Latest news with #LighthouseConsumerTracker
Courier-Mail
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Courier-Mail
Donald Trump is now more annoying to Australians than the cost of living crisis
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. US President Donald Trump has officially become more of a headache than the price of groceries, with Aussies now ranking him as one of the most annoying figures in their lives. Mr Trump rating as the most irritating figure in Australians' lives jumped from 2 per cent in January to 29 per cent in March. He now ranks higher than groceries, bills or local politicians. These findings from a survey of 2503 Australians by the Lighthouse Consumer Tracker: March 2025 Update, conducted exclusively by the News Corp Australia's Growth Intelligence Centre (GIC), came before Mr Trump's large-scale rollout and subsequent withdrawal of international tariffs with the current figure likely to be even higher. US President Donald Trump. Picture: Annabelle Gordon/ AFP Researcher and teacher at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney Dr Stuart Rollo said media saturation was the most likely driver behind the increased annoyance but that it also indicated a deeper more widespread anxiety. 'People will usually be annoyed by whatever they're seeing in the media constantly and of course Trump is the biggest news story every day,' Dr Rollo told '[Trump] as well absolutely has a sort of crudeness, bullying style that we don't tend to associate with politicians. Australians tend to like the mild mannered politician, the every day friendly politicians which Trump certainly isn't. 'But I also think Australians are finally waking up to the fact that the world is changing, we've benefited hugely from the America governed and shaped world and region in the last 80 years and Trump represents the wilful demolition of that American lead world order.' President Donald Trump poses with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Picture: AP /Susan Walsh ''America first' Trump says he represents so strongly and this just represents the unknown for Australians and whether they're conscious of that fully or not I think it's something that really scares Australians to death,' Dr Rollo said. The increase in Trump annoyance was driven largely by Baby Boomers and Dr Rollo said it makes sense that those who 'have lived in this system their entire lives would be the least comfortable with change'. And it's not just Aussies annoyed by Mr Trump, with a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll published in the US this week, revealing his approval rating is lower than any past president at the 100-day mark in their first or second terms. Just 39 per cent of adult Americans gave Mr Trump their tick of approval, compared with 55 per cent who disapprove, and 44 per cent who disapprove strongly. With the federal election campaign entering its final week, the Lighthouse survey also found Aussies are getting increasingly annoyed with their own politicians. The percentage of Australians who find politicians annoying increased from 33 per cent in January to 40 per cent in March, and particularly so for older voters who both parties are trying to win. Participants were asked what's the one thing at the moment that's really annoying you? Expert in international and US politics Dr Stuart Rollo. Picture: Supplied. Dr Rollo said he was unsure about the age divide but sympathised with voters fed up with politicians. 'I don't know whether it's concentrated in Boomers but I think young people should be and are particularly disillusioned about politicians now,' he said. 'Quite the opposite to Donald Trump, we have a system that never changes. Politicians keep coming out saying the same things they've been saying for 15 years now and yet the economic conditions of Australians are in decline, the prospects of quality of life especially for young people are in decline – that's why I find politicians annoying.' Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese. Picture: Supplied With the rise in international tensions the defining question for many Aussies remains the prospect of war outbreak. Dr Rollo believes the way wars are waged and control is maintained has changed dramatically over the past 80 years. 'I think the US planned pretty well and I think they've known for a while now that they can't sustain a direct war with China or Russia, it just wouldn't be popular but they don't actually have a direct national security reason to – their people are not at threat, their world control system is,' he said. 'So I think they'll be doing things similar to what's happening in Ukraine where they support a proxy to try to weaken a rival. The citizens of that proxy state will be the ones doing the dying and then they can cut and run when it suits them as well, so they'll probably be looking to use Taiwan and other states in Asia in that way against China. 'Whether those states will let themselves be used is another question and I think those states have seen what's happened to Ukraine and got the message. I think Australia has hopefully as well.' China on April 1 sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for drills Beijing said were aimed at practising a blockade of the self-ruled island. Picture: Handout / Taiwan coast guard/ AFP Dr Rollo believes the period of US dominance is coming to an end and the landscape of international politics will redistribute into a more 'multi-polar' system. 'I think the US has recognised that it can no longer afford to support a system that is actually dispersing strength rather than concentrating it and now they are reversing the very lines of empire that they built for 80 years and they're now creating a system where all of that industrial strength, the financial and economic systems are actually working towards concentrating all of that wealth and power back in the US and that's going to look very different for American allies than it has in the past. 'America will be able to direct a higher, more interventionist style of dominance with a range of countries, Australia will probably stick within that American sphere of influence. But it will benefit us less and it will impose more costs on us so we will become an even larger American military and intelligence space and they'll pressure us to cut our economic relations with China and alter them in a way that will be massively damaging to our economy.' With foreign policy a key battleground issue going into the election Dr Rollo believes it's a rare moment where the difference between political parties in Australia actually matters. 'I think the Liberals are tighter with the US and they don't even see it as desirable that Australia should have an alternative sort of sovereign independent foreign policy and our own defined position in the region. I think Labour has both tendencies, the 'all the way with the US no matter what' tendency has been winning since Obama but I think as the costs in the US start turning the screws on Australia to sacrifice our economic partnership with China then I think Labor will probably get it back to slightly more independent. 'I don't think we should just abandon the US alliance but I think we need to start actually actively seeking to shape the terms of it in ways that benefit us, not just being a passenger the whole way.' Originally published as Trump is now more annoying than the cost of living crisis
Daily Telegraph
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
Donald Trump is now more annoying to Australians than the cost of living crisis
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. US President Donald Trump has officially become more of a headache than the price of groceries, with Aussies now ranking him as one of the most annoying figures in their lives. Mr Trump rating as the most irritating figure in Australians' lives jumped from 2 per cent in January to 29 per cent in March. He now ranks higher than groceries, bills or local politicians. These findings from a survey of 2503 Australians by the Lighthouse Consumer Tracker: March 2025 Update, conducted exclusively by the News Corp Australia's Growth Intelligence Centre (GIC), came before Mr Trump's large-scale rollout and subsequent withdrawal of international tariffs with the current figure likely to be even higher. US President Donald Trump. Picture: Annabelle Gordon/ AFP Researcher and teacher at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney Dr Stuart Rollo said media saturation was the most likely driver behind the increased annoyance but that it also indicated a deeper more widespread anxiety. 'People will usually be annoyed by whatever they're seeing in the media constantly and of course Trump is the biggest news story every day,' Dr Rollo told '[Trump] as well absolutely has a sort of crudeness, bullying style that we don't tend to associate with politicians. Australians tend to like the mild mannered politician, the every day friendly politicians which Trump certainly isn't. 'But I also think Australians are finally waking up to the fact that the world is changing, we've benefited hugely from the America governed and shaped world and region in the last 80 years and Trump represents the wilful demolition of that American lead world order.' President Donald Trump poses with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Picture: AP /Susan Walsh ''America first' Trump says he represents so strongly and this just represents the unknown for Australians and whether they're conscious of that fully or not I think it's something that really scares Australians to death,' Dr Rollo said. The increase in Trump annoyance was driven largely by Baby Boomers and Dr Rollo said it makes sense that those who 'have lived in this system their entire lives would be the least comfortable with change'. And it's not just Aussies annoyed by Mr Trump, with a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll published in the US this week, revealing his approval rating is lower than any past president at the 100-day mark in their first or second terms. Just 39 per cent of adult Americans gave Mr Trump their tick of approval, compared with 55 per cent who disapprove, and 44 per cent who disapprove strongly. With the federal election campaign entering its final week, the Lighthouse survey also found Aussies are getting increasingly annoyed with their own politicians. The percentage of Australians who find politicians annoying increased from 33 per cent in January to 40 per cent in March, and particularly so for older voters who both parties are trying to win. Participants were asked what's the one thing at the moment that's really annoying you? Expert in international and US politics Dr Stuart Rollo. Picture: Supplied. Dr Rollo said he was unsure about the age divide but sympathised with voters fed up with politicians. 'I don't know whether it's concentrated in Boomers but I think young people should be and are particularly disillusioned about politicians now,' he said. 'Quite the opposite to Donald Trump, we have a system that never changes. Politicians keep coming out saying the same things they've been saying for 15 years now and yet the economic conditions of Australians are in decline, the prospects of quality of life especially for young people are in decline – that's why I find politicians annoying.' Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese. Picture: Supplied With the rise in international tensions the defining question for many Aussies remains the prospect of war outbreak. Dr Rollo believes the way wars are waged and control is maintained has changed dramatically over the past 80 years. 'I think the US planned pretty well and I think they've known for a while now that they can't sustain a direct war with China or Russia, it just wouldn't be popular but they don't actually have a direct national security reason to – their people are not at threat, their world control system is,' he said. 'So I think they'll be doing things similar to what's happening in Ukraine where they support a proxy to try to weaken a rival. The citizens of that proxy state will be the ones doing the dying and then they can cut and run when it suits them as well, so they'll probably be looking to use Taiwan and other states in Asia in that way against China. 'Whether those states will let themselves be used is another question and I think those states have seen what's happened to Ukraine and got the message. I think Australia has hopefully as well.' China on April 1 sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for drills Beijing said were aimed at practising a blockade of the self-ruled island. Picture: Handout / Taiwan coast guard/ AFP Dr Rollo believes the period of US dominance is coming to an end and the landscape of international politics will redistribute into a more 'multi-polar' system. 'I think the US has recognised that it can no longer afford to support a system that is actually dispersing strength rather than concentrating it and now they are reversing the very lines of empire that they built for 80 years and they're now creating a system where all of that industrial strength, the financial and economic systems are actually working towards concentrating all of that wealth and power back in the US and that's going to look very different for American allies than it has in the past. 'America will be able to direct a higher, more interventionist style of dominance with a range of countries, Australia will probably stick within that American sphere of influence. But it will benefit us less and it will impose more costs on us so we will become an even larger American military and intelligence space and they'll pressure us to cut our economic relations with China and alter them in a way that will be massively damaging to our economy.' With foreign policy a key battleground issue going into the election Dr Rollo believes it's a rare moment where the difference between political parties in Australia actually matters. 'I think the Liberals are tighter with the US and they don't even see it as desirable that Australia should have an alternative sort of sovereign independent foreign policy and our own defined position in the region. I think Labour has both tendencies, the 'all the way with the US no matter what' tendency has been winning since Obama but I think as the costs in the US start turning the screws on Australia to sacrifice our economic partnership with China then I think Labor will probably get it back to slightly more independent. 'I don't think we should just abandon the US alliance but I think we need to start actually actively seeking to shape the terms of it in ways that benefit us, not just being a passenger the whole way.' Originally published as Trump is now more annoying than the cost of living crisis
News.com.au
28-04-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Trump is now more annoying than the cost of living crisis
US President Donald Trump has officially become more of a headache than the price of groceries, with Aussies now ranking him as one of the most annoying figures in their lives. Mr Trump rating as the most irritating figure in Australians' lives jumped from 2 per cent in January to 29 per cent in March. He now ranks higher than groceries, bills or local politicians. These findings from a survey of 2503 Australians by the Lighthouse Consumer Tracker: March 2025 Update, conducted exclusively by the News Corp Australia's Growth Intelligence Centre (GIC), came before Mr Trump's large-scale rollout and subsequent withdrawal of international tariffs with the current figure likely to be even higher. Researcher and teacher at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney Dr Stuart Rollo said media saturation was the most likely driver behind the increased annoyance but that it also indicated a deeper more widespread anxiety. 'People will usually be annoyed by whatever they're seeing in the media constantly and of course Trump is the biggest news story every day,' Dr Rollo told '[Trump] as well absolutely has a sort of crudeness, bullying style that we don't tend to associate with politicians. Australians tend to like the mild mannered politician, the every day friendly politicians which Trump certainly isn't. 'But I also think Australians are finally waking up to the fact that the world is changing, we've benefited hugely from the America governed and shaped world and region in the last 80 years and Trump represents the wilful demolition of that American lead world order.' ''America first' Trump says he represents so strongly and this just represents the unknown for Australians and whether they're conscious of that fully or not I think it's something that really scares Australians to death,' Dr Rollo said. The increase in Trump annoyance was driven largely by Baby Boomers and Dr Rollo said it makes sense that those who 'have lived in this system their entire lives would be the least comfortable with change'. And it's not just Aussies annoyed by Mr Trump, with a Washington Post -ABC News-Ipsos poll published in the US this week, revealing his approval rating is lower than any past president at the 100-day mark in their first or second terms. Just 39 per cent of adult Americans gave Mr Trump their tick of approval, compared with 55 per cent who disapprove, and 44 per cent who disapprove strongly. With the federal election campaign entering its final week, the Lighthouse survey also found Aussies are getting increasingly annoyed with their own politicians. The percentage of Australians who find politicians annoying increased from 33 per cent in January to 40 per cent in March, and particularly so for older voters who both parties are trying to win. Dr Rollo said he was unsure about the age divide but sympathised with voters fed up with politicians. 'I don't know whether it's concentrated in Boomers but I think young people should be and are particularly disillusioned about politicians now,' he said. 'Quite the opposite to Donald Trump, we have a system that never changes. Politicians keep coming out saying the same things they've been saying for 15 years now and yet the economic conditions of Australians are in decline, the prospects of quality of life especially for young people are in decline – that's why I find politicians annoying.' With the rise in international tensions the defining question for many Aussies remains the prospect of war outbreak. Dr Rollo believes the way wars are waged and control is maintained has changed dramatically over the past 80 years. 'I think the US planned pretty well and I think they've known for a while now that they can't sustain a direct war with China or Russia, it just wouldn't be popular but they don't actually have a direct national security reason to – their people are not at threat, their world control system is,' he said. 'So I think they'll be doing things similar to what's happening in Ukraine where they support a proxy to try to weaken a rival. The citizens of that proxy state will be the ones doing the dying and then they can cut and run when it suits them as well, so they'll probably be looking to use Taiwan and other states in Asia in that way against China. 'Whether those states will let themselves be used is another question and I think those states have seen what's happened to Ukraine and got the message. I think Australia has hopefully as well.' Dr Rollo believes the period of US dominance is coming to an end and the landscape of international politics will redistribute into a more 'multi-polar' system. 'I think the US has recognised that it can no longer afford to support a system that is actually dispersing strength rather than concentrating it and now they are reversing the very lines of empire that they built for 80 years and they're now creating a system where all of that industrial strength, the financial and economic systems are actually working towards concentrating all of that wealth and power back in the US and that's going to look very different for American allies than it has in the past. 'America will be able to direct a higher, more interventionist style of dominance with a range of countries, Australia will probably stick within that American sphere of influence. But it will benefit us less and it will impose more costs on us so we will become an even larger American military and intelligence space and they'll pressure us to cut our economic relations with China and alter them in a way that will be massively damaging to our economy.' With foreign policy a key battleground issue going into the election Dr Rollo believes it's a rare moment where the difference between political parties in Australia actually matters. 'I think the Liberals are tighter with the US and they don't even see it as desirable that Australia should have an alternative sort of sovereign independent foreign policy and our own defined position in the region. I think Labour has both tendencies, the 'all the way with the US no matter what' tendency has been winning since Obama but I think as the costs in the US start turning the screws on Australia to sacrifice our economic partnership with China then I think Labor will probably get it back to slightly more independent. 'I don't think we should just abandon the US alliance but I think we need to start actually actively seeking to shape the terms of it in ways that benefit us, not just being a passenger the whole way.'
News.com.au
23-04-2025
- News.com.au
Anti-social behaviour is quietly becoming the norm according to a new survey
Dodging plans with a 'sorry, I'm sick' text, spilling tea in the office kitchen, and ghosting like it's a competitive sport — welcome to the new normal. For Gen Z and Millennials, these once-rude behaviours are now just part of everyday life. But is this digital-age detachment, harmless self-care, or are we raising a generation fluent in fakeness? The findings come from a survey of 2503 Australians by the Lighthouse Consumer Tracker: March 2025 Update, conducted exclusively by the News Corp Australia's Growth Intelligence Centre (GIC). The survey found a surprising 30 per cent of Aussies confess to lying or making fake plans to avoid seeing someone. Gen Z tops this anti-social trend at 49 per cent, with females (51 per cent) slightly more likely than males (47 per cent) to do so. This behaviour decreases with age, dropping to 37 per cent for Millennials and 14 per cent for Baby Boomers. The survey also found 42 per cent of Australians engage in doom scrolling on social media. Gen Z tops the charts at 79 per cent , with a notable gender gap – 85 per cent of Gen Z females versus 74 per cent of males. This drops to 59 per cent for Millennials, 32 per cent for Gen X, and merely 10 per cent for Baby Boomers. Research Director at the UNSW School of Psychology Susanne Schweizer said the research on anti-social behaviours relating to social media was still early but did seem to support the rising trend. 'There does seem to be a trend [in anti-social behaviours] and there's some data coming out of Australia suggesting the same thing,' she said. 'That does seem to be the research, at least toxic masculinity is on the rise in classrooms so there is more negative attitudes and more negative behaviours towards teachers, in particular female teachers from young males in classrooms.' One series raising discourse around the topic is Netflix's crime drama ' Adolescence ', where 13-year old boy Jamie is arrested for murdering a young female schoolmate. Dr Schweizer said the series raises 'really really important questions' about how we are preparing our young people for being online. '[The show] just really clearly highlights that we fail to educate our young people on how to interact and it's because we don't share the space. In personal interactions, they observe us from the day they're born, they see us interacting with others, but in the online space, they lack that frame of reference. 'They're doing this all on their own and there's no explicit teaching around behaviours and their impact in social media spaces because they don't see us on them. There isn't a role model, an adult role model, that displays good behaviours in online spaces.' Dr Schweizer is herself a parent of two young boys and a younger girl and is greatly concerned by the damaging potential for social media on young minds. 'I don't know if [my boys] hide things from me. I can't know that. I would hope not, I would hope we have a safe relationship, but I can't know that. The most fantastic and loving of parents have had horrible experiences with what their children have been exposed to online. 'And so you can't know, the only thing we can do is to have open conversations and to prepare them as best as we can. But if we fail to do that, then it's on us.' The survey also revealed porn viewing habits span generational divides with 27 per cent of Australians admitting to watching porn. Millennials lead at 39 per cent, with a stark gender divide – 54 per cent of males versus 23 per cent of females. Gen Z follows at 38 per cent, again with a significant gap (52 per cent males, 24 per cent females). Baby Boomers trail at 10 per cent, with males (19 per cent) far outpacing females (3 per cent). A quarter of Aussies (25 per cent) admit to gossiping about people at work. Gen Z leads at 44 per cent, with females (50 per cent) significantly more likely than males (38 per cent) to engage in office chatter. This drops to 35 per cent for Millennials and a mere 6 per cent for Baby Boomers. Dr Schweizer said that when it comes to controlling what our young people see online 'the horse has bolted'. 'We can't tame the internet, it's here to stay and so is the content. No matter what bans apply, social media is not where pornography is, it's not where the darknet is. It's not where we need to teach our kids how to interact socially online. That's what concerns me in terms of social media; the content, the harmful content that can't be banned.'
