Hugh Mackay
Hugh Mackay
believe reading people
Reading is a huge effort for many people, a bore for others, and, believe it or not, many people prefer watching TV.
chaos stability crave
No one welcomes chaos, but why crave stability and predictability?
writing skills ideas
Yet in our enthusiasm for the idea that everyone should be able to read and write fluently, we may be missing a crucial point: in today's culture, finely honed literacy skills are simply not as important as they once were.
growing-up fall skills
Is it possible that literacy standards are falling because young Australians are growing up in a culture in which they can be entertained and informed, and in which they can communicate effectively, without having to master any but the most rudimentary literacy skills?
lovely magic inevitable
It seems inevitable that the magic of the written word will fade.
life-changing decision bigger
But the rule seems to be that the bigger and more life-changing the decision, the less it will seem like a decision at all.
wisdom australia-day may
It's Australian to do such things because, however uncivilised they may seem, it's human to do them.
children games play
Still, most of those effects occur in the context of harmless play and it is patently obvious that children are not normally turned into aggressive little monsters by TV or video games, since most children do not become aggressive little monsters.
teacher children educational
Parents should be encouraged to read to their children, and teachers should be equipped with all available techniques for teaching literacy, so the varying needs and capacities of individual kids can be taken into account.
people growing vehemence
With increasing frequency and growing vehemence, you hear people saying they are ashamed to be Australians.
ideas choices culture
Although we love the idea of choice - our culture almost worships it - we seek refuge in the familiar and the comfortable.
fall media games
So, if falling crime rates coincide with the rise of violent video games and increasing violence on TV and at the cinema, should we conclude that media violence is causing the drop in crime rates?
children responsibility direct-effect
But many researchers operate as if it is their responsibility to demonstrate that video violence has a direct effect on the behaviour of young children, because that will help to explain why society is becoming more violent.
book media copycats
The copycat effects of media violence, similar to those previously attributed to westerns, radio serials and comic books, are easy to exaggerate.