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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
90% of Teens Say Exercise Makes Them Feel Happy—How to Keep Them Active This Summer
Fact checked by Sarah ScottNew survey shows 50% of teens say their fitness levels drop during summer. Experts say there is a connection between physical and mental health. Parents can help their teens feel motivated to exercise over the term 'summer slide' is nothing new, and typically refers not to a fun, seasonal party staple, but to learning loss kids can experience when school is out for the year. Another type of slide may also happen over summer break, and involves fewer opportunities and lower motivation for young people to exercise. Of course, we know that mental health and physical activity are inextricably linked. Recently, Planet Fitness conducted a nationwide survey to better understand teens' exercise habits and well-being, especially during the hotter months of the year. The survey, which included 1,000 parents of teens ages 14-19, as well as their teens, uncovered some interesting data about the state of teens' mental and physical health. 66% of parents feel concerned about their teens' well-being and stress levels. 72% of parents believe regular exercise can improve their teens' mental wellness. Three in five teens say their stress and anxiety are not improving—but actually getting worse as they get older. 90% of teens report that exercise helps them feel happy. 93% of teens agree that regular exercise is beneficial when handling challenges. 50% of teens report that their fitness levels decline during summer break. Meanwhile, it won't come as a huge surprise that 81% of teens admit that screen time and social media eat up a big part of their day. Interestingly, most are also aware that avoiding social media is helpful. Given these insights, what can parents do to encourage kids to stay active when staying in bed until noon with their devices so temptingly beckoning? First, it's important to dive into why teens may tend to feel less motivated to seek out exercise when school's not in session. 'When school is out for the summer and after-school sports and activities are on hold, teens often lose the structure and routine they usually follow,' Jamie Medeiros, Chief Brand Officer at Planet Fitness, tells Parents. Add to that how kids are exhausted from a busy school year, and according to Paul Hokemeyer, JD, PhD, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), 'They want to sleep until noon, and stay up until 3 a.m. playing video games and talking with their friends on SnapChat.' Indeed, with low-key vibes abound, exercise can start to feel like another chore to check off a to-do list. Consider too that, as Joy Friedman, MD, an adolescent medicine physician at Nemours Children's Health, points out, over the summer, some teens may lose access to safe exercise facilities. 'They may not have transportation to get to a fitness center, and memberships may not be affordable,' she adds. We know as adults how much better we feel physically and mentally when we can fit that run or yoga class into our busy schedules. Teens benefit from exercise in very specific ways, according to Dr. Hokemeyer. He explains that between rapid physiological and psychological changes, at times chaotic sleep patterns, sometimes poor eating habits, and a high susceptibility to negative influences online and via peer groups, exercise can be a highly effective way to boost adolescents' well-being. 'Exercise can be an incredibly helpful tool for maintaining good mental health in teens,' agrees Brook Choulet, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist at Choulet Performance Psychiatry. 'Physical activity supports mood regulation and can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as improving sleep and cognitive function.' Physical activity also helps young people connect to peers in a healthy and constructive way. 'Exercise can be a social activity and a way to remain connected with peers during the summer months,' says Dr. Friedman. The experts we spoke to all agree that one of the best ways to make sure your teen makes physical activity part of their routine is to model healthy behavior. 'Parents have a unique opportunity this summer to set a positive example for their teens by staying active,' stresses Medeiros. Teens who enjoy exercise have parents who enjoy exercise, according to Dr. Hokemeyer, while Dr. Choulet says, 'If you, as a parent, can model consistent activity yourself, it can set a powerful example for your adolescent.' Beyond practicing what you preach when it comes to physical activity, other ways to make sure your teen gets enough physical activity over the summer include: Taking advantage of free programs. Planet Fitness is offering its annual High School Summer Pass program for teens ages 14 – 19 to work out at no charge at its gyms nationwide. Steering your teen toward . Dance, tennis, swim, strength training; whatever the activity is, Dr. Choulet says, 'It's important to connect physical activity to what your teen values.' Exercising as a family. Organize a hike or a bike ride to make working out fun, and an opportunity to spend time together. Encouraging teens to . Whether it's walking the dog, or helping with yard work, movement doesn't have to be structured or lengthy to count! Doug Newton, MD, MPH, the Chief Medical Officer at Rula, a site that matches patients with therapists, advises acknowledging that finding motivation to exercise can be a challenge. He further counsels parents to talk with their teens about why they are valuing exercise. 'Open communication about mental health and the benefits of physical activity can further encourage teens to stay active,' Dr. Newton says. The only caution would be when things go too far. 'Sometimes exercise can become an obsession, and over-exercising can be a symptom of an eating disorder,' Dr. Friedman warns. She advises looking for signs like counting calories consumed versus burned, and canceling plans with others to prioritize exercise. Read the original article on Parents
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
54% of Boys Report Regularly Seeing Sexualized Firearm Content Online, Study Shows
Fact checked by Sarah ScottNew research from Sandy Hook Promise shows gun makers are marketing online content to young boys. 54% of boys surveyed reported seeing sexually charged firearm content at least once a week. Just about a quarter of parents surveyed are aware that their kids are following influencers who promote gun content.A man with bulging biceps, tattoos down to his wrists, and a neatly trimmed beard walks on screen next to two women with glossy hair and perfectly done makeup. An assault rifle drops into the man's hands as he lets out an expletive, and he turns and fires the gun at a distant target. A graphically enhanced blast from the gun blows the women's clothes off, leaving her in her underwear. This YouTube video has racked up 10 million views to date. How many of them were boys under 18? According to recently released research from the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise, the answer is that boys are seeing hypersexualized gun content like this online much more often than parents think. This survey comes at a time when boys are inundated with confusing societal messages about manhood, and firearms continue to be the leading cause of death for children and teenagers. Nicole Hockley, the co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, believes this makes for a dangerous mix. 'This kind of marketing preys on young boys' insecurities and how they see themselves. It's the same kind of messaging that influenced the shooter who murdered my son and 25 others at Sandy Hook Elementary. This type of marketing isn't just irresponsible—it's dangerous and it has deadly consequences,' she tells Parents. This latest research is a part of the nonprofit's UnTargeting Kids campaign, which seeks to raise awareness about gun manufacturers' marketing to children. A Remington Arms marketing brief obtained during a lawsuit Sandy Hook Promise brought against the gunmaker clearly stated that 'youth' was among the company's primary target audiences. Sandy Hook Promise is also using the campaign to promote solutions that lawmakers, gun manufacturers, social media developers, and parents can implement. While the video described above is not intended for children, for example, social media loopholes make this kind of content easily accessible to them. Tech industry experts like Titania Jordan, the Chief Marketing Officer for Bark Technologies, a parental controls company that helps families keep their kids safe online and in real life, agrees with and applauds Sandy Hook Promise for taking this approach. 'This is absolutely an urgent issue. Every day, children are being harmed because of unmonitored, unfiltered tech access,' she says. The goal of Sandy Hook Promise's recent survey was to better understand how firearm ads reach boys online, how they impact their views on guns, and whether parents know this content is reaching their kids. The survey included boys ages 10 to 17 and parents of boys in the same age bracket. Participants came from households both with and without firearms. It is also worth noting that Sandy Hook Promise includes influencer-generated content in their definition of firearm ads because it is likely that at least some influencers are receiving payments or free products for their content. More than half of the boys surveyed (54%) reported seeing sexually charged firearm content at least once a week. But boys in households with guns were even more likely to be exposed to this content, and boys who frequently played video games were more than two times more likely to see sexually charged gun content than those who didn't. Thirty-two percent of the boys follow influencers who promote firearms, and 38% had clicked on a firearm ad. Meanwhile, only 27% of parents are aware that their child follows influencers who promote firearms. 'When we show some of the ads to parents, they're shocked because it's not coming through their [own] feeds,' Hockley says. Most notably, 77% of both parents and boys agree that companies should not be allowed to advertise firearms to children under 18. This could indicate that boys are not comfortable with this content, and may even be able to identify on some level that it's harmful. A 2023 report published by Sandy Hook Promise also points out that in some cases, boys are not even seeking out this type of content; the social media algorithms are feeding it to them. Sandy Hook Promise takes the stance that children and teenagers are 'biologically disadvantaged' against gun manufacturers' marketing strategies. Research on the adolescent brain supports this. Until the brain is fully developed, which happens in the mid-twenties, a person is more sensitive to rewarding experiences and less able to control their impulses, regulate their emotions, and understand the consequences of their actions. Boys today are surrounded by messages that tell them being a man is about being tough, always in control, and surrounded by attractive women. This is an impossible and unrealistic vision of manhood that sets boys up for failure, disappointment, and frustration. But online gun content seems to target and feed into this insecurity by telling boys that a gun is a shortcut to achieving this vision. In other words, what's being sold through this kind of marketing strategy is much more than just a gun. Layer that on top of the teen mental health crisis—40% of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness—and it becomes clear how detrimental this kind of messaging can be. 'We're not saying [gun manufacturers should] stop marketing firearms,' Hockley says. 'We're saying do it in an ethical way that includes ensuring that kids aren't seeing this [content].' Jordan encourages parents to acquaint themselves with this type of gun content. 'Until you see what your children are seeing, you're not going to realize the problem,' she says. She also provided several recommendations to help parents manage their children's relationship to technology. Don't allow phones in bedrooms or behind closed doors. When phones are needed for homework, it should happen in a shared area of the house. Explore the apps your kids want to use. Parents can explore apps first before kids download them to get a sense of what the app environment is like. Monitor video game ratings. They help protect developing minds from harmful messages and content that might be too strong for them. Teach media literacy. Understanding that 'free' platforms aren't really free helps kids think more critically about their digital decisions. Talk about games where shooting and killing are the primary focus. Conversations with kids about killing games help to ensure they are not being desensitized. Screenshot inappropriate gun marketing content and circulate it. When other parents experience this content, they are more likely to get involved and push for change. There is also a petition on Sandy Hook Promise's website urging lawmakers to ban the advertising of firearms to children in the same way that alcohol and tobacco have been banned from being marketed to them. Surveys like the one from Sandy Hook Promise give parents critical insight into what is happening in boys' worlds right now. For as long as it continues to reach children, hypersexualized gun marketing can never be categorized as purely entertainment content. Watching pretty women getting their clothes blown off by a gun shapes how boys view the world and their place in it. Parents should be able to control who and what informs this worldview—not an algorithm and not gun manufacturers. Read the original article on Parents
