Society & Culture

The inside story of how Julian Assange alienated his allies

The problem is that WikiLeaks – whose mission statement was “to produce . . . a more just society . . . based upon truth” – has been guilty of the same obfuscation and misinformation as those it sought to expose, while its supporters are expected to follow, unquestioningly, in blinkered, cultish devotion. via Jemima [...]

Teens say social media a positive in their lives

For the vast majority of teens, using social-media sites and texting has become a part of daily life, but they still prefer communicating face-to-face, according to a survey released Tuesday. Overall, the teens who participated in the study painted a positive picture of the influence of social media on their relationships and self-image. More than [...]

Barack Obama and the ’empathy deficit’

In 2011, researchers at the University of Chicago conducted a simple experiment to ascertain whether a rat would release another rat from a cage without being given a reward. The answer was yes. After several sessions, the rats learned intentionally and quickly to open the restrainer and release the caged rats. The rats also repeated [...]

By |2013-02-07T10:26:28+11:00February 7th, 2013|Categories: Science & Research, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

How a teen’s iPod can tell you if they will be trouble

A new study shows a strong, early penchant for gothic, punk, heavy metal and hardcore dance music can be a predictor of teens who will go astray. Lovers of "deviant" music by age 12 were "more engaged in minor delinquency in late adolescence", the four-year study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found. The bad behaviour [...]

High Sobriety

My tilt at sobriety came after 20 years of partying that had left me physically and emotionally spent. It was ironic, given my job. Sunday Age readers may remember an article I wrote at the time, in which I outed myself as the binge-drinking health reporter. During the week I wrote about Australia's booze-soaked culture. [...]

Apocalypse or new civilisation?

Surveys reveal deep social pessimism and public unease in developed nations, including Australia; pessimists outnumber optimists about our future quality of life. But environmental and resource issues are not the main reasons. The concerns are more immediate and personal; more social, cultural and economic; more about the quality of relationships than material conditions. We need [...]

By |2013-02-07T09:19:15+11:00February 2nd, 2013|Categories: Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

Kuwaiti education program aims to combat religious extremism

Australia could benefit from a world-first training program developed by the Kuwaiti government to combat religious extremism at its roots, one of its senior officials has advised. The program, which has been running successfully in Russia, Azerbaijan and the Ukraine, is aimed at eliminating radical ideology by educating religious leaders and those in positions of [...]

How to help kids who are hooked on online gaming

97% of children play video games* 2% are addicted The recent story of an Adelaide mother who is struggling with her 17 year old son’s addiction to the online fantasy game Runescape probably rang alarm bells with many parents who suspect or know their teenager is in front of a screen far too often and [...]

Girlfriend – Girl mag Watch

From Mindfulness to Masturbation: Girlfriend’s January issue ‘Switched on: Sorting out the small things’ provides readers with 10 things they need to know about 2013, which ranges fascinatingly from the Australian Federal Election and our troops exiting Afghanistan, to One Direction’s World Tour and actors Ryan Gosling and Robert Paterson in Australia. ‘Are you a [...]

By |2013-01-29T19:33:55+11:00January 29th, 2013|Categories: Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , |2 Comments

School nurses axed in SE Qld

All state-funded primary school nurses have been axed in a move doctors and nurses say will most affect children who are already disadvantaged. The move comes as Royal Children's Hospital staff fear a "workforce redesign" could affect their ability to treat their patients and involve job cuts. Nine primary school based nursing positions have been [...]

Go to Top