Life Matters - Full program podcast

As kids, we imagine we'll hit a point when our 'adulting' instincts magically kick in, but many of us never quite feel as adult as we think we should. So  what do we even mean when we talk about 'adulting', can we learn to do it, or is it better to learn that we don't really need to? Moya Sarner is a psychotherapist and journalist and author of When I Grow Up: Conversations with Adults in Search o...

As cosmetic procedures and weight loss treatments become more widely accessible, body changes can be rapid. So when the body you've known for years changes in a profound way, how do you navigate that mentally? And when – if ever – is it okay to comment on other people's bodies, or have a conversation about their appearance? Steve Molk lost more than 100kg over the course of three years and Profess...

Being an active bystander - that is, speaking up or intervening in the face of injustice - feels like the right thing to do when you see something you disagree with. But it doesn't always go to plan, and your best intentions can backfire. There's new analysis suggesting that, in schools at least, encouraging kids to intervene isn't always helpful. So how are you meant to know when it's the right t...

In under 24 hours, the internet will look very different.  Nationwide, anyone under 16 will be locked out of social media. Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit, YouTube - all off-limits. If you're not yet 16, you'll be waiting until your birthday to log back in. Julie Inman Grant is Australian eSafety Commissioner. Many parents have voiced support for Australia's social media ban for u...

Whether it's the big flashy state library in your capital city, or the humble one in your suburb, the role of a library is stretching to meet demand for its free programs and resources. That evolution hasn't come without friction, so in modern Australia, who, and what, are our libraries really for? Cathie Warburton is CEO of The Australian Library and Information Association, and Dr Heather Robins...

Developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey says behavioural and emotional difficulties are the number one reason parents come to see him. But, Dr Billy says parents can learn to respond to challenging behaviour in a way that works for both them and their kids. What do you do when it feels like you and your in-laws speak different languages when it comes to parenting? And the situation is heighten...

New research claims that the number of empty dwellings across Melbourne has risen dramatically... from more than 27,000 in 2023 to nearly 32,000 in 2024. And across the country ... experimental ABS data suggests that up to 140,000 dwellings are sitting vacant. So, why would houses, apartments, and blocks of land be left sitting empty? And is there a way to utilise these properties to address Austr...

From the desks we work at to the places we retreat to at the end of the day, the spaces around us quietly shape how we feel, how we live, and how we connect with each other. Good design isn't just about looks – it's about comfort, dignity, possibility, and the way a space can hold us, support us, even change us. Kevin McCloud, presenter of TV show Grand Designs and Tim Ross, comedian, broadcaster...

If you're heading on an overnight hike or about to tackle a challenging climb on your summer break, how much thought have you given to the worst-case scenario? It's not something anyone likes to dwell on, but preparing for all possibilities can be the difference between life, death, or being extracted by specialist rescue teams. So how prepared are you to venture into the wilderness? Dr Jo Kippax...

Last Thursday morning, a woman died and her boyfriend was seriously injured in a shark attack at a remote NSW beach. The attack happened as the couple was reportedly filming dolphins in the water. It's a tragedy... and the fifth fatal shark attack in Australia this year. So, are shark attacks on the rise in Australia? And what's the most effective way of reducing attacks? Professor Culum Brown is...

Although we’d all love to imagine you can have a second chance at love, the divorce rate for second marriages is double that of first. Psychotherapists Dr Zoe Krupka and Stephen Andrew have been a couple for 14 years and it's a second marriage for both of them. They say marriage number two can be the fulfilling and thrilling relationship people always hoped they could have. In high school, sorting...

A big backyard used to be part of the Australian dream. But a shift has happened over time. Block sizes for new houses across our cities have shrunk by 22 per cent in the past 15 years, according to the ABS. We're building bigger houses with smaller yards. So, RIP the backyard? What does it mean for our communities if backyards become a rarity?cCosta Georgiadis is a landscape architect and host of...

When you think of the 1960s, what comes to mind? Hippies, Vietnam War protests, the music? What about the 1990s? VCRs, grunge music, minimalist fashion? We're about to reach the halfway point of the 2020s, so what is the defining legacy of this decade? Nic Carah is a professor at the University of Queensland School of Communication and Arts.  She has never revealed her name publicly, but her opini...

New plans in Victoria and New South Wales seek to address the issue of underquoting houses set for auction.  So, will these reforms create a fairer system? Will they help first home buyers? And will the changes do anything to address Australia's housing crisis? Melinda Jennison is president of the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia, Andrew McCann is chief executive of Jellis Craig...

For the third year in a row, ABS figures show an increasing number of Australians are taking on two or more jobs as the cost of living rises. Lessleen Makoni is working two jobs to get by in Sydney, Isaac Koomson is a senior research fellow the University of Queensland's Centre for the Business and Economics of Health, and Dr Isaac Gross is a senior lecturer in Economics at Monash University and f...

According to the last census, there were 2.6 million Aussie couples without children...  and projections that couple-only families are set to increase in the country. Not only that, there's also been a cultural shift:  People without children have a growing visibility... they're more likely to share and celebrate their lives. Tanya Williams is the author of A Childfree Happily Ever After and Dr Im...

Pill testing was available at Schoolies on the Gold Coast in 2024, but this year the Queensland government has taken a firm stance against the practice. So what conversations do parents need to have with their kids to stay safe this summer? Jennie Ross-King became a drug harm prevention advocate after her daughter's overdose death in 2019, Cameron Francis is the CEO of national drug-checking servi...

Schoolies travel has been a rite of passage for Aussie teenagers since the 1970s, but the event that was synonymous with getting sauced on the sandy shores of the Gold Coast is changing. Many young people are heading overseas to places like South-East Asia, Fiji, or Vanuatu. So, is it a good thing that today's school leavers are rewriting the script, ditching the binge-drinking and redefining what...

In the United States, there's a new proposal to address their nation's housing crisis. The Trump Administration is working to introduce 50-year mortgage terms for home buyers. Here in Australia, some lenders have recently started offering 40-year mortgages. One-third of Aussie adults polled said they'd take out a 40-year home loan if it reduced their monthly repayments to a more affordable level....

It's sales season and Black Friday takes place on the last Friday of every November. But it's no longer just a day. It's more like a month-long retail extravaganza. So, how did Black Friday evolve from a US phenomenon... to our biggest sales event? And what impact is this having on our year-round spending? Gary Mortimer is a professor of consumer behaviour and retail marketing at QUT Business Scho...

It’s the time of year when you can't wait for time away from your job.  But, as you reset for 2026, workplace researcher Dr Michelle McQuaid says there are lots of changes you can make to how you "do work" and how you "do life" so you feel re-energised in both these domains.  And when it comes to complicated relationship dynamics … what happens when your marriage ends but your best friend and his...

Across Australia, the laws around begging vary from state to state. In Victoria - where begging is illegal - its become an issue of public debate, following an inquest into the death of a Melbourne woman who was forced by her abusive partner to beg for food, cigarettes, and money. A Victorian coroner didn't criticise police, but said officers responding to complaints about her begging seemed to tr...

Would you give up Christmas presents? Or are you like many of us and associate what you spend, with how much you care? There's been a backlash against over-consumption, so why do we still go wild at Christmas? And how can we untangle ourselves from the cycle of holiday spending? Steph Thompson went on a no-buy challenge, Daniel Kiely is an economist at Curtin University and Dr Paul Harrison is hea...

Last week police and health inspectors shut down two illicit tobacco stores in Sydney... the first to be closed under new state laws targeting illegal tobacco. Which is big business -- organised crime is making about $10 billion a year from it, and it comprises half of the products sold to the country's 2.7 million smokers. Meanwhile, the legal sale of cigarettes has slowed. So what impact is this...

What would it take for home owners to let go of the idea of their house as a financial asset, and to re-think what owning a home means? One Australian capital city is bucking the trend of skyrocketing house prices. While investors groan, should we actually be celebrating this? How can we share the wealth around? Michael Fotheringham is CEO of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and...