Latest news with #Xiao
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Real risk to youth mental health is ‘addictive use,' not screen time alone, study finds
As Americans scramble to respond to rising rates of suicidal behavior among youth, many policymakers have locked in on an alarming metric: the number of hours a day that American children spend glued to a glowing screen. But a study published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA, which followed more than 4,000 children across the country, arrived at a surprising conclusion: Longer screen time at age 10 was not associated with higher rates of suicidal behavior four years later. Instead, the authors found, the children at higher risk for suicidal behaviors were those who told researchers their use of technology had become 'addictive' — that they had trouble putting it down or felt the need to use it more and more. Some children exhibited addictive behavior even if their screen time was relatively low, they said. The researchers found addictive behavior to be very common among children — especially in their use of mobile phones, where nearly half had high addictive use. By age 14, children with high or increasing addictive behavior were two to three times as likely as other children to have thoughts of suicide or to harm themselves, the study found. 'This is the first study to identify that addictive use is important and is actually the root cause, instead of time,' said Yunyu Xiao, an assistant professor of psychiatry and population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College and the study's lead author. Addictive behavior may be more difficult to control during childhood, before the prefrontal cortex, which acts as a brake on impulsivity, is fully developed. Xiao said interventions should focus on the child's addictive behavior, which is typically treated with cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, rather than simply limiting access to screens. 'If there are early warnings, then for parents, it's important to seek professional help for children with such addictions,' she said. 'We do not know if just taking away their phone will help. Sometimes it can create some conflict in the family, and that is even worse.' The focus on addictive behavior has important policy implications, shifting more responsibility onto the technology companies that design devices and social media platforms, said Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at the American Psychological Association. Policymakers can address addiction by requiring technology companies to introduce 'age-appropriate design' that limits features adolescents find difficult to resist, he said. The United Kingdom introduced a code of this kind in 2020.
The Star
2 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Real risk to youth mental health is ‘addictive use', not screen time alone, study finds
As Americans scramble to respond to rising rates of suicidal behaviour among youth, many policymakers have locked in on an alarming metric: the number of hours a day that American children spend glued to a glowing screen. But a study published June 18 in the medical journal JAMA, which followed more than 4,000 children across the US, arrived at a surprising conclusion: Longer screen time at age 10 was not associated with higher rates of suicidal behaviour four years later. Instead, the authors found, the children at higher risk for suicidal behaviours were those who told researchers their use of technology had become 'addictive' – that they had trouble putting it down or felt the need to use it more and more. Some children exhibited addictive behaviour even if their screen time was relatively low, they said. The researchers found addictive behaviour to be very common among children – especially in their use of mobile phones, where nearly half had high addictive use. By age 14, children with high or increasing addictive behaviour were two to three times as likely as other children to have thoughts of suicide or to harm themselves, the study found. 'This is the first study to identify that addictive use is important and is actually the root cause, instead of time,' said Yunyu Xiao, an assistant professor of psychiatry and population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College and the study's lead author. Addictive behaviour may be more difficult to control during childhood, before the prefrontal cortex, which acts as a brake on impulsivity, is fully developed. Xiao said interventions should focus on the child's addictive behaviour, which is typically treated with cognitive behavioural psychotherapy, rather than simply limiting access to screens. 'If there are early warnings, then for parents, it's important to seek professional help for children with such addictions,' she said. 'We do not know if just taking away their phone will help. Sometimes it can create some conflict in the family, and that is even worse.' The study analysed changes in screen use among 4,285 children beginning around age 10, regularly screening them for compulsive use, difficulty disengaging and distress when not given access. At 14, when the subjects were assessed for suicidal behaviour and mental health status, 5.1% of the participants had showed suicidal behaviour, such as attempted suicide or preparation for an attempt, and 17.9% had experienced suicidal ideation. Because of its design, the study did not establish that addictive use caused suicidal behaviours at age 14, but it was able to show that a prolonged trajectory of addictive use preceded the mental health problems, Xiao said. The focus on addictive behaviour has important policy implications, shifting more responsibility onto the technology companies that design devices and social media platforms, said Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at the American Psychological Association. Policymakers can address addiction by requiring technology companies to introduce 'age-appropriate design' that limits features adolescents find difficult to resist, he said. The United Kingdom introduced a code of this kind in 2020. 'We just don't do that here,' he said. 'We have baked addictive use into the design of the product.' Debates about screen time, by contrast, tend to put the onus on parents to limit their children's use of the platforms, a task that can be especially difficult for single-parent or lower-income families, he said. 'We are talking about something that's just not feasible for some people who rely on that device to calm their kids down for a few minutes to give them a moment to fold the laundry and get dinner ready or go off to a second job,' he said. The new study found higher levels of addictive use of social media, video games and mobile phones among Black and Hispanic adolescents, and among youths from households with annual incomes less than US$75,000 (RM318,787), unmarried parents and parents without a college education. For nearly half of the children in the study, addictive phone use was consistently high from age 11; another 25% began with low addictive use, which increased steeply. For that last group, 'the risk of suicidal behaviour clearly increased, to a doubling of the levels,' Xiao said. 'So if we do not measure them repetitively, we could miss this group when they are growing up.' The new study is unlikely to quiet worries about screen time, which has become a major public health issue. US teens spend an average of 4.8 hours per day on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, Gallup found in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. In his 2024 book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, identified the appearance of the smartphones as a key inflection point, after which youth mental health in the United States began to deteriorate. Since then, legislators in many states have crafted laws limiting social media use or screen time, especially during school hours. Many scientists who study the relationship between social media and mental health say it is premature to issue blanket warnings, arguing that the research so far has told a mixed story of harm and benefit, and what seems to matter more is what they are doing online. 'We have known for over a decade now that screen time is a flawed measure, but we continue to tally time spent on screens instead of asking how young people are spending their time online and why they want to be there,' said Candice L. Odgers, a professor of psychological science in informatics at the University of California, Irvine. Dr Jason Nagata, who has published studies on screen time but was not involved in the new JAMA study, said the data points to the limitations of screen time as a predictive measure. But he said screen time remains useful, because it's easier to measure, and it crowds out important activities such as sleep, exercise and face-to-face socialising. Nagata and his team found a link between higher screen time at age 9 and suicidal behaviours two years later, with each additional hour of screen time associated with 1.09 higher odds of mental health problems. Another follow-up study found more screen time was linked to a range of mental health symptoms two years later, though the effect sizes were small. Nagata, an associate professor of paediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, said the difference may be that Xiao's team measured screen time at age 10 and only took mental health measurements four years later. 'Four years is a long time,' he said. 'I'm not surprised that some associations faded over that time.' Jean Twenge, a psychologist who was not involved in the new study, came to a similar conclusion. 'Kids' screen time at 10 likely bears little resemblance to their screen time at age 14,' said Twenge, the author of 10 Rules For Raising Kids In A High-Tech World. She said screen time and addictive use are both important, and her recommendations to control them are the same: Keep children off social media until they are 15, and delay giving them internet-enabled phones for as long as possible. – ©2025 The New York Times Company Those suffering from problems can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service at 03-2935 9935 or 014-322 v3392; Talian Kasih at 15999 or 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp; Jakim's (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) family, social and community care centre at 0111-959 8214 on WhatsApp; and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur at 03-7627 2929 or go to malaysia for a full list of numbers nationwide and operating hours, or email sam@ This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
China's innovative perovskite film boosts LED brightness, extends lifespan
Perovskite, a high-performance material known for its luminous efficiency, low cost, and processing flexibility—with broad potential in solar cells, LEDs, and photodetectors—has traditionally faced a major challenge: inefficient recombination of electrons and holes, the charge carriers responsible for light emission. Now, Chinese researchers are claiming to have achieved a major breakthrough in this regard. Led by Professor Xiao Zhengguo, a research team at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei has developed a novel method for fabricating all-inorganic perovskite films with larger crystal grains and improved heat resistance, paving the way for more durable and efficient perovskite LEDs. According to Xiao, the innovation boosted LED brightness to 1.16 million nits and extended the operational lifespan beyond 180,000 hours—overcoming a long-standing bottleneck that prevented perovskite LEDs from achieving both high efficiency and stability, and opening the door for their potential use in advanced displays and ultra-high-brightness lighting, state-owned news agency Xinhua reported. To enhance luminous efficiency, earlier efforts focused on creating ultra-small nanoparticles or extremely thin material layers. However, this approach came with major limitations—LEDs produced with these methods struggled to reach high brightness and often had lifespans of just a few hours, making them unsuitable for real-world applications. Rather than relying on conventional approaches, the research team took a fundamentally different path to overcome the limitations of previous perovskite materials. By carefully introducing specially selected compounds into the perovskite composition and subjecting the material to a high-temperature annealing process, scientists were able to engineer a new type of perovskite film. This advanced film features much larger crystal grains, which help facilitate better charge transport, and a substantially reduced number of defects, both of which are critical factors in enhancing the overall performance, stability, and longevity of perovskite LEDs. Xiao explained that the novel perovskite material's enhanced internal structural order is crucial for significantly improving both the brightness and stability of the LEDs. The research also showed that the luminous efficiency of this new perovskite LED surpassed 22%, putting it on par with existing commercial display products and signaling a major advancement in LED technology. In comparison with typical commercial OLED and LED screens currently available, the new perovskite LED achieves a notably high brightness of over a million nits. This level of brightness could make it well-suited for applications requiring strong visibility, such as outdoor displays and specialized lighting. Typically, everyday displays reach peak brightness levels of just a few thousand nits. When operating at a more common brightness level of 100 nits, the new perovskite LED demonstrates a theoretical lifespan of close to 200,000 hours—well within the range needed to meet commercial LED product standards. As noted by the scientific team, this extended durability not only ensures long-term reliability of their innovation, but also highlights the material's potential for practical, everyday use in a variety of display and lighting applications.
The Star
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Dragon boat festival brings Chinese culture to Israel's Acre
JERUSALEM, June 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 300 participants gathered along the Mediterranean coast on Thursday as the ancient northern Israeli city of Acre hosted a colourful Chinese cultural event centred on traditional dragon boat racing. The event, held near the city's historic walls, featured boat races alongside cultural exhibitions, traditional Chinese music and dance performances, and tastings of zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng, who attended the event, said it reflected growing international appreciation for the Dragon Boat Festival, which was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. "Through activities such as dragon boat racing, people from different countries experience the richness of traditional Chinese culture and promote mutual understanding among civilizations," Xiao said. He described Acre -- known for its cultural diversity and layered history -- as an ideal venue. "The arrival of this traditional Chinese custom to the shores of the Mediterranean not only highlights the vitality of China-Israel cultural exchange but also injects new momentum into people-to-people ties between the two countries," he added. Acre Mayor Loay Fares said the event's focus was less on competition and more on community and cultural engagement. "Rooted in China's ancient culture, dragon boat racing embodies important values such as teamwork, loyalty, perseverance, and community spirit," he said. "It has become a window for Israeli citizens to engage with Chinese culture and has breathed new life into this historic city, blending tradition with modernity." Local resident Karen Kadosh, who took part in the race for the first time, called the experience "fascinating." "It's a team sport that gave me a real taste of traditional Chinese culture," she said, adding that it sparked a growing interest in Chinese festivals and traditions. The Dragon Boat Festival, which commemorates the death of the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan, is celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
Business Wire
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
The 16th China Children's Film Dubbing Promotion and Exhibition Event Officially Kicks Off
BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the 130th anniversary of world cinema, and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, the 16th China Children's Film Dubbing Promotion and Exhibition officially kicked off recently. This event aims to fully leverage the role of film in cultural exchange to promote the deep integration of international and domestic cultures. Guided by the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Committee and the Office of the China National Committee for the Wellbeing of the Next Generation, it is jointly organized by the China National Film Museum, the China Film Association, the China Children's Film Association, and the China Film Foundation. From midsummer to early winter, this event runs throughout the year, providing young film enthusiasts with an immersive dubbing experience and a platform for growth through four interconnected stages. Science Popularization: Unveiling the 'Dubbing' Magic Behind the Scenes of Film From May to July, the event will focus on film dubbing experiences and science popularization. Children will be guided to explore the world of film through themed promotions and film tours, supplemented by online and offline lectures and short videos to enhance knowledge communication. Dubbing Challenge: Joining Us Across Multiple Locations and Making Your Voice Heard From May to August, dubbing competitions will take place both locally and internationally, encouraging young participants to put their dubbing skills into practice and further improve their abilities. Film Journey: An Immersive Celebration of Light and Shadow From July to August, the 'Film Journey' summer camp will be held, offering children an immersive experience of cinema culture through activities such as museum explorations and the final dubbing competition. Talent Showcase: Witnessing the Growth of Dubbing Professionals From September to December, exceptional dubbing works will be showcased in a centralized manner, highlighting both the performers' talent and the outcomes of their training. Registration Time: Dubbing Challenge Registration: May 20, 2025 - July 5, 2025 Registration Methods: This event offers both online and offline participation options. Children can follow the WeChat Official Account 'Xiao Ying Mi Ai Pei Yin' and the 'News' section on the China National Film Museum's WeChat Official Account for updates. Additionally, they can register through offline institutions to participate.
