Youth

Chalkbeat - Nearly 7,000 New York City teenagers have signed up for free online therapy. More than half of them have only texted with their therapist, while 42% are using both video and text sessions. Critics worry that these sessions are inadequate to address major mental health needs. Supporters counter that texting is a more comfortable way for many teens to communicate, and the program is reaching the students who otherwise would have the least access to mental health treatment.

Washington Post - The average age of first menstruation was 11.9 years for those born between 2000 and 2005, down from 12.5 years for those born between 1950 and 1969, a study found. Higher body weight, the effects of environmental chemicals and diet probably play a role. The trend is more pronounced among girls of color.

Guardian - New York governor Kathy Hochul plans to introduce a bill banning smartphones in schools, the latest in a series of legislative moves aimed at online child safety by New York’s top official. “I have seen these addictive algorithms pull in young people, literally capture them and make them prisoners in a space where they are cut off from human connection, social interaction and normal classroom activity,” she said. Hochul said she will launch the bill later this year and take it up in New York’s next legislative session, which begins in January 2025. If passed, schoolchildren will be allowed to carry simple phones that cannot access the internet but do have the capability to send texts, which has been a sticking point for parents. She did not offer specifics on enforcing the prohibition.