Sentinel Lifestyle
An ‘influencer’ degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value
Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit nontraditional, career […]
The hidden politics of time: How clocks, calendars — and now-contentious time zones — came to be
NEW YORK | It flies. It heals all wounds. It can be of the essence, and it can be money. We thrill in the best of it, lament the worst. We’re warned not to waste it, since we can’t turn it back — even as we try to make up for when it’s lost. And […]
Bedbugs can cause people to lose sleep — and blood. Here’s what to do about them
NEW YORK | Bedbugs are sometimes called the vampires of the insect world — hiding during the day and coming out at night to feast on human blood. Generations of children have been told: “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Well, bad news: Bedbug infestations are increasing. This is the time of year when […]
The livin’ is no longer so easy: How carefree dreams of ‘summertime’ are fading in 2026’s swelter
LONDON | Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to consider the death of the summertime state of mind. The season itself is in no danger; climate change, mainly caused by the burning of oil, gas and coal, is warming the weather year-round. Viewed this way, summer-like weather is ascendant. It’s setting records across the […]
3 big questions to ask your aging parents
One of the toughest things to go through as an adult is helping your parents as they get older. Life is finite, and both you and your parents might be reluctant to talk about what type of support they might need. But as difficult as these conversations can be, it’s important to make time for […]
Families feel the pinch of higher children’s shoe prices as kids head back to school
NEW YORK | When Jonah Seidenberg found out about Nike Minds, a futuristic-looking sneaker that claims to improve concentration by stimulating the soles of the feet, he had to have them. On a recent Saturday, the 12-year-old from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook and his mother searched StockX, an online sneaker marketplace, and other sites […]
Higher-income families more likely to enroll kids in organized sports, an AP-Ipsos poll finds
WASHINGTON | Americans overwhelmingly see major benefits to children playing organized sports, a new poll finds, but higher-income families are more likely to participate. Learning teamwork and reducing screen time are among the perceived benefits of youth sports, according to the AP-Ipsos survey. About half of U.S. parents with K-12 school-aged children say their kids […]
Winning ticket for $1 billion Powerball jackpot was sold in Illinois
A Powerball ticket sold at a gas station in western Illinois was the sole winner of the $1 billion jackpot, ending a three-month drought without a top-prize victor. The ticket that won the jackpot Wednesday night was purchased at a Hy-Vee station in Quincy, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of the state capital of […]
How to make the most of parent-teacher conferences during back-to-school and beyond
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. | Parent-teacher conferences can conjure a familiar scene: adults crammed into child-size chairs, listening to teachers run through a list of students’ achievements and struggles. For many families, they can also mean frustration. Today’s school conferences are sometimes 15 to 20 minutes, with little time for parents to ask their own questions. Adults […]
Have trouble sleeping in a new place? Most do because of the first-night effect
The first night in a new place is always the same for Robinson Leoni: He takes longer to fall asleep, wakes up more often during the night and gets less sleep overall. At home he averages seven hours. The first night away — with or without earplugs and regardless of the bed’s quality — his […]