The Conversation Hour

The dangers of online gaming platform Roblox has steadily been gaining coverage in the media over the last year, and one new study from Sydney University has looked specifically at how it is essentially encouraging young people to gamble The researchers have spoken with young people using the platform to hear their first-hand accounts — and a worrying picture has emergedAlso in this edition of The Conversation we look at how to tackle racism in schools and discuss if there is a market in Australia for the Cybertruck.

Monkeys are being used for medical research at Monash University in the Latrobe Valley, in this edition of The Conversation Hour, we discuss the ethical consideration around animal testing particularly when it can result in the development of life saving medications.Also, is nine hundred dollars too much to send your child to school camp? School camp operators say they've noticed a decline in the number of school camps and that they are becoming less "immersive." So, just how important are school camps to a child's development and what needs to happen to keep them going?Plus, what is the future of the cemetery? From shallower graves to what we can put on them — we look at the changing face of cemeteries.

Local community groups are calling for large tourist buses to be banned in certain pockets of the Great Ocean Road in an effort to protect local wildlife, in this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at just how serious the issue is becoming and discuss the broader issue of the impact of over-tourism on the environment.We also debrief on the ACCC report into supermarkets, discover how video games are helping neurodivergent children and discuss why men need to cry.

What it does it means to see men being vulnerable? Hugh van Cuylenburg, co-host of The Imperfects cried as he read an open letter he wrote to parents of neurodivergent children .Bear Grylls has also recently spoken about why he wants to see more men cry, so what role can public displays of vulnerability go towards combatting so called' toxic masculinity' and the dangers of the 'Manosphere'

From Fatboy Slim's DJ set a fish and chip shop, to Robbie Williams at Fed Square, Melbourne has been treated to some very exciting pop up style gigs — but just how spontaneous are these performances and what's in it for the artist? Also a new filter trending on TikTok called the 'chubby filter' has been criticised for perpetuating fatphobia and body shaming — so just how damaging can trends like this be. Plus, we learn about a new campaign that seeks to combat youth homelessness.

A powerful new Netflix series titled Adolescence has shone a light on the dangers of incel culture and the manosphere, so just how much will it shift the dial early detection of problematic behaviour in teens particularly in the online space?  Plus, affordable dental is back on the agenda with The Australian Dental Association calling for a scheme that would give eligible seniors free access to dental work, in this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at how much money is a barrier to dental health. And Eating Disorders Victoria have introduced a new workplace program which aims to break the stigma of eating disorders in the workplace – so how far could a corporate wellbeing program  go in supporting people with eating disorders?

As an altercation between parents occurred at a junior basketball game in Reservoir on the weekend, in this edition of The Conversation Hour we ask what's underpinning this aggressive behaviour and whether we are loosing sight of what kids sport is really about. Plus, as White Lotus star Lou Wood has spoken about feeling rebellious for not changing her teeth we discuss the connection between teeth and identity. And new research from Royal Life Saving Australia reveals that young people are not meeting the water safety benchmarks, so whose responsibly is it to make sure kids know how to swim?

You may have seen reports in the papers today about how the amount of new parking spots in suburbs with suburban rail loop stations would be capped, as the state government moves towards these so called 'car lite' zones. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at whether living in a bigger apartment could trump having a car park.Also, new data reveals that teens are still tanning, and while there has been a decline in recent decades, some say social media trends are encouraging young people to tan. Plus, From the Golden Girls to White Lotus — what does what we are seeing on our screens tell us about the tricky business of friendship groups.

Illegal rubbish dumping has doubled over the past five years in Victoria according to The Environment Protection Authority. In this edition of The Conversation Hour we look at why this is happening and what the next steps should be in curbing it.We also look at the role martial arts could play in building confidence to combat bullying at school and get all the latest from the Grand Prix.

As the Victorian Government is set to introduce tougher bail laws,  this edition of the Conversation Hour includes a chat with a former incarcerated person about his experience of being in prison and his views on what these reforms might mean for young people in justice system.Also, as vintage real fur is seen on the catwalks of Paris we look at the moral conundrum around wearing fur. Plus, why the new frontier of fine dining is not for everyone