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#childdevelopment

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Harvard Gazette: How young is too young? No such thing, apparently.. “U.S. children aged 8 and younger spend 2½ hours a day on screens, with kids under 2 exceeding an hour each day, according to a recent report from Common Sense Media. It’s data that Michael Rich, an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, finds deeply troubling.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/05/14/harvard-gazette-how-young-is-too-young-no-such-thing-apparently/

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Interesting new paper on #empathy development comparing infants in Uganda and the UK. Starting at 9 months and increasing at 18 months, comforting behaviour was apparent at both sites.

'Results were overall similar at both sites, but we found some site level variation in tendencies to offer comfort spontaneously, with infants in Uganda being more likely to comfort after an explicit cue of need than infants in the UK. Overall, results highlight early onset of empathy development in infancy, with similar developmental trajectories in two sites, despite differences in socio-cultural environment.'

#anthropology #childdevelopment

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti

journals.plos.orgEarly empathy development: Concern and comforting in 9- and 18-month-old infants from Uganda and the UKEmpathy, the capacity to share and understand others’ emotional states, is important for navigating our social lives, yet its development in infancy remains poorly understood. Moreover, most research on empathy development has been biased towards Western populations, which are not representative of global diversity. Using a cross-cultural longitudinal design, this study investigated how infants at 9 and 18 months sampled from Uganda (N = 44, 24 female) and the UK (N = 49, 24 female) develop empathic concern and comforting. Infants watched an adult (mother or experimenter) pretend to injure themselves and the infants’ concerned facial expression and comforting behaviours towards the injured individual were recorded. By 9 months of age, infants at both sites exhibited evidence of facial expressions of concern and onset of comforting behaviour. The likelihood of comforting at both sites increased by 18 months. Results were overall similar at both sites, but we found some site level variation in tendencies to offer comfort spontaneously, with infants in Uganda being more likely to comfort after an explicit cue of need than infants in the UK. Overall, results highlight early onset of empathy development in infancy, with similar developmental trajectories in two sites, despite differences in socio-cultural environment.

The National (Middle East): UAE schools to begin teaching mandatory AI classes from age of four. “Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday announced that artificial intelligence is to be introduced as a subject across all stages of government education in the UAE.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/05/08/the-national-middle-east-uae-schools-to-begin-teaching-mandatory-ai-classes-from-age-of-four/

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Tech Xplore: AI companions present risks for young users, US watchdog warns. “In one example cited by the study, a companion on the Character AI platform advises the user to kill someone, while another user in search of strong emotions was suggested to take a speedball, a mixture of cocaine and heroin.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/05/04/tech-xplore-ai-companions-present-risks-for-young-users-us-watchdog-warns/

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Euronews: Finland to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. “The Finnish parliament has passed legislation which restricts the use of smartphones and other electronic devices by students in primary and secondary schools during the day. Lawmakers say concern over the students’ wellbeing and the quality of their learning environment were the driving factors behind the new […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/05/01/euronews-finland-to-restrict-the-use-of-smartphones-during-the-school-day/

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Tubefilter: YouTube videos with “negative interactions” are impacting kids’ mental health, study finds. “A team led by researchers at Ewha Womans University in Seoul and University of California at Davis studied the potential correlation between YouTube videos featuring ‘negative interactions’ and deleterious mental health effects. Results were mixed, but the research team uncovered a […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/04/24/tubefilter-youtube-videos-with-negative-interactions-are-impacting-kids-mental-health-study-finds/

KQED: A Treasure Trove of Education Reports and Studies is Under Threat. “Initially, ERIC was spared from the department’s mass contract cancellations in February. But according to Erin Pollard Young, the sole Education Department employee who managed ERIC until her job was eliminated in March, the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE has since refused to approve disbursement of […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/04/22/kqed-a-treasure-trove-of-education-reports-and-studies-is-under-threat/

Vanderbilt University: New tool maps how states govern early childhood programs. “Early childhood governance plays a critical role in shaping how policies are implemented, how funding is distributed, and how families engage with essential supports. Yet states take different approaches to structuring governance, influencing collaboration across education, health, and economic and family […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/04/02/vanderbilt-university-new-tool-maps-how-states-govern-early-childhood-programs/

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Poynter: Kids with smartphones report higher well-being than expected, study finds. “The survey shows that 78% of respondents have their own smartphone, including 72% of 11-year-olds. About 52% of all kids surveyed have their own smartphone and data plan, meaning they are connected to the internet 24/7. And if it feels as if kids (like adults) are on their phones constantly, you’re not far […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/28/poynter-kids-with-smartphones-report-higher-well-being-than-expected-study-finds/

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Chapman University: Virtual Reality and AI Could Transform Behavioral Assessments in U.S. Schools. “The primary method that U.S. schools use to assess the behavioral abilities of young children may be biased against students from underserved communities. This is all the more alarming considering behavioral assessments can impact the educational trajectory of a student’s life.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/19/chapman-university-virtual-reality-and-ai-could-transform-behavioral-assessments-in-u-s-schools/

ResearchBuzz: Firehose | Individual posts from ResearchBuzz · Chapman University: Virtual Reality and AI Could Transform Behavioral Assessments in U.S. Schools | ResearchBuzz: Firehose
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#ai#aiassisted#ar

State of Wisconsin: New DPI Resources, Webpage Highlight Impact, Importance of Federal Funding . “…to help you better understand the specific impact of federal funding on your district, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has launched a webpage to provide real-time updates, critical information, and resources highlighting the importance of federal funding. This page will be […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/16/state-of-wisconsin-new-dpi-resources-webpage-highlight-impact-importance-of-federal-funding/

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Colorado Department of Education: Colorado Department of Education publishes free K-12 math resources. “The Colorado Department of Education released a suite of free K-12 resources to support educators and families with math instruction. The CDE Math Intervention Resources were co-created with 18 math teachers from 12 Colorado school districts and four institutions of higher learning and the […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/03/colorado-department-of-education-colorado-department-of-education-publishes-free-k-12-math-resources/

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