blah blah blah...........

It is unfortunate but the only reports we get from our doomsday press on Australian youth are bad. We read about death and bashings, drunkeness, stupidity on and on, why do we not hear about the achievers? They may not make for 'scandalised' headlines but they are our country's future
Youth is a difficult phase but one we grow out of. Perhaps if more publicity was given to good outcomes instead of the sensationalism, it would guide our young people to more fulfilling and profitable futures.
Good life to our young people.

To the authors

Thank you for your article.

What was your: hypothesis, philosophy, conceptual framework, research tool, methodology, biases, assumptions etc? Your article says nothing without this important information.

That it took three of you to write this article without the above inclusions that I have suggested is astonishing. You must live in another world from me.

Where did you gain your sample and why?

Having worked in the mental health domain for the greater part of my professional life, I find it astonishing that you have not focussed on mental health problems in Aussie young people's contemporary environment.

You simply do not have your feet on the ground - in my view.

I will get back to you later when I am less emotive.

Regards
Kay

At least they are asking the right questions. I am no expert on mental health and I don't know how many statistics are available but at least mental health seems to be reckognised as treatable and people aren't consigned to the loonie bin for the rest of their lives.

AFAIK there are no statistics on "feeling of well being". Government focus is always on economic growth eventhough it takes many other things to make people happy. It is high time we got a measurable definition of well being, start accumulating the statistics and make the right changes.

I approached this article with interest - my kids are 18-24 and I know many of their peers, and my wife works in a special school - and found it very disappointing. There seems to be no substance re positives and negatives in young people's lives, nor how to foster one and deal with the other. If your project can't address these issues more specifically, it seems to have had little value to date.

Ah! Such emotive voices!
I would like to advocate for written matter which is not immediately useful. Philosophy and analysis of human preferences (such as about how to live) can be ultimately very purposeful. For instance, from a discussion we may induct judgement about which course of action (or opinion) is more reasonable than other options.

I think that there is a role for dialogue about young people's attitudes and concerns. From my work in education, I have observed the disjuncture between young people's image of themselves (as firmly defined by their social identity) and media concerns (about their individual welfare).

Perhaps it would be more healthy if young people and their families were also active in promoting the welfare of individuals and their relationships. There are so many human needs which are neglected for the simple excuse of busyness.

All people require time and space enough to rest, enjoy reading and study and for regular health checks. Also we need limits and remedies to interferences in the home: fair working conditions, exercise to de-stress, staggered school assessments/exams, reasonable internet and game use. Then there is the need to promote good communication about daily dilemmas, time for parents to convey their hopes for the children and to encourage one another, opportunity to prepare nutritious food and to share it together.

I employed the Real Justice (realjustice.org) initiative to help students' parents to participate in their children's formation. Recently I purchased from Real Justice multiples of a small palm-card which students can carry around. It has questions on either side to redress what to ask ‘when things go wrong’ or ‘when someone is hurt’.

Too often key relationships are compromised by inadequate understanding of, or respect for precursors to experiences of shame and also the foundations of pride. Red faces, involuntary head hanging or downcast expressions are causal results to affronts to our personal safety. Handling these with greater maturity requires us to identify what happened, and what was being thought at the time. With this understanding we can appreciate the often delicate art in leading one-another to live confidently.