Generation Next Blog

November 2020

Young people are exposed to more hate online during COVID. And it risks their health

By |2021-02-25T15:53:50+11:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: Cybersafety, Social Media|

Joanne Orlando, Western Sydney University COVID has led to children spending more time on screens using social networks, communication apps, chat rooms and online gaming. While this has undoubtedly allowed them to keep in touch with friends, or connect with new ones, during the pandemic, they are also being exposed to increased levels of online [...]

Bushfires, drought, COVID: why rural Australians’ mental health is taking a battering

By |2020-11-24T16:54:40+11:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing|

David Perkins, University of Newcastle and Hazel Dalton, University of Newcastle Among the Bushfire Royal Commission’s 80 recommendations, released last week, was a call to prioritise mental health support during and after natural disasters. The Australian Medical Association this week called on the federal government to implement the recommendations to lessen the health impacts of [...]

A fluid concept: Finding the most productive time of the day

By |2020-11-09T15:32:44+11:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Science & Research|

When are we most likely to do our best work? New research shows that, on average, our brains work best in the middle of the day – if asked to perform abstract, logical or problem-solving tasks. Monash economist Denni Tommasi and University of Granada economist Alessio Gaggero came to this conclusion after studying 500,000 exam [...]

The pandemic of missed opportunities: How to ensure the hard work of aspiring teachers doesn’t get erased

By |2020-11-09T15:14:45+11:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Uncategorized|

As educators welcome students safely back to their “primary educational institution”, the COVID-19 pandemic is showing us it’s time to put the spotlight on university students – especially first year aspirational teachers. First-year pre-service teachers who have been studying their “first ever” university course have been learning online since the start of the 2020 year. [...]

Social activity can be good for mental health, but whether you benefit depends on how many friends you have

By |2020-11-09T15:01:16+11:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Social and Emotional Learning, Society & Culture|Tags: , |

Ziggi Ivan Santini, University of Southern Denmark; Paul E. Jose, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Robin Dunbar, University of Oxford, and Vibeke Jenny Koushede, University of Copenhagen We know having friends is generally good for your happiness and mental well-being. Likewise, keeping socially active and engaging in formal social activities like volunteering [...]

A social dilemma: The heavy burden on schools during lockdown

By |2020-11-09T14:49:39+11:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Education|Tags: |

Australia is gradually emerging from an unprecedented lockdown, where we continue to face major threats to our health and economy. Schools have acted as shock absorbers during this period, switching in a short period of time to online learning, and supporting children and their families to learn from home while simultaneously attempting to remotely manage [...]

Curious Kids: how can we concentrate on study without getting distracted?

By |2020-11-09T14:43:43+11:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Education, Learning|Tags: |

John Munro, Australian Catholic University How can we concentrate on a particular thing (like studies) without getting distracted? Melvina, aged 14 Thanks for this great question, Melvina! Many students are probably wondering the same thing as end-of-year assessments approach. To concentrate best we need to resist distractions. To do this, it helps if you know [...]

Tracking young people’s mental health since 2006. COVID has accelerated a worrying decline

By |2020-11-25T00:18:11+11:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture|Tags: |

Zlatko Skrbis, Australian Catholic University; Jacqueline Laughland-Booy, Australian Catholic University, and Jonathan Smith, Australian Catholic University We have been following more than 2,000 Queenslanders from their adolescence into adulthood. The aim of the Our Lives study is to investigate how young people think about their future and how they master their trajectories in a world [...]

Is learning more important than well-being? Teachers told us how COVID highlighted ethical dilemmas at school

By |2020-11-24T17:42:34+11:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Learning|Tags: |

Daniella J. Forster, University of Newcastle As an educational ethicist, I research teachers’ ethical obligations. These can include their personal ethics such as protecting students from harm, respect for justice and truth, and professional norms like social conformity, collegial loyalty and personal well-being. Moral tensions in schools can come about when certain categories of norms [...]

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