+black kids and suicide [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](.
Edition: US
17 January 2020
[The Conversation]( [Support The Conversation in 2020 with a monthly gift](
[Nick Lehr]
A note from...
Nick Lehr
Arts + Culture Editor
Teen depression rates in the U.S. have been rising, and psychologist Jean Twenge suspects smartphones and social media are to blame.
But why are depression rates rising faster for girls?
Twenge studied three separate surveys of over 200,000 teens. She found that while boys and girls spend hours each day in front of screens, [they don’t spend their screen time doing the same things]( – and this could make all the difference.
Also today:
- [U.S. and Iran’s long, troubled history](
- [Why it’s OK to surf the web at work](
- [Why people say they don’t vote](
Top story
One-fifth of U.S. teen girls reported experiencing major depression in 2017. Tgraphic/Shutterstock.com
[Why teen depression rates are rising faster for girls than boys](
Jean Twenge, San Diego State University
New research finds that the different ways boys and girls use digital technology might explain the discrepancy.
Politics + Society
-
[US and Iran have a long, troubled history](
Jeffrey Fields, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Some of the major events in US-Iran relations highlight the differences between the nations' views, but others presented real opportunities for reconciliation.
-
[I asked people why they don’t vote, and this is what they told me](
Andrew Joseph Pegoda, University of Houston
In the 2016 election, more than a third of Americans didn't vote. What might be keeping them from going to the polls?
-
[A Navy scandal sheds light on the nature of bribery and the limits of free speech](
Marcus Hedahl, United States Naval Academy
A massive scandal implicating senior US Navy officers highlights what bribery is and how it happens. A law and ethics scholar at the US Naval Academy can't say much more than that, though.
Arts + Culture
-
[The Prohibition-era origins of the modern craft cocktail movement](
Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University
Something needed to be done to mask the taste of bootleg alcohol that could include ingredients ranging from dead rats to wood tar.
Health + Medicine
-
[Black kids and suicide: Why are rates so high, and so ignored?](
Rheeda Walker, University of Houston
African American youth are at increased risk for death by suicide. An expert explains why it's important to better understand the effects of racism, bullying and alienation on black youth.
Energy + Environment
-
[The first step in managing plastic waste is measuring it – here’s how we did it for one Caribbean country](
Clyde Eiríkur Hull, Rochester Institute of Technology; Eric Williams, Rochester Institute of Technology
To manage plastic wastes, nations first need to know what they have and where it's coming from. A case study from Trinidad and Tobago shows how this approach can help identify solutions.
Economy + Business
-
[Why bosses should let employees surf the web at work](
Stephanie Andel, Indiana University
Employers tend to see 'cyberloafing' as a waste of time, but a new study suggests it serves an important function for workers.
Science + Technology
-
[Identifying aquatic plants with drones could be the key to reducing a parasitic infection in people](
Chelsea L. Wood, University of Washington
Schistosome worms infect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Researchers have discovered how to use inexpensive drones to identify disease hotspots in remote African villages.
Ethics + Religion
-
[An old debate over religion in school is opening up again](
David Mislin, Temple University
At least six states have permitted the study of the Bible in classrooms, which could reignite a 19th-century debate that split US Protestants into liberal and conservative camps.
-
[What is a bar mitzvah?](
Jonathan D. Sarna, Brandeis University
The Jewish coming-of-age ritual of bar mitzvah evolved to its current form during the time of Enlightenment, when Jewish families feared losing their traditions.
From our International Editions
-
[We don’t know how many mountain gorillas live in the wild. Here’s why](
Katerina Guschanski, Uppsala University
Surveys are likely to have missed multiple groups and individuals due to differences in survey techniques.
-
[Tales of wombat ‘heroes’ have gone viral. Unfortunately, they’re not true](
Dale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University
Wombats don't herd animals to shelter in their fire-proof burrows, they just tolerate uninvited house guests.
-
[Betelgeuse: star’s weird dimming sparks rumours that its death is imminent](
Daniel Brown, Nottingham Trent University
If Betelgeuse explodes, it will become as bright as the full moon in a matter of days and be visible during day time.
Today’s chart
- [Enable images to see the chart](
From the article: [The first step in managing plastic waste is measuring it – here's how we did it for one Caribbean country](
[Clyde Eiríkur Hull] Clyde Eiríkur Hull
Rochester Institute of Technology
[Eric Williams] Eric Williams
Rochester Institute of Technology
[Help fight misinformation and science denial. Support The Conversation.](
[Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.](
You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](.
Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you.
89 South Street - Suite 202
Boston, MA 02111