Study reveals that GenZ does not like dining out. Did COVID Pandemic affect their in-person social skills? The current generation prefers to cook at home due to inflation.

GenZ does not like dining out shows study | They suffer 'menu anxiety'

Interactive video games are more likely to harm the social skills of young girls than male peers who play frequently, a study claims.&nbsp;

The popularity of interactive video games has sparked concern among parents, educators, and policymakers about how the games affect children and adolescents.&nbsp;

Most research on the effect of gaming on youth has focused on problematic gaming and negative effects like aggression, anxiety, and depression. &nbsp;

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of California, Davis in the US looked at how playing video games affects the social skills of 6- to 12-year-olds.&nbsp;

It found that playing the games affected youth differently by age and gender, but that generally speaking, gaming was not associated with social development.&nbsp;

However, the researchers found that 10-year-old girls who played games frequently had less social competence than 12-year-olds than girls who played less frequently.&nbsp;

"Our study may mitigate some concerns about the adverse effects of gaming on children's development," said Beate Wold Hygen, a postdoctoral fellow at the NTNU, who led the study published in the journal Child Development.&nbsp;

"It might not be gaming itself that warrants our attention, but the reasons some children and adolescents spend a lot of their spare time playing the games," said Hygen.&nbsp;

The researchers studied 873 Norwegian youth from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds every two years for six years when the children were ages 6 to 12. &nbsp;

The children and their parents reported how much time the youth spent playing video games -- using tablets, PCs, game consoles, and phones.&nbsp;

The youth's teachers completed questionnaires on the children's and adolescents' social competence, including measures of cooperation, assertion, and self-control. &nbsp;

The youth told researchers how often they played games with their friends.&nbsp;

The study findings suggest that time boys spent gaming did not affect their social development.&nbsp;

However, girls who spent more time playing video games at age 10 developed weaker social skills two years later than girls who spent less time playing games.&nbsp;

Girl video gamers may be more isolated socially and have less opportunity to practice social skills with other girls, which may affect their later social competence.&nbsp;

"It might be that poor social competence drives youth's tendency to play video games for extensive periods of time," suggests Lars Wichstrom, professor of psychology at NTNU. &nbsp;

"That is, youth who struggle socially might be more inclined to play games to fulfill their need to belong and their desire for mastery because gaming is easily accessible and may be less complicated for them than face-to-face interactions," said Wichstrom.

Interactive video games are more likely to harm the social skills of young girls than male peers who play frequently, a study claims. The popularity of interactive video games has sparked concern among parents, educators, and policymakers about how the games affect children and adolescents.

Interactive video games are more likely to harm the social skills of young girls than male peers who play frequently, a study claims. The popularity of interactive video games has sparked concern among parents, educators, and policymakers about how the games affect children and adolescents. Most research on the effect of gaming on youth has focused on problematic gaming and negative effects like aggression, anxiety, and depression. Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of California, Davis in the US looked at how playing video games affects the social skills of 6- to 12-year-olds. It found that playing the games affected youth differently by age and gender, but that generally speaking, gaming was not associated with social development. However, the researchers found that 10-year-old girls who played games frequently had less social competence than 12-year-olds than girls who played less frequently. "Our study may mitigate some concerns about the adverse effects of gaming on children's development," said Beate Wold Hygen, a postdoctoral fellow at the NTNU, who led the study published in the journal Child Development. "It might not be gaming itself that warrants our attention, but the reasons some children and adolescents spend a lot of their spare time playing the games," said Hygen. The researchers studied 873 Norwegian youth from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds every two years for six years when the children were ages 6 to 12. The children and their parents reported how much time the youth spent playing video games -- using tablets, PCs, game consoles, and phones. The youth's teachers completed questionnaires on the children's and adolescents' social competence, including measures of cooperation, assertion, and self-control. The youth told researchers how often they played games with their friends. The study findings suggest that time boys spent gaming did not affect their social development. However, girls who spent more time playing video games at age 10 developed weaker social skills two years later than girls who spent less time playing games. Girl video gamers may be more isolated socially and have less opportunity to practice social skills with other girls, which may affect their later social competence. "It might be that poor social competence drives youth's tendency to play video games for extensive periods of time," suggests Lars Wichstrom, professor of psychology at NTNU. "That is, youth who struggle socially might be more inclined to play games to fulfill their need to belong and their desire for mastery because gaming is easily accessible and may be less complicated for them than face-to-face interactions," said Wichstrom.

Playing video games may harm girls' social skills than male peers: Study

China's Southwest Jiaotong University launched a dating course, as many students entering college have seldom if ever, dated.

In high school, Chinese students face pressure from parents to study hard and get accepted to their ideal university. This, in turn, has led to the growth of dating websites and independent dating courses, to teach many young people a skill they lack.

To better equip their students with this social skill, the university has built such a dating course into their curriculum.

In a recent class, teacher Gao Fei presented colourful scarves symbolizing the sacrifices and benefits of a marriage.

Undergraduate students from various majors took turns expressing themselves via this thought-provoking process. They also discussed and wrote down what these sacrifices are.

For the male, it was mostly the loss of personal space and money; and the female - their looks and health.

This class, geared toward marriage, came near the end of a 14-week interdisciplinary course entitled the "Art of Getting Along with the Opposite Sex".

"In this class, the boys shared their views on marriage and changes they may encounter from dating up to marriage. We don't often understand this as girls," said Hou Shufen, a logistics undergraduate student.

In the early parts of this inaugural course, students learned how to make a good first impression, meet the right person, and date.

Gao, the course's founder and teacher, had two aims: to help narrow the gap between knowledge and practice and to better prepare -- than repair -- these students for what is to come in their future.

"The divorce rate in China has been increasing over the past five to eight years, and most of those divorced was born in the early 1980s or even late 1980s if they get married early. Young people born in the early 1990s have also begun to enter into marriage," she said.

For some students, it is more than just a dating and marriage elective.

Ji Zesen, an engineering undergraduate, said this course is necessary. He cited the lack of communication skills most university students face as they focus too much on their academics.

"If we can manage to get along well with the opposite sex, I believe we can also communicate better with the seniors and people of the same sex. The skills can be fully applied to these areas," said Ji.

In China, huge importance is placed on education: nailing good grades, getting into good schools and so on. Now college education is not all about just math and science, it is also about learning social techniques, like the class about dating and marriage here at this university. It all starts from equipping these students with soft skills to hopefully better maneuver today's societal problems and beyond.

China's Southwest Jiaotong University launched a dating course, as many students entering college have seldom if ever, dated. In high school, Chinese students face pressure from parents to study hard and get accepted to their ideal university.

China's Southwest Jiaotong University launched a dating course, as many students entering college have seldom if ever, dated. In high school, Chinese students face pressure from parents to study hard and get accepted to their ideal university. This, in turn, has led to the growth of dating websites and independent dating courses, to teach many young people a skill they lack. To better equip their students with this social skill, the university has built such a dating course into their curriculum. In a recent class, teacher Gao Fei presented colourful scarves symbolizing the sacrifices and benefits of a marriage. Undergraduate students from various majors took turns expressing themselves via this thought-provoking process. They also discussed and wrote down what these sacrifices are. For the male, it was mostly the loss of personal space and money; and the female - their looks and health. This class, geared toward marriage, came near the end of a 14-week interdisciplinary course entitled the "Art of Getting Along with the Opposite Sex". "In this class, the boys shared their views on marriage and changes they may encounter from dating up to marriage. We don't often understand this as girls," said Hou Shufen, a logistics undergraduate student. In the early parts of this inaugural course, students learned how to make a good first impression, meet the right person, and date. Gao, the course's founder and teacher, had two aims: to help narrow the gap between knowledge and practice and to better prepare -- than repair -- these students for what is to come in their future. "The divorce rate in China has been increasing over the past five to eight years, and most of those divorced was born in the early 1980s or even late 1980s if they get married early. Young people born in the early 1990s have also begun to enter into marriage," she said. For some students, it is more than just a dating and marriage elective. Ji Zesen, an engineering undergraduate, said this course is necessary. He cited the lack of communication skills most university students face as they focus too much on their academics. "If we can manage to get along well with the opposite sex, I believe we can also communicate better with the seniors and people of the same sex. The skills can be fully applied to these areas," said Ji. In China, huge importance is placed on education: nailing good grades, getting into good schools and so on. Now college education is not all about just math and science, it is also about learning social techniques, like the class about dating and marriage here at this university. It all starts from equipping these students with soft skills to hopefully better maneuver today's societal problems and beyond.

Chinese university launches dating course to better equip students with social skills

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 divisive and 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&rsquo; 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.

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&rsquo; feelings and to negotiate. Neighborhood &ldquo;kick the can&rdquo; games, for example, require cooperation to have fun &ndash; all without adult supervision.

Today, frequent social media use and a decrease in free play time have reduced children&rsquo;s opportunities to learn these basic social skills.

But social and emotional skills can &ndash; and should &ndash; 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&rsquo;s first line of defense against troubled students &ndash; especially with the current increase in adolescent depression and anxiety.

In my opinion, school resource officers &ndash; trained police officers who work with children &ndash; 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&rsquo; social development, but it can also be harnessed for good. Anonymous reporting systems &ndash; perhaps text-message based &ndash; 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&rsquo;d threatened to harm his peers into protective custody before he could act on his words.

What communities can do

Communities also help raise children. With many eyes and ears, they can detect often smaller problems before young people grow into violence.

4. Doctors should conduct standard mental health screenings

Extreme violence is almost always preceded by certain behavioral problems. These typically include a propensity toward aggression, a marked lack of social connectedness, indications of serious mental illness and a fascination with violence and guns.

Doctors could detect these problems early on with a standardized screening at health checkups. If concerns arise, referrals to counseling or other mental health professionals might follow.

5. Enlist social media companies in the effort to detect threats

Most young people today use social media to express their feelings and aspirations. In the case of school shooters, these posts are often violent. A single violent post is hardly a guarantee of homicidal acts, of course. But evidence strongly indicates that repeated expressions of this nature can be a sign of trouble.

I would like to see companies like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat create algorithms that identify repeated online threats and automatically alert local law enforcement.

What parents can do

Parents and guardians are often the first to detect their child&rsquo;s emotional struggles. Here are some tips for monitoring and promoting healthy emotional development at home.

6. Think critically about your child&rsquo;s social media use

From virtual war games to cruel trolls, the internet is full of violence. The relationship between violent content and aggression hasn&rsquo;t been consistent in research: Some studies see no relationship at all, while others find some correlation between violent video games and violent behavior.

This mixed evidence suggests that online content affects children differently, so parents must assess how well their child handles it. If your daughter likes &ldquo;Assassin&rsquo;s Creed&rdquo; but is gentle, socially successful and happy, the onscreen violence may not be strongly impacting her.&nbsp;

But if your child is drawn to violent games and tends to be aggressive or troubled, discuss the situation with your pediatrician or school counselor.

7. Consider what your child is missing out on

Is your child sleeping properly? Do your kids socialize with other young people? These two behaviors are linked to mental health in children, and excessive screen time can reduce or diminish the quality of both.

Make sure digital devices aren&rsquo;t disrupting your kids&rsquo; sleep, and schedule play dates if your kids don&rsquo;t make plans on their own.

8. Assess your child&rsquo;s relationships

Like adults, children need confidants to feel invested in and connected with their community. The trusted person can be parent, a family member or a friend &ndash; just make sure someone&rsquo;s playing that role.

For children who struggle to make friends and build relationships, there are programs that can help them learn how.

9. Fret productively about screen time

Research shows that excessive screen time can damage kids&rsquo; brains. That&rsquo;s alarming in part because parents can&rsquo;t realistically keep kids entirely off devices.

So rather than just fret over screen time, focus instead on how children can benefit from a variety of activities. Evidence shows that children who experience different pursuits over the course of their day &ndash; from sports and music to an after-school job &ndash; are happier and healthier for it.

10. Talk with your child

This is both the easiest and hardest way to make sure your kids are doing OK. Children, especially teenagers, don&rsquo;t always want to talk about how life is going. Ask anyway.

My research shows that simply asking children about their friends, their technology use and their day is an important way to show you care. Even if they don&rsquo;t respond, your interest demonstrates that you&rsquo;re there for them.

Try this one now. Ask your children what they&rsquo;re thinking about the shooting in Florida and how they like their friends and school. Then listen.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Schools, parents, and communities all have a role to play in preventing school shootings. Most importantly, we need to discuss with kids about their lives.

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 divisive and 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. 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 have 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. What communities can do Communities also help raise children. With many eyes and ears, they can detect often smaller problems before young people grow into violence. 4. Doctors should conduct standard mental health screenings Extreme violence is almost always preceded by certain behavioral problems. These typically include a propensity toward aggression, a marked lack of social connectedness, indications of serious mental illness and a fascination with violence and guns. Doctors could detect these problems early on with a standardized screening at health checkups. If concerns arise, referrals to counseling or other mental health professionals might follow. 5. Enlist social media companies in the effort to detect threats Most young people today use social media to express their feelings and aspirations. In the case of school shooters, these posts are often violent. A single violent post is hardly a guarantee of homicidal acts, of course. But evidence strongly indicates that repeated expressions of this nature can be a sign of trouble. I would like to see companies like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat create algorithms that identify repeated online threats and automatically alert local law enforcement. What parents can do Parents and guardians are often the first to detect their child’s emotional struggles. Here are some tips for monitoring and promoting healthy emotional development at home. 6. Think critically about your child’s social media use From virtual war games to cruel trolls, the internet is full of violence. The relationship between violent content and aggression hasn’t been consistent in research: Some studies see no relationship at all, while others find some correlation between violent video games and violent behavior. This mixed evidence suggests that online content affects children differently, so parents must assess how well their child handles it. If your daughter likes “Assassin’s Creed” but is gentle, socially successful and happy, the onscreen violence may not be strongly impacting her. But if your child is drawn to violent games and tends to be aggressive or troubled, discuss the situation with your pediatrician or school counselor. 7. Consider what your child is missing out on Is your child sleeping properly? Do your kids socialize with other young people? These two behaviors are linked to mental health in children, and excessive screen time can reduce or diminish the quality of both. Make sure digital devices aren’t disrupting your kids’ sleep, and schedule play dates if your kids don’t make plans on their own. 8. Assess your child’s relationships Like adults, children need confidants to feel invested in and connected with their community. The trusted person can be parent, a family member or a friend – just make sure someone’s playing that role. For children who struggle to make friends and build relationships, there are programs that can help them learn how. 9. Fret productively about screen time Research shows that excessive screen time can damage kids’ brains. That’s alarming in part because parents can’t realistically keep kids entirely off devices. So rather than just fret over screen time, focus instead on how children can benefit from a variety of activities. Evidence shows that children who experience different pursuits over the course of their day – from sports and music to an after-school job – are happier and healthier for it. 10. Talk with your child This is both the easiest and hardest way to make sure your kids are doing OK. Children, especially teenagers, don’t always want to talk about how life is going. Ask anyway. My research shows that simply asking children about their friends, their technology use and their day is an important way to show you care. Even if they don’t respond, your interest demonstrates that you’re there for them. Try this one now. Ask your children what they’re thinking about the shooting in Florida and how they like their friends and school. Then listen. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Florida shooting teaches us 10 ways to safeguard our children

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