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Men charged after remains found following teen's disappearance

Two men have been charged over the disappearance of 19-year-old Isla Bell, after human remains were discovered by police. The teenager was last seen leaving her home in Brunswick, in Melbourne’s inner-north, on October 6th at about 6pm, prompting a widespread police investigation. On Tuesday, authorities made the grim discovery of human remains in Dandenong, south-east Melbourne, after 46 days of searching for the 19-year-old. Missing persons squad detectives arrested three men on Tuesday after executing search warrants at two properties in Bentleigh East and Mulgrave. A 53-year-old St Kilda man has been since been charged with murder, while a 57-year-old Hampton man has been charged with assist offender (murder). A 63-year-old Mulgrave man was released pending further inquiries. After Isla went missing, her friends and family launched an online campaign to find her as they posted daily pleas for information. “There has been no activity on her bank account. No activity on her social media. Her phone has not pinged to any towers,” they posted in an update to the Help Us Find Isla Bell Facebook page on Sunday. “It’s hard not to think the worst given the situation and the concerning circumstances in which she disappeared.” Image credits: Facebook

Legal

Menopause is having a moment. How a new generation of women are shaping cultural attitudes

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bridgette-glover-2232638">Bridgette Glover</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919">University of New England</a> From hot flashes to hysteria, <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780739170007/Periods-in-Pop-Culture-Menstruation-in-Film-and-Television">film and TV</a> have long represented menopause as scary, emotional and messy. Recently, celebrities have been sharing their personal menopause experiences on social media, helping to re-frame the conversation in popular culture. We are also seeing more stories about menopause on television, with real stories and depictions that show greater empathy for the person going through it. Menopause is having a moment. But will it help women? <h2>The change onscreen</h2> This is not what we’re used to seeing on our screens. Countless sitcoms, from All in the Family (1971–79) to Two and a Half Men (2003–15) have used the menopause madness trope for laughs. Retro sitcom That ‘70s Show (1998–2006) used mom Kitty’s menopause journey as comedic fodder for multiple episodes. When she mistakes a missed period for pregnancy, Kitty’s surprise menopause diagnosis results in an identity crisis alongside mood swings, hot flashes and irritability. But the audience is not meant to empathise. Instead, the focus is on how Kitty’s menopause impacts the men in her family. Having to navigate Kitty’s symptoms, her veteran husband likens the experience to war: “I haven’t been this frosty since Korea”. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mPLJBZiKV4U?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Even when male characters are not directly involved, women are determined to reject menopause because they see it as a marker of age that signals a loss of desirability and social worth. In Sex and the City (1998–2004), Samantha describes herself as “day-old bread” when she presumes her late period signifies menopause. This is a popular framing of menopause in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2018.1409969">post-feminist TV</a> of the 1990s and early 2000s. While the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2012.712373#d1e783">menstruating body</a> is constructed as uncontrollable and in need of management, the menopausal body requires management and maintenance to reject signals of collapse. These storylines erase the genuine experiences of confusion, discomfort and transformation that come with menopause. <h2>A cultural moment arrives</h2> <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/12/31/460726461/why-2015-was-the-year-of-the-period-and-we-dont-mean-punctuation">Since 2015</a>, stories of menstruation have increased in popular culture. Series like comedy Broad City (2014–19) and comedy-drama Better Things (2016–22) directly call out the lack of menopause representations. When Abbi in Broad City admits she “totally forgot about menopause”, a woman responds “Menopause isn’t represented in mainstream media. Like, no one wants to talk about it”. Similarly, in Better Things, while watching her three daughters stare at the TV Sam laments: “No one wants to hear about it, which is why nobody ever prepared you for it”. And lack of preparation becomes a key theme for perimenopausal Charlotte in the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That … (2021–) when she has a “flash period”. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9AmwXuHo-2w?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Fleabag (2016–19) included a groundbreaking monologue about menopause delivered by Kristen Scott-Thomas, playing a successful businesswoman. She describes menopause as “horrendous, but then it’s magnificent”. <blockquote> […] your entire pelvic floor crumbles, and you get fucking hot, and no one cares. But then you’re free. No longer a slave. No longer a machine with parts. </blockquote> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RZrnHnASRV8?wmode=transparent&start=13" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Scripted by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-menopause-20190524-story.html">celebrated</a> monologue critiques the post-feminist notion of striving to be the “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2012.712373#d1e783">idealised feminine body</a>”. Through this new feminist lens, menopause is acknowledged as both painful – physically and emotionally – and necessary for liberation. <h2>Today’s menopause on screen</h2> Alongside more recent series like The Change (2023), multiple documentaries including <a href="https://www.tamsenfadal.com/the-m-factor">The (M) Factor</a> (2024), and <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-is-no-future-for-ageing-women-how-the-substance-uses-body-horror-in-a-feminist-critique-239729">arguably</a> even films like The Substance (2024), social media has become a prolific space for raising awareness about menopause. Celebrities use social media to share tales of perimenopause and menopause, often in real time. Last year, actor Drew Barrymore experienced her “first perimenopausal hot flash” during her talk show. And ABC News Breakfast guest host, Imogen Crump, had to pause her news segment, saying <blockquote> I could keep stumbling through, but I’m having such a perimenopausal hot flush right now, live on air. </blockquote> Both Barrymore and Crump shared clips of their live segments to their social media pages, to challenge stigma and create conversations. Crump even posted to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/imogen-crump-6b74b726_perimenopause-activity-7127788484861300736-mhHh/">LinkedIn</a> to raise awareness in a professional setting. In a podcast interview clip shared to Instagram, writer and skincare founder, Zoë Foster Blake describes perimenopause as a “real mental health thing”, because of the lack of awareness. Recalling conversations with other perimenopausal women, Foster Blake says “We all think we’re crazy. We don’t know what the fuck is going on”. Feeling “crazy” is a constant theme in these conversations. As actor and <a href="https://stripesbeauty.com/pages/founder-story">menopause awareness advocate</a> Naomi Watts points out, this is largely thanks to Hollywood. Despite the stigmatising media stereotype of “crazy lady that shouts”, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ3BN9rS_7g">Watts argues</a> that with “support and community”, women experiencing perimenopause and menopause “can thrive”. In fact, Watts believes menopause should be celebrated: “we know ourselves better, we’re wiser for our cumulative experiences”. Medical professionals like American doctors <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBUCPW5OUTf/">Marie Clare Haver</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7IfaHDgXMY/">Corinne Menn</a> have been well-positioned to share their expertise and experiences via social media. They are catching and helping fuel a wave of advocacy and awareness for midlife women’s health. <h2>Building community</h2> After watching the menopause madness trope on our screens for decades, we are now seeing perimenopause and menopause depicted with more empathy. These depictions allow viewers – those who menstruate, who have menstruated, and who know menstruators – to feel seen and be informed. By sharing their experiences on social media and adding to these new screen stories, celebrities are building a community that makes the menopausal journey less lonely and helps those on it remember their worth.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241784/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bridgette-glover-2232638">Bridgette Glover</a>, PhD Candidate in Media and Communications, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919">University of New England</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/menopause-is-having-a-moment-how-a-new-generation-of-women-are-shaping-cultural-attitudes-241784">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Lessons we can all learn from the "Forgotten Women"

“The greatest underutilised resource in our economy is mothers in their childbearing years,” lawyer <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/soapbox/time-forgotten-women-australia-rise/">Kate Asher wrote in this publication</a> in 2017. “We have told them since they were little girls that they can achieve anything in life. But after they become mothers, they discover the cruel truth: the system is rigged against them. We all know these women. Many of us are these women – the Forgotten Women.” Sadly, things haven’t changed much in the years since. The Forgotten Women sacrifice so much financially to raise their children – often while also caring for elderly parents or in-laws. The full cost of these sacrifices don’t become apparent until years later. Compounding effects Time away from work means no contributions going into superannuation and inappropriate investments eat away at what they did have. Coming on top of the gender pay gap, it leaves a massive retirement shortfall. Many women returning to paid employment struggle to resume their previous career or full-time work, instead forced into less secure, lower paid part-time and casual jobs. If student loans weren’t repaid before leaving work, those debts have ballooned under years of indexation. We know women bear the brunt of domestic violence. Many marriages end in divorce once grown children leave home. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/deaths-australia/latest-release#:~:text=There%2520were%2520183%252C131%2520registered%2520deaths,by%252047%2520deaths%2520to%2520911.">far more men die in their 50s and 60s</a> – their pre-retirement years – than women, leaving many young widows. All these factors see women unexpectedly find their partner is no longer the source of income they had counted on. No wonder women over 55 are <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/politics/local/advocates-call-on-support-for-older-women-and-dv-survivors-this-world-homelessness-day/">the fastest-growing demographic for homelessness</a> in Australia. What can we learn from this? There are many things we can take away from the traumatic experiences of these much-maligned women. Chief among them: don’t be complacent. Maintain visibility of finances, and take action. As a financial adviser, I have met lots of women; many who only sought advice after finding themselves in a financial black hole. I’m also passionately involved with various causes that support disadvantaged women and those fleeing violence. What strikes me about these women is that they almost unanimously say “I never thought this could happen to me”. And for many it can be preventable. We must be proactive in looking after ourselves – our current AND future selves – which means developing our own financial independence. Simply leaving money matters up to our husband or partner is not an option. We also need to get the message to friends, sisters, colleagues…. Breaking the cycle Too many women have sadly come unstuck because they relied on weak financial foundations. Just like the foundations of a house, you need strong foundations on which to build financial independence: <ul> <li>Emergency fund: a ‘get out’ fund should you ever need to flee danger (violence, natural disaster) or your household finances take an unexpected hit (redundancy, illness, another pandemic…). Not having readily available cash in an emergency can leave you stuck or forced to dip into investments or home equity, costing you dearly longer term.</li> <li>Spending and investment plan: more comprehensive than a budget, this plan offers visibility over your incomings, outgoings and assets. Visibility is key to cutting wasteful spending, staying on top of bills, and keeping you aligned on your money goals. Avoid sexually transmitted debt.</li> <li>Insurances: a valuable back-up plan to offset losses and help you recover financially from a disaster – personal and home. For women who are stay-home mums or carers, of particular importance is that your partner has life and income protection insurance, ensuring you can keep a roof over your head should they die or become unable to work, and possibly trauma insurance for yourself.</li> <li>Superannuation: Knowing up-front that you will have nothing going into super while you are not working means you can minimise the shortfall. For instance, consider ‘pre-paying’ extra contributions while you are still earning and/or have your partner make spousal contributions during your time out of work (and have them claim the associated tax benefit), and consider spouse splitting. But know what is happening in his super too, and if in your own business ensure contributions are made for both of you. </li> <li>Estate planning: Ensure your wishes are documented and your children are protected, both after you are gone and in the event you are ever incapacitated. Consider wills, guardianship, power of attorney, superannuation beneficiaries, and tax planning.</li> </ul> With good foundations in place, you can then look to other ways to build your independence. Invest early. Savings and investments you make in your early working years can offset your lack of income once you leave the workforce and continue growing in value for your retirement. Consider upskilling. Distance education allows stay-home parents to obtain new skills and qualifications, enhancing their future employability and earning potential. Stay level-headed in a separation. I’ve seen many women forgo money and investments in favour of keeping the family home, only to realise down the track they can’t afford its upkeep on their own. Or they sign on the dotted line without advice. Remember too that super is part of the joint assets – you could claim part of your ex’s super in the settlement, offsetting your time away from paid work. Finally, consider your approach to parenting. This is 2024: women don’t need to be the sole caregivers. Some couples now both go part-time, allowing them both to maintain a foot in the workforce (and continue earning income and super) while also enjoying time with their youngsters! Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of On Your Own Two Feet: The Essential Guide to Financial Independence for all Women. Helen is among the 1% of financial planners who hold a master’s degree in the field. Proceeds from book sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women and children. Find out more at <a href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</a> Disclaimer: The information in this article is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal financial or product advice. Any opinions or views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Helen Baker is an authorised representative of BPW Partners Pty Ltd AFSL 548754. Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

"Happy wives, happy social lives?" Men are more emotionally disconnected than women – what can be done about it?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-patulny-94836">Roger Patulny</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-baptist-university-2801">Hong Kong Baptist University</a> Many of us are worried about loneliness and isolation, and both <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-be-fooled-loneliness-affects-men-too-15545">decade-old</a> and <a href="https://www.relationshipsnsw.org.au/blog/how-many-australians-are-lonely/">recent data</a> suggest they impact men more than women. Loneliness predicts health outcomes including <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1745691614568352">early mortality</a>, greater <a href="https://hqlo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12955-022-01946-6">psychological distress</a>, and more <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41572-022-00355-9">cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological problems</a>. New research also links loneliness to <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-18770-w">more intolerant attitudes towards women</a>. These findings raise concerns over the causes and impacts of men’s loneliness and isolation. <h2>A deep dive into loneliness</h2> I recently analysed more than 50 indicators from a decade of data collected by the <a href="https://www.acspri.org.au/aussa">Australian Social Attitudes Survey</a>, from 2011–12, 2015–16, 2017–18, and 2022–23. My statistical models produced results for (self-identified) men and women, after controlling for the impacts of age, employment and partner status. I confirmed that Australian men are more likely to be socially and emotionally disconnected than women. I also found some reasons why this might be the case. I found men appear to focus their emotional energies primarily on their nuclear families and partners. Consequently, they over-rely on their female partners for intimate support and develop more distant, limited and transactional relationships with other people – and other men. <h2>Men are more emotionally disconnected</h2> The data show men continue to lack emotional support on a range of indicators. This puts them at greater risk of health impacts and potentially encourages more toxic attitudes towards women. A significantly greater proportion of men than women reported: <ul> <li>receiving no support from their closest friend</li> <li>receiving fun/practical advice over emotional support from close friends</li> <li>having less contact with a close friend</li> <li>not having anyone for emotional support</li> <li>not feeling “very close” to their closest friend</li> <li>not feeling “love” as their most commonly experienced emotion in the last week.</li> </ul> <h2>Men have more distant, transactional relationships</h2> Why are men in this situation? Masculinity roles are clearly influential. Traditional masculinity encourages men to appear capable, controlled and independent, avoid displays of “vulnerable” emotions or male-to-male affection (like hugging, touch or crying), and embrace the hetero-normative ideal of male provision and leadership. Such norms have been found to constrain male intimacy <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37531906/">by disallowing vulnerability</a>. My data show men tend to develop looser, transactional ties with more distant people. This may reduce the quality of the connection and its potential to reduce loneliness. I have found men are more likely than women to: <ul> <li>think it is OK to befriend someone just because they’ll make a “useful” contact</li> <li>feel obligated to repay favours immediately (foregoing longer-term connections)</li> <li>be kind to others because they “value doing the right thing”, rather than because they empathically connect with or care about the person</li> <li>give and receive kindness from strangers (rather than more familiar people)</li> <li>seek help with household jobs from more distant family or friends</li> <li>seek practical support (money, advice) from private and commercial sources (rather than friends or family)</li> <li>not seek help from family or friends for emotional, sickness or care issues.</li> </ul> This means many men retain an individualist masculine desire to remain emotionally aloof. <hr /> <iframe id="TBJfz" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/TBJfz/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <hr /> <h2>Appearing in control but becoming dependent?</h2> So where do men turn for intimate, emotional connection? Most often, their families. Prior studies show partnered men are <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-18770-w">less lonely than single men</a>. My data show men revere the nuclear family institution and the core supportive role of women and female partners. Men are more likely than women to: <ul> <li>believe having children increases their social standing</li> <li>believe family is more important than friends</li> <li>rely on family over friends for support</li> <li>have mixed-gender friendships (in contrast to womens’ predominately female friendships)</li> <li>see their (predominantly female) partner as their closest friend</li> <li>emotionally support their (predominantly female) partner ahead of supporting others.</li> </ul> However, the masculine desire to be a “good nuclear family man” <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37531906/">can both support and impede</a> men’s social connection. Partnered men might feel less lonely but that doesn’t mean they give or gain sufficient emotional support from their nuclear families. My data show men are less likely than women to: <ul> <li>plan or organise social and family activities</li> <li>have at least weekly contact with non-nuclear family or friends</li> <li>emotionally support their friends, family or children ahead of their partners</li> <li>have their partner support them ahead of others (women were more likely to support their children first).</li> </ul> This raises several issues. If men cling to the notion that their primary role is to provide for and support their (female) partner – while she in turn emotionally supports everyone else – they risk becoming personally isolated through diminished networks and outmoded expectations. In this context, men who believe they should earn more than their partners <a href="https://theconversation.com/loneliness-in-the-workplace-is-greatest-among-men-with-traditional-views-about-being-the-breadwinner-230535">are lonelier</a> than other men. It also risks pushing the burden of maintaining social and emotional connections onto <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/">women and partners</a>, and men becoming socially and emotionally dependent on them. And it can “bake in” hetero-normative family-to-family interactions (organised by female partners) as the most “legitimate” form of socialising for men. This can be highly exclusionary for LGBTQIA+ people, along with single men and single fathers, who register among <a href="https://www.relationships.org.au/relationship-indicators/">the highest rates of loneliness in Australia</a>. <hr /> <iframe id="qCmHw" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qCmHw/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <hr /> <h2>How can men become more emotionally connected?</h2> Feelings shouldn’t be seen as just a <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a27259689/toxic-masculinity-male-friendships-emotional-labor-men-rely-on-women/">“female thing”</a>. Younger men’s more inclusive masculine attitudes can allow them to <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">subvert the “rules” of masculinity</a>, express emotion and embrace <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">“bromances”</a>. Men can also connect emotionally with other men through <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">jokes and humour</a> and participating in shared activities <a href="https://theconversation.com/lost-touch-with-friends-during-lockdown-heres-how-to-reconnect-and-let-go-of-toxic-ones-172853">that allow incidental communication</a>, like Men’s Sheds. The following initiatives may well help men broaden their intimate networks beyond the nuclear family. We could:<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239194/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <ul> <li>help men into caring roles through more <a href="https://theconversation.com/loneliness-in-the-workplace-is-greatest-among-men-with-traditional-views-about-being-the-breadwinner-230535">family friendly employment and care-leave policies</a></li> <li>support initiatives such as <a href="https://meninmind.movember.com/">Movember Men in Mind</a> that encourage men to seek help, and improve their emotional expression and support skills</li> <li>encourage partnered, heterosexual men to broaden and diversify their intimate networks beyond the nuclear family bubble, and be more inclusive of single men, single fathers, and LGBTQIA+ people. <a href="https://thephn.com.au/news/the-mens-table-successful-mental-health-initiative-expanding-across-seven-new-regions">Men’s Table initiatives</a> could be of great value here</li> <li>encourage the development of more online <a href="https://theconversation.com/he-is-always-there-to-listen-friendships-between-young-men-are-more-than-just-beers-and-banter-200301">safe spaces</a> to form intimate bonds while avoiding toxic online masculine spaces.</li> </ul> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/roger-patulny-94836">Roger Patulny</a>, Professor, Academy of Geography, Sociology and International Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hong-kong-baptist-university-2801">Hong Kong Baptist University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/happy-wives-happy-social-lives-men-are-more-emotionally-disconnected-than-women-what-can-be-done-about-it-239194">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

"One of the greatest men": Tarzan star dies at age 86

Tarzan star Ron Ely has died at the age of 86. The news of his passing was confirmed in an emotional statement by his daughter Kirsten, who wrote, “The world has lost one of the greatest men it has ever known – and I have lost my dad." “My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader. He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person – there was something truly magical about him. This is how the world knew him.” “I knew him as my dad – and what a heaven sent honour that has been. To me, he hung the moon.” “My father’s life story was one of relentless perseverance, unending dedication to his family and friends, courage to do what was right, and willing sacrifice to facilitate the dreams of those he loved,” Kirsten continued. “It was also a story of joy and love – something everyone close to him had the privilege of experiencing. Once you knew my father’s love, the world grew to be a brighter and more meaningful place.” “I am doing my best to walk this path of loss with the strength and grace that I know he would want for me,” she added. “My greatest comfort is knowing that my dad is with my momma and my brother. It is also my greatest sadness because I miss them all so much that it’s etched into my soul. I will proudly carry all of my favourite pieces of them – lovingly cemented into my heart – until we all meet again.” Ely first one to fame in the 1960s with his role as Tarzan in the NBC TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1968. He later returned for Universal’s Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze in 1975, and took on guest roles on some of TV’s biggest shows, including Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Superboy. Ely is survived by his daughters, Kirstin and Kaitland. In 2019, his son, Cameron, was shot and killed by Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies after allegedly stabbing his mother, Ely’s wife, to death. Image credits: Matthew Rettenmund / Banner/Kobal / Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Expert shares best destinations for solo female travellers

At 63 years old, Christina Ford is a seasoned traveller, with most of her travels being done alone. After exploring dozens of countries with just her own company, Ford has shared her tips on where to go and how to stay safe for other women who are contemplating seeing the world by themselves. When asked for her favourite destinations for solo female travellers, Ford told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13865159/solo-travel-tips-women-best-countries-italy-canada.html">MailOnline</a> that there are two places she will also recommend. She said, “I am a huge fan of Italy and have travelled there extensively. My favourite solo place is Cinque Terre, five ancient fishing villages connected by sea, train or hiking. It's the perfect combination of healthy living, gorgeous vistas and fabulous food.” Christina also recommends her home country of Canada as “great for solo travellers”, explaining, “If you prefer something more urban, Toronto is a fantastic choice. Often described as New York run by the Swiss, it’s a great food town with safe and clean public transit. As a solo traveller, it’s easy to get a single ticket for a Broadway-style show.” “Canada is generally a safe country filled with friendly people who will gladly point you in the right direction - and probably apologise if you get lost. But part of the fun and growth of travelling is allowing yourself to get lost!” Christina went on to emphasise that “safety is crucial” for solo women travellers, and recommended to always carry a phone charger as “you never know where the day could take you” and sharing your live location with a friend or family member can provide peace of mind. She also always pins her hotel's location on Google Maps and advises “using your common sense” around “sketchy areas”, and also recommends not travelling anywhere without travel insurance. After falling in love with travelling solo, Christina wants to share how valuable travelling alone is, and urges women not to be dissuaded by seeing the world if you don’t have a companion. She said, “There are so many fabulous things about travelling solo. You’re on your own schedule, doing what you want to do. Your time is your own, and you can pivot at any moment.” “And you meet new people. Far more than if you were travelling with someone. Plus, you learn how capable you are. I’ve learned more about myself travelling alone than at almost any other time - it’s amazing discovering what great company you are!” Image credits: Instagram

Travel Tips

Meryl Streep advocates for women in powerful UN speech

Meryl Streep has delivered an emotional speech at the United Nations to advocate for the rights of Afghan women and girls. The Hollywood legend attended an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in a bid to get world leaders to focus on the plight of women in Afghanistan and the future female generations. "The way that ... this society has been upended is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world," she began. Streep's speech was prompted by the three-year mark since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, when United States-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war. The UN has since tried to find a unified global approach to dealing with the Taliban, who have cracked down on women's rights., with women now barred from receiving an education of any kind, and women not allowed to leave their homes without a male guardian. "Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MerylStreep?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MerylStreep</a>: Today, in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Taliban_times?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Taliban_times</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taliban?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taliban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA79?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA79</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amanpour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amanpour</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> <a href="https://t.co/6grjX0IBzE">pic.twitter.com/6grjX0IBzE</a> — PassBlue (@pass_blue) <a href="https://twitter.com/pass_blue/status/1838385555265970437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2024</a></blockquote> "A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary," Streep said. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the event, "Without educated women, without women in employment, including in leadership roles, and without recognising the rights and freedoms of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage." Streep's speech made waves online, with many praising her for using her celebrity platform to bring awareness to the issue. One person wrote on Instagram, "I love when global stars actually use their literal voices to bring awareness and attention to such important matters. None of us are free until all of us are free." Image credits: OLGA FEDOROVA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

Men have a biological clock too. Here’s what’s more likely when dads are over 50

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-hammarberg-113096">Karin Hammarberg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> We hear a lot about women’s biological clock and how age affects the chance of pregnancy. <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821811#google_vignette">New research shows</a> men’s fertility is also affected by age. When dads are over 50, the risk of pregnancy complications increases. Data from more than 46 million births in the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821811#google_vignette">United States</a> between 2011 and 2022 compared fathers in their 30s with fathers in their 50s. While taking into account the age of the mother and other factors known to affect pregnancy outcomes, the researchers found every ten-year increase in paternal age was linked to more complications. The researchers found that compared to couples where the father was aged 30–39, for couples where the dad was in his 50s, there was a: <ul> <li>16% increased risk of preterm birth</li> <li>14% increased risk of low birth weight</li> <li>13% increase in gestational diabetes.</li> </ul> The older fathers were also twice as likely to have used assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, to conceive than their younger counterparts. <h2>Dads are getting older</h2> In this <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821811#google_vignette">US study</a>, the mean age of all fathers increased from 30.8 years in 2011 to 32.1 years in 2022. In that same period, the proportion of men aged 50 years or older fathering a child increased from 1.1% to 1.3%. We don’t know the proportion of men over 50 years who father children in Australia, but data shows the average age of fathers has increased. In 1975 the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/births-australia/latest-release">median age of Australian dads</a> was 28.6 years. This jumped to 33.7 years in 2022. <h2>How male age affects getting pregnant</h2> As we know from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-dads-first-time-over-age-50#when-he-was-54-simon-cowell-and-girlfriend-lauren-silverman-became-parents-to-their-son-eric-7">media reports</a> of celebrity dads, men produce sperm from puberty throughout life and can father children well into old age. However, there is a noticeable decline in <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(18)30269-3/fulltext">sperm quality</a> from about age 40. Female partners of older men take longer to achieve pregnancy than those with younger partners. A study of the effect of male age on <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(03)00366-2/fulltext">time to pregnancy</a> showed women with male partners aged 45 or older were almost five times more likely to take more than a year to conceive compared to those with partners aged 25 or under. More than three quarters (76.8%) of men under the age of 25 years impregnated their female partners within six months, compared with just over half (52.9%) of men over the age of 45. Pooled data from ten studies showed that partners of older men are also more likely to experience miscarriage. Compared to couples where the male was aged 25 to 29 years, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32358607/">paternal age over 45 years</a> increased the risk of miscarriage by 43%. <h2>Older men are more likely to need IVF</h2> Outcomes of assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF, are also influenced by the age of the male partner. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.03.031">review of studies</a> in couples using assisted reproductive technologies found paternal age under 40 years reduced the risk of miscarriage by about 25% compared to couples with men aged over 40. Having a male under 40 years also almost doubled the chance of a live birth per treatment cycle. With a man over 40, 17.6% of treatment rounds resulted in a live birth, compared to 28.4% when the male was under 40. <h2>How does male age affect the health outcomes of children?</h2> As a result of age-related changes in sperm DNA, the children of older fathers have increased risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9957550/">a number of conditions</a>. Autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and leukaemia have been linked to the father’s advanced years. A <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(22)01979-3/fulltext">review of studies</a> assessing the impact of advanced paternal age reported that children of older fathers have increased rates of psychiatric disease and behavioural impairments. But while the increased risk of adverse health outcomes linked to older paternal age is real, the magnitude of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29471389/">the effect is modest</a>. It’s important to remember that an increase in a very small risk is still a small risk and most children of older fathers are born healthy and develop well. <h2>Improving your health can improve your fertility</h2> In addition to the effects of older age, some chronic conditions that affect fertility and reproductive outcomes become more common as men get older. They include <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(23)01935-0/fulltext">obesity and diabetes</a> which affect sperm quality by lowering testosterone levels. While we can’t change our age, some lifestyle factors that increase the risk of pregnancy complications and reduce fertility, can be tackled. They include: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4639396/">smoking</a></li> <li>recreational <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/tre.414">drug taking</a></li> <li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/tre.414">anabolic steroid</a> use</li> <li>heavy <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504800/">alcohol consumption</a>.</li> </ul> <h2>Get the facts about the male biological clock</h2> Research shows <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/4/458/3065332?login=false">men want children</a> as much as women do. And most men want at least two children. Yet most men <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/4/458/3065332?login=false">lack knowledge</a> about the limitations of female and male fertility and overestimate the chance of getting pregnant, with and without assisted reproductive technologies. We need better public education, starting at school, to improve awareness of the impact of male and female age on reproductive outcomes and help people have healthy babies. For men wanting to improve their chance of conceiving, the government-funded sites <a href="https://healthymale.org.au/">Healthy Male</a> and <a href="https://www.yourfertility.org.au/">Your Fertility</a> are a good place to start. These offer evidence-based and accessible information about reproductive health, and <a href="https://www.yourfertility.org.au/fertility-week-2022">tips</a> to improve your reproductive health and give your children the best start in life.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/236892/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/karin-hammarberg-113096">Karin Hammarberg</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women's Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/men-have-a-biological-clock-too-heres-whats-more-likely-when-dads-are-over-50-236892">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Strength training has a range of benefits for women. Here are 4 ways to get into weights

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/erin-kelly-1497598">Erin Kelly</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> Picture a gym ten years ago: the weights room was largely a male-dominated space, with women mostly doing cardio exercise. Fast-forward to today and you’re likely to see women of all ages and backgrounds confidently navigating weights equipment. This is more than just anecdotal. According to data from the <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZGU1YWFhZDgtMmRhZi00YTgyLThhMzItYjc2ODk5NTg0MTg1IiwidCI6IjhkMmUwZjRjLTU1ZjItNGNiMS04ZWU3LWRhNWRkM2ZmMzYwMCJ9">Australian Sports Commission</a>, the number of women <a href="https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/research/ausplay/results#portal">participating in weightlifting</a> (either competitively or not) grew nearly five-fold between 2016 and 2022. Women are discovering what research has long shown: strength training offers benefits beyond sculpted muscles. <h2>Health benefits</h2> <a href="https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/osteoporosis">Osteoporosis</a>, a disease in which the bones become weak and brittle, affects more women than men. Strength training increases <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670">bone density</a>, a crucial factor for <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1741-7015-8-47">preventing osteoporosis</a>, especially for women negotiating menopause. Strength training also improves <a href="http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40279-015-0379-7">insulin sensitivity</a>, which means your body gets better at using insulin to manage blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Regular strength training contributes to better <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0245">heart health</a> too. There’s a mental health boost as well. Strength training has been linked to reduced symptoms of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0572">depression</a> and <a href="http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s40279-017-0769-0">anxiety</a>. <h2>Improved confidence and body image</h2> Unlike some forms of exercise where progress can feel elusive, strength training offers clear and tangible measures of success. Each time you add more weight to a bar, you are reminded of your ability to meet your goals and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1634127">conquer challenges</a>. This sense of achievement doesn’t just stay in the gym – it can change how women see themselves. A <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1755296623000194">recent study</a> found women who regularly lift weights often feel more empowered to make positive changes in their lives and feel ready to face life’s challenges outside the gym. Strength training also has the potential to positively impact <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/2002/11000/Relations_of_Strength_Training_to_Body_Image_Among.25.aspx">body image</a>. In a world where women are often judged on appearance, lifting weights can shift the focus <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193732502238256">to function</a>. Instead of worrying about the number on the scale or fitting into a certain dress size, women often come to appreciate their bodies for what they can do. “Am I lifting more than I could last month?” and “can I carry all my groceries in a single trip?” may become new measures of physical success. Lifting weights can also be about challenging outdated ideas of how women “should” be. Qualitative <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/wspaj/aop/article-10.1123-wspaj.2022-0088/article-10.1123-wspaj.2022-0088.xml">research</a> I conducted with colleagues found that, for many women, strength training becomes a powerful form of rebellion against unrealistic beauty standards. As one participant told us: <blockquote> I wanted something that would allow me to train that just didn’t have anything to do with how I looked. </blockquote> Society has long told women to be small, quiet and not take up space. But when a woman steps up to a barbell, she’s pushing back against these outdated rules. One woman in our study said: <blockquote> We don’t have to […] look a certain way, or […] be scared that we can lift heavier weights than some men. Why should we? </blockquote> This shift in mindset helps women see themselves differently. Instead of worrying about being objects for others to look at, they begin to see their bodies as capable and strong. Another participant explained: <blockquote> Powerlifting changed my life. It made me see myself, or my body. My body wasn’t my value, it was the vehicle that I was in to execute whatever it was that I was executing in life. </blockquote> This newfound confidence often spills over into other areas of life. As one woman said: <blockquote> I love being a strong woman. It’s like going against the grain, and it empowers me. When I’m physically strong, everything in the world seems lighter. </blockquote> <h2>Feeling inspired? Here’s how to get started</h2> 1. Take things slow Begin with bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges and push-ups to build a foundation of strength. Once you’re comfortable, add external weights, but keep them light at first. Focus on mastering <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-compound-exercises-and-why-are-they-good-for-you-228385">compound movements</a>, such as deadlifts, squats and overhead presses. These exercises engage multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously, making your workouts more efficient. 2. Prioritise proper form Always prioritise proper form over lifting heavier weights. Poor technique can lead to injuries, so learning the correct way to perform each exercise is crucial. To help with this, consider working with an exercise professional who can provide personalised guidance and ensure you’re performing exercises correctly, at least initially. 3. Consistency is key Like any fitness regimen, consistency is key. Two to three sessions a week are plenty for most women to see benefits. And don’t be afraid to occupy space in the weights room – remember you belong there just as much as anyone else. 4. Find a community Finally, join a community. There’s nothing like being surrounded by a group of strong women to inspire and motivate you. Engaging with a supportive community can make your strength-training journey more enjoyable and rewarding, whether it’s an in-person class or an online forum. <h2>Are there any downsides?</h2> Gym memberships can be expensive, especially for specialist weightlifting gyms. Home equipment is an option, but quality barbells and weightlifting equipment can come with a hefty price tag. Also, for women juggling work and family responsibilities, finding time to get to the gym two to three times per week can be challenging. If you’re concerned about getting too “bulky”, it’s very difficult for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/0031512520967610">women</a> to bulk up like male bodybuilders without pharmaceutical assistance. The main risks come from poor technique or trying to lift too much too soon – issues that can be easily avoided with some guidance.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221307/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/erin-kelly-1497598">Erin Kelly</a>, Lecturer and PhD Candidate, Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/strength-training-has-a-range-of-benefits-for-women-here-are-4-ways-to-get-into-weights-221307">original article</a>. </div>

Body

"Oh my god!": Natalya Diehm wins Australia's first women's BMX medal

Natalya Diehm has become the first Australian woman to win an Olympic medal in BMX Freestyle. Fans witnessed the moment the 26-year-old found out that she had won the Bronze medal, as she was filming a live story on Instagram. Diehm was sharing footage of fellow BMX competitor, Hannah Roberts on the track, when Paris 2024 officials made the announcement that she had scored higher. "Oh my god! oh my god!" the Olympian screamed as her teammates embraced her in the moments that followed. She placed third with a final score of 88.80. "I have dreamt of this moment for so long and I felt it all week, I was like 'I know I'm third, I know I'm going to make it on that podium," Diehm told Nine. "I wanted this so bad, I don't know else to say, I can't believe it. This is the first medal I have ever got in an international competition and what better way to do it than at the Paris 2024 Olympics." After her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, the athlete has suffered with a few injuries over the past few years, with her having to undergo six ACL surgeries and two shoulder surgeries. Following her win she has encouraged any aspiring athletes who may be struggling physically or mentally, to not give up on their dreams. "There is always light at the end of the tunnel, when you feel like there is not, keep pushing," she said. "I had full belief in myself and as long as you have that, you have hope and the world is going to keep on spinning, every day it will keep on going and you will keep getting better. "Have the belief and trust in yourself and you can get anything done." Images: Instagram

What’s the difference between ‘man flu’ and flu? Hint: men may not be exaggerating

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thea-van-de-mortel-1134101">Thea van de Mortel</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> The term “man flu” takes a <a href="https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/man-flu">humorous poke</a> at men with minor respiratory infections, such as colds, who supposedly exaggerate their symptoms. According to the stereotype, a man lies on the sofa with a box of tissues. Meanwhile his female partner, also with a snotty nose, carries on working from home, doing the chores and looking after him. But is man flu real? Is there a valid biological reason behind men’s symptoms or are men just malingering? And how does man flu differ from flu? <h2>What are the similarities?</h2> Man flu could refer to a number of respiratory infections – a cold, flu, even a mild case of COVID. So it’s difficult to compare man flu with flu. But for simplicity, let’s say man flu is actually a cold. If that’s the case, man flu and flu have some similar features. Both are caused by viruses (but different ones). Both are improved with rest, fluids, and if needed painkillers, throat lozenges or decongestants to <a href="https://activities.nps.org.au/nps-order-form/Resources/NPS-Cold-and-Flu-Brochure-May-2014.pdf">manage symptoms</a>. Both <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm">can share</a> similar symptoms. Typically, more severe symptoms such as fever, body aches, violent shivering and headaches are more common in flu (but sometimes occur in colds). Meanwhile sore throats, runny noses, congestion and sneezing are more common in colds. A cough is common in both. <h2>What are the differences?</h2> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm">Flu</a> is a more serious and sometimes fatal respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. Colds are caused by various viruses such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3553670/">rhinoviruses</a>, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/adenovirus/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/adenovirus/symptoms.html">adenoviruses</a>, and common cold <a href="https://journals.lww.com/pidj/citation/2022/03000/proving_etiologic_relationships_to_disease_.18.aspx">coronaviruses</a>, and are rarely serious. Colds tend to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm">start gradually</a> while flu tends to start abruptly. Flu can be <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/diagnosis/overview-testing-methods.htm">detected</a> with laboratory or at-home tests. Man flu is not an official diagnosis. Severe flu symptoms may be prevented with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm">a vaccine</a>, while cold symptoms cannot. Serious flu infections may also be <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/racf-antiviral-treatments-and-prophylaxis.aspx">prevented or treated</a> with antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu. There are no antivirals for colds. <h2>OK, but is man flu real?</h2> Again, let’s assume man flu is a cold. Do men really have worse colds than women? The picture is complicated. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399922003324?via%3Dihub">One study</a>, with the title “Man flu is not a thing”, did in fact show there were differences in men’s and women’s symptoms. This study looked at symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis. That’s inflammation of the nasal passages and sinuses, which would explain a runny or stuffy nose, a sinus headache or face pain. When researchers assessed participants at the start of the study, men and women had similar symptoms. But by days five and eight of the study, women had fewer or less-severe symptoms. In other words, women had recovered faster. But when participants rated their own symptoms, we saw a somewhat different picture. Women rated their symptoms worse than how the researchers rated them at the start, but said they recovered more quickly. All this suggests men were not exaggerating their symptoms and did indeed recover more slowly. It also suggests women feel their symptoms more strongly at the start. <h2>Why is this happening?</h2> It’s not straightforward to tease out what’s going on biologically. There are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">differences</a> in immune responses between men and women that provide a plausible reason for worse symptoms in men. For instance, women generally produce antibodies more efficiently, so they <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">respond more effectively</a> to vaccination. Other aspects of women’s immune system also appear to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2735332/">work more strongly</a>. So why do women tend to have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">stronger immune responses</a> overall? That’s probably partly because women have two X chromosomes while men have one. X chromosomes carry important <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90#Tab3">immune function genes</a>. This gives women the benefit of immune-related genes from two different chromosomes. Oestrogen (the female sex hormone) also seems to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri.2016.90">strengthen</a> the immune response, and as levels vary throughout the lifespan, so does <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.aan2946">the strength</a> of women’s immune systems. Men are certainly more likely to die from some infectious diseases, such as <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-deaths/deaths-in-australia/contents/covid-10-deaths">COVID</a>. But the picture is less clear with other infections such as the flu, where the incidence and mortality between men and women <a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44401/9789241500111_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">varies widely</a> between countries and particular flu subtypes and outbreaks. Infection rates and outcomes in men and women can also depend on the way a virus is <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.712688/full">transmitted</a>, the person’s age, and social and behavioural factors. For instance, women seem to be more likely to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8077589/#R20">practice protective behaviours</a> such as washing their hands, wearing masks or avoiding crowded indoor spaces. Women are also <a href="https://bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-016-0440-0">more likely</a> to seek medical care when ill. <h2>So men aren’t faking it?</h2> Some evidence suggests men are not over-reporting symptoms, and may take longer to clear an infection. So they may experience man flu more harshly than women with a cold. So cut the men in your life some slack. If they are sick, gender stereotyping is unhelpful, and may discourage men from seeking medical advice.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/231161/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thea-van-de-mortel-1134101">Thea van de Mortel</a>, Professor, Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-man-flu-and-flu-hint-men-may-not-be-exaggerating-231161">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Wellness is not women’s friend. It’s a distraction from what really ails us

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-seers-1131296">Kate Seers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-hogg-321332">Rachel Hogg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> Wellness is mainly marketed to women. We’re encouraged to eat clean, take <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CYqaatWPxvy/">personal responsibility</a> for our well-being, happiness and life. These are the hallmarks of a strong, independent woman in 2022. But on the eve of International Women’s Day, let’s look closer at this <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-neoliberalism-colonised-feminism-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-94856">neoliberal feminist</a> notion of wellness and personal responsibility – the idea women’s health and well-being depends on our individual choices. We argue wellness is not concerned with actual well-being, whatever wellness “guru” and businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow <a href="https://goop.com/wellness/">suggests</a>, or influencers say on Instagram. Wellness is an industry. It’s also a seductive distraction from what’s really impacting women’s lives. It glosses over the structural issues undermining women’s well-being. These issues cannot be fixed by drinking a turmeric latte or #livingyourbestlife. <h2>What is wellness?</h2> Wellness <a href="https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/statistics-and-facts/">is an</a> unregulated US$4.4 trillion global industry due to reach almost $7 trillion by 2025. It promotes self-help, self-care, fitness, nutrition and spiritual practice. It <a href="https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/">encourages</a> good choices, intentions and actions. Wellness is alluring because it feels empowering. Women are left with a sense of control over their lives. It is particularly alluring in times of great uncertainty and limited personal control. These might be during a relationship break up, when facing financial instability, workplace discrimination or a global pandemic. But wellness is not all it seems. <h2>Wellness blames women</h2> Wellness implies women are flawed and need to be fixed. It demands women resolve their psychological distress, improve their lives and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1360780418769673?journalCode=sroa">bounce back from adversity</a>, regardless of personal circumstances. Self-responsibility, self-empowerment and self-optimisation underpin how women are expected to think and behave. As such, wellness <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZs2iIxrSwb/">patronises women</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT3bw_Yhsp6/">micro-manages their daily schedules</a> with journaling, skin care routines, 30-day challenges, meditations, burning candles, yoga and lemon water. Wellness encourages women to improve their appearance through diet and exercise, manage <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ7IO7qJHZ_/">their surroundings</a>, <a href="https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5489-female-leadership-advice.html">performance at work</a> and their capacity to <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/working-women-balance">juggle the elusive work-life balance</a> as well as <a href="https://medium.com/authority-magazine/having-a-positive-mental-attitude-and-thinking-process-is-a-successful-key-to-healthy-wellbeing-ae11e303969c">their emotional responses</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-stress-and-worry-put-the-mental-load-on-mothers-will-2022-be-the-year-they-share-the-burden-172599">to these pressures</a>. They do this with support from costly life coaches, psychotherapists and self-help guides. Wellness demands women <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaFc2o7OHSf/">focus on their body</a>, with one’s body a measure of their commitment to the task of wellness. Yet this ignores how much these choices and actions cost. Newsreader and journalist Tracey Spicer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaDh28nBp4k/">says</a> she has spent more than A$100,000 over the past 35 years for her hair to “look acceptable” at work. Wellness keeps women <a href="https://www.hercampus.com/school/bu/the-male-gazes-effect-from-beauty-ideals-to-mental-health/">focused on their appearance</a> and keeps them spending. It’s also <a href="https://medium.com/artfullyautistic/the-dark-reality-of-wellness-culture-and-ableism-307307fcdafb">ableist</a>, <a href="https://www.byrdie.com/wellness-industry-whitewashing-5074880">racist</a>, <a href="https://msmagazine.com/2020/07/16/tools-of-the-patriarchy-diet-culture-and-how-we-all-perpetuate-the-stigma/">sexist</a>, <a href="https://www.self.com/topic/anti-aging">ageist</a> and <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/422517/the-pursuit-of-wellness-wellness-is-for-the-wealthy">classist</a>. It’s aimed at an ideal of young women, thin, white, middle-class and able-bodied. <h2>But we can’t live up to these ideals</h2> Wellness assumes women have equal access to time, energy and money to meet these ideals. If you don’t, “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/08/the-self-help-cult-of-resilience-teaches-australians-nothing">you’re just not trying hard enough</a>”. Wellness also <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1360780418769673?journalCode=sroa">implores women</a> to be “adaptable and positive”. If an individual’s #positivevibes and wellness are seen as <a href="https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-should-say-no-to-positivity-and-yes-to-our-negative-emotions/">morally good</a>, then it becomes morally necessary for women to engage in behaviours framed as “investments” or “self-care”. For those who do not achieve self-optimisation (hint: most of us) this is a personal, shameful failing. <h2>Wellness distracts us</h2> When women believe they are to blame for their circumstances, it hides structural and cultural inequities. Rather than questioning the culture that marginalises women and produces feelings of doubt and inadequacy, wellness provides solutions in the form of superficial empowerment, confidence and resilience. Women don’t need wellness. They are unsafe. <a href="https://www.ourwatch.org.au/quick-facts/">Women are</a> <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/latest-release">more likely</a> to be murdered by a current or former intimate partner, with reports of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-governments-can-do-about-the-increase-in-family-violence-due-to-coronavirus-135674">pandemic increasing</a> the risk and severity of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/01/the-worst-year-domestic-violence-soars-in-australia-during-covid-19">domestic violence</a>. Women are more likely to be employed in unstable <a href="https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/april-2020/Pandemics-economic-blow-hits-women-hard">casualised labour, and experience economic hardship and poverty</a>. Women are also bearing the brunt <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/womens-work/">of the economic fallout from COVID</a>. Women are more likely to be juggling a career with <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1972">unpaid domestic duties</a> and more likely <a href="https://www.mercyfoundation.com.au/our-focus/ending-homelessness/older-women-and-homelessness/">to be homeless</a> as they near retirement age. In their book <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/confidence-culture#:%7E:text=They%20argue%20that%20while%20confidence,responsible%20for%20their%20own%20conditions.">Confidence Culture</a> UK scholars Shani Orgad and Rosalind Gill argue hashtags such as #loveyourbody and #believeinyourself imply psychological blocks, rather than entrenched social injustices, are what hold women back. <h2>What we should be doing instead</h2> Wellness, with its self-help rhetoric, <a href="http://www.consultmcgregor.com/documents/research/neoliberalism_and_health_care.pdf">absolves the government</a> of responsibility to provide transformative and effectual action that ensures women are safe, delivered justice, and treated with respect and dignity. Structural inequity was not created by an individual, and it will not be solved by an individual. So this International Women’s Day, try to resist the neoliberal requirement to take personal responsibility for your wellness. Lobby governments to address structural inequities instead. <a href="https://www.mindful.org/why-women-should-embrace-their-anger/">Follow your anger</a>, not your bliss, call out injustices when you can. And in the words of sexual assault survivor and advocate Grace Tame, “make some noise”. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kate-seers-1131296">Kate Seers</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-hogg-321332">Rachel Hogg</a>, Lecturer in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849">Charles Sturt University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/wellness-is-not-womens-friend-its-a-distraction-from-what-really-ails-us-177446">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

Almost half the men surveyed think they could land a passenger plane. Experts disagree

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/guido-carim-junior-1379129">Guido Carim Junior</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-campbell-1414564">Chris Campbell</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elvira-marques-1362476">Elvira Marques</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nnenna-ike-1490692">Nnenna Ike</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-ryley-1253269">Tim Ryley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Picture this: you’re nestled comfortably in your seat cruising towards your holiday destination when a flight attendant’s voice breaks through the silence: <blockquote> Ladies and gentlemen, both pilots are incapacitated. Are there any passengers who could land this plane with assistance from air traffic control? </blockquote> If you think you could manage it, you’re not alone. <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2023/01/02/fd798/3">Survey results</a> published in January indicate about one-third of adult Americans think they could safely land a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s guidance. Among male respondents, the confidence level rose to nearly 50%. Can a person with no prior training simply guide everyone to a smooth touchdown? We’ve all heard stories of passengers who saved the day when the pilot became unresponsive. For instance, last year <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbMoyWukjbs">Darren Harrison</a> managed to land a twin-engine aircraft in Florida – after the pilot passed out – with the guidance of an air traffic controller who also happened to be a flight instructor. However, such incidents tend to take place in small, simple aircraft. Flying a much bigger and heavier commercial jet is a completely different game. <h2>You can’t always rely on autopilot</h2> A pilot spends about 90% of their time monitoring autopilot systems and making sure everything is working as intended. The other 10% is spent managing problems, taxiing, taking off and landing. Takeoffs and landings are arguably the most difficult tasks pilots perform, and are always performed manually. Only on very few occasions, and in a handful of aircraft models, can a pilot use autopilot to land the aircraft for them. This is the exception, and not the rule. For takeoff, the aircraft must build up speed until the wings can generate enough lift to pull it into the air. The pilot must <a href="https://youtu.be/16XTAK-4Xbk?si=66yDo5g5I086Q2y2&t=65">pay close attention</a> to multiple instruments and external cues, while keeping the aircraft centred on the runway until it reaches lift-off speed. Once airborne, they must coordinate with air traffic control, follow a particular path, retract the landing gear and maintain a precise speed and direction while trying to climb. Landing is even more complicated, and requires having precise control of the aircraft’s direction and descent rate. <a href="https://youtu.be/u_it9OiTnSM?si=xNZrLB9ZH870LEa3&t=360">To land successfully</a>, a pilot must keep an appropriate speed while simultaneously managing gear and flap configuration, adhering to air traffic regulations, communicating with air traffic control and completing a number of paper and digital checklists. Once the aircraft comes close to the runway, they must accurately judge its height, reduce power and adjust the rate of descent – ensuring they land on the correct area of the runway. On the ground, they will use the brakes and reverse thrust to bring the aircraft to a complete stop before the runway ends. This all happens within just a few minutes. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nyx4NyMrvOs?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Both takeoff and landing are far too quick, technical and concentration-intensive for an untrained person to pull off. They also require a range of skills that are only gained through extensive training, such as understanding the information presented on different gauges, and being able to coordinate one’s hands and feet in a certain way. <h2>Training a pilot</h2> The journey from student to commercial pilot is a long one. It normally starts with a recreational licence, followed by a private licence, and then a commercial licence (which allows them to fly professionally). Even before stepping into a cockpit, the student must study aerodynamics, air law and flight rules, meteorology, human factors, navigation, aircraft systems, and performance and flight planning. They also need to spend time learning about the specific aircraft they will be flying. Once the fundamentals are grasped, an instructor takes them for training. Most of this training is conducted in small, lightweight aircraft – with a simulator introduced briefly towards the end. During a lesson, each manoeuvre or action is demonstrated by the instructor before the student attempts it. Their attempt may be adjusted, corrected or even terminated early in critical situations. The first ten to fifteen lessons focus on takeoff, landing, basic in-flight control and emergency management. When the students are ready, they’re allowed to “go solo” – wherein they conduct a complete flight on their own. This is a great milestone. After years of experience, they are ready to transition to a commercial aircraft. At this point they might be able to take off and land reasonably well, but they will still undergo extensive training specific to the aircraft they are flying, including hours of advanced theory, dozens of simulator sessions and hundreds of hours of real aircraft training (most of which is done with passengers onboard). So, if you’ve never even learned the basics of flying, your chances of successfully landing a passenger aircraft with air traffic control’s help are close to zero. <h2>Yet, flying is a skill like any other</h2> Aviation training has been democratised by the advent of high-end computers, virtual reality and flight simulation games such as Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.flightsimulator.com/">Flight Simulator</a> and <a href="https://www.x-plane.com/">X-Plane</a>. Anyone can now rig up a desktop flight simulator for a few thousand dollars. Ideally, such a setup should also include the basic physical controls found in a cockpit, such as a control yoke, throttle quadrant and pedals. Flight simulators provide an immersive environment in which professional pilots, students and aviation enthusiasts can develop their skills. So if you really think you could match-up against a professional, consider trying your hand at one. You almost certainly won’t be able to land an actual passenger plane by the end of it – but at least you’ll gain an appreciation for the immense skill pilots possess.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218037/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/guido-carim-junior-1379129">Guido Carim Junior</a>, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-campbell-1414564">Chris Campbell</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elvira-marques-1362476">Elvira Marques</a>, Aviation PhD candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nnenna-ike-1490692">Nnenna Ike</a>, Research Assistant, Griffith Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tim-ryley-1253269">Tim Ryley</a>, Professor and Head of Griffith Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-half-the-men-surveyed-think-they-could-land-a-passenger-plane-experts-disagree-218037">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Boomers vs. Bikers: Teens and elderly residents face off over bike rules

A tense intergenerational argument has broken out in Sydney's Northern Beaches, as a group of seniors stopped two teenagers from riding their electric bikes on a footpath. The incident was captured on camera by a bystander and uploaded to social media with the caption, "Battle of the beaches. E-bikes vs. elderly", before quickly going viral. The video shows elderly man and woman standing outside a dental centre in the suburb of Mona Vale, stopping the youths from riding any further and are seen holding the bike as the teens appear to argue for their release. After the video garnered much attention, hundreds of people shared their thoughts on who was in the right. Many appear to have taken the side of the senior citizens, but in this case, with the teen’s ages not immediately clear, both parties could have a case. According to the<a title="www.nsw.gov.au" href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/bicycle-safety-and-rules/cyclist-road-rules#:~:text=Riding%20on%20a%20footpath,under%20the%20age%20of%2016"> New South Wales Government</a>, cyclists (on both pedal or electric bikes) are not allowed to ride on a footpath. However, children under 16 can ride on the footpath unless there is a “NO BICYCLES” sign. In the comment section, plenty of arguments backed the case of the seniors. “Elderly are right; it’s a footpath, it’s dangerous. Annoying they drive fast,” one wrote. Another said: “Look I don’t know what happened, but yesterday (kids) similar to these guys were zooming on an E-bike at a dog park, almost hit us, no bells or anything and off the path. If you have these, just stay on the road.” Others, however, were quick to side with the teens, as one person wrote, “Entitled old people thinking they are the police.” Another added, “Boomers need to admit they are bored and have nothing to do.” Image credits: TikTok

Travel Trouble

4 anti-ageing mistakes most women make

While there’s no denying it, wrinkles are just part of the natural ageing process, there are some mistakes we all make that will speed up the ageing process. So if you want to keep your youthful glow for longer, be sure to avoid these beauty blunders. Skipping sunscreen READ CAREFULLY: Sunscreen IS THE ultimate anti-ageing tool. Even when it’s not beach-worthy weather outside, but the sun’s UV rays can still damage your skin. This is namely photoageing, the wrinkling, spotting and loss of elasticity caused by exposure to sun. So as part of your daily routine, make sure you slip, slap, slop. Rubbing tired eyes While we’re all guilty of this seemingly harmful action, did you know that simply rubbing your eyes will stretch delicate skin and may cause it to slacken? The skin around our eyes and on our eyelids is the most sensitive and least elastic on our face and the most vulnerable... so keep your fingers away. Skimping on sunglasses As well as being a fashionable accessory, sunglasses also do wonders to minimize lines around your eyes. Shading your eyes from the sun’s glare prevents squinting and crow's feet wrinkles, of course, but it also shields delicate skin from the destructive onslaught of UV rays. Make sure you opt for a pair with UV protection. Neglecting your neck, chest and hands The delicate skin of these areas lack the oil glands of other areas of skin, which results in dryness and accelerated aging. Plus, these areas are often fraught with sunscreen neglect. As well as remembering to apply sunscreen to these areas you should also pay attention to them by applying an anti-ageing serum. Image credits: Shutterstock

Beauty & Style

Boomers vs millennials? Free yourself from the phoney generation wars

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bobby-duffy-98570">Bobby Duffy</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kings-college-london-1196">King's College London</a> Generational thinking is a big idea that’s been horribly corrupted and devalued by endless myths and stereotypes. These clichés have fuelled fake battles between “snowflake” millennials and “selfish” baby boomers, with younger generations facing a “war on woke” and older generations accused of “stealing” the future from the young. As I argue in my book, <a href="https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/generations/">Generations</a>, this is a real shame. A more careful understanding of what’s really different between generations is one of the best tools we have to understand change – and predict the future. Some of the great names in sociology and philosophy saw understanding generational change as central to understanding society overall. <a href="http://dhspriory.org/kenny/PhilTexts/Comte/Philosophy2.pdf">Auguste Comte</a>, for example, identified the generation as a key factor in “the basic speed of human development”. He argued that “we should not hide the fact that our social progress rests essentially upon death; which is to say that the successive steps of humanity necessarily require a continuous renovation … from one generation to the next”. We humans get set in our ways once we’re past our formative years, and we need the constant injection of new participants to keep society moving forward. Understanding whether, and how, generations are different is vital to understanding society. The balance between generations is constantly shifting, as older cohorts die out and are replaced by new entrants. If younger generations truly do have different attitudes or behaviours to older generations, this will reshape society, and we can, to some extent, predict how it will develop if we can identify those differences. But in place of this big thinking, today we get clickbait headlines and bad research on millennials “<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-hate-napkins-2016-3?r=US&IR=T">killing the napkin industry</a>” or on how baby boomers have “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/boomers-are-blame-aging-america/592336/">ruined everything</a>”. We’ve fallen a long way. <h2>Myth busting</h2> To see the true value of generational thinking, we need to identify and discard the many myths. For example, as I outline in the book, gen Z and millennials are not lazy at work or disloyal to their employers. They’re also no more materialistic than previous generations of young: a focus on being rich is something we tend to grow out of. Old people are not uncaring or unwilling to act on climate change: in fact, they are more likely than young people to boycott products for social purpose reasons. And our current generation of young are not a particularly unusual group of “culture warriors”. Young people are always at the leading edge of change in cultural norms, around race, immigration, sexuality and gender equality. The issues have changed, but the gap between young and old is not greater now than in the past. Meanwhile, there are real, and vitally important, generational differences hidden in this mess. To see them, we need to separate the three effects that explain all change in societies. Some patterns are simple “lifecycle effects”, where attitudes and behaviours are to do with our age, not which generation we are born into. Some are “period effects” – where everyone is affected, such as in a war, economic crisis or a pandemic. And finally, there are “cohort effects”, which is where a new generation is different from others at the same age, and they stay different. It’s impossible to entirely separate these distinct forces, but we can often get some way towards it – and when we do, we can predict the future in a much more meaningful way. There are many real generational differences, in vitally important areas of life. For example, the probability of you owning your own home is hugely affected by when you were born. Millennials are around half as likely to be a homeowner than generations born only a couple of decades earlier. There is also a real cohort effect in experience of mental health disorders, particularly among recent generations of young women. Our relationship with alcohol and likelihood of smoking is also tied to our cohort, with huge generational declines in very regular drinking and smoking. Each of these point to different futures, from increased strain on mental health services to declining alcohol sales. But lifecycle and period effects are vitally important too. For example, there is truth in the idea that we grow more conservative as we age. One analysis suggests that this ageing effect is worth around <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261379413000875">0.35% to the Conservatives each year</a>, which may not sound like a lot, but is very valuable over the course of a political lifetime. And, of course, the pandemic provides a very powerful example of how period effects can dramatically change things for us all. <h2>Reaching beyond the avocado</h2> When there is such richness in the realities, why are there so many myths? It’s partly down to bad marketing and workplace research – that is, people jumping on the generation bandwagon to get media coverage for their products or to sell consultancy to businesses on how to engage young employees. This has become its own mini-industry. In 2015, US companies spent up to US$70 million (£51 million) on this sort of “advice” <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/helping-bosses-decode-millennialsfor-20-000-an-hour-1463505666">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>, with some experts making as much as US$20,000 an hour. Over 400 LinkedIn users now describe themselves solely as a “millennial expert” or “millennial consultant”. Campaigners and politicians also play to these imagined differences. Our increasing focus on “<a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-institute/assets/culture-wars-in-the-uk.pdf">culture wars</a>” often involves picking out particular incidents in universities, such as the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-45717841">banning of clapping</a> at events or the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-57409743">removal of a portrait of the Queen</a> to exaggerate how culturally different young people today are. Maybe less obviously, politicians such as former US President Barack Obama repeatedly lionise coming generations as more focused on equality, when the evidence shows they’re often not that different. These assertions are not only wrong, but create false expectations and divides. Some have had enough, calling on the Pew Research Center in the US, which has been a champion of generational groups, to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/07/generation-labels-mean-nothing-retire-them/&data=04%257C01%257C">stop conducting this type of analysis</a>. I think that misses the point: it’s how it’s applied rather than the idea of generations that’s wrong. We should defend the big idea and call out the myths, not abandon the field to the “millennial consultants”.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167138/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bobby-duffy-98570">Bobby Duffy</a>, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kings-college-london-1196">King's College London</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/boomers-vs-millennials-free-yourself-from-the-phoney-generation-wars-167138">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

"Expectation vs Reality": Woman's reaction to hotel scam

A woman was left outraged after forking out on a hotel room with a gorgeous sea view, only to find out she had fallen for a scam. Influencer Clarisa Murgia paid an obscene amount of money for the room with a view, which was advertised as part of a holiday of a lifetime across Europe. Expecting blue seas, sailing boats and a view of the mountain range, the influencer was utterly disappointed when she found out that the breathtaking views was nothing but a poster attached to the wall of the building outside her window. She shared footage of the "view" on TikTok, with the caption "Expectation vs Reality" and from one angle the poster looked just like the real thing. But as she pans to the another side, the massive poster emerges attached to a crumbling white wall, with her actual view being rows of barred white windows and a dingy alley. "Someone rented a B&B with a sea view. I feel scammed, guys," the influencer added. "No one has ever deceived me like this before, hahaha." The video racked up over 2.5million views, with many joking about her unfortunate situation. "Not even my ex lied that much," one joked. "My luck in life is summarised in this video," another added. "That's why I always look at the location so I don't fail," a third wrote. Images: TikTok

Travel Trouble

How one widow has changed how women solo travel

After Yvonne Vickers' husband passed away in 2014, she thought her opportunities to travel and see the world had slipped away. Yvonne had always been a keen traveller and went on trips with her married friends after becoming a widow, but she "got over being the third wheel", she admitted to <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/cruising-solo-female-older-passengers/9553953c-84e8-418a-9c2b-8c9b847b9ba4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Travel</a>. Still wanting to see the world on her own terms, Yvonne took to Facebook where she created a group seeking like-minded women who share her passion for adventure. Now, the Find A Female Cruise or Travel Buddy is an ever-growing group that has connected thousands of women looking for travel companions. Whether they're single, widowed, or just married to someone who doesn't want to travel, the group is open to women across the globe to join. Thanks to her newfound community, Yvonne has taken 41 cruises and dozens of land trips since her husband's death, all while making friends for life, and the rest of the group's members are in the same boat. "It's wonderful to get feedback from ladies saying that it's helped to change their life," Yvonne said. "That's the rewarding part of it for me." Members can make a post in the group, detailing a cruise sailing or trip that they have their eye on booking, to see if anyone else would like to join them. "We have a lot of widows in our group who are cashed up and want to travel but don't have anyone to travel with or share their experiences with," Yvonne said. "The group gives them the opportunity to be able to do that." "There are also a lot of ladies who are married but their husbands don't want to travel. It gives them the opportunity to be able to travel." Yvonne says that cruising is a perfect way for older females to travel, especially if they're on their own. "It's a really safe way to travel as a solo female," she says, also noting that it's an easy way to get around and see places. Recently, she did a 35-day trip around Hawaii with a group of women from the group. For the Find A Female Cruise or Travel Buddy group, there's even more fun trips on the horizon. Yvonne just came back from a trip to Japan with 14 group members, and is heading to Bali in August with a friend she made through the group. Image credits: Nine News \ Facebook

Cruising

Longer appointments are just the start of tackling the gender pain gap. Here are 4 more things we can do

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-oshea-457947">Michelle O'Shea</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-adler-1533549">Hannah Adler</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marilla-l-druitt-1533572">Marilla L. Druitt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mike-armour-391382">Mike Armour</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Ahead of the federal budget, health minister Mark Butler <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-10/endometriosis-australia-welcomes-govt-funding-for-endometriosis/103830392">last week announced</a> an investment of A$49.1 million to help women with endometriosis and complex gynaecological conditions such as chronic pelvic pain and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). From July 1 2025 <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp/media/historic-medicare-changes-for-women-battling-endometriosis">two new items</a> will be added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule providing extended consultation times and higher rebates for specialist gynaecological care. The Medicare changes <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/longer-consults-for-endometriosis-sufferers-on-the">will subsidise</a> $168.60 for a minimum of 45 minutes during a longer initial gynaecologist consultation, compared to the standard rate of $95.60. For follow-up consultations, Medicare will cover $84.35 for a minimum of 45 minutes, compared to the standard rate of $48.05. Currently, there’s <a href="https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=104&qt=item&criteria=104">no specified time</a> for these initial or subsequent consultations. But while reductions to out-of-pocket medical expenses and extended specialist consultation times are welcome news, they’re only a first step in closing the gender pain gap. <h2>Chronic pain affects more women</h2> Globally, research has shown chronic pain (generally defined as pain that persists for <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/chronic-pain">more than three months</a>) disproportionately affects <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bja/article/111/1/52/331232?login=false">women</a>. Multiple biological and psychosocial processes likely contribute to this disparity, often called the gender pain gap. For example, chronic pain is frequently associated with conditions influenced by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304395914003868">hormones</a>, among other factors, such as endometriosis and <a href="https://theconversation.com/adenomyosis-causes-pain-heavy-periods-and-infertility-but-youve-probably-never-heard-of-it-104412">adenomyosis</a>. Chronic pelvic pain in women, regardless of the cause, can be debilitating and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73389-2">negatively affect</a> every facet of life from social activities, to work and finances, to mental health and relationships. The gender pain gap is both rooted in and compounded by gender bias in medical research, treatment and social norms. The science that informs medicine – including the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease – has traditionally focused on men, thereby <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/30/fda-clinical-trials-gender-gap-epa-nih-institute-of-medicine-cardiovascular-disease">failing to consider</a> the crucial impact of sex (biological) and gender (social) factors. When medical research adopts a “male as default” approach, this limits our understanding of pain conditions that predominantly affect women or how certain conditions affect men and women <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10921746/">differently</a>. It also means intersex, trans and gender-diverse people are <a href="https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/news-and-media-releases/articles/world-class-centre-tackles-sex-and-gender-inequities-in-health-and-medicine">commonly excluded</a> from medical research and health care. Minimisation or dismissal of pain along with the <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2016/3467067/">normalisation of menstrual pain</a> as just “part of being a woman” contribute to significant delays and misdiagnosis of women’s gynaecological and other health issues. Feeling dismissed, along with perceptions of stigma, can make women less likely <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12905-024-03063-6">to seek help</a> in the future. <h2>Inadequate medical care</h2> Unfortunately, even when women with endometriosis do seek care, many <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/imj.15494?saml_referrer">aren’t satisfied</a>. This is understandable when medical advice includes being told to become pregnant to treat their <a href="https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-023-02794-2">endometriosis</a>, despite <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/24/3/290/4859612?login=false">no evidence</a> pregnancy reduces symptoms. Pregnancy should be an autonomous choice, not a treatment option. It’s unsurprising people look for information from other, often <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/1/121">uncredentialed</a>, sources. While online platforms including patient-led groups have provided women with new avenues of support, these forums should complement, rather than replace, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1460458215602939">information from a doctor</a>. Longer Medicare-subsidised appointments are an important acknowledgement of women and their individual health needs. At present, many women feel their consultations with a gynaecologist are <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/longer-consults-for-endometriosis-sufferers-on-the">rushed</a>. These conversations, which often include coming to terms with a diagnosis and management plan, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1496869/">take time</a>. <h2>A path toward less pain</h2> While extended consultation time and reduced out-of-pocket costs are a step in the right direction, they are only one part of a complex pain puzzle. If women are not listened to, their symptoms not recognised, and effective treatment options not adequately discussed and provided, longer gynaecological consultations may not help patients. So what else do we need to do? 1. Physician knowledge Doctors’ knowledge of women’s pain requires development through both practitioner <a href="https://health-policy-systems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12961-022-00815-4/tables/2">education and guidelines</a>. This knowledge should also include dedicated efforts toward understanding the <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/07/02/the-neuroscience-of-pain">neuroscience of pain</a>. Diagnostic processes should be tailored to consider gender-specific symptoms and responses to <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00137-8/fulltext">pain</a>. 2. Research and collaboration Medical decisions should be based on the best and most inclusive evidence. Understanding the complexities of pain in women is essential for managing their pain. Collaboration between health-care experts from different disciplines can facilitate comprehensive and holistic pain research and management strategies. 3. Further care and service improvements Women’s health requires multidisciplinary treatment and care which extends beyond their GP or specialist. For example, conditions like endometriosis often see people presenting to emergency departments in <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-disease/endometriosis-in-australia/contents/treatment-management/ed-presentations">acute pain</a>, so practitioners in these settings need to have the right knowledge and be able to provide support. Meanwhile, pelvic ultrasounds, especially the kind that have the potential to visualise endometriosis, take longer to perform and require a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028223020757/">specialist sonographer</a>. Current rebates do not reflect the time and expertise needed for these imaging procedures. 4. Adjusting the parameters of ‘women’s pain’ Conditions like PCOS and endometriosis don’t just affect women – they also impact people who are gender-diverse. Improving how people in this group are treated is just as salient as addressing how we treat women. Similarly, the gynaecological health-care needs of culturally and linguistically diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander women may be even <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/13/6321">less likely to be met</a> than those of women in the general population. <h2>Challenging gender norms</h2> Research suggests one of the keys to reducing the gender pain gap is challenging deeply embedded <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29682130/">gendered norms</a> in clinical practice and research. We are hearing women’s suffering. Let’s make sure we are also listening and responding in ways that close the gender pain gap.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/229802/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-oshea-457947">Michelle O'Shea</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-adler-1533549">Hannah Adler</a>, PhD candidate, health communication and health sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marilla-l-druitt-1533572">Marilla L. Druitt</a>, Affiliate Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mike-armour-391382">Mike Armour</a>, Associate Professor at NICM Health Research Institute, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/longer-appointments-are-just-the-start-of-tackling-the-gender-pain-gap-here-are-4-more-things-we-can-do-229802">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Two men charged over felling of iconic Sycamore Gap tree

Two men have been charged with cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in northern England. Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, were charged with causing criminal damage to the tree and damaging Hadrian’s Wall, which was built by Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 to guard the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) added that they will appear in the Newcastle Magistrates Court on May 15. “There has been an ongoing investigation since the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down," said Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Fenney, the Senior Investigation Officer on the case. “As a result of those inquiries, two men have now been charged. “We recognise the strength of feeling in the local community and further afield the felling has caused, however we would remind people to avoid speculation, including online, which could impact the ongoing case.” According to The Sun, the two men were arrested back in October and released on bail. The iconic tree became internationally famous when it was used for a scene in Kevin Costner's 1991 blockbuster film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The felling caused widespread <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/you-can-t-forgive-that-teen-arrested-after-felling-of-iconic-200-year-old-tree" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outrage</a> at the time, as police tried to find the culprit behind the "deliberate" act of vandalism. Efforts are currently underway to see if the tree can be regrown from the sycamore's stump, with The National Trust hoping that a third of the seeds and cuttings it collected from the tree could be planted later on. Image: Getty

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Longer appointments are just the start of tackling the gender pain gap. Here are 4 more things we can do

Two men charged over felling of iconic Sycamore Gap tree

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