【推荐1】When parrots are kept as single pets, they tend to feel lonely just like humans. This is why researchers looked for a way to connect single pet birds by teaching them how to video call each other.

This experiment is not incredible since parrots are known to be very smart and easy to train. If they can be trained to talk, teaching them how to make a video call would be a piece of cake. However, what the researchers wanted to know through this study was whether birds would call each other when given a choice. The answer to this was a clear “yes”. Researchers from Northeastern University, the University of Glasgow, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that virtual interactions could help with the behavior of a parrot and improve their communication skills.

In the first two weeks of the study, the birds learned how to make a video call by ringing a bell and touching an image of another parrot on the screen. The caretakers carefully monitored the birds’ behavior during this stage and ended the call as soon as the birds stopped paying attention or started to show signs of fear or aggression (攻击性).

The next phase, which they call the “open call period”, allowed the birds to make calls freely and pick the bird they wanted to call. The remaining 15 participants made 147 video calls over the period of three months, which was equal to over 1,000 hours of video footage.

The study had a few significant findings. First, the birds engaged in most calls and formed strong preferences. It also showed that the birds who initiated the most were the ones who got the most call requests from other birds, which is similar to human socialization. The birds also developed attachments with their virtual friends’ human caretakers.

The researchers warned owners not to do the same experiment on their own as it should only be done by trained caretakers. It may cause parrots to become aggressive, scared, or uncomfortable.

【推荐2】Social media allow teenagers to create online identities, communicate with others and build social networks. These networks can provide teenagers with valuable support. Teenagers also use social media for entertainment and self-expression. And the platforms can expose teenagers to current events, allow them to communicate across geographic barriers and teach them about different kinds of subjects, including healthy behaviors. However, social media use can also negatively affect teenagers, distracting them, influencing their sleep, and exposing them to bullying (恐吓), rumor (谣言) spreading, untrue views of other people’s lives and peer pressure.

There are steps you can take to encourage responsible use of social media and limit some of its negative effects.

Set reasonable limits. Talk to your teenager about how to avoid letting social media affect his or her activities, sleep, meals or homework. Encourage a bedtime routine that avoids electronic media use, and keep cellphones and iPads out of teenagers’ bedrooms. Set an example by following these rules yourself.

Monitor your teenager’s accounts. Let your teenager know that you’ll be regularly checking his or her social media accounts. You might aim to do so once a week or more. And make sure you follow through.

Explain what’s not OK. Discourage your teenager from gossiping, spreading rumors, bullying or damaging someone’s reputation—online or otherwise. Talk to your teenager about what is appropriate and safe to share on social media.

Encourage face-to-face contact with friends. This is particularly important for teenagers who are vulnerable to social anxiety disorder.

Talk about social media. Talk about your own social media habits. Ask your teenager how he or she is using social media and how it makes him or her feel. Remind your teenager that social media is full of unrealistic images.

If you think your teenager is experiencing signs or symptoms of anxiety or depression related to social media use, talk to your child’s health care provider immediately.

【推荐3】It’s always exciting to receive a letter in the mail. Even today, when the world is digitally connected, receiving an actual letter in your mailbox from a distant land is a great way for children to make new friends.

The Peaceful Pen Pals Project is a beautiful project that blends together global connection and self-expression. The project is part of the nonprofit Kids for Peace, founded by Jill McManigal and Danielle Gram in California in 2006. It is open to all children, ages two through seventeen. To date, there are 1,500 children from 17 countries participating in the program according to the organization. Currently, all letters are written in English. When children sign up, they can select if they would rather be matched with a USA Peaceful Pen Pal or an international one.

Each child is then matched to a pen pal of similar age. This establishes a point of connection quickly for the children and facilitates (促进) a stronger bond. If the letter writers are in the same grade, they can chat about school, their teachers, and what they are studying. They can also compare what different states or countries learn about and how the atmosphere of the classroom are, whether socially or academically. Children may also be more likely to write about problems they are having if they feel like they are speaking to a peer in a similar situation. Although pen pals may live in different countries, they may find common ground. The writer lists their favorite activities to do outside, plus what they like best and least about school. This gives the writer an opportunity to express and receive advice or feedback (反馈) from the pen pal.

“Hearing first-hand stories from an international pen pal can encourage teens to take someone else’s viewpoint and to think outside of themselves,” writes Rebecca Fraser-Thill on Very Well Family. “Having a foreign pen pal can also encourage interest in geography, history and culture.”