Childhood Memories and Cultural Influence I remember a hot afternoon in a small village near Kolkata, India. The adults were asleep, and my cousin and I were sitting on the floor, munching puffed rice with mustard oil. She asked, "Do people in Sweden eat cows and pigs?" At the time, I was 10 and felt a little ashamed as I nodded. Then she asked, "So do they eat dogs and cats too?" Growing up in Sweden, with an Indian mother, I had never thought about it. Vegetarianism was uncommon, and Swedish children saw cows mainly as food. My cousin, however, loved animals and rescued any creature she felt was in danger. She didn’t eat meat. These moments made me realize how culture shapes the way we think, feel, and behave. If I had grown up in India, would my morals, sense of humor, or dreams be different? Would I still be the same person? Nature Versus Nurture Scientists and philosophers have asked these questions for centuries. Now, cross-cultural psychology is starting to provide answers. While DNA gives each person a unique blueprint, it does not fully determine who we are. Ziada Ayorech, a psychiatric geneticist at the University of Oslo, shares her experience. Born in Uganda, she moved to Canada at age three, spent much of her life in the UK, and recently moved to Norway. "All the places I've lived have shaped my perspective. I can’t imagine they didn’t influence me," she says. Twin Studies Reveal Insights Researchers study twins to separate the effects of genetics and environment. Identical twins share nearly all DNA, while non-identical twins share about half. If identical twins are more likely to share a trait than non-identical twins, genetics likely plays a bigger role. A 2015 study analyzed nearly 50 years of research on 17,000 traits in 14 million twins worldwide. It explored education, political beliefs, and psychiatric conditions. The study concluded that while genetics influence many traits, environment and upbringing play a significant role. Ching-Yu Huang, a psychologist, says, "Your brain would be very different if you grew up in Taiwan, even with the same DNA." The Takeaway Where and how we grow up shapes more than just our language or habits. It affects our morals, dreams, and the way we see the world. Understanding this helps explain why people from different cultures can think, feel, and act in such diverse ways.
Health

How Your Upbringing Shapes Your Personality

Childhood Memories and Cultural Influence I remember a hot afternoon in a small village near Kolkata, India. The adults were asleep, and my cousin and I were sitting on the…

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BusinessInformation Technology

Google Expands Tool to Help Users Track Personal Information Online

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A major social media addiction trial has started in California, where Instagram and YouTube face serious claims about their impact on children’s mental health. Lawyers for the plaintiff say the world’s largest tech companies built platforms that hook young users on purpose. The case centers on a girl identified as K.G.M., also called Kaley G.M., who says she developed mental health problems because of her addiction to social media. Her initials are used because the alleged harm happened when she was a minor. Lawyers Claim Platforms Were Designed to Hook Children During opening statements in Los Angeles Superior Court, attorney Mark Lanier argued that Meta and YouTube created systems that target children’s brains. He told the jury that the companies designed features to keep kids online for longer periods. To make his point, he placed children’s blocks in front of him labeled with words like “Addicting,” “Brains,” and “Children.” Lanier also presented internal company emails. In one 2015 email shown in court, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly pushed for a 12% increase in time spent on the platform to meet business goals. Lanier claimed YouTube targeted young users because advertisers pay more to reach them. He also accused the platform of acting as a “digital babysitter” for busy parents. According to the lawsuit, both companies failed to warn families about the potential mental health risks linked to their platform designs. Defense Says Other Factors Caused Mental Health Struggles Lawyers for Meta and YouTube rejected the claims. Meta’s attorney, Paul Schmidt, argued that Instagram was not a key factor in K.G.M.’s mental health challenges. He told the jury that she experienced family neglect, verbal abuse, and domestic violence long before using social media. Court records show she began therapy at the age of three. Schmidt displayed statements in which K.G.M. described her mother yelling at her and calling her hurtful names. He urged jurors to consider her home environment when assessing her psychological distress. The companies also argue that federal law protects them from liability for content posted by third parties. Trial Could Shape Future Social Media Lawsuits The six-week trial could influence thousands of similar cases across the United States. Families, school districts, and state prosecutors have filed lawsuits claiming social media platforms harm young users. In a separate case, 29 state attorneys general asked a federal judge to order Meta to remove accounts belonging to children under 13. They also want the company to delete data collected from those users and remove algorithms built on that information. Eighteen of those states also requested limits on school-time and late-night usage. They asked the court to disable features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and beauty filters. Meta says it has introduced safety measures for teen accounts, including stronger content filters. However, state officials argue these changes offer limited protection. Over the coming weeks, the court will hear from expert witnesses, former employees, and top executives, including Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Snapchat’s parent company Snap and TikTok have already settled with K.G.M. and are no longer part of the case. The outcome may set a financial benchmark for future lawsuits and reshape how social media companies design their platforms for young users.
Business

Instagram and YouTube Addiction Trial Begins in California Court

A major social media addiction trial has started in California, where Instagram and YouTube face serious claims about their impact on children’s mental health. Lawyers for the plaintiff say the…

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