#Adolescence

A playful letter to an advice columnist highlights a common parenting dilemma: an 11-year-old girl wants a radical side-shave, and parents disagree on how to respond. The mother fears bullying, while the father believes in letting children learn from their choices. The standoff mirrors many Thai households grappling with self-expression, peer pressure, and social consequences.

Thai families understand the tension between supporting autonomy and guarding against harm. School environments in Thailand often blend peer dynamics with cultural expectations about appearance and conformity. National surveys indicate that bullying remains a concern for many students, with appearance-based teasing among the more visible forms of peer harassment.

A popular parenting column described an 11-year-old girl who wants a side-shave haircut. (Slate reported the column and the family conflict.) (Slate column)

The column asked whether parents should let the child decide. (The advice columnist urged support with safeguards.) (Slate column)

The case matters for parents in Thailand. (Thai families also face school teasing and social pressure.) (UNESCO data shows peer violence in many countries.) (UNESCO report)

The central dilemma is simple to name. (Parents weigh a child’s autonomy against the risk of bullying.) (Experts call this a common parenting conflict.)

The modern parenting dilemma crystallized in vivid detail when an advice columnist received a letter about an 11-year-old girl demanding a radical side-shave haircut. The mother worried about potential bullying while the father insisted their daughter should learn from her own choices, creating a family standoff that mirrors countless Thai households grappling with similar questions about children’s self-expression and social consequences.

The Universal Struggle Thai Families Know Well

For Thai parents, this scenario resonates deeply across cultural lines. School environments throughout Thailand present unique challenges where peer pressure intersects with traditional expectations about appearance and conformity. Recent national surveys reveal that nearly half of Thai students experience some form of bullying, with appearance-based teasing representing a significant portion of these incidents.

A global debate on adolescent privacy has sparked renewed attention as a teenager privately takes a deeply personal item from a parent. The discussion pits a calm, patient approach against a firmer, more direct response. For Thai households, the issue frames a broader question: how to balance independence and family values while maintaining open communication.

The controversy highlights a universal challenge: how families respond when teens test boundaries during the journey toward adulthood. Experts emphasize that empathy and trust-building matter far more than the initial reaction. In Thailand, where respect for elders and social harmony are valued, navigating privacy matters must be handled thoughtfully to avoid shaming while setting clear expectations.

A recent wave of parental discussion has emerged following a widely read advice column in Slate, in which a parent described the unsettling discovery that their teenage child had stolen a personal, “intimate” item from them. The incident, and the conflicting parental responses it generated, spotlight crucial questions at the intersection of adolescent development, privacy, consent, and healthy family communication—challenges familiar to Thai families navigating modern parenting.

In the Slate column, the parent expressed shock and discomfort upon learning that their adolescent had taken a deeply personal object. The parent’s spouse, in contrast, urged a more hands-off approach, advocating for letting the incident pass without confrontation. This difference in parental perspective mirrors a broader debate occurring in homes worldwide about how best to respond when boundaries are crossed within the family, especially as children move into the often confusing terrain of adolescence (Slate).

A major new study has confirmed a troubling link: as preteens spend more time on social media, their risk of experiencing depressive symptoms rises significantly—a finding with profound implications for parents, educators, and policymakers in Thailand and around the world. The longitudinal research, published in JAMA Network Open and conducted by a team at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), tracked nearly 12,000 children over three years and delivered the strongest evidence yet that increased screen time can actually cause later depression in youth, not just reflect existing mood changes. For a country like Thailand, where smartphone and social media penetration among youth have soared, these findings raise urgent questions about digital wellbeing and mental health support for the next generation.

A major study confirms a troubling link: as preteens spend more time on social media, their risk of depressive symptoms rises. This finding matters for Thai families, teachers, and policymakers aiming to safeguard young people’s mental health in a digital age.

Researchers from UCSF analyzed data from a large, long-term study of nearly 12,000 children, following them from ages 9–10 into early adolescence. They found that daily social media use increased from about seven minutes to 73 minutes over three years, while depressive symptoms rose by about 35 percent. Importantly, the study shows that greater social media engagement precedes increases in depressive symptoms, suggesting the online environment itself can influence mood, not just reflect existing struggles. In Thailand, where smartphone use among youth is widespread, these findings prompt urgent questions about digital wellbeing and support systems in schools and communities.

In a candid TikTok confession that has quickly gained traction among parents and educators, a former middle school teacher has revealed the four things she most wished she could have told parents about the daily realities faced by their children in school. The honest advice, reported by Scary Mommy, shines a spotlight on hygiene and puberty—a pair of topics often overlooked in both Thai and international classrooms, but critically linked to student well-being and social development (https://www.scarymommy.com/parenting/former-teacher-reveals-things-she-wished-she-couldve-told-parents).

A candid TikTok confession by a former middle school teacher has sparked widespread discussion among parents and educators. She shared four key messages she wishes she could have told parents about daily life in school, with a strong emphasis on hygiene and puberty. While the original piece emerged in an American context, its core themes resonate with Thai families, where personal well-being and social harmony are highly valued.

In Thailand, conversations about appearance, hygiene, and puberty are often handled with care to protect students’ dignity. Yet addressing these issues openly can empower children to manage health and social dynamics more confidently, helping prevent health problems and social distress.

A major UK study is probing the kynurenine pathway to explain why teenage girls show higher depression rates than boys. The research contributes to a global understanding of depression that affects hundreds of millions worldwide.

Adolescence remains a pivotal period for mental health. The kynurenine pathway transforms the amino acid tryptophan into compounds that can protect or harm neurons. The study examines how this process differs by sex in adolescence and what it means for risk and resilience. For Thai adolescents, rising awareness, academic pressures, and evolving gender norms make these insights especially pertinent.

In a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at King’s College London, a brain pathway known as the kynurenine pathway is being explored for its potential role in the higher rates of depression observed in teenage girls compared to boys. As reported by Medical Xpress, this study is pivotal in understanding the underlying biological factors that contribute to depression, which affects approximately 280 million people globally.

The significance of this study lies in its focus on adolescence—a developmental stage marked by significant neurological and psychological changes. The research examines how the kynurenine pathway, which processes the amino acid tryptophan into either neuroprotective or neurotoxic chemicals, differs in its operation between male and female adolescents. This research is particularly poignant for Thai adolescents, as mental health awareness grows within the country amidst shifting cultural norms and increasing academic pressures.