Quarter Life

No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

View from above of a newborn sleeping in mother's arms

View from above of a newborn sleeping in mother's arms

Having a baby throws time management into chaos – here are five important lessons for new parents

Boróka Bó, University College Dublin

You can love an AI but can it love you back? Philosophy has the answer

Joel Krueger, University of Exeter and Lucy Osler, University of Exeter

Woman and AI love

Woman and AI love

Getting outside despite your 9-to-5 job can improve your mental health – here’s how to spend time in nature during and around working hours

Todd Lookingbill, University of Richmond

Several groups of people sitting in a park

Several groups of people sitting in a park

You have more ways to connect than ever, but deep friendship feels hard to find – here’s how to build better connections

Sam Carr, University of Bath

Two friends embrace on a city street at night

Two friends embrace on a city street at night

People meeting at group event

People meeting at group event

Small talk acts like social glue – here’s how to get better at it

Jessica Robles, Loughborough University

Person looking into the distance as their partner smiles at them

Person looking into the distance as their partner smiles at them

Childhood experiences of LGBTQ+ stigma can harm romantic relationships decades later – psychologists explain how to reconnect with yourself and your partner

Melissa Gates, Binghamton University, State University of New York and Christina Balderrama-Durbin, Binghamton University, State University of New York

A young woman stands between shelves in a library reading a book

A young woman stands between shelves in a library reading a book

Want to be a better reader? Here’s how to practise active reading

Joanna Pozzulo, Carleton University

What watching people restock their cupboards tells us about aesthetics and authenticity on social media

Helen Ringrow, University of Portsmouth and Giorgia Riboni, Università di Torino

A shelf full of matching glass jars filled with different grains, spices and nuts

A shelf full of matching glass jars filled with different grains, spices and nuts

Indie sleaze: a brief fashion history, from messy rebellion to mainstream revival

Catrin Cousins, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Jo Wiltshire, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Beth Ditto on stage in a sparkly green dress and matching eyeshadow.

Beth Ditto on stage in a sparkly green dress and matching eyeshadow.

‘Heartstopper’ is helping LGBTQ+ fans find hope and community across time and space

Annaliese Grant, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Carrie Grant, Towson University

Two boys smiling at each other in a dim room bathed in neon lights

Two boys smiling at each other in a dim room bathed in neon lights

From falling to flow: why you should take up bouldering as a hobby for reasons beyond exercise

Jacob Fairless Nicholson, UCL

A woman bouldering.

A woman bouldering.

The Hobby Starter Kit

A group of college students lined up in a park, using binoculars to look up at the sky

A group of college students lined up in a park, using binoculars to look up at the sky

Flocking together – how a birding hobby may boost your mental health and build community

Jennifer G. Andrews, Morehouse College

Competitive youth sport: how to be a supportive parent

Sarah Ayer, Bournemouth University

A father and daughter playing tennis together

A father and daughter playing tennis together

Beekeeping as a hobby – why it’s a great choice for young men struggling with mental health or loneliness

Michael Joseph Richardson, Newcastle University

A young man tending to his bees

A young man tending to his bees

Three historic craft hobbies at risk of disappearing – and how to give them a go

Alexandra Makin, Manchester Metropolitan University

A painting of a lacemaker in a frame surrounded by craft tools

A painting of a lacemaker in a frame surrounded by craft tools

Small talk acts like social glue – here’s how to get better at it

Jessica Robles, Loughborough University

People meeting at group event

People meeting at group event

Love IRL

Woman and AI love

Woman and AI love

You can love an AI but can it love you back? Philosophy has the answer

Joel Krueger, University of Exeter and Lucy Osler, University of Exeter

As AI plays a bigger role in relationships, true intimacy is getting lost

Luke Brunning, University of Leeds

A young couple sharing an intimate meal, a man reaching over the table to touch his girlfriend's bottom lip

A young couple sharing an intimate meal, a man reaching over the table to touch his girlfriend's bottom lip

Carefree bachelor or incel: men are judged for being single too

Alicia Denby, Manchester Metropolitan University

A young man sitting on a couch in a stylish apartment, eating pizza and watching television

A young man sitting on a couch in a stylish apartment, eating pizza and watching television

Why being single might feel empowering as a woman in your 20s, but not your 30s

Alicia Denby, Manchester Metropolitan University

A young woman sits on a kitchen counter, smiling and taking a selfie with a cat on her lap

A young woman sits on a kitchen counter, smiling and taking a selfie with a cat on her lap

How ‘relationship anarchy’ is changing the nature of connection for millennials and Gen Z

Treena Orchard, Western University

A group of people holding hands

A group of people holding hands

The Glow-up

A cartoon man and woman looking worn out and sad.

A cartoon man and woman looking worn out and sad.

Feel like you’re in a funk? Here’s what you can do to get out of it – and how you can prevent it from happening in the future

Jolanta Burke, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

A woman holding a flower, and two others looking envious

A woman holding a flower, and two others looking envious

How to be happy with what you have – and avoid the trap of comparison

Joshua Forstenzer, University of Sheffield

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Work & money

What everyone gets wrong about the modern job search — and what actually works

Leda Salazar de Leon, Mount Royal University and Mehnaz Rafi, University of Calgary

A woman interviews a young woman for a job

A woman interviews a young woman for a job

There is no ‘right’ age to land a job, meet a partner or buy a house — here’s why it feels like there is

Ali Jasemi, Wilfrid Laurier University

A man and a woman are standing in a the room of a house while holding moving boxes.

A man and a woman are standing in a the room of a house while holding moving boxes.

How to know if it’s time to quit your first job

Anthony Klotz, UCL

Woman in office thinking

Woman in office thinking

Is HR really there to help employees? What early-career workers should know about it

Jason Walker, Adler University

Two people sit across from a third person at a desk

Two people sit across from a third person at a desk

Dating & relationships

Lavender marriages: What queer unions and relationships can teach us about love and safety

Gio Dolcecore, Mount Royal University

A field of lavender

A field of lavender

Why dating can be tough for autistic people – and what may make it easier

Rebecca Ellis, Swansea University

Disappointed woman on a date.

Disappointed woman on a date.

Why in-person dating is making a comeback — and why Gen Z is struggling with it

Treena Orchard, Western University

Two young people stand smiling in front of a carnival ride

Two young people stand smiling in front of a carnival ride

How rising living costs are changing the way we date, live and love

Melise Panetta, Wilfrid Laurier University

Two people hold hands on top of a small dining table in a restaurant

Two people hold hands on top of a small dining table in a restaurant

Tech

Digital media is using negativity to steal our attention — here’s how to reclaim it

Megan Shipman, Royal Roads University and Zachary Pierce-Messick, Johns Hopkins University

A woman sitting in bed resting her forehead against her hand as she scrolls on her phone

A woman sitting in bed resting her forehead against her hand as she scrolls on her phone

Burned out by smartphones, young people are choosing flip phones, cameras and MP3 players instead

Emma G Duerden, Western University and Rubina Malik, Western University

A young woman looks down at a camera held in her hands

A young woman looks down at a camera held in her hands

Worried about AI? You might have AI-nxiety – here’s how to cope

Sanae Okamoto, United Nations University

A young woman laying in a hammock, looking at her mobile phone while wearing earbuds

A young woman laying in a hammock, looking at her mobile phone while wearing earbuds

Want to be an influencer? Our research shows what you need to know first

Sarah Glozer, University of Bath and Hannah Trittin, Leuphana University

Inflatable flamingo and woman next to a swimming pool by the sea.

Inflatable flamingo and woman next to a swimming pool by the sea.

Culture & lifestyle

TikTok’s ‘nonnamaxxing’ trend explained: here’s how living like an Italian grandma can benefit health and wellbeing

Trudy Meehan, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Three elderly women gather potatoes grown from the garden.

Three elderly women gather potatoes grown from the garden.

Pimple patches have hidden our blemishes for hundreds of years – historian explains

Sara Read, Loughborough University

Painting of two women wearing patches

Painting of two women wearing patches

How Sally Rooney came to be dubbed the ‘voice of a generation’

Ellen Wiles, University of Exeter

Sally Rooney wearing a leather jacket

Sally Rooney wearing a leather jacket

Fearful of reaching your next milestone age? A psychologist’s tips to combat the ‘birthday blues’

Jolanta Burke, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

A young woman in a party hat and holding a sparkler, sits dejectedly on a couch while resting her chin in her hands

A young woman in a party hat and holding a sparkler, sits dejectedly on a couch while resting her chin in her hands

Family & parenting

Having a baby throws time management into chaos – here are five important lessons for new parents

Boróka Bó, University College Dublin

View from above of a newborn sleeping in mother's arms

View from above of a newborn sleeping in mother's arms

Oasis reunion: How to stop your sibling feud from becoming a lifelong estrangement

Ramona Alaggia, University of Toronto

Two musicians on a stage, one singing, the other playing guitar.

Two musicians on a stage, one singing, the other playing guitar.

Four struggles men face during the transition to fatherhood

Ashleigh Watkins, Newcastle University; Judith Rankin, Newcastle University, and Ruth McGovern, Newcastle University

A father sits on the ground next to his infant's bed, looking worried.

A father sits on the ground next to his infant's bed, looking worried.

What is ‘eldest daughter syndrome’ and how can we fix it?

Yang Hu, Lancaster University

Three children with puppy, eldest daughter carrying baby on her back.

Three children with puppy, eldest daughter carrying baby on her back.

Health

TikTok’s period scooping trend shows how little we still understand about menstruation

Sally King, King's College London

Close up of woman holding a vaginal douche

Close up of woman holding a vaginal douche

No, your brain doesn’t suddenly ‘fully develop’ at 25. Here’s what the neuroscience actually shows

Taylor Snowden, Université de Montréal

An illustration of a neural network

An illustration of a neural network

How to know when it’s time to quit therapy

Simon Sherry, Dalhousie University

Illustration of a head with a hole in the top and a ladder leading inside.

Illustration of a head with a hole in the top and a ladder leading inside.

Manifesting has a dark side – there are problems with believing our thoughts have so much power

Laura D'Olimpio, University of Birmingham

Woman with fingers crossed wishing

Woman with fingers crossed wishing