iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 20h

Time for this classic again.

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I’ve been reporting on the CDC for years, and have written about many of its troubles over the past year. I was still shocked by the extent of the staff losses and political interference I found when reporting this one. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/h...

nytimes.com

‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission (Gift Article)

The agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its staff, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and associates have tightened control.

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/09/2026

NEW: ProPublica’s Jake Pearson lost $10,000 mimicking the betting patterns of a problem gambler on DraftKings to test the company’s “responsible gaming” safeguards. One week in, he was invited to become a VIP — and faced little pushback as he spiraled.

propublica.org

I Deliberately Bet Like a Problem Gambler. DraftKings Made Me a VIP.

Amid growing public health concerns, operators like DraftKings have touted “responsible gaming” tools and prompts. But as I went off the deep end, I found they were no match for the incentives and pro...

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The manosphere offers boys belonging. We must give them something better Supporting boys and advancing gender equality are not competing goals, writes policy expert Dr Tim Shand www.lbc.co.uk/article/mano...

lbc.co.uk

The manosphere offers boys belonging. We must give them something better | LBC

Supporting boys and advancing gender equality are not competing goals, writes policy expert Dr Tim Shand

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

kate conger @kateconger.com · 11/09/2026

Over six months, we tracked the appearance of child sexual abuse material on X. We found images from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's database, which is considered one of the most highly vetted and which many tech companies block on upload. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/11/t...

nytimes.com

Elon Musk Has Pledged to Rid His Platform, X, of Child Sexual Abuse, but It Persists

Reviews by the Canadian Center for Child Protection and The New York Times found that explicit images of children remain on the social media site owned by Elon Musk.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

When You Look At Your Cereal Box, What Do You See? An excerpt from Marion Nestle's new book, Sugar Coated. bittmanproject.substack.com/p/when-you-l...

bittmanproject.substack.com

When You Look At Your Cereal Box, What Do You See?

An excerpt from Marion Nestle's new book, Sugar Coated.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Am I Doing This Right? Teen Edition Research-backed insights from renowned experts to everyday questions about raising teenagers. greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item...

greatergood.berkeley.edu

Am I Doing This Right? Teen Edition

Research-backed insights from renowned experts to everyday questions about raising teenagers.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

We're holding Gen Z to a standard that doesn't make sense | Opinion We constantly hear that young people do not want to work. That they expect too much. That they are entitled, fragile and soft. But what if the explanation is wrong? www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

usatoday.com

We're holding Gen Z to a standard that doesn't make sense | Opinion

Gen Z is told to build success while traditional markers of adulthood – financial independence, stable work, home ownership – feel harder to reach.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Introducing Pheromone Maxxing, TikTok’s Latest Disgusting Dating Trend Researchers say human scent can affect attraction, but there’s still no clear proof of a human sex pheromone. www.vice.com/en/article/i...

vice.com

Introducing Pheromone Maxxing, TikTok’s Latest Disgusting Dating Trend

Researchers say human scent can affect attraction, but there’s still no clear proof of a human sex pheromone.

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I very much know that this is going to be a school year where I am attentive to how I am doing as a person, not just as a teacher—so exercises like those shared in this piece from @edutopia.org resonate a lot with me. At minimum: do I have intentional strategies? www.edutopia.org/article/mana...

edutopia.org

6 Ways to Manage the Mental Load of Teaching

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities, these daily strategies can help you connect to the present moment.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

‘Roblox has taken the place of McDonald’s’: Inside booming teen economy They have always loved to shop. But today’s teen is a vertically integrated fashion brand; creating, marketing and buying all at once. www.afr.com/life-and-lux...

afr.com

‘Roblox has taken the place of McDonald’s’: Inside booming teen economy

They have always loved to shop. But today’s teen is a vertically integrated fashion brand; creating, marketing and buying all at once.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Hi, I’m Christopher Pepper, a writer and teacher in Berkeley, CA. I love the swell towards the end of “Night Shift” where Lucy Dacus sings “In five years I hope the songs feel like covers Dedicated to new lovers” Would you like to introduce yourself with a small song moment you like?

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

The Washington Sun @washingtonsun.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

HHS is canceling infant mortality and postpartum grants to focus instead on research related to what the department says are “root causes” like sperm counts and erectile dysfunction. www.notus.org/health-science/hhs-ca…

notus.org

HHS Cancels Infant Mortality, Postpartum Grants to Focus on Sperm Counts, ED

Officials at the Office of Minority Health told grantees that they’re prioritizing “root causes” of infertility and promoting exercise.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The ‘Gen Z stare’ — and the decline of saying things out loud We’re speaking fewer words every year. Scientists worry what that’s doing to our brains. wapo.st/4gTbOAI

wapo.st

The ‘Gen Z stare’ — and the decline of saying things out loud

We’re speaking fewer words every year. Scientists worry what that’s doing to our brains.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The EducateUS Youth Advisory Board is producing this series of zines to help more people understand why sex ed is the way it is in the U.S. (read: pretty messed up in most places), and how we can make it better together. educateusaction.org/resources/ed...

educateusaction.org

EducateUS ZINE LIBRARY • EducateUS

Welcome to our zine library!The EducateUS Youth Advisory Board is producing this series of zines to help more people understand why sex ed is the way it

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Thank you to #GloriaSteinem for helping bring “Free To Be…You And Me” into the world. carlemuseum.org/museum-at-ho...

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Julie S. Lalonde @julieslalonde.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I am an incredibly sex+ person - both in my personal belief system and in my approach to violence prevention work. I've literally taught consent in kink spaces. But we really gotta address the mainstreaming of "choking" because it's really dangerous & more & more often seen as "normal" by youth.

theguardian.com

Police investigate death of teenage girl two days after alleged ‘sexual choking’ act in Sydney

Paramedics called to northern beaches home on Sunday evening before 16-year-old dies in hospital on Tuesday night after sexual strangulation act

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Men are skipping showers before dates for a reason that may surprise women The viral TikTok trend is tied to the looksmaxxing movement, but scientific evidence for human pheromones is inconclusive www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/me...

foxnews.com

Men are skipping showers before dates for a reason that may surprise women

Pheromone-maxxing has men skipping showers and deodorant before dates, but the science behind natural body odor and attraction remains inconclusive.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

As Male Teachers Vanish From the Classroom, Schools Look for Ways to Bring Them Back A new survey of 145 men in the profession points to mentorship, pay and a sense of belonging as the biggest levers for recruitment and retention. edsurge.com/news/as-male...

edsurge.com

As Male Teachers Vanish From the Classroom, Schools Look for Ways to Bring Them Back - EdSurge News

A new survey of 145 men in the profession points to mentorship, pay and a sense of belonging as the biggest levers for recruitment and retention.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

High School Sex Ed Is No Longer the Norm. That’s a Problem When Students Go to College. Research shows many college students arrive without the sex education they need to understand consent, build healthy relationships and prevent sexual violence. msmagazine.com/2026/08/21/h...

msmagazine.com

High School Sex Ed Is No Longer the Norm. That’s a Problem When Students Go to College.

Research shows college students arrive without the sex education they need to understand consent, build healthy relationships and prevent sexual violence.

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

As somebody who grew up during the era in which there was a massive public push to reduce teen pregnancy, it’s absolutely wild to me to see people on Fox News now complaining that not enough teens are getting pregnant.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Choking is sold to teens as a safe sexual practice. The research says it never is More and more young people are engaging in sexual strangulation. But experts say there’s no safe pressure – and we have to start talking to teenagers about it www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

theguardian.com

Choking is sold to teens as a safe sexual practice. The research says it never is

More and more young people are engaging in sexual strangulation. But experts say there’s no safe pressure – and we have to start talking to teenagers about it

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

How Florida quietly removed climate change content from textbooks Publishers acceded to state requests watering down information on climate change’s impact, a WUSF/Hechinger Report investigation finds. Now the state has turned to updating its science standards. grist.org/politics/how...

grist.org

How Florida quietly removed climate change content from textbooks

Publishers acceded to state requests watering down information on climate change’s impact, WUSF/Hechinger Report investigation finds. Now the state has turned to updating its science standards

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Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

"This playbook allows the companies to shape the American education system in ways that benefit them." This is the reporting we need in education. This entire piece is essential reading. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/b...

nytimes.com

How Big Tech Captured American Schools (Gift Article)

Companies like Google and Microsoft have used their money, their might and their massive reach to influence nearly every step of the education supply chain.

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Christopher Pepper (He/Him) @mrpepper.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Pornhub owner Aylo agrees to proposed US$120-million class-action settlement The lawsuits involve people who allege sexual images of them appeared on Pornhub and other sites while they were minors. montrealgazette.com/news/pornhub...

montrealgazette.com

Pornhub owner Aylo agrees to proposed US$120-million class-action settlement

The lawsuits involve people who allege sexual images of them appeared on Pornhub and other sites while they were minors.

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 17/08/2026

US child vaccination rates have plunged since before the pandemic, with kindergarten classrooms in more than 70% of counties now lacking herd immunity against measles.

US choropleth map showing percentage change in MMR or overall vaccination rates since before the pandemic, by county. Decreases are shown in pink, increases in green.

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Reposted by Christopher Pepper (He/Him)

Taylor Lorenz @taylorlorenz.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

1908: the Lancet, one of the most respected scientific journals, calls for 18 age limit on reading in bed amidst a moral panic surrounding children becoming "addicted" to novels, which were "designed to keep kids hooked" and destroy their attention/mental health

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