A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Greetings from 2040! You probably won’t recognise how schools function these days. By the end of 2024 we realised we had to redesign schools to meet the needs of a new generation of young people. The warning signs for us by 2024 included 20% of students not completing schooling, 33% not meeting literacy and [...]
Download article as a PDF Much of the recent literature on adolescent girls focuses on rising levels of anxiety, body image concerns, and social pressures. While these challenges are real and should not be dismissed, an equally important narrative risks being under-acknowledged: teenage girls are idealistic, perceptive, creative, and powerful. In schools, homes, and communities, [...]
Ben Singh, University of South Australia and Ashleigh E. Smith, University of South Australia Many of us turn to Sudoku, Wordle or brain-training apps to sharpen our minds. But research is increasingly showing one of the best ways to boost memory, focus and brain health is exercise. Our new research reviewed data from more than [...]
Laura Gormley, Dublin City University The education of autistic children and young people in western societies has been heavily influenced by a medicalised understanding of autism. This means considering autism as a disorder, with a focus on correcting autistic people’s perceived lacks, rather than building on their strengths. Autistic learners’ strengths, interests, preferences, goals and [...]
Taylor Hardwick, University of Sydney and Marcus Carter, University of Sydney Roblox is one of the world’s most popular online platforms for children, offering a variety of “experiences” including games and virtual spaces. Most of the experiences are free, but offer upgrades, bonuses and random items in exchange for cash. What do kids make of [...]
Jacquelyn Harverson, Deakin University; Louise Paatsch, Deakin University, and Sharon Horwood, Deakin University Once upon a time, children fought for control of the remote to the sole family television. Now the choice of screen-based content available to kids seems endless. There are computers, tablets, phones and gaming consoles offering streaming services, online content and apps. [...]
Jessica Kruk, The University of Western Australia and Lauren Gawne, La Trobe University Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s crime drama Adolescence has earned widespread praise for its portrayal of incel culture and male violence. But the show’s portrayal of 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper) being radicalised by misogynistic online content has a lot of parents concerned [...]
Delphine Raucher-Chéné, McGill University Human interactions are complex and come with their share of disappointments. This can be the case, for instance, when a loved one doesn’t react to our distress or joy the way we wish they had. Communication accidents happen! Psychiatry teaches us, however, that if these mishaps occur over and over with [...]
Ben Singh, University of South Australia and Grace McKeon, UNSW Sydney The mental health benefits of exercise for adults are well known, easing depression and reducing anxiety. Now, emerging research highlights its rising importance for children’s wellbeing. Staying active could be key to safeguarding and enhancing young people’s mental health. Mood-boosting benefits One in seven [...]
Jacob Crouse, University of Sydney; Emiliana Tonini, University of Sydney, and Ian Hickie, University of Sydney This is the next article in our ‘Light and health’ series, where we look at how light affects our physical and mental health in sometimes surprising ways. Read other articles in the series. It’s spring and you’ve probably noticed [...]
