Tag Archive for: articles

A Strategy to Boost Your Child’s Gratitude

By: Michelle Mitchell

It is not difficult to notice times when authentic gratitude is lacking in our homes. I have come to recognise that an indulgent life doesn’t make kids happy. Read more

Generation Z @ the #polls

By: Rebecca Hall

With a federal election taking place soon, understanding the perspectives of Generation Zs (born 1995-2009) is important as there are more eligible to vote for the first time.

Generation Z comprise 18.8% (4,693,341) of Australia’s total population. The proportion of Generation Zs within the age of voting eligibility (18-23 y/o) represents 11.9% (1,993,872) of Australia’s eligible voting population.* Almost three quarters of a million (728,828) who were not old enough to vote in the 2016 election are now 18 or older.

In NSW, of the 5 million eligible voters (5,336,874), there are now 630,241 Generation Zs who are old enough to vote. More than double that of the last election in March 2015 (338,022).

What influences their vote?

To understand what influences Generation Z’s vote, it is important to first understand who they are and what influences them. For Generation Z, coming of age in the 21st Century has created a unique generation that has been influenced by the Global Financial Crisis to growing cultural diversity, from global brands to social media and a digital world.

Generation Z are the most materially endowed, technologically saturated and formally educated generation our world has ever seen. On average they will live longer, stay in education later, and work across more careers than any prior generation. All these characteristics will affect how they vote.

In the nearly 24 years of their lifespan they have seen more change than any cohort before them. They began their life in the internet era but are being shaped in the world of mobile devices and social media. With the youngest entering their teen years, their lexicons are filled with terms that didn’t exist at their birth: apps, tweets, memes, tablets, smartphones and cloud computing. The confluence of these trends has so transformed their society. It is radically different to the times that shaped their parents’ and unrecognisable to the world their grandparents first knew.

For politicians looking for this emerging generation’s vote, it would benefit to understand their defining attributes. Observing is key to engaging this post-literate, multi-modal and tech-savvy generation.

Australia’s Generation Z, coming of age in the 21st Century, are alive at an amazing time in human history. Being at the start of their lives, they have amazing opportunities. Unimaginable just a generation ago. They respond to a leadership style of consensus and collaboration rather than structure and hierarchy. Their perspectives are global. It is social influence not just expert advice that shapes them. This is significantly different from what the politicians standing for election have experienced.

Understanding the worldviews of their younger constituents will be a challenge but one that can be overcome.

“This generation of young Australians are tuned in to political activism but tuned out to traditional politics,” states Social Researcher Mark McCrindle. “The challenge for today’s politicians is to engage with this generation who are democratically empowered but outside of the democratic voting process.”

*Eligible voting population comprise of Australian citizens who are 18 years old and above.

Article supplied with thanks to McCrindle.

About the Author: McCrindle are a team of researchers and communications specialists who discover insights, and tell the story of Australians – what we do, and who we are.

Breakthrough: Miracle on Ice?

By: Rusty Wright

Ever meet someone who died…and lived to tell about it? Breakthrough tells a startling, back-from-the-brink recovery story that’s sure to leave you scratching your head, even if you don’t share the grateful mother’s faith-miracle conclusions. Read more

Christian: Fight the Right Fight

By: Dr Eliezer Gonzalez

When I was at university, I had to do exams at the end of each semester like everyone else. Exams were stressful. Read more

‘50 Shades Brighter’ – The Kindness Campaign

By: Clare Bruce

When Toni Powell first heard that 50 innocent people had been killed in a violent act of terror in Christchurch, she was – like most Aussies and Kiwis – devastated. Read more

Teaching Your Kids About Debt, Gratification & Priorities

By: Robert Garrett

Teaching your kids financial skills is one way to set them up for their future. Australian households owe $2.34trillion (as at March 2018), the second highest level of household debt in the world; only Switzerland has more. In 2016 around one third of Australian households were classified as ‘over-indebted’. Read more

For Communities to Thrive All It Takes is Clean Water

By: Laura Bennett

According to World Health Program (WHO, 2013) poor sanitation contributes to about 700,000 child deaths from diarrhoea each year. Sanitation is so important, the United Nations recognised it in their Millennium Goals, setting a number of targets for communities around the world. Read more

Banjo Paterson’s Role as an ANZAC: One of the Least Known Parts of His Life

By: Annie Hamilton

‘Banjo’ Paterson is immortalised on our ten dollar note. His role in the Anzac battalions is one of the least-known parts of his life. It has slipped to obscurity, perhaps because—mysteriously—he never wrote a poem about the great Walers he worked so hard to train. Or if he did, none have survived. Read more

18 Ways to Increase Your Happiness

By: Dr Justin Coulson

Behavioural scientists have spent a lot of time studying ‘happiness’. They’ve discovered that being happy elevates our wellbeing, increases our life satisfaction and gives us better health and longevity. Read more

Why is the Resurrection of Jesus So Important?

By: Dr Eliezer Gonzalez

In this question, you’re going right to the heart of the Christian faith. So I’m going to summarise a million earth-shatteringly important points into just three simple reasons why the resurrection of Jesus is so important. Read more