Society and culture

ustralian students with HECS-HELP debts are facing a 7.1% increase in their debts due to inflation. The interest-free loans, previously unaffected by inflation, have come as a shock to students. The impact of loan repayments on disposable income and borrowing capacity may disproportionately affect women. To address this issue, universities should prioritise financial literacy education to help students understand their debts and make informed financial decisions says Dr Tracey West.

Sovereign citizens or ‘sovcitz’ reject the authority of the government and legal systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has fuelled extremism, including sovereign citizen beliefs in Australia, says Griffith University’s Dr Keiran Hardy, and poses challenges to law enforcement and public safety.

Online betting companies in Australia now use new messages instead of the ambiguous ‘gamble responsibly’ in advertising. The seven new ‘gamble responsibly’ taglines aim to encourage consumers to pause and consider the consequences of losing a bet or question their behavioural choices. However, whether the messages will be effective in influencing behavioural choices is still debated writes Griffith University’s Dr Marie-Louise Fry.