By Kara Alaimo, CNN

(CNN) — To protect kids from the harms of social media, some of us have proposed banning social networks for young people or delaying the age at which they use them. One expert has another solution: teaching kids critical thinking so they’ll know how to be safe online.

As a professor, I’ve seen a decline in the ability of the average college student to make or refute strong arguments over the past decade — probably at least partly because constantly checking their screens has left them unable to focus. (I’m not the only one who has noticed.) This lack of critical thinking, of course, can make them vulnerable to misinformation, scams and other dangers online.

Not sure how to teach them this skill? In her new book, “Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers: How Kids Can Be Street Smart about AI, Algorithms, Fake News and Social Media,” Dr. Maree Davies explains the way to do it. I spoke to Davies, a senior lecturer of education and social practice at New Zealand’s University of Auckland, about what parents should do — and why it can also give kids a leg up in the job market.

This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

CNN: What is critical thinking?

Dr. Maree Davies: Critical thinking is the ability to carefully question, analyze and evaluate information or ideas before deciding what to believe or do. It often involves considering counterarguments and weighing evidence to determine which claim or argument is the strongest.

CNN: You say critical thinking is the most important thing we can teach kids to protect them on social media. Why?

Davies: If you understand critical thinking, then when you see something online, your mind automatically thinks, “Hang on a minute, is that right? Maybe I should find further information. Is that true for everyone?”

Teaching teenagers to do that — about anything, not just social media — is better than banning social media. If we ban it, it’s not like kids wake up on their 16th birthdays and suddenly are very savvy about using social media and understand how algorithms work. So instead of everyone shouting at them saying, “You’re spending too much time on screens,” the key is instilling self-efficacy. If you understand how different platforms and algorithms work, you’re going to be more savvy.

I think this can also, at some level, help with anxiety. Anxiety is about not having control. If you know critical thinking, then you’ve got these tools.

CNN: How can parents teach our kids to think critically?

Davies: To foster curiosity, you can say things such as, “I just saw something on the news. They said such and such, and that sounds amazing. Let’s go find out more.” You’re modeling that behavior of finding out more, looking at other sources, being curious and being an interested person in the world.

You’re not going to say to your 14-year-old, “What evidence do you have for that?” You’d say something like, “Oh, I’m not sure about that. What have you seen or heard that makes you say that?”

If teenagers only see information that’s going to get them to pass an exam, many of them disengage because it’s just a means to an end. Critical thinking fosters being curious about the world, and that is very helpful for motivation and engagement

Por Hanna Ziady, CNN

El precio del petróleo superó hoy los US$ 110 por barril por primera vez en tres semanas, ante la preocupación de los operadores de que Estados Unidos e Irán no estén más cerca de un acuerdo para poner fin a la guerra y reabrir por completo el vital estrecho de Ormuz.

El crudo Brent, la referencia mundial del petróleo, subió un 2,7% hasta los US$ 111,2 por barril en las primeras horas de la mañana. El WTI, la referencia de Estados Unidos, cotizaba un 2,3% al alza, a US$ 98,5 por barril.

El presidente Donald Trump dio a entender el lunes que era improbable que aceptara la última propuesta de Irán para poner fin al conflicto, según informaron a CNN dos personas familiarizadas con el asunto. Teherán propuso un plan que reabriría el estrecho de Ormuz, dejando las cuestiones relativas a su programa nuclear para negociaciones posteriores.

“El estancamiento y el cierre del estrecho siguen teniendo un impacto negativo en los precios del petróleo”, escribió Mohit Kumar, economista jefe para Europa del banco de inversión Jefferies, en una nota. “Cuanto más tiempo permanezca cerrado el estrecho, mayor será su impacto negativo en la economía mundial”, añadió.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post El precio del petróleo supera los US$ 110 por barril ante las dudas sobre un acuerdo de paz en la guerra con Irán appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — What would Miranda Priestly say about being associated with a pair of drug store nail clippers?

Ahead of the release of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” grooming company Tweezerman launched a limited-edition collection of tweezers, nail clippers and nail files in a licensing partnership with the film to promote its hotly anticipated sequel.

Miranda, who embodies what it means to live at the unattainable top of the luxury fashion food chain, would never.

From the outside, yes, the brand collab-heavy roll-out around “The Devil Wears Prada 2’s” has seemed like a lot — branded Diet Coke packs, Starbucks commercials, special Smartwater bottles and lots of things that don’t involve beverages. And some of those partnerships have seemed like the antithesis of the chic vibe that’s been the film’s hallmark since 2006.

But like a lumpy blue sweater that wants its cerulean origins to be told, there’s more to the story.

First, it’s important to understand the difference between official collaborations and licensing deals. In an official capacity, the movie paired with: L’Oreal Paris, Smartwater, Diet Coke, Starbucks, Samsung Galaxy, Lancôme, TRESemmé, Havaianas, Grey Goose, Google, Mercedes Benz, Tiffany & Co., Dior and Valentino fragrance.

Meanwhile, many other brands entered into licensing partnerships with the studio, including Walmart, Tangle Teezer, Old Navy, Lulus and Tweezerman, which is why you’re seeing the “Devil Wears Prada 2’s” logo on a pair of nail clippers.

On the official side of things, Lylle Breier, EVP of partnerships, promotions, synergy and events at Disney, told CNN the studio’s aim was to curate a campaign that felt “like a fashion collection,” something that made sense together but had unique qualities, too.

Major motion pictures partnering with brands to promote movies is the norm now, a practice that has evolved as quickly as technology has since the iPhone was invented in 2007, which can sometimes feel like an attack on your nervous system.

It’s become a lot less about producing collector’s edition action figures for McDonald’s Happy Meals and more about creating a cultural moment – a phrase that came up a lot when Breier discussed their strategy for the sequel – to sustain a movie’s lifespan in the conversation.

“Barbie” — which, to be fair, was a movie about a toy — proved that there was very little in the way of collabs movies couldn’t at least try to make work. See: the “Barbie”-themed candle that aimed to capture what one candle executive called a “new doll smell.” (“Barbie” was produced by Warner Bros., which shares a parent company with CNN.)

Riding that pink tailwind came “Wicked,” which partnered with over 400 brands in licensing deals, including Elphaba-inspired Crocs and green-colored macaroni and cheese.

More recently, the orange-drenched marketing strategy for Oscar-nominated movie “Marty Supreme” promoted pricey windbreakers and sneakers with the film’s title splashed across it. It also promoted a smattering of bright orange table tennis supplies, including a nearly $1,000 table tennis table in a collab with Joola.

Television shows can fall victim to the oversaturation, too. CB2 offered up “The White Lotus”-themed plate sets and Compartes sold exotic chocolate. Of course, those were at least products you might find at a fancy, murder-prone resort.

Marketing campaigns – however overstimulating they may seem – help studios sp

The post Brush Fire Near Reagan Library Contained By Ventura County Fire Crews, No Structures Threatened appeared first on edhat.

By Lianne Kolirin, CNN

(CNN) — A German tourist has died after being bitten by a snake while on vacation in Egypt, authorities have said.

The 57-year-old man, who has not been identified, had attended a snake-charmer show while on vacation with his family when he was bitten by the animal earlier this month, according to German police, who didn’t release the exact date of the incident.

The family-of-three from the Unterallgäu region of Germany were staying in a holiday resort in Hurghada along the Red Sea coast in Egypt, a press statement from the Bavarian Police confirmed on Monday.

During their stay, they attended the show, which was part of the entertainment program at their hotel. It involved two snakes, believed to be cobras, which the “charmer” hung around the necks of people in the audience, police said.

But the deadly incident apparently occured when one of the snakes managed to get inside the German tourist’s clothing, according to the police statement.

“One of the snakes crawled into the trousers of a 57-year-old man, resulting in a bite to the German tourist’s leg,” it said. “He subsequently exhibited clear symptoms of poisoning and required resuscitation.”

The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the man’s death by the Memmingen Criminal Police Inspectorate and the results of a toxicological examination are pending, officials said.

According to the World Health Organization, around 81,000 to 138,000 people die globally each year from snakebites, while about three times that amount lead to amputations and other permanent disabilities.

CNN has reached out to the Egyptian authorities about the incident.

CNN’s Sebastian Shukla, Stephanie Halasz and Nadeen Ebrahim contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Tourist dies after being bitten at snake show while on vacation in Egypt appeared first on News Channel 3-12.