Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

In under 24 hours, the internet will look very different. Nationwide, anyone under 16 will be locked out of social media.Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit, YouTube - all off-limits.If you're not yet 16, you'll be waiting until your birthday to log back in.

It's a time to eat, drink, and be merry. But for Australians struggling with - or recovering from - addiction, holiday gatherings can become a test of willpower. An addiction specialist shares his first Christmas off the booze. 

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

More and more people are turning to AI for spiritual support, by using bots for religious worship and guidance.They're known as "faith bots" and there's one for pretty much every belief.Christians can use Text Jesus.There's a virtual Islamic Scholar called Sheikh GPT.And Gita GPT allows you to exchange messages with the Hindu god Krishna.So, can AI help you become closer to God? Can it strengthen your faith?

What do you do when it feels like you and your in-laws speak different languages when it comes to parenting? And the situation is heightened when your mother-in-law moves in to offer emergency childcare?

Developmental paediatrician Dr Billy Garvey says behavioural and emotional difficulties are the number one reason parents come to see him. But, Dr Billy says parents can learn to respond to challenging behaviour in a way that works for both them and their kids.

Only around one in twenty Australians eat enough fruit and veggies. The rest of us are falling way short of where we need to be.Price is a common complaint, but is fresh produce really that expensive?A Monash study has looked at the perception of prices of fresh produce - and found that displaying a cost-per-serving on the ticket induces shoppers buy more vegetables.

No matter how tightly held your neighbourhood is... there's almost definitely at least one empty home on your street... or a long-time vacant lot nearby?New research claims that the number of empty dwellings across Melbourne has risen dramatically... from more than 27,000 in 2023 to nearly 32,000 in 2024.And across the country ... experimental ABS data suggests that up to 140,000 dwellings are sitting vacant.So, why would houses, apartments, and blocks of land be left sitting empty? And is there a way to utilise these properties to address Australia's housing crisis?

You've got dinner plans with a group of friends, and you've been looking forward to it for weeks.But in the days -or hours- leading to the catch-up... you get one... maybe several texts.Sorry, I can't make it. Sorry, work has been insane this week. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.Some people feel annoyed... some people feel relieved.Maybe you're the one who typically cancels.So, are we flakier than we used to be? 

From the desks we work at, to the places we retreat to at the end of the day, the spaces around us quietly shape how we feel, how we live, and how we connect with each other.Good design isn't just about looks – it's about comfort, dignity, possibility, and the way a space can hold us, support us, even change us.So at a time when so many Australians are struggling to find four walls to call home, what can design teach us about building homes and communities that truly meet people's needs?