How Sexual Health Advice on TikTok Is Misleading Teens

Misinformation and potentially dangerous advice on TikTok. PLUS: Reading Rainbow is back with a bold new host, and a look at kids and AI friendships.

Hi Readers!

• I’m Christopher Pepper, an award-winning health educator and the co-author of Talk To Your Boys.

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In this edition:

• Sexual Health Advice on TikTok Is Misleading Teens, Study Finds

• Suzy Welch Worries That Gen Z Is ‘Unemployable’ — And Some Leaders Are Intervening To Teach Them Basic Life Skills

• New York State High Schools Train Teens In Mental Health First Aid

• LGBTQ+ Youth Have Worse Mental Health Outcomes Without Access To Safe Online Spaces, Studies Show

• Will AI Destroy Your Child’s Friendships?

• ‘What Everyone Gets Wrong About Our Generation’—According to 21 College Kids

• ‘Reading Rainbow’ Comes Back With a New Host, but the Same Mission

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Sexual Health Advice on TikTok Is Misleading Teens, Study Finds (Newsweek)

By Hannah Millington: Sexual health-related TikToks have been linked to misinformation and potentially dangerous advice—particularly when related to abortion.

This is the finding of a cross-sectional study led by student Angeli Sirilan of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, which involved creating a TikTok account representing a 15-year-old girl.

More than a quarter (26.7 percent) of videos with abortion-related search terms contained inaccurate information, in comparison to 4.3 percent of “other medically centered videos.”

“With major variation in school-based health classes, young people often turn to online platforms like TikTok for answers,” Sirilan said. “This highlights the urgent need for educators, parents and public health leaders to improve both sexual and reproductive health education and social media literacy.” READ MORE

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Suzy Welch Worries That Gen Z Is ‘Unemployable’ — And Some Leaders Are Intervening To Teach Them Basic Life Skills (Fortune)

By Nick Lichtenberg: Suzy Welch’s bold claim that Generation Z is “unemployable” has sparked lively debate in corporate America, prompting a wave of interventions by both companies and colleges to equip young adults with basic life and professional skills. The critique, rooted in research and observations about generational values and preparedness, is now colliding with practical workplace realities, as managers and educators scramble to bridge gaps between Gen Z expectations and employer demands.