Doosie Morris

Australian schools are reassessing widespread laptop and bring-your-own-device programs amid concerns about distraction, declining academic performance, attention spans and student wellbeing. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has backed the idea of a digital detox, while Victoria is limiting device use in primary schools and requiring screen-free learning blocks in high schools. Research suggests handwriting and paper reading can support learning and that multitasking harms working memory, but the overall effects of classroom technology remain difficult to measure because implementation and socioeconomic factors vary. Teachers and school leaders argue that devices should be used selectively for explicit educational purposes rather than as replacements for pen and paper. Examples from Castlemaine Secondary College and Sydney Grammar suggest that restricting personal devices can improve concentration and social interaction, while experts caution against blanket bans and advocate locally tailored policies developed with school communities.

ABC presenter Lisa Millar reflects on her career as a foreign correspondent, the emotional toll of covering terrorism and other tragedies, and the humanity she encountered amid difficult stories. A move into feelgood programs such as Back Roads and Muster Dogs has brought renewed enjoyment, while living in Melbourne and falling in love with her longtime acquaintance Simon in her 50s have reshaped her personal life. Despite persistent anxiety and self-doubt, Millar says she continues to embrace challenges, learn and “have a crack,” while remaining aware that circumstances can change.

Mark Holden reflects on a career spanning 1970s pop stardom, US songwriting, television judging, artist management and barrister work. After Australian Idol ended his judging role and thyroid cancer permanently changed his singing voice, he retrained in law before retiring after becoming too irritable in court. Now 72, Holden is writing, recording and remastering music, including a new album made with longtime collaborators. He views music as spiritually and personally valuable despite declining financial returns and the reduced visibility of older artists.

Musician Brendan Maclean recounts how an online connection with drag performer Karen from Finance led to meeting Richard Chadwick, the person behind the makeup. After an unexpected encounter in Melbourne, shared musical interests and an immediate romantic spark brought them closer. Maclean says Richard’s acceptance of his messy home and his gentle challenge to Maclean’s cynicism showed him that the relationship was meaningful, inspiring him to care more for himself and his surroundings.

Carmen Pavlovic recounts meeting Pete through their theatre work, reconnecting in Shanghai and sharing a transformative conversation in Beijing. Although Pete had never wanted children and Pavlovic had always wanted to become a mother, he unexpectedly said he would have a baby with her. They had their first child within 16 months and, 21 years later, remain together while raising two children and navigating demanding careers, travel and relocations.

Melbourne designer Joanne Odisho won Australia’s Furniture Design award for her Mod-u lamps, modular lighting pieces made from sterilised, powdered eggshells combined with a biodegradable biopolymer. The home-manufactured material is inexpensive, durable, compostable and naturally coloured, while the lamps can be rearranged into table, floor or feature lighting. Judges praised their versatility, tactile architectural form and suitability for compact living spaces. Odisho receives $20,000 and will work with Melbourne furniture company Stylecraft to develop a new design for commercial production, potentially including modular sofas.

Monika Ruggerino recalls meeting Antonio while helping organise a friend’s birthday at his Sydney restaurant in 2015. After accidentally breaking his treasured lamp, she was surprised when his anger turned into flirtation. Following a breakup, leaving her job at Bvlgari and starting her own jewellery business, she accepted Antonio’s invitation to dinner and immediately felt she had found her life partner. They married four years later, had two children and eventually transformed the restaurant’s former function room into her jewellery studio.

Design professionals Colin Chee, Claire Scorpo and Tahj Rosmarin recommend delaying furniture purchases until a small home’s needs are understood, prioritising multifunctional furnishings, using affordable modular systems and making better use of vertical space. They caution that fully open-plan layouts can reduce privacy and limit rooms to one function, suggesting tactical openings and partial divisions instead. Their examples include separated fridge and freezer units, multifunctional joinery, glass partitions, elevated beds and ceiling-height shelving. The advice reflects the financial pressures facing Australians living in increasingly small apartments, with budget-conscious adaptations often providing practical alternatives to expensive renovations.

Artist Mitch Cairns recalls meeting fellow artist Agatha Gothe-Snape at a 2007 exhibition in Sydney, where her unusual performance immediately captivated him. Their playful exchange—a painting traded for a bag of chips, represented by an oven-shrunken empty packet in a vintage cigarette tin—became the moment he realised their relationship could become more than friendship. They moved in together within six months and have built a life with their son, while Cairns continues to regard Gothe-Snape as his favourite artist and creative partner.

Federica Andrisani recounts meeting fellow chef Oskar Rossi while working at El Coq in northern Italy. Despite initially communicating through Google Translate, they quickly developed a relationship, moved in together and began planning a restaurant. After relocating to Tasmania, they ran pop-ups in Hobart before returning to Italy and overcoming visa obstacles to open Fico in 2016, marry five years later and launch their second venue, Pitzi, in 2024. Their relationship and business partnership matured as Andrisani became fluent in English, but their original connection endured.

Research using American Time Use Survey data found that reporting a good day was associated with roughly 30 minutes to two hours of socialising, up to six hours of work, up to four hours of exercise and several hours with family and friends; housework and passive leisure such as watching television showed no similar association. Researcher Dunigan Folk stresses that the findings are correlational and shaped by people’s choices and circumstances, not a causal formula. Three writers test the suggested balance in their own lives and generally find that exercise, social connection, family time, nature and limits on passive screen use improve their days, while also acknowledging that the routine is difficult to repeat and depends on personal flexibility.

Australian comedian Celia Pacquola discusses her life in Melbourne, her relationship with photographer Dara Munnis, and raising their three-year-old daughter. Her new comedy show, Gift Horse, examines relationships and communication through the story of an inflatable kayak that Munnis gave her for her birthday. Pacquola also reflects on motherhood, her anxious “gasper mum” tendencies, her admiration for her adventurous mother, and two decades in comedy and television.