Life Matters - Full program podcast

Would you watch Married At First Sight with your teenagers? It might sound like a strange parenting strategy — the show is messy, engineered for drama, and showcases some pretty troubling behaviour. Media lecturer Jessica Ford and men's mental health expert Simon Rice discuss how creating a safe space for conversations about respectful relationships could be a good place to start.
There's a push to integrate financial literacy into Australian schools, with recent data showing 52 per cent of Australian women and 37 per cent of men don't understand basic financial literacy concepts. Katrina Samios, from the not-for-profit Financial Basics Foundation unpacks what practical financial lessons for young people could look like.
Author, columnist, and screenwriter Kathy Lette has written dozens of books, but she credits just one as the spark that set her on the path to becoming a writer.
When you reach a certain age, the world has a quiet way of suggesting this might be as good as it gets — you've peaked. But middle age doesn't have to be a slow fade. For Saskia Beudel, who took on Australia's most intense endurance cycling event in her 50s, it was a time to push the limits.

Most parents understand there is a huge amount they can do to set up (or stuff up) their kids' mental and emotional needs. Developmental paediatrician and parenting podcaster Billy Garvey shares how to prioritise what's most important. 
Aunties Denise Eriksen and James Colley help a listener figure out how to break the news that they're not a big fan of their friend's four-legged companion.

An estimated 1 in 3 Australian households do not have secure access to food — they're either not getting enough, not getting the right kind, or sacrificing other crucial things to afford their groceries. And with fuel prices skyrocketing and interest rises shrinking household budgets, people are turning to food banks to help put dinner on the table. So how do we address the complex issue of food security?
Grief can plunge your entire world into darkness. Most of us find our own way to survive it, to let the life grow around it. For author Emma Grey, the answer was to "turn up the light" by seeking out snippets of hope through creative pursuits — from floral arrangements to photography.
ABC analysis of Census data shows, for the first time ever, women are more likely to be married or partnered with a man who has a lower education than them. Sociologist Dan Woodman unpacks what's behind the shift.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has announced that come October, card surcharges will be banned. But will it actually save you money any money?
A significant amount of our learning takes place outside of the classroom and we know that homeschooling has risen significantly in the last few years. Mario Gabrieli, who's taking his son Leonardo on a journey from Sydney to Italy on the back of a Vespa, and home education researcher Rebecca English discuss the benefits of taking kids out of school. 
Deborah Lawrie knew from the age of 16 that she wanted to be a pilot, so when Ansett rejected her from their trainee program in 1978, she took the airline all the way to the high court — and won. The landmark legal battle allowed a trailblazing woman to finally pursue her dream career, and paved the way for equal opportunity in Australia.

Last week a woman in the US successfully sued Meta and Google, arguing their platforms were addictive. She said she was spending up to 16 hours a day online, starting from just six years old. It raises some big questions around the concept of social media addiction. Psychology researchers Deon Tullett-Prado and Sharon Horwood explain what the research says about how social media is changing our brains.
Even if you're not technically addicted, ignoring the notifications on your phone and paying attention to your top priority tasks can feel impossible. So what can you do about it? Neuroscientist Lila Landowski shares why she decided to put pen to paper and write the dummies' guide to focus.
When it comes to life admin, the more boxes to tick or steps to click through, the less likely you are to complete that boring task. And in some cases companies are embedding "digital friction" or "sludge" to keep us from cancelling that membership or ending the free trial. Consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison digs into why this has become such a profitable and common model.