Wait, Are Young People Actually Doing Better Than Previous Generations?
Does the data say that the kids are alright? PLUS: The case for a rec sports comeback, new science on the clitoris, and what happens when high school students "nudify" their classmates.
Hi Readers!
I’m Christopher Pepper, an award-winning health educator and the co-author of the bestselling book Talk To Your Boys.
I regularly out send curated collections of news stories and essays 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.
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In this edition:
How to Navigate Toxic Masculinity When Parenting Young Boys
In Many Ways, Young People Are Doing Better Than Previous Generations
Kids Need Rec Sports To Make a Comeback
Two Boys Made Deepfake Porn Of 60 Girls. It Left A School, Small Town Reeling
Boys are Pulling Away. Mentorship Can Bring Them Back
States Step up to Bring in Male Teachers, Support Young Men and Boys
Full Network Of Clitoral Nerves Mapped Out For First Time
A New Jersey Teen Finds Treasure, and More, in Abandoned Storage Units
How to Navigate Toxic Masculinity When Parenting Young Boys (Today)
Research shows that young boys are struggling to find connections in today’s society so experts Niobe Way, professor of developmental psychology and author of “Rebels With a Cause,” and Carlos Whittaker, podcaster and author of “Reconnected,” join TODAY to talk about the root of the “crisis of connection” they're experiencing and offer advice for how parents and role models can help them foster meaningful friendships and teach them the importance of soft skills.
From Christopher - WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS STORY? Niobe Way has been doing important work around boys and emotional connections for decades, and I love to see her getting a chance to share her wisdom out on a big media outlet like “TODAY.”
In Many Ways, Young People Are Doing Better Than Previous Generations (Scientific American)
By Melinda Wenner Moyer: If you were to ask most people how kids are doing these days, you’d probably get an earful of complaints and concerns. Compared with children from past generations, kids today are often portrayed as being less mentally healthy, less resilient and less empathetic. “America’s Children Are Unwell,” read a New York Times headline last November; online magazine Parents recently ran “How to Know if Your Kid Is a Narcissist—and What to Do about It.” In a 2025 Common Sense Media survey of 1,300 nationally representative parents, 61 percent said they believe kids today lag behind past generations in their morals and values, and more than half said youth today are less resilient and independent.
Although quality data are sparse, the research that does exist suggests a different narrative—one in which kids are faring better in many ways than those of previous generations. Studies suggest youths are more empathetic and less narcissistic than in the past, as well as more open-minded and inclusive. Drug use is down, youth violence has dropped and teen pregnancies have declined. IQs have gone up, and kids exhibit more self-restraint and patience than they did 50 years ago.
