• American teenagers prefer Apple's iPhone to Android phones.
• 82% of American teenagers currently own an iPhone, the highest percentage ever in the history of a Piper Jaffray study about teens. 

American teenagers continue to deeply prefer Apple's iPhone to phones running Android. 

82% of teens of teens currently own an iPhone, according to Piper Jaffray's "Teens Survey," which questions thousands of kids across 40 states with an average age of 16.

That's up from 78% in last fall, and it's the highest percentage of teen iPhone ownership Piper's seen in its survey. 

iPhone ownership among teens could go even higher — 84% of teens say their next phone will be an iPhone. 

The enduring popularity of the iPhone in America's high schools may also be leading to a boom in Apple Watch interest. 20% of teens plan to buy an Apple Watch in the next 6 months, and Apple is the 2nd-most desired brand among upper-income teens, behind only Rolex, according to the survey. 

Piper's analysts thinks this sets Apple up well for the fall, when it is expected to release three new iPhones, including one low-cost version with facial recognition and an end-to-end screen, features which currently cost $1,000 or more. 

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• After discovering that Kansas has no minimum age requirement for gubernatorial candidates, a number of teenagers have joined in the running.
• The Republican party subsequently set rules requiring all debate participants to have voted in the 2014 election, which would automatically eliminate the young candidates.
• Other young people in Kansas have mixed opinions on the teenage candidates, both positive and negative.

Jack Bergeson, the garrulous 17-year-old Democrat running for Kansas governor, hadn't even bothered to put his phone number on his campaign website until recently — because everyone already seemed to have it.

"National networks all have my stuff," says the young Mr. Bergeson, nibbling on a few fries at his parents' Wichita burger joint. "They can get ahold of me if they want."

It's a Saturday, and he has been up since 4:30 a.m., when he headed to Kansas City for a CNN interview — only to be displaced at the last minute by the latest Trump drama. "They're going to reschedule me, hopefully. I don't know when. But they said they would."

At least five other teenagers, and, briefly, a dog named Angus, have followed Bergeson's lead since he discovered one Sunday afternoon two years ago that Kansas has no minimum age requirement — actually, no requirements at all — for gubernatorial candidates. A predictable flood of media attention has followed, something Bergeson, like many other teens who've entered the political spotlight of late, is handling with remarkable cogency and the self-assurance of youth — if at times an understandable touch of naiveté.

A former Mitt Romney supporter, Bergeson says he became disillusioned with Republican politics under former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, whose drastic tax-cutting experiment sparked a revolt even within the state GOP. So, Bergeson now champions Bernie Sanders (one of his slogans is "Feel the Berg!"), and has designed a campaign platform that includes universal health care, raising the minimum wage to $12, and legalizing marijuana, which he says could help restore state budgets.

His comrade and foil in this quest for the statehouse is Republican candidate Tyler Ruzich, a high schooler from the Kansas City area who works part-time at the local Hy-Vee grocery store. Mr. Ruzich, like many young people, is not afraid to challenge traditional GOP stances; he supports LGBTQ rights, advocates reining in the National Rifle Association, and criticizes his party for using the "euphemism" of voter ID to engage in voter suppression.

While Bergeson and Ruzich are technically opponents, they have a good deal in common: both believe in bipartisanship, reject what they see as tired political posturing, and share a desire to engage their generation in changing America's unhealthy political environment.

"Somebody has to step up," says Ruzich, perched on a Starbucks bar stool and swinging his legs. "I don't think the adults are working together that well."

How it all began

As Bergeson tells it, his involvement in politics started years ago, when as a freshman he got hooked on an "insanely nerdy" mock government on the old Instagram app called "Two Parties, One Nation." Every Saturday was Election Day.

"I ran for president every time and never got any votes," he admits, noting that the participants tended to lean Republican (not unlike Kansans). He did however, run the Chicago Transit Authority and got elected to Congress. It was through that online community that Bergeson first met Ruzich, a colleague in the mock US House of Representatives.

After Bergeson launched his gubernatorial campaign — and after he got on the Jimmy Kimmel show and began to make something of a name for himself — he realized he could have an even bigger impact if he had a fellow teen running from across the aisle to help boost youth engagement. So, he persuaded Ruzich to launch his own campaign and "double the impact."

"If I'm [taking] a Democratic message to a young audience and he's out there talking to a young Republican audience, we're going to get more people involved," Bergeson says, noting that three more teenage conservatives have since thrown their hats in the ring — Ethan Randleas, Dominic Scavuzzo, and Joseph Tutera. (Aaron Coleman, a Green Party candidate, had also announced his candidacy at one point, though his current status is unclear.) "We need to engage voters of the next generation."

Not welcome on the debate stage

Ruzich has not exactly been embraced by the state Republican Party, which — in consultation with the leading gubernatorial candidates — has set debate rules requiring all participants to have voted in the 2014 election. At that point, some of the teens weren't even teens, let alone voters.

Ruzich says he dislikes pointing fingers, but after some caveats and niceties, confesses he disagrees with how Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who is in charge of state elections and is also a front-runner in the Republican gubernatorial primary, has used his power to render teenage candidates effectively ineligible in this election. "I see that as a great threat to … the impact the young people can have on this democracy," says Ruzich.

For their part, state GOP officials argue that it's hard to know if someone who has never voted before is actually a Republican.

And while they don't want to squelch political enthusiasm among young conservatives, they also don't want to risk complicating a race that should be relatively easy for a Republican to win — especially with a field that includes Kobach, a Trump ally, as well as the incumbent governor, Jeff Colyer, a surgeon with degrees from Georgetown, Cambridge University, and the University of Kansas.

"We have confidence that our voters will select the right candidate," says chairman Kelly Arnold, who served for more than a decade with the Young Republican National Federation and has advised some of the teen candidates on the process of running. "But you also want to do everything you can to produce a primary candidate that can win the overall election."

That means limiting the number of people on a debate stage, Mr. Arnold says — not unlike the decision in the 2016 presidential primary season to hold one prime-time debate for top contenders and another for lower-tier candidates. Except in this case, the also-rans have been limited to venues like high school gymnasiums.

The state Democratic Party, on the other hand, has welcomed Bergeson's participation — including in a gubernatorial forum at their recent convention.

"I think people appreciated having Jack on stage and hearing from him," says Ethan Corson, executive director of the Democratic Party in Kansas. "Otherwise, you're sort of guessing at what those younger people are interested in."

What their peers are saying

Even some young Kansans have mixed feelings about their peers' campaigns.

"I admire the kids that are protesting against gun violence — I think that's a more useful use of our time than running for governor, where you can't actually do anything," says Ben Engle, a high school debater from Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School in Wichita.

Others wonder whether some of the teenage candidates may be motivated more by a desire to burnish their resumes for college than to actually lead the state of Kansas — and say the quixotic campaigns have been limited to well-off, white kids who can afford the $2,100 necessary to get on the ballot. (Bergeson says he raised the sum from about 60 donors who contributed an average of $40 each, and Ruzich — who says he was born into a "very, very poor family" that pulled ahead through financial responsibility — has even had out-of-state donors contribute.)

But some point out that social change has often been led by young people. The Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman who played a key role in the American Revolution, was just 19 when Congress commissioned him as a major general, and Alexander Hamilton was 21 when he signed the Declaration of Independence.

"We have spent so much time and energy telling kids, ‘Do whatever you want to be, be the change you want to see,' " says James Harris, a debate coach at Andover High School outside Wichita. "But all of a sudden when they step up to the plate we tell them, ‘Oh, it's not your time.' "

SEE ALSO: A group of 50 Central American migrants who set out from southern Mexico in late March have reached the US border

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With access to apps that instantly connect us to millions of users, much of our day is spent hunched over a screen. Adam Alter, author of ''Irresistible,'' explores the rise of technology addiction — specifically in teenagers.

The following is a transcript of the video. 

Adam Alter: "Nomophobia" is a new word that's being coined to describe no mobile phobia, and it's the idea that a lot of us, in thinking about not having our phones, experience something like a phobia, and this is supposed to describe hundreds of millions of people today, and I'm sure that number is growing at the moment. What that means is that when you think about, for example, your phone falling out of your pocket, tumbling to the ground, and shattering into a million pieces, you should experience anxiety symptoms, and it's especially true among young people.

I ran a study at one point where I asked young people, a whole lot of teenagers, a very simple question. I said to them: "Imagine you have this very unpleasant choice. So, you can either watch your phone tumble to the ground and shatter into a million pieces or you can have a small bone in your hand broken." Now, that seems to people of a certain age and older like a fairly straightforward question with a straightforward answer. It seems ridiculous. Of course you choose to save the integrity of your hand and let your phone break. You can always replace a phone, but for young people this is actually a very difficult question. In my experience, about 40% to 50% of them will say, "Ultimately, I think it probably makes more sense to have a bone in my hand broken than it does to have my phone broken."

And you can understand why that is, apart from the fact that it is expensive to have a phone repaired and there's some time where you're without your phone. That is their portal to a social world that is very important to them. Being without that social world for a while is probably not as detrimental in some respects as being without a particular bone in your hand. Most of the time, you can get by and you can see this in the way they ask follow-up questions. So, a lot of these teens will say to me things like, "Is it my left hand or my right hand?" and the most important question, "Once I break that bone in my hand, can I still use my phone? Is it a bone that I need to be able to scroll on the phone, because if it is, then that's no deal, but if it's not a bone that I need to use my screen at least I can continue to use my phone during the time I'm healing." If people are willing to endure physical harm to keep their phones that obviously suggests that this is a major issue.

The definition that I like for behavioral addiction that makes the most sense to me is an experience that we return to compulsively over and over again because it feels good in a short run but in the long run, it ultimately undermines our well-being in some respect. So, it can be someone who notices that over time their social relationships are degrading because they don't have a consistent, face-to-face contact with people and that's especially problematic for kids who need time in that real face-to-face social world because that's where they develop all the competencies of being a social creature. The way to work out what other people are thinking, to share your feelings in a way that you want them to be shared for other people to understand you for you to make just the right facial expressions at just the right times. Those seem like obvious and easy-to-do things for most adults but for kids it's very difficult to do that. They take time to hone those skills and so you need face-to-face time to do that and if you don't have that, if you're spending all your time on screens because it's really fun to crush one more candy on Candy Crush or do whatever it is that you might be doing, you're not developing those long-term competencies and therefore your long-term well-being is degraded.

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• Texas teen Morgan suffered complications during surgery nearly one year ago, leaving her unable to walk due to conversion disorder.
• On prom night, Morgan was able to surprise her boyfriend, Tarik, by standing and walking toward him when he picked her up for the dance.
• The video of the amazing moment quickly went viral on Twitter.

Prom is often considered the culmination of one’s entire high school experience, a chance to reminisce with friends, dance away your troubles, and look forward to the future — even if it doesn’t always live up to the hype.

For Texas teens Morgan and Tarik, though, prom was truly a night to remember, and the reason why will probably make you cry.

Let’s start at the beginning: Morgan (@aeonianlife) experienced complications during a surgery nearly one year ago, which left her with conversion disorder and necessitated the use of a wheelchair, The Independent’s indy100 reported.

But on Friday, April 27, Morgan gave Tarik the surprise of a lifetime when he picked her up for prom. Luckily for us, it was all caught on video that quickly went viral.

The video shows Morgan standing in her home’s foyer as the front door opens to reveal Tarik, standing there with a corsage in hand. As she begins to slowly walk toward him — the first steps she had taken in 10 months, according to her Twitter  — Tarik stumbles back in shock before yelling "No!" and running toward her for a hug. Amid tears and joyous laughter, he asks her, "How did you do that?"

The heartwarming video has since received more than 12 million views on Twitter, with many users thanking Morgan for sharing her incredible story and giving hope to others in similar situations.

We’re grateful for getting to witness this amazing moment, and we hope Morgan continues to progress in her recovery!

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• The Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" is back for a second season despite warnings from researchers who say it sends a dangerous message.
• The show's central problem is not simply its depiction of suicide, experts say, but the way the main character is portrayed as having power after her death.
• The executive producer Selena Gomez has defended the show, saying she "wanted to make something that could hopefully help people."

The Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" is back for another season despite warnings from a spate of researchers who say the crux of its plot sends a dangerous message to viewers.

The show's first 13 episodes trace the tragically short life of a young high-school student named Hannah Baker who is assaulted, raped, and witness to a friend's rape. Viewers learn of this through a series of 13 tapes that Baker records before her death.

In the season finale, viewers watch Baker take her own life in slow, graphic, and horrifying detail — something that directly contradicts guidelines from mental-health experts about how to depict suicide in a way that doesn't encourage others to follow suit.

But experts say that portrayal of suicide was not the producers' only dangerous mistake — a far bigger issue is the way Baker is given authority, power, and essentially a second life after her death.

"There was a kind of romanticization, and at the core of the story was this idea that you can kill yourself and be dead and yet not really be dead,"Don Mordecai, Kaiser Permanente's national leader for mental health, told Business Insider. "Because, of course, [Baker] continues to be a character — she's in scenes, and she's still there in many ways."

Mordecai and other experts warn that the portrayal could mislead viewers into believing that Baker's tale could apply to them. And the new season comes as suicide attempts among young people are rising.

Hannah Baker's 2nd life

By way of the 13 tapes Baker records before she dies, her character lives on throughout the show.

She's present in nearly every episode, not only as the chief narrator but as the main character recalling and reliving what happened to her. Baker is presented as a victim when she is alive and as powerful and dominant after her death.

As Baker's friend Clay Jensen listens to her recordings, he learns of the deep wrongdoings his peers committed, and he winds up forcing another student to admit what he did on tape.

It is a classic tale of revenge — but it's also unrealistic and dangerous, researchers say.

By giving Baker's character power only in death, the show's creators portray suicide as romantic and vengeful. But the reality is the opposite: When we're gone, we have no self, no agency, and no power.

Last summer's disturbing trends

Two recent studies suggest that the show's timing could be particularly dangerous.

A study published Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics found that the rate of hospitalizations for suicidal thoughts or attempts among children and teens nearly tripled from 2008 to 2015.

The group with the highest rate of increase was teen girls.

Another more disturbing study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the heels of the show's premiere last year found evidence that some viewers went online after watching and typed phrases like "how to kill yourself" into Google search.

Viewers also appeared to be searching for information about suicide prevention, but the trending searches with the sharpest uptick were about suicidal ideation, or thoughts about how to kill oneself.

The study found that searches for the phrase "how to commit suicide," for example, were 26% higher than would have been expected, while "commit suicide" and "how to kill yourself" were 18% and 9% higher, respectively.

"The time for more debate is over,"John Ayers, an adjunct professor of behavioral science at San Diego State University who led the study, told Business Insider shortly after the paper was published. "The makers [of '13 Reasons Why'] must swiftly change their course of action, including removing the show and postponing a second season."

Ayers this week added: "Is a warning label enough when the show is actually pushing children to contemplate or commit suicide? I don't think so.

"This is akin to pushing someone down the stairs but warning the floors are slippery."

Selena Gomez, the well-known singer who's one of the show's executive producers, has defended its portrayal of Baker's death, telling "Good Morning America" earlier this year that "we wanted to do it in a way that was honest, and we wanted to make something that could hopefully help people."

For the latest season of "13 Reasons Why," Gomez added a warning that plays before every episode telling viewers about the sensitive content of the show. But that may not be sufficient. The show's first season also contained a warning — though it was shorter and played before only some episodes — advising young people to watch with an adult.

"I'm sure many parents were there, sitting down watching and talking about it with their kids," Mordecai said. "But I'm sure many were not."

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides free, 24/7, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

SEE ALSO: A behavioral scientist says a popular Netflix show should be 'swiftly removed' because it encourages suicide

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• Kids born around the year 2000 are graduating high school and heading off to college this year.
• While they spend more time online than any other generation, they still value face-to-face interactions more than any other kinds of communication.
• They're less likely to drive, date, drink alcohol, and have sex than adolescents in previous decades.

This autumn, colleges across the country will welcome the recently graduated class of 2018 to their esteemed campuses — but just how do the new college freshmen compare to all their predecessors?

From their entrepreneurial spirits to their inimitable social media game, there's plenty to learn about what makes Gen Z-ers so distinct. Consider these 16 facts your 101 guide.

They are digital natives, and spend *a lot* of time online.

According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2018, roughly a quarter of 18- to 29-year-olds are online almost constantly — and 49% reported going online multiple times per day.

However, they're big proponents of face-to-face communication.

The stereotype is that because Generation Z grew up with technology, they communicate exclusively online or via text; however, being digitally fluent hasn't impeded their ability — or desire — to communicate with people face-to-face.

According to Generation Z expert, Corey Seemiller: "The No. 1 preferred form of communication was face-to-face."

They go to college in order to learn about their interests.

According to a quick facts sheet offered by Harvey Mudd College on its incoming 2018 freshman class, 87.4% of students polled indicated that they thought a "very important" reason to attend college is to learn more about things that interest them.

Only 43.7% indicated that they thought a "very important" reason to go to college was to make more money.

• We already know Facebook is losing among Generation Z, the generation after millennials that prefers Snapchat and Instagram.
• Marketing and retail experts pinpointed six other sectors and businesses that are likely to struggle once these teens come of age.
• "Generally, members of Generation Z are tech-savvy, pragmatic, open-minded, individualistic — but also socially responsible," An Hodgson, an income and expenditure manager at Euromonitor International, told Business Insider. 

Ishan Goel, a 19-year-old marketing strategist with the Mark Cuban Companies, said it was "not cool" for his fellow Gen Zers to be on Facebook. For today's teens, Facebook is just a tool for group chats or keeping up with parents.

"People aren't wanting to post stuff consistently," Goel told Business Insider.

People in Generation Z were born between roughly 1995 and 2010. This cohort of current teens is on track to kill Facebook, Business Insider's Mark Abadi reported earlier this year.

Only 9% of teens say Facebook is their preferred social-media platform, a survey from Piper Jaffray found last year. Gen Z prefers Snapchat and Instagram, while older millennials are the biggest chunk of Facebook's users.

"Generally, members of Generation Z are tech-savvy, pragmatic, open-minded, individualistic — but also socially responsible," An Hodgson, an income and expenditure manager at Euromonitor International, told Business Insider.

Hodgson added: "Because Gen Zers are individualistic and value their privacy, they prefer anonymous social media like Snapchat, Secret, and Whisper rather than Facebook."

Millennials are said to have already killed bar soap, diamonds, and napkins. Here's what's on Gen Z's hit list.

SEE ALSO: Teenagers are less likely to work today than any generation before them, and some say school is to blame

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Ralph Lauren, Sperry, and other preppy brands

Refined-classic brands, like Ralph Lauren and Vineyards Vines, are at record low popularity in the teen market, according to Piper Jaffray, moving to a 5% market share among teens from an average of 14%.

Ralph Lauren is taking one of the biggest hits, Piper Jaffray found. It was in the top 10 brands for men since 2002 but lost its standing this year. Filling the gap are streetwear brands like Adidas, Vans, and Supreme.

Department stores

Bobby Calise, the director of business development at the youth-insights firm Ypulse, told Business Insider that JCPenney and Macy's had high brand awareness among Gen Zers but that they were more likely to shop at Forever 21, American Eagle, and other youth-centric fashion brands.

"The data is clear on one thing: Neither brand is cool in the eyes of Gen Z — and cool is a pretty important form of currency if you're in the business of selling clothes to teenagers," Calise said.

Goel said Gen Z perceived stores like JCPenney, Sears, and Kmart as lacking quality and a voice.

"When was the last time you bragged about shopping at JCPenney?" Goel said.

Gen Zers prefer to order online from companies with strong digital branding, said Tiffany Zhong, CEO of the youth-marketing firm Zebra Intelligence. And many know how to find manufacturers online, where they can buy products directly at a lower cost.

Cable TV

"No one watches cable TV anymore," Goel said.

More than 60% of teens said they would rather watch 10 hours of videos on YouTube than 10 hours of television, a 2017 survey by AwesomenessTV found.

Gen Zers surveyed said online videos were best for learning or laughing, while they preferred cable TV for watching with family or keeping up with what's going on in the world.

Perhaps most revealing: One-third of surveyed teens felt that cable TV was best for falling asleep.

• A new study from Pew Research Center found that one out of two teens reports being online "almost constantly." 
• The study found that another 44% say they go online multiple times each day. 
• The time teens spend online has gone up significantly since Pew's 2014-2015 study. Back then, only 24% of teens reported being online constantly.

Nearly half of US teens report being online on a near constant basis, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. 

The report, titled "Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018," surveyed teens and their parents about their internet and social media usage.

The survey found that teens are spending more time online than ever before. In fact, 45% of the teens surveyed said they use the internet "almost constantly." Another 44% said they go online several times every day. 

But it wasn't an even split along gender lines. Pew found that half of teenage girls fall into the group of constant internet users, while 39% of teenage boys said they fell into that group. Hispanic teens also reported higher levels of internet usage, with 54% saying they use the internet on a near-constant basis. 

Blame it on the phone

The time teens spend online has gone up significantly since Pew's 2014-2015 study. Back then, only 24% of teens reported being online constantly, which means teen internet usage has nearly doubled in the last 3-4 years. Pew estimates that the drastic increase is related to the increased access to smartphones. 

Pew's findings come at a time when the tech world has started taking measures to scale back so-called "smartphone addiction." 

During May's Google I/O event — the search giant's annual developer conference— Google unveiled a "Digital Wellbeing" initiative that it claims is aimed at curbing the phenomenon. The initiative is aimed at helping users track how much time they're spending online, and offers tools to help people avoid distractions and look at their phones less frequently. 

According to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a similar project called "Digital Health." The feature will include tools to help people monitor how much time they're spending on their device, and how frequently they're using certain apps. 

SEE ALSO: Apple just made a convenient change to iMessage — but there's a key reason you may not want to switch it on

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A greater focus on the effects of social media on users has made people question its psychological and social impacts, particularly on teenagers.

While companies like Facebook push the narrative that its platform is intended to bring people together, many consumers fear that teenagers — who spend more time on social media as a whole and tend to be more impressionable — are absorbing the negative effects instead. It turns out a number of American teenagers agree.

About a third of them, ages 13 to 17, feel social media has a mostly positive effect on people, but about a quarter say the effect is mostly negative, according to a new study from Pew Research. The reasons vary, but as this chart from Statista shows, almost half of those who believe the effect is mostly negative say it's because they think social media causes bullying or harmed relationships; unfortunately, the other reasons aren't any more comforting. 

SEE ALSO: 5G technology will revive a global smartphone market that's had near standstill growth for two years

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NOW WATCH: How a $9 billion startup deceived Silicon Valley

• Camp Anytown and its spinoff leadership camps across the country focus on teaching teenagers about diversity with racial slurs and labels.
•  The San Francisco Chronicle reported that two of these camps exist in the Bay Area, and attended two four-day sessions to find out what it's like. 
• At the camp, high school attendees of all racial backgrounds go through exercises that re-enact segregation and degradation to teach kids about real-world injustices.
• Advocates for the camps argue that these immersive activities help better prepare youth to confront discrimination in the real world.
• But The Chronicle asked 28 experts, and 27 of them aren't convinced.

  ---

An article in the The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a leadership camp called Camp Anytown focuses on teaching teenagers diversity through racial slurs and labels.

Karen de Sá reports that the camp dates back to the 1950s, and since its inception, tens of thousands of students across the country have participated in some version. Chronicle reporters attended two four-day sessions in the Bay Area to see what it's like.

The retreats focus on exercises that re-enact societal segregation and degradation to teach its teenage attendees about diversity. One such camp, Camp Diversity in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is led by camp director Richard Valenzuela, who has led these kinds of camps in the Bay Area and across the country for 40 years.

Here's de Sá describing the experience:

"Over four long days and nights, Valenzuela, aided by teachers with just 90 minutes of training for the camp, will lead the unsuspecting youth through a series of such painful exercises. Latino students will be ordered to clean up after whites and ushered into restrooms labeled 'No Mexicans or Dogs Allowed.' Jewish students will be pinned with yellow stars and taunted about the Holocaust. Some teens will be called 'retards' and slapped on the back of the head. And more than once, students will be encouraged to reveal whether they have contemplated suicide."

The Chronicle reports that advocates for these camps, like Valenzuela, argue that immersing students in in-depth activities meant to simulate real-world injustice results is a "transformational" experience, leaving students with a better grasp on how to confront discrimination. 

However, the camp's programs are unsupported by research, notes Princeton University psychology professor Betsy Levy Paluck, who told de Sá that some of the camp's exercises are "a hellscape with literally no imagined positive."

Paluck was one of 27 experts consulted by The Chronicle, who concluded that aspects of the camp's methodology are "highly unethical" and "educational malpractice." (The 28th expert consulted did not denounce the camp's methods.)

Bay Area teachers, whose students are sent to these kinds of camps, "think there must be some research backing it,"  Steve Kahl, a Mountain View High School English teacher, told The Chronicle. He volunteered at a camp in 2013 and his experience was worrisome to him.

"It struck me as pseudo-therapy for the masses, without anyone having a diagnosis and no one supervising who is clinically authorized to do anything that’s therapeutic," Kahl said.

Prudence Carter, the dean of UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, told The Chronicle that she also found the camp's lack of data troubling.

"Where is the psychological theory and research behind it?" Carter said. "If there is none, this is a really risky and seriously problematic intervention.”

Read the full story at The San Francisco Chronicle »

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Today's teens are in no hurry to grow up, a new study finds.

Contrary to teenagers of past generations, Generation Z — broadly defined as people born between 1995 and the mid-2000s — aren't drinking alcohol, having sex, driving, or going out without their parents nearly as much.

According to psychologists Jean Twenge and Heejung Park, who analyzed 8.3 million responses across seven surveys of teens from 1976 to 2016, today's 18-year-olds act more like 15-year-olds from years past.

The findings largely back up Generation Z as less reckless and more socially isolated than generations prior. Here's what they're all about.

SEE ALSO: Psychologists studied 5,000 genius kids for 45 years — here are their 6 key takeaways

They don't crave the open road.

In the late 1970s, nearly 90% of teens had gotten their driver's license by the 12th grade. By 2014, survey data showed the rate had fallen to roughly 73%.

Twenge and Park's findings suggest this downward trend correlates with many other Gen Z trends, given that driving offers the freedom to date, go to parties, and get to work.

They're not as interested in trying alcohol.

Younger teenagers were more likely to avoid alcohol, according to the study, while older teens showed less of a change. That indicated to Twenge and Park that "recent adolescents try alcohol at older ages than adolescents in past decades," they wrote.

Since 1993, the percentage of eighth-graders who have tried alcohol declined by 59%, compared to a 40% decrease for 10th-graders and 26% for 12th-graders.

Dating is far less frequent.

Since 1976, there have been major declines in 12th-graders saying they go on dates. When the first survey was issued, about 85% of high-school seniors said they go on dates; by 2014, about 58% did.

The internet, while a possible contributing factor, was not ruled the deciding factor since the declines began before large percentages of the population came online, the researchers noted.

Snap may have turned off investors, but its core app is winning over one key group — American teenagers.

Even as the social networking company's stock has slumped as the company has fallen shy of Wall Street's expectations, its app has been gaining traction with young consumers. As you can see from this chart by Statista, which is based on the results of Piper Jaffray's bi-annual "Taking Stock With Teens" survey, Snapchat is now the most popular social networking service among the teen set by far. 

That's quite an accomplishment, particularly given the increasing competition from Facebook-owned Instagram, which has repeatedly rolled out features that mimic Snapchat's. Earlier this year, Instagram launched Stories, a copycat of one of Snapchat's signature feature. By April, more people were using Instagram Stories on a daily basis than Snapchat. 

SEE ALSO: The Google Home Mini secretly recorded peoples' conversations and played into a big fear about smart speakers

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• A new study found 6% of US teens anonymously post or share mean things about themselves online.
• The act is called "digital self-harm," and its rates mirror those of traditional self-harm, such as cutting.
• Experts have found teens digital self-harm in an effort to validate their insecurities in a public space.

In past decades, teenagers struggling to deal with their emotions might have coped by taking a razor blade to their forearm or extinguishing cigarettes on their skin.

Today's teens, products of the internet era, have found an additional outlet.

Approximately 6% of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old engage in a practice known as "digital self-harm," or the posting or sharing of demeaning information about oneself anonymously online, a new study finds.

"I was surprised that the numbers were as high as they were," Justin Patchin, assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire and the study's lead author, told Business Insider.

A growing body of evidence has found smartphones to be a driving force in declining mental health among teenagers. Teen suicide rates recently eclipsed homicide rates, and some psychologists claim it's largely due to the loneliness and anxiety produced by digital technology.

"I don't think it dawned on anyone that teens would leverage anonymity in this way," Dr. Danah Boyd, digital self-harm researcher and author of "It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens,"told the BBC. "It tends to startle anyone I tell about it."

Researchers like Boyd (who was not involved in the latest study) have found that digital self-harm offers teens a chance to safely get attention from friends and publicize the negative feelings they've been keeping in their heads. The act can serve as a kind of purge — expunging bad self-impressions, either about appearance or personality, can validate a young person's insecurities.

"The ubiquity of social media and the way in which youth present and represent themselves in order to obtain attention, validation, and feedback from an audience," the authors wrote, "may enhance the likelihood they choose online spaces as the preferred venue through which they can affect and reach others."

A 15-year-old named Ellie (not her real name) told the BBC a similar story in 2013.

"The posts would say I was ugly, I was useless, I wasn't loved … all the stuff in my head," Ellie said. "If I saw it in black and white coming from 'other people' I knew it must be true."

The latest study is the largest to offer a picture of digital self-harm's prevalence in the US. A representative sample of 5,593 middle and high school students were surveyed about their online behavior, with 7.1% of males and 5.3% of females saying they cyberbullied themselves.

A prior survey, issued in 2013 by the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, found roughly 9% of teens engaged in the practice.

These rates mirror those of traditional forms of self-harm, known more formally as "nonsuicidal self-injury," or NSSI. A study published in 2012 determined 8% of the 665 youths who were surveyed said they engaged in a form of NSSI, be it cutting, burning, or hitting. The survey found a wider variation among genders, however, than the latest study on digital self-harm: While 19% of ninth-grade girls reported some form, only 5% of ninth-grade boys did.

Researchers behind the new study found those who engaged in traditional self-harm were three times as likely to digitally self-harm.

The team also conceded it couldn't parse out every specific reason for digital self-harm. It could be the case that some portion of teens self-cyberbully because they enjoy a "misguided pleasure in deceiving others," the coauthors wrote.

The research team advocated even more support from celebrities and activists, who have started campaigns to fight self-harm, such as To Write Love on Her Arms and the It Gets Better project.

"We believe these efforts should be redoubled by other far-reaching entities," the coauthors wrote, "especially given the powerful and unparalleled influence that digital content and communications have on this population."

SEE ALSO: Teen suicides now outnumber homicides — and smartphone use could be playing a major role

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• Research shows that there's a link between digital media use and depression — especially for kids and teens.
• There's an increasing consensus that the tech companies who have led us into the digital age have a responsibility to build some safeguards.

The average teen spends at least six hours a day looking at a screen, with most of it from using a smartphone.

Many parents, naturally, have wondered if so much time spent in front of a screen is safe.

Recent research suggests it's not. Teens who spend five or more hours a day on electronic devices are 71 percent more likely to have a risk factor for suicide than those who spend less than an hour a day on a device. Digital media use is linked with more depression and less happiness, with experiments, natural experiments and longitudinalstudies all showing that digital media use leads to unhappiness rather than the other way around.

Steve Jobs might have been onto something when he told a surprised reporter in 2010 that he didn't let his kids use iPads and he generally restricted their screen time.

Indeed, there's an increasing consensus that the technology companies who have led us into the digital age have a responsibility to build some safeguards. That's why I helped draft a letter from Apple shareholders spearheaded by Jana Partners and the California State Teachers' Retirement System that asks the company to take steps to protect their youngest consumers. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it could also improve the company's bottom line.

Limitation, not elimination

According to the research, the problem isn't teens owning smartphones. In fact, teens who don't use smartphones at all are actually a little less happy than those who use them a limited amount.

It's only when use goes beyond two hours a day that issues begin to appear, including less sleep and a higher risk of suicide-related outcomes such as depression and making suicide plans.

The solution, then, seems easy: Limit the amount of time the device can be used and how it can be used. This works out fairly well for Apple; most of their profit is locked in once someone buys an iPhone or iPad, regardless of how much the owner uses it.

The problem is that most teens who are handed a smartphone aren't going to use it for just an hour or two per day. Research suggests that digital media stimulates the same brain chemicals and regions as other addictive products. Although some teens are able to limit their use, a substantial number end up spending the majority of their leisure time with their devices, which – as noted earlier – could lead to mental health issues.

Some have pointed out that parents can use third-party apps such as Kidslox or Norton Family Premier to limit time spent on the phone or on social media sites. Although some parents might find these apps helpful, others might be overwhelmed by the setup process or find the download fees too expensive. Clever teens might also find ways around these apps.

But what if Apple were to include the ability to limit screen time in the iPhone's operating system?

For example, when registering and setting up the phone, Apple could include an option to select the age of the user. If you say the phone is for a 12-year-old, it could give parents the option to restrict the apps used, shut down the phone at night, limit the number of hours it can be used and permit communication with a preapproved list of phone numbers. As the child grows older, these restrictions could be changed or lifted. Making this part of the iOS would seamlessly integrate safety for children and teens into the iPhone – and seamless integration has always been Apple's calling card.

Better phones for happier kids

This has another benefit for Apple: Parents might be more willing to buy their children smartphones if they were easier to regulate. Outside of buying an old-school flip phone – which are increasingly difficult to find – there's currently no easy way to give a child a cellphone without opening up the world of unlimited internet access, constant social media and endless evenings spent arguing over putting the phone away at dinner.

As the parent of an 11-year-old, I would be much more comfortable giving my daughter a smartphone if I knew she wouldn't be bullied on it, see things she shouldn't see or stare at it for six hours a day.

Social media companies like Facebook also have something to answer for here– and they know it. Given links between advertising revenue and time spent on the site, balancing profit and safety will be a tougher task for them.

But for Apple, it's arguably a win-win: The safer their product is for kids, the more they could sell. So why not make it safer by offering parents more tools and options?

SEE ALSO: The behind-the-scenes story of why Apple received a letter from 2 huge investors about child safety features

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• Eddy Zillan, 18, invested his entire savings into cryptocurrencies when he was 15 years old and says he has made over $1 million in profits.
• Zillan has spent the past three years studying cryptocurrencies and now offers his services as a cryptocurrency consultant.

When Eddy Zillan started trading in cryptocurrencies three years ago, he was 15 — too young to open an account on the trading platform Coinbase, which requires its users to be at least 18 years old.

But Zillan glossed over the site's terms of agreement and opened an account on Coinbase and another trading platform called Kraken, cautiously purchasing $100 worth of the cryptocurrency ether.

Zillan says he was initially skeptical of putting his money into the fledgling cryptocurrency market, which he'd first heard about in reference to the now defunct drug-trading website Silk Road. When Zillan began investing in 2015, there were few credible resources offering advice on how to invest in cryptocurrencies.

"At the time I invested, there were no YouTubers, there were no investors, there was no one I could learn from," Zillan said in an interview with Business Insider. "There were no books or mentors, and it was really hard to teach myself a formal education in that field."

When Zillan checked his accounts a few hours after investing his first $100, he found he'd already made $10. Though it may not sound like much, Zillan says he was floored.

"I thought: 'Wow, I just made a 10% return in a day. That's crazy,'" he said.

The next day, Zillan put in more cash. This time, it was $1,000.

A week later, he added $5,000, and the week after that another $6,000.

Before long, Zillan had invested a total of just over $12,000, the entirety of his savings from teaching tennis lessons, along with a tidy nest egg he'd received from gifts and his bar mitzvah a few years earlier.

"I risked everything," he said.

At first, Zillan's parents had mixed feelings about their son's interest in digital currencies. While his mother approved, his father cautioned against what he considered to be an extremely risky venture.

Meanwhile, Zillan's skepticism was evaporating by the day.

Within the first few months, his returns had begun to skyrocket. As his gains inched higher, Zillan was reading about cryptocurrencies obsessively, sometimes spending hours a day on cryptocurrency forums or chatting with other investors online. Soon, he was dabbling in alternate cryptocurrencies — also known as altcoins — and day trading.

In one short year, Zillan's initial investment had snowballed. He says his entire cryptocurrency portfolio had tallied a staggering $350,000.

Zillan continued educating himself on cryptocurrencies with the few resources available online. Zillan says his knowledge of the market mostly stems from his conversations with other investors and people who created cryptocurrencies.

Like many people who invested in cryptocurrencies early, Zillan acknowledges that his profits are partially due to opportune timing. But Zillan says that making smart investments in cryptocurrencies requires more skill than simply opening an account on Coinbase.

Zillan doesn't underestimate his good timing, but he credits his enormous returns to his business acumen and his understanding of digital currencies.

Today, Zillan says his portfolio sits comfortably at over $1 million and that he's turning his eye to another venture in the cryptocurrency field: advising.

Zillan, a high-school student who turned 18 in August, has spent the past year broadening his business interest in cryptocurrencies.

His company, Cryptocurrency Financial, offers cryptocurrency-investing advice to businesses and novice investors. This week, he plans to launch the program's consumer-focused app, Coinalert.ly, designed to be a mix of resources for cryptocurrency investors, including trading tips, guides, explainers, and news.

Zillan says the app fills a void in the cryptocurrency market: a lack of resources with investing device, despite the growing influence of cryptocurrencies.

So far, cryptocurrency communities have relied largely on sites like Reddit to discuss the often volatile market, the strength of a given currency, and what seem to be pump-and-dump schemes.

Zillan, who has charged $250 an hour for private cryptocurrency-investing services in the past, says his goal isn't necessarily to make money from the company, but "to make the crypto community bigger."

"I want to see cryptocurrencies as the future," he said.

Zillan is by no means the first to offer his skills as a cryptocurrency-investment guru. Amid the fervor of the digital gold rush, a slew of self-proclaimed "crypto geniuses" and "crypto experts" have emerged online to capitalize on their investing know-how, espousing promises of effortless wealth.

Zillan says his expertise sets him apart from other cryptocurrency advisers on the market. While others might resort to tricks or manipulation to profit off unsuspecting clients, Zillan says, his only motivation is to educate people.

"I'm not some guy off of Wall Street," he said. "There's no motive or reason for me to try to trick people."

Zillan's rhetoric, however, is slightly at odds with the image he's cultivated online — both his website and his Instagram page capitalize on the "get rich quick" zeitgeist of the cryptocurrency community.

He describes himself as the "Crypto Millionaire" on his website, and he's often pictured in a tropical location or beside a flashy sports car. (Zillan drives three luxury vehicles, which he says were purchased with a mix of profits from cryptocurrencies and early-stage investments, and money from his parents, who are both wealthy business people.)

In one photo, Zillan smiles broadly beside a painting of himself in which he's depicted as the infamous Wall Street mogul Jordan Belfort in a scene from the movie "The Wolf of Wall Street."

The caption reads: "The wolf of Crypto Street."

When asked why he's comparing himself to one of the most notoriously debauched Wall Street traders in recent memory, Zillan describes the images as "a marketing type of deal" that shouldn't be confused with the efficacy of his company.

"Sure, it's very flashy. Wolf of Wall Street was shitty penny stocks, but what we do is completely different," he said. "I just use that for marketing. What's going to catch your eye? Some words, or a picture of that?"

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• Pornography has become more widespread violent, degrading and misogynistic than ever.
• There are major implications for the emotional, physical and mental health of teens. 
• Parents are concerned about the access their kids now have to porn via mobile devices.

Editor's note: This article includes references to graphic sexual content that may be inappropriate for some readers.

Today teenagers are viewing far more pornography than their parents realize. And the porn they're watching is much more "hardcore" than moms and dads could possibly imagine. 

These were the main messages of "What Teenagers are Learning From Online Porn," a recent New York Times story by Maggie Jones. It quickly became one of the most read and shared articles.

While this may be a surprise to many American parents who perhaps imagine porn as merely a naked centerfold, it wasn't to scholars like me who immerse ourselves in the world of mainstream porn. We know how widespread violent, degrading and misogynistic pornography has become, as well as the implications for the emotional, physical and mental health of young people. 

In an effort to better understand the problem from a "front-line" perspective, feminist activist Samantha Wechsler and I have been traveling the world talking to parents about the issue. The question we're asked most often is: "What can we do about it?" 

'Hardcore' porn is everywhere

Surveys and our own experiences show that parents are deeply concerned about the easy access their kids now have to porn via mobile devices.

The statistics paint a dismal picture. A recent U.K. study found that 65 percent of 15- to 16-year-olds had viewed pornography, the vast majority of whom reported seeing it by age 14. This is especially problematic given the findings of another study that found a correlation between early exposure to pornography and an expressed desire to exert power over women. 

Yet for all this concern, they know surprisingly little about what mainstream porn looks like, how much their kids are accessing and how it affects them. The Times article, however, cited a 2016 survey that suggested most parents are totally unaware of their kids' porn experiences. Jones called this the "parental naivete gap."

This matches our own experiences. In the presentations we do at high schools, we ask parents to describe what they think of when they hear the word "porn." They invariably describe a naked young woman with a coy smile, the kind of image many remember from Playboy centerfolds. 

They are shocked when they learn that the images from today's busiest free porn sites, like Pornhub, depict acts such as women being gagged with a penis or multiple men penetrating every orifice of a woman and then ejaculating on her face. When we tell parents this, the change in the atmosphere of the room is palpable. There is often a collective gasp. 

It bears repeating that these are the most visited porn sites – which get more visitors every month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined. Pornhub alone received 21.2 billion visits in 2015. We are not talking about images on the fringe. 

Ana Bridges, a psychologist at the University of Arkansas, and her team found that 88 percent of scenes from 50 of the top-rented porn movies contained physical aggression against the female performers – such as spanking, slapping and gagging – while 48 percent included verbal abuse – like calling women names such as "bitch" or "slut."

Bad for your health

More than 40 years of research from different disciplines has demonstrated that viewing pornography – regardless of age – is associated with harmful outcomes. And studies show that the younger the age of exposure, the more significant the impact in terms of shaping boys' sexual templates, behaviors and attitudes. 

A 2011 study of U.S. college men found that 83 percent reported seeing mainstream pornography in the past 12 months and that those who did were more likely to say they would commit rape or sexual assault (if they knew they wouldn't be caught) than men who said they had not seen porn.

Another study of young teens found that early porn exposure was correlated with perpetration of sexual harassment two years later. 

One of the most cited analyses of 22 studies concluded that pornography consumption is associated with an increased likelihood of committing acts of verbal or physical sexual aggression. And a study of college-aged women found that young women whose male partners used porn experienced lower self-esteem, diminished relationship quality and lower sexual satisfaction.

It begins with parents

Fearing for their children's well-being, parents at our presentations, whether in Los Angeles, Oslo or Warsaw, want to run home in a panic to have the "porn talk" with their kids.

But in reality, they often have no idea what to say, how to say it, or how to deal with a kid who would rather be anywhere else in the world than sitting across from their parents talking about porn. At the same time, public health research shows that parents are the first line of preventionin dealing with any major social problem that affects their kids.

So what can be done?

Most current efforts focus on teens themselves and educating them about sex and the perils of porn. Although it is crucial to have high-quality programs for teens who have already been exposed, the fact is that this is cleaning up after the fact rather than preventing the mess in the first place. 

So a team of academics, public health experts, educators, pediatricians and developmental psychologists – including us – spent two years pooling research to create a program to help parents become that vitalfirst line of defense.

That's why the nonprofit we set up – Culture Reframed – initially focused on parents of tweens, addressing a key question: How do we prevent kids from being exposed to images of sexual abuse and degradation at that critical stage when they are forming their sexual identities?

What took shape was a 12-module program that introduces parents sequentially to the developmental changes – emotional, cognitive and physical – that tweens undergo and the hypersexualized pop culture that shapes those changes and is the wallpaper of tween lives.

For example, boys learn from music videos, violent video games, mainstream media and porn that "real men" are aggressive and lack empathy, that sex equals conquest, and that to avoid being bullied, they have to wear the mask of masculinity. Girls, on the other hand, learn that they have to look "hot" to be visible, be as passive as a cartoon princess and internalize the male gaze, leading them to self-objectify at an early age.

Navigating the porn minefield

Helping parents grasp the degree to which hypersexualized images shape their tweens encourages them to understand, rather than judge, why their girl wants to look like one of the Kardashians, or why their boy, hazed into hypermasculinity, is at risk of losing his capacity for empathy and connection. This helps parents approach their kids with compassion rather than with frustration and anger that can undermine the parent-child relationship. 

Navigating all the minefields of living in today's toxic porn culture – from sexting and poor self esteem to porn and peer pressure – is very tricky terrain, and parents need all the help they can get. 

But ultimately, the Culture Reframed project is about so much more than providing parents with newfound confidence and skills. It's about taking power back from the porn industry, which is out to hijack the sexuality and humanity of kids in the name of profit, and giving it back to parents.

Samantha Wechsler, interim executive director of Culture Reframed, co-authored this article.

SEE ALSO: It's past time to end the debate on whether video games trigger real-world violence

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After a shooter killed 17 people at a Florida high school, many have expressed frustration at the political hand-wringing over gun control and calls for prayer. 

As a parent, I understand the desire for practical responses to school shootings. I also absolutely believe the government should do more to prevent such incidents. But the gun control debate has proven so divisiveand ineffective that I am weary of waiting for politicians to act.

I study the kind of aggressive childhood behavior that often predates school shootings. That research suggests what communities and families can start doing today to better protect children. Here are 10 actions we can all take while the federal government drags its heels.

What schools can do

Because educators observe students’ emotional and behavioral development daily, they are best positioned to detect troubled behaviors and intervene. In Los Angeles, for example, schools have successfully used outreach and training to identify potentially violent students before problems occur.

SEE ALSO: It's past time to end the debate on whether video games trigger real-world violence

1. Teach social and emotional skills

Children learn social skills from everyday interactions with each other. Playtime teaches young people how to control their emotions, recognize others’ feelings and to negotiate. Neighborhood "kick the can" games, for example, require cooperation to have fun — all without adult supervision. 

Today, frequent social media use and a decrease in free play time has reduced children’s opportunities to learn these basic social skills.

But social and emotional skills can — and should — be taught in school as a way to prevent student violence. Students with more fluent social skills connect better with others and may be more able to recognize troubled peers who need help.

2. Hire more counselors and school resource officers

Due to budget cuts, many schools have few or no trained school psychologists, social workers or adjustment counselors on staff. These mental health professionals are society’s first line of defense against troubled students — especially with the current increase in adolescent depression and anxiety.

In my opinion, school resource officers — trained police officers who work with children — are also helpful for students. While untrained officers may pose a threat to students, well-trained school resource officers can connect with kids who have few other relationships, acting as a support system. They are also on hand to respond quickly if crime or violence erupts. 

Putting trained school resource officers and counselors in every school will cost money, but I believe it will save lives.

3. Use technology to identify troubled students

Technology may challenge kids' social development, but it can also be harnessed for good. Anonymous reporting systems — perhaps text-message based — can make it easier for parents and students to alert law enforcement and school counselors to kids who seem disconnected or disturbed. That enables early intervention. 

In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, one such tip appeared to prevent extreme violence in May 2017. Police took a young man who'd threatened to harm his peers into protective custody before he could act on his words.

• Malia Obama is reportedly dating Rory Farquharson, a Harvard classmate from the UK.
• Farquharson previously attended the Rugby School in England. A Rugby School publication features a letter he wrote to his 16-year-old self.
• In the letter, he talks about dealing with depression and advises himself to maintain his close relationships.

Malia Obama is reportedly dating a classmate at Harvard: Rory Farquharson, a sophomore from the UK.

Farquharson previously attended the Rugby School, a private school in England, where he was "head of school" from 2015 to 2016. In England, private schools are called public schools — somewhat confusing for Americans, but will come into play in a moment.

A 2014 Rugby School publication features a letter Farquharson wrote to his 16-year-old self, and it's both amusing and surprisingly insightful.

Farquharson writes: "You're a lanky, over-confident public school boy, desperately trying to prove to your friends how much of a 'lad' you are and have failed miserably."

But the letter quickly takes a dark turn. At 16, Farquharson was preoccupied with academic success, and wore himself out trying to achieve it. He writes: "The early mornings, the long days and the late nights are all taking their toll — you look a wreck, your body aches every time you move and it takes you a good half hour to get out of bed in the morning (pain and depression)."

Farquharson goes on to give his younger self several pieces of life advice: Embrace change. Be true to who you are. Take responsibility for your own future.

Perhaps the sagest suggestion in the letter is to "look after your friends and family." Farquharson acknowledges that "there will be points in your life where you'll consider leaving your fairly eccentric but loyal group of mates behind in favor of a cooler group."

But he urges his younger self to "be generous and kind and devote time to those you care about. You'll find that the relationships that you nurture will be the most satisfying and important things of all in life."

That last bit of wisdom is backed up by research. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which Business Insider previously reported is one of the longest and most complete studies of adult life, found that strong relationships keep us happier and healthier.

Farquharson leaves his 16-year-old self with one final piece of advice: "Try to do every single thing — whether big or small — as well as you possibly can. If you can do that, then you'll find that success looks after itself."

Read the full letter on the Rugby School's website »

SEE ALSO: Meet Malia Obama's Harvard boyfriend, a prep school graduate rugby player who reportedly aspires to be a banker

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"Love, Simon" is a teen rom-com critics can't stop raving about. The movie tells the story of the titular Simon as he confronts his sexuality, experiences a first real crush, and struggles with coming out to his high school peers.

Starring Nick Robinson ("Jurassic World") and directed by Greg Berlanti ("Super Girl,""Riverdale"), this movie is being lauded as both refreshing and pleasantly predictable.

Here's what critics are saying:

Simon is a lovable and well-needed teen character for the big screen

"Simon is a fully realized three-dimensional character, hilariously unsteady when he tries to flirt with a landscaper and a wreck when a friend gets wind of the email exchanges. How refreshing to see a teen boy on a big screen that's not a sleepy-eyed, monosyllabic jerk just looking to get laid."

— Us Weekly's Mara Reinstein

The feel-good message will be universally felt

"'Love, Simon' is an empathetic bliss-out, a fleet and sweet comedy/romance/mystery where the stakes couldn’t be higher — it deals with the public exposure of teenagers' secrets! — but also where every high school crisis or embarrassment passes with time because people, it turns out, are fundamentally decent."

— Village Voice's Alan Scherstuhl

Others will find the "normalcy" of the movie groundbreaking

"[The] movie sometimes feels frustratingly safe, given that it's centered on a bland, upper-middle-class hero whose edges are sanded off. With that said, there's still something undeniably powerful about 'Love, Simon's' ordinariness. After all, there have been dozens of mediocre studio films about straight teen romances over the decades; it says something about the direction of the film industry to finally see one centered on a young gay man."

— The Atlantic's David Sims

"That this story is coming from a major studio, with the gay kid depicted as an all-American everyboy and main character, rather than a comic sidekick, represents undeniably heartening progress."

— AV Club's Jesse Hassenger

A lot of critics are calling it a modern John Hughes film ("16 Candles,""Pretty in Pink")

"The film looks and sounds like so many other mainstream, John Hughes-nostalgic high-school-coms you've seen on both big and small screens, just with one difference: The hero is gay. It's as if Berlanti is daring audiences to find anything objectionable in what amounts to a thoroughly family-friendly queer film."

— The Hollywood Reporter's John Frosch

But "Love, Simon" might have missed its moment because teens are advancing norms on their own terms

"A milestone that feels overdue — the first mainstream teen comedy foregrounding a gay character — may have been outpaced by real life. Can a love story centered around a gay teen who is very carefully built to seem as straight as possible appeal to a generation that’s boldly reinventing gender and sexuality on its own terms?"

— Time Magazine's Danniel D'addario

"Love, Simon" is a great step forward, but we need more LGBTQ+ representation in movies

"As much as 'Love, Simon's' winning, if slightly bowdlerized, coming-out story initially made me yearn for an altered youth, it's since made me yearn even more for stories that reflect my gay life today, or my gay life as it might be years from now. (And your gay life, and your gay life, and your gay life.) Here's hoping for those movies in the near future."

— Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson

And critics don't think it's a "perfect" film

"Still, the movie isn't perfect: the sheer number of 2017-specific cultural references will almost definitely date 'Love, Simon' in the future. What's more, Simon's idea of the relatable teenage experience ('We do everything friends do: we drink way too much iced coffee while gorging on carbs') smacks of immense privilege."

— Refinery29's Anne Cohen

"Love, Simon" arrives in theaters on March 16. Watch the full trailer below.

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