Latest news with #lockdown
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Man's Best Friend review – lockdown, loneliness and a pack of cute canines
A few blocks down the road on Argyle Street, a stall is promoting conspiracy theories about AstraZeneca. Every side is pasted with neurotic headlines misinforming passersby about vaccines. It is an odd, not to mention dangerous, throwback to the pandemic. So, too, in its own benign way, is Douglas Maxwell's play. It is not just that Man's Best Friend concerns a lockdown-era bereavement, a hospital stay in isolation and a funeral on Zoom. It is also that its themes are steeped in those strange months when it felt we had been plucked out of time. Maxwell evokes the days when past and future were denied us. There is clapping for the NHS, a new moment of neighbourliness and an urge to yell out the names of those we have lost. More than that, there is a sense of rootlessness and irresolution. A world in limbo. It is apparent from the start that something is awry with Ronnie. Performed with storytelling panache by Jordan Young, he is a man who cannot settle. Despite a cheery disposition, an invigorating job as a dog walker and a satirical eye for the rituals of outdoor life, he is out of sorts. He is not yet an emergency case (he has based his Zen meditation techniques on an advert for Center Parcs), but nor is he at ease. Thus, he walks with Albert, Fury, Carlos, Coriander and Rex around the embracing curves of Becky Minto's plank-lined set, as Grant Anderson's lighting shifts from pale dawn to fiery dusk, Ross Collins's cute canine illustrations come and go, and Maxwell's monologue grows from lighthearted to maudlin. Beyond the easy comedy, it is a play stalked by death and a yearning for release. First seen in 2022 in the lunchtime series A Play, a Pie and a Pint and now restaged by Jemima Levick in a handsome 80-minute production, it is vivid and touching. But it is also not quite of this time. For all Maxwell's perceptivity about loneliness, loss and dogs, and for all Young's vulnerability and charm, the world of Man's Best Friend is neither close enough nor far away enough to hit where it hurts. At Tron theatre, Glasgow, until 12 July; then touring, 3–27 September
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Lockdown, search ended at Dorchester Penitentiary
A multi-week lockdown put in place at a federal correctional facility in New Brunswick has ended. Correctional Service Canada (CSC) says the medium security unit at Dorchester Penitentiary was locked down on June 9 to allow staff members to conduct a search of the prison. 'The institution has resumed its normal operations and visits have resumed,' reads a news release from CSC. 'During the exceptional search, contraband and unauthorized items were found.' The lockdown came after officers seized more than half a million dollars of contraband at the penitentiary on June 2. CSC said officers found a package containing the contraband on the perimeter of the prison. Officials said the items seized included methamphetamine, marijuana, shatter, nicotine patches and tobacco, with an estimated institutional value of $534,100. They suspect the contraband was dropped by a drone. CSC says it is strengthening measures to prevent the entry of contraband into its institutions and is working with police to take action against those who attempt to have contraband brought into correctional institutions. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Calgary teen charged after James Fowler High School lockdown
Calgary police vehicles can be seen in front of James Fowler High School on June 3, 2025, during a lockdown. (CTV News) A 17-year-old Calgary teen is facing charges in connection with a lockdown at James Fowler High School. Police were called to the school, located in the 4000 block of Fourth Street N.W., at 12:35 p.m. on June 3 after a teen entered the building with a gun. Investigators say it was a 15-year-old girl who called 911 to report the incident. 'Prior to the 911 call, it is believed the male and female had a brief verbal altercation off school property, and it was reported that the male entered the school with a firearm, resulting in a lockdown,' police explained in a Thursday news release. Both teens were students at the school. Arriving officers determined the suspect was no longer in the school and not a threat to those inside. Despite this, officers worked to search each room of the school and ensure it was safe. The lockdown is believed to have lasted approximately two hours. The teen taken into custody – who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act – is charged with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public mischief and carrying a concealed weapon. He is scheduled to appear in court next on June 27.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Internet addiction disorder is not an official psychological diagnosis but treatments exist
Before COVID hit, Jillian, 68, didn't have internet access at her home — not because she couldn't get it connected, but because she was afraid of what might happen if she did. "I initially got onto the internet at the library to look up real estate because I was thinking of moving and even then, I was aware that I seemed to linger on it," she tells ABC Radio National's series Brain Rot. The internet's irresistible pull was enough to keep her browsing confined to the local library. Then in 2020, when parts of the country went into lockdown, Jillian could no longer access her local library, so she decided to get Wi-Fi at home. And that's when she felt her internet use became chronic. "I spent hours alone at home looking at my phone," she says. "At the time I called it 'internet research' but it was just trivial news that was consuming me." She tried to limit her internet use but found that one quick search would inevitably lead to another and another. They sound like behaviours associated with an addiction. Yet the term "internet addiction" is not formally recognised as it's not listed as a diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. And the medical community is divided as to whether the term should be classified as a diagnosis. Regardless of the current classification, some people report feeling addicted to online activities. Depending on the individual, that could be endless online shopping, gaming, social media use or video streaming. Before delving into treatments for what many call internet addiction, it's worth examining just how online we've become. A decade ago, around a third of the world's population used the internet. That figure has since doubled. And recent evidence suggests the COVID pandemic drove an uptick in screen time globally too. A 2022 meta-analysis of 89 studies, collectively analysing data from more than 200,000 people, found spikes in screen time across the board during the pandemic. The increase was highest in primary school kids, whose screen time went up by 1.4 hours a day. Adult screen time increased by an hour each day compared to pre-pandemic use. Whether that screen time has fallen back to pre-COVID levels isn't yet known. Increased internet use does not, however, automatically mean it becomes an addiction. So: is it possible to be addicted to the internet? Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist in addiction medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, thinks so. She explains that all addictions — whether they're due to substances or behaviours — operate using the brain pathway responsible for processing reward and motivation. "Basically when we do something rewarding or pleasurable or just simply something that our brain recognises as important for survival, our brain releases dopamine in the reward pathway. And many digital platforms were designed to elicit quick dopamine bursts, Professor Lembke adds. "They were made to make [device use] frictionless and easy for us to access the content and very difficult to get off because of the reinforcing nature of the medium itself. "Most people who use digital media will not go on to develop a severe and life-threatening digital media addiction. "But a vulnerable subset will, and it's probably going to shake out at around the same 10 per cent that we see for addiction to drugs and alcohol." And while there is no official diagnosis for internet addiction, Anastasia Hronis, clinical psychologist and researcher at University of Technology Sydney, agrees with Professor Lembke. "It's not yet a diagnosable condition but the evidence emerging is certainly telling us that children, teens and adults can certainly become hooked and experience some sort of harm as a result of using their phone," she says. Others in the field aren't confident that the current level of evidence justifies an official "internet addiction disorder" diagnosis yet. Dar Meshi, who researches social media use and mental health at Michigan State University, thinks there's "some compelling evidence right now but … some of the evidence hasn't reached the levels of proof". He also warns "we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water" by insisting that all internet use is "bad" until we know more. While the field of internet use research into problematic internet use has grown significantly in recent years, it's still taking shape. But generally, treatment for problematic internet use or internet addiction — whatever you might call it — draws on the principles of addiction treatments, Dr Hronis says. "We know that the treatments are somewhat similar when it comes to working with people who have addictions as well. The target of the addiction might change, but the fundamental principles around helping someone through an addiction are similar." South Korea has been considered a world leader in tackling problematic internet use. In 2002, the nation — of which 97 per cent of the population use the internet — established a network of "digital detox" camps that mostly cater to children and teenagers. Participants have their phones removed for the entire 12-day camp. The aim of the treatment is to increase human interaction and decrease periods spent online. Elsewhere around the world, private treatment facilities have also sprung up. In 2008, US psychologist Hilarie Cash and a colleague opened reSTART, a residential treatment facility for people they believed needed a higher level of care to treat their video game addiction, internet gaming, excessive screen-time and social media use. Dr Cash says she has been treating clients with what she describes as internet addiction disorder since the mid-90s. "At the time I knew nothing about the internet … I didn't own a computer. ReSTART operates on a rural property in Washington, and, like the South Korean digital detox camps, there are no phones allowed. "When our clients come, they are abstinent from screens and the internet for three months or longer … we believe total abstinence is extremely important," Dr Cash says. Clients generally find the first month of treatment the most difficult, she adds: "The brain is going through the process that is recognised as withdrawal … once that process is finished they are typically just feeling so much better, they're more relaxed and just starting to be able to enjoy life once again." However, there are no reliable statistics on how well this kind of addiction-focused treatment works for internet overuse. As the pandemic started to tail off, Jillian, who has been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous since her late 20s, "recognised the same feelings of addiction and the need to do something about it." That's how she stumbled upon Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous (ITAA), which formed in 2017 and has more than 3,000 members worldwide. The program is closely modelled on Alcoholics Anonymous. According to its website "it's a 12-step fellowship of individuals who support each other in recovering from internet and technology addiction" and members are encouraged to attend regular free online support meetings. Thanks to ITAA, Jillian has been "sober" from the internet for more than two years. Listen to the full episode of Brain Rot about problematic internet use, and subscribe to the podcast for more.
The Australian
3 days ago
- The Australian
Bonnyrigg High School plunged into lockdown, students evacuated
Students have been forced to evacuate after a school in Sydney's west was plunged into lockdown. Bonnyrigg High School was evacuated just after 11.30am on Wednesday, according to 7News. Students gather on the school's oval. Picture: 7News Parents were asked not to contact the school or their children in an alert posted to social media by the school. 'Please be advised the school is currently being evacuated,' the message read. Bonnyrigg High School was evacuated just after 11.30am on Wednesday. Picture: 7News 'Please do not contact the school or your child. We will advise shortly.' The school had 'received information' that required the evacuation plan to be enacted, as well as police be called, the school's principal said in a statement issued to parents. 'All students and staff moved in an orderly way to the designated evacuation areas,' the statement read. 'All students and staff were safe. Parents were asked not to contact the school or their children in an alert posted to social media by the school. Picture: Facebook. 'After they searched the premises, police determined it was appropriate to resume normal school operations at approximately 12.50pm.' It's understood an unspecified threat was reported, and police found nothing during an inspection. Locals flocked to Facebook in the aftermath. 'Omg I hope all the student and staff will be safe. So scary if you children attend there,' one commented. 'Someone forgot to do their homework …' another joked. Clareese Packer Reporter Clareese is a Court Reporter at NewsWire. She previously covered breaking news for the outlet after completing the 2023 NewsCorp cadet program, where she worked at The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, the National News Network and NewsWire. Clareese Packer
