Generation Next Blog

September 2012

The New Science of Dyslexia

By |2012-09-21T16:33:42+10:00September 19th, 2012|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Science & Research|Tags: , , , |

The more researchers learn about dyslexia, the more they realize it's a flaw not of character but of biology--specifically, the biology of the brain. No, people with dyslexia are not brain damaged. Brain scans show their cerebrums are perfectly normal, if not extraordinary. Dyslexics, in fact, seem to have a distinct advantage when it comes [...]

Should alcohol be banned from school premises?

By |2012-09-21T16:41:28+10:00September 19th, 2012|Categories: Society & Culture|Tags: , , , |

Why is it that sporting clubs are working to reduce alcohol use and workplaces are developing alcohol management programs, however parents and teachers insist on drinking alcohol when they attend a function at their child’s school? Comments received to date: As the parent of two school children at a Catholic primary school I recently put [...]

Addicted: Aussie porn addicts watch porn ‘five hours a day’

By |2012-09-21T16:48:39+10:00September 19th, 2012|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , |

That's right; a huge number of us may spend up to 35 hours a week watching online sex videos. That's almost as many hours as most 9-5 workers put in. The addiction is having a crippling affect on personal lives and relationships, says Dr Phil Watts, who is a porn researcher and psychologist. He adds [...]

7 ways to dispel racism in schools

By |2012-09-17T14:28:57+10:00September 16th, 2012|Categories: Cybersafety, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Australia is one of the most multicultural counties in the world with 41% of Australians having one parent that was born overseas. Collectively, Australians speak over 200 languages;  the most common being Chinese, Italian, Greek and Arabic, not to mention more than 50 languages spoken by Indigenous Australians*. This melting pot that is Australia continues [...]

New study says friends the key to childrens’ happiness

By |2012-09-24T16:35:24+10:00September 16th, 2012|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , |

FRIENDS are the key to kids' happiness, trumping families and toys as a source of joy, new research reveals. Girls are more cheerful than boys - but happiness starts to dive from the age of nine, when children become as miserable as the elderly and sick. Unhappiness among tweenagers has become so acute that schools [...]

The Five Hallmarks of Highly Respected Achievers

By |2012-09-16T15:45:31+10:00September 16th, 2012|Categories: Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What are the characteristics that describe highly driven, achievement-oriented people who are also among the most well-respected in any organization? We all know people who are highly driven but think nothing of running others over along the way. And, we know examples of people who are respected but stagnant. Highly respected achievers manage to balance these [...]

Men who love chocolate have lower stroke risk

By |2012-09-16T15:44:10+10:00September 16th, 2012|Categories: Science & Research, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , |

Fancy a chocolate bar? Regularly indulging in the snack may actually help men decrease their risk of having a stroke, according to a Swedish study. Researchers writing in the journal Neurology found that of more than 37,000 men followed for a decade, those who ate the most chocolate - typically the equivalent of one-third of [...]

Obsessing over happiness has adverse effects

By |2012-09-16T15:41:27+10:00September 16th, 2012|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

An obsession with happiness is having an adverse effect for those who seek it, experts say. Over the last 30 years, the pursuit of happiness has come to define the ultimate modern goal. Yet a new study shows levels of expectation about happiness are unreasonable and set young people up for failure. Researchers at Yale [...]

Does violent music and media affect young peoples’ minds?

By |2012-09-16T23:33:23+10:00September 14th, 2012|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , |

"8% of kids are playing games at a level where it impacts negatively on their life," says Dr Warburton. Many parents and teaching professionals are concerned about the effects of exposing growing children to violent music (rap/hip hop and heavy metal) and violent media (games such as Grand Theft Auto). “Although media is just one [...]

Wellbeing or Education – which should come first?

By |2012-09-21T09:08:23+10:00September 14th, 2012|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , |

We all know the general message that "Student wellbeing is important as it impacts on their ability to learn and achieve." But just as wellbeing affects education, I believe it is crucially important to understand how education affects wellbeing. How we educate our students can have a direct impact on their wellbeing - and ours! It's [...]

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