The Conversation UK
Expert analysis by academics on politics, science, health, business, and more.
Social media and teenagers: what the evidence says
Is the time teenagers spend on social media really damaging their wellbeing and mental health? Around the globe, youth mental health problems are on the rise. This has coincided with an ever increasing amount of time teenagers spend on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X and Snapchat. In the public discourse at least, this correlation has
UK under-16 social media ban: what parents need to know
The UK government has announced plans to introduce a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16. This follows a consultation on the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, wellbeing and safety. It represents one of the most significant interventions in children’s online lives since the Online Safety Act. The anno
The UK has the means to avoid climate policy being driven by culture wars
Climate policy has become one of the principle casualties of America’s political polarisation. The Trump administration, for instance, recently announced it is dismantling a key ocean monitoring system, despite growing scientific concerns about the rise of a “Super El Niño” and the prospect of disruption to key Atlantic Ocean currents. This m
How Iran gained the strategic upper hand in the war with the US and Israel
After three months of war with two of the world’s most technologically and militarily advanced countries, Iran has proved far more resilient than anticipated. Indeed, strategically at least, Tehran appears to now have the upper hand in the conflict. How has this situation come about? When the United States joined Israel to launch the latest w
How to write a compelling climate haiku
A haiku looks like the easiest poem to write. Three short lines, a few syllables, finished before your tea goes cold. That apparent simplicity is exactly why this format works so well for writing about the climate crisis, and why it is where I send researchers who tell me they cannot write poetry. Before you write one, it helps to unlearn the
Could women’s anger turn Makerfield voters against Reform UK?
With the Makerfield byelection approaching, polling suggests that Andy Burnham has a lead over Reform UK’s candidate Robert Kenyon. That lead, it appears, is stronger among women than men. Among women, Burnham’s lead stretches to 17 points, while among men is just two points. One factor behind this may be the social media campaign being run b
Haruki Murakami has a new book coming out and fans know what to expect – for the most part
A new novel by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami is set to hit bookshops this summer. The Tale of KAHO is an expansion of four interlinked short stories first serialised in the Japanese magazine Shincho, starting in 2024. Only the first of these stories, Kaho, has as yet been translated into English, by Philip Gabriel for The New Yorker. Th
As AI plays a bigger role in relationships, true intimacy is getting lost
The CEO of dating app Hinge recently suggested that generation Z, “struggling to have the confidence to put themselves out there”, needs AI to help them find love. Apparently, without AI tools, younger people will struggle to express who they really are. From the fascinating rise and uncertain social impact of AI relationship apps, to the hyp