Debra W. Soh

Neuroscientist, bestselling author, science journalist @globeandmail @dcexaminer / Get THE END OF GENDER free on Audible: https://t.co/l1FsYmFq53

Articles

Do microplastics fuel our mental health crisis?

1 month ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

Despite the comforts of modern life, we are facing a mental health crisis. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 1 in 5 adults live with a mental disorder. Young adults aged 18-25 have the highest rate of mental illness (36%), and those with serious mental illness experience functional impairment and interference with life activities.
Opinion: We are only one AI chatbot away from falling in love

1 month ago | theglobeandmail.com | Debra W. Soh
Stop Generation Alpha’s brain rot epidemic

1 month ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

By now, we’ve all surely witnessed the unwanted side effects of excessive screen time in children. Generation Z, born in roughly 1995-2012, grew up enmeshed in online culture. Their successors in Generation Alpha essentially exited the womb with a tablet computer in their hands. Last week, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 186, which would require social media companies to verify a user’s age when they sign up for an account.
ADHD, an excuse to medicate the masses

2 months ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

A startling report in New York Times Magazine has brought to light how the scientific consensus on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has changed. According to one of the scientists interviewed for the piece, the concept of ADHD is facing an “empirical crisis.”ADHD’s hallmark symptoms of inattentiveness and restlessness present in a variety of ways. Individuals are easily distracted, forgetful, and impulsive.
Designer babies won’t solve our fertility crisis

2 months ago | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

In vitro fertilization has exploded in popularity despite concerns about the commodification of human life. IVF typically involves retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries, fertilizing the eggs with sperm, and inserting the resulting embryo into her uterus. Every year, about 2% of American babies are born from this technology.
It’s never been easier to sell sex. The reality for women is bleak

Mar 10, 2025 | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

OnlyFans star Lily Phillips, 23, recently announced she is recruiting elderly men to sleep with, including an 82-year-old man named Steve and his friends at a nursing home. Phillips first gained notoriety last year after bedding 101 men in a day. Not to be outdone, another OnlyFans creator and former friend of Phillips, Bonnie Blue, quickly one-upped her by sleeping with 1,057 men in 12 hours.
Opinion: The backlash against Australia’s ban on social media for children is misguided

Nov 25, 2024 | theglobeandmail.com | Debra W. Soh
Social media’s pedophilia problem

Dec 5, 2023 | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

Anywhere children go, predators are lurking. Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an investigation showing that Instagram’s Reels algorithm has the capacity to serve sexually inappropriate content involving minors to platform users, and particularly those who may have deviant interest in children. If you aren’t familiar with the Reels feature, it displays short videos in succession based on what the algorithm predicts the user wants to watch.
Gender referrals associated with more mental health problems and younger age

Nov 15, 2023 | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

In recent years, Finland has led the way in curtailing the widespread professional recommendation of gender transitioning in minors. In 2020, the Scandinavian nation announced it would be prioritizing psychological interventions instead of affirmation for gender dysphoric youth, particularly those presenting with a post-pubertal onset. Doing so acknowledged the worldwide increase in adolescent girls and young women suddenly wishing to transition.
The death of merit in science

Nov 7, 2023 | washingtonexaminer.com | Debra W. Soh

Science, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, published an article last week querying whether scientists should include "positionality statements" when publishing their research. The purpose of a "positionality statement" is to offer details about the author’s personal characteristics, such as their race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and geographic location, among others.