All posts tagged: girls

Teen Girls Get Added to Pete Hegseth’s Confidential Text Chain

Teen Girls Get Added to Pete Hegseth’s Confidential Text Chain

Published by skeptic

National security leaders have inadvertently leaked Yemen attack plans again… only this time, it was to teen girls on Saturday Night Live. The NBC sketch comedy show’s cold open spoofs the Trump administration’s Signal chat scandal, which saw the highest-ranking national security officials add the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine to a Signal group text chain in which leaders discussed plans for an airstrike in Yemen. President Donald Trump later claimed the information shared in the texts was not classified. Days after the leak was revealed, The Atlantic released the text messages that included the attack plans. The latest SNL episode opens with three high school girls — played by host Mikey Madison, Ego Nwodim and Sarah Sherman — texting about boy drama, when all of a sudden, the trio gets added to a group text with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, portrayed by Andrew Dismukes. “FYI green light on Yemen race,” Dismukes’ Hegseth writes. “Who’s ready to glass some Houthi rebels. Flag emoji, flag emoji, flag emoji, fire emoji, eggplant.” The confused high schoolers question who is texting them, as …

More girls are getting excluded from school – here’s why they feel misjudged by teachers

More girls are getting excluded from school – here’s why they feel misjudged by teachers

Published by skeptic

More children are being permanently excluded from their school in England. In the 2023-24 autumn term, over 1,000 more pupils were excluded than in the autumn term the previous year. Rates of permanent exclusion have risen rapidly since the pandemic, with no sign of slowing down. What is perhaps unexpected is that the rate of permanent exclusions is rising much faster among girls than boys. Girls are also more at risk of “hidden” or “grey” exclusions – when a pupil stops going to school but isn’t formally excluded. But partly because schools are seen as environments in which girls are more likely to thrive than boys, the issues girls face may be overlooked. Stereotypes of schools as places where “good girls” are the hardworking majority – and boys are the disruptive ones – have repercussions for both girls and teachers. In my research I interviewed 12 girls at risk of permanent exclusion aged between 12 and 16 in two different secondary schools and one pupil referral unit. I found that they struggled with being heard. …

Study links rising suicidality among teen girls to increase in identifying as LGBQ

Study links rising suicidality among teen girls to increase in identifying as LGBQ

Published by José

A new study published in Educational Researcher suggests that the rise in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among high school girls in recent years might be connected to an increase in the number of girls identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ). While rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors remained steady within both heterosexual and LGBQ groups of girls, the overall rise in female suicidality appears linked to the increase in girls identifying as LGBQ, a group that historically faces greater social pressures and mental health challenges. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that a substantial number of teenage girls have seriously considered suicide, made suicide plans, or attempted suicide in recent years. This increase has prompted examination into potential contributing factors, and the researchers aimed to explore a connection between this trend and the simultaneous increase in the number of girls identifying as LGBQ. Previous research has consistently shown that LGBQ youth experience higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared to their heterosexual peers. The new study …

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn

The Girls of the Glimmer Factory by Jennifer Coburn

Published by skeptic

Jennifer Coburn’s The Girls of the Glimmer Factory is a profound exploration of courage, identity, and the devastating impact of propaganda during World War II. With a narrative grounded in the historical reality of Theresienstadt—a Nazi-created “model” ghetto—Coburn masterfully weaves a tale of two women on opposing sides of history. For fans of Kristin Harmel’s The Forest of Vanishing Stars and Kelly Rimmer’s The German Wife, this book offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of survival, truth, and friendship amidst the horrors of the Holocaust. Plot Overview The story unfolds through the dual perspectives of Hannah, a Jewish prisoner in Theresienstadt, and Hilde, a devout believer in the Nazi regime. Theresienstadt, a “model” ghetto, serves as a chilling facade for the Nazi propaganda film Hitler Gives a City to the Jews. While the world is meant to believe in the humane treatment of Jews, the reality is far bleaker. Hannah, a young resistance member, is determined to expose the truth, even as she faces the terror of deportations to death camps. On the flip …

Same-gender relationships provide greater sexual equity for teen girls, study suggests

Same-gender relationships provide greater sexual equity for teen girls, study suggests

Published by José

A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior has uncovered significant disparities in sexual experiences among adolescents in Canada. Researchers examined orgasm and sexual behaviors, including manual and oral stimulation, among cisgender and transgender/non-binary youth aged 15 to 18. The findings reveal that adolescent girls, particularly those in heterosexual relationships, experience fewer orgasms and less oral stimulation compared to their male counterparts. Notably, girls partnered with girls did not report the same disadvantages. “The idea for this research question arose from our observation that most studies on adolescent sexuality focused on the risks of vaginal intercourse within heterosexual dyad,” said study author Alice Girouard, a postdoctoral research fellow at Dalhousie University who conducted the research as a PhD student under the supervision of Sophie Bergeron at the University of Montréal. “This conveyed a very hetero- and cisnormative (i.e., assumption that individuals are all heterosexual and cisgender) view of sexuality, while we know that nearly a third (30%) of sexual and gender diverse (i.e.,2SLGBTQIA+) Canadians are under the age of 25 and that this …

Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs

Social media ‘soft girls’ depend on men for money – but Sweden once used state ‘influencers’ to urge women to get jobs

Published by skeptic

The idea of becoming a “soft girl” – a woman who embrace values that are seen as soft, such as beauty and family life, at the expense of a career – is an emerging trend among some social media influencers. Soft girls often opt to be financially supported by a boyfriend or husband. In this way, the soft girl can be seen as similar to an aspiring housewife or “trad wife”, another popular role on social media. Even in Sweden, a country famous for its gender equality policies and repeatedly ranked as number one among countries in the Gender Equality Index, soft girls are reportedly on the rise. This has lead to a heated debate in the country over the past year. Soft girl was even recognised as a “new word” by a Swedish government authority, the Institute for Language and Folklore, in December 2024. The influence of this social media trend stands in stark contrast to the movement that stopped housewife from being a common role for women in Sweden by the 1980s, after …

The best gifts for teenage girls, according to teenage girls

The best gifts for teenage girls, according to teenage girls

Published by skeptic

Trends among teen girls are an ever-changing hellscape. Even millennials — people who are not that old, thank you very much — can have trouble navigating the world that’s ruled by TikTok trends and whatever else high-school-aged girls can’t seem to stop raving about. Funneling those trends into a gift that she’ll like and use for longer than a month seems nearly impossible. But you know who does get teenage girls? Other teenage girls. We asked our families, polled our staff, and scoured the internet to find out exactly what teenage girls actually want.  The same items popping up over and over again each year is a constant reminder that, though the VSCO girl lifestyle meme may have ended in 2019, a few overarching concepts remain alive and well. Gen Z girls are loyal to a defined handful of brands and have very specific aesthetic goals. They don’t just want workout gear, they want Lululemon yoga pants. They don’t just want skincare products, they want serums from The Ordinary. They don’t just want a reusable water bottle, …

The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene—Book Review by TBE

The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene—Book Review by TBE

Published by skeptic

Katherine Greene’s “The Lake of Lost Girls” is a meticulously crafted psychological thriller that deftly navigates between two timelines: 1998, when college student Jessica Fadley vanishes without a trace, and 2024, when her younger sister Lindsey finally begins unraveling the truth. The novel’s greatest strength lies in its ability to maintain suspense while delivering a profound commentary on family dynamics and the true crime genre’s impact on real victims’ stories. The authors (A. Meredith Walters and Claire C. Riley, writing under the pen name Katherine Greene) demonstrate remarkable skill in creating an atmosphere of mounting dread that permeates both timelines. The story’s setting—the small town of Mt. Randall, North Carolina, and its hill-perched Southern State University – becomes a character in itself, with the ominously named Doll’s Eye Lake serving as the perfect backdrop for this tale of buried secrets. Writing Style & Structure The novel employs an innovative structure, incorporating transcripts from a true crime podcast titled “Ten Seconds to Vanish” alongside conventional narrative chapters. This multimedia approach feels authentic rather than gimmicky, reflecting …

Cyberbullying linked to extreme dieting and cosmetic surgery interests in teen girls

Cyberbullying linked to extreme dieting and cosmetic surgery interests in teen girls

Published by José

A study of adolescent girls in Australia found that 62% experienced cyberbullying related to their appearance. Girls teased or insulted about their body shape, weight, or physical features are more likely to resort to extreme dieting or consider cosmetic surgery. The paper was published in the Journal of Eating Disorders. Cyberbullying is a form of harassment that occurs online, through digital devices, such as social media, messaging apps, or gaming platforms. It includes sending mean messages, spreading rumors, sharing embarrassing photos or videos, or excluding someone from online groups. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can happen anytime and reach a wide audience instantly, making it difficult for victims to escape. Research indicates that the impact of cyberbullying can be particularly severe during adolescence. Adolescence is a time when children’s bodies undergo rapid transformation as they mature into adults. This makes adolescents particularly sensitive to issues related to their bodies and potentially vulnerable to cyberbullying focused on their appearance, body shape, size, or physical features. Exposure to this type of bullying can lead to heightened body dissatisfaction …

Rare conjoined twin girls separated after 14 hour operation | UK News

Rare conjoined twin girls separated after 14 hour operation | UK News

Published by skeptic

One-year-old twin girls, conjoined at the head, have been successfully separated during a 14 hour operation led by a leading British surgeon. Professor Noor ul Owase Jeelani from Great Ormond Street Hospital used leading mixed reality technology to complete the complex procedure on Minal and Mirha in Turkey. Both are recovering in hospital and are expected to make full recoveries and lead normal lives when they return home to Pakistan next month. The operation at the Ankara Bilkent City Hospital on 19 July, which included a local team of medics, required two surgical stages and was completed over three months, with the final surgery taking 14 hours. The girls, who were born in Pakistan, are called craniopagus twins because they are joined at the head. They shared vital blood vessels and brain tissue and separation of the pair required extremely intricate surgery. Image: Twin girls Minal and Mirha before the surgery in Turkey Mixed reality (MR) combines 3D images with the physical world and is used to increase precision during complex operations. It enhances a …