young people

Poll results: look who’s doping

The prestigious scientific journal Nature asked its readers specifically about their use of three cognition enhancing drugs: methylphenidate (Ritalin), a stimulant normally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder but well-known on college campuses as a 'study aid'; modafinil (Provigil), prescribed to treat sleep disorders but also used off-label to combat general fatigue or overcome jet [...]

By |2012-12-03T12:15:26+11:00December 3rd, 2012|Categories: Drugs & Alcohol|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Hot boys and recycling gender stereotypes

Girlfriend’s November issue is about boys. Sort of. It’s more about ‘hot’ celeb boys and recycling gender stereotypes. What do girl readers learn about the opposite sex? That they are, disgusting, fart, pee standing up and aren’t just “good for pashing”, they can also be “quite useful” (“they can fix all the things you accidently [...]

Alcohol promotions are targeting children

It seems that for many young people a good night out on the town now a days consists of a cocktail of too much alcohol, added to a dash of caffeinated energy drink and mixed  with some kind of violent altercation. More than 3,500 Australians are hospitalised each year with brain injuries caused by assaults, [...]

Is it time to sue the alcohol industry for preying on young people?

In a paper delivered to the Right to Childhood conference in Sydney recently, Professor Mike Daube made the case for suing the industry, making it pay for the human damage. ‘‘There is massive evidence on the impacts of alcohol on our community. It is a health problem, a social problem, an economic problem, a law [...]

Child Beauty Pageants in WA

So the WA pageant has come and gone, but not without a trail of debris left in its wake.  I was greatly alarmed at the news that this pageant also included a swimwear category. Not because I am averse to children wearing swimmers, but because I am completely opposed to children being judged on their [...]

By |2012-11-13T00:35:10+11:00November 13th, 2012|Categories: Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , |1 Comment

Homework – The Flip Side

I'm a bit over this whole 'homework' debate! Research findings across the years seem to come to pretty much the same conclusion - there's a good side and a bad side to homework. Nothing new here. I've been a primary teacher for 25 years and avoided what I considered to be useless and time-wasting 'fillers' [...]

Tips for ensuring good mental health in children

 25% of people with a mental disorder experience their first episode before they are 12 years old.* The Australian Medical Association (AMA) Vice President, Professor Geoffrey Dobb, said that “Good mental health is vital to our wellbeing - it allows us to think and learn and interact meaningfully with others.” The main influences on a [...]

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