A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Yeslam Al-Saggaf, Charles Sturt University and Julie Maclean, Charles Sturt University Most Australian teenagers have their own smartphone. According to a 2023 survey, 91% of young people between 14 and 17 owned a phone. At the same time, there is huge community concern about young people being exposed to harms online – this includes the [...]
Judith Ireland, The Conversation and Matt Garrow, The Conversation The Albanese government has announced it will introduce a social media ban for children. The government has not yet nominated a minimum age but is trialling age-assurance mechanisms for those aged 13–16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the legislation will be introduced this year. This follows [...]
Join Andrew Fuller as he chats with guest Brett Lee on internet safety for young people. **CONTENT WARNING** This episode contains discussion and case studies describing disturbing predatory behaviour online. This program has been put together with the utmost care, with the intention of providing useful information to better support the wellbeing of [...]
Laura Scholes, Australian Catholic University Are you sure you want Frozen again? You’ve already seen it 20 times! Do you find your children asking to watch the same TV shows and movies, or play the same video games over and over (and over again)? Perhaps you also find yourself thinking it would be better if [...]
Join Andrew Fuller as he chats with guest Brett Lee on internet safety for young people. **CONTENT WARNING** This episode contains discussion and case studies describing disturbing predatory behaviour online. This program has been put together with the utmost care, with the intention of providing useful information to better support the wellbeing of young [...]
Jamilla Rosdahl, Australian College of Applied Psychology A new trend taking over TikTok is targeting vulnerable young men. The “looksmaxxing” phenomenon – to maximise one’s looks – is aimed at young men and boys who want to change their appearance to become more attractive and gain social acceptance. Unhappy with their appearance, teenage boys and [...]
Deborah Lupton, UNSW Sydney This is the final article in The Conversation’s six-part series on insomnia, which charts the rise of insomnia during industrialisation to sleep apps today. Read other articles in the series here. Insomnia is not just a personal issue that affects an individual’s health and wellbeing. It’s a public health issue, affecting [...]
Joanne Orlando, Western Sydney University A war has erupted around young people’s use social media and it is messy. In the United States, surgeon general Vivek Murthy has recommended cigarette packet-like warnings for platforms like Instagram to remind teens and parents social media “has not proved safe”. In Australia, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he [...]
Juliana Zabatiero, Curtin University; Kate Highfield, University of Canberra; Leon Straker, Curtin University, and Susan Edwards, Australian Catholic University Many Australian parents worry about how much time their children spend watching screens. While some time on devices is fine for entertainment and education, we also know it is important children do things away from TVs [...]
Michoel Moshel, Macquarie University; Jennifer Batchelor, Macquarie University; Joanne Bennett, Australian Catholic University, and Wayne Warburton, Macquarie University Screens have become seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, serving as indispensable tools for work, education and leisure. But while they enrich our lives in countless ways, we often fail to consider the potential impact of screen [...]
