Misleading videos about tobacco use are widespread on YouTube, where views of popular pro-tobacco videos have soared in recent years, a study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds.
Health
No Clear Evidence of Increase in Adolescent Suicide After ‘13 Reasons Why’
Contrary to a 2019 study, a data reanalysis found no evidence of an increase in adolescent suicide rates after the release of Netflix's "13 Reasons Why."
Holiday-Suicide Myth Finally Debunked in Most News Stories
Two-thirds of the news stories analyzed last year debunked the holiday-suicide myth, the false claim that suicides increase over the holidays, according to new research from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Justified and Unjustified Movie Violence Evoke Different Brain Responses
In a new study, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania find that scenes of unjustified and justified violence in movies activate different parts of the adolescent brain. When movie characters engage in violence that is seen as justified, there is a synchronized response among viewers in a part of the brain involved in moral evaluation, suggesting that viewers see it as acceptable for protection.
Do Smart Phones and Social Media Lead to Adolescent Suicide?
Although some researchers have attributed the rise in adolescent suicide to social media and smart phone use, researcher Dan Romer says economic and parental pressures are as likely to blame.
‘13 Reasons Why’ and Media Effects on Suicide
A recent study estimated that an additional 195 suicide deaths among young people occurred after the release of the TV series “13 Reasons Why.” A commentary co-authored by APPC's Dan Romer asks how to interpret that number and whether it obscures a complex set of media effects.
