In The Conversation

Australia has elected its youngest senator. With Gen Z wielding more political power, is it a sign of things to come?

Author:  Philippa Collin

So what's the significance of Australia having just elected its youngest ever senator? Y&R's Co-Director Prof Philippa Collin reflects on her two decades of research into youth-led political movements and argues that this is no accident, in fact it's an indication of an emerging political trend.

What do young people want to see in politics? More than 20,000 pieces of their writing hold some answers

Authors:  Prof. Philippa Collin, Azadeh Dastyari, Michael Everitt and Dr Sky Hugman

This election will be the first in which Gen Z and Millennial voters (aged 18–40) will outnumber Baby Boomers (aged 60–79). Many of these young people were in high school during the previous two elections.  While there are concerns about the effectiveness of civics and citizenship education, there is also evidence young people are interested in, and active on, many issues. So what do young people care about most? We analysed thousands of pieces of writing by young Australians to find out. Read more

Australian students just recorded the lowest civics scores since testing began. But young people do care about politics.

Author:  Philippa Collin

Australian school students’ civics knowledge is the lowest it has been since testing began 20 years ago, according to new national data...The latest results are certainly concerning but as a researcher of the political lives of young people, I would caution against assuming young people “don’t care” about politics, or are unable to engage in it. Read more

Instead of banning kids from online spaces, here’s what we should offer them instead

Author:  Amanda Third

Banning children under 16 from social media sounds like a seductive idea. For overwhelmed parents navigating their kids’ lives in a digital age, this move from the Australian government may seem like welcome relief. But evidence shows it’s highly unlikely bans will positively impact the youth mental health crisis in this country. Indeed, bans may make our children even more vulnerable online. Read more

More than just risk: LGBTQIA+ young people use social media to sustain and make sense of family relationships

Authors: Benjamin Hanckel, Shiva Chandra

Much of World Pride has been about the visibility of LGBTQIA+ people. Social media offers new opportunities to be visible, and many people have shared their celebrations of Pride during this time. However, not everyone. Our new research shows that LGBTQIA+ young people are deciding what to post on social media sites with their families in mind, to foster and maintain ties with them.

You’ve got a friend: young people help each other with their mental health for 3.5 hours every week

Authors: Benjamin Hanckel, Amelia Henry, Erin Dolan, and Jasbeer Musthafa Mamalipurath

Young people experience mental health difficulties at a higher rate than any other age group. While there’s ongoing discussion about the formal supports they need, young people say they’re most likely to speak with peers and friends – particularly when mental health care is difficult to access...Read more.

Census data shows we're more culturally diverse than ever. Our institutions must reflect this

Author: Sukhmani Khorana

Initial data from the 2021 census released this week shows Australia continues to become more culturally diverse. Almost half of us have at least one parent born overseas...Read more

How young LGBTQIA+ people used social media to thrive during COVID lockdowns

Authors: Benjamin Hanckel,  Shiva Chandra

We spoke to a number of young LGBTIQA+ people from all over Australia and from a variety of cultural backgrounds about their experiences during the pandemic.....Read more

From veggie gardening to op-shopping, migrants are the quiet environmentalists

Authors: Sukhmani Khorana

Environmentalism is, for the most part, the domain of the white middle class. We must recognise the contributions migrants already make, and how their power can be further harnessed....Read more

No, Education Minister, we don’t have enough evidence to support banning mobile phones in schools

Authors: Marilyn Campbell, Amanda Third

Recently South Australia announced a mobile phone ban in primary schools. Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan endorsed the ban, saying: Data shows a correlation between the uptake of mobile phones by young people and a downturn in student performance. Despite the claims, we actually don't have sufficient data to back the policy...Read more

COVID-19 cases are highest in young adults. We need to partner with them for the health of the whole community

Authors: Philippa Collin, Melissa Kang, Rachel Skinner

Australian data confirms coronavirus is more common in younger adults. People aged 20-29 have continually had the highest rates of COVID-19 cases. To reduce these rates and support young people to play their part in stemming community transmission, we need to understand their experiences during the pandemic...Read more

Young people are anxious about coronavirus. Political leaders need to talk with them, not at them

Authors: Melissa Kang, Angus Dawson, Kate Steinbeck, Lena Sanci, Philippa Collin, Rachel Skinner, Sharon Medlow, Teresa Swist.

Young people in Australia are among the fastest-growing group to contract COVID19. According to the Department of Health, there are now more cases in Australia among people aged 20 – 29 years than any other age group. Our research has found that, contrary to popular belief, many young people in Australia are seriously concerned about the virus. YouthInsight, the research arm of Student Edge, conducted an online survey of 520 young people aged 14 – 25 around Australia in March 2020. Ninety-three percent of respondents were studying...Read more