ceasefire; Teen birth rates; Bill Gates : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Good morning. You’re reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today’s top stories The two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is off to a shaky start. Within the first 24 hours of the deal, an oil refinery in Iran was struck and five Gulf Arab states reported attacks from Iranian drones and missiles. Israeli airstrikes killed more than 250 people across Lebanon, according to authorities there. Late yesterday, President Trump said that the U.S. forces that have been deployed to the Middle East will “remain in place” until an agreement is reached with Iran and its implementation takes hold. High-level talks are slated to take place on Saturday between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad, with the mediation of the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. First responders and residents gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Tallet al-Khayyat neighbourhood, on April 8, 2026. Fadel Itani/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle …

L.A. parents tortured their teen daughter to death over text messages

L.A. parents tortured their teen daughter to death over text messages

Published by Sam Flores

A Southern California couple who tortured their teenage daughter to death because of text messages she sent to teenage boys have been sentenced to prison, according to the L.A. County district attorney’s office. Oriana Elias, 38, and Vincent Gibbs, 39, were sentenced to 22 years to life in prison for the August 2021 torture and murder of their 16-year-old daughter, Pearlene Valavala. “This sentence reflects an unthinkable betrayal by parents who are meant to protect their children from harm,” said Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan J. Hochman. “Pearlene was denied the chance to grow up and become who she was meant to be. There is no punishment that can restore the loss of life.” On Aug. 15, 2021, Pearlene collapsed and died in the makeshift bathroom of a trailer in Los Angeles County that had no running water or electricity, according to prosecutors. Authorities said the couple was from Vallejo but were living in the trailer at the time of their daughter’s death. Elias and Gibbs tortured the teen after becoming upset with her …

Teen Romance and Breakups in the Digital Age

Teen Romance and Breakups in the Digital Age

Published by Jenni Sidey

Co-authors: Charles Egnatz and Kadijah Booth Watkins “Mm, I didn’t wanna leave you, I didn’t wanna lie/Started to cry, but then remembered/I can buy myself flowers/Write my name in the sand/Talk to myself for hours/Say things you don’t understand” —Miley Cyrus Teen romance looks very different today than it did a generation ago. Texting, social media, and even AI chatbots have changed how teens connect, communicate, and even break up with one another. While digital spaces can help teens feel closer and more supported, they can bring new challenges including ghosting, blocking and harassment. And those who sustain or initiate a breakup, as noted by Miley Cyrus, need to find new ways to preserve one’s identity and integrity. In the days prior to digital media, we had the telephone, or we could meet up after school, or at a local park or mall. Hanging out was never an immediate thing. Though new relationships and breakups occurred, they took time for word to get out. And on the negative side, if there were bad feelings, name …

The hard realities of being a teen mum in Singapore, then and now

The hard realities of being a teen mum in Singapore, then and now

Published by Sam Flores

For Phoebe (not her real name), the news came at the age of 16, while on an overseas trip fresh out of completing her N-Levels.  Despite bracing herself for judgment and negative comments from people around her, none ever came.  Her small circle of friends, made up of people she had known for years, were unfazed. They remembered her daughter’s birthday, offered to help with her craft business, and checked in regularly. “I’m happy that I met them,” said Phoebe, whose daughter turns three in August. Long before the pregnancy, Phoebe had been steadily building a small beading business, making and selling key chains, crystal bracelets and other customised items.  Now, the 20-year-old has rebranded her craft business and is growing it steadily, with plans to travel to China to network with suppliers when her daughter is older. Ms Noor Haslinda Md Sood, a senior social worker at Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support, said that despite Phoebe’s experience, not all teen mothers in Singapore are spared from negative judgment.  “Things have improved so much because people are …

Teen Boys Are Dating AI Chatbots Now

Teen Boys Are Dating AI Chatbots Now

Published by Sam Flores

One in five boys know someone their age who is in a relationship with an AI chatbot, according to a new survey. Male Allies UK caught up with over 1,000 boys aged 12-16 years old to dive into their behaviour and attitudes when it comes to engaging with AI chatbots. The vast majority, eight in 10 boys (85%) have had a conversation with a chatbot, with 43% of boys saying they are talking to bots so they can ask questions that they have without feeling embarrassed. Over a quarter (26%) said they like the attention and connection over real-life connections. Robot romance is also on the rise, with over half of boys (58%) saying that AI relationships are easier because you can control the conversation. Over one third (36%) of boys admitted they prefer speaking to AI chatbots over family and friends. Lee Chambers, founder of Male Allies UK, said: “As parents we didn’t grow up with chatbots, and so we’re left in the dark on whether they are harmless or dangerous. “What we do …