Tuesday 09 April: I exit work and enter the lift alone. I reflexively pull out my mobile phone (rarely used for making actual phone calls) and open a news site. Scanning headlines, I see nothing of interest and, in frustration, check a different site before the elevator doors open on the ground floor. As I walk to my car, I...[ read more ]
Elsewhere I’ve pondered the question of whether our mental health, as a society, is deteriorating. Certainly, most people with whom I speak seem to think that there are more people with mental health problems. Whether this is due to greater attention on mental health, or and increase in diagnoses is not always clear. A recent study in the Journal of...[ read more ]
A while ago I was trying to weasel out of a catch-up I’d planned with her friend. I was tired, had a lot on, and was worried that this meeting was the straw that would break the camel’s back. I had the urge to lie about another commitment, but I had been practicing acting with integrity and so decided –...[ read more ]
When working out how to improve healthy screen habits in your household, it can help to have a CLEAR Plan. When dealing with technology use (and overuse), most parents don’t think carefully when implementing rules around technology use. Common mistakes include making up rules as you go along, addressing screen overuse only when angry and inconsistent application of the rules....[ read more ]
This is a summary of the first part of my talk at Bowen Library, Maroubra, on 18 September. My part of the talk was aimed at helping parents work out how to deal with technology. The following 5 rules should serve as a guide to talking with your young people: Get informed Know where you stand Take the initiative Don’t...[ read more ]
This is a summary of the first part of my talk at Bowen Library, Maroubra, on 18 September. My part of the talk was aimed at helping parents work out how to deal with technology. Teenagers are digital natives. In their short lifetimes they have witnessed the rise of social media, smartphones and multiplayer gaming. Schools have latched on to...[ read more ]
This is the original (long) version of the article that Luke Vu and I wrote for the Southern Courier (published on 06/08/18): The HSC is a stressful time for students and their families. Sometimes, Year 12 can feel like an endless ordeal. To survive this gruelling war-of-attrition, young people and their families need time to relax and play, as...[ read more ]
Mary is the affable and kindly single mother of Jayden (14), an only child, who suffers from social phobia. Mary: “He’s just so rude when I ask him to come to the dinner table or clean his room. The anger! He spends all night gaming with his friends, which I suppose is good because he is socialising. I just wish...[ read more ]
Please click here for information on the upcoming talk! To register click here!
Tuesday 18th of September, 6:30pm, Maroubra I’ll be presenting a free seminar with Luke Vu PhD, on healthy screen habits. Smart phones, tablets, laptops and other devices are an integral part of the modern world. These devices have made work and leisure tasks more efficient, and have opened up new pathways to social connection and fun. On the other...[ read more ]