Staff Writer

About Generation Next

Generation Next is a social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people.

Depression: it’s a word we use a lot, but what exactly is it?

Depression is a serious disorder marked by disturbances in mood, cognition, physiology and social functioning. People can experience deep sadness and feelings of hopelessness, sorrow, emptiness and despair. These core features of depression have expanded to include an inability to experience pleasure, sluggish movements, changes in sleep and eating behaviour, difficulty concentrating and suicidal thoughts. [...]

‘We will never forgive you’: youth is not wasted on the young who fight for climate justice

This week’s United Nations climate summit may go down in history - but not for the reasons intended. It was not the tipping point for action on global warming that organisers hoped it would be. It will instead probably be remembered for the powerful address by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg, who castigated world leaders [...]

By |2019-09-30T13:25:38+10:00September 30th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments

Still serving guests while your male relatives relax? Everyday sexism like this hurts women’s mental health

Sexism and misogyny harm women in many obvious ways. Women experience economic, workforce and health-care disadvantages, intimate partner violence, gendered violence in public places, and street harassment. Women are also faced with denials gender inequality still exists in 2019. Some people presume anti-discrimination legislation, equal pay, and ensuring motherhood is not a barrier to workforce [...]

By |2019-09-30T18:21:44+10:00September 30th, 2019|Categories: Society & Culture|0 Comments

In a virtual universe of ‘perfect’ bodies, Instagram’s new policy offers important protection for young users

Instagram recently announced posts promoting diet products and cosmetic procedures will no longer be visible to users under the age of 18. While the initiative is being led by Instagram, the policy will also be in place on Facebook. Under the policy, posts that feature an incentive to buy a product, such as a discount [...]

By |2019-10-01T17:16:37+10:00September 30th, 2019|Categories: Body Image, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

How to get kids talking about their school day

“How was your day at school?” “Fine.” Does this sound familiar? This is the dreaded response to a well-intentioned question that parents might ask. The robot-sounding response is what parents hear when their child limits the information they share with parents, or has stopped sharing information, about their school day. When parents hear “fine,” they [...]

By |2019-09-30T13:32:17+10:00September 30th, 2019|Categories: Education|0 Comments

The rise of ‘eco-anxiety’: climate change affects our mental health, too

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) recently declared climate change a health emergency, reflecting similar positions taken by a growing list of peak medical bodies around the world. The AMA’s statement highlights the significant impacts climate change is having on physical health, including an increase in climate-related deaths. The World Health Organisation regards climate change as [...]

By |2021-03-03T16:29:41+11:00September 30th, 2019|Categories: Anxiety|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

What NOT to say when your child is being bullied

There’s a lot of ‘conventional wisdom’ on the topic of bullying, but a lot of it can be wrong or even actively harmful. So, if your child confides in you that they're being bullied, it's worth thinking hard about the advice you give them. This article outlines some of the common responses to childhood bullying that indicate [...]

By |2021-02-26T17:35:11+11:00September 23rd, 2019|Categories: Bullying|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Fighting the insidious rise of deepfakes

Deepfake software has becoming increasingly sophisticated and easy to use, which means nearly anyone can now create explicit material using someone's image. Young Australian Noelle Martin found this out to her horror when she discovered explicit images of her face on the bodies of adult film actresses online. She had never had a boyfriend, never [...]

By |2019-10-21T15:23:10+11:00September 23rd, 2019|Categories: Consent, Cybersafety|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Ignoring young people’s climate change fears is a recipe for anxiety

This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. Thousands of school students across Australia are expected to join in the global protest today calling for action on climate change. This isn’t the first time students in Australia have rallied [...]

By |2021-03-03T17:19:09+11:00September 23rd, 2019|Categories: Anxiety|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

10 ways to get the most out of silent reading in schools

Reading aloud can help young children learn about new words and how to sound them. There’s great value too in providing opportunities for children to enjoy regular silent reading, which is sustained reading of materials they select for pleasure. But not all schools consistently offer this opportunity for all of their students. We regularly hear [...]

By |2019-09-23T17:29:58+10:00September 23rd, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , |0 Comments
Go to Top