Here is the May edition of Teenagers in The Times, a roundup of the news and feature stories about young people that have recently appeared across sections of NYTimes.com. It is the final edition of this school year, but the feature will be back in the fall, and will publish on the first Thursday of every month.
For ideas about how to use Teenagers in The Times with your students, please see our lesson plan and special activity sheet, both of which can be used with this or any other edition.
My College Students Are Not OK
“Late assignments, failed tests, sleeping in class: Welcome to the pandemic-era university,” writes the author of this Opinion essay, a professor of first-year writing at a university in Texas.
Accused of Cheating by an Algorithm, and a Professor She Had Never Met
The student, 17, was flagged for “acting suspiciously” during an exam in February.
Students Protest Covid Lockdowns at Elite Beijing University
Authorities moved quickly to censor videos and photos that showed students at Peking University demonstrating.
How a Debut Graphic Memoir Became the Most Banned Book in the Country
Maia Kobabe’s book “Gender Queer,” about coming out as nonbinary, landed the author at the center of a battle over which books belong in schools, and who gets to make that decision.
“It’s hard to imagine a more ideal escape for young people living through an extraordinary time of grief, loneliness and upheaval,” writes the author of this Opinion essay.
Are the Next Global Tennis Stars Among These Tweens?
The search for elite players is so competitive that IMG, the agency that once ruled tennis, is cultivating preteens to find the next prodigy, giving them access to representatives from the pro tours and Nike.
With shows like “The Chair,” a fresh group of storytellers are using college life to explore — and lampoon — privilege and identity.
H.B.C.U.s Have a Spirit All Their Own. Pop Culture Is Paying Attention.
Thanks to Beyoncé, Ralph Lauren and hit shows like “All American: Homecoming,” depictions of Black campus life have moved from “A Different World” to center stage.
My Plea for a Sixth Love Language
The winner of our college essay contest explores how for her Syrian family, scattered by war, a WhatsApp group chat — rife with silly videos and often regrettable photos — is everything.
Kid Krono Wrote Music for Kanye West Between Classes
Konrad Birgisson, a teenager from New York, messaged his favorite music producers on Instagram.
Review: ‘Belfast Girls’ Set Sail, but This Isn’t a Pleasure Cruise
A historical drama revisits a 19th-century scheme in which Irish girls of “good character” were encouraged to immigrate to Australia.
Colin Kaepernick to Publish a Young Adult Memoir
“Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game,” an illustrated book, follows a young athlete choosing between baseball, which seems like a sure path, and football, where he feels he can be himself.
This ‘Cats’ Adaptation Has the Kids Singing
J.J. Pearce High School in Texas staged one of the country’s first school productions of “Cats: Young Actors Edition,” a new one-hour version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.