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Keywords: Tech

  • INTERNATIONAL

    Friendship in freefall: Unpacking a crisis of civic disconnection

    • David Halliday
    • 13 December 2024

    In 2024, a fifth of Americans reported having no close friends, and the number is growing, especially among those without college degrees. So what are the societal structures behind this crisis in loneliness, and how we can rebuild meaningful connections?

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  • EDUCATION

    The hidden cost of digital childhood

    • Peter Hosking
    • 11 December 2024

      In a world reshaped by smartphones and social media, Generations Z and Alpha grapple with rising anxiety, diminished attention spans, and the erosion of real-world connections. As governments and parents push for reforms, the challenge is clear: how can technology serve young people’s growth without exploiting their vulnerabilities for profit?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    What should we make of the social media ban?

    • David Halliday
    • 11 December 2024

    The global media fracas around a government daring to impose restrictions on children using social media was dramatic, but not unexpected. Reactions were predictably divisive and steeped in the sort of performative outrage that social media tends to encourage.

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Russell Brand: Messiah or very naughty boy?

    • Cherie Gilmour
    • 06 December 2024

    Russell Brand's conversion to Christianity has sparked fascination and skepticism. Dismissing his newfound faith as a cynical PR move, critics cite his controversial past. Yet, his public embrace of grace and redemption speaks to a restless spiritual hunger. Is this a genuine transformation or another reinvention of Brand’s ever-shifting persona?

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Can a ban save kids from social media’s harms?

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 04 December 2024

    In a move that’s been both lauded as necessary and criticized as overreaching, Australia has enacted legislation banning social media for users under 16, placing enforcement squarely on Big Tech. But behind the legislation lies a contentious debate: does prohibition protect, or does it merely shift the harm?

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  • ECONOMICS

    Has the developed world run out of ideas?

    • David James
    • 14 October 2024

    Advanced industrial societies are running out of ideas, masking stagnation with financial trickery, which is now faltering. In contrast, developing nations can clearly advance through industrial phases, especially by building infrastructure. For them, the path to improving lives is clear; for developed nations, it remains uncertain.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Would you bet against inequality?

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 03 October 2024
    1 Comment

    In Andrew Leigh's new book, he argues that inequality matters because it threatens the sense of fairness that is central to our well-being, because inequality prevents the less well off from moving to relative affluence, weakens democracy, and erodes understanding of and commitment to the common good. 

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  • MEDIA

    Should children be banned from social media?

    • David Halliday
    • 23 September 2024

    Social media regulation has been a long time coming. For the last eighteen years we’ve been running a social experiment where we watch what happens when we allow children to grow up with unfettered access to this technology. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The dangers of a captured democracy

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 12 September 2024
    3 Comments

    Anxieties about democracy around the world today are well-founded. While we rightly celebrate our democratic institutions, it's crucial to acknowledge the vast wealth disparities and the growing influence of powerful corporations. 

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Before Hollywood, there was the Salvation Army

    • Barry Gittins
    • 29 August 2024

    In the early 20th century, the Salvation Army emerged as a dominant player in the nascent film industry. From pioneering filmmaking techniques to navigating the first moral dilemmas around film censorship, their cinematic journey is a fascinating, often-forgotten chapter in film history.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Google’s monopoly money

    • David Halliday
    • 19 August 2024
    1 Comment

    After a year in court, a U.S. Judge concluded that Google has a monopoly over search and had illegally maintained its monopoly by making massive payments to other companies to be their default search engine. Everyone in tech is quietly watching for what happens next, because how the U.S. Department of Justice treats Google will set the example for the other giants standing astride the world.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Harris v. Trump: The view from Canberra

    • James Massola
    • 31 July 2024
    3 Comments

    The November election is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for Australia. With either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump at the helm of the United States, Australia could be affected in unexpected ways, from how we deal with China to trade policies and our relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. 

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