A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
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 [...]
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 [...]
