A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Micah Boerma, University of Southern Queensland and Daniel You, University of Sydney In less than four months, world-first legislation will ban Australian under-16s from certain social media platforms. Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit and YouTube will all be off limits for children and teens. It’s still not clear exactly how the restrictions will be [...]
Timothy HoYuan Chan, Australian Catholic University My travels with autism started long before my diagnosis at the age of three years and three months. My family noticed autistic features from around 15 months of age. I never looked at people and did not respond when called. I lined up toys instead of playing with them. [...]
Ben Edwards, Australian National University and Jessica Arnup, Australian National University The federal government wants to increase the number of Australians who complete tertiary study from 60% to 80% by 2050. To do this we will need more young people going to university after they finish school. But this is not necessarily straightforward or easy. [...]
Eugene Lee Davids, University of Pretoria Each day we make thousands of decisions, starting with what to have for breakfast and what to wear. We make so many decisions that we don’t keep count. But it’s important to understand the way we make choices. This is because the approach we take can influence our mental [...]
Andrew J. Martin, UNSW Sydney; Emma Burns, Macquarie University; Joel Pearson, UNSW Sydney; Rebecca J. Collie, UNSW Sydney, and Roger Kennett, UNSW Sydney If you had to do a test, how would you respond? Would you relish the chance to demonstrate your knowledge? Or worry you were about to fall short of the mark and [...]
Gemma Sharp, Monash University Following a particular diet or exercising a great deal are common and even encouraged in our health and image-conscious culture. With increased awareness of food allergies and other dietary requirements, it’s also not uncommon for someone to restrict or eliminate certain foods. But these behaviours may also be the sign of [...]
Alan Pearce, Swinburne University of Technology Concussion in sport continues to make headlines, whether it be class actions, young men flocking to the highly violent “RunIt” activity or debate about whether Australian rules football should remove the “bump” once and for all. Bringing this weighty issue to greater prominence are the former athletes who [...]
In addressing the critical concern of mental health in adolescents, the role of school belonging has emerged as a focal point of contemporary research. Despite the increasing recognition of its importance, a comprehensive understanding of how school belonging impacts long-term mental wellbeing has remained elusive. Our new study investigating school belonging and mental health outcomes [...]
Elizabeth Westrupp, Deakin University Hearing about child abuse in trusted places such as childcare centres is every parent’s worst nightmare. So, how can we talk to our kids about it and help them stay safe? While it’s not always possible to prevent abuse – and it’s never the victim’s responsibility – there are practical, age-appropriate [...]
Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University Children spend thousands of hours in playgrounds at school. A lot of this time does not have the same levels of teacher preparation and supervision as classrooms do. Research shows school playgrounds are one of the main locations where bullying occurs. The federal government is doing a rapid review [...]
