Michael Pollan Takes On The New Food Pyramid
The "Omnivore's Dilemma" author would like a word. PLUS: Why is smoking making a comeback with Gen Z?
Hi Readers!
I’m Christopher Pepper, an award-winning health educator and the co-author of Talk To Your Boys.
During the week, I send out Teen Health Today posts that are free for all to read - the most recent is How To Become A “Trusted Adult” For Teens.
On Sundays I send out curated collections of thought-provoking essays and news stories like the one you are reading right now. Think of me as your friend who keeps up with everything and sends you the most interesting stuff.
These Sunday news roundups are paywalled to encourage you to upgrade your Teen Health Today subscription. Lucky for you, here’s a button that will give you a 30% discount:
I LOVE AND APPRECIATE the folks who pitch in a little bit to keep this newsletter going. Thank you!
In this edition:
The Class Where ‘Screenagers’ Train to Navigate Social Media and A.I.
Author Michael Pollan Weighs In On The New Food Pyramid
Why Smoking Is Making a Comeback — Especially With Gen Z
Most U.S. Teens Use YouTube and TikTok Daily, Some ‘Almost Constantly,’ Survey Says
Minnesota Educators And Families Call On ICE Agents To Stay Away From Schools
My Grandfather Abused Countless Children. Here’s What I’ve Learned About Prevention.
A Teen Trusted ChatGPT For Drug Advice. He Died From An Overdose.
Can Teaching Self-Compassion Improve Teen Mental Health?
The Class Where ‘Screenagers’ Train to Navigate Social Media and A.I. (New York Times)
By Tiffany Hsu: Most teenagers know that baseless conspiracy theories, partisan propaganda and artificially generated deepfakes lurk on social media. Valerie Ziegler’s students know how to spot them.
Ms. Ziegler, 50, is part of a vanguard of California educators racing to prepare students in a rapidly changing online world. Content moderation policies have withered at many social media platforms, making it easier to lie and harder to trust. Artificial intelligence is evolving so quickly, and generating such persuasive content, that even professionals who specialize in detecting its presence are being stumped. READ MORE
From Christopher - WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS STORY? It’s not often that you see your teacher friends in the New York Times, so I was thrilled to see Ms. Ziegler and her students getting this attention. She and I taught together for years at Lincoln High School, and she is one of the most fun, passionate, and innovative teachers I have ever met. I am so glad that people across the world get to learn about how she’s addressing the new media landscape teenagers are living in.
Author Michael Pollan Weighs In On The New Food Pyramid (The San Francisco Standard)
By Sara Deseran: “Eat real food.” When the federal government unveiled its updated dietary guidelines and an inverted food pyramid this week, the slogan sounded oddly familiar — an echo of Berkeley-based writer Michael Pollan’s long-standing sage advice: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
