Did you put on sunscreen today? Yes? Go put on some more.
Tans may be fashionable, but the risks that come with sun damage are anything but — and they can last a lifetime. That's why England banned tanning beds for anyone under 18 back in 2011. Even so, people as young as 14 have found ways to use them illegally. Now, the rules are getting stricter: businesses will be legally required to check ID before letting anyone near a sunbed, and salons will need to post clear health warnings — including dropping any misleading claims that certain beds can prevent sunburn or help with weight loss.
Even with stronger laws, misinformation is still a problem. Rumors about tanning beds offering benefits like vitamin D have a way of spreading while the risks get quietly ignored. Experts say that even a single tanning bed session before the age of 35 increases the risk of skin cancer by nearly 60% — and young skin is especially vulnerable. Skin cancer is already the most common cancer in the world. The tan isn't worth it.
In George's Band of Brothers, George has left his family group and is living on his own. Deep in the forest, he comes face-to-face with another young male. This video is excerpted from BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs, a legendary program that introduces six iconic dinosaurs emerging from incredible digs. This video is part our Walking With Dinosaurs Virtual Field Trip.
In Digging Up Teenage Gastonia, the team of paleontologists at a Utah dig site discover that all the Gastonia buried at the site are roughly the same age. They’ve found a group of teenagers, and that suggests something unexpected. This video is excerpted from BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs, a legendary program that introduces six iconic dinosaurs emerging from incredible digs. This video is part our Walking With Dinosaurs Virtual Field Trip.
In Should Esports Be an Olympic Sport?, some wonder if competitive gaming should join the Olympics, which could give it global recognition. While esports already has huge international competitions, the Olympic Committee isn’t interested in these games yet. But with esports growing fast and players making millions, some say it doesn’t even need the Olympics to succeed! This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Uranus and Neptune, Ice Giants, narrator Ruth Wilson explores the turbulence during the teenage years of our Solar System and the connection between the craters on the Moon and the position of Neptune and Uranus. During the late heavy bombardment, icy objects hitting the moon eventually also changed the orbit of the planets, including scattering Uranus and Neptune far from where they originally formed. This video is excerpted from BBC's Horizon: Secrets of the Solar System, a series that looks at how new planets being discovered are forcing scientists to rewrite the history of our own Solar System.
In How Do Journalists Earn Our Trust?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how journalists can earn our trust in a world of viral social media and misinformation. He highlights the importance of accuracy in the story of a rescue operation of a little girl named Frida Sofia after a devastating earthquake in September of 2017 in Mexico. International media, including The New York Times and the Associated Press, picked up the story and Frida went viral. In the end, the story wasn’t based on fact, and no one named Frida had ever even attended the school. Being transparent and admitting their mistakes can help journalists earn trust. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Why Does News Keep Changing?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the way news stories develop and change over time. For example, the Australian bushfires became an international news story in 2019 and 2020. While the initial stories highlighted the destruction and death of people and animals, the media later looked at the impact of climate change as a cause of the fires. Disinformation also spread as the story developed. Some rumors said that the fires were started by environmentalists to bring awareness, but journalists were able to disprove these claims. As coverage expands, journalists must update their stories and correct any statements that were previously wrong. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In What About Social Media?, host Radzi Chinyanganya looks at what makes a story go viral, and explains how to evaluate whether or not the story is real before sharing it. Stories can be evaluated by asking if they’ve been reported elsewhere, if the organization that published it is reputable, and if the website the story was on is official. Deep fake videos that use AI to alter faces allow people to create realistic digital versions of themselves. The ability to swap faces has creative possibilities, but it can also be used to mislead people, so it’s crucial to look for clues that something might be false. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Where Do You Find Your News?, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the importance of making sure your news comes from a trustworthy source. Some things to think about include noting whether or not the topic is the source’s area of expertise, whether they’ve shown a commitment to accuracy over a period of time, and whether or not they’ve been willing to admit when they’ve made a mistake. The news should be watched with a critical eye, letting facts shape our views instead of our views shaping the facts. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Who’s Your Source?, host Radzi Chinyanganya examines how reporters get their information from different sources and ensure their accuracy. For example, BBC journalists exposed a network of hidden detention centers in Western China where Muslims were detained without a trial. The Chinese government was working hard to keep this story hidden by closely monitoring, and even detaining, journalists. Reporters used satellites to investigate, and they also interviewed Muslims in Turkey who claimed to have been in the detention compounds. They looked for consistency and overlap in their stories. Verifying information from multiple sources helps a journalist assess a story and tell it accurately. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Who Decides?, host Radzi Chinyanganya discovers who decides what people see, read, and hear in the news. Because there are so many events and limited space to report the news, all news is filtered. In journalism, editors decide which stories are worth telling. The companies that run apps, social media, and websites, use computer programs called algorithms to decide which content individuals see. They might try to influence consumers’ views or emotions. Getting news from varied sources is the only way to ensure you’re seeing the complete picture. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Different Perspectives, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores how journalists avoid bias in the media by showing a range of opinions so that people can decide what they think for themselves. For example, in one report, a teenager named Nikita regularly protests his government in Moscow. He admits that not everyone shares his negative views on Vladimir Putin. A second report describes Putin in both the eyes of his supporters and opponents. His supporters see him as popular and charismatic, but his opponents think he leads by force and has taken away freedoms. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
Did you put on sunscreen today? Yes? Go put on some more.
Tans may be fashionable, but the risks that come with sun damage are anything but — and they can last a lifetime. That's why England banned tanning beds for anyone under 18 back in 2011. Even so, people as young as 14 have found ways to use them illegally. Now, the rules are getting stricter: businesses will be legally required to check ID before letting anyone near a sunbed, and salons will need to post clear health warnings — including dropping any misleading claims that certain beds can prevent sunburn or help with weight loss.
Even with stronger laws, misinformation is still a problem. Rumors about tanning beds offering benefits like vitamin D have a way of spreading while the risks get quietly ignored. Experts say that even a single tanning bed session before the age of 35 increases the risk of skin cancer by nearly 60% — and young skin is especially vulnerable. Skin cancer is already the most common cancer in the world. The tan isn't worth it.
In George's Band of Brothers, George has left his family group and is living on his own. Deep in the forest, he comes face-to-face with another young male. This video is excerpted from BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs, a legendary program that introduces six iconic dinosaurs emerging from incredible digs. This video is part our Walking With Dinosaurs Virtual Field Trip.
In Digging Up Teenage Gastonia, the team of paleontologists at a Utah dig site discover that all the Gastonia buried at the site are roughly the same age. They’ve found a group of teenagers, and that suggests something unexpected. This video is excerpted from BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs, a legendary program that introduces six iconic dinosaurs emerging from incredible digs. This video is part our Walking With Dinosaurs Virtual Field Trip.
In Should Esports Be an Olympic Sport?, some wonder if competitive gaming should join the Olympics, which could give it global recognition. While esports already has huge international competitions, the Olympic Committee isn’t interested in these games yet. But with esports growing fast and players making millions, some say it doesn’t even need the Olympics to succeed! This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Uranus and Neptune, Ice Giants, narrator Ruth Wilson explores the turbulence during the teenage years of our Solar System and the connection between the craters on the Moon and the position of Neptune and Uranus. During the late heavy bombardment, icy objects hitting the moon eventually also changed the orbit of the planets, including scattering Uranus and Neptune far from where they originally formed. This video is excerpted from BBC's Horizon: Secrets of the Solar System, a series that looks at how new planets being discovered are forcing scientists to rewrite the history of our own Solar System.
In How Do Journalists Earn Our Trust?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how journalists can earn our trust in a world of viral social media and misinformation. He highlights the importance of accuracy in the story of a rescue operation of a little girl named Frida Sofia after a devastating earthquake in September of 2017 in Mexico. International media, including The New York Times and the Associated Press, picked up the story and Frida went viral. In the end, the story wasn’t based on fact, and no one named Frida had ever even attended the school. Being transparent and admitting their mistakes can help journalists earn trust. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Why Does News Keep Changing?, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores the way news stories develop and change over time. For example, the Australian bushfires became an international news story in 2019 and 2020. While the initial stories highlighted the destruction and death of people and animals, the media later looked at the impact of climate change as a cause of the fires. Disinformation also spread as the story developed. Some rumors said that the fires were started by environmentalists to bring awareness, but journalists were able to disprove these claims. As coverage expands, journalists must update their stories and correct any statements that were previously wrong. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In What About Social Media?, host Radzi Chinyanganya looks at what makes a story go viral, and explains how to evaluate whether or not the story is real before sharing it. Stories can be evaluated by asking if they’ve been reported elsewhere, if the organization that published it is reputable, and if the website the story was on is official. Deep fake videos that use AI to alter faces allow people to create realistic digital versions of themselves. The ability to swap faces has creative possibilities, but it can also be used to mislead people, so it’s crucial to look for clues that something might be false. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Where Do You Find Your News?, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights the importance of making sure your news comes from a trustworthy source. Some things to think about include noting whether or not the topic is the source’s area of expertise, whether they’ve shown a commitment to accuracy over a period of time, and whether or not they’ve been willing to admit when they’ve made a mistake. The news should be watched with a critical eye, letting facts shape our views instead of our views shaping the facts. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Who’s Your Source?, host Radzi Chinyanganya examines how reporters get their information from different sources and ensure their accuracy. For example, BBC journalists exposed a network of hidden detention centers in Western China where Muslims were detained without a trial. The Chinese government was working hard to keep this story hidden by closely monitoring, and even detaining, journalists. Reporters used satellites to investigate, and they also interviewed Muslims in Turkey who claimed to have been in the detention compounds. They looked for consistency and overlap in their stories. Verifying information from multiple sources helps a journalist assess a story and tell it accurately. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Who Decides?, host Radzi Chinyanganya discovers who decides what people see, read, and hear in the news. Because there are so many events and limited space to report the news, all news is filtered. In journalism, editors decide which stories are worth telling. The companies that run apps, social media, and websites, use computer programs called algorithms to decide which content individuals see. They might try to influence consumers’ views or emotions. Getting news from varied sources is the only way to ensure you’re seeing the complete picture. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Different Perspectives, host Radzi Chinyanganya explores how journalists avoid bias in the media by showing a range of opinions so that people can decide what they think for themselves. For example, in one report, a teenager named Nikita regularly protests his government in Moscow. He admits that not everyone shares his negative views on Vladimir Putin. A second report describes Putin in both the eyes of his supporters and opponents. His supporters see him as popular and charismatic, but his opponents think he leads by force and has taken away freedoms. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.