Generation Next Blog

October 2013

Teenagers Are Still Developing Empathy Skills

By |2013-10-21T15:53:55+11:00October 17th, 2013|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The teen years are often fraught with door-slamming, eye-rolling and seeming insensitivity, even by kids who behaved kindly before. Some parents worry that they're doing something wrong, or that their children will never think of anyone but themselves. New research shows that biology, not parenting, is to blame. In adolescence, critical social skills that are [...]

Autistic girls may be going undetected

By |2013-10-13T14:03:43+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , |

LARGE numbers of girls with high-functioning autism may be going undiagnosed because they have taught themselves superficial social skills, such as making eye-contact and smiling at the right time. Deakin University research psychologist, Alexandra Head, yesterday said data indicating four times as many boys as girls had high-functioning autism - such as Asperger syndrome - [...]

Internet overload depriving people of sleep

By |2013-10-13T13:57:22+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Cybersafety, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

A British survey has found 9 out of 10 people are sacrificing a good night's sleep so they can stay in touch on the internet. More than half of two thousand people polled said they went online while in bed trying to sleep and one in five admitted they needed to check their Twitter, Facebook [...]

Apple juice as sugary as Coca-Cola, experts warn

By |2013-10-13T13:55:43+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Apple juice has as much sugar as soft drinks, and health experts are warning consumers to limit consumption or risk gaining weight. Often selected as the healthier option over soft drinks or energy drinks, apple juice is no more than a ''sugar syrup'', nutritionists say. ''It's just like drinking Cola-Cola, it's no different,'' Dietitians Association [...]

Heavy drinkers upping their intake even more

By |2013-10-13T13:54:37+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Drugs & Alcohol|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Heavy drinking is increasing among the top 10 per cent of drinkers in Australia but the remaining 90 per cent of the population is drinking less, a study reveals. University of NSW researcher Michael Livingston said the finding could explain sharp increases in alcohol-related harm such as assaults and hospital presentations for intoxication, despite average [...]

Being Bored is Good for the Brain!

By |2013-10-13T13:52:41+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Recently, my 5 year-old son has started proclaiming, “I’m booooorrrrred.”   My reaction?   Good. When I was a kid I distinctly remember my gran telling me that, “Only boring people get bored.”   She never really elaborated, and I’m still not too sure what she meant, but I like it. And I’ve started saying [...]

Depression in pregnancy may affect children’s mental health

By |2013-10-13T13:05:06+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The children of women who are depressed during their pregnancy may be more likely to succumb to depression themselves by the age of 18, according to new research. A large study from Bristol University, published in a leading medical journal, suggests that levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which are raised in depression, may affect [...]

Suicide Rates Up By 5,000 Because Of 2008 Global Recession

By |2013-10-13T12:58:01+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , , |

The recent global financial crisis led some 5,000 people in 54 countries to commit suicide, according to findings in the British Medical Journal released Thursday. via Suicide Rates Up By 5,000 Because Of 2008 Global Recession: British Medical Journal.

Miley Cyrus: does the music business exploit women?

By |2013-10-13T12:52:28+11:00October 13th, 2013|Categories: Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , |

The pornification of everything is a huge problem across our culture, and one that has only grown muckier and more entrenched with the spread of the internet on teenagers' mobile phones. It's a problem not confined to pop music – hello, fashion photography – but pop is where the tectonic plates of sex and commerce [...]

Why technology needs to be out of bedrooms

By |2018-09-19T19:01:28+10:00October 8th, 2013|Categories: Cybersafety, Sleep, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have recently returned from a trip to Africa. In the weeks leading up to my trip I was often asked, “Why would you go to Africa to talk on technology?” Because the world is truly a global village! I have seen it with my own eyes.   Other than perhaps extremely remote areas, almost [...]

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