In a Decoder Dialogue webinar, News Decoder gathered five teens from three continents to share their thoughts and experiences around mental health. The Decoder Dialogue on Mental Health featured Marcy Burstiner, Maria Krasinski, Kingsley Onydikachi Aaron-Onuigbo,...
Tennis pros can leverage social media to win lucrative endorsements. But they can also be the target of abuse that threatens their mental health. Naomi Osaka reacts after missing a point during a tennis match in Madrid, Spain, 9 May 2019. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)...
Social media platforms, not mainstream outlets, shape how many young people see the world. Naomi Osaka, one of the world’s best and most recognizable tennis players, has skillfully leveraged social media to build a sizable and loyal fan base. When she snubbed the mainstream media at the 2021 French Open, many of her followers glimpsed only a vulnerable young woman, harassed and persecuted by the mainstream media. Rachel Roth of The Hewitt School has provided a more nuanced look at Osaka’s relationship with the press, which has both hounded and enriched her. Roth interviewed former top tennis pro Patrick McEnroe and a Columbia University professor to produce a well-rounded account of Osaka’s rocky rapport with journalists.
Exercise: Ask your students to choose a social media star from entertainment or sport and look at how the image of themselves that they cultivate on social media compares with coverage in mainstream media.
Most nations have rolled back steps to contain COVID-19. But the virus continues to kill. Many experts are frustrated governments are not doing more. Immunization, conceptual illustration (Photo by: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via AP Images) Airlines have stopped requiring...
COVID fatigue is worldwide even though the virus continues to spread. In many places, restrictions have been lifted for masks, travel and testing. Vaccination targets remain largely out of reach. Since the onset of the pandemic, health experts and governments have been at odds about the best approach to beat the virus. Our inability to curb the spread of the virus begs broader questions, including whether we are up to the task of combating climate warming. How could we have better balanced health and the economy, collective responsibility and individual rights to overcome COVID sooner?
Exercise: Ask students to debate the role of government versus individual responsibility in combating global crises such as COVID and climate change.
Catcalling, car honking and indecent exposure are rarely punished, but street harassment can seriously harm a woman’s mental health. Women walk past construction workers in New York on 28 October 2010. Although these men did not harass any of the passersby,...
Are sports stars pampered youth not mature enough to handle wealth and fame? Or do journalists pick on them? The truth is in the middle. Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka attends a press conference in Osaka, Japan, 15 September 2019. (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP...
Cutting, burning, hitting oneself are all forms of self-harm. It’s important to grasp why young people do it and for schools to help them manage stress. (Image courtesy of the University of Oxford) If you’re a high school student in a class of 20 pupils,...
What’s the best way for a country to curb heroin addiction? My nation, Switzerland, offers an example for the world to follow. This video won first prize in News Decoder’s 11th Storytelling Contest. The year is 1985, and Switzerland is faced with one of...
Video is the flavor of the day for both mainstream and social media, but few know how much work goes into a quality product. Kai Lengwiler of Realgymnasium Rämibühl Zurich weaves extensive research, including exclusive interviews, and compelling music and images into his 14-minute video that examines Switzerland’s controversial approach to combating the use of hard drugs. Lengwiler promises that viewers will have a better understanding of drug epidemics and how to fight them after watching the video, and he lives up to his promise.
Exercise: Ask your students to produce a three-minute video exploring an issue of global concern, including excerpts of at least one exclusive interview and rights-free music.
Where I grew up, the kitchen was a “no-go” area for males. But my love of food has helped teach me how to live a successful life as an African man. Koose (Wikimedia Commons/Linason Blessing) Old faded curtains lazily draped over the windows on either side...
Millions of women try to lighten their skin although governments warn of health risks. Can anti-Black racism in the cosmetics industry be stopped? (Shutterstock/Mary Long) Social media manager Chand Bhangal constantly received negative comments about her complexion...
Kamuskay Kamara grew up in the streets of Sierra Leone’s capital. He saw young people in the clutches of drugs and now is saving their lives. “I want to actually change the lives of young people.” Kamuskay Kamara has created an NGO to combat drug...