A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Dr Simon De Deyne and Professor Nick Haslam Mental health and wellbeing are in our cultural spotlight as never before. The psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been front of mind for the past year, but that concern is superimposed on others that preceded it. The distinction between mental health and wellbeing is compelling. [...]
Susan Collings, University of Sydney; Irene Wardle, University of Sydney, and John Gilroy, University of Sydney Quotes in this research are from participants who cannot be named due to research ethics requirements. Pandemic-induced lockdowns have provided stories of both hardship and resilience. This extends to families in the community caring for children in out-of-home care, [...]
Suku Sukunesan, Swinburne University of Technology There’s no shortage of people online looking to exploit and manipulate the vulnerable among us. One such group is anorexia coaches, or “anacoaches”. They are typically middle-aged, male sexual predators who go online to find impressionable young people to exploit under the guise of providing weight-loss “coaching”. I have [...]
Dr Andi Horvath and Professor Sarah Wilson The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty and stress for so many university students. So how can universities support and reach out to students? And how do students build up their resilience? Professor Sarah Wilson is the Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Life at the University of Melbourne and an internationally [...]
Dr Niels Wouters and Professor Jeannie Marie Paterson With more than one billion users since 2017, TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social networks. Its audience base is rapidly expanding beyond Gen Z’s early adopters, now including boomers and retirees. Despite its growth, TikTok has been unable to stop a stream of rumours and leaks. [...]
Ken Purnell, CQUniversity Australia New South Wales recently announced it would trial different start and finish times for various year levels in primary schools. The reported aims include reducing traffic congestion and providing more flexibility to certain families, including shift workers. In Queensland, principals already have the option to stagger the start of their school [...]
David Roy, University of Newcastle and Jill Duncan, University of Newcastle With more infectious variants of the COVID-19 virus emerging, teachers and students have been required to wear masks in high school classrooms. It was mandatory in Greater Sydney and all of Victoria before the recent switch to remote learning under lockdowns. Mask wearing has [...]
Another Australian curriculum review, and yet more politicians balk at the word “invasion”. The conservative political outcry follows the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority’s recent proposal that First Nations peoples’ experience of British colonisation be recognised and taught as invasion. The Federal Minister for Education, Alan Tudge, responded to the proposal by saying: “Honour[ing] [...]
“This is just the beginning,” says Associate Professor Sean Cain. He’s talking about a small light sensor device – in prototype – that he believes could revolutionise the mysterious science of sleep, and its effect on the human mind and body. The Monash University “circadian biologist” specifically examines how different kinds of light affect our [...]
George Patton, The University of Melbourne Two major reports released in the past week shine a light on Australia’s future. The fifth Intergenerational Report addressed the sustainability of the Australian government budget through to 2060 based on current economic and demographic trends. In the context of COVID-19’s disruptions to the national economy, it received much [...]
