“School or no school, it won’t matter.” “Young people’s issues are minor compared to those of adults.” As researchers concerned with suicide prevention in youth, we sometimes hear people express sentiments like these about young people in the pandemic. But socialization is an important part of growing up. As much as COVID-19 has affected adults, […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Teen suicide prevention during COVID-19: How parents and kids can have honest and safe conversations
Poet Amanda Gorman’s take on love as legacy points to youth’s power to shape future generations
National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman’s recitation of “The Hill We Climb,” at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in the United States captured the attention of a nation and people globally. Gorman highlighted the power of poets in our current sociopolitical context to speak unique and timely truths, while tapping into larger literary traditions. Some commentators were […] … learn more→
It’s not just about the rise in anti-Semitism: why we need real stories for better Holocaust education in Australia
On January 27 communities worldwide commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz — the largest complex of concentration camps and extermination centres during the Holocaust. This is the first year the International Holocaust Remembrance Day will be marked nationally in Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will address the event, which demonstrates the importance the government ascribes […] … learn more→
Young people remain ill-equipped to participate in Australian democracy
Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP-CC) released today show the proportion of young people demonstrating the expected level of knowledge about topics such as democracy and government has […] … learn more→
There’s no such thing as ‘alternative facts’. 5 ways to spot misinformation and stop sharing it online
The blame for the recent assault on the US Capitol and President Donald Trump’s broader dismantling of democratic institutions and norms can be laid at least partly on misinformation and conspiracy theories. Those who spread misinformation, like Trump himself, are exploiting people’s lack of media literacy — it’s easy to spread lies to people who […] … learn more→
Does ‘deplatforming’ work to curb hate speech and calls for violence? 3 experts in online communications weigh in
In the wake of the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Twitter permanently suspended Donald Trump’s personal account, and Google, Apple and Amazon shunned Parler, which at least temporarily shut down the social media platform favored by the far right. Dubbed “deplatforming,” these actions restrict the ability of individuals and communities to communicate with each other and the public. […] … learn more→
Universal higher education is the key to combating misinformation
A group at the University of Cambridge has recently developed a game called Go Viral! Based on inoculation theory, it teaches players how to spread misinformation through social media. But the real aim is to educate them about the dangers of misinformation. It is a very useful tool – but it barely scratches the surface […] … learn more→
What the insults between students reveal
Insults are those facts of language that hit the school world on a daily basis. Often perceived as violent by the adults who are responsible for countering and sanctioning it, the insult would contravene the proper functioning of the school and the maintenance of a school climate favorable to learning. However, to understand why we insult, […] … learn more→
Adolescents, social networks and sex in pandemic: an explosive cocktail
The pandemic has increased the situation of social isolation of human beings, social by nature. For this reason, we have needed to resort to the massive use of social networks and the internet to be able to maintain our basic needs for affiliation and socialization . Although this fact appears to be positive, technologies carry risks that can seriously affect […] … learn more→
Post-truth is more dangerous than lies
There is so much talk about post-truth that, in 2016, “post-truth” was named word of the year by Oxford dictionaries . But what phenomenon does that word refer to? At first, it could be said that in post-truth times the truth has been left behind, as in postmodernity it was intended to overcome modernity. What is this about leaving the […] … learn more→