Advertisement
Supported by
Our roundup of the news stories and features about young people that have recently appeared across sections of NYTimes.com.
Send any friend a story
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
Here is the December, 2021 edition of Teenagers in The Times, a roundup of the news and feature stories about young people that have recently appeared across sections of NYTimes.com. We publish a new edition on the first Thursday of each month.
For ideas about how to use Teenagers in The Times with your students, please see our lesson plan and special activity sheet, both of which can be used with this or any other edition.
_________
Education
Schools Are Going Online on Fridays. Parents Are Furious.
To retain teachers, some districts do remote teaching for one day a week or more. Families have been left scrambling to find child care.
The Students Returned, but the Fallout From a Long Disruption Remained
“They’re like, ‘The world’s out of control, why should I be in control?’” the principal of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pa., said of some of his struggling students.
Are Schools Ready for the Next Big Virus Surge?
Districts say they don’t want to close classrooms again. But the latest wave could challenge the rickety infrastructure that has kept schools running.
New York City’s Schools Will Ramp Up Testing to Limit Classroom Closures
The nation’s largest school district will eliminate its current policy of quarantining classrooms after Covid exposures, in hopes of keeping more children in school during the spring semester.
We Learned Our Lesson Last Year: Do Not Close Schools
“The Omicron surge is scary. But schools must stay open,” writes the author of this Opinion essay.
How Long Can Students Wait for Australia to Reopen?
As the Omicron variant heralds more uncertainty, international students weigh up their options.
Another Surge in the Virus Has Colleges Fearing a Mental Health Crisis
After almost two years of remote schooling, restricted gatherings and constant testing, many students are isolated and depressed. Omicron may make things worse.
Public university students in New York must now get vaccine boosters.
Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled the measure as the fast-spreading Omicron variant continued to push the number of virus cases in the state to new heights with each passing day.
Will My Students Ever Know a World Without School Shootings?
“Teachers can do only do so much to protect their students from school shootings,” writes the author of this Opinion essay.
What Can Schools Do About Disturbed Students?
“There is no profile of a school shooter that is reliable,” writes the author of this Opinion essay.
Texas’s Fight Over School Books
“At what point do I practice subversion?” a teacher wondered.
Professor Put Clues to a Cash Prize in His Syllabus. No One Noticed.
Tucked into the second page of the syllabus was information about a locker number and its combination. Inside was a $50 bill, which went unclaimed.
Early Decision Isn’t Binding. Let Us Explain.
If you can’t afford the price a college quotes you, you don’t have to go. We corrected an N.Y.U. blog post and rewrote the Common App for you.
After Michigan Killings, Students Praised Shooter Drills. But Do They Really Work?
Oxford High School held repeated trainings on how to handle a gunman in school. But some critics are questioning their purpose.
Some U.S. Schools Close After Shooting Rumors on Social Media
Security was heightened after vague warnings of threats circulated on TikTok and other social media platforms, police and school officials said.
Should States Be Allowed to Deny Parents Religious Options in School Choice Programs?
According to this Opinion essay, the Supreme Court is about to consider that question.
_________
Civics, Politics, Economics and Business
Children, Coping With Loss, Are Pandemic’s ‘Forgotten Grievers’
A bipartisan group led by two former governors is urging President Biden to help an estimated 167,000 children who have lost parents or caregivers.
English Teenager Finds Bronze Age Ax Using a Metal Detector
On her third day out with a metal detector, Milly Hardwick, 13, found a hoard of items from more than 3,000 years ago. “We were just laughing our heads off,” she said.
Suspect in Michigan School Shooting Faces Murder and Terrorism Charges
A 15-year-old accused of killing four of his classmates and wounding seven other people had described wanting to attack the school in cellphone videos and a journal, the authorities said.
In the Michigan School Shooting, the Prosecutor Asks, What About the Parents?
After seeing the evidence, Karen McDonald made an instinctual, and unusual, decision to charge Ethan Crumbley’s mother and father. Can she succeed?
How ‘Shadow’ Foster Care Is Tearing Families Apart
Across the country, an unregulated system is severing parents from children, who often end up abandoned by the agencies that are supposed to protect them.
Third Accuser Says Epstein and Maxwell Preyed on Her as a Troubled Teen
The accuser, who testified under her first name, Carolyn, described being preyed upon as an especially vulnerable child.
Scuba-Diving YouTuber Finds Car Linked to Teens Missing Since 2000
A YouTuber who investigates cold cases found a missing Tennessee teenager’s car submerged in a nearby river. It is at least the fourth such discovery by amateur investigators in two months.
Teen Who Sought New Life Found Death at Hands of the Police, Father Says
The family of Valentina Orellana Peralta described the terrifying moments before the 14-year-old girl, who had recently moved to Los Angeles from Chile, was killed by a stray bullet fired by a police officer.
_________
Science, Health, Technology and Sports
Socially Distant Wrestling: Young Athletes ‘Robbed’ by Covid Rules
High school teams with big ambitions are barred from playing in the state championships, possibly jeopardizing college scholarships.
Step Aside, LeBron and Dak, and Make Room for Banjo and Kazooie
Kids were already drifting away from traditional sports before the pandemic, with ramifications for the entire sports industry. The trend has accelerated in the pandemic.
A New Generation Stacks Up Championships in an Old Game: Tetris
The best player in the world over the last two years is a 14-year-old boy from Fort Worth. One of his main challengers? His 16-year-old brother.
Hockey Team Apologizes for ‘Degrading’ Cash Grab for Teachers
Ten teachers in South Dakota competed for $5,000 in dollar bills to spend on classroom improvements. Critics called the event at a hockey game in Sioux Falls demeaning.
Surgeon General Warns of Youth Mental Health Crisis
The coronavirus pandemic intensified a rise in adolescent depression, anxiety and mental health distress that was underway before the spring of 2020.
‘We Don’t Turn Into Aliens.’ Teen Girls Talk About Puberty.
From period pains and hip dips to bullying and catcalling, five girls talk about the trials of growing up.
Do Active Shooter Drills Work?
They may harm the mental health of students, while doing little to prevent mass shootings.
F.D.A. Plans to Allow 12- to 15-Year-Olds to Receive Pfizer Boosters
Regulators are also expected to allow even younger children with immune deficiencies to get an extra shot.
F.D.A. Authorizes Pfizer Boosters for 16- and 17-Year-Olds
The move clears the way for millions of teenagers to receive an additional shot, with a top regulator citing evidence that the effectiveness of two doses is waning in the age group.
5 Ways Young People Are Using Discord
Discord users from 12 to 23 years old describe how they use the messaging site, which has boomed during the pandemic.
_________
Arts, Media and Culture
Gen Z Pop Stars Made Their Mark in 2021. Beware, Millennial Forebears.
Upstarts including Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Chloe Bailey and the Kid Laroi grew up on the internet, admiring the artists who are now their contemporaries.
From a Burger King to a Concert Hall, With Help From Frank Gehry
The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s ambitious new home for its youth orchestra is the latest sign of the changing fortunes of Inglewood.
‘Try Harder!’ Review: California Overachievement Test
This documentary from Debbie Lum goes inside a top-performing San Francisco public high school to see how students are preparing for the future.
High School Confidential!
“Libertyville High was a place to push the limits, and launch my career,” writes the author of this Opinion essay, who has spent over three decades melding music and political activism as a power guitarist.
The Latest High School Prank? It’s a Snooze.
Instagram accounts featuring photos of students slouching, nodding off and parking badly took off this past semester at schools around the country.
Want to Be an Influencer? Here’s One Place to Start.
A new social app called 28 Row aims to connect college women, both for business opportunities and emotional support.
‘Cheer’ is Back. Coach Monica is Ready.
The documentary series on the Navarro College cheerleading team returns to Netflix on Jan. 12.
_________
Advertisement
About Author
