A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
As christmas approaches toymakers have ramped up advertising, and children are turning their attention to their wish list. Sexualised dolls such as Bratz and Barbies are very attractive to young girls but underneath the bright colours and glitter these dolls convey a more subtly damaging message to their owners. Psychologists are genuinely concerned about the potential [...]
It is estimated that 1 billion people worldwide use the internet each day. Recent research in America has found that American teenagers, not dissimilar to Australian teenagers, spend an average of 10 hours and 45 minutes each day interacting with some kind of media. This shocking figure comes from a combination of: 31 hrs per [...]
Once again, the Mission Australia Survey of Australian Young People has shown that body image is a major cause of concern for young people. Amongst females it was the highest concern, reflecting our society's extreme emphasis on physical attractiveness defined by the media, fashion and entertainment industries. It's an indication that marketing, advertising and consumerism continue to be a [...]
Stress is having a major impact on every sector of the community. Amongst those in affluent jobs, it is a combination of overwork and loss of "work life balance". Those who are less affluent are often stressed by the high cost of living compared to low incomes. Lack of social support and an emphasis on consumerism are major [...]
Computer games and other online activities have become a multibillion dollar industry to rival hollywood. The evidence linking violent videogames with aggressive behaviour is now indisputable. In addition, the growing evidence for the addictive potential of such games is now causing concern amongst many mental health professionals with debate occurring at the highest levels about [...]
The community has spoken, and continues to speak, but does 2Day FM and Austereo have the guts to pull the plug on the country's worst role model for young people? THE number of companies that have withdrawn advertising from 2Day-FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show has grown to 40 after co-host Kyle Sandilands was publicly [...]
Kyle Sandilands' offensive and aggressive on-air behaviour continues, and the fallout for those corporations that support him is now such that they are abandoning him in droves. To summarise his most recent incident: "Sandilands apologised to news.com.au journalist Alison Stephenson after calling her a "fat slag" and a "piece of shit" - among other abusive [...]
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a byproduct of plastics that are used for food and drink packaging. There is growing concern that exposure to BPA may have adverse health effects especially in children. This study assessed the association of BPA exposure on young children while they were still in the womb (ie during gestation). and found [...]
10% of girls self harm* Image Source: Youthbeyondblue A recent study published in The Lancet, The natural history of self-harm from adolescence to young adulthood: a population-based cohort study, took a group of 1,943 young people from 44 schools in Victoria and documented their lives from the age of 14 to 29 years old. During [...]
The infamous phrase “does my bum look big in this?” will never be heard in the Winslet household. Why? Because actor Kate Winslet is determined to be a positive role model for her daughter Mia and every other girl out there who is approaching her teenage years. Image Source: Getty In 2003 Britain’s GQ magazine [...]
