December 23, 2025
(Washington Post via MSN) – In the days after H found her daughter’s Character AI chats, H projected an air of normalcy around her daughter, not wanting to do anything that would cause her distress or shame. H contacted her … Read More
December 22, 2025
(Wired) – People have always defaced New York subway ads in every way imaginable, but what happened with the Friend ads tapped into a deep angst about AI. Even as some celebrate its possibilities (drug discovery) and others decry its … Read More
December 19, 2025
(New York Times) – Moving cannabis to a category of drugs that includes some common medicines will have implications for research, businesses and patients. President Trump on Thursday ordered cannabis to be downgraded to a lower category of drugs, a … Read More
December 15, 2025
(Ars Technica) – OpenAI is facing increasing scrutiny over how it handles ChatGPT data after users die, only selectively sharing data in lawsuits over ChatGPT-linked suicides. Last week, OpenAI was accused of hiding key ChatGPT logs from the days before … Read More
December 15, 2025
(New York Times) – Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, mixed into fentanyl has sent thousands to hospitals, not only for overdose but for life-threatening withdrawal. It is spreading to other cities. A new drug has been saturating the fentanyl supply in … Read More
December 15, 2025
(KFF Health News) – Now medical experts are concerned that a July panel discussion convened by the Food and Drug Administration could lead to more cases of untreated depression. Many of the 10 members of the panel expressed concern about … Read More
December 12, 2025
(New York Times) – Researchers found a chasm between the health reasons for which the public seeks out cannabis and what gold-standard science actually shows about its effectiveness. To treat their pain, anxiety and sleep problems, millions of Americans turn … Read More
December 10, 2025
(The Guardian) – Experts warn of dangers as England and Wales study shows 13- to 17-year-olds consulting AI amid long waiting lists for services It was after one friend was shot and another stabbed, both fatally, that Shan asked ChatGPT … Read More
December 10, 2025
(CNN) – A world-first ban on major social media platforms for children under the age of 16 goes into effect in Australia on Wednesday. And regulators, parents and teenagers around the globe are watching closely to see how it plays … Read More
December 9, 2025
(New York Times) – With the end of school shutdowns, children’s mental health appointments fell sharply, though other factors may have contributed. A study of nearly 200,000 California schoolchildren found that their mental health had improved significantly after schools reopened … Read More
December 3, 2025
(NPR) – If you have ever sworn off social media for a week or two because you sensed it was feeding your anxiety or dampening your mood, you may be on to something. A new study out last week in … Read More
December 3, 2025
(Axios) – Preteens who own smartphones are likelier to have depression, obesity and insufficient sleep than their peers, according to a new University of Pennsylvania-led study. Why it matters: Roughly half of American kids now own a smartphone by the … Read More
December 2, 2025
(After Babel) – I asked ChatGPT how it would destroy America’s youth. Its answers were unsettling — and all too familiar. So, borrowing from the cybersecurity concept of red teaming — the practice of hiring an entity to pretend they … Read More
November 25, 2025
(WSJ) – Chatbot maker Character[dot]AI is cutting off access, citing mental-health concerns. Teens are distraught: ‘I cried over it for days.’ Character.AI’s first version, launched in 2022, offered some of the earliest chatbots available to consumers. It quickly gained traction … Read More
November 24, 2025
(New York Times) – In tweaking its chatbot to appeal to more people, OpenAI made it riskier for some of them. Now the company has made its chatbot safer. Will that undermine its quest for growth? It sounds like science … Read More
November 21, 2025
(The Guardian) – Exclusive: Clinical guidelines should change to avoid exposing young people to potentially harmful side-effects, researchers say In the UK, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidance says under-18s with moderate to severe depression can be … Read More
November 20, 2025
(WSJ) – Ruthia He, whose company was the subject of a WSJ investigation, was accused of orchestrating a scheme to profit from Adderall prescriptions A jury found Ruthia He guilty of conspiring to distribute controlled substances after her startup Done … Read More
November 20, 2025
(The Verge) – Researchers warn existing guardrails do little to protect people vulnerable to eating disorders. In the most extreme cases, chatbots can be active participants helping hide or sustain eating disorders. The researchers said Gemini offered makeup tips to … Read More
November 20, 2025
(WSJ) – Powerful psychotropic drugs are often the next step, even though their combined effects in young children haven’t been studied closely. ‘I was living in a body hijacked by the medication.’ Tens of thousands of kids who take prescription … Read More
November 20, 2025
(Digital Detox) – Parents are spending serious money to fix their kids’ screen habits, turning to everything from one-on-one screen-time coaches to full-blown digital detox camps. These services are booming as many parents feel they’ve completely lost control over how … Read More
November 20, 2025
(Wired) – In a closed-door workshop led by Anthropic and Stanford, leading AI startups and researchers discussed guidelines for chatbot companions, especially for younger users. Some early takeaways from the meeting were the need for better targeted interventions inside bots … Read More
November 19, 2025
(Bloomberg) – Your next doctor’s visit may include a prescription to join a book club or go to a party. Doctors have for years dolled out healthy lifestyle orders: exercise regularly and keep a nutritious diet. They might ask basic … Read More
November 19, 2025
(Wired) – Schools in the US are installing vape-detection tech in bathrooms to thwart student nicotine and cannabis use. A new investigation reveals the impact of using spying to solve a problem. Public records obtained by The 74 from a … Read More
November 17, 2025
(Wired) – Deliriants like Benadryl can bring on terrifying hallucinations in high doses. Some Gen Z-ers are taking at least a dozen pills at a time—and challenging others to do the same. When used in high doses, diphenhydramine, an ingredient … Read More
November 12, 2025
(New York Times) – For the vast majority of my psychotherapy patients, the gravitational pull of phones and social media alters the most important aspects of who they are, their relationships with others and how they move through the world. … Read More
