News and current affairs stimulate debate – there are as many points of view as there are people on the planet. At GrownUps, we love a good debate, so decided to start a thread to discuss topical stories.
Today – October 18 – The Quarter Final: The voodoo at Cardiff is over – congratulations to our mighty All Blacks – what a game! Today New Zealand can feel incredibly proud of our team and the commitment they showed. Well done to South Africa too – although Wales fought gallantly and have played a magnificent tournament.
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Today – October 5 – Perserverance: The Power Of Believing in Yourself – 85-year-old Doris Baertschi from Auckland woman has held her first public art exhibition, after painting in secret for 50 years, as her husband didn’t think she was good enough. The results show how important it is to follow your passion, no matter the obstacles. See here interview here.
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Today – October 3 – Kids Leaving Home – new research from Rabobank may be alarming if you have young adult children – because of concerns about saving to buy a home, the average age young people surveyed anticipated leaving home was 27!
Buying a home is still a major priority for young adults, despite the cost of doing so. Mel Templeton, general manager of RaboDirect New Zealand says it shows they’re committed to the New Zealand dream of owning their own home, but have admitted they will call on financial assistance from their parents to help cover the costs.
Around a quarter of young people surveyed expected to receive direct financial assistance from their parents.
Parents surveyed believed the average age their children would move out was 25.
Is this a reasonable expectation? We’d love to hear your views on this one!
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Today – October 1 – Today is the The International Day of Older Persons.
If you are over 65, you make up some 15% of the population in New Zealand. Take a bow and accept a bit of TLC. Community groups have celebrations planned around the country.
Today marks the 25th year of the International Day of Older Persons. The Ministry of Social Development estimates that by 2035, the percentage of people over 65 will double to some 1.2 million people.
What would you like to see evolve as this group of the population increases?
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Today: September 21 – The Rugby World Cup – Phew! After a weekend of upsets (fantastic work Japan!), it was good to see the All Blacks finish strongly over Argentina. It was not a complete performance by any means, but it did show our commitment.
Even though Captain Fantastic Richie McCaw had an enforced 10 minute sit down, he’s still an inspiration.
Here’s his latest campaign featuring his philosophy: Start Again. It’s stirring stuff.
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Today: September 17 – The Hakarena – are the English being disrespectful or amusing with this parody of the All Blacks’ haka? What do you think this will do to our team in terms of motivation and attitude?
Today: September 15 – Australia – Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been replaced by Malcolm Turnball. We’re interested in what you think this means, in terms of our relationship with Australia, and as a political act. Australia has had a number of changes of leadership in recent years.
Mr Turnball is a firm fan of NZ Prime Minister John Key, last night saying, “My firm belief is that to be a successful leader … you have to be able to bring people with you by respecting their intelligence in the manner you explain things,” Turnbull said.
“We’ve got some great leaders in Australia at state level but let me just point to one internationally, John Key, for example.
“John Key has been able to achieve very significant economic reforms in New Zealand by doing just that, by taking on and explaining complex issues and then making the case for them. And I, that is certainly something that I believe we should do and Julie and I are very keen to do that again.”
What is your opinion?
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Today: September 11 The Twin Towers – Today we remember the thousands of people who were killed and injured in the attack on the World Trade Centre and around the U.S. that day. It was a monstrous act, which altered the course of history, and has affected many of us personally. Whether you were in the United States that fateful day, lost a loved one, or were simply shaken by watching the events from elsewhere in the world, take a moment to reflect today. You are welcome to share your memories in the comments below.
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Today: 10 September Older Workers – The recently released Workforce Ageing Survey revealed that about 40 per cent of older workers have experienced some form of age-related discrimination in the past five years, despite being a reliable, experienced and contributing group in the work place.
The number of older workers is set to double by 2035. Given that as a population, we are aging later (50 is the new 40 etc) – do employers need to be more open-minded about older workers? Older workers generate some $14 billion a year for our economy in the paid workforce, with the value of their voluntary and unpaid work worth more than $8 billion.
Read more here and please comment – we’d love to hear your personal experiences. Let’s work to make a change!
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Today: Refugees – There is little doubt that at this time, almost more than any other, there are staggering numbers of people from many countries in desperate need of aid. For those of you on Facebook and Twitter, there will be many impassioned pleas on your news feeds, asking why we aren’t doing more to help in Syria, for example.
The question is, will bringing in a few hundred more people to New Zealand actually help? What is the implication for our social services and environment? Do we have the skills and the resources to make a difference? When is our contribution ‘acceptable’ in the eyes of the international community, and in those of our citizens?
There is a Facebook page for Kiwis willing to foster refugees in their own owns. Is this something you would be willing to do, and if so, for how long? Click here to watch an interesting video from last week, and please comment freely!
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Today: The Internet – Friend or Foe? It’s easy to blame the internet for all manner of societal ills. Some claim it has caused people to disconnect, and live their lives glued to devices, rather than interacting with their loved ones in person.
Some accuse social media for promoting a sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) – as people tend the put their best foot forward on Facebook, Instagram and the like. It’s easy to feel as if your life may pale by comparison to that of your online ‘friends.’
However a new paper, entitled “Life Satisfaction in the Internet Age” published in Computers in Human Behaviour, says internet users are more satisfied with their lives than non-users.
The results showed that older adults, or those with limited mobility feel empowered by having a wide range of information instantly available. The same can be said for those who are geographically isolated.
There is no doubt that the internet is our generation’s ‘revolution’ – it has changed the way we communicate, gain information, bank, shop, conduct relationships and so much more. Further down this thread, we discussed things which may disappear in our lifetime, largely due to the influence of the internet. Some stores now have a limited ‘street’ presence, preferring to move to online.
We are adapting and changing – many jobs that once seemed guaranteed have evolved into different roles.
All in all however, it can be argued that life is more connected and efficient thanks to the opportunities presented by the internet.
As a GrownUps member, you have an online life. How does it affect the rest of your daily life? How often do you find yourself searching information, making bookings, shopping or communicating with others? Do you feel it has widened your perspective and enriched your life? We’d love to hear your experiences!
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Today: The Flag Debate – The top four flag designs have been revealed today. What do you think? GrownUps surveys have shown an overwhelming desire not to change the New Zealand flag – do any of the top four designs make you want to change your mind?
If you are still opposed to a flag change, why is that? Please comment below. It is a debate that will make for lively conversation over the dinner table this week!
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Today: Things that will disappear in our lifetime – The interesting thing about progress is that things we once deemed essential, can become obsolete. We’ve been thinking about a few things that have either been considered institutions, or innovations that we could never do without, which are becoming unnecessary.
Have you considered life without:
The Post Office: Once the hub of any community, the Post Office, and indeed posted letters, are becoming critically endangered. The advent of email, couriers, online banking and renewal of services such as car registration, means it is more and more likely that the local post office will cease to exist.
The Newspaper: In its current format, advertising revenues have been falling for print media, as has readership of ‘hard copy’ newspapers. News moves much faster than a 24 hour cycle now, and the move to an online option has hit the humble newspaper hard. Not only can it be updated instantly, there is less impact on the environment. It is a lovely ritual to spread out a newspaper and while away a sunny afternoon, but those who still do it, are largely doing so for the ritual, rather than the information.
NB: Some say books are likely to suffer the same fate, as more and more of us choose e-books. This would be a travesty. A beautifully bound favourite book, with its accompanying smell and history and a well stocked bookshelf, is a must for every home.
The Land Line Telephone: This one is definitely on the way out in today’s world. Many businesses have taken the leap and disconnected their landlines. Mobile phones are just too numerous and too convenient.
Handwriting: again, this is a travesty. More and more schools are aiming to be ‘paperless,’ which may be beneficial to the environment, but handwriting is a form of individual expression and a valuable part of fine motor skill development. This is one we should hold on to for dear life!
Television and Radio (in its current format): Broadcasting is definitely changing, and the producers, creators and advertisers are having to adapt fast to maintain revenue and viewers/listeners. The change began with the advent of the remote control, where consumers could flick between channels, and avoid endless advertisements. Then came recordable television, where you could choose when to watch. Now, the likes of Lightbox and Netflix and the ability to stream sport and events online is causing even more change.
Radio now broadcasts online, and alternatives such as I Heart Radio, Pandora and Spotify have changed the way we listen.
What would the world look like to you without these things? Are there any others you would like to see become extinct, or have new life breathed into them?
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Today: Paid Parental Leave – A family profiled today has laid out the economic reality of the wife returning to full time work once her paid parental leave finishes, after the birth of the couple’s second child. As a nurse, she is likely to earn up to $50,000 per annum working full time. However, after factoring in the additional full time child care costs, the reduction in family tax credits and other additional costs like petrol, and they will be only $70 per week better off than if she stayed home. Their baby is eight weeks old.
The family needs the additional income, but the cost to them is enormous. Full time child care is not an ideal environment for such a small child and the family will be under constant time pressure. Their living costs are not extravagant as it is.
Paid parental leave also costs the taxpayer and business owners.
There needs to be a better solution. What do you think?
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Today: Ashley Madison – the international website designed to facilitate infidelity. More than 30 million people have registered as ‘users.’ Hackers have infiltrated the site, demanding it be shut down, and threatening to disclose details of who has been cheating, along with their alias,’ personal information and history on the site.
The implications are enormous. Firstly, it sounds noble enough – the hackers want to stop organised infidelity. No doubt they have suffered the pain of infidelity, and believe they have a ‘duty’ to prevent others from suffering as they have.
But wait: by hacking, they have destroyed a business, which, while morally questionable, was not necessarily illegal. If 30 million users had registered, then there was clearly a market for it. Disclosing details will potentially destroy millions of lives, and may even cost a few. The hackers are also asking for money to keep personal details private. Not quite so noble now are they? That sounds rather more like blackmail…
What do you think?
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