1 . Japan recently lowered its voting age from 20 to 18. This decision was in order to help young people feel more engaged in politics. But it may also signal the change of social views regarding the beginning of adulthood.

Adulthood has traditionally been defined by a combination of age and the achievement of social milestones (里程碑). Most countries have a legally defined age to determine when a person becomes an adult — the age of majority. In Australia, most states consider a person to be an adult in court at 18. The age of 18 is also consistent with other adult privileges, such as the right to purchase alcohol and to marry. However, 17-year-olds can serve in the army and get a driver’s licence. The law defines adulthood on the basis of age and it also recognizes the process of becoming an adult as involving himself gradually in social responsibility. This legal approach to adulthood is mirrored in other countries, where there are differences between the age of majority and social responsibility given to young people.

Socially, determinants of adulthood traditionally focus on a person taking increasing responsibility for their lives in various ways. Completing school, taking full-time employment, getting married and parenthood — these are all observable indicators to determine when a person is viewed as an adult.

Since the 1980s, however, people have achieved some of these observable milestones at later ages. Increased access to education has delayed young people leaving home and developing romantic relationships. Economic changes have also resulted in unstable employment markets and increases in costs of living, prompting many young people to remain at home and dependent on parents.

Due to these social changes, our expectations of young people and their level of social responsibility have also changed. The recognition of a new life stage — emerging (发展初期的) adulthood — has been recommended to account for the changes to social milestones that have traditionally represented adulthood.

2 . Before uploading a photo of ourselves to social media, chances are that we’ll use an app to smooth our skin, make our eyes look bigger, and lips fuller. With a couple of taps on our mobile phone, we can get a quick fix and present the “best” version of ourselves to the world. However, the problem is, when we simply edit our imperfections away, we’re also changing the way we look at ourselves.

Last month, researchers published the article Selfies—Living in the Era of Filtered (过滤的) Photographs. The article analysed photo editing apps’ bad influences on people’s self-respect and their possibility to cause appearance anxieties. The researchers also warned that such apps make it difficult to tell the difference between reality and fantasy. “These apps allow one to change his or her appearance in minutes and follow an unrealistic standard of beauty,” the article reads.

In the past, people may have compared their looks to those of famous people. But for today’s young people, beauty standards are most likely set by what they see on social media. “From birth, they are born into an age of social platforms where their feelings of self-worth can be based purely on the number of likes and followers that they have, which is linked to how good they look,” British cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho told The Independent. This is why many young people suffer an identity trouble when it comes to appearance.

“Now you’ve got this daily comparison of your real self to this fake self that you present on social media,” Renee Engeln, a professor of psychology, told the HuffPost website. Engeln further pointed out that when people spend too much time making such comparisons, they may become “beauty sick” and find it difficult to accept what they actually look like. “Because between you and the world is a mirror. It’s a mirror that travels with you everywhere. You can’t seem to put it down,” she told The Washington Post. So when we look in a real mirror, we shouldn’t think to ourselves, “Do I look as good as myself in the filtered photos?” Instead, we should think, “I feel good; I have my health.”

4 . If job seekers knew companies were using AI to fill open positions, would it stop them from applying for the job? The answer, according to a recent study, is yes — sometimes.

The researchers found that in certain instances, like the screening (筛选) of applications, participants usually accepted some degree of automation. But in other instances, like interviews, automation could stop job seekers from applying for a position.

Companies facing recent labor shortages are increasingly turning to AI as a way to facilitate and speed up the hiring process. AI can be used in tasks such as screening job candidates, checking professional licenses, and interviewing candidates.

The new research suggests that using AI in hiring could be quite opposite. For instance, in one part of the study, participants were shown fictional job postings and then asked if they intended to apply for the position. The researchers found that if the job posting said that AI was used both to screen applicants and to conduct interviews, participants’ intention to apply for the position averaged 2.77 on a six-point scale. If AI was used only for the screening process, participants’ intention to apply averaged 3.73.

In another experiment, the researchers also found that study participants saw pros and cons in the use of AI in interviewing. When told the hiring would be fully automated, some participants expected the whole hiring process to be more consistent (始终如一的) in its judgments. But others tended to believe that they had less voice in the final outcome. Overall, the study results suggest this concern tends to outweigh the appreciation of AI’s lack of bias (偏见) at the interviewing stage.

A mixed approach may be a way to get the best of both worlds. Participants may have been more open to automation earlier in the hiring process because they could see some benefits from using AI — such as less-biased decisions. But during the later stages applicants expect personal interaction, to give them an opportunity to sell themselves and to learn more about the company.

8 . How to stop technology addiction

Research suggests that at least 64% of people now spend up to four hours daily of spare time in front of a screen. Just as TV watching has been linked to higher chances of being fat and getting diseases, this extra sedentary(久坐不动的) time is bad news for our health.    1    

Choose outdoor activities over technology

When you’re at home, make it a rule that you can’t be online if the sun is shining.     2    Then, after taking these healthy physical activities, you can take out your phone or laptop, or take a seat at the computer. This rule should be fit for everyone in your family.

Limit social media use

According to some experts, the effect of technology on human relationships is worrying as technology has become a substitute for face-to-face human relationships. And social networks have changed computer and mobile use for people of all ages.     3    Avoid aimless browsing(浏览) and give your time online a purpose: research holidays or catch up on the news of the day. Then log off.    4    

Challenge yourself to read at least 30 pages of a great book before you check your computer or mobile phone. Pick the right reading material and you’ll soon find you’ve discovered an enjoyable pastime.

Create projects for yourself

It’s amazing how much you can achieve when you’re not glued to(全神贯注地看) a screen.    5     Some suggestions are organizing the book shelf and cleaning your bedroom. Then try to do one each evening.

10 . According to some researchers, you should not praise children for everything that they do. It does not help them build self-confidence.

Most parents and teachers agree that praise can help increase children’s self-confidence—the more, the better. However, according to some researchers, only proper praise is good for children. If adults praise everything children do, it makes children look for praise all the time, not trying to do their best. "Teachers should not say things like ‘good job’ or ‘nice work’ whenever a child does anything. They should encourage them to continue to improve," some researchers advise.

Another idea is that children with high self-confidence are happier, and do better at school. About this, Marshall Duke, a researcher in children, says, "High self-confidence brought in by too much praise does not make children happier, get more, or become able to do more. Finding a child’s advantages and developing them can help build confidence more than too much praise can." Praise also loses its effect if it is given equally to all students.

"It’s important to tell children the truth about what they’ve done. Honest feedback (反馈) is far better than empty praise," Duke adds. "People have got into the habit of not telling children when they’re wrong. That makes it hard for them to deal with difficulties when they grow up. That’s just how the world is."