Teenagers no longer answer the phone: is it a lack of manners or a new trend? Asks Anne Cordier Teenagers can seem to have their phones glued to their hands – yet they won’t answer them when they ring. This scenario, which is all too familiar...
The teenage years are great, aren’t they? writes clinical psychologist Jari Evertsz Just as we feel that we’ve got the hang of managing our primary school-aged kids with all their different sporting activities, their quirky food preferences and their love of sofa cuddle-time, along comes High...
Ian Thorpe Challenges Australians to Swim and Save Lives Sign Up, Set Your Goal, and Make a Difference This March Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe AM is calling on Australians to dive into Laps for Life 2025, an annual swimming fundraiser supporting youth mental health service ReachOut. In...
New teen accounts on Instagram are a welcome step, but real ‘peace of mind’ requires more, writes Tama Leaver As Australia and other countries debate the merits of banning kids under 14 from social media, Meta has announced a significant “reimagining” of teenagers’ experience of Instagram. These...
Here’s what to expect next, report Kayleen Manwaring and Siddharth Narrain In the United States, 41 states have filed lawsuits against Meta for allegedly driving social media addiction in its young users (under the age of 18), amid growing concerns about the negative effects of platforms. The...
Covering everything from anxiety, depression, trauma and eating difficulties, to understanding neurodivergence and gender identity Dr Jo Prendergast's new book 'When Life Sucks' is an essential guide for parents and carers looking to understand what's going on in their teen's mind. This is an extract...
Parenting teenagers is more challenging than ever. A new book by Eileen Berry, called Teens 101 combines all her previous guides into a compendium covering all the bases about being a teen. Now, more than ever, parents are looking for support and guidance. Known for its...
A Wake-up Call for Parents: Understanding the Irreversible Impact on Young Lives Esra Haynes was a thirteen-year-old girl who recently lost her life to chroming—a drug craze that, according to recent studies, is increasing in popularity among young Australians. Esra was at a friend's sleepover when she...
For many kids, the period between childhood and early adolescence can be difficult, report researchers Associate Professor Vanessa Cropley, Dr Maria Di Biase and Rebecca Cooper This transitional period is commonly known as ‘pre-adolescence’ and can be a vulnerable time for the development of mental health...
Deborah Cooke compares the terrible twos with the unwitting feral 14s A lot has been written about the ‘terrible twos’, when your adorable gurgling cherub suddenly morphs into a bewildering admix of Norman Bates from Psycho, that nice girl from The Exorcist and Kim Kardashian (without...
