Anna Mae Duane, University of Connecticut

Stereotypes abound about liberal arts degrees leading to low-paying jobs, despite research showing that humanities majors earn salaries comparable to students in many other majors.

Authorities from the White House to high school guidance counselors have encouraged students to prioritize degrees in science and technology over the humanities because of their applicability to the job market. Some legislators have even argued that humanities courses should be defunded entirely.

As a result, enrollment in humanities majors in college has plummeted by 24% since 2012. Lower enrollment also means fewer people are training to teach in this field as well.

But employers value the skills that humanities majors have. Courses in art, literature, history and philosophy can provide students with life skills they can use outside the classroom too. This includes recovering from the current loneliness epidemic afflicting young people.

I’m the director of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute. Here are three scientifically proven ways that humanities classes benefit students and help them develop social skills within and beyond the classroom.

Development of empathy

As an English professor, I know that when I ask students to discuss the motivations of characters in novels, they inevitably find ways to empathize with the character as well as one another. Both narrative theory and cognitive science back this up. Spending hours immersed in the words and beliefs of other people changes students’ capacity to connect with others.

The same is true of studying history. Students can learn to view the world as a historical figure would have seen it – a concept known as “historical empathy.”

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These benefits are not restricted to those who study these subjects as their majors. Medical students who take humanities courses score higher in terms of empathy than those who didn’t. This is a vital skill for those caring for sick patients.

Enrichment of conversational skills

Research suggests that an increase in technology use has atrophied humanity’s capacity to engage in and benefit from face-to-face conversations and to empathize and respond to people in real time.

Humanities classes give students the opportunity to build and sharpen these skills. As a result, there is increasing attention paid to the importance of students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, taking these courses, too.

For example, students in humanities classes must listen to one another’s interpretations and respond, prompting deeper thinking. In one study, pharmacy students took a humanities course where they interpreted and discussed works of art that touched on themes of health care, patient experience and death. By the end of the course, they demonstrated more critical thinking and interpersonal skills, including better communication, self-awareness and ability to relate to others.

Developing the soft skills of interpersonal communication is necessary for students not only in the workplace but also in their lives as citizens.

Promotion of a sense of community

Because humanities courses engage a wide range of human experiences through reading, writing and conversation, students are able to experience other ways of living and relating. This allows them to feel a greater sense of choice in their own lives and a stronger connection to others, even those who make different choices. By studying the choices that people made long ago, students also reckon with how the actions of a few people can affect whole generations, a powerful indication of how profoundly connected people are to one another.

When students are exposed to literature written by authors from a wide range of backgrounds, they are better able to find common ground as they draw from both the author’s perspective and their teacher’s input to shape their own verbal and written responses.

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Further, because literature classes often involve collaborative discussion between instructors and students as they work together to approach the text, students see their own contributions as a necessary part of the whole.

For students from marginalized and impoverished backgrounds, the invitation to imagine other ways of life has also been shown to enhance confidence in themselves and connection to others. When these students felt that their voices were an essential part of group discussion, they reported increased feelings of self-efficacy and a greater willingness to engage with the world.

Just as educators teach students to code, they can also teach them to connect to others, understand human complexity and read emotions as skillfully as they read data. These are not just soft skills – but survival skills. I believe the greatest tool we have for combating loneliness, fostering empathy and building a more connected society isn’t silicon-based. It’s the age-old practice of engaging deeply with human stories, ideas and experiences.

Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Girl Scouts gear up for the 2025 cookie season and celebrate the last year for two iconic cookie flavors, Girl Scout S’mores®, and Toast-Yay!®.

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — Today, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) kicked off the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie® season nationally, a time when Girl Scouts everywhere hone their entrepreneurial skills as they find new and inventive ways to sell cookies, unboxing brighter futures for themselves. With the cookie season back in full swing, cookie lovers can rejoice as they indulge in the classic cookie lineup.

The 2025 cookie lineup is jam-packed with the full spread of highly sought after cookie flavors, including Thin Mints®, Samoas®/Caramel deLites®, Peanut Butter Patties®/Tagalongs® and more. At the close of the 2025 cookie season, two beloved cookie flavors, Girl Scout S’mores® and Toast-Yay!®, will be retired. Fans of S’mores® and Toast-Yay!® cookies can get their hands on their favorite sweet treats for the last time by visiting a nearby cookie booth or reaching out to a Girl Scout they know for their individual Digital Cookie® online sales link. Availability of the soon-to-be-retired varieties will vary depending on customer location. 

When girls participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, the largest entrepreneurial program in the world, they acquire a host of invaluable entrepreneurial skills, including goal setting, money management, decision-making, people skills and business ethics. Each box of cookies sold allows Girl Scouts to develop an inextinguishable entrepreneurial spirit, gaining courage, confidence and character as they conquer new feats and embark on new adventures. Girl Scouts obtain transferable life skills as they earn a variety of badges and awards, including Cookie Business badges, Financial Literacy badges, Cookie Entrepreneur Family pins and Entrepreneur badges.

“Girl Scout Cookie season is about so much more than selling the iconic cookies people know and love,” said GSUSA Chief Revenue Officer Wendy Lou. “The funds girls earn throughout the season directly power girls’ journeys in leadership, entrepreneurship and community building. The sweet success of each sale is a testament to how much girls can change the world when they put their minds to it.”

This season, GSUSA invites communities around the nation to treat themselves to their favorite cookies—and support the incredible girls behind each box. All proceeds from cookie sales stay with local councils and troops to fuel inspiring experiences for girls throughout the year, including camps, amazing trips, service projects and much more. Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized nationally from January through April, but local timing varies; please support your local Girl Scouts by ordering from a girl you know or by visiting www.girlscoutcookies.org to find a booth near you. Be sure to visit www.girlscoutcookies.org again on or after February 21 to have cookies shipped directly to your home.

How to Purchase Girl Scout Cookies This Year

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• If you know a registered Girl Scout, reach out to learn how she’s selling cookies. If you don’t know a Girl Scout, check with your local council or use the Girl Scout Cookie Finder to find a booth and purchase cookies.
  
• Beginning February 21, customers who do not already know a Girl Scout will also be able to purchase cookies to be shipped directly to their homes by entering their zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder. This link can also be used to find a local booth to purchase cookies in person and/or to donate cookies for local community causes.
  
• You can also text COOKIES to 59618 to stay informed about how to purchase Girl Scout Cookies and other exciting Girl Scout news. Learn more about the Terms and Conditions and the SMS Privacy Policy.

For more information, to join or to donate, visit girlscouts.org.

We Are Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.

SOURCE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE U.S.A.

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Steven Wolterning, Texas A&M University and Paige Williams, Texas A&M University

The “choking game” has potentially deadly consequences, as players are challenged to temporarily strangle themselves by restricting oxygen to the brain. It sounds terrifying, but rough estimates suggest that about 10% of U.S. teenagers may have played this type of game at least once.

There’s more, unfortunately: The Skullbreaker Challenge, the Tide Pod Challenge and Car Surfing are but a few of the deadly games popularized through social media, particularly on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X – formerly Twitter. Many of these games go back more than a generation, and some are resurging.

The consequences of these so-called games can be deadly. Skullbreaker Challenge, for example, involves two people kicking the legs out from under a third person, causing them to fall and potentially suffer lasting injuries. Swallowing detergent pods can result in choking and serious illness. A fall from car surfing can lead to severe head trauma.

Coming up with an exact number of adolescent deaths from these activities is difficult. Data is lacking, partly because public health databases do not track these activities well – some deaths may be misclassified as suicides – and partly because much of the existing research is dated.

A 2008 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 82 U.S. children over a 12-year period died after playing the Choking Game. About 87% of the participants were male, most were alone, and their average age was just over 13. Obviously, new, updated research is needed to determine the severity of the problem.

A 2008 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 82 U.S. children over a 12-year period died after playing the Choking Game. About 87% of the participants were male, most were alone, and their average age was just over 13. Obviously, new, updated research is needed to determine the severity of the problem.

Peer pressure and the developing brain

We are a professor of educational neuroscience and a Ph.D. student in educational psychology. Both of us study how children regulate their behaviors and emotions, why teenagers are particularly vulnerable to dangerous games, and how social media amplifies their risks.

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Risk-taking is a necessary part of human development, and parents, peers, schools and the broader community play an integral role in guiding and moderating risk-taking. Children are drawn to, and often encouraged to engage in, activities with a degree of social or physical risk, like riding a bike, asking someone for a date or learning how to drive.

Those are healthy risks. They let children explore boundaries and develop risk-management skills. One of those skills is scaffolding. An example of scaffolding is an adult helping a child climb a tree by initially guiding them, then gradually stepping back as the child gains confidence and climbs independently.

Information-gathering is another skill, like asking if swallowing a spoonful of cinnamon is dangerous. A third skill is taking appropriate safety measures – such as surfing with friends rather than going by yourself, or wearing a helmet and having someone nearby when skateboarding.

The perfect storm

During adolescence, the brain is growing and developing in ways that affect maturity, particularly within the circuits responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation. At the same time, hormonal changes increase the drive for reward and social feedback.

All of these biological events are happening as teenagers deal with increasingly complex social relationships while simultaneously trying to gain greater autonomy. The desire for social validation, to impress peers or to attract a potential romantic interest, coupled with less adult supervision, increases the likelihood of participating in risky behaviors. An adolescent might participate in these antics to impress someone they have a crush on, or fit in with others.

That’s why the combination of teenagers and social media can be a perfect storm – and the ideal environment for the proliferation of these dangerous activities.

Social media shapes brain circuits

Social media platforms are driven by algorithms engineered to promote engagement. So they feed you what evokes a strong emotional reaction, and they seem to prioritize sensationalism over safety.

Because teens strongly react to emotional content, they’re more likely to view, like and share videos of these dangerous activities. The problem has become worse as young people spend more time on social media – by some estimates, about five hours a day.

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This may be why mood disorders among young people have risen sharply since 2012, about the time when social media became widespread. These mood disorders, like depression and conduct issues, more than double the likelihood of playing dangerous games. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Rather than parents or real-life friends, TikTok, YouTube and other apps and websites are shaping a child’s brain circuits related to risk management. Social media is replacing what was once the community’s role in guiding risk-taking behavior.

Protecting teens while encouraging healthy risk-taking

Monitoring what teens watch on social media is extraordinarily difficult, and adults often are ill-equipped to help. But there are some things parents can do. Unexplained marks on the neck, bloodshot eyes or frequent headaches may indicate involvement in the choking game. Some social media sites, such as YouTube, are sensitive to community feedback and will take down a video that is flagged as dangerous.

As parents keep an eye out for unhealthy risks, they should encourage their children to take healthy ones, such as joining a new social group or participating in outdoor activities. These healthy risks help children learn from mistakes, build resilience and improve risk-management skills. The more they can assess and manage potential dangers, the less likely they will engage in truly unhealthy behaviors.

But many parents have increasingly adopted another route. They shield their children from the healthy challenges the real world presents to them. When that happens, children tend to underestimate more dangerous risks, and they may be more likely to try them.

This issue is systemic, involving schools, government and technology companies alike, each bearing a share of responsibility. However, the dynamic between parents and children also plays a pivotal role. Rather than issuing a unilateral “no” to risk-taking, it’s crucial for parents to engage actively in their children’s healthy risk-taking from an early age.

This helps build a foundation where trust is not assumed but earned, enabling children to feel secure in discussing their experiences and challenges in the digital world, including dangerous activities both online and offline. Such mutual engagement can support the development of a child’s healthy risk assessment skills, providing a robust basis for tackling problems together.

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Steven Wolterning, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University and Paige Williams, Doctoral student in Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.