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Background:  The increasing influence of platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Snap Chat and others, is evident especially as young people try to live up to unrealistic images they see here. There have been assertions that young people are distracted and heavily influence by the latest trends. 

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Background:  The increasing influence of platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Snap Chat and others, is evident especially as young people try to live up to unrealistic images they see here. There have been assertions that young people are distracted and heavily influence by the latest trends. 

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Background:  There have been calls for Australia to reduce the voting age to 16, to allow young people to have a voice in our democracy. The suggestion is that it would not be compulsory for 16-18 year olds, but strongly encouraged. There are other countries around the world where this is the case.  

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Background:  There have been calls for Australia to reduce the voting age to 16, to allow young people to have a voice in our democracy. The suggestion is that it would not be compulsory for 16-18 year olds, but strongly encouraged. There are other countries around the world where this is the case.  

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Create your own blog, persuading a particular audience about one of the topics provided.

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Unit 3 - Persuasive Writing - Blog Task and Rubric (1)

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Background: Over the past year, the incidence of vaping amongst young people has risen significantly. Under the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008: It is illegal to sell e-cigarettes and accessories to or buy these products on behalf of a person under 18 years of age. E-cigarettes and accessories cannot be seen by the public, displayed or advertised anywhere inside or outside a retail shop, however this does not seem to be stopping the problem. 

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Background: Over the past year, the incidence of vaping amongst young people has risen significantly. Under the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008: It is illegal to sell e-cigarettes and accessories to or buy these products on behalf of a person under 18 years of age. E-cigarettes and accessories cannot be seen by the public, displayed or advertised anywhere inside or outside a retail shop, however this does not seem to be stopping the problem. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soHn6t_jjIw

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Impact of Social Media on Youth | Katanu Mbevi | TEDxYouth@BrookhouseSchool

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https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/10/09/vaping-laws-import-ban/

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The battle over Australia’s tough new anti-vaping laws

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Experts fear the new laws will put users at a higher risk of harm, by forcing them into the black market to buy a product that could save their lives.

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https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/story_archive/2019/we_asked_five_experts_should_australia_lower_the_voting_age_to_16

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The following opinion piece, co-authored by Dr Phillipa Collin from the Institute for Culture and Society, was first published with full links on The Converstation(opens in a new window).
Voting is a key part of the democratic process. It allows all citizens of a certain age to have a say on matters important to them. Voting in federal elections and referendums is compulsory for every Australian aged 18 and over.

But decisions made by elected governments - especially in areas such as education, health and energy - impact young people too. Legal and political voices have long called for Australia to lower the voting age to 16. After all, people under 18 can leave school, get a job, drive a car and pay taxes. So why not vote?

A parliamentary inquiry is currently looking into the issue. In the meantime, we asked five experts their views. Here's what they said.

Five out of five experts said yes

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We asked five experts: should Australia lower the voting age to 16

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The following opinion piece, co-authored by Dr Phillipa Collin from the Institute for Culture and Society, was first published with full links on The Converstation(opens in a new window). Voting is a key part of the democratic process. It allows all citizens of a certain age to have a say on matters important to them.

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https://theconversation.com/at-16-australians-can-drive-work-and-apply-for-the-army-so-why-cant-they-vote-177370

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Young people are growing up in the shadow of a climate crisis and global conflict, amid sky-high housing costs and a precarious economy. For decades, government spending and policies have also been skewed in favour of older people. Yet in Australia, young people don't get to vote until they are 18.

While the idea of lowering the voting age has come up before, there is now renewed interest in allowing 16-year-olds to vote at the state and territory levels.

We need the voting age put on the national agenda in Australia as well. This 2022 federal election should be the last election to exclude 16 and 17-year-olds.

Fresh moves to lower the voting age

The ACT has been considering reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 for territory elections and allow residents to enrol to vote as early as 14. This Greens-initiated bill has significant community support from groups such as the Youth Coalition of the ACT and ACT Council of Social Service.

Read more: Should Australia lower the voting age to 16? We asked five experts

There has not yet been a vote, but a Liberal-chaired parliamentary inquiry last month recommended the bill not be passed.

Last month, the NSW Greens similarly announced another bill, which would lower the voting age to 16 in that state by permitting, but not requiring 16-year-olds to vote.

What about other countries?

This is not the first time lowering the voting age has come up in Australia.

In 1973, during the Whitlam government, federal parliament lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18. In 2015, then Labor leader Bill Shorten pledged to lower the voting age to 17 or 16. In 2018, the Greens also proposed voluntary voting rights for those aged 16 and 17, which resulted in a senate inquiry but no change.

This is not a hypothetical concept. Many countries have lowered the voting age, including Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador who also have compulsory voting.

In the 1990s, 16-year-olds were given the vote in Switzerland as well as in some German states. In 2007, Austria adopted a voting age of 16 for most purposes. Brazil lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 in 1988 and Malta in 2018.

Scotland's voting age is 16 for local and national parliament elections. The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey reduced the voting age to 16 for local elections in 2015. Cuba, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, North Korea, Nicaragua, and South Sudan, have a voting age of 17.

And if you think 16 is young, there is even debate among political scientists on the merits of lowering to voting age to as low as six.

Encouraging young people to vote

Research shows there are many benefits in lowering the voting age.

Giving young people the vote will encourage them to register and turn up to vote on election day. In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, 16 and 17-year-olds voted at rates as high or higher than their 18 to 20-year-old peers.

This suggests lowering the voting age is part of the solution to the growing distrust in western governments, falling voter turnout and declining membership of political organisations.

Political buy-in

Being able to vote also means having direct democratic influence.

Politicians and others will be more inclined to visit the settings that matter for young people, including schools and higher education venues, and listen to their opinions, if young people are on the electoral roll. In turn, the experience of being recognised and having your views and interests taken into account can build confidence and trust in formal politics.

The fear that giving 16-year-olds the vote will affect election outcomes might explain major parties' resistance to doing this. Certainly in Britain, the 2019 general election saw an unexpected influx of new young voters, leading some to talk about " youthquake ".

Ageism at play

Much of the opposition to reducing the voting age depends on ageism and the idea young people lack sufficient moral judgement, cognitive ability or life experience to vote responsibly.

But there is plenty of research showing 16 year-olds have sufficient ethical and cognitive capacities to form political judgements.

We also know that by 16 you can do paid work, pay tax, enlist in the military, drive a car, consent to confidential health care and be charged with criminal offences.

The least we can do

Democracies have always been strengthened when more people are allowed to vote, from men without property to women, to Indigenous people and then those under 21.

Read more: Book extract: From secret ballot to democracy sausage

It would be exactly the same if younger people were allowed to enrol and vote.

At the same time, lower the voting age acknowledges the national and global crises that young people are experiencing and will inherit.

Supporting the vote for young people who, by definition, have the greatest at stake in the political process, is the least that older generations can do to redress this imbalance.

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At 16, Australians can drive, work and apply for the army - so why can't they vote?

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Young people are growing up in the shadow of a climate crisis and global conflict, amid sky-high housing costs and a precarious economy. For decades, government spending and policies have also been skewed in favour of older people. Yet in Australia, young people don't get to vote until they are 18.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYxS6Ud989U

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0:00 / 5:27•Watch full video

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Push To Lower The Voting Age As Teenagers Become More Politically Involved Than Ever

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https://www.quit.org.au/articles/teenvaping/

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Resources for parents, teachers and teens explaining the risks associated with e-cigarette use among teens:
E-cigarettes pose serious health risks to teens. Australian surveys have shown e-cigarette use among teens and young adults has increased over the past few years. There is also evidence to suggest young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke tobacco cigarettes in later years:

In an Australian survey of school students, around 14 per cent of students aged 12 - 17 years had used an e-cigarette (32% of these in the past month).

Almost half (48%) of students who vaped had never smoked tobacco before trying an e-cigarette.

Around a quarter of these students who had used e-cigarettes before ever smoking, reported later trying tobacco cigarettes.

Quit's new resources for parents and teachers and teens provide need-to-know information about e-cigarettes, and bust some common myths about e-cigarettes and vaping.
What are e-cigarettes?

E-cigarettes, also known as 'vapes', are battery operated devices that work by heating a liquid (or 'juice') until it becomes an aerosol that users inhale. Some people mistakenly believe the 'cloud' from vaping is a vapour, like steam. It is really an aerosol, a fine spray of chemicals that enter the body via the lungs, and small particles that can lodge in the lungs. Using an e-cigarette is commonly called 'vaping'.

What's inside an e-cigarette?

There are no quality or safety standards for e-cigarettes nor nicotine-free liquids, meaning their manufacture, contents and labelling are unregulated. E-cigarettes can contain nicotine, propylene glycol or glycerine, and flavourings. Hazardous substances have been found in e-cigarette liquids and in the aerosol produced by e-cigarettes. These include: formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein, which are known to cause cancer. Some chemicals in e-cigarette aerosols can cause DNA damage.

It's also important to know most e-cigarettes and e-liquids that are labelled nicotine-free and available for sale in Australia do, in fact, contain nicotine. Nicotine is among the most addictive substances known. Nicotine can harm adolescent brain development and impair memory and concentration.

Are e-cigarettes legal?

Buying and selling an e-cigarette or any liquid that contains nicotine without a doctor's prescription is illegal in Australia. In Victoria, it is illegal to sell an e-cigarette or a liquid intended to be used in an e-cigarette (even if it does not contain nicotine) to a person under 18 years.

What you can do

Here are some things you can do if you are concerned about a young person vaping:

Learn the facts
Read through our fact sheets for parents and teachers and teens, as well as our myth busters.

Have a conversation
Approach the conversation calmly, and ask questions. Try not to lecture or judge. The Royal Children's Hospital provides recommendations for parents on how to talk to teenagers about e-cigarettes. The Raising Children Network also offers resources on how to speak to your child about the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Call Quitline (13 7848) for free advice
Quitline counsellors can answer any questions you may have about e-cigarettes and can help you think of ways to approach the conversation.

Resources for adults and teens

E-cigarette fact sheet for parents and teachers (downloads PDF):

Vaping and your health: fact sheet for teens (downloads PDF):

Mythbusting: e-cigarettes (downloads PDF):

Social media tiles

Share these important messages across your social media channels. To download a set of infographics for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, click here (downloads.zip folder).

For more information on e-cigarettes, read E-cigarettes in Victoria and the full position statement on e-cigarettes by Quit and Cancer council Victoria.

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E-cigarettes and teens: what you need to know

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Resources for parents, teachers and teens explaining the risks associated with e-cigarette use among teens: E-cigarettes pose serious health risks to teens. Australian surveys have shown e-cigarette use among teens and young adults has increased over the past few years.

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https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2022-04-07/vaping-causes-harm-addiction-new-generation-users-report-warns/100970768

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The growing use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, in Australia poses a "serious public health risk" and threatens to introduce a new generation to smoking.

That's according to the authors of a major new government report into the health effects of e-cigarettes, which found vaping can be harmful, particularly for non-smokers and young people.

The global systematic review, undertaken by researchers at the Australian National University, is the most comprehensive review of vaping-related health impacts to date.

"We reviewed the global evidence in order to support informed choices on vaping for Australia," said review lead author Emily Banks from the Australian National University's National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health.

"The evidence shows e-cigarettes carry significant harms."

The review found vaping increases the risk of multiple adverse health outcomes, including poisoning, addiction, seizures, burns, lung injury and smoking uptake.

Professor Banks said the high and increasing rate of vaping among young people was causing addiction in "a new generation of users".

"Nicotine is a key ingredient and one of the most addictive substances known," she said.

"Young non-smokers who vape are around three times as likely to take up smoking than non-vapers."

In Australia, it is illegal for anyone to possess a nicotine-filled vape unless they are over 18 and have a prescription to help them stop smoking.

But in recent years, medical experts and educators have expressed concern about young people continuing to access disposable vape products - often containing nicotine - at convenience stores and other retailers.

"[E-cigarette] use is more common among youth, particularly young males ... and the majority is not for the purposes of smoking cessation," Professor Banks said.

Vaping on the rise despite health concerns

E-cigarette use has increased steadily in Australia in recent years.

Data from the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey showed 11 per cent of people aged 14 and over - roughly 2.4 million Australians - had used e-cigarettes at least once, and 2 per cent of people reported current use. Among people aged 18-24, that figure was 5 per cent.

More recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed one in five people aged 18-24 had tried vaping.

Professor Banks said high-concentration nicotine products were being targeted at young people with fruity, confectionary flavourings and discrete packaging.

"Young people are being sold a lie that e-cigarettes are just harmless water vapour," she said.

"They are not harmless water vapour. They contain a lot of chemicals and there's evidence that they're harmful to health."

'You don't know what it's doing to you'

Brisbane woman Alison Bolton knows firsthand just how crippling a smoking-related disease can be.

She was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago and needs medication daily to keep the advanced cancer from spreading.

So she was shocked to discover her teenage son had started experimenting with vaping.

"We found a vape at home ... I can see it from his point of view - it's so normalised, accessible, and everyone's doing it," Ms Bolton said.

"A teenager shouldn't be able to get their hands on a vape so easily."

She doesn't want to see other young people needlessly go down the same path as her.

She worries that, much like smoking in her youth, the full health implications of vaping remain unknown.

"You don't know what's in vapes for a start," she said.

"You don't know what it's doing to you."

Evidence of lung injury and uncertainty about the long-term

The new report found conclusive evidence that e-cigarettes can cause acute lung injury, predominantly in cases where people use vapes containing the psychoactive substance THC and vitamin E acetate (but not always).

In February, the autopsy of a Queensland man showed he died of a severe lung injury that was probably caused by vaping.

Similarly, a 15-year-old Sydney girl ended up in intensive care last year with what doctors believe was e-cigarette- or vaping-related lung injury, also known as EVALI.

But one of the biggest concerns outlined in the report was how little is known about the potential impacts of e-cigarettes on most major health outcomes.

"We don't know, for example, what [e-cigarettes] do to cancer [risk]," Professor Banks said.

"We don't know what they do to cardiovascular disease, we don't know what they do to reproductive health, and we don't know what they do to mental illness.

"That means the safety for those things has not been established."

Vaping to help quit smoking

While vaping is sometimes promoted as a way to quit smoking, the report found there was only "limited evidence" that nicotine e-cigarettes were effective in helping people to quit.

"Most people who quit smoking successfully do so unaided," Professor Banks said.

"E-cigarettes are likely to be harmful for non-smokers and for people who use them while continuing to smoke - the commonest use pattern currently."

According to the report, 53 per cent of current e-cigarette use in Australia is by people who also smoke, 31.5 per cent is by past smokers, and 15.5 per cent is by people who have never smoked.

"E-cigarettes may be beneficial in the small number of smokers who use them to quit smoking completely and promptly, but there is a huge uncertainty about their effectiveness and the overall balance of risks and benefits for quitting," Professor Banks said.

In contrast, the report found "substantial evidence" that e-cigarette use results in dependence on nicotine, and that e-cigarettes can increase the uptake of tobacco smoking in people who don't smoke.

Independent expert backs findings

Guy Marks, a respiratory physician and environmental epidemiologist from the Woolcock Institute in Sydney, said the report - which he was not involved in - was "very comprehensive and methodologically sound".

"Broadly speaking, the conclusion that there is significant overall harm, and evidence of limited benefit ... was not surprising," said Professor Marks, who is president of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

He said it was important that health policy was made on the basis of large comprehensive reviews like this, and not "piece-meal evidence".

"There's a lot of pressure from industry to loosen the restrictions on e-cigarettes, and the evidence in this document should prevent that from happening."

Professor Marks said there was a place for e-cigarettes as a nicotine-replacement therapy for "a small group of highly addicted smokers".

"There's evidence that for some smokers, it's effective," he said.

"However, they need to get access to this product in the context of a well-designed and supervised smoking cessation program.

"Using e-cigarettes and smoking at the same time is unlikely to be a helpful strategy."

Health organisations call for government action

Cancer Council's Public Health Committee chair Anita Dessaix says the report sends an urgent message to Australian governments, and should put an end to "the misinformation being spread by people trying to make money from e-cigarettes".

"Every week we're hearing growing community concern about e-cigarettes in schools, the health harms and the risks of smoking uptake among young people," Ms Dessaix said.

"A public health crisis is rapidly unfolding before our eyes.

"These findings send a clear message to all governments: act now. Do more to protect the community, especially young people, from the harms of e-cigarettes."

Health in your inbox

Get the latest health news and information from across the ABC.

Lung Foundation Australia has also urged the Federal Government to strengthen and launch the National Tobacco Strategy in 2022 with "an amplified focus on addressing the rising health concerns of e-cigarettes".

"[Tobacco] companies sold the world cigarettes with effective advertising and addictive ingredients, and it was a long time before the truth about their dangers came out," Lung Foundation chief executive officer Mark Brooke said.

"The government was forced into action, but it was too late for many.

"Now, the writing's on the wall for e-cigarettes and it's time for the Federal Government to step in to protect Australia's youth from lifelong health impacts, including lung disease."
With additional reporting by Sophie Scott and Alison Branley

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'Writing's on the wall': Vaping is a 'serious public health risk', major report finds

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The growing use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, in Australia poses a "serious public health risk" and threatens to introduce a new generation to smoking. That's according to the authors of a major new government report into the health effects of e-cigarettes, which found vaping can be harmful, particularly for non-smokers and young people.

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https://www.upstart.net.au/team-sports-revenue-and-the-gender-pay-gap/

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The gender pay gap becomes more complex in team sports.

Out of the 100 professional athletes on Forbes' annual highest paid athletes list, Serena Williams was the only female to make the cut in 2019, coming in at number 63. While this may raise concerns about equality, figuring out the gender pay gap in sport has proved to be a bit more complex than some think, particularly in team sports.

In most mainstream team sports where players are under salary contract, female athletes are paid significantly lower than their male counterparts. This is generally due to the lower amount of spectator interest in the women's leagues. Ultimately, less viewership equals less money generated, which means less money to be paid to the athletes.

In the 2018-19 season, the average salary for a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player was around , and the maximum player salary was AU$166,197. In the equivalent National Basketball Association (NBA) season, the minimum player salary was AU$1,227,759. A huge difference? Yes. But the difference in revenue created is also substantial. The WNBA generates $25 million in annual revenue while the NBA rakes in $7.4 billion.

But it's not just as black and white as less revenue equals less pay, either. Well, yes, the pay will be less as there is less money to go around, but it is relative to the percentage of revenue that is paid to the athletes. The NBA pays its players about 50 percent of league revenue, whereas the WNBA only pays its players under 25 percent. This is not dissimilar to other sports where there are both male and female competitions.

Monash University Sports Law Lecturer Matt Nichol says that female athletes should be paid the same percentage of revenue as their male counterparts.

"I think one of the issues for women's professional sport, and the AFLW is a good example, is actually quantifying how much revenue they produce so they can argue for a percentage of that," he told upstart.

"They should receive equivalent pay for the revenue that's created."

The Women's Australian Football League (AFLW) is similar to the WNBA in that players earn considerably less than their male counterparts. The league is only three years old, and with spectators allowed free entrance to games to help popularise the sport, and an overall lack of revenue data supplied by the AFL, it is hard to know how much revenue the players are actually generating. For now, the league only runs for two months of the year and players are studying or working full-time in order to support themselves.

An AFLW player, who has chosen to remain anonymous, says she is split on whether the pay in her sport is reasonable or not.

"At the moment I think the pay gap is justified as we are not making money and the boys are a full time job and we are part time. In saying this, I'm not sure the pay gap is justified in terms of the rate we are paid," she told upstart.

Recently, there seems to be more and more signs that progress is being made. This October alone saw Cricket Australia agree to top up any prize money won by the Australian women's team at the T20 World Cup, to ensure parity with the men's equivalent winnings. Meanwhile the AFL players' association and the AFL reached an agreement on a new, three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will provide an increase in AFLW players' salaries.

The AFLW player also says female athletes have to continue to grow their leagues to see an improvement.

"We as players need to work to build the game and hopefully produce a quality product that people want to watch, support, and sponsor," she said.

Monash University Senior Lecturer of Health and Physical Education Dr Justen O'Connor, says minimising the pay gap in sport is a long term goal, but that is part of a broader issue.

"As long as we have imbalanced power structures in society, we are going to have inequality. This is probably a utopian goal to aim for and in some sports, it is definitely achievable and should be an explicit target," he told upstart.

Article: Ashton Tresidder is a first-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Sports Journalism) student at La Trobe University. You can follow him on Twitter @ashton_tres

Photo: Group of women standing on court during daytime by Jeffrey F Lin available HERE and used under a Creative Commons Attribution. The image has not been modified.

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Team sports, revenue, and the gender pay gap

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The gender pay gap becomes more complex in team sports. Out of the 100 professional athletes on Forbes' annual highest paid athletes list , Serena Williams was the only female to make the cut in 2019, coming in at number 63.

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https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/media/media-influence-on-teens

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How does social media and other media influence pre-teens and teenagers?

Pre-teens and teenagers can be smart consumers of media messages. They don't just take in everything they see and hear on social media or in other media. You can help them develop the skills they need to handle media influence.

Media influence on pre-teens and teenagers can be deliberate and direct. For example, advertising is often directed at children of all ages. This means that children, pre-teens and teenagers are increasingly conscious of brands and images.

Media influence can also be indirect. For example, this might include sexualised images and content on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. It might also include violent imagery and coarse language in news media, documentaries, video games and some song lyrics. This kind of media influence can suggest to pre-teens and teenagers that certain ways of behaving and looking are 'normal'.

Positive social media and other media influences on pre-teens and teenagers

Social media and other media can be positive influences on pre-teen and teenage behaviour and attitudes.

Citizenship
Pre-teens and teenagers who are exposed to and take an interest in news media are more likely to be interested in major social and political issues like climate change. Media can encourage them to become more involved as citizens in their communities.

Health and lifestyle
Pre-teens and teenagers can also pick up important health promotion messages from social media and other media. This might include messages aimed at preventing youth depression and suicide, promoting positive, respectful relationships, or encouraging healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

Identity
Good-quality stories in television shows and movies can help pre-teens and teenagers explore aspects of identity like sexuality, relationships, gender or ethics - for example, the treatment of sexuality in a movie like Bohemian Rhapsody, or gender in Ride Like a Girl, or ethics in a TV show like The Good Place. Watching these shows with your child is a great opportunity for discussion.

It's always worth remembering that media - good and bad - is just one of several influences on pre-teen and teenage behaviour and attitudes. Other influences include family, friends and peers, cultural background and more. Often these influences can be more powerful than media influence.

Negative social media and other media influences on pre-teens and teenagers

Media messages can have a negative or unhealthy influence on pre-teen and teenage behaviour and attitudes in certain areas, including self-image, body image, health and citizenship.

Self-image and body image
Your child's self-image and body image can be influenced by social media, other media and advertising. For example, if your child regularly sees staged and filtered images on social media, they might feel they're not good enough. Or if your child sees unrealistic 'thin' or 'muscly' body types often enough, it can affect their body image and eating behaviour. These images can be even more powerful when there's no-one to disagree with messages like 'thin is beautiful'.

Health and lifestyle
Social media and other media can influence the decisions that pre-teens and teenagers make about their health and lifestyle. For example, media messages and content can make it look 'normal', cool or grown-up to eat junk food, smoke, vape, drink alcohol and take other drugs.

Citizenship
To be responsible citizens, pre-teens and teenagers need reliable and good-quality information. But social media and other media are sometimes used in negative ways during elections and at other times. For example, fake news or deep fakes might influence your child to believe misinformation about a politician, public figure or celebrity. Or online forums might promote biased or hateful attitudes towards groups of people.

Experts don't agree on whether violence in video games leads to aggression or violence in pre-teens and teenagers in real life. But they do agree that the best way to deal with the issue of violence in video games is by talking with your child about it and sharing your own family values.

How media celebrities and influencers influence pre-teens and teenagers

Celebrities and influencers can be powerful influences on pre-teens and teenagers.

In particular, pre-teens and teenagers can be attracted to lifestyles, products or behaviour that celebrities and influencers promote on social media. This can sometimes be a negative influence - for example, YouTuber Logan Paul's risky behaviour. But there are many celebrities whose lifestyles, values and behaviour provide positive examples - for example, YouTuber Elise Ecklund.

Pre-teens and teenagers need to be aware that influencers and some celebrities are paid to advertise the products they endorse.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between influencers and regular people - or even celebrities - posting videos and other content for fun. Influencers are meant to say whether they've been paid by using hashtags like #ad or #sponsored or words like 'ad' or 'sponsored' in their posts. You and your child could look out for these signs.

Helping pre-teens and teenagers handle media influence

Exposure to media messages is a part of modern life, but you can help your child work out what's worth paying attention to.

Talking about media messages
The best way to help your child navigate the influence of social media and other media is to talk about media messages. For example, if your child likes watching beauty channels on YouTube, you could talk about product advertising and sponsorship.

Or if your child is into a computer game like Grand Theft Auto, you could talk about the violence, exploitation of women and criminal activity. You could also talk about how your child would handle these situations in real life.

Encouraging a questioning attitude
When you're talking about media with your child, you can encourage them to ask questions too. This can help your child sort facts from opinion, identify advertising and fake news, understand bias and be aware of the misuse of statistics.

For example, you could choose one of the YouTube channels or Instagram accounts your child follows. Ask your child:

Who's behind it?

What's their motivation?

What do they want from you?

How does it make you feel?

Do they want you to feel that way? Why?

You can do the same for celebrities and influencers. Encourage your child to ask themselves:

Why do I like these people?

Are they presented in a realistic way?

Are they like this in real life?

What values does this person portray?

How does this person make me feel about myself?

Why is this person telling me about this product or activity?

Are there signs that this person is an influencer?

During an election campaign, you and your child could look at political news and memes together. Encourage your child to ask:

What ideas are being promoted in this news story or meme?

Who wrote this story or made this meme and why?

How might this meme influence voters during the election?

What does ABC Fact Check or RMIT University FactLab say about this information?

Understanding advertising
You can help to limit the influence of advertising on your child by talking about how advertising sells ideas as well as products. For example, you could encourage your child to ask:

Does this advertisement link the product with a particular kind of lifestyle?

How does that make you feel about the product?

What messages does this advertisement send about what people should look like, wear, do, eat and drink?

Participating in online forums
If your child spends a lot of time on online forums, it's OK to get your child thinking about questions like these:

What do people talk about on the forum?

What are the forum's attitudes towards race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality? Are any of these attitudes biased or even hateful?

Does the forum make you feel safe and happy, or uncomfortable?

Children and teenagers sometimes need help to get out of negative forums and find forums that match their values. For example, if the negative forum is in a game, you could suggest that your child takes a break from the game while you help them find a different game to play. Or you could suggest that your child plays the game at a time when they might meet other people in the game's forum.

Helping teenagers balance the influence of social media and other media

When your child balances media use with other activities like physical and creative activities and face-to-face socialising, your child comes into contact with a wide range of influences. These include peers, community mentors and family, as well as the media.

You can also introduce your child to real-life, positive role models. Ways to do this could be joining local community groups, sporting clubs or mentoring programs.

You're still your child's most important role model. By being an informed and questioning consumer, you show your child how to handle powerful media influences. Part of this might be ignoring advertisements for the latest and greatest new gadget, or talking with your child about why you follow certain people on Twitter or Instagram.

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Media influence on pre-teens and teenagers: social media, movies, YouTube and apps

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Concerned about social media and other media influence on your child? This influence can be positive and negative, and teens can be smart media consumers.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QWoP6jJG3k

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https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/

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Many parents worry about how exposure to technology might affect toddlers developmentally. We know our preschoolers are picking up new social and cognitive skills at a stunning pace, and we don't want hours spent glued to an iPad to impede that. But adolescence is an equally important period of rapid development, and too few of us are paying attention to how our teenagers' use of technology - much more intense and intimate than a 3-year-old playing with dad's iPhone - is affecting them. In fact, experts worry that the social media and text messages that have become so integral to teenage life are promoting anxiety and lowering self-esteem.

Young people report that there might be good reason to worry. A survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health asked 14-24-year-olds in the UK how social media platforms impacted their health and well-being. The survey results found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness.

Indirect communication

Teens are masters at keeping themselves occupied in the hours after school until way past bedtime. When they're not doing their homework (and when they are) they're online and on their phones, texting, sharing, trolling, scrolling, you name it. Of course before everyone had an Instagram account teens kept themselves busy, too, but they were more likely to do their chatting on the phone, or in person when hanging out at the mall. It may have looked like a lot of aimless hanging around, but what they were doing was experimenting, trying out skills, and succeeding and failing in tons of tiny real-time interactions that kids today are missing out on. For one thing, modern teens are learning to do most of their communication while looking at a screen, not another person.

"As a species we are very highly attuned to reading social cues," says Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD, a clinical psychologist and author of The Big Disconnect. "There's no question kids are missing out on very critical social skills. In a way, texting and online communicating puts everybody in a context where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible."

Lowering the risks

Certainly speaking indirectly creates a barrier to clear communication, but that's not all. Learning how to make friends is a major part of growing up, and friendship requires a certain amount of risk-taking. This is true for making a new friend, but it's also true for maintaining friendships. When there are problems that need to be faced - big ones or small ones - it takes courage to be honest about your feelings and then hear what the other person has to say. Learning to effectively cross these bridges is part of what makes friendship fun and exciting, and also scary. "Part of healthy self-esteem is knowing how to say what you think and feel even when you're in disagreement with other people or it feels emotionally risky," notes Dr. Steiner-Adair.

But when friendship is conducted online and through texts, kids are doing this in a context stripped of many of the most personal - and sometimes intimidating - aspects of communication. It's easier to keep your guard up when you're texting, so less is at stake. You aren't hearing or seeing the effect that your words are having on the other person. Because the conversation isn't happening in real time, each party can take more time to consider a response. No wonder kids say calling someone on the phone is "too intense"- it requires more direct communication, and if you aren't used to that it may well feel scary.

If kids aren't getting enough practice relating to people and getting their needs met in person and in real time, many of them will grow up to be adults who are anxious about our species' primary means of communication - talking. And of course social negotiations only get riskier as people get older and begin navigating romantic relationships and employment.

Cyberbullying and the imposter syndrome

The other big danger that comes from kids communicating more indirectly is that it has gotten easier to be cruel. "Kids text all sorts of things that you would never in a million years contemplate saying to anyone's face," says Donna Wick, EdD, a clinical and developmental psychologist. She notes that this seems to be especially true of girls, who typically don't like to disagree with each other in "real life."

"You hope to teach them that they can disagree without jeopardizing the relationship, but what social media is teaching them to do is disagree in ways that are more extreme and do jeopardize the relationship. It's exactly what you don't want to have happen," she says.

Dr. Steiner-Adair agrees that girls are particularly at risk. "Girls are socialized more to compare themselves to other people, girls in particular, to develop their identities, so it makes them more vulnerable to the downside of all this." She warns that a lack of solid self-esteem is often to blame. "We forget that relational aggression comes from insecurity and feeling awful about yourself, and wanting to put other people down so you feel better."

Peer acceptance is a big thing for adolescents, and many of them care about their image as much as a politician running for office, and to them it can feel as serious. Add to that the fact that kids today are getting actual polling data on how much people like them or their appearance via things like "likes." It's enough to turn anyone's head. Who wouldn't want to make themselves look cooler if they could? So kids can spend hours pruning their online identities, trying to project an idealized image. Teenage girls sort through hundreds of photos, agonizing over which ones to post online. Boys compete for attention by trying to out-gross one other, pushing the envelope as much as they can in the already disinhibited atmosphere online. Kids gang up on each other.

Adolescents have always been doing this, but with the advent of social media they are faced with more opportunities - and more traps - than ever before. When kids scroll through their feeds and see how great everyone seems, it only adds to the pressure. We're used to worrying about the impractical ideals that photoshopped magazine models give to our kids, but what happens with the kid next door is photoshopped, too? Even more confusing, what about when your own profile doesn't really represent the person that you feel like you are on the inside?

"Adolescence and the early twenties in particular are the years in which you are acutely aware of the contrasts between who you appear to be and who you think you are," says Dr. Wick. "It's similar to the 'imposter syndrome' in psychology. As you get older and acquire more mastery, you begin to realize that you actually are good at some things, and then you feel that gap hopefully narrow. But imagine having your deepest darkest fear be that you aren't as good as you look, and then imagine needing to look that good all the time! It's exhausting."

As Dr. Steiner-Adair explains, "Self-esteem comes from consolidating who you are." The more identities you have, and the more time you spend pretending to be someone you aren't, the harder it's going to be to feel good about yourself.

Stalking (and being ignored)

Another big change that has come with new technology and especially smart phones is that we are never really alone. Kids update their status, share what they're watching, listening to, and reading, and have apps that let their friends know their specific location on a map at all times. Even if a person isn't trying to keep his friends updated, he's still never out of reach of a text message. The result is that kids feel hyperconnected with each other. The conversation never needs to stop, and it feels like there's always something new happening.

"Whatever we think of the 'relationships' maintained and in some cases initiated on social media, kids never get a break from them," notes Dr. Wick. "And that, in and of itself, can produce anxiety. Everyone needs a respite from the demands of intimacy and connection; time alone to regroup, replenish and just chill out. When you don't have that, it's easy to become emotionally depleted, fertile ground for anxiety to breed."

It's also surprisingly easy to feel lonely in the middle of all that hyperconnection. For one thing, kids now know with depressing certainty when they're being ignored. We all have phones and we all respond to things pretty quickly, so when you're waiting for a response that doesn't come, the silence can be deafening. The silent treatment might be a strategic insult or just the unfortunate side effect of an online adolescent relationship that starts out intensely but then fades away.

"In the old days when a boy was going to break up with you, he had to have a conversation with you. Or at least he had to call," says Dr. Wick. "These days he might just disappear from your screen, and you never get to have the 'What did I do?' conversation." Kids are often left imagining the worst about themselves.

But even when the conversation doesn't end, being in a constant state of waiting can still provoke anxiety. We can feel ourselves being put on the back burner, we put others back there, and our very human need to communicate is effectively delegated there, too.

What should parents do?

Both experts interviewed for this article agreed that the best thing parents can do to minimize the risks associated with technology is to curtail their own consumption first. It's up to parents to set a good example of what healthy device usage looks like. Most of us check our phones or our email too much, out of either real interest or nervous habit. Kids should be used to seeing our faces, not our heads bent over a screen. Establish technology-free zones in the house and technology-free hours when no one uses the phone, including mom and dad. "Don't walk in the door after work in the middle of a conversation," Dr. Steiner-Adair advises. "Don't walk in the door after work, say 'hi' quickly, and then 'just check your email.' In the morning, get up a half hour earlier than your kids and check your email then. Give them your full attention until they're out the door. And neither of you should be using phones in the car to or from school because that's an important time to talk."

Not only does limiting the amount of time you spend plugged in to computers provide a healthy counterpoint to the tech-obsessed world, it also strengthens the parent-child bond and makes kids feel more secure. Kids need to know that you are available to help them with their problems, talk about their day, or give them a reality check.

"It is the mini-moments of disconnection, when parents are too focused on their own devices and screens, that dilute the parent-child relationship," Dr. Steiner-Adair warns. And when kids start turning to the internet for help or to process whatever happened during the day, you might not like what happens. "Tech can give your children more information that you can, and it doesn't have your values," notes Dr. Steiner-Adair. "It won't be sensitive to your child's personality, and it won't answer his question in a developmentally appropriate way."

In addition Dr. Wick advises delaying the age of first use as much as possible. "I use the same advice here that I use when talking about kids and alcohol - try to get as far as you can without anything at all." If your child is on a social media platform, Dr. Wick says that you should friend them and monitor their page. But she advises against going through text messages unless there is cause for concern. "If you have a reason to be worried then okay, but it better be a good reason. I see parents who are just plain old spying on their kids. Parents should begin by trusting their children. To not even give your kid the benefit of the doubt is incredibly damaging to the relationship. You have to feel like your parents think you're a good kid."

Offline, the gold standard advice for helping kids build healthy self-esteem is to get them involved in something that they're interested in. It could be sports or music or taking apart computers or volunteering - anything that sparks an interest and gives them confidence. When kids learn to feel good about what they can do instead of how they look and what they own, they're happier and better prepared for success in real life. That most of these activities also involve spending time interacting with peers face-to-face is just the icing on the cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does social media affect behavior negatively?

How does social media affect social skills?

How does social media affect teenagers' mental health?

Is social media harmful?

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How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers - Child Mind Institute

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How does social media affect teens? Experts say kids are growing up with more anxiety and less self-esteem due to social media. Read advice for parents from specialists in our article.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXSUBOTt-Gg

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https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/this-photo-sparked-pay-equality-for-women-surfers-but-other-sports-are-still-lagging/j272g68hm

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C atch The Feed 8:30pm Thursdays and 5pm Sundays on SBS VICELAND. Connect with us on , and .
This photo went viral after it was posted on social media. Source: AAP

World number one Stephanie Gilmore

, "I really hope this decision can be the start of a much bigger movement not only in sport, and eventually, in society."

Stephanie Gilmore will get her 2019 title campaign underway on the Gold Coast. Source: AAP

Equal pay in sport not uniform

At the Australian Open this year, Rafael Nadal Nadal said he doesn't understand why it is such a big issue.

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This photo sparked pay equality for women surfers, but other sports are still lagging

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C atch The Feed 8:30pm Thursdays and 5pm Sundays on SBS VICELAND. Connect with us on , and . This photo went viral after it was posted on social media. Source: AAP World number one Stephanie Gilmore , "I really hope this decision can be the start of a much bigger movement not only in sport, and eventually, in society."

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https://theconversation.com/women-in-sport-are-winning-the-fight-for-equal-pay-slowly-167943

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Team Ireland at the FIFA Womens World Cup UEFA qualifiers. Sports Press Photo / Alamy

The Welsh national football association has pledged to introduce equal pay for their men's and women's teams by 2026. The news comes following a documentary featuring the most capped Welsh player Jess Fishlock, who called the lack of pay parity "unacceptable".

It also follows the Irish football association's introduction of pay parity for its national teams. Through a combination of the men's squad agreeing to reduce their international fees, and the association matching their contribution, all players will now receive €2,000 per match. Wales and Ireland join England, Brazil, Australia, Norway and New Zealand as national football associations who have equal pay agreements with men's and women's teams.

These recent cases are indicative of real change in how some national governing bodies view women's sport, long considered "less than" the men's versions and chronically underfunded. And, as these bodies are social institutions - their decisions and financial support influence how society views sport - this is good news for women's sport more broadly. However, for many players and athletes, progress is slow and challenges remain.

For years, a lack of pay has left many women navigating a complex balancing act of elite level sport and work or study. Many continue to do so. Sportswomen, despite making professional commitments and complying to professional expectations, are often treated as amateurs.

However, many women athletes have been reluctant to question inadequate workplace conditions as there is often a " be grateful " narrative enveloping women in professional sport environments. Yet, to acquire professional status offers legitimacy to women athletes.

Pay across the pond

Perhaps the highest-profile challenge for equal pay in football comes from the US women's national team, who has had long, unrivalled success on the international stage. Yet for the past five years, their highly publicised legal battle - and the "equal play, equal pay" campaign - has drawn attention to the lack of pay parity in the sport.

Although the dispute started in 2016, in 2019, the team took the US Soccer Federation to court in pursuit of better pay and working conditions. At the time, an economic expert noted the women's team could be owed US$66 million (£48.2 million).

US Soccer has fought against the case on multiple grounds, made more complex by the fact that both parties are using different sets of statistics to attempt to prove or disprove the team's financial success. Both parties also disagree about the performance comparisons with the men's team, with US Soccer controversially arguing -- although later backtracking -- that in football, men do different work to women.

The US team's initial complaints were dismissed, as they were unable to prove a breach of the Equal Pay Act. In our recent research, we analysed the implications of the US women's team's collective action lawsuit against US Soccer, highlighting the need for formal, legal reform, such as Iceland's Equal Pay Certification. The new legislation contains amendments to the 2008 "Gender Equality Act" which aims to reduce gender-based pay discrimination.

Professional women footballers operate in a more precarious workplace, with poorer conditions, lower pay, shorter contracts and a smaller number of professional opportunities than men. As explained in our analysis of the USWNT dispute, this is a byproduct of decades of gendered discrimination.

US Soccer has since offered the same pay structure to all its senior players, but the women's team believe the offer does not go far enough if it means a reduction in player earnings. The legal case is still ongoing, with the team filing an appeal this summer after a judge dismissed their lawsuit.

Women's football has arguably led the way in the fight for equal pay, but there have also been notable changes in rugby in recent months. England's women have risen to the top of the world rankings since fully professionalising at the start of 2019. This year, an under-fire Welsh Rugby Union offered women rugby players professional contracts. Although there are still issues to be overcome, for the first time in their history up to ten players will have full-time professional contracts, with a further 15 players on retainer contracts.

While the increase in both professional opportunities and pay parity for women athletes is worthy of celebration, women should not have to feel grateful for the opportunity. And, like the USWNT have done so publicly, they can legitimately demand, and expect, more.

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Women in sport are winning the fight for equal pay - slowly

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The Welsh national football association has pledged to introduce equal pay for their men's and women's teams by 2026. The news comes following a documentary featuring the most capped Welsh player Jess Fishlock, who called the lack of pay parity "unacceptable".

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Background:  Despite some recent improvements in AFLW and tennis, men are still paid much more than women in terms of prize money and sponsorship. Calls continue to reduce, or eliminate this gap, so that the pay is equitable. 

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Background:  Despite some recent improvements in AFLW and tennis, men are still paid much more than women in terms of prize money and sponsorship. Calls continue to reduce, or eliminate this gap, so that the pay is equitable. 