A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
More than 600 schools have been closed, and some damaged, in recent days as bushfires rage across Queensland and New South Wales. Some students have been urgently evacuated while in school. People have lost homes and animals and are experiencing significant distress. Research shows somewhere between 7% and 45% of children suffer depression after experiencing [...]
Children are too rarely asked their perspectives on public spaces. Traditionally, adults make choices for children, particularly about how they live and play. In yet-to-be-published research* on behalf of a local council, we asked 75 children aged 7-12 from ten primary schools in a disadvantaged area of Sydney to map what they value in their [...]
If you have kids, chances are you’ve worried about their presence on social media. Who are they talking to? What are they posting? Are they being bullied? Do they spend too much time on it? Do they realise their friends’ lives aren’t as good as they look on Instagram? We asked five experts if social [...]
Like any eight-year-old, Ryan Kaji loves to play with toys. But when Ryan plays, millions watch. Since the age of four he’s been the star of his own YouTube channel. All up his videos have gained more than 35 billion views. This helped make him YouTube’s highest-earning star in 2018, earning US$22 million, according to [...]
The transition from preschool to school is a big deal for many children and parents. Over the next few weeks, many preschoolers will take part in a transition program, designed by their teachers, to prepare them for school. They’ll meet their foundation teachers, spend some time in a classroom and hopefully make some new friends. [...]
Mental health issues amongst children and young adults have risen significantly in recent years. Whether this is due to the erosion of stigma surrounding the subject (and reporting it) or whether social, economic or technological concerns are to blame is a matter of some debate. Regardless of the causes of this rise, mental health is [...]
It's fairly settled by now that too much screen time isn't good for kids, but for specifics we have to turn to science. A new study from researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center may have filled in some of the blanks, finding that preschool-aged children had lower levels of white matter in their [...]
Therapies given to infants before they receive a diagnosis of autism may lead to important improvements in their language abilities, according to our new research published today in the journal Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. Children with autism typically begin therapy after receiving a diagnosis, which usually doesn’t occur until at least two years of [...]
Feeling lonely? A dog may help. Our research out today confirms what many dog owners already know: dogs are great companions that can help you to feel less lonely. Cuddles and slobbery kisses, meeting other dog owners in the park and a general lift in mood all likely help. But our study, published today in [...]
This talk is a rare thing in the discussion around teen pornography use: a measured, balanced take that doesn't shy away from the harms, but also avoids unhelpful moralising. This is unsurprising given the speaker's stance and background. As a trained social scientist with a sex-positive mindset, Prof Rothman is both trained to be objective [...]
