Search

Placeholder Content Image

Even calm people can fly into a rage behind the wheel. Here’s how to curb your road rage – before it’s too late

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/milad-haghani-1454675">Milad Haghani</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>If someone bumps into us on the footpath or in the mall, we’re generally quite forgiving. We instinctively apologise or step aside, and usually don’t scream at, stalk, or attack the other person.</p> <p>But put us in a car, and <a href="https://x.com/Boenau/status/1755234912540459059">something changes</a>. People who appear calm in everyday life suddenly tailgate, honk, or shout at strangers. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524002467?casa_token=76NSmREtG8MAAAAA:yFEcndOLjARRfthZMFwOQ3UmPeqgJEwSuAvkaA51rH8fA7v8RzHDamohBhf8Ai7jb3Nrp98pz4I">Problems at work</a> or home can suddenly explode in the form of righteous anger toward other road users.</p> <p>Road rage <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457523000192">increases crash risk</a>, and victims of road rage incidents often have <a href="https://www.mynrma.com.au/media/press-releases/2024/nrma-releases-worrying-road-rage-data">children in the car</a> with them.</p> <p>So, why does driving <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437524000914?dgcid=raven_sd_recommender_email">bring out the worst in us</a>? And more importantly, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457521001755?dgcid=raven_sd_recommender_email">what can we do about it</a>?</p> <h2>Road rage remains common</h2> <p><a href="https://www.mynrma.com.au/media/press-releases/2024/nrma-releases-worrying-road-rage-data">Recent</a> <a href="https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/car-insurance/research/road-rage-study.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">surveys</a> indicate road rage remains common in Australia.</p> <p>In September 2024, insurer NRMA <a href="https://www.mynrma.com.au/media/press-releases/2024/nrma-releases-worrying-road-rage-data">reported</a> a survey of 1,464 of its members in two states found many had witnessed road rage incidents such as:</p> <ul> <li>tailgating (71%)</li> <li>drivers beeping other drivers (67%)</li> <li>drivers gesturing angrily at other drivers (60%)</li> <li>drivers deliberately cutting in front of other vehicles (58%)</li> <li>drivers getting out of their car to confront to confront another driver (14%)</li> <li>stalking (10%)</li> <li>physical assault (4%).</li> </ul> <p>Another insurer, Budget Direct, <a href="https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/car-insurance/research/road-rage-study.html">reported</a> last year on a survey of 825 people that found about 83% had experienced shouting, cursing, or rude gestures from other people on the road (up by 18% since 2021).</p> <p>And of the female respondents, 87% reported they’d copped this kind of behaviour from other road users.</p> <p>Common triggers for driver anger include tailgating, perceived rudeness (such as not giving a “thank you” wave), and witnessing another person driving dangerously.</p> <p>Aggressive driving behaviours tend to be more common in <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.031918298391749">younger, male drivers</a>.</p> <p>Road rage is a global problem, with studies finding road rage remains common in places such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457509002012?casa_token=G4nhNdF3olAAAAAA:8tdP0GyMiwN4_n4fekvQB-EiUSLa8Q2sgbpMhfUNWh0w9YqeiWft1aPY2ZSFLngcSFZAHfMOQhA">Japan</a>, the <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/07/nearly-80-percent-of-drivers-express-significant-anger-aggression-or-road-rage/">US</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847805000884">New Zealand</a> and the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847898000096">UK</a>, but the degree varies significantly from country to country.</p> <h2>Who is more likely to fly into a rage on the road?</h2> <p>Some of us are more likely than others to fly into a rage while driving. One way researchers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847815001722">measure</a> this is via a testing tool known as the <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/rokada/psyctest/driving.pdf">Driving Anger Scale</a>.</p> <p>Data from many studies using this test show drivers who are more prone to anger in general are <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/driving-anger-as-a-psychological-construct-twenty-years-of-resear">more likely to turn that anger into aggression</a>. They get annoyed by more things, are quicker to act on their feelings, take more risks, and as a result, are more likely to be involved in anger-related crashes.</p> <p>Research suggests that while female drivers experience anger just as much as male drivers, they are less likely to act on it in a <a href="https://www.turkpsikiyatri.com/PDF/C18S3/en/angerExpression.pdf">negative way</a>.</p> <p>Female drivers tend to feel more intense anger in certain situations, such as when <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847815001722#f0010">faced with hostile gestures or traffic obstructions</a>, compared to their male counterparts.</p> <h2>What can I do to reduce my road rage?</h2> <p>In a car, we’re physically separated from others, which creates a sense of distance and anonymity – two factors that lower our usual social filters. Encounters feel fleeting.</p> <p>There’s a good chance you won’t be held accountable for what you or say or do, compared to if you were outside the car. And yet, we perceive the stakes as high because mistakes or bad decisions on the road can have serious consequences.</p> <p>This mix of isolation, stress, and the illusion of being in a bubble is a perfect recipe for heightened frustration and anger.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457521001755?dgcid=raven_sd_recommender_email">Research</a> suggests techniques drawn from cognitive behavioural therapy may help.</p> <p>These include learning to identify when you are starting to feel angry, trying to find alternative explanations for other people’s behaviour, using mindfulness and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847815001758">relaxation</a> and trying to move away from the trigger.</p> <p>The American Automobile Association also <a href="https://exchange.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Road-Rage-Brochure.pdf">suggests</a> you can reduce road rage incidents by being a more considerate driver yourself – always use your indicator, avoid cutting others off and maintain a safe distance from other cars.</p> <p>Try to stay calm when other drivers are angry, and allow extra time in your journey to reduce stress.</p> <p>If driving anger is a frequent issue, consider seeking support or <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/anger-management">anger management resources</a>.</p> <p>Avoiding — or at least being aware of — <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847821002667">anger rumination</a> can make a big difference. This happens when someone replays anger-inducing events, like being cut off in traffic, over and over in their mind. Instead of letting it go, they dwell on it, fuelling their frustration and making it harder to stay calm.</p> <p>Recognising this pattern and shifting focus — like taking a deep breath or distracting yourself — can help stop anger from escalating into aggression.</p> <p>More broadly, public awareness campaigns highlighting the link between anger and risky driving could also encourage more drivers to seek help.</p> <p>The next time you get behind the wheel, try to remember the other driver, the cyclist, or pedestrian is just another person — someone you might pass on the street without a second thought.</p> <p>We’re often good at forgiving minor missteps in non-driving contexts. Let’s try to bring that same patience and understanding to the road.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244402/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/milad-haghani-1454675">Milad Haghani</a>, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk &amp; Resilience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/even-calm-people-can-fly-into-a-rage-behind-the-wheel-heres-how-to-curb-your-road-rage-before-its-too-late-244402">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

Sir Rod Stewart's sentimental post as he turns "80 years young"

<p>Sir Rod Stewart has celebrated his 80th birthday on Friday. </p> <p>The veteran rocker marked his milestone birthday by sharing a series of photos throughout his life and 60-year career, including being knighted by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. </p> <p>"Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes – 80 years young!" he wrote in the caption with an emoji of two champagne glasses. </p> <p>“What an incredible journey it’s been – from unforgettable moments on and off the stage to earning some truly special honours along the way.</p> <p>“But above all, my greatest joy has always been performing for you.</p> <p>“Cheers to the memories we’ve made and the ones still to come! #80YearsOfRod.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEpv23UJb3u/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEpv23UJb3u/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Among the photos, he also included images of him performing on stage in his younger years, attending his son's wedding and racing Sir Elton John on a football field, as well as a photo of him and wife Penny Lancaster when they were younger. </p> <p>His wife, who he married in 2007, shared her own special tribute to him, saying that she felt “so blessed” to share his 80th birthday with him and their children.</p> <p>“Building more memories to carry with us into the future and to be held close to our hearts forever, I love you xx”, she captioned the post, alongside a photo of Sir Rod while they were on holiday. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEoZPPiMmWg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEoZPPiMmWg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Penny Lancaster (@penny.lancaster)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The rocker's celebrity friends were also quick to send their birthday wishes, with Sir Elton John sharing a special tribute to his "great mate" on his stories with a series of images of them over the years and the caption:  “Hope you have a brilliant day celebrating. Much love.”</p> <p>TV presenter Davina McCall commented: “Happy Birthday Rod! Thank you for all the joy and dancing!!! Hope you all have the best day.”</p> <p><em>The Rolling Stones </em>star Ronnie Wood shared a picture of the pair in their younger days with the caption: “Happy 80th birthday @sirrodstewart! My lifelong pal is having a big birthday today! Please join me in wishing him a wonderful day.”</p> <p>Drummer Kenney Jones also shared his birthday wishes and hoped that Sir Rod had “a great day”.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Christmas can be challenging for people with hearing loss. Here are 7 ways you can help

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katie-ekberg-1534998">Katie Ekberg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/louise-hickson-2280688">Louise Hickson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>For many people, Christmas can be the most social time of the year. The holiday period is often filled with parties, lunches, dinners and celebrations of all kinds with family, friends and colleagues.</p> <p>For adults with hearing loss, however, these social gatherings can bring unique challenges. Communicating with others can be difficult, particularly in group conversations. And the more <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2019.1670363">background noise</a> there is (for example, Christmas music or children playing), the harder it is.</p> <p>For age-related or acquired hearing loss, hearing ability typically starts to decline from <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0107720">age 50 onwards</a>. <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/hearing-health/resources/publications/one-in-six-australians-experience-hearing-loss-poster-0?language=en">One in six Australians</a> experience some hearing loss, so it’s possible someone around your Christmas dinner table will be struggling to hear.</p> <p>Unfortunately, many adults with hearing loss suffer these challenges in silence. Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2023.2293651">research</a> shows adults with hearing loss often hide their hearing loss from others, even close family members and friends, because of feeling shame due to stigma.</p> <p>But there are some things you can do to ensure a loved one with hearing loss is included this Christmas.</p> <h2>Stigma and stereotypes</h2> <p>Stigma is when someone is treated differently by others due to a particular physical or social attribute.</p> <p>Across a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2023.2293651">series of studies</a>, we conducted surveys and interviews with adults with hearing loss, their families and hearing care professionals to explore experiences of stigma for adults with hearing loss. Our research also included video recordings of real-life conversations between adults with hearing loss and their families and friends.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2024.2353862">results</a> suggested people often associate hearing loss with negative stereotypes of ageing, disability, reduced intelligence, having a problem or weakness, and difference. For example, one participant with hearing loss told us:</p> <blockquote> <p>Once they are aware that you can’t really comprehend or hear what they’re saying, they treat you different. And it’s not always positive, it’s quite often negative […] Even people who are familiar with you, my twin brother, he thinks that there’s something wrong with me because I can’t hear him properly.</p> </blockquote> <p>Old age was the most common stereotype associated with hearing loss. For example, one adult with hearing loss commented:</p> <blockquote> <p>I guess it’s just a sign of ageing. Like wearing glasses and grey hair.</p> </blockquote> <p>But as hearing can start declining from middle age, many adults experiencing hearing difficulties do not fit this stereotype.</p> <p>We see this stereotype appear in popular media as well. For example, in the TV show Bluey, the character Bingo dresses up as a “<a href="https://www.bluey.tv/characters/granny-rita/">Can’t-Hear-Anything granny</a>” in a number of episodes.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2024.2418970">our research</a>, people with hearing loss reported feeling embarrassment, shame, frustration, sadness and fatigue from trying to manage their hearing difficulties during everyday conversations.</p> <p>In the results of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2023.2293651">a survey</a> currently under peer review, almost two-thirds felt other people laughed about or treated their hearing loss as a joke, often making them feel uncomfortable.</p> <p>An example <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2024.2389189">of this teasing</a> can be seen in a real-life conversation we recorded with a grandfather with hearing loss and his extended family while having afternoon tea.</p> <p>After the older man has ongoing trouble hearing his granddaughters, his wife teases him with the question “You got your hearing aids in Grandpa?”, which receives laughter from his son and granddaughters.</p> <p>While this sort of teasing might seem light-hearted, it can cause someone with hearing loss to feel embarrassed when they have trouble hearing.</p> <p>A key finding from <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2024.2406885">our interview research</a> was that adults with hearing loss respond to experiences of stigma by not telling others about their hearing loss.</p> <p>Similarly, in an international <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2023.2293651">survey of 331 adults</a> with hearing loss, the results of which are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, one in four had not told anyone about their hearing loss. Others only told certain people in specific circumstances.</p> <p>There might, therefore, be family and friends at your Christmas gatherings facing the challenges of hearing loss without anyone knowing.</p> <h2>Supporting loved ones with hearing loss this Christmas</h2> <p>For adults with hearing loss, experiences of stigma can cause them to start to withdraw from social situations, participate less in conversations, and become more <a href="https://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/abstract/2013/02000/social_isolation_and_loneliness__relationships.9.aspx">socially isolated and lonely</a>.</p> <p>But a greater awareness about hearing loss and inclusive communication can help tackle the stigma. Here are some simple ways you can be more inclusive of people with hearing loss this festive season:</p> <ol> <li> <p>Think about the location of your event – how noisy is it? When possible, choose restaurants and social settings that are quieter. Outdoor settings will generally be less noisy than indoor ones (apps such as <a href="https://theambientmenu.com.au/">The Ambient Menu</a> can help you choose).</p> </li> <li> <p>Turn down background noise if you can (for example, TV, radio, music).</p> </li> <li> <p>Speak face-to-face as much as possible. This allows for lip-reading so that people are not just reliant on their hearing. If you know someone has difficulty hearing, move closer to them and talk clearly and slightly more slowly.</p> </li> <li> <p>Arrange seating in a way that allows everyone to face each other. Round tables are best.</p> </li> <li> <p>Give people the opportunity to choose where they are seated around a table or in a restaurant. Adults with hearing loss may position themselves in the middle of a table or next to specific people they need to hear.</p> </li> <li> <p>If you are at an event with speeches, use a microphone when possible.</p> </li> <li> <p>If you notice a person not joining in the conversation you could ask them if they can hear OK and, if not, what you can do to help.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/245943/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> </li> </ol> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katie-ekberg-1534998">Katie Ekberg</a>, Senior Lecturer, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/flinders-university-972">Flinders University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/louise-hickson-2280688">Louise Hickson</a>, Professor of Audiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/christmas-can-be-challenging-for-people-with-hearing-loss-here-are-7-ways-you-can-help-245943">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Eight people take their own lives after being denied voluntary assisted dying

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains discussions on suicide which some readers may find distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>Eight people with declining health who were denied access to voluntary assisted dying have taken their own lives after the laws came into effect in Victoria, a coroner said. </p> <p>Coroner Simon McGregor reviewed cases in which people had died by suicide after failing to meet the strict eligibility requirements for voluntary assisted dying, and has asked the state's Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to take the suicides into consideration.</p> <p>He did this while investigating the death of Melbourne man Geoffrey McConachy, who suffered from a stroke in late 2022 while on a trip to visit his son overseas, and as a result had lost his life enjoyment after his speech was profoundly impacted. </p> <p>McConachy took his own life year later in September 2023, aged 83, after he was deemed not eligible for voluntary assisted dying because he did not have a terminal prognosis.</p> <p>The coroner found that McConachy had a “greatly reduced quality of life” after he developed a depression and lost interest in life. </p> <p>Under Victorian law, voluntary assisted dying is accessible to those who are suffering from an incurable disease, are experiencing intolerable suffering and are expected to die within six months (or 12 months in the case of neurodegenerative conditions).</p> <p>Coroner McGregor said there had been eight deaths by suicide since the laws came into effect in 2017, and found that their decline in health was irreversible, but their access to voluntary assisted dying were denied “because they did not meet the strict criterion”. </p> <p>“A recurring theme throughout many of these deaths was the impact that voluntary assisted dying refusal had on the deceased,” McGregor said in his findings.</p> <p>“Family members often reported that when people believed they would have access to voluntary assisted dying they maintained hope that they would be able to exercise control over how they died; when their access to voluntary assisted dying was refused, their consequent despair and frustration contributed to their decision to take their own life." </p> <p>“I would ask the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to remain open to considering this finding as part of a developing body of evidence about where there may be opportunities to improve the operation of voluntary assisted dying in the state.”</p> <p>Image: Shutterstock</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone.</span></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lifeline: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">13 11 14</span>, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au </a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">SANE Support line and Forums: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1800 187 263,</span> <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://saneforums.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saneforums.org</a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Headspace: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1800 650 890,</span> <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beyond Blue: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1300 224 635</span>, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au </a></em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Just leave Christmas": Barnaby Joyce fires up over gender-neutral cookies

<p>Some stories are big: wars, elections, pandemics. Others are tiny – crispy, vaguely human-shaped and destined for dunking in tea.</p> <p>The humble Gingerbread Man – or rather, its gender-neutral successor, the Gingerbread Person – has sent shockwaves through Parliament House and left a trail of crumbs all the way to the nearest bakery.</p> <p>The biscuit's modern makeover has Barnaby Joyce and Nationals Senator Matt Canavan crying "Save Christmas!" faster than you can say, "Not my gumdrop buttons!"</p> <p>While many of us would struggle to find outrage over baked goods – especially baked goods with no opinion on pronouns – Joyce sees a far darker picture. For him, this is political correctness gone so far off the rails it could inspire an army of ginger-fuelled Trump supporters.</p> <p>“It’s just like, all this stuff has been forced on me, just leave it,” he declared, presumably staring down a gender-neutral cookie in his local parliamentary cafeteria. “Just leave Christmas. If you don’t want to buy Gingerbread men, you don’t have to.” Then, proving politicians aren’t immune to comedic flair, he added: “Can I have one for me and one for it on table 3?”</p> <p>Meanwhile, Senator Canavan was equally distraught at the development, lamenting the apparent death of whimsy. “Please tell me they haven’t done this to the muffin man as well?” he begged, as if imagining a bleak future where fairytale characters are stripped of gender and fun.</p> <p>If you thought Parliament was alone in this existential ginger-crisis, think again. Supermarket giant Woolworths has already abandoned the “man” for a more inclusive “Gingerbread People”, and even <em>Women’s Weekly</em>, that wholesome bastion of baking, has shared a recipe for the modern, genderless cookie.</p> <p>It was Woolworths' decision that drew particular ire from a radio caller named Harry, who tattled to Melbourne’s 3AW like a child narking on a sibling. “Woolies has decided to start selling – under their own brand – non-binary Gingerbread people,” he reported solemnly.</p> <p>This news rocked radio host Tom Elliott, who lamented that none of the gingerbread figures “resemble women”. (For clarity’s sake, it’s worth noting that Gingerbread Men have never been renowned for their realistic depiction of human anatomy.)</p> <p>Online, the social media masses weighed in with their usual measured, level-headed takes. One user proclaimed they were “too busy caring about my electricity bill doubling” to give a crumb about cookies. Another’s sarcastic sympathy dripped from the screen: “If you can’t handle a biscuit with ‘man’ in the name, simply grab a box of tissues and retreat to your safe space.”</p> <p>And in the darkest corner of the internet, one person’s exasperation boiled over: “Jesus Christ. It’s a biscuit vaguely shaped like a human. Do we need to make a biscuit gender neutral so we don’t offend people?”</p> <p>Let’s face it: the Gingerbread Man is not, and has never been, the hill anyone expected society to die on. It doesn’t vote, drive or go to Centrelink. It’s a biscuit. Yet, here we are, watching as Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan rise like knights to defend a sugary snack from the insidious forces of progress.</p> <p>Does the average person truly care if their Gingerbread Man identifies as a Gingerbread Person? Is anyone truly shaking with rage while browsing the supermarket biscuit aisle? Or are most of us too busy, well, eating them?</p> <p>In the end, we must ask ourselves the hard questions: Will the Muffin Man survive the purge? Is Santa’s reindeer team next? And most importantly: if they’re still delicious, does it even matter?</p> <p>For now, the only certainty is that political correctness has officially reached the snack table. Somewhere, a batch of gender-neutral gingerbread people is cooling, blissfully unaware that their mere existence has triggered a full-scale political bake-off.</p> <p>And so, in the spirit of the festive season – let’s agree to eat the biscuit and leave the outrage for another day.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

Placeholder Content Image

Many people don’t get financial advice even though it can help ensure a comfortable retirement

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/antonia-settle-1019551">Antonia Settle</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>Many Australians, particularly those on lower incomes, are often characterised as <a href="https://www.mpmwm.com.au/latest-news/50475">lacking knowledge or interest</a> in superannuation.</p> <p><a href="https://www.superannuation.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Research-Note-Survey-on-superannuation-and-retirement-Advice-Sept-2024.pdf#_msdynmkt_linkid=48e751d5-debe-4eb2-9309-4bc96b01930a">Research</a> by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) confirms this.</p> <p>It found only 51% have sought any sort of financial advice before retiring.</p> <p>Financial advice plays a critical role in helping people maximise their super. But most of us don’t seek professional guidance.</p> <p>To make matters worse, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wealth/retirement-and-superannuation-questions-not-being-asked/news-story/cc2142c3b32c706ea6ff1dc99dab62a5">superannuation experts</a> say those with small amounts of super are the least likely to seek it.</p> <h2>Financial literacy</h2> <p>The failure of households to approach super like experienced asset managers is often attributed to <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud00b_key_obs.pdf">poor financial literacy</a>.</p> <p>Better <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-literacy.asp#:%7E:text=%25%2025%25%200%25-,What%20Is%20Financial%20Literacy%3F,management%2C%20budgeting%2C%20and%20investing.">knowledge</a>, it is often reasoned, would help lower income households make financially savvy decisions. This would help give them a better chance of achieving a comfortable retirement.</p> <p>Getting professional advice about managing retirement savings is a first step towards knowing what you don’t know. Learning to trust independent advice can optimise risk and returns, even if those decisions conflict with our instincts.</p> <p>ASFA <a href="https://www.superannuation.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Research-Note-Survey-on-superannuation-and-retirement-Advice-Sept-2024.pdf#_msdynmkt_linkid=48e751d5-debe-4eb2-9309-4bc96b01930a">research</a> found while trust in super funds was relatively high, only 12% sought information or advice from the funds.</p> <h2>Career interruptions</h2> <p>Some households might have little superannuation because their hourly wages are low and they have long breaks from the workforce. This might be due to raising children, personal illness or caring for others.</p> <p>Instead of being able to rely on public healthcare or pay others to provide this support, they are required to reduce or abandon paid work to do it themselves. This group consists overwhelmingly of <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/publications/superannuation-gender-pay-gaps-by-age-group">women</a></p> <p>They are also unlikely to have benefited from high employer contribution rates, such as those of <a href="https://www.csc.gov.au/Members/Funds-and-products/PSSap">federal public servants</a> or university employees, who have long earned a standard 17%.</p> <h2>Tax and other benefits</h2> <p>Low balance households are also unlikely to have paid large sums into super to avoid income tax. <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/news-and-publications/apra-releases-superannuation-statistics-for-june-2024">One in every four dollars</a> contributed to super is deposited as voluntary contributions, which attract a low tax rate.</p> <p>But most of these low tax contributions are made by <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/P1527-Who-benefits-The-high-cost-of-super-tax-concessions-Web-1.pdf">the 20%</a> with the highest incomes.</p> <p>In fact, with <a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/inequality/">70% of superannuation assets owned by the wealthiest 20% of households</a>, low balance households have relatively little to gain.</p> <p>Research shows those with the <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/4630688/ri2023n03.pdf">lowest balances</a> believe superannuation is a largely a tool for high income earners to avoid tax.</p> <p>And while financial advice will always be more useful to those who are able to use <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/articles/tax/five-ways-to-save-tax-using-superannuation.html">super as a tax minimisation strategy</a>, even for low-balance households – getting financial advice is worthwhile.</p> <p>Financial advice can help households choose investments that optimise the risk/return profile of superannuation at each stage of the life cycle.</p> <p>It can help avoid unnecessary fees and taxes and help people make the best decisions about <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/drawdown.asp#:%7E:text=A%20drawdown%20in%20retirement%20is,known%20as%20a%20drawdown%20percentage.">spending in retirement</a> so they can get the most out of their super.</p> <h2>Potential sticking points</h2> <p>The <a href="https://www.royalcommission.gov.au/banking#:%7E:text=The%20Royal%20Commission%20into%20Misconduct,into%20misconduct%20in%20the%20banking%2C">2017 royal commission</a> into banking and finance misconduct revealed major conflicts of interest in the advice sector. This only made some people more wary about trusting a stranger with their life savings.</p> <p>At between $4,000 and $12,000 for a <a href="https://www.moneymag.com.au/financial-planning/learning/how-much-does-financial-advice-cost">personal financial plan</a>, independent financial advice is not cheap. There is free counselling to manage debts but there is no free, independent advice for longer-term financial planning.</p> <p>Recent <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/stephen-jones-2022/media-releases/government-unveils-comprehensive-financial-advice">regulatory efforts</a> to better position superannuation funds to provide free financial advice to households will improve access for many.</p> <p>But these efforts won’t resolve the conflict of interest issue, given there is little incentive for funds to suggest investment strategies using other providers. This is particularly important during the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/super-for-individuals-and-families/super/withdrawing-and-using-your-super/retirement-withdrawal-lump-sum-or-income-stream">draw down phase</a>.</p> <p>This is where people start using their super which they receive as either a lump sum or income stream. The products offered by any single super fund to set this up are limited.</p> <p>Superannuation balances can be seriously eroded by <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/calculators-and-tools/super-yoursuper-comparison-tool">unnecessary fees</a>, inappropriate investments and poorly planned <a href="https://www.superguide.com.au/in-retirement/minimum-pension-payments-reduced">draw down</a> strategies. This is particularly damaging when low balances are involved.</p> <h2>Facing poverty in retirement</h2> <p>As a result, failure to seek financial advice can increase the risk of elderly poverty, especially if people retire without having bought or paid off a home.</p> <p>Any savings that can be preserved can make a meaningful difference to the capacity of such households to have a dignified retirement.</p> <p>For these reasons, access to free and independent advice is critically important for the superannuation system to better serve low-balance households. But free, independent advice is still not available in the superannuation system.</p> <p>It is not surprising low-balance households are reticent to engage in super given the lack of accessible advice. But the peripheral role of low-balance households in a system dominated by Australia’s wealthiest households may play a role in that reticence as well.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240207/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/antonia-settle-1019551"><em>Antonia Settle</em></a><em>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-people-dont-get-financial-advice-even-though-it-can-help-ensure-a-comfortable-retirement-240207">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

Placeholder Content Image

Young influencer's "sick act" while 80-year-old boyfriend is hospitalised

<p>Social media users have been left horrified by a young influencer's lack of sympathy after she shared a "disturbing" video of herself dancing next to her elderly boyfriend's hospital bed. </p> <p>Bronwin Aurora, 22, filmed herself doing a trending TikTok dance and boasting about being included in her 80-year-old boyfriend's will, dancing around the elderly man who was lying in his hospital bed surrounded by medical equipment. </p> <p>“Guys, I got on the will, should I pull the plug?” she captioned the clip. </p> <p>The video gained nearly half a million views, and while some thought it might be satirical, others expressed their concern and outrage. </p> <p>“Love your care for humanity," one commented sarcastically. </p> <p>“I’m going to cry. I hope he gives everything to his kids," another wrote. </p> <p>“A prelude to an episode of Law and Order,” commented a third. </p> <p>Some even suggested it was "elder abuse", while many called her out for the "sickening" and "outrageous" act calling it "a new low". </p> <p>The 22-year-old appears to have a "sugar daddy" arrangement with the man, who often buys her extravagant gifts, including a $20k Cartier bracelet, among other things. </p> <p>While the influencer did not disclose her boyfriend's medical condition, she has been documenting his health across multiple posts on social media, with the most recent one showing him in a wheelchair. </p> <p>In one video she even told fans that she "loves" him and doesn't shy away from sharing details of her relationship online. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

Placeholder Content Image

Many people don’t measure their blood pressure properly at home – here’s how to get accurate readings

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/niamh-chapman-2262829">Niamh Chapman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dean-picone-2264237">Dean Picone</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eleanor-clapham-2264235">Eleanor Clapham</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em></p> <p>Measuring your blood pressure at home means you can take readings over several days to get a better picture of your health, instead of one-off measurements at the doctor’s clinic.</p> <p>It’s important you follow specific steps to get an accurate reading.</p> <p>But <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.23678">our study</a> found most Australians do not measure their blood pressure correctly at home and very few were told the steps to follow.</p> <p>We have created <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/">resources</a> to help people measure their blood pressure at home, understand their readings and take action with their health-care team.</p> <h2>High blood pressure is a big issue</h2> <p>High blood pressure is a major health problem in Australia and globally.</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.51350">One in three Australian adults</a> have high blood pressure, also called hypertension. This is when your <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/blood-pressure-and-your-heart">blood pressure</a> is <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15026">at or above 140/90mmHg</a> (mmHg refers to millimetres of mercury, a standard measurement of blood pressure).</p> <p>High blood pressure is the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10881002/">leading contributor</a> to preventable health issues and early death among Australians because it is the main risk factor for heart disease, stroke, dementia and kidney disease.</p> <h2>Why measuring blood pressure is important</h2> <p>High blood pressure often has no symptoms. So the only way to know if you have it is to measure it.</p> <p>You may also need to check if your blood pressure has lowered after starting medication or if you’re making changes to your lifestyle, such as doing more exercise, giving up smoking or reducing salt intake. Low blood pressure (<a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/blood-pressure-low-hypotension">hypotension</a>) can also be an issue.</p> <p>But blood pressure changes based on how we are feeling, what we’ve eaten or the activities we have just been doing.</p> <p>These normal responses mean our blood pressure can change from minute to minute and hour to hour. This is why there are specific, recommended steps to follow to reliably measure your blood pressure and to be able to compare readings taken days, months and years apart.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="lBVm6" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/lBVm6/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <hr /> <h2>Mistakes are common</h2> <p>We surveyed and interviewed 350 people (who were all measuring their blood pressure at home) from around Australia to find out how Australians measure blood pressure at home and if they receive any education to help them know what to do.</p> <p>Our study found no one followed all of the specific, recommended steps to measure their blood pressure. Instead they said they measured their blood pressure at different times of the day after doing different things.</p> <p>We found most people measured their blood pressure while sitting down (90%) and with the cuff on their bare arm (77%), which is the right thing to do.</p> <p>While 58% of people took two blood pressure measures each time, which is correct, only 40% used the average of the two blood pressure readings. Very few (15%) measured their blood pressure over several days in both the morning and evening.</p> <p>Only half of the people in our study used a blood pressure device that had been <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/what_device_should_i_use">clinically validated</a>. This means the device has been <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.10237">tested for accuracy</a> by the manufacturer according to <a href="https://www.iso.org/sectors/health">international standards</a>, not just safety.</p> <h2>Consultation and communication</h2> <p>Regardless of whether or not a doctor had recommended they measure their blood pressure at home, most people (78%) reported their blood pressure readings to their doctor.</p> <p>These findings tell us doctors often use home blood pressure readings to help diagnose and manage high blood pressure. This emphasises how important it is to ensure people measure blood pressure correctly.</p> <p>Many people were measuring their blood pressure a few times a week or month. But most <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4671913/">guidelines</a> recommend blood pressure only needs to be measured at home: every day over a week, every six months; and ideally before you see your doctor and after you start or change blood pressure medication.</p> <p>Measuring blood pressure at home can bring peace of mind, which many study participants described. But measuring your blood pressure too often may create unnecessary stress, potentially leading to higher blood pressure readings.</p> <p>Instead, it’s better to agree with your doctor how often you should measure your blood pressure and to follow the recommended steps each time to make sure your readings are as accurate and useful as possible.</p> <h2>Support for blood pressure measurement</h2> <p>We found few people had received any education or guidance from health-care professionals about how to measure their blood pressure at home.</p> <p>Instead, many study participants looked for information online to help them know what their blood pressure numbers meant and changes they could make to lower their blood pressure. They were less interested in learning how to measure accurately.</p> <p>So we have worked with people who measure and manage their blood pressure at home to create a <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/">simple guide</a> to help you choose a blood pressure device, measure your blood pressure accurately, understand your blood pressure readings and take action to control your blood pressure.</p> <hr /> <p><em>For more information about managing your blood pressure at home, <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/">see our resources</a>. You can also check if your blood pressure device has been <a href="https://bloodpressuretoolkit.com/what_device_should_i_use">tested for accuracy</a>.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244161/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/niamh-chapman-2262829">Niamh Chapman</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Hypertension and Patient Engagement, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dean-picone-2264237">Dean Picone</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eleanor-clapham-2264235">Eleanor Clapham</a>, PhD candidate, School of Health and Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-people-dont-measure-their-blood-pressure-properly-at-home-heres-how-to-get-accurate-readings-244161">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Eight people detained over Laos methanol poisoning

<p>Eight men have been detained over the suspected mass methanol poisoning in Laos that killed six tourists, including two Australians. </p> <p>Police in Laos told the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-26/laos-methanol-poisoning-detained/104650642" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>ABC</em></a> that detained men were staff and management of the Nana Backpackers hostel, where Melbourne teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles were staying when they fell sick.</p> <p>The two 19 year olds had consumed the alcoholic beverages in the party town of Vang Vieng, and later died in seperate hospitals in Thailand. </p> <p>Four other tourists from Denmark, the UK and the US have also died.</p> <p>Police in Laos last week forcibly shut down the Nana hostel, where five of the six victims who died were staying.</p> <p>They questioned staff, ranging in ages from 23 to 47, including the bartender and owner, while the Laos government vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.</p> <p>The arrests come as the bodies of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles arrived home in Australia on Tuesday night, with Bianca's father Mark fronting the media at Melbourne Airport to welcome the news of the arrests. </p> <p>"We want to grieve. We miss our daughters desperately. I was happy to hear there's been some movement over in Laos," he said.</p> <p>"I would continue to urge our government to continue to pursue whomever. We will make every effort we can to help raise awareness of methanol poisoning."</p> <p><em>Image credits: RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock </em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Sixteen people missing after tourist yacht sinks

<p>Egyptian officials have confirmed sixteen people are missing after a tourist yacht capsized in the Red Sea after being struck by strong waves. </p> <p>The governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said rescuers saved 28 people from the sinking vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam, and some were airlifted to receive medical treatment.</p> <p>The Egyptian Navy warship El Fateh and military aircraft have intensified their efforts to locate the missing, with rescue teams working around the clock.</p> <p>A total of 44 people were on board the yacht, including 13 Egyptians, and 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain and Ireland.</p> <p>The governor confirmed that 16 people are still missing, including four Egyptians and 12 foreign tourists. </p> <p>The boat had no technical issues, while passengers onboard said the reason behind the sinking was a strong wave that hit the boat, causing it to capsize. </p> <p>The governorate received a report shortly before dawn on Monday of a distress call made from the yacht, which had left Marsa Alam for a five-day journey.</p> <p>The Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea and advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.</p> <p>The boat is the second vessel to sink in the area this year. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

What is ‘doll therapy’ for people with dementia? And is it backed by science?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nikki-anne-wilson-342631">Nikki-Anne Wilson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>The way people living with dementia <a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/how-dementia-changes-perception">experience the world</a> can change as the disease progresses. Their sense of reality or place in time can become distorted, which can cause <a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/symptoms/restlessness">agitation and distress</a>.</p> <p>One of the best ways to support people experiencing changes in perception and behaviour is to <a href="https://www.dementia.org.au/professionals/designing-dementia-friendly-care-environments">manage their environment</a>. This can have profound benefits including <a href="https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/resource-library/reducing-use-sedatives-aged-care-video">reducing the need for sedatives</a>.</p> <p>One such strategy is the use of dolls as comfort aids.</p> <h2>What is ‘doll therapy’?</h2> <p>More appropriately referred to as “<a href="https://www.dementia.com.au/resource-hub/the-use-of-dolls-in-dementia-care">child representation</a>”, lifelike dolls (also known as empathy dolls) can provide comfort for some people with dementia.</p> <p>Memories from the <a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/symptoms/memory-loss#:%7E:text=Older%20memories%20%E2%80%93%20which%20have%20been,detailed%20memories%20from%20earlier%20life.">distant past</a> are often more salient than more recent events in dementia. This means that past experiences of parenthood and caring for young children may feel more “real” to a person with dementia than where they are now.</p> <p><a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/hallucinations#:%7E:text=Visual%20hallucinations%20are%20more%20common,hallucinating%20and%20how%20others%20respond.">Hallucinations or delusions</a> may also occur, where a person hears a baby crying or fears they have lost their baby.</p> <p>Providing a doll can be a tangible way of reducing distress without invalidating the experience of the person with dementia.</p> <h2>Some people believe the doll is real</h2> <p>A recent case involving <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/06/deplorable-nurse-slammed-therapy-doll-dementia-patient-believed-was-real-baby-on-table-nsw-tribunal-hears">an aged care nurse mistreating a dementia patient’s therapy doll</a> highlights the importance of appropriate training and support for care workers in this area.</p> <p>For those who do become attached to a therapeutic doll, they will treat the doll as a real baby needing care and may therefore have a profound emotional response if the doll is mishandled.</p> <p>It’s important to be guided by the person with dementia and only act as if it’s a real baby if the person themselves believes that is the case.</p> <h2>What does the evidence say about their use?</h2> <p>Evidence shows the use of empathy dolls may help <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197457223002677">reduce agitation and anxiety</a> and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/14/4/200">improve overall quality of life</a> in people living with dementia.</p> <p>Child representation therapy falls under the banner of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763423004761">non-pharmacological approaches to dementia care</a>. More specifically, the attachment to the doll may act as a form of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6494367/">reminiscence therapy</a>, which involves using prompts to reconnect with past experiences.</p> <p>Interacting with the dolls may also act as a form of <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/dementia-friendly-environments/sensory-stimulation">sensory stimulation</a>, where the person with dementia may gain comfort from touching and holding the doll. Sensory stimulation may <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocn.13169?casa_token=ro96fxe2VPoAAAAA%3AKOS10VkTdcrf0yTI_F9p6cI5Kpbj85ZTFq13PQ56YHxi0i3-5BOnFQfW1WFWqiCZ8-mk5sp_EGkGtKM">support emotional well-being and aid commnication</a>.</p> <p>However, not all people living with dementia will respond to an empathy doll.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.alzheimerswa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2.00-Guidlines-for-Use-of-Dolls-and-Mechanized-Pets-as-a-Therapeutic-Tool-4-pages.pdf">introduction of a therapeutic doll</a> needs to be done in conjunction with careful observation and consideration of the person’s background.</p> <p>Empathy dolls may be inappropriate or less effective for those who have not previously cared for children or who may have experienced past birth trauma or the loss of a child.</p> <p>Be guided by the person with dementia and how they respond to the doll.</p> <h2>Are there downsides?</h2> <p>The approach has <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33125455/">attracted some controversy</a>. It has been suggested that child representation therapy “infantilises” people living with dementia and may increase negative stigma.</p> <p>Further, the attachment may become so strong that the person with dementia will <a href="https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/living-with-dementia/doll-therapy/">become upset if someone else picks the doll up</a>. This may create some difficulties in the presence of grandchildren or when cleaning the doll.</p> <p>The introduction of child representation therapy may also require additional staff training and time. Non-pharmacological interventions such as child representation, however, have been shown to be <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10180718/">cost-effective</a>.</p> <h2>Could robots be the future?</h2> <p>The use of more <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8247474/#:%7E:text=Therefore%2C%20an%20interactive%20baby%20robot,mental%20support%20for%20older%20adults.">interactive empathy dolls</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14713012231155985">pet-like robots</a> is also gaining popularity.</p> <p>While robots have been shown to be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000757">feasible and acceptable in dementia care</a>, there remains some contention about their benefits.</p> <p>While some studies have shown <a href="https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/article/5/2/igab013/6249558?login=false">positive outcomes</a>, including reduced agitation, others show <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000757">no improvement</a> in cognition, behaviour or quality of life among people with dementia.</p> <p>Advances in artificial intelligence are also being used to help support people living with dementia and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1471301221998888">inform</a> the community.</p> <p><a href="https://feel-lab.org/research_projects/ai-viv-and-friends/">Viv and Friends</a>, for example, are AI companions who appear on a screen and can interact with the person with dementia in real time. The AI character Viv has dementia and was co-created with women living with dementia using verbatim scripts of their words, insights and experiences. While Viv can share her experience of living with dementia, she can also be programmed to talk about common interests, such as gardening.</p> <p>These companions are currently being trialled in some residential aged care facilities and to help educate people on the lived experience of dementia.</p> <h2>How should you respond to your loved one’s empathy doll?</h2> <p>While child representation can be a useful adjunct in dementia care, it requires sensitivity and appropriate consideration of the person’s needs.</p> <p>People living with dementia <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38325063/">may not perceive the social world the same way</a> as a person without dementia. But a person living with dementia is not a child and should never be treated as one.</p> <p>Ensure all family, friends and care workers are <a href="https://www.alzheimerswa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2.00-Guidlines-for-Use-of-Dolls-and-Mechanized-Pets-as-a-Therapeutic-Tool-4-pages.pdf">informed about the attachment to the empathy doll</a> to help avoid unintentionally causing distress from inappropriate handling of the doll.</p> <p>If using an interactive doll, ensure spare batteries are on hand.</p> <p>Finally, it is important to reassess the attachment over time as the person’s response to the empathy doll may change.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243589/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nikki-anne-wilson-342631">Nikki-Anne Wilson</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-doll-therapy-for-people-with-dementia-and-is-it-backed-by-science-243589">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

What causes the itch in mozzie bites? And why do some people get such a bad reaction?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Are you one of these people who loathes spending time outdoors at dusk as the weather warms and mosquitoes start biting?</p> <p>Female mosquitoes <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153618">need blood</a> to develop their eggs. Even though they take a tiny amount of our blood, they can leave us with itchy red lumps that can last days. And sometimes something worse.</p> <p>So why does our body react and itch after being bitten by a mosquito? And why are some people more affected than others?</p> <h2>What happens when a mosquito bites?</h2> <p>Mosquitoes are attracted to warm blooded animals, including us. They’re attracted to the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-entomological-research/article/abs/role-of-carbon-dioxide-in-hostfinding-by-mosquitoes-diptera-culicidae-a-review/2506B86EF63852B2D02EC3FCEE1E3B8B">carbon dioxide</a> we exhale, our body temperatures and, most importantly, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-08/mosquitoes-climate-change-skin/104548122">the smell of our skin</a>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/abstract/S1471-4922(21)00237-3">chemical cocktail</a> of odours from bacteria and sweat on our skin <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00532-8">sends out a signal</a> to hungry mosquitoes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667114X21000522">Some people’s</a> skin smells more appealing to mosquitoes, and they’re more likely to be bitten than others.</p> <p>Once the mosquito has made its way to your skin, things get a little gross.</p> <p>The mosquito pierces your skin with their “proboscis”, their feeding mouth part. But the proboscis isn’t a single, straight, needle-like tube. There are multiple tubes, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/07/480653821/watch-mosquitoes-use-6-needles-to-suck-your-blood">some designed</a> for sucking and some for spitting.</p> <p>Once their mouth parts have been inserted into your skin, the mosquito will inject some saliva. This contains a mix of chemicals that gets the blood flowing better.</p> <p>There has even been a suggestion that future medicines could be inspired by the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2018/03/29/mosquito-saliva-vital-to-the-discovery-of-future-drugs.html">anti-blood clotting properties</a> of mosquito saliva.</p> <p>It’s not the stabbing of our skin by the mosquito’s mouth parts that hurts, it’s the mozzie spit our bodies don’t like.</p> <h2>Are some people allergic to mosquito spit?</h2> <p>Once a mosquito has injected their saliva into our skin, a variety of reactions can follow. For the lucky few, nothing much happens at all.</p> <p>For most people, and irrespective of the type of mosquito biting, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1024559/full">there is some kind of reaction</a>. Typically there is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161589023002304?via%3Dihub">redness and swelling of the skin</a> that appears within a few hours, but often more quickly, after just a few minutes.</p> <p>Occasionally, the reaction can cause pain or discomfort. Then comes the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2023-01-20/mosquito-bites-itchy-calamine-heat-ice-antihistamine-toothpaste/101652608">itchiness</a>.</p> <p>Some people do suffer severe reactions to mosquito bites. It’s a condition often referred to as “<a href="https://www.webmd.com/allergies/what-is-skeeter-syndrome">skeeter syndrome</a>” and is an allergic reaction caused by the protein in the mosquito’s saliva. This can cause large areas of swelling, blistering and fever.</p> <p>The chemistry of mosquito spit hasn’t really been well studied. But it has been shown that, for those who do suffer allergic reactions to their bites, the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091674904022183">reactions may differ</a> depending on the type of mosquito biting.</p> <p>We all probably get more tolerant of mosquito bites as we get older. Young children are certainly more likely to suffer more following mosquito bites. But as we get older, the reactions are less severe and may pass quickly without too much notice.</p> <h2>How best to treat the bites?</h2> <p>Research into treating bites <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0161589023002304">has yet to provide</a> a single easy solution.</p> <p>There are many <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/outdoor-health/home-remedies-for-mosquito-bites">myths and home remedies</a> about what works. But there is little scientific evidence supporting their use.</p> <p>The best way to treat mosquito bites is by applying a cold pack to reduce swelling and to keep the skin clean to avoid any secondary infections. Antiseptic creams and lotions may also help.</p> <p>There is some evidence that <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10309056/">heat may alleviate</a> some of the discomfort.</p> <p>It’s particularly tough to keep young children from scratching at the bite and breaking the skin. This can form a nasty scab that may end up being worse than the bite itself.</p> <p>Applying an anti-itch cream may help. If the reactions are severe, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/insect-bites-and-stings">antihistamine medications</a> may be required.</p> <h2>To save the scratching, stop the bites</h2> <p>Of course, it’s better not to be bitten by mosquitoes in the first place. Topical <a href="https://theconversation.com/insect-repellents-work-but-there-are-other-ways-to-beat-mosquitoes-without-getting-sticky-171805">insect repellents</a> are a safe, effective and affordable way to reduce mosquito bites.</p> <p>Covering up with loose fitted long sleeved shirts, long pants and covered shoes also provides a physical barrier.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/are-mosquito-coils-good-or-bad-for-our-health-88548">Mosquito coils and other devices</a> can also assist, but should not be entirely relied on to stop bites.</p> <p>There’s another important reason to avoid mosquito bites: millions of people around the world suffer from mosquito-borne diseases. More than <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria">half a million people die</a> from malaria each year.</p> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005070">Ross River virus</a> infects more than 5,000 people every year. And in recent years, there have been cases of serious illnesses caused by <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/how-rains-pigs-and-waterbirds-fueled-shocking-disease-outbreak-australia">Japanese encephalitis</a> and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1256149/full">Murray Valley encephalitis</a> viruses.<!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/cameron-webb-6736">Cameron Webb</a>, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-causes-the-itch-in-mozzie-bites-and-why-do-some-people-get-such-a-bad-reaction-243044">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

Placeholder Content Image

Hospice nurse reveals people's last words before they die

<p>A hospice nurse has revealed the number one thing people say in their final moments before they die. </p> <p>Healthcare expert Julie McFadden, who makes online videos discussing death to help break the taboo around dying, has shared the three most common regrets patients share on their death beds. </p> <p>Speaking to NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan on his podcast, Julie said these final discussions tend to centre around what they've taken for granted. </p> <p>"The first one I hear all the time is that they regret not appreciating their health while they had it," Ms McFadden said, reflecting on her 15 years of working in the health sector. </p> <p>"That's the number one thing people say to me, I wish I would have understood how amazing it is to have a working body."</p> <p>The second regret she often hears is people admitting they "worked too much" and wish they hadn't worked their life away, and rather spent time doing things that brought them joy. </p> <p>Finally, she revealed in the clip shared to Instagram, that many dying patients have regrets about relationships. </p> <p>The nurse explained people either wish they had maintained certain relationships and friendships, or regret holding grudges.</p> <p>Dr Rajan responded to Ms McFadden's insight with a story of a young patient that made him realise we are not 'immortal' and we should not take our life "for granted". </p> <p>In the clip shared with his 1.5million followers he said, "A few years ago when I saw a young woman come in with pancreatitis in her 20s, within three hours this young woman is in the intensive care unit, she's intubated, ventilated, and the next day, she had passed away."</p> <p>"That just made me think wow, I'm in my 30s now, I'm 34, life can just go in a flash. So yes, truly don't take it for granted, we sometimes have this tendency to walk around like we're immortal."</p> <p><em>Image credits: YouTube</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

For some people dying alone is not such a bad thing – here’s why

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glenys-caswell-142188">Glenys Caswell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-nottingham-1192">University of Nottingham</a></em></p> <p>It seems so obvious that no one should die alone that we never talk about it, but people do often die when they are alone. Sometimes they die in a way that suggests they prefer to be alone as they are coming to the end of their lives. So is it really such a bad thing to be alone when you die?</p> <p>When a person is dying in a hospital or a care home it is common for the nurses caring for them to summon their family. Many people will have the experience of trying to <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2190/OM.55.3.d">keep vigil beside a family member</a>. It is hard – as everyday life goes on regardless – and it can be emotionally exhausting. Sometimes, the relative will die when their family have gone to make a phone call or get a cup of tea, leaving the family feeling distressed and guilty for not being there when they died.</p> <p>There is plenty of research literature, from many countries, devoted to trying to decide <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885392415001578">what makes a good death</a>. There are differences to be found between countries, but similarities too. One similarity is a belief that <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S106474811600138X?via%3Dihub">no one should die alone</a>.</p> <p>This idea sits well with the view of dying that can be found in many different places. When interviewed as research participants, health professionals – and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904589/">nurses in particular</a> – commonly say that no one should die alone. There are also many cultural references that suggest that to die alone is a bad thing. Consider, for example, the death of Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’s <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm">A Christmas Carol</a>, or the death of Nemo, the law writer in <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1023/1023-h/1023-h.htm">Bleak House</a>. These are both sad, dark, lonely deaths of a kind to be avoided.</p> <p>Celebrity deaths, such as those of comedian and actress <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/apr/20/victoria-wood-dies-aged-62-comedian">Victoria Wood</a> or <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35278872">David Bowie</a>, are described in the news as peaceful or good when they are surrounded by family. Ordinary people who die alone make the news when the person’s body is undiscovered for a long time. When this happens the death is likely to be described in <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795360300577X?via%3Dihub">negative terms</a>, such as shocking, lonely, tragic or as a sad indictment of society.</p> <h2>Some people prefer to be alone</h2> <p>Of course, it may be the case that many people would prefer to have their family around them when they are dying. But there is <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21582041.2015.1114663">evidence</a> that suggests that some people would <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953615003482?via%3Dihub">prefer to be alone </a> as they are coming to the end of their lives.</p> <p>My own <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13576275.2017.1413542">research</a> found that while hospice-at-home nurses believe that no one should die alone, they had seen cases where a person died after their family members had left the bedside. The nurses believed that some people just want to be on their own when they are dying. They also thought that people may have a measure of control over when they die, and choose to do so when their family are not around.</p> <p>In the same study, I also talked to older people who were living alone to find out their views about dying alone. I was intrigued to learn that dying alone was not seen as something that is automatically bad, and for some of the older people it was to be preferred. For some people in this group, dying was not the worst thing that could happen – being trapped in a care home was considered to be far worse than dying alone.</p> <p>Cultural representations of dying suggest that being alone while dying is a dreadful thing. This view is supported by healthcare policy and the practices of health professionals, such as nurses. But we all know people who prefer to be left alone when they are ill. Is it so surprising then that some might wish to be alone when they are dying?</p> <p>It is time we began to talk about this and to accept that we want different things in our dying as we do in our living. Openness created through discussion might also help to remove some of the guilt that family members feel when they miss the moment of their relative’s death.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90034/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glenys-caswell-142188">Glenys Caswell</a>, Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-nottingham-1192">University of Nottingham</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-some-people-dying-alone-is-not-such-a-bad-thing-heres-why-90034">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Coldplay pause concert to help young boy in distress

<p>Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin has paused their concert in Sydney to help a young fan in distress.</p> <p>At Sydney's Accor stadium, Martin spotted a young boy in the crowd who was being crushed behind a wall of pushing fans.</p> <p>A video of the moment was shared on TikTok, showing the singer checking in on the kid before giving him the best seat in the house.</p> <p>"You can sit right here, OK? You don't have to be squeezed," Martin told the boy during Wednesday night's show, pointing to a spot over the crowd control barriers.</p> <p>Martin then turned to the security team if they could "get some headphones for him" before turning his attention back to the boy, as he explained, "Then you don't have to be squished by all these adults is all."</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7434149552611020040&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40rubygxpim%2Fvideo%2F7434149552611020040%3Flang%3Den&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2Fok6scDVKIAojceAI4DZEVneANEAjAAFROrEg6f%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26x-expires%3D1731196800%26x-signature%3DOcK0QZUELKCqtkgmIvPpGukhRCc%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>"You sit right there my little brother, OK. Better? Now let's get you ... do you want some coke or something? The drink, I mean," he said to laughs from the crowd.</p> <p>"We'll take care of you man."</p> <p>Once the boy was safely in position, Martin carried on with the show. </p> <p>The video quickly went viral, with many commenting that Martin's care for the young fan was a "class act", with many praising his "wonderful" actions. </p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok/Sonia Moskowitz Gordon/ZUMA/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Sad end in search for young boy swept out to sea

<p>A body has been recovered in the search for a young boy swept out to sea in front of his family while on a fishing trip at The Entrance, NSW over the weekend.</p> <p>Laith Alaid, 11, was crossing a channel about 5pm on Sunday when he was caught in the outgoing tide. </p> <p>His father managed to save his other three sons aged, three, seven and nine, but he could not reach Laith in time.</p> <p>Bystanders looked after the three children while Laith's father tried to reach him. </p> <p>“(The father) came here by himself and with his four beautiful boys ... and he tried to save them all, he saved three and by the time he turned around (Laith) was gone ... in a split second,” family member Zeid Alhirz said. </p> <p>The family were visiting the Central Coast from Sydney and had been fishing when it is understood they took a shortcut across the channel between an estuary and the ocean. </p> <p>Relatives said they had visited and fished at the popular tourist spot for years and had crossed the channel at least three times before tragedy struck. </p> <p>An extensive multi-agency search was conducted and on Wednesday police were called back to The Entrance after a body was found in the water. </p> <p>“While the body is yet to be formally identified, it is believed to be that of the missing boy,” NSW Police said.</p> <p>Inspector David Piddington said “lots of people try to move across that channel” but he advised against it.</p> <p>A report will be prepared for the coroner.</p> <p><em>Images: 7News</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested": do driving apps help people break road rules?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>Apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze can tell drivers when they are approaching speed cameras or random breath testing stations. Countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland have banned apps from displaying these enforcement locations.</p> <p>But what effect are these apps having in Australia – are they helping drivers break road rules?</p> <p>Our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524002972">paper</a>, published in the journal Safety Science, examined this question.</p> <p>We found this technology can, in some cases, contribute to people thinking they are invincible on the roads. However, we also found they can sometimes help people drive more safely.</p> <h2>Being made aware of enforcement can help road safety</h2> <p>We conducted focus groups and interviews with a total of 58 drivers from Queensland, to understand how the use of this technology influences perceptions of being caught for breaking road rules.</p> <p>One driver told us: "If I know it’s coming up, I’ll put my phone down. If I was, say, texting or checking something, but then like once a good few 100 metres away, I sort of pick it up again, depending though."</p> <p>Another said: "It sort of depends where I am driving, I guess. Like, if I am driving on a country road and there is a speed camera there I would probably slow down for the speed camera and then sort of speed up again once I am sort of past that; it sort of depends on the circumstances."</p> <p>We also found that, for some people, being made aware of enforcement locations can help drivers better regulate their speed. This helped them comply with road rules more consistently.</p> <p>Waze also shows the speed limit in the area, which further assisted some drivers to stick to the speed limit. One driver told us: "I’m a bit careful if I just look at the speedo and just double check that I’m on the right amount of speed."</p> <p>Another said: "It just gives you a warning like, ‘OK, you need to check your speed.’ Just to double-check you’re going on the right speed perhaps or when it’s a camera coming up."</p> <h2>Concerning behaviours</h2> <p>Concerningly, we also found some drivers who use these apps are looking at and touching their screens more than they otherwise would. This can distract drivers and increase their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524001097">risk of crashing</a>.</p> <p>One driver told us they post traffic updates on the app they use while driving, “which I know is wrong.”</p> <p>Another said: "Just hit the button on the phone. Just two steps after I go past the camera."</p> <p>Another driver told us: "It’s so helpful […] Especially if it’s, say, late night and I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested."</p> <p>One driver said: "I probably feel slightly more invincible, which is probably not a good thing."</p> <p>When asked why these apps are used, one driver said: "I guess the drug and the drink-driving."</p> <h2>Apps can help and hinder road safety</h2> <p>We know breaking road rules significantly contributes to <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/safety-and-mobility/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2023">crashes and road fatalities</a>, with deaths on Australian roads continuing to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">increase</a> over time.</p> <p>On the one hand, when drivers are aware of enforcement measures like cameras and police, they are more likely to stop breaking the rules in those areas. That’s particularly true for behaviours such as speeding and using a phone while driving, we found.</p> <p>Using apps that flag where cameras and police are located also means drivers would be more exposed to enforcement activities than they otherwise would be on a normal drive.</p> <p>On the other hand, our results suggest some drivers are using these applications to break road rules more often in places where they think they won’t be caught.</p> <p>These apps are also not always completely accurate.</p> <p>For instance, even though Waze can display some police operation locations such as roadside breath testing, it can’t capture <em>all</em> on-road police activities. Further, camera locations are not always up to date or accurate.</p> <h2>Weighing benefits against risks</h2> <p>While these apps do have some benefits, it’s important to weigh these against the risks.</p> <p>It’s also important to recognise traffic enforcement isn’t just there to make you comply with road rules at a specific point; it is meant to remind you of the constant risk of being caught and to encourage consistent rule compliance.</p> <p>The goal is to ensure that drivers are following the traffic rules across the entire network, not just in isolated spots.</p> <p>With road fatalities at some of the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">highest rates we’ve seen in recent years</a>, we need everyone to work together to stop more preventable deaths and injuries.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237664/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, A/Professor Responsible Risk Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-coming-home-from-a-party-and-i-dont-want-to-end-up-getting-arrested-do-driving-apps-help-people-break-road-rules-237664">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

6 reasons why people enjoy horror movies

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shane-rogers-575838">Shane Rogers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/coltan-scrivner-1475716">Coltan Scrivner</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arizona-state-university-730">Arizona State University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shannon-muir-2237282">Shannon Muir</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p>The creeping shadows and haunting decorations transform the everyday into something eerie at Halloween. And you might be thinking about scaring yourself with a <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/">good horror movie</a>.</p> <p>Grotesque imagery, extreme violence, startling jump scares and menacing characters are common elements, making viewers feel fear, dread and disgust.</p> <p>We generally aim to avoid these <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1321053/full">negative emotions</a> in our everyday lives.</p> <p>So why would some people seek them out, and enjoy them, in horror movies?</p> <h2>1. Fear can be thrilling</h2> <p>There is lots of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763423002063">overlap</a> between the emotions of fear and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53533-y">excitement</a>. In both, <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.neuro.051508.135620">stress hormones</a> are released that can produce physical symptoms such as increased heart and breathing rates, sweating and muscle tension. People also feel <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-fear-2671696">more alert</a> and “on edge”.</p> <p>Research has <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02298/full">consistently shown</a> people with personalities that crave intense emotional experiences, including fear and excitement, tend to enjoy horror movies.</p> <p>But for more fearful people, the jump scares and violent scenes can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197535899.001.0001">too intense</a>. This can result in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797620972116">coping behaviours</a> such as looking away or putting their hands over the ears, especially if they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000152">highly immersed</a> in the movie.</p> <p>Although, if they also happen to enjoy intense emotion, they may still enjoy the thrill of the ride.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/llpsjbNQIns?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Movie makers work hard to get these ‘jump scares’ just right. And viewers enjoy the thrill.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>2. There’s a sense of relief</h2> <p>People may enjoy horror movies because of a <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/7uh6f">sense of relief</a> after a <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/ts-digest/issue/science-experiments-from-the-afterlife-24-14?utm_campaign=TS_TS%20Digest%202.0%20Promotion&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=329250194&amp;utm_content=329250194&amp;utm_source=hs_email#why-do-some-people-enjoy-horror-movies-72181">scary moment has passed</a>.</p> <p>Watching a horror movie can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, with distinct <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811920300094">peaks and troughs</a> of fear and relief over the course of the film.</p> <p>For example, in the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484/">2017 movie It</a> the main protagonists survive a series of scary encounters with a demonic clown. The scary moments are separated by calmer scenes, prompting a rollercoaster of emotions.</p> <p>In the classic <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/">1975 movie Jaws</a>, viewers experience relief from the scary moments, only to be scared again and again.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yFXG5QQYOvg?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Jaws is a rollercoaster of emotions.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>3. They satisfy our morbid curiosity</h2> <p>Many horror movies feature supernatural themes and characters such as zombies, werewolves and vampires. So horror movies can help satiate a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886921005183">morbid curiosity</a>.</p> <p>The violence, death, destruction and grotesque elements can provide curious people a safe space to explore things that are not safe (or socially appropriate) in the real world.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZbdMMI6ty0o?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Horror movies can help people satisfy their curiosity about death. But why are they curious in the first place?</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>4. We can work out our limits</h2> <p>Horror movies can reflect our deepest fears and prompt introspection about our personal thresholds of fear and disgust.</p> <p>So some people may enjoy watching them to get a <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/sdxe6">better understanding</a> of their own limits.</p> <p>Watching horror might also be a way to push personal boundaries to potentially become <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/7uh6f">less fearful</a> or grossed out by things in real life.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110397">study</a> one of us (Coltan) conducted, horror movie fans reported less psychological distress during the early months of the COVID pandemic compared with people not identifying as a horror movie fan.</p> <h2>5. They can be social</h2> <p>Some people say the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000152">social aspect</a> of watching horror movies with others is a big part of their appeal.</p> <p>Watching with others might help some people feel safer. Alternatively, this might help <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/b8tgs">amplify</a> the emotional experience by <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223259">feeding off the emotions</a> of people around them.</p> <p>Horror movies are also a common pick as a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls023286138/">date night</a> movie. Being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.3.586">scared together</a> gives a good excuse to snuggle and take comfort in each other.</p> <h2>6. They give us pleasure in other people’s misery</h2> <p>Horror movies can provide the pleasurable emotion we feel when witnessing the misfortune of others, known as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/schadenfreude">schadenfreude</a>. This occurs most when we feel the person experiencing misfortune deserves it.</p> <p>In many horror movies the characters that suffer a gruesome fate are only side characters. Much of the time these unfortunate souls are made out to be unlikeable and often make foolish choices before their grisly end.</p> <p>For example, in the 1996 teen witch movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/">The Craft</a>, the character Chris Hooker is portrayed as being cruel to women. Then he dies by being blasted out of a window.</p> <p>Despite the grisly nature of horror movies, a <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-43893-001">study</a> by one of us (Coltan) found horror fans seem to have the same levels of empathy as anyone else.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZvLmyts6cEY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">In The Craft, viewers enjoy witnessing the misfortune of others, particularly if the character is a ‘baddy’.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What do I make of all this?</h2> <p>Horror movies allow us to confront our deepest fears through the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000354">safety of make-believe</a>.</p> <p>People enjoy them for lots of different reasons. And the precise combination of reasons differs depending on the specific movie, and the person or people watching it.</p> <p>What is certain though, is the <a href="https://www.the-numbers.com/market/genres">increasing popularity</a> of horror movies, with <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/">many</a> to choose from.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241480/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shane-rogers-575838"><em>Shane Rogers</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/coltan-scrivner-1475716">Coltan Scrivner</a>, Behavioral Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arizona-state-university-730">Arizona State University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shannon-muir-2237282">Shannon Muir</a>, Lecturer in psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/6-reasons-why-people-enjoy-horror-movies-241480">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Movies

Placeholder Content Image

Grieving father pays tribute to young son killed in school crash

<p>The heart-broken father of the young boy who was killed when a car crashed through his school gate has spoken out about his profound loss. </p> <p>Jack Davey was sitting with friends when a car slammed through a fence and into a group of Year 5 students at Auburn South Primary School on Tuesday afternoon.</p> <p>He was critically injured and died on the way to hospital, while four other children were also injured. </p> <p>As tributes for the young boy have started to emerge in the days following the accident, Jack’s father has also now publicly spoken for the first time following his son’s death.</p> <p>In a moving tribute, Mike Davey said he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without his “beautiful” boy.</p> <p>“Our beautiful son. A shooting star who blessed us for 11 years with love, friendship and kindness,” he said. “You were my inspiration and motivation. I cannot comprehend the life ahead without you."</p> <p>“My mate, my champ, my Jackie-boi. Godspeed, until we meet again ... I love you.”</p> <p>His mother, dad and siblings visited a growing memorial for the student outside the school on Wednesday afternoon to read all the messages left in his honour.</p> <p>His father wore his son’s backpack and his two sisters left teddy bears.</p> <p>School mum and friend of the family Lucy Pristel along with some of the other school mums, decided to launch a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-davey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:GoFundMe;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" data-rapid_p="15" data-v9y="1">GoFundMe</a> to help "ease the burden" of funeral costs, adding, "We just wanted to make life as easy as possible." </p> <p>In a matter of hours, the fundraiser has exceeded its goal, and at the time of writing over $160,000 has been <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/boy-s-tragic-death-in-school-crash-sparks-incredible-community-response" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> by the community.</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Arguing with the people you love? How to have a healthy family dispute

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-robles-617248">Jessica Robles</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/loughborough-university-1336">Loughborough University</a></em></p> <p>Unlike Britain’s royal family, most of us don’t have the option to move to another country when we don’t see eye to eye. But most of us have likely experienced disagreements with loved ones.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/heritage/Site/Publications_files/CA_as_SOCIAL_THEORY.pdf">Conversations are designed to</a> do things – to start some action, and complete it – whether it’s a service transaction, an invitation to coffee or reassurance on a bad day. Our <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZnhyDwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=gbs_ge_summary_r&amp;cad=0#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">uniquely complex communicative system</a> has evolved to help us get things done in the social world.</p> <p>Arguments are part of this complex system. They can be unavoidable, necessary or even productive. But they can also be difficult.</p> <p>It can be hard to know what to do when tensions are high and harsh words are flying, particularly when it involves someone you’re close to. But research on how disputes unfold – and conversation more generally – offers some ideas about the best way to handle one.</p> <h2>What is a dispute?</h2> <p>There are many words for disagreeing, and there are plenty of academic theories describing what disputes are and why they happen. But arguments are not abstract models. They’re lived in, breathed in, sweated in and talked (or sometimes shouted) into being.</p> <p>Research focusing on <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/288351315.pdf">how disputes actually happen</a> shows they’re characterised by three types of features. First are the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378216606000488">vocal features</a>, which include talking in a higher pitch, louder and faster. Then, there are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1750481310395452?casa_token=MCNQWEQD6HwAAAAA:8nbyXh-cgjWzfL3syRrwybRFQl_ddHIMy9tRIAwPRAFADrgHtR2LSl9ZoUFsVlnzWPjWaKQZZ9XEVA">embodied features</a> such as aggressive gestures and avoidant stances, such as turning away from someone. Finally, there are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01638539009544746?casa_token=BB9edpIE1oUAAAAA:FTK-JRJ2oCmG7BufkUAQX1k1_9C1Cvc12r5ynYPM6duFB-HDWhgef8Va-Rh5Z2XksR64oTcPmi4FAQ">interactional features</a> such as talking over each other, not listening or metatalk – <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08351813.2020.1826765?casa_token=isJl2NJbSIkAAAAA:Mh-dXMfkBSGvEeoOWAoxLDjzbZ_eF-zbND-D8q4RAP5WHadqg1KUZDF_UnySFAcyb3LD-DF3BbGq1A">comments about the conversation</a> as it’s happening.</p> <p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1354067X9953001?casa_token=Gje17vkyg_AAAAAA:ik_4Ze-4PIFLa6yjthOpztvJrtdVOokhRT73M8jDN4t1w0Bl7WzW2--d1vjZwanphorOH_r6jaVZdA">Displays of emotion</a> such as displeasure or anger, are also common. Participants might accuse each other of emotions or label their own emotions.</p> <p>Disputes happen for several reasons. What each person is doing can vary, from <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.530.8869&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf">complaints and accusations</a> to <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1348/014466610X500791?casa_token=r58ikQ5XFxEAAAAA:QR9wr0Fcz7q5BeSvL8soAIhKMNA1O9TcpcBaLleBKDvZ8Q5sPyX1OSg0OzSL5-xb8By5QbgNm9kHNhg">demands, threats or resistance</a>.</p> <p>They can be about many things – familial obligations, what to have for dinner, politics or how to plan a holiday. Luckily, disputes share elements <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2NxaC7nSetAC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">with each other</a> and with conversation generally – so you don’t have to invent new strategies every time you’re caught in one.</p> <h2>Affiliation and alignment</h2> <p>When bickering with a friend or family member, there are ways to make them feel like you’re still on their side even if you disagree. If you can keep these in mind, and use them at the right time, you might stop your dispute from escalating into something harder to mend.</p> <p>The first thing is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0196.pub2">affiliation</a>, which means support for the other person or their view of things.</p> <p>Affiliation involves phrasing what you say so it’s best <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08351810903471258?casa_token=yxnWxfDAEB8AAAAA:uoHEX2dlOS06wxwlHH7TOWmmfB51qMMbzg5tadx5SeRcf_5-vABUKQZtIt0Hchu4vUlFNfCX4qRi5A">understood and easier to respond to</a>. For example, saying “you’ve been to France before, right?” invites someone to share their experience – partly by including the tag “right” at the end, which at least requires a confirmation.</p> <p>It can also involve categorisation, the way we talk about or treat others as <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF00142771.pdf">certain types or group members</a>. For example, if you reduce the other person to a stereotype through labelling – by saying something like “girls always say stuff like that” or “OK, boomer” – you risk provoking a response to the insult, not to the action in which that insult was embedded.</p> <p>The second thing we expect from any conversation is alignment – cooperating with the direction of the conversation, such as accepting or denying a request. The opposite, disalignment, might occur when a request is ignored.</p> <p>Alignment has more to do with the sequence of the conversation, how the dispute unfolds over time. Asking for clarification – a practice known as <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0136100">repair</a> – or <a href="https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/prag.27.1.03rob?crawler=true">claiming a misunderstanding</a> can treat problems as fixable errors rather than moral failings or attacks. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0261927X17744244">Humour can diffuse</a> conflict escalation.</p> <h2>How to have a healthy dispute</h2> <p>In the course of a dispute, you need to think about when to bring these tactics out. They’re more likely to yield better outcomes earlier in the dispute. By the time it’s escalated, your responses may be viewed through the prism of the dispute and <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=eFSXDwAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PT200&amp;ots=6tM3fJnXr1&amp;sig=Zchtur1abh25W7ERN5Q49ASRaJc#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">any offensiveness</a> you’ve already displayed toward each other. In cases like this, teasing can come across as contempt, for example, and claims to misunderstand as bad-faith mockery.</p> <p>It can feel like disputes take on a life of their own – as if the conversation uses us rather than we use it – and this is partly because conversation can seemingly take us along for the ride (consider the difficulty of turning down invitations). We invest our identities into conversations so disputes can seem to threaten us and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378216618304302?casa_token=1SbOpn_2k8MAAAAA:YQ2Yb9nt-ONsmBKmVzTCx8cfl76bS5nK6_Yd8zONBVJFdJ57vwgdBDJxsXfk0aUOhilRQAF-ABA">what we stand for</a> morally.</p> <p>This may be starker with family, whose opinions of us often matter more than friends or colleagues, for example. It’s always worth stopping to reflect on what a dispute is really for, whether what you’re saying lines up with your goals and whether taking a stand is worth it.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159565/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-robles-617248">Jessica Robles</a>, Lecturer in Social Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/loughborough-university-1336">Loughborough University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/arguing-with-the-people-you-love-how-to-have-a-healthy-family-dispute-159565">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

Our Partners

Over 60

© Copyright 2025 OverSixty.All Rights Reserved.