Lauren Smyth is a WORLD contributor specializing in economics reporting and a 2025 graduate of the World Journalism Institute. She is also the author of five novels for young adults.
Lauren Smyth | America is facing a literacy crisis with no happy ending in sight
Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose and save lives. But some researchers are asking whether easier access also encourages riskier drug use. WORLD’s Lauren Smyth reports.
Community college opens the door to a four-year degree, but transferring can turn affordability into a series of costly tradeoffs. WORLD’s Lauren Smyth reports.
Teen summer employment has fallen sharply since the 1970s. But as young workers piece together gigs and create jobs of their own, the statistics may not know what to call their work. WORLD’s Lauren Smyth reports.
A Michigan township rejected one of the nation's largest AI data centers, but another vote determined its future, revealing the growing tension between local self-government and technological progress. WORLD's Lauren Smyth reports.
Blindness ended one path for Shyanne Ross, but adult education opened another, leading her from a GED classroom to a career in nursing. WORLD’s Lauren Smyth reports.
Young workers are paying into Social Security while increasingly assuming they'll never collect from it. As insolvency projections move closer, many are betting their retirement plans on something else. WORLD's Lauren Smyth reports.
MONEY | Economic worries fuel uncertainty but don’t affect spending habits
SCIENCE | Half a century of space exploration winds down
What starts as gaming can turn into gambling, as kids use digital platforms to place bets—often without understanding how the system is designed for them to lose. WORLD’s Lauren Smyth reports.
