Health Daily - 15/01/2026

• A longitudinal study of more than 25,000 Greater Manchester teens aged 12‑15, tracked across three school years, found no causal link between increased social‑media or gaming time and later internalising symptoms. 
• Analyses separating between‑person and within‑person effects showed that neither overall use nor the type of use (active posting vs passive scrolling) predicted rises in anxiety or depression. 
• Gender‑specific patterns emerged: girls who gamed more one year reduced social‑media use the next, while boys with higher internalising symptoms cut back on gaming the following year. 
• The researchers conclude that blanket restrictions on under‑16 social‑media or gaming are unlikely to improve adolescent mental health, urging policymakers to address broader life stressors instead. 

• The Health Information Bill, set to take effect in early 2027, will require all licensed healthcare providers in Singapore to upload key patient data, including allergies, vaccinations, diagnoses, medications, lab results, radiology images, and discharge summaries, to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR). 
• Access to NEHR records will be limited to clinicians directly involved in a patient’s care (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals), and use for employment or insurance purposes is prohibited except where expressly permitted by law. 
• The legislation adds safeguards such as regular audits to detect inappropriate access and mandates that providers and data‑sharing entities meet strict cybersecurity and data‑security standards. 
• Patients can track who has viewed their NEHR via the HealthHub app, report unauthorized access, and even place access restrictions through the platform. 

• Opella, the self‑care company spun off from Sanofi in April 2025, generated 27 % of its 2024 global brand content with generative AI, creating over 1,500 assets at a cost six times lower than traditional agency production. 
• Regulatory, legal and scientific teams are involved from the briefing stage, guaranteeing AI‑produced material is “compliant by design” and always vetted by a human before release. 
• Two‑ to three‑week AI‑enabled sprints have tripled Opella’s content output, boosted engagement and let any employee, from Paris to Brazil, rapidly prototype and test ideas. 
• The AI model shifts agency work from repetitive tasks to strategic, brand‑shaping collaboration, positioning AI as a creative sparring partner rather than a replacement. 

• UC Riverside built a two‑story, multi‑kilogram pilot plant that uses the patented CELF (co‑solvent enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation) process to turn low‑grade forest, orchard and agricultural waste into textile‑grade dissolving pulp. 
• The CELF method cuts energy use by about 50 % versus traditional kraft pulping, avoids toxic “black liquor,” and co‑produces usable lignin, fermentable sugars and gypsum. 
• The first commercial partner, The Hurd Co. of Santa Monica, is testing almond‑orchard waste conversion into lyocell‑grade pulp for activewear, while the facility also targets construction‑material makers for lignin‑based foam and drywall gypsum. 
• Researchers say the technology enables small‑scale, on‑site pulp production, turning waste that would be burned or landfilled into high‑value fibers and building materials while reducing wildfire‑fuel loads. 

• Only 8 % of Australians are expected to keep their New Year’s resolutions, with January 12 identified as the day most resolutions are broken, according to Finder research. 
• Researchers such as Dr Ben Singh (University of South Australia) and Dr Scott Pedersen (UTAS HABIT Lab) say habit trackers turn automatic behaviours into measurable data, helping users spot patterns and reinforce good habits. 
• Popular digital habit‑tracking apps—including Habitica, Streaks, Productive, Loop Habit Tracker and Habitify—offer reminders and visual streaks, while paper trackers provide a distraction‑free alternative; consistency is the key factor for success. 
• Experts advise starting with one or two specific, easy‑to‑measure habits (e.g., a 10‑minute walk) and reviewing progress weekly to align new habits with personal values and avoid unrealistic overhauls. 

• Meta announced layoffs of over 1,000 employees, mainly in its Reality Labs division, cutting roughly 10% of its 15,000‑person workforce. 
• Reality Labs, responsible for VR headsets and Ray‑Ban glasses, posted a $17.7 billion loss in 2024, prompting the cuts. 
• The company is redirecting investment from the metaverse to wearables, emphasizing AI‑embedded smart glasses for the current year. 
• CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted a surge in demand for wearable tech, linking it to future health‑monitoring and cognitive advantages.