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US Students’ Declining Math Scores Are ‘Sobering,’ Expert Says
A new international study showing a significant drop in U.S. students’ math test scores is raising concerns over student performance. The National Center for Education Statistics, or NCES, released highlights from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, also known as TIMSS, on Wednesday, which offers a snapshot at how many students are behind in mathematics and science, both critical subject areas.
Between 2019 and 2023, test scores for American fourth graders in math dropped by 18 points and scores for eighth graders dropped 27 points. Overall, math test scores stagnated, remaining comparable to math test scores from 1995, when the TIMSS began to be administered to students. “The results are sobering,” NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr told ABC News. “We started this assessment in 1995, so we have, essentially … erased the gains that we were seeing for decades.”
Education experts cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a major reason for the decline because schools were closed or disrupted in the U.S. for longer than in other countries and pointed to absenteeism as another notable problem.
Study Links Prenatal Stress to Inflammation and Mental Health Issues in Offspring
An analysis of data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children found that children of mothers who experienced higher stress during pregnancy tended to have elevated levels of an inflammation marker, interleukin-6 (IL-6), at age nine. These children were also more likely to exhibit more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety during adolescence. The findings were published in Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Stress is the body’s natural response to challenges or demands, often referred to as the “fight-or-flight” reaction. It is triggered by real or perceived threats, activating the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to prepare the body for action. While this response can enhance focus, energy, and performance in the short term, prolonged or chronic stress can disrupt bodily systems. This disruption can lead to physical, emotional, and mental health problems, such as high blood pressure, anxiety, or weakened immunity.
According to the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis, exposure to stress during pregnancy can lead to physiological changes in the fetus. These stress-induced alterations may have long-lasting effects on the mental health and well-being of the child later in life. Several studies have demonstrated associations between maternal stressful life events and psychopathology during pregnancy and children’s mental health outcomes.
Parents Think It’s Homework Help — Here’s How Teens Are Really Using AI Chatbots
In an age when teenagers turn to TikTok for life advice and Instagram for validation, a new digital confidant has entered their lives: artificial intelligence. According to new research, parents have no idea what their children are telling it, nor the emotional digital relationships they’re creating.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have uncovered a significant disconnect between how parents think their teenagers use artificial intelligence and the complex reality. Led by information sciences professor Yang Wang and doctoral student Yaman Yu, the study represents one of the first comprehensive studies examining how teenagers interact with generative AI and the associated risks.
“AI technologies are evolving so quickly, and so are the ways people use them,” says Professor Wang, who co-directs the Social Computing Systems Lab, in a statement. “There are some things we can learn from past domains, such as addiction and inappropriate behavior on social media and online gaming.”
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Experts Issue Warning to Gen Z Over Weight Loss Misinformation
Experts have raised concerns over new research revealing that half of Gen Z seek weight loss advice on social media, while only 35% consult a doctor. The study, conducted by Talker Research for Medifast, surveyed 2,000 adults in the U.S. on weight loss journeys.
Three experts spoke with Newsweek about the troubling trend of young people turning to platforms like TikTok for guidance, without seeking real medical advice. Dr. Rebecca Emch, VP of pharmacy and medical operations at Eden, told Newsweek: “The growing reliance on social media for weight loss advice, especially among Gen Z, is a concerning trend.”
Most Young People With Long COVID Recover Within 2 Years
Most children and teenagers can shake long COVID-19 within a couple of a years, a new, reassuring study finds. About 70% of children and teens diagnosed with long COVID recover from the disorder within 24 months of their initial infection, researchers reported Dec. 4 in the journal Nature Communications Medicine.
“Our findings show that for teenagers who fulfilled our research definition of Long COVID three months after a positive test for the COVID-19 virus, the majority have recovered after two years,” said lead researcher Terence Stephenson, a professor with the University College London (UCL) Great Ormand Street Institute of Child Health.
