Latest news with #UniversityofCanberra
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
Scorching Club WC sparks heat fears for FIFA 2026 World Cup in USA
During the recent FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, soaring heat highlighted the dangerous conditions players and fans may face when the tournament returns next summer, this time on a larger stage with the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. As global temperatures climb, experts argue that hosting soccer competitions during Northern Hemisphere summers is becoming increasingly hazardous. England's climate scientist Prof. Piers Forster warns that without substantial changes, like shifting tournaments to winter or cooler regions, 'we are only one heatwave away from a sporting tragedy.' June, July, and August have already warmed by approximately 1.05 °C globally since 1930, with Europe seeing a 1.81 °C rise . High Heat-Risk Host Cities The international players' union FIFPRO has identified six World Cup host cities at extremely high risk for heat stress. While FIFA noted that current evaluations suggest the 2030 World Cup (Spain, Portugal, Morocco) will not endanger participants, climate unpredictability leaves uncertainty. Health Impacts of High Temperatures Research highlights that playing under intense heat can cause hyperthermia, increased cardiovascular strain, cramps, exhaustion, and even heat stroke, according to Dr. Julien Priard from the University of Canberra. Many summer sporting events already shift schedules to early mornings or late evenings, but football, especially major tournaments, largely remains tied to traditional afternoon kickoff times for television audiences. Calendar Constraints and Logistical Challenges Modifying the World Cup schedule again, as happened in 2022 to avoid Qatar's intense summer, disrupts domestic leagues and European competitions. With the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams in 2026, the scheduling tightrope grows even more tense . Similar concerns loom for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where extreme heat may prompt another off-peak shift. The Bigger Climate Conversation Ultimately, arranging large-scale outdoor events is becoming a broader challenge amid warming trends. Athletes and recreational sports participants now face nearly 30% more daily moderate to high heat exposure compared to the 1990s, says Prof. Ollie Jay . As climate scientist Michael Mann observes, these risks reflect the profound effects of climate change on our everyday lives . FIFA, national leagues, and sporting bodies may soon need to adapt event calendars and locations to safeguard health and safety in an increasingly hot world.
Sky News AU
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Not going to tolerate' antisemitism: Bill Shorten outlines university's plan to combat ‘hate' following envoy report
University of Canberra's Vice-Chancellor and former Labor leader Bill Shorten has outlined the universities' plan to combat antisemitism on camps, saying 'we're not going to tolerate people being treated badly' due to their Jewish heritage. Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal handed down a major report on Thursday, just one year after the business executive was appointed to the role. Ms Segal ordered university chancellors and vice-chancellors to cooperate with her plan to stamp out antisemitism on campuses, or risk funding cuts. Following the recommendations announcement, Mr Shorten said he thought it was important to promptly take a stance on the matter, as 'Antisemitism is real'. 'It's not a creation of the right wing or Israel lobbyists, antisemitism is real. It's a centuries-old hate, and we thought it was all in the history books but now it's come out of the drains,' Mr Shorten told Sky News on Friday. In light of incidents such the alleged arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue last week, Mr Shorten said antisemitism needs to 'be called out' 'And Jewish Australians have got to know... we're not going to tolerate people being treated badly because they're Jewish,' he said. Pressed as to whether the University of Canberra will be implementing the special envoy's recommendations, the vice-chancellor said it will work with other universities and will ensure the safety of students with Jewish heritage on campus. 'I do not want people coming from outside the campus causing grief, and Australians of Jewish heritage have got to feel that when they come to the University of Canberra, this is a place where they can study, learn, be treated with respect,' Mr Shorten said. '... UC wants students of all faith, including kids of Jewish heritage.' Ms Segal's report outlines a series of measures needed in order to combat antisemitism, which it claimed had 'reached a tipping point that threatens social harmony, undermines trust in institutions and marginalises Jewish Australian citizens'. Ms Segal told Sky News host Sharri Markson on Thursday that she planned to delegate work for 'different parties', especially the federal and state government, and educational and cultural institutions. 'There's support I will need from the federal government, but also from state governments, also from leaders in society, leaders of cultural institutions, chancellors and vice-chancellors at universities,' Ms Segal said. 'I will be putting them to the task of supporting me when I need federal government support, but equally I'll be looking to state governments to support educational initiatives. 'I'll looking to universities to continue what has been very cooperative stance from them in moving towards initiatives to combat antisemitism on campuses.'
The Age
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Australians believe influencers peddle misinformation. So why are they so popular?
The research forms part of the annual Digital News Report compiled by the University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre and part of an international annual survey led by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The study surveyed more than 100,000 people worldwide, of whom 2006 were Australian. In the United States, where podcasters Joe Rogan and Theo Von played a major role in the election of Donald Trump, politicians are considered the main misinformation threat. Loading While younger Australians consume news on social platforms due to the convenience of different formats, the report's author, Sora Park from the University of Canberra, says they are aware of potential shortcomings of news coming from less trusted or verified sources. 'While they rely on these influencers, they also know that sometimes they're not accurate, and that mostly they're not journalists,' Park says. But they value, and actively seek, a perspective in their news, says Park, with the research showing older audiences value truth and accuracy in reporting at almost twice the rate of those aged under 35. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are at the heart of the evolution of the traditional newsroom, says Nathan Powell, chief product and strategy officer at influencer marketing and data firm Fabulate. Trust is no longer earned through a press badge, says Powell, but rather through personality, consistency and perceived authenticity. 'The lines are blurring between journalist, commentator and entertainer, and that evolution is redefining how news is delivered and who gets to deliver it,' Powell says. Loading This year's election signalled the arrival of new media, with the Labor government inviting friendly online commentators and influencers into the federal budget lockup for the first time. Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks, founder of woman-focused outlet Missing Perspectives, was part of this 'new media' cohort, and told the report it was a clear signal the government was attuned to the shifts taking place, with new players like herself influential as sources for Gen Z and Millennial audiences. 'The response to us being invited to Canberra, along with a collection of content creators and other 'new media', was totally unexpected — but maybe I was naive. As social-first media, we were made to feel unwelcome and branded as 'influencers' — and the fact that we attended the budget lockup became the story itself in legacy and mainstream media.' The backlash is partly owed to the view that there are few checks and balances to ensure influencers and new media commentators meet the same standards to which traditional press are held. One of Australia's most popular online personalities and podcasters, Abbie Chatfield, was the subject of an Australian Electoral Commission review over her election posts, and whether they should have an authorisation message. Chatfield was cleared of any wrongdoing after the AEC reviewed whether her combined posts with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Greens leader Adam Bandt breached electoral laws. However, Park predicts that electoral laws will change in the near future to ensure professional standards are met when considering politically influential material, regardless of its source. 'The trend that social media is a source of news is growing, and [the proportion of] people who only rely on social media will become bigger and bigger, so as that population grows, then definitely there needs to be some consideration about the quality of information that they provide,' Park says. Olympic diver Sam Fricker has a large online audience and has interviewed subjects from across the political spectrum, including then opposition leader Peter Dutton and Labor minister Chris Bowen. During the election cycle, Fricker travelled to Queensland to interview billionaire Clive Palmer, even staying at Palmer's Coolum resort, which was closed to the public at the time. Honesty, integrity, respect and goodwill are the most important values to uphold for creators, says Fricker, who says he stays neutral in all interviews, but was pressed in the lead-up to the election to disclose his own politics. 'When I've had political guests on, I've made a real effort to stay neutral. I've asked them all very similar questions, and the tone always comes from a place of curiosity and respect. I've never taken sides or tried to influence any vote, that's not what I'm about.' Most prominent online commentators now openly speak from a partisan perspective. During an 'influencer debate' organised by SBS' The Feed, six political commentators were placed in a room together ahead of the election and each was introduced and their political leaning disclosed. Chatfield was sold as a Greens voter, Cheek Media's Hannah Ferguson as a Greens member and teal supporter, and Freya Leach, a popular conservative online personality, as a Liberal Party member. Loading While the outcome was not a level-headed debate, it made compelling viewing, with young audiences increasingly seeking out news and personalities with a perspective that aligns with their own. Influencers being upfront with their politics resonates with their audiences, says Park. With disinformation rife across the media and social platforms, Cheek Media's Ferguson says regulation and accountability are crucial to ensure Australians are consuming news they can trust.
Sydney Morning Herald
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australians believe influencers peddle misinformation. So why are they so popular?
The research forms part of the annual Digital News Report compiled by the University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre and part of an international annual survey led by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The study surveyed more than 100,000 people worldwide, of whom 2006 were Australian. In the United States, where podcasters Joe Rogan and Theo Von played a major role in the election of Donald Trump, politicians are considered the main misinformation threat. Loading While younger Australians consume news on social platforms due to the convenience of different formats, the report's author, Sora Park from the University of Canberra, says they are aware of potential shortcomings of news coming from less trusted or verified sources. 'While they rely on these influencers, they also know that sometimes they're not accurate, and that mostly they're not journalists,' Park says. But they value, and actively seek, a perspective in their news, says Park, with the research showing older audiences value truth and accuracy in reporting at almost twice the rate of those aged under 35. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are at the heart of the evolution of the traditional newsroom, says Nathan Powell, chief product and strategy officer at influencer marketing and data firm Fabulate. Trust is no longer earned through a press badge, says Powell, but rather through personality, consistency and perceived authenticity. 'The lines are blurring between journalist, commentator and entertainer, and that evolution is redefining how news is delivered and who gets to deliver it,' Powell says. Loading This year's election signalled the arrival of new media, with the Labor government inviting friendly online commentators and influencers into the federal budget lockup for the first time. Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks, founder of woman-focused outlet Missing Perspectives, was part of this 'new media' cohort, and told the report it was a clear signal the government was attuned to the shifts taking place, with new players like herself influential as sources for Gen Z and Millennial audiences. 'The response to us being invited to Canberra, along with a collection of content creators and other 'new media', was totally unexpected — but maybe I was naive. As social-first media, we were made to feel unwelcome and branded as 'influencers' — and the fact that we attended the budget lockup became the story itself in legacy and mainstream media.' The backlash is partly owed to the view that there are few checks and balances to ensure influencers and new media commentators meet the same standards to which traditional press are held. One of Australia's most popular online personalities and podcasters, Abbie Chatfield, was the subject of an Australian Electoral Commission review over her election posts, and whether they should have an authorisation message. Chatfield was cleared of any wrongdoing after the AEC reviewed whether her combined posts with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Greens leader Adam Bandt breached electoral laws. However, Park predicts that electoral laws will change in the near future to ensure professional standards are met when considering politically influential material, regardless of its source. 'The trend that social media is a source of news is growing, and [the proportion of] people who only rely on social media will become bigger and bigger, so as that population grows, then definitely there needs to be some consideration about the quality of information that they provide,' Park says. Olympic diver Sam Fricker has a large online audience and has interviewed subjects from across the political spectrum, including then opposition leader Peter Dutton and Labor minister Chris Bowen. During the election cycle, Fricker travelled to Queensland to interview billionaire Clive Palmer, even staying at Palmer's Coolum resort, which was closed to the public at the time. Honesty, integrity, respect and goodwill are the most important values to uphold for creators, says Fricker, who says he stays neutral in all interviews, but was pressed in the lead-up to the election to disclose his own politics. 'When I've had political guests on, I've made a real effort to stay neutral. I've asked them all very similar questions, and the tone always comes from a place of curiosity and respect. I've never taken sides or tried to influence any vote, that's not what I'm about.' Most prominent online commentators now openly speak from a partisan perspective. During an 'influencer debate' organised by SBS' The Feed, six political commentators were placed in a room together ahead of the election and each was introduced and their political leaning disclosed. Chatfield was sold as a Greens voter, Cheek Media's Hannah Ferguson as a Greens member and teal supporter, and Freya Leach, a popular conservative online personality, as a Liberal Party member. Loading While the outcome was not a level-headed debate, it made compelling viewing, with young audiences increasingly seeking out news and personalities with a perspective that aligns with their own. Influencers being upfront with their politics resonates with their audiences, says Park. With disinformation rife across the media and social platforms, Cheek Media's Ferguson says regulation and accountability are crucial to ensure Australians are consuming news they can trust.
The Advertiser
03-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Forget the WiFi. Sit back, relax, disconnect and really enjoy the flight
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential."
