1 . Teenagers whose non-cognitive (非认知的) skills are poorly developed are more likely to suffer from health problems later in life, according to a new research by a group of experts from the University of Manchester.

Rose Atkins of that university, along with her colleagues set out to investigate noncognitive skills as they are one of the least explored determining factors of health and well-being, despite the fact that evidence surrounding their importance is growing quickly.

These skills are conscientiousness (尽责性), which tells how hardworking, careful and stubborn an adolescent is, and neuroticism (神经质), which shows how worried, unhappy and fearful an adolescent is,

The researchers used data on a group of individuals who were followed throughout their life and carried out statistical analysis to study the relationship between adolescent non-cognitive skills and later-life health. The non-cognitive skills were reported by teachers, based on the behavior of students at age 16.

The study found that individuals whose adolescent conscientiousness is higher deal with stress in adulthood better, and are at a lower risk of some diseases. And individuals whose adolescent neuroticism is higher have a poorer, health related quality of life in adulthood and are at a greater risk of some diseases.

The researchers conclude that policies to improve adolescent conscientiousness and reduce adolescent neuroticism would offer the most long-term health benefits to those with the poo-rest health, “There is a growing body of evidence that suggests school-based interventions to improve non-cognitive skills can have lasting positive effects on important life outcomes,” said Rose. “Extra-curricular activities and work experience have also been shown to improve these skills. Having a greater focus on the improvement of non-cognitive skills at both primary and secondary school levels would be a positive policy decision, However, these skills are also determined by factors like family income, parental education, and parental investment. There-tore, more complex public policy is needed to reduce social inequality.”

4 . About 400 high school students from Western Pennsylvania and the neighboring state of Ohio joined a heated discussion recently on “China: What Does the Future Hold?”

“It’s either going to turn out really good or really bad—who knows?” said Braveen Ragunathan, a senior from an Ohio high school. In his mind all Americans are connected to China in some way.

The forum was held in Pittsburgh, once a US industrial center, now facing job-cuts because of competition brought about by globalization. The aim of the forum is to help American students learn more about the outside world.

Elliott Blackwell, a junior at the Neighborhood Academy, said the forum let him know more about how China’s economic development will affect America in the future.

Some students, although impressed by China’s economic boom, expressed uneasiness about the nation’s practices and differences from the American way of doing business and politics.

“China is a power coming up, so they might challenge us,” Paul Amon, a junior from Oil City High School, said. “I’d hope that China can be our partner but I think that we’d clash along the way because we’re too different,” he added.

George Riley, a teacher explained: “The view of China is usually negative and I think that’s fueled by the media.”

However, some negative feelings are not from the media. Merri Ebel is a senior at East Allegheny High School north of Pittsburgh. Both her parents lost their jobs recently. The company they worked for said it was cheaper to produce goods in China rather than the US.

“China is just this big question mark. China was just a big country with millions of people that no one really knew about because it was so far away and our class was more American history based,” she said.

For better or worse US teenagers are eager to know more about China, the forum shows.

6 . Fashion rental has been on the increase for a few years, similar to trends such as up-cycling and charity shopping. It seems likely to be another pandemic related trend, pushing people to think about fashion consumption and sustainable living — a positive to come out of an isolating two years. Maybe more sustainable way of looking and thinking about fashion is the industry’s future.

According to Fashion United, the fashion rental market is “expected to grow more than 10% year-on-year until 2027”. Rental is a positive in the rapidly changing world of fashion. It is not a trend; it is a solution to limiting the unnecessary production and consumption of clothing.

Sue Ingle, owner of Heavenly Hat Hire, says her main customers are “those attending weddings and races”. Discussing the cost of living, she explains how “people are unwilling to pay £200 for a hat they may only wear once”, so paying a percentage of this on a rental is more affordable and therefore more accessible to a wider audience.

Fashion rental is widening its market. Luxury department stores such as Selfridges and Harrods join forces with rental companies to provide designer items on loan. So why go to a smaller business? From purchasing experience, small businesses often have a more personal feel with extra touches, which are not needed but much appreciated. Heavenly Hat Hire invites customers to book an appointment to try on hats. Sue names the hats to give them a more personal feel and loves it when a customer comes in telling her “I don’t suit hats and never wear them”, then an hour later leaves happily with a hat in hand.

If the pandemic revealed anything to the fashion industry, it is that no brand, no matter its scale, is completely secure. We should support the companies thinking about environmental impact and making improvements to become more sustainable. Small businesses providing this as well as exceptional services should get all our support.

Fashion rental is around to fill the gap in your wardrobe when necessary. As Sue says, “We all need to buy less and love what we already have a little bit more.”

7 . Some 20 percent of adults are procrastinators (拖延症患者). Everyone might put off a task or two, but long-term procrastinators do it at home, at school, at work and in their relationships.

For years, researchers have focused on the personalities of people who procrastinate. The results suggest procrastinators may be impulsive (冲动), worriers and have trouble regulating their emotions. But procrastinators are not lazy. They’re actually very busy doing other things than what they’re supposed to be doing. Though procrastinators may think they perform better under pressure, studies have reported the opposite. And when deadlines are uncertain, procrastinators tend to delay their work.

When people put off a tough task, they feel good-in the moment. Procrastinating is a way to avoid the negative emotions linked to the task. But the relief it provides is only temporary, and many seek out ways to stop procrastinating.

In fact, most research today suggests procrastination is a behavioral pattern, which means it’s something you can change, regardless of whether you’re impulsive. What works best is still under research. Some scientists have reported success with time management. But the evidence for that is all over the map. That’s because poor time management is a symptom not a cause of procrastination.

For some procrastinators, seemingly obvious tips can work. Researchers advise students to simply put down their smartphones. Silencing notifications or studying in the library rather than at home can regulate distractions and keep people on task. But that won’t be enough for many people. Stubborn procrastinators may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (认知行为疗法). This type of therapy, which involves managing thoughts and emotions and trying to change behavior, seemed to be the most helpful. Still, not many studies have examined treatments, and there’s room for improvement.

8 . My son’s seventh birthday is approaching, so conversation at my house has naturally turned to organizing his party.

For his sixth birthday, we booked the local trampoline(蹦床) park. This worked out well. But the whole event cost us hundreds of pounds. This year, I’m trying to convince him that the dinosaur-themed park down the road offers just as much fun—and you don’t even need to wear special socks! This will be cheaper, because we aren’t required to hire a space—we can simply buy tickets for his mates.

But I still keep pondering over one thing—party bags. Why should a bunch of seven-year-olds, who have already been treated to a day out and a mountain of sugar, also be handed a bag full of pound-shop gifts for simply bothering to show up?

Party bags are an environmental disaster. I reckon my son attends 20 parties per year, and at each party there are 20 kids in attendance, which means 400 plastic bags in total. Within these 400 bags are perhaps 800 plastic toys, almost all of which fall apart on the journey home and then get binned instantly. The waste is shocking, and I don’t want to be part of it.

I know there are some party bag alternatives: one couple I know covered a table with Mr. Men books and got the kids to choose one each. At another party, I saw the hosts fill a bucket with soft toys and crumpled newspaper, and do a lucky dip (抽奖). Admirable efforts.

Even if that is a nice try, and even if the contents in the party bags don’t fall apart, so what? Will our guests think more highly of our child because of the party bags from our party? Will my child’s ability to make and keep friends be improved?

Well, the tradition for kid’s party bags ends with me, and it ends here, and it ends now. Who’s with me?

9 . Digital hoarding (also known as e-hoarding or data hoarding) means accumulating(积累) a large quantity of electronic materials, even though they are no longer valuable to the user.

Antoinette, 25, said, “Though not well-organized, the WhatsApp chat with my best friends in high school will never be deleted. It’s interesting looking back at the start of the relationship so many years ago and who I was then, and I can see how the relationship has changed.”

Besides the “friends” we keep on social media, digital files, folders, music, movies and computer programs are also forms of digital hoarding. Both undergraduates and graduates expressed feeling overwhelmed with masses of technological leftover data: lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, PDFs of research, snapshots of classroom whiteboards — not to mention their own ever-increasing Facebook friends they didn’t know but were afraid of unfriending.

I am also a digital hoarder. My first home screen is filled with apps I use every day — Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, Outlook, Weather, etc. My second home screen has apps that I don’t use quite as much, but still want within easy reach — billing apps, shopping, and smart home apps. My third home screen is where things get complex and out of control, just a mess of games, business-related apps, and a ton of miscellaneous data that are hard to be grouped into one category. I keep telling myself maybe I’ll need them one day that has never come and probably never will.

Hoarders fall into different categories. “Collectors” are organized, systematic and in control of their data. “Accidental hoarders” are disorganized, don’t know what they have, and don’t have control over it. The “compliant hoarders” keep data on behalf of their companies. Finally, “anxious hoarders” have strong emotional ties to their data and are worried about deleting it.

People are more resistant when it comes to actually getting rid of their precious possessions — perhaps because they have treated these lifeless possessions as if they had thoughts and feelings.