Institute for Culture and Society (ICS)

Could TikTok's political struggles in the US impact Australia's social media future?   Dr Joanne Orlando’s recent article for The Conversation, “What’s going on with TikTok in the US, and what will this mean for Australia?” discusses the ongoing political and legal challenges surrounding TikTok in the US, where the app faced a potential nationwide ban, but a temporary reprieve was granted by President-elect Trump. Despite the ban, TikTok is still accessible in the US, though its future remains uncertain, especially with pressures for ByteDance to sell the app or face penalties. For Australia, while #TikTok is not immediately affected, the situation reflects a broader global struggle between governments and #tech companies over control and regulation of #digital platforms, with potential implications for local policies and online freedoms. https://lnkd.in/gygtMqzG 

What Matters to Young Australians Through Turbulent Times and how can we engage better with young people to build a strong democracy? Join us for an intergenerational discussion on what young people want for our society: their views and visions of their communities, Australia and the globe. Since 2004, the Whitlam Institute’s What Matters? Writing Competition has given over 50,000 young Australians a unique platform to express their thoughts, concerns, and hopes. It is important that we listen. I've had the honour of leading a team to analyse these entries to understand the collective narratives of young people in Australia - who are so often ignored or overlooked in our democracy. On Wednesday 12 Feb at the Whitlam Institute, Parramatta Sydney we will launch analysis of the entries submitted between 2019 and 2023 — a period marked by a global pandemic, catastrophic bushfires, and a surge in activism around climate change, social justice, and democracy. We will be honoured with a keynote by Australia's National Children's Commissioner Anna Hollonds, a panel of special guests who'll discuss the findings of the research - and its implications. Panel: Dr Sky Hugman | Report co-author · Bodie Greatbatch Murphy | What Matters Competition Finalist · Emilio Goytizolo | Foundations for Tomorrow · Anhaar Kareem | Commissioner, Wellbeing Health & Youth · Charishma Kaliyanda MP | Member for Liverpool Tickets are free but limited, RSVP is essential. Refreshments will be served after the event. https://lnkd.in/gTskdxuR ping Young and Resilient Research Centre The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) Wellbeing Health & Youth ReachOut Australia batyr Australian Youth Climate Coalition Australian Youth Affairs Coalition Dinusha Soo Grace Vegesana Kate Munro OAM Tasha Ritchie Lesley Podesta Accountable Futures Collective Lauren Langley Learning Creates Australia Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) Mark Riboldi Benjamin Hanckel Varsha Yajman Taylor Dee Hawkins

Here’s me, proudly holding my book in my hands! 📕 I dedicated it to my parents and the late Professor Klaus Krippendorff, whom I met during my Fulbright Poland scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017/18. ✅ 'Youth Digital Health and Online Platforms: Dialogue with Peers on Reddit' focuses on young people’s use of the digital platform Reddit, Inc. for health. This work is based on the digital ethnography of teenagers’ subreddits on Reddit and investigates how young people talk about health matters with each other. ❗ Link to the book on Taylor & Francis Group website: https://lnkd.in/dVdBMWci 🔶What are the central insights of the book? ➡️ For young people, going online can be a way of taking care of their health. ➡️ Sometimes, young people prefer to reach out to their peers, for example, in acute health crises or to discuss sensitive topics. ➡️ Online discussions about health are a source of health information, peer support, friendships and fun. ➡️ The Internet and peers are not necessarily harmful to young people’s health but can support them in reclaiming agency in health matters. ➡️ Young people possess many critical thinking skills and sophisticated digital competencies and often have each other’s best interests in mind. 🔶 This book discusses a dialogical youth-led youth digital health discourse, a concept built on three relational elements: platform affordances, creative practices and youth voices. Peer-led platforms can create a supportive community that harnesses opportunities for youth agency, equality and freedom. Reddit’s pseudonymous, anti-authoritarian, and egalitarian nature supports the emergence of this youth-led discourse. 🔷 Dialogical youth-led digital health discourse on Reddit differs from what adults think about young people’s use of the Internet for health. This book is very timely in light of recent discussions about social media bans for young people. Like many other youth sociologists, while not negating online risks, I advocate for recognising young people as capable agents in their lives who require our support rather than control and restrictions. I would like to thank Philippa Collin, Teresa Swist, Amanda Third, Bob Hodge and my colleagues from CASE - Center for Social and Economic Research, Young and Resilient Research Centre at Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at Western Sydney University, and the Institute of Journalism and Social Communication at the University of Wroclaw for their tremendous support. 📅 On February 4th at 9 am CET and 7 pm AEDT, there will be an online book launch event during which I will talk with Prof. Philippa Collin and Prof. Bob Hodge about why and how this book is important in the contemporary debate on young people’s rights online. I will share more information about the event later, but here’s the link: https://lnkd.in/dVS2956G

"We found that only 3% of Australian adults were able to identify misinformation online." With the first Australian National Media Literacy Strategy now on the cards, what do experts think it should focus on? I spoke with Sora Park and Tanya Notley to find out. We also spoke about Australian media habits, the news ecosystem and the role public cultural institutions should play in delivering media literacy capabilities around the country. Listen here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gfYU4BKG

Congratulations to all the award winners at last week's Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Awards! Professor Ned Rossiter was honoured with the Excellence in Research Leadership and Development award, while the team at The Young and Resilient Research Centre received the Research Excellence through Industry Collaboration or Partnership award. Lilly Moody was recognized with the Excellence in Research Management award, and Dr. Flora Zhong earned a Highly Commended award in the same category. As the year wraps up, congratulations to these awardees, who showcase the innovation and excellence that drives our community forward 🎉🎉 Edit: The Young and Resilient team also won the category of Excellence in Sustainability Impact! Congratulations all

Is Australia's law-making process driven by evidence or political drama? David Rowe’s article, “Sausages and cauldrons: Making law and policy in 21st Century Australia,” published by openforum.com, explores the complexities of law and policy-making in 21st century Australia. It contrasts behind-the-scenes political deal-making with Jurgen Habermas’ vision of deliberative democracy, while addressing the challenges posed by misinformation and populism. The article critiques the rushed, politically driven processes in recent legislative proposals such as online gambling advertising bans and age restrictions on social media, highlighting the lack of thorough evidence and public input in policy formation. https://lnkd.in/gpWHUTqz

Recordings from the day-long graduate studies symposium "Messing with Methods" a co-funded collaboration between the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), Western Sydney University and Discipline of Anthropology, University of Sydney. Lectures featuring Heather A Horst, Michael Edwards, Carly Schuster, Randi Irwin, Ute Eickelkamp, Daniel Tranter-Santoso, Catherine Smith, Denis Byrne, Sophie Chao & yours truly. Link here: https://lnkd.in/g9kCbRcM

Congratulations on the most recent academic promotions! We are excited to celebrate the achievements of: 👏 Dr. Quah Ee Ling – Promoted to Associate Professor 👏 Associate Professor Pejman Sharafi – Promoted to Professor These well-deserved promotions reflect their dedication and outstanding contributions to academia. We look forward to their continued leadership and success!

Is NSW prepared to “power up” apartments for the future of electric vehicles? “Driving change by supporting electric vehicle ready apartments” is a policy insights paper co-authored by Thomas Longden, Gina Gatarin, Declan Kuch, Greg Morrison and Nicky Morrison. It examines the challenges and opportunities for installing electric vehicle (EV) chargers in apartment buildings as part of New South Wales' efforts to increase EV adoption and meet emissions reduction targets. The research, based on insights from 43 experts, identifies key barriers to EV charging installations in apartments, such as tenant support, installation decisions, and fire safety concerns. The paper recommends policy actions, including expanding the EV Ready Buildings Grant, improving fire safety guidelines, and providing resources and training to facilitate the broader rollout of EV infrastructure in apartment complexes. https://lnkd.in/g5386aC9  Thomas Longden has also written a companion article for The Conversation, “Live in an apartment and want to charge an electric car at home? Here are 4 ways to help that happen,” offering practical solutions to overcome these barriers and make EV charging more accessible for apartment residents. https://lnkd.in/gcSfKivX