Are You There for Your Friends When They Need You?
What do you value most in a friend? Honesty? Loyalty? Humor? Shared interests? Listening skills? Empathy?What about simply being there when you need someone?In “Being There,” David French, an Opinion columnist, writes about a time when he was not present when a friend needed him most:I want to begin this column by sharing with you…
Lesson of the Day: ‘A 6-Year-Old Asks Why There Are No Female Toy Soldiers....
Find all our Lessons of the Day here. Lesson Overview Featured Article: “A 6-Year-Old Asks Why There Are No Female Toy Soldiers. Now, There Will Be.” A letter written by Vivian Lord, who is 6, drew a flurry of news media attention and prompted one toymaker to develop, for the first time, a pack of…
Should There Be an Age Minimum for Anti-Aging Skin Care Products?
Do you think using anti-aging skin care products is a problem among young people? Does more need to be done to address it?In “California Bill Seeks Age Minimum on Anti-Aging Skin Care Products,” Jordyn Holman and Madison Malone Kircher write about a proposed law that would make it illegal for companies to sell over-the-counter anti-aging…
Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist?
Find all our Student Opinion questions here. Do you think there is a “right way” and a “wrong way” to be a tourist? Do you think one style of travel is better than another?In “This Austrian Village Wants ‘Frozen’ Fans to Let It Go,” Laura M. Holson writes about how the hamlet of Hallstatt, Austria,…
Is There Too Much Cursing These Days?
How often do you hear curse words in the hallways at school? Hear them on TV and in movies? Read them in books or articles? Encounter them in music or on social media?In your opinion, is there too much swearing today? Or is it simply part of the way we speak now?In “Curses! A Swearing…
Is There Too Much Screen Time in School?
A Times survey of 350 teachers shows that technology has become ingrained in classrooms since the pandemic. Is that true for you? How do you feel about it?
Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents?
Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.Do you think that identification documents like passports and birth certificates should include a gender option for people who do not identify as male or female? Why or why not?Do you think of gender as a binary,…
Should There Be Requirements for Teens Who Want to Ride E-Bikes?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission defines an e-bike as a two- or three-wheel vehicle that has pedals and an electric motor. Have you ever seen one? Ridden one? If so, what was it like? Where did you ride it? Did you feel safe on it?With e-bikes soaring in popularity, regulators have been unable to keep…
Film Club: ‘There’s a Tax Season Villain, and It’s Not the I.R.S.’
I recently learned how big of a scam taxes in America are, not the actual tax rate, but how we actually pay our taxes, all of this. In countries like the Netherlands or Japan or New Zealand, none of this exists. Like if you search how to pay your taxes in Estonia, you get a…
Is There Such a Thing as a ‘Useless’ College Major?
The essay begins: I have taught creative writing at Mississippi’s flagship university for over 20 years, and I’ve witnessed a powerful outcome: Students who master written and spoken communication can change the world.Which is why the educational trend focusing on student outcomes is so alarming. In September, Mississippi’s state auditor, Shad White, published a report,…
