Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

@mrpepper.bsky.social

410 followers 490 following 460 posts

Award-winning educator and writer, with bylines in the NY Times, SF Chronicle, and Edutopia. New book, "TALK TO YOUR BOYS," due out in 2025 from Workman Publishing. 👇🏻👇🏻 SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER: https://www.teenhealthtoday.com 👆🏻👆🏻

www.teenhealthtoday.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · May 2

@jfschroeder.bsky.social and I are thrilled to introduce our new book, TALK TO YOUR BOYS. Read all about it, and find out why we really really want you to preorder it today: open.substack.com/pub/teenheal...

OUR BOOK HAS A COVER! Check it out!

SO THRILLED to tell you about this new book, which is now available to preorder

open.substack.com

2 3

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 5m

RFK Jr. Misleads About Antidepressants and School Shootings www.factcheck.org/2025/10/rfk-...

RFK Jr. Misleads About Antidepressants and School Shootings - FactCheck.org

A day after a shooting at a school in Minnesota, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed, as he has before, that certain antidepressant drugs, known as SSRIs, “might be contr...

www.factcheck.org

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 10m

This trend has made inclusion of trans kids in sports harder, because one answer could be “Let everyone play! It’s just for fun. We can address concerns about ultra-competitive events like the Olympics separately.” That’s harder to do if we make K-12 sports ultra competitive.

1 1

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 27m

My friend’s kid is pretty good at soccer, and by 4th grade he was approached by travel teams asking him to try out. His parents now spend most of their time shuttling him to practice and far-flung games, and spent their summer taking him to Europe for specialty camp with pros. He’s in 6th grade.

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 1d

No amount of alcohol is safe, at least for dementia risk, study finds

wapo.st/42DbNdR

No amount of alcohol is safe, at least for dementia risk, study finds

Even a drink or two a day is linked to a chance of developing dementia as you age.

wapo.st

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 1d

Short exercise workouts can boost classroom performance

Just nine minutes of high-intensity interval exercise does the trick

www.snexplores.org/article/clas...

Short exercise workouts can boost classroom performance

When students spend just nine minutes doing high-intensity interval exercises, their brains can work more efficiently, new data show.

www.snexplores.org

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 1d

California becomes the first state to phase ultraprocessed food out of school meals

www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

California becomes the first state to phase ultraprocessed food out of school meals

The law, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Wednesday, sets a 10-year deadline for the change to take place.

www.nbcnews.com

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 2d

Kids who use social media score lower on reading and memory tests, a study shows

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Kids who use social media score lower on reading and memory tests, a study shows

Data from a large, ongoing study of adolescents shows a link between increasing social media use and lower cognition and memory in teens.

www.npr.org

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 3d

My grandfather has benefited from attending an in-person grief group. Is that an option?

1 1

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 3d

These Students Are Scared. Friends and Teachers Are Their Protectors. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/n...

These Students Are Scared. Friends and Teachers Are Their Protectors.

www.nytimes.com

1 1

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 4d

Six surgeons general: It’s our duty to warn the nation about RFK Jr. 
“We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.”

wapo.st/434fARy

Opinion | Six surgeons general: It’s our duty to warn the nation about RFK Jr.

We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.

wapo.st

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 6d

School offers hikes instead of detention. Teachers are seeing results.

wapo.st/4nJaqCY

wapo.st

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 7d

What a gut microbiome scientist wants you to eat every day
 Focus on eating fiber-rich foods, especially those high in a special type of fiber called resistant starch.

wapo.st/48ofTKE

What a gut microbiome scientist wants you to eat every day

Focus on eating fiber-rich foods, especially those high in a special type of fiber called resistant starch.

wapo.st

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 7d

www.upworthy.com/purpose-is-k...

Award-winning health teacher shares why ‘purpose’ is key in raising boys to be successful men

Teens and young men need to feel they are contributing to the world.

www.upworthy.com

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 7d

The Real Face of Men's Health in America

Movember's US Real Face of Men's Health Report draws into focus the health challenges and inequities for boys and men and its impact on others, and offers practical, evidence-based solutions.
open.substack.com/pub/movember...

The Real Face of Men's Health in America

Movember's US Real Face of Men's Health Report draws into focus the health challenges and inequities for boys and men and its impact on others, and offers practical, evidence-based solutions.

open.substack.com

Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 8d

“One of the negative consequences AI is having on students is that it is hurting their ability to develop meaningful relationships with teachers, the report finds. Half of the students agree that using AI in class makes them feel less connected to their teachers.”

Rising Use of AI in Schools Comes With Big Downsides for Students

A report by the Center for Democracy and Technology looks at teachers' and students' experiences with the technology.

www.edweek.org

11 130 260

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 7d

Only 0.03% Opt Out Of LGBTQ+ Education In Maryland After SCOTUS Gives Them A Right To
www.erininthemorning.com/p/only-003-o...

Only 0.03% Opt Out Of LGBTQ+ Education In Maryland After SCOTUS Gives Them A Right To

After SCOTUS gave families a right to opt out of LGBTQ+ education, Montgomery County, Maryland is reporting only 43 families took them up on it.

www.erininthemorning.com

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 7d

Pew Survey: Only 31% Of Trans People Report Being Accepted By Their Parents
open.substack.com/pub/erininth...

Pew Survey: Only 31% Of Trans People Report Being Accepted By Their Parents

The survey comes as transgender people experience a legal assault from the far-right in the United States.

open.substack.com

2 1

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 8d

Elon Musk Gambles on Sexy A.I. Companions

In July, the billionaire’s A.I. company introduced two sexually explicit chatbots, pushing a new version of intimacy.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/t...

Elon Musk Gambles on Sexy A.I. Companions

www.nytimes.com

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 8d

Can Educators Focus on Connection Rather Than Grades?

greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item...

Can Educators Focus on Connection Rather Than Grades?

An educator made a small change to the way she gave feedback on assignments—with big results for students' engagement and confidence.

greatergood.berkeley.edu

Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 8d

How Video Games Are Shaping a Generation of Boys, for Better and Worse

In the last decade and a half, boys have more than doubled their time per week spent gaming. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...