Generation Next Blog

May 2015

Busy Students Turning to Prescription Drugs

By |2020-10-30T17:42:12+11:00May 18th, 2015|Categories: Drugs & Alcohol, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

When university student Jen* faced a seven-hour shift at work after a night of socialising, she turned away from coffee to help her stay awake and picked up a little white pill. The Charles Sturt University student took a Ritalin pill just before midnight and when she got home, she was able to study, tidy [...]

The Legal Duty of Care around Online Issues

By |2015-05-19T09:56:17+10:00May 18th, 2015|Categories: Cybersafety|Tags: , , , , , , , |

My Problem, Your Problem, Our Problem. Let’s face it; the Internet is here to stay as are all the associated devices that provide us with instant connectivity 24/7. Whilst there are numerous benefits that come with technology use, there are also many things that can go wrong. Often a young person’s technical skill far outweighs their cognitive development, which means that they are [...]

Stress, Depression Boost Risks for Heart Patients

By |2015-05-18T08:48:22+10:00May 18th, 2015|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , , |

For people with heart disease, high levels of stress coupled with depression increase the risk of heart attack and death, according to a new study. “We found that the combination of high stress and high depression symptoms was particularly harmful for adults with heart disease during an early vulnerability period,” said lead author Carmela Alcantara [...]

Researchers Call for More Study of Anesthesia’s Risks to Brains of Young Children

By |2015-05-18T07:41:42+10:00May 18th, 2015|Categories: Science & Research|Tags: , , , , , |

Studies in children have found an association between learning problems and multiple exposures to anesthesia early in life. - Denise Grady Source: Researchers call for more study of anesthesia's risks to brains of young children l Houston Chronicle.

American Frat Houses under Fire over Blizzard of Sexual Assault and Racism Allegations

By |2015-05-18T12:41:22+10:00May 18th, 2015|Categories: Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , , |

For the fraternity system – a network of more than 6000 chapters on 800 campuses nationwide – the new year has been tough. A spate of public relations catastrophes has led to renewed calls for what is known as the Greek system to be either scrapped or massively reformed. - Nick O'Malley via American frat houses [...]

Switching on One-Shot Learning in The Brain

By |2015-05-18T07:16:05+10:00May 18th, 2015|Categories: Science & Research|Tags: , , , , , , |

Most of the time, we learn only gradually, incrementally building connections between actions or events and outcomes. But there are exceptions—every once in a while, something happens and we immediately learn to associate that stimulus with a result. For example, maybe you have had bad service at a store once and sworn that you will [...]

‘Beach Body Ready’ Advertisements Spark Widespread Backlash

By |2015-05-24T12:41:27+10:00May 18th, 2015|Categories: Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , |

A weight-loss advertisement in the London Underground featuring a bikini-clad model has sparked a backlash, with protesters saying the company Protein World is making passersby “feel physically inferior to the unrealistic body image of the bronzed model.” More than 50,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the posters for meal replacement supplements—which have [...]

Supporting Young People in Crisis 

By |2015-05-11T09:36:41+10:00May 10th, 2015|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , , |

It is not uncommon for young people to feel overwhelmed and like they are unable to cope with what life has thrown at them. This is when they often come to the attention of teachers, school counsellors or health professionals – when they are in some sort of crisis. The crisis can be precipitated by [...]

Novel Forms of ‘Smoking’: ‘Shisha’ and E-cigarettes

By |2020-10-30T17:40:47+11:00May 10th, 2015|Categories: Drugs & Alcohol, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Since the introduction of national tobacco prevention programmes in the 1980s, Australia has experienced declining rates of youth smoking, with the latest figures showing that only 3.4% of 12-17 year-olds smoke daily.  Across the wider population we have seen a dramatic shift in the way most Australians regard smoking. Recently, however, novel ways of smoking have come onto the scene which challenge some of the [...]

Communication is Key 

By |2015-05-11T13:35:25+10:00May 10th, 2015|Categories: Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , |

In 1980, 11.2 million people used a mobile phone. In 1990, 12.4 million people used a mobile phone. In 2002, 1.2 billion people had a mobile phone… And in 2014, 4.55 billion people used a mobile phone. That’s over 69% of the world population. We use them not only to speak to one another, but [...]

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