Society & Culture

On tap energy drinks in pubs increases risk of violent behaviour

95% of NSW pubs sell energy drinks on tap It is rare that the NSW Government and Opposition agree to tackle an issue together. However both parties agree that selling energy drinks ‘on tap’ in pubs is not in the interests of public health and safety. When mixed with alcohol, energy drinks can lead to anti-social [...]

Book Review: Pornland, How Porn has Hijacked our Sexuality

By Professor Gail Dines Teens raised on porn have trouble with the real thing. Gail Dines is a professor of sociology and women's studies at Wheelock College in Boston. Her latest book Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality looks at how a generation bought up with hardcore porn is now finding it difficult to [...]

Budgeting Screen Time to Reduce Kids’ Mental Health Risk

The American Academy of Pediatrics has previously found that American children between the ages of 2 and 18 years old spend an average of 6 hours and 32 minutes each day using media (television, commercial or self-recorded video, movies, video games, print, radio, recorded music, computer, and the Internet). A new report also published in [...]

A win for children as Bonds backs down on 'bralettes'

A backlash in public support has led Bonds to recall their colourful 'bralettes' which were marketed to children as young as 6 years old. The recall of these training bras follows a campaign led by the grassroots movement Collective Shout and other child advocates opposed to the adultification and sexualisation of children. Collective Shouts’ aim [...]

Bewitching children: major chain designs adultified clothing for toddlers

The launch of the latest WitcheryKids clothes for children has caused an outcry among parents and experts alike. The clothes are being marketed at children from toddler age up to tweens. Australian actress and ambassador for Barnardos, Noni Hazlehurst has spoken out against the growing adultification of children’s clothing within the fashion industry. She said [...]

Porn seen as the norm by some teenagers

Summer is just around the corner and many teenagers are already thinking about surf, sand and summer holidays. For a growing number of teenage girls this means waxing unwanted hair from their legs and underarms. However there is now a growing trend for girls to also have Brazilian waxes. According to experts there are 2 [...]

Australia leads world on harms of alcohol at UN Conference

The recent 63rd United Nations Department of Public Information NGO Conference held in Melbourne focused on improving women and children’s health. “Advancing global health is essential to the Millennium Development Goals, and you are essential to advancing global health,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The central concern of Mr. Ban’s opening remarks was the need to [...]

Popular culture, pop songs and pornography

At the centre of popular culture lies popular (pop) music, it has always been the music of the next generation, as young people come into their own they begin to express themselves through their clothes, interests, friends and music. In modern times, the mass media has become a major instrument for the spread and dissemination [...]

Teenage mothers need help to finish school

3.9% of the births in NSW to mothers under 20 years of age 12,326 teenagers gave birth in Australia in 2008 Teenage pregnancies in Australia are on the rise again with an increase of 15% since 2008. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics teenage birth rates in NSW seem to be concentrated around the [...]

Latest report on how to counter the sexualisation of girls

The American Psychological Association (APA) recently formed a task force which produced a report on the sexualisation of girls through the media and other cultural messages. The report also included information for parents, carers and teachers on how they can help young women become aware of the sexualised imagery and messages that are presented by [...]

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