Latest news with #youngAustralians
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Inside the heartbreaking epidemic killing 100 people an hour
Amaleed Al-Maliki was surrounded by people when she hit bottom. She was in her twenties, educated, working, constantly texting, constantly posting. She had the kind of social life that looks, from the outside, like a shield against despair. And yet she felt adrift in a sea of surface-level connection that never quite touched her. 'I don't know if anyone really knows me,' she told an interviewer. 'I don't even know how to start that conversation.' Her loneliness wasn't about being alone. It was about invisibility. She is not unique. She is the chorus. It's the unspoken epidemic: young Australians, more connected than ever, but somehow more isolated, more adrift, more quietly undone. Last week, the World Health Organisation declared loneliness a public health threat on the scale of smoking or obesity. The numbers are staggering: one in six people on Earth now feels profoundly alone . The World Health Organisation estimates that it is responsible for more than 100 deaths every hour. That's nearly 900,000 a year. \We often talk about climate change as the defining crisis of our age. But maybe the real climate crisis is emotional. A spiritual drought. A generation raised online, surrounded by noise but starved of closeness, absorbing highlight reels while silencing their own pain. We are living through a global emergency. But it's not broadcast with sirens or televised briefings. It creeps quietly, almost politely, into bedrooms and buses, classrooms and cafes. What do you do with a crisis that doesn't announce itself? Loneliness doesn't show up on a scale or an X-ray. It masquerades behind smiles. It haunts crowded rooms. It whispers, 'You're the only one.' But the truth is, it's all of us. We are a world full of people scrolling past each other in search of something we can't name. Among teenagers, it's even worse. For millions of young people, the defining feeling of modern life is not excitement or hope, it is disconnection. Australia is no exception. One in four young Australians report struggling with loneliness. They are not alone, and yet they feel they are. They live with full inboxes and empty hearts, scrolling past curated perfection while wondering why the silence won't let go. Loneliness is not a mood. It's a wound. One that festers quietly in bedrooms and lecture halls and office cubicles. It disguises itself well, in jokes, in parties, in social media profiles and it grows in the absence of language. You can say you're stressed. You can say you're burnt out. But say you're lonely? That's different. That feels like admitting failure. This young generation was the first to grow up online. And in that great leap forward nto connectivity, into information, into self-expression we lost something primal. The quiet, nourishing texture of presence. Of being seen. Not just liked. We often talk about mental health in terms of brains and biochemistry. But loneliness attacks the soul. It leaves people doubting whether they matter. Whether their absence would be noticed. Whether they are, at core, lovable. And that kind of pain doesn't just sit in the mind. It shows up in the body. In inflammation. In heart disease. In diabetes. In early death. I recently spoke to a young woman who, on the surface, had it all: friends, followers, a steady job. And yet she said the most honest thing I've heard in years: 'I don't know if anyone really knows me. I don't even know how to start that conversation.' Her loneliness wasn't about absence—it was about invisibility. One study found that loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And yet, where is the national outcry? The emergency summit? The hotline? We are a country that prides itself on mateship. But mateship is not just a beer after work. It's what we do when someone in the group hasn't spoken in a while. It's what we say when someone admits they don't want to be here anymore. It's the way a society tells its members: you matter. Right now, too many Australians aren't hearing that. They are students on campuses full of people, yet without a single confidante. They are teenagers with group chats but no real conversation. They are elderly neighbours we used to wave to, now seen only through a window. They are all around us. They are us. And what makes loneliness so dangerous is that it doesn't just cause pain, it changes behaviour. It makes people suspicious. It makes them angry. It drives them toward echo chambers, where belonging is offered in exchange for bitterness. In that sense, loneliness isn't just a health risk. It's a civic one. It corrodes trust. It hollows out empathy. So what do we do? Start small. We do not need a billion-dollar task force to start saying hello to strangers. To invite someone for a walk. To text the friend who's gone quiet. We need churches, mosques, and synagogues to be open even when there's no service. We need schools to teach not just math and science but connection. We need workplaces where small talk is not a sin but a lifeline. We need to stop pretending that connection will come through bandwidth alone. And we need to hear from people like Amaleed. Not just because her story is brave but because it's common. Because every silent commuter, every crowded party, every unread message may be carrying someone through a storm they can't name. The WHO has sounded the alarm. Now it's our turn to listen. We will not fix this with hashtags. But we can start to fix it with each other. Australia is not the loneliest country. But right now, we are lonelier than we admit. And the most urgent thing we can say to each other may be the simplest: I see you. I'm here. Let's talk.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Aussie construction boss reveals the huge problem with younger workers - and it's stopping many from becoming tradies
A frustrated Australian construction boss says he's finding it hard to take on more apprentices because many young Australians don't have a driver's licence. Scott Challen, who heads Brisbane-based home renovator The QHI group, said he was recently asked to take on a 19-year-old apprentice and was happy to help, until he discovered the applicant didn't have a licence, something he considers a basic requirement for the job. He also criticised the Albanese Government's $10,000 incentive payment for hiring construction apprentices, saying it's ineffective if young people can't even drive to job sites. 'Let me tell you what the real problem with getting apprentices on board in the construction industry,' he said. 'A good friend rings me up and says would I consider putting her son on as a carpentry apprentice and I'm like absolutely, always looking for good kids. 'She goes, he hasn't got a driver's license and I'm like what do mean he hasn't got a driver's licence.' The builder was told the young man had completed the required lessons and logged enough hours, but had failed the driving test three times. Due to long wait times, there was a three-month gap between each attempt. He explained that having a car and licence is essential, as apprentices need to travel to multiple job sites across the state. 'It's not practical for this kid to be an apprentice,' he said. The Aussie builder revealed the problem ran deeper than that one teenager. 'I did a bit more digging around on this and apparently there's a whole generation of kids out there who can't get their driver's licences which means they can't get a job,' he said. 'If you really want to fix the problem of getting kids into apprenticeships why aren't we making driving lessons in high school mandatory. 'Why aren't we helping these kids leave school with their driver's licence - wouldn't that make sense. 'These Aussie kids got to go through all these hoops and barriers and hit all these friction points just to get a driver's licence.' Several studies over the past decade have shown a decline in the number of teenagers and young adults getting their driver's licences compared to previous generations. In South Australia, one study found that licensing rates among 17 to 19-year-olds fell from 62 per cent in 2009 to 55 per cent in 2018. In Victoria, the proportion of people under 25 with a licence dropped from 77 per cent in 2001 to 66 per cent in recent years. Australians responded to the construction boss's comments by sharing their own frustrations about how difficult it is to progress from taking a first driving lesson to actually getting a licence. 'Add driving lessons to the long list of life ready skills they don't teach in school,' one said. 'The cost of the test and licence is expensive - finding time to get the hours up between long work hours is not easy.' 'Imagine disadvantaged kids trying to actually pay for 120 hours of lessons,' a second said. 'We need a solution. No money to pay for lessons because parents couldn't afford it.' Others suggested that not being able to hire the teenager might have been a blessing in disguise. 'If he's failing three times he doesn't have the capacity to follow orders and maintain instructions, he also has his mother speaking for him,' one said. 'He is not the kind of person you want working for you in the first place.' A second said: 'If they're failing to just get a driver's licence, they're probably going to struggle with an apprenticeship too and you're going to have to carry them.'
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
How to check your eligibility for early cancer screening programs
Data provided to Four Corners by Cancer Australia has painted a concerning picture for young Australians. Between the years 2000 and 2024 — in 30–39-year-olds — early onset prostate, pancreatic, liver, uterine and kidney cancer diagnoses increased dramatically in varying percentages. Some increases, such as prostate cancer, might be explained by changes in the way they are diagnosed — but most cannot. Screening still is one of the most effective ways to detect early signs of cancer and there are several national programs that test eligible Australians for various forms of cancer. Eligibility for some programs has recently been expanded to reflect the increasing cancer rates among younger Australians, while other programs have just rolled out this month. These are the eligibility details for each. Women aged 25–74 are able to participate in Australia's cervical screening program, which is to be repeated every five years. The cervical screen test is straightforward and checks for the human papillomavirus, a common virus that can cause cervical cancer. You can either self-collect or book an appointment with your GP. Self-collection allows a person to collect their own vaginal sample in a private space in a primary healthcare setting, potentially reducing barriers to cervical screening. Previously, self-collection was only available to people who were 30 years of age or over and had never participated in the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) or who were overdue for cervical screening by two years or longer. You can contact your GP to talk about what the most suitable option for you is. If you are aged between 45 and 74 you are eligible for a free bowel cancer screening kit. The test is for people who have no signs or symptoms of bowel cancer. This is because bowel cancer can develop without you noticing the early signs. Australians between the ages of 45 and 49 can request a bowel cancer screening kit, which will be sent to them via mail. People aged 50 to 74 years old will receive a kit every two years. The screening age was lowered from 50 to 45 last year due to increasing rates of colorectal cancer in Australia among people under the age of 50. If you are outside the age range for a free screening but wish to receive one, speak with your GP. Your doctor may recommend bowel screening available via Medicare. Bowel screening kits are also available for purchase at pharmacies or online. If you have signs, symptoms, or a family history of bowel cancer, this test may not be suitable for you. If you are under screening age, you may not need to do the test if you have had a colonoscopy in the last two years or are seeing a doctor about bowel problems. Breast cancer screening is recommended for women aged 50–74 and should be repeated every two years. Once an eligible individual turns 50 they will be sent an invitation to receive a free mammogram. Women aged 40–49 and those aged over 74 are also eligible to receive a free mammogram if they don't have symptoms of breast cancer but they will not receive an invitation. For women under 40, breast screening isn't offered for free and is less effective, the Breast Cancer Network of Australia says. If you're concerned you may have a higher risk of breast cancer, you should talk to your GP as a breast ultrasound or MRI may be better. If you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer because of family history, for example, you may be offered free mammograms each year. You can find your closest BreastScreen clinic here. A national lung cancer screening program was introduced as of July 1 this year. The program screens for lung cancer in high-risk individuals using low-dose computed tomography (low-dose CT) scans. People are eligible for the program if they are aged between 50 and 70 years and: Prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and skin cancer are commonly diagnosed among Australians, but we do not yet have population-based screening programs for those cancers. The Australian Standing Committee on Screening has found the harms of offering tests for these cancers to large target groups outweigh the benefits or do not result in fewer deaths. Instead, it's recommended you speak to your doctor if you have a family history of ovarian cancer about options for managing your risk and your concerns. You can book a skin check with your GP and the Australian Cancer Council provides guidance on how to check your skin here. And men with a family history of prostate cancer or symptoms that could indicate problems (difficult or frequent passing of urine) should speak with their doctor. Keep an eye out for any unusual changes to your body, such as: All of these symptoms do not necessarily indicate cancer. Speak to your GP about any health concerns. You can also sign up to the National Screening Register, which provides program information and reminders to participants. It acts as a single electronic record for each Australian taking part in the bowel, cervical and lung cancer screening programs. You can register here.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Pauline Hanson's warning for Australia: 'We need to act NOW'
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has accused both major parties of ignoring the plight of young Australians battling to ever afford a house by presiding over high immigration. Record-high immigration levels under Labor have worsened Australia's housing affordability crisis, with the median house price in capital cities now above $1million - putting it well beyond the reach of an average, full-time worker earning $102,742. Senator Hanson said both Labor and the Coalition were more focused on winning votes in marginal seats rather than making housing affordable. 'Young Aussies want to own a home, start a family, and live in a nation they can be proud of, but both major parties are standing in the way,' she said. 'Labor buys votes with handouts, then dumps the debt on the next generation. 'The Liberals skirt around the real issues, too afraid of losing votes to fight back against the decline. 'Meanwhile, mass immigration keeps driving up housing demand, straining services, and undercutting wages. Australians are being pushed to the back of the queue in their own country.' Last year, 340,800 migrants moved to Australia on a permanent and long-term basis. This net figure, factoring in departures, was lower than the record-high levels approaching 550,000 in 2023. But it was significantly higher than the 194,000 who came to Australia in the lead-up to Covid in 2020. As a result, house prices in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide have outpaced wages growth since the pandemic, even though the Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates 13 times in 2022 and 2023. The average-full time worker can now longer afford the median-priced house in any major capital city market, except Darwin, and now working couples are struggling to get into the property market. Senator Hanson wants annual immigration levels capped at 130,000, where it was two decades ago before the mining boom. 'It's time to put Australians first, with affordable housing, fairer tax for families, and a government that backs the people who built this nation,' she said. 'If we want to create a future worth inheriting, we need to act now.' Labor is promising to build 1.2million homes over five years, or 240,000 a year. Record-high immigration levels under Labor have worsened Australia's housing affordability crisis, with the median house price in capital cities now above $1million - putting it beyond the reach of an average, full-time worker on $102,742 (pictured is a Sydney auction) But in the year to May, just 182,894 new homes were approved, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data released this week showed, leading to building activity failing to keep pace with rapid population growth. Anthony Albanese 's Labor government was re-elected in a landslide with a $16billion plan to slash student debt by 20 per cent, saving a graduate an average of $5,520. But Senator Hanson said cutting Higher Education Contribution Scheme debt amounted to a form of generational pork barrelling to get the youth vote, along with a government guarantee enabling all first-home buyers to get into the property market with a small, five per cent deposit. 'Labor has bought a lot of the young votes with the HECS debt, so getting rid of that and also propping up their deposit on their house, which I think is going to see a lot of the young ones fall over with that because they've still got to make the repayments too to their debt,' she told Sky News host Caleb Bond. 'Their vote's been bought. People have become so self-centred these days, it's all about me. What is in it for me?' Hanson said Labor was letting Australians down on key issues, including failing to get an exemption from 50 per cent tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium from Donald Trump. 'First, Albanese gets cold-shouldered by Trump. No real relationship, no respect. Penny Wong flies over for 'diplomacy' and comes back empty-handed. No tariff deals. No progress. Just headlines and handshakes. Australians deserve better,' she said. 'Then there's the so-called green energy transition. Wind farms scrapped. Transmission lines delayed. Farmers ignored. Power bills up 9%, and we're told to just cop it. The real cost of Labor's renewables fantasy? It's paid by households and small businesses.' She also warned of 'nation within a nation' as a result of the current government, citing Cricket Australia's reluctance to hold Test matches on January 26. 'That's exactly what we're seeing. Division, not unity. Woke politics over common sense. 'While I'm in Parliament, I'll keep pushing back because if we don't stand up now, we risk losing the country we love. 'Cricket Australia, our own national sport, won't play matches on Australia Day. Again. Because they're scared of offending someone.
News.com.au
04-07-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Young Aussie woman's confession about housing and children triggers passionate debate online
A young woman's blunt assessment of her future in Sydney has captured a growing sentiment shared by Australians under 40. As soaring living costs and stagnant wages continue to crush household budgets and reshape life decisions, Australia is quickly joining an ominous club on the world stage. The nation's birth rate has experienced a massive decline over the past six decades and there is absolutely no sign of it stopping any time soon. Young Australians are clearly fed up about the cost of existing in the nation's biggest cities and it's rapidly reshaping how they view their future. 'We don't want to leave. But we're being priced out to the point where I can't afford it here anymore,' the young woman told the ABC in a now-viral video clip. 'I work a full-time job and I also study part time. I also tutor on the side just to make it, so I can afford living in Sydney. 'It's not just housing. You have to pay for your food, and hanging out with your friends. Do you not want us to socialise anymore?' Another young man said the idea of having kids was completely off the table. 'Too expensive,' he said. 'I wouldn't have kids just for the simple (fact) that I wouldn't have time to give to them under my current economic position. Even though it is something that would bring me a lot of joy, and something I would love to do.' The young woman agreed. 'Just look at how our society is built. We don't even have the housing that can give us the security to even have children.' Her confession about not having enough financial security to have children struck a chord online. 'Tough love' solution doesn't cut it 'Maybe move out of Sydney if you can't afford it,' one man wrote. 'Both my parents left Sydney to move somewhere more affordable. The concept is nothing new,' added another. 'Affordable is just a little further out now. You either adapt and do what you can or wait for big daddy govt. to save the day,' he continued. But for those suggesting a tough-love solution, urging young people to 'suck it up' or 'make more money', experts say there is a catch. And it has nothing to do with 'interest rates being higher in the 80s'. By and large, the baby boomer generation, and even some of the next, was able to build a family on a single wage. They were also able to capitalise on dirt-cheap real estate, use it to leverage more purchases, and then profit from historically unprecedented price rises. That idea is a fever dream for young Aussies today, unless they've somehow landed themselves a quarter-million-per-year job or fallen into a trust fund or inheritance. Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Gareth Bryant explains that the housing 'phenomenon' in the early 2000s saw a rapid increase in the home-price-to-income ratio that has never been rectified. He says that the high interest rates of the late 80s and 90s meant home ownership was hard, but it was mostly an 'income issue', meaning you could eventually work your way up to a position to afford high rates. But now, with the average dwelling costing seven to 10 times the average Aussie wage, it's become more than just an income issue. 'The problem now is you still need high income but a reasonable amount of wealth to have the deposit,' Prof. Bryant told 'It used to be much more possible for those with good jobs to save for a deposit. 'For a lot of people in decent jobs, it's really difficult to save, unless you've got some kind of additional assistance.' He says the rise in housing has naturally forced millions to enter the housing market later in life, or not at all. 'There's a delay. People are buying and forming families later, there are many who will be lifelong renters, or 'generation rent'.' In 1980, Australian households typically spent about 60 per cent of their disposable income on essential living expenses, including housing, food, transport, and utilities. This left a modest buffer for savings or discretionary spending. Almost one in two households were single-income, with one partner typically staying at home. By 2025, despite higher average incomes, the proportion of income required for living costs has increased significantly. Rising housing costs, particularly in major cities, have forced many households to allocate a larger share of their income to essentials. Today, around 73 per cent of families with children under 15 have both parents employed. We have also seen the great devaluing of tertiary education. In 1980, approximately 5 per cent of Australians aged 15-74 held a bachelor's degree or higher. By 2024, this figure had risen to a whopping 33 per cent. In the 80s, you could build a family on one income, even if you were among the outstanding majority (95 per cent) of those without university qualifications. Today, the story is the opposite, with several couples claiming their monthly expenses are too high to consider children, despite both working in fields requiring tertiary educations. Put it into perspective Let's say we have a couple, both 35, earning $100,000 each, in line with the national average. They sacrifice a lot throughout their 20s to save over a quarter million ($292,000) for a deposit. But that deposit can only land them a three-bedroom home in Sydney's western suburbs selling for the city's current median price. For a $1,168,000 loan over 30 years at 6.0 per cent interest, the minimum monthly repayment is approximately $7,010 per month, or $84,120 per year. This still fits into their after-tax income (60 per cent of $140,000) but it's tight unless they keep expenses extremely low. If they only make minimum repayments, they will pay off the loan in 30 years at age 65, paying a total of $2.52 million including $1.35 million in interest. That is the stress the current Australian trying to buy the average home must sign up for, with or without kids. 'The working assumption in 'modern Australia' is that you will sacrifice all for a dwelling and that you work your life to pay a mortgage,' economist Alex Joiner says. 'Children are jammed into that equation as an afterthought, where parents are encouraged to get back to work ASAP and make the assumption that costly child care is an appropriate stop gap measure to facilitate this.' How much are birthrates actually falling? You may see a few friends starting families and acquaintances posting baby bumps but the reality is, Australia is moving backwards compared to 60 years ago. In 1964, during the post-war baby boom, the total fertility rate (TFR) in Australia was approximately 3.1 births per woman. That contributed to rapid population growth during the latter half of the 20th century, where Western powers enjoyed an era of relative peace compare to the 50 years preceding. It was coupled with an unprecedented economic boom, largely driven by banking schemes and the rapid development on technology which helped trade and business. By 1984, the TFR had decreased to around 1.9 births per woman, indicating a substantial decline over two decades. This reduction was influenced by various factors, including increased participation of women in the workforce. In 2004, the TFR further declined to 1.77 births per woman. This period saw continued trends of delayed child-bearing and smaller family sizes, but still only marked a slight decline over the 20-year period. The most recent data from 2023 indicates that the TFR has reached a record low of 1.50 births per woman. This is the lowest rate ever recorded, and is below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population. It's still a far cry from the global low (0.72) held by South Korea, but the trend paints a bleak picture for the decades ahead with no fix in sight. Peter Costello's famous 'have one for Mum, one for Dad, and one for the country' line in response to growing concerns over Australia's falling birthrate and ageing population seems like a lifetime away. But for millions of young Aussies entering the workforce, many acquiring large HECS debts just so they can become employable, the idea of 'working to build the dream' feels like a scam ... like the charade stopped years ago but everyone is still playing the same game.
