Join Matt and Fred as they take a deep dive into the contemporary issues of culture, society, and identity. With different generational perspectives, the duo, and their guests, offer a unique perspective on today’s societal matters. Using Fred’s psychology background and Matt’s insights into youth conversations, the pair tackle relevant, timely and engaging topics in an entertaining manner that is easy to understand and digest. Get in touch with us with suggestions or questions through our e ...
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Short Year End Wrap Up and Next Year's Update
2:49
2:49
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Matt brings you a very short episode today in the hubbub of the holidays to briefly tie up If I Only Knew for the year and let everyone know we'll be back next year - better than ever. Remember to follow or favourite the podcast now so we don't disappear from your recommended list over the break!By HumanID Network
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The Psychology of Schadenfreude on Social Media
20:34
20:34
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This week Fred and Matt discuss the feeling of schadenfreude - deriving pleasure from other people's misfortune. This is a common feature in online content and it has a powerful ability to attract attention. Listen in if this is your first time hearing about schadenfreude, if you're interested in the psychology that produces it, or to learn more ab…
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This week Fred's back on the pod! Matt follows up his last discussion about SXSW by asking for Fred's thoughts on the ethics of children's presence online. Many kids today want to create and post content online, how should parents balance this with the risks of the internet? Moreover, what responsibilities might parents have when making the first d…
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This week Matt reports back after a panel presentation at Sydney's SXSW on the datafication of Gen Z - is the collection of data about young people a good or bad thing? He disagreed with his co-panellists about the positives of this datafication, suggesting instead that it merely provides businesses with more tools to convince people to buy things.…
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Artificial intelligence and a 'post-photography' world
12:21
12:21
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Matt's been left with the podcasting microphone today as Fred attends to far less interesting matters at Humanity Health Group. Wielding this power, Matt gives us a short tour of the possible future of information as AI image generation matures. What happens when any image can be created with perfect fidelity? It might just undermine the unspoken r…
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This week Fred has been intrigued by the political campaign to #ringarelo about the Voice Referendum. Join us to hear a bit more about the political mobilisation of young people, the benefits it can bring, and the costs it can impose on young people and adults alike.By HumanID Network
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The Voice and the Value of Advisory Committees
19:51
19:51
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This week Fred and Matt reach into their wheelhouse to offer some thoughts on the value of advisory committees to decision-makers. This is especially relevant as Australia holds a referendum to enshrine an advisory body in the constitution, but it is also a topic close to the heart of this podcast as Matt's first role with Fred was as Chair of Huma…
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This week Matt makes use of Fred's extensive management experience to ask what it means to continue to educate and skill yourself once you join the workforce. Disillusioned by much of his time at university, Matt wants to know what other options there are for gaining more skills and improving his work in the future. Fred provides some interesting t…
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Sexism, Assault, and the Women's World Cup
14:59
14:59
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This week Fred and Matt chat about the recent Women's World Cup. This was a dramatically successful event in Australia, captivating audiences, but it was marred at the podium when Spanish star Jenni Hermoso was kissed on stage by Spanish football President Luis Rubiales without her consent. This caused dramatic backlash, but Rubiales refuses to ste…
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Fred brings his clinical experience this week to explore why people loves their pets so much. People are often willing to put pets before themselves, yet this doesn't seem like a very smart evolutionary move. What is it about pets that commands such devotion, and why are they able to bring such joy to our lives? Join us this week to find out.…
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What does your early career look like nowadays?
28:44
28:44
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This week we compare and contrast the experiences of young professionals today with those of Fred's early career. How should new employees deal with the rapidly changing pace of early work, the feeling that everyone else knows more than them, and the idea that social media presence may (or may not) influence your opportunities? Fred offers some gre…
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Online conferencing platform Zoom has recently mandated that all staff spend at least 2 days a week in the office. What are the pros and cons of working from home, hybrid models, or working in the office? What can we learn from an inter-generational investigation of this issue, asking what has changed and what should stay the same? Fred brings his …
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What is a Young Person Thinking in Therapy?
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29:11
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This week Matt brings a meta perspective to our usual discussions of psychology and young people - what are young people actually thinking when their sitting in that chair? Fred is then able to use his experience as a psychologist to speak to some of the concerns that young people have about their experience, and to provide an insight into how the …
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A Psychologist's Perspective on Jonah Hill's Texts
36:25
36:25
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Text messages sent by celebrity Jonah Hill to his now Ex girlfriend Sarah Brady have recently been causing a dramatic stir online, as people debate the appropriateness of their "boundaries", the nature of power imbalances, and misogyny and narcissism. Fred brings the insight of his psychology background to a heated online debate, highlighting the c…
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of 'Hustle' Culture
19:44
19:44
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This week Fred and Matt discuss the consequences of online Hustle culture. A movement of people glamorising working multiple jobs and bragging about the hours they work and the money they make. Fred hones in on the reasons why people might want to work harder for themselves and draws some fascinating inter-generational connections, while Matt has b…
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This week Fred scratches at something that's been bothering him recently - the way 'imposter syndrome' can be used to hide from mistakes. Fred gives us an authentic window into the work of psychology and the importance of making and owning mistakes. He also highlights a general difference in the treatment of practising and sitting in discomfort. Do…
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Australian media has been dominated by coverage of the Titan submarine's disappearance and by the search to find it. At time of recording we recently found out that the passengers had all tragically died, but the media landscape's furore surrounding this event warrants some investigation. Why has this issue captured our media attention so much? Mor…
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It's exam season! Some year 10's are doing their first practise exams, Year 12's might be sitting a mid-year exam, and semester 1 of university is wrapping up. So Matt and Fred reflect a little on what skills are actually taught in today's education system. Matt has been feeling like he spends half his energy simply working out how to answer the al…
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This week Matt is in the hotseat as Fred wants to understand the attitudes of young employees to work. What value-changes have precipitated the variety of jobs young people now expect to have, and how do young people make sense of their vocational history? Maybe most importantly for Fred, how can businesses best support, and retain, young staff? Ma…
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This week Fred and Matt dive into why Matt finds it so hard to ask for a better price, while Fred does it so much he's made careers out of it. Matt's got some new insights into the formalised economy since travelling in India, and Fred needs to know why asking for a 'discount if I pay with cash' causes young people to groan with exasperation. This …
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What a gamer thinks about lootboxes and gambling in video games
17:11
17:11
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This week Fred wants to learn more about lootboxes in video games, and Matt is just the man to talk to about whether they pose a risk of gambling addiction. Fred offers a wealth of information about the psychology of addiction from his clinical work while Matt has plenty of experience with lootboxes. Should parents be worried about the video games …
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Starting fist fights for social media likes
23:31
23:31
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This week Fred is concerned about a phenomenon that's been on the news recently - kids starting random fights to film them and get clicks online. We investigate what drives someone to throw a punch in the supermarket for some likes and how we can come to terms with an internet that has created a new attention currency to drive anti-social behaviour…
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What can we learn from Dame Edna Everage?
21:32
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With the passing of Barry Humphries, a renowned Australian comedian of the 20th century, his career as Dame Edna Everage has been the talk of Aussie dinner tables this last week or so. Matt noticed something very interesting in his conversations, that people of all generations seemlessly moved between talking about Dame Edna as 'she' and Humphries …
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First Nations Voice to Parliament across the generations
26:18
26:18
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This week Fred and Matt weigh in an important political and cultural topic in Australia - the proposed referendum for a First Nations Voice to Parliament. What is the Voice proposing, why does it matter now, what consequences will Australia's decision have? Join us this week to share this important discussion.…
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Australia Should be Wary of USA Anti-trans Laws
14:29
14:29
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Fred and Matt have a brief discussion sparked by a swath of anti-trans laws passed or proposed in US states that criminals healthcare and freedom for trans people. Fred highlights how these legislations are often written to be interpreted very broadly, and that punching down on a marginalised minority like this can be a form of popularist dog whist…
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If I Only Knew is back for 2023! Matt returns from overseas and shares his worries about the state of the world in 2023 with Fred. How should we best navigate conflict, economic unrest, and social discord in this coming year? What will 2023 actually bring , for people young and old? Fred offers some optimism as we frame the future in the context of…
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Andrew Tate and Masculinity Across Generations
34:58
34:58
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Andrew Tate has been a rising internet celebrity over the last few months, renowned for controversial and demeaning comments he has made. This week Matt introduces Fred to Tate, and they explore how Tate has risen to such prominence and what this can tell us about young men particularly in modern society. If you want to keep up with the ever-changi…
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Fred is back on the pod this week, joining Matt to talk about an especially topical news story in Australia - the funding of Netball Australia by Gina Rinehart. What does it say about our society where a corporate sponsor so quickly pulls funding for raising social concerns, and on what grounds can the netball Australia team be criticised or celebr…
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Establishing Responsibility for Climate Change
4:31
4:31
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A real short one this week, Matt shares some of his thoughts about the central role our society seems to place on establishing causal responsibility for something before we actually go ahead and fix it. A lot of effort is spent arguing over who is responsible for climate change, and a common reason not to help fix something is 'it's not my fault'. …
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This week Matt is flying solo because Fred's vacationing on a tropical paradise somewhere for a holiday. So Matt digs into some of his favourite topics to investigate how influencers and celebrities shape the habits of people young and old. Influencers seem to be a favourite topic across generations, and celebrity culture certainly poses a mystery …
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Fred and Matt woke up today to momentous news, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. Marking the end of an era and the longest reign of a British Monarch, her passing will spark conversation across the globe. From outpourings of grief to political questions brought into stark relief by the transfer of power, Her Majesty has been a focal point of disc…
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This week Matt's been thinking about the impact of inflation on the way people see value over their lifetimes. Inflation has been high on the political radar recently, but how does it interact with our psychology to influence how we judge 'acceptable' prices? Matt's done some research to show that prices were 5 times lower in 1980, and 2 times lowe…
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This week Fred and Matt chat a bit about what role disruptive protest might play in our society. Is it okay for people to block roads to raise the profile of their issues, and what psychology drives individuals to put their lives in danger to disrupt society for a cause? Inspired by some recent protests in Sydney, we also get to hear about Fred's s…
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How individuals make culture in video games
25:31
25:31
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Last episode we investigated how different video games cultivate different cultures based on their mechanics for social interaction. This week we're having a look at how people within these games can make better or worse cultures and how bad actors can be challenged online. Fred shares a pointed story about his efforts to resist provocative behavio…
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How different video games foster different cultures
38:33
38:33
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This week Fred wants to know why some video game cultures are far more toxic than others - what is it about some games that seems to attract or foster bad behaviour? This is an important conversation because people tend to have singular opinions about video games; either that they are good or bad influences. But in fact, the gaming experience varie…
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What Determines the Health Providers Young People Use?
29:24
29:24
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This week Matt picks Fred's brains about the different kinds of medical providers on offer in Australia. Coming to the realisation in young adulthood that he has to look after his own health, Matt has noticed how different people tend to favour different health providers, and that this is often determined by the healthcare they received as kids. Wh…
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This week Fred and Matt are joined by a very special guest from Humanity Health Group, Brittnee. Brittnee has an acquired vision impairment and was kind enough to lend her experiences of navigating work, support, and the loss of her vision to our conversation about inclusivity and disability. Brittnee offers a fascinating and articulate insight int…
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This week Fred conducted an experiment with his social medias to investigate the phenomenon known as 'doomscrolling'. This prompts our discussion into how people's attention is consumed by social media and why we needed to create a whole new word to describe this process. Join us this week to learn about the survival mechanics that prompt people to…
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A few weeks after the 2022 Aus Election Fred and Matt look back at the election and consider the far-reaching consequences of a change in government. What inspired a change in government, what are the consequences of new cabinet members, and what has this election shown about the success of provocateurs in Australian politics? Join us this week to …
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This week Fred and Matt are joined by a very special guest, Gabriel, to do a focused episode for Pride month. We want to investigate how attitudes towards Pride, and queer identities, have changed over time. We consider what positive progress has been made to allow people to feel more included, and look at antagonistic efforts that leave marginalis…
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This week Fred abandonded Matt before the recording session, and so we are left to hear Matt monologue about young people are responding to a new restrictionless era of COVID. What social norms have been developed, who is most likely to remain concerned about COVID, and how can we react with compassion to those concerns? Join Matt this week to chat…
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Fred and Matt wrap up their three part series on the future of technology by asking what opportunities the Metaverse might offer in the future. Education, social connection, and personal expression in a 3 dimensional internet are all considered in this podcast, so join us to finish off our deep dive into the future of technology.…
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This week Matt and Fred continue their discussion about the future of technology and the Metaverse. Today we think about the consequences and dangers of such a radical new way to engage with technology. Listen in to learn more about who owns the Metaverse, what are its implications for privacy and safety, and what are the dangers of distinguishing …
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The Future of Technology and The Metaverse
26:16
26:16
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What does the future of technology look like? Will we have a revolution as big as the internet again? Why did Facebook change their company name to 'Meta'? These are all questions that relate to the development of the 'Metaverse', a virtual reality space that some people are calling the future of the internet. Matt introduces Fred to the internet t…
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This week Fred and Matt are back to investigate the many different flavours of political advertising during Australia's election cycle. Matt learnt recently that there is no requirement that political ads be truthful at all, which allows election ads to be incredibly loose with the facts. How does this affect voting decisions, and what impact does …
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Fred survives Covid and the Slap heard around the world
20:37
20:37
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This week we're back with an episode recorded before Easter, Fred has just recovered from a bad case of COVID-19 and wants to share his words of warning for people that aren't taking it seriously enough. Having recovered barely enough to speak, Fred soldiers on to join us and talk about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. The social and c…
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This week Fred and Matt want to know why pork barrelling, the practise of promising money to voters in the hopes that it'll win their vote, is so common. Does it really win more votes, and how do younger generations feel about pork barrelling? We think about the role of trust in pork barrelling, the fact it might be a defensive strategy rather than…
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How the role of sport is changing in our society
24:41
24:41
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This week Fred and Matt ask whether sport is still as important to young people today as it was for previous generations. Sport now has to compete with a variety of other entertainment options in people's lives, and the viewership of many sporting codes has gone down over the last few years. Yet sport has a long-held centrality in Australian cultur…
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This week Fred and Matt talk about the perils of online catfishing and scams. We link this behaviour to its psychological roots, consider the ways it's an extension of standard social practises, and look into the ways the internet facilitates it and how to avoid it. Join us this week for an action packed and entertaining episode.…
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Australia's new Esafety commission - how safe is it?
20:07
20:07
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This week Fred and Matt chat about a relatively new policy development in Australia, the Esafety Commission. Introduced to protect people online, we weigh up the benefits and risks that come with governmental intervention into online spaces. It's important to protect people, but what role should policy have, and how might this affect the way you sc…
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