A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Impulsivity is the tendency to act or decide quickly, without too much deliberation, usually in pursuit of short-term gratification. It’s a normal part of human behaviour (think about speeding through a yellow light or cracking a joke in a serious work meeting), but when it happens too often or too intensely, it can lead to [...]
“Stranger danger” has always been the go-to parenting mantra to let kids know to be careful with people they don’t know, especially if the “stranger” behaves inappropriately. The stereotype was the bad man in a van picking up vulnerable children off the street. But, as disturbing new research conducted at the Victorian Forensic Paediatric Medical [...]
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 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. [...]
“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 [...]
Tanya Notley, Western Sydney University; Michael Dezuanni, Queensland University of Technology; Simon Chambers, Western Sydney University, and Sora Park, University of Canberra For most of us, it’s hard to imagine a media-free day. Understanding what’s happening in the world, maintaining our social media profiles, staying in touch with family, being entertained, making new friends, engaging [...]
Scroll through the In Real Life (IRL) section of streaming site Twitch and you could be forgiven for thinking, now and then, that you have landed on a camgirl site. Scattered among the artists, cooks and professional eaters are a growing band of young women wearing revealing clothing while they game. Some go further and [...]
Alan McKee, University of Technology Sydney 2020 has been the year of the coronavirus lockdown, the year of online education, the year of excessive streaming of entertainment … and the year when people are watching more pornography than before. The website PornHub reports porn viewing has increased by up to 24% this year. And this [...]
Claire Pescott, University of South Wales Many eight- to 12-year-olds are now heavy users of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat – even though most platforms require users to be 13 or over. However, concern over young people’s use of social media tends to focus on older teenagers or young adults – rather than [...]
Joanne Orlando, Western Sydney University COVID has led to children spending more time on screens using social networks, communication apps, chat rooms and online gaming. While this has undoubtedly allowed them to keep in touch with friends, or connect with new ones, during the pandemic, they are also being exposed to increased levels of online [...]
