What I asked them to do was simple; I said, "Draw a scientist." I didn't give them any other directions. I didn't make up this experiment-researchers have been asking children of various ages to "Draw a scientist" for more than five decades. They don't do this because they are interested in children's art; instead, they are interested in how children think about scientists and, more specifically, whether they think of them as male or female.
Donovan sat on the couch across from me, his head in his hands. "I can't be a victim of abuse," he said slowly. "Why not?" I asked gently, hoping to provoke thought and reflection. "Because I am a man!" he said, head popping up. "And he never put his hands on me..." he followed up, reflecting on the unhealthy relationship with his partner that had brought him into therapy.
The teenage brain is built to help young people explore the questions, "Who am I?" and "Where do belong?" Answering these questions isn't a solitary endeavor. It's a profoundly social one. As young people try out different versions of themselves, they watch how others respond, gathering information about what feels authentic and what doesn't. Today, many of those experiments and reflections unfold online, where algorithms and influencers play an outsized role in shaping the feedback loop.
Taylor Swift is off the market. She's engaged to marry the NFL player Travis Kelce in what will be the US's first proper royal wedding, and yes of course I know you're far too high-minded to care about any of that, but what's striking is how many people seem convinced that this is the end of any kind of interesting life for her.
