IN its 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book, the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked all 50 states for the overall well-being and mental health of youth ages 3 to 17. New Hampshire ranked high on that list, at No. 4, indicating a young person has strong mental and emotional stability. The Granite State also ranked 4th in economic well-being, 4th in education, 2nd in health, and 2nd in family and community.

AN analysis from that same publication also found that kids in New Hampshire were hard-hit during the pandemic, with mental health challenges increasing 27.8 percent from 2016 to 2020. The report also shows that 9 percent of children in New Hampshire are living in poverty, with 25 percent of households with children having high housing cost burdens, and 8,000 (3 percent) children in New Hampshire lacked health insurance.

THE Pew Research Center surveyed teens ages 13-17 about their favorite social media platforms, and findings show that TikTok and YouTube have gained traction in recent years. Ninety-five percent of teens use YouTube as the most popular platform, and 67 percent use TikTok as their primary choice of social media.

WHEN teens were asked by the Center about their most-visited social media site in 2014-15 compared to today, analysis shows that Facebook’s popularity has fallen from 71 percent then to 32 percent today. A majority of teens access their favorite sites on digital devices such as smartphones (95 percent), desktop or laptop computers (90 percent), and gaming consoles (80 percent).

NEW Hampshire ranked No. 6 on a WalletHub list of the top states to live in, based on factors such as safety, affordability, education and health, and quality of life. The Granite State came in at No. 1 as the state with the lowest percentage of the population living in poverty, and at No. 2 with the lowest crime rate.