Recent news articles featuring McCrindle Research
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Little stimulus flagged for retailers

Queensland Business Review - Monday 08 December 2008

Retailers may not get the much-aniticipated boost from the Federal Government’s attempts to stimulate spending, with warnings pensioners will putting it straight towards household necessities. Kevin Rudd’s $10.4 billion economic stimulus package hit bank accounts today, with pensioners set to reap the rewards of a one-off payment combined with other incentives such as interest rate cuts. The Government is hoping this will increase their spending on good and services, however some social groups warn much of this could end up in the deposit slots of poker machines.Full Article

Oh, the shame of it all

Eleni Hale -Sunday Herald Sun, November 30, 2008

WARDROBE malfunctions are our most embarrassing moments, according to new research. Tripping over, spilling food and passing wind in an elevator are are also red-face moments. A study exploring what humiliates us most revealed food in teeth, skirts blowing up in the wind and open pants zips are among things that horrify Australians. Forgetting someone's name when introducing them and generally being lost for words were also on the list, according to the McCrindle Research study. Full Article

Talking turkey for a cliché-free year

Tom Clark- Eureka Street, December 10, 2008

Lately, friends and clients have been asking me what we can do about the growth of cliché and platitude in everyday language — at home, at work, and in the media. I want to suggest an approach that has generated some very satisfied customer responses from organisations I have visited. Feedback from these Fortune 500 firms frequently shows people are fascinated to learn the fundamentals of formula-free phraseology. Full Article

Y we should care

Karen Brooks - Courier Mail, November 25, 2008

IT SEEMS you can't read a newspaper, turn on a television or radio without hearing a story about Generation Y. Whether it's good news or bad, young people between the ages of 16 and 25, depending who's defining them, are grabbing all the headlines. Set to inherit the world, and then some, they've variously been described as the Zigzag, Net, Debt, Thumb or Dotcom as well as Millennials, Echo-Boomers, Random, the Click and Go, Next, T (for toys), i or "whatever" Generation. Full Article

Blokes go metro

REBEKAH CAVANAGH - Northern Territory News, November 18th, 2008

IS THE typical Territory bloke who loves beer, barbecues and watching the footy - and wouldn't be caught dead wearing a pink shirt or buying moisturiser - dying a slow death? A new survey shows women are struggling to find a good ol' burly bloke as their identities are being taken over by today's more modern metrosexual men. The McCrindle Research survey conducted for Barons Brewing Co found three in five people believe that the typical Aussie male is now under threat. The survey found men care more about their appearance than a decade ago and are more likely to rock up to a barbecue with champagne or wine than beer. Full Article

Gen Y drivers 'as distracted as ever'

The Australian - October 15, 2008

GENERATION Y drivers are becoming increasingly distracted by their music playing, photo taking and text messaging on mobile phones, new research from car insurer AAMI shows. While mobile phone makers are adding a seemingly endless list of applications to their products, it is still the humble text message that is most distracting. AAMI's research shows 71 per cent of drivers aged under 25 have either sent or received a text while driving. MP3 players, which often come bundled in phones, are a growing distraction with 27 per cent of young drivers saying they spent time looking at the screen of their music player rather than the road. That's up seven per cent from last year. "Being a young driver in the 21st century does present some new driving problems not experienced before," social researcher Mark McCrindle said. Full Article

Experts say parenting has never been more stressful

Melanie Christiansen - The Courier-Mail, October 14, 2008

PARENTS today feel swamped by their own busy lives, pressured to give their children every advantage and judged by society on their ability to control their offspring, research shows. Social analyst Mark McCrindle says parenting has never been more stressful. "In the past, you just parented and you had the back-up of your own parents, but nowadays there are multiple pressures," he said. Full Article

Generation Y drivers create havoc on roads

Robyn Ironside - The Courier-Mail, October 14, 2008

THE attitudes of Generation Y drivers make them the most at-risk age group on Queensland roads, with 45 per cent describing themselves as impatient. A survey has found just under half of them said they broke the speed limit some of the time and one-third said they did not consider driving 5-10km/h above the speed limit to be breaking the law. Since the start of the year 85 people aged from seven to 26 have died on state roads, including 37 people between 17 and 20. Members of Generation X (27 to 45-year-olds) were the next most heavily represented in the road toll, with 81 deaths this year. Full Article

Phrases that make Aussies squirm most

Thaindian News - October 13th, 2008

You might be using many cliches such as whatever or hot, but Aussies will cringe the most if you utter at the end of the day”. In a nationwide survey, fed-up Australians have polled for the most overused and hated phrases, and ruling the list of such phrases is at the end of the day”. According to Australians, calling out for a “taxi!” after a pub-brawl is so not in fad. In fact, saying “let’’s do lunch” when meeting a work contact is equally overused. And no matter what, don”t phone someone to “touch base”. Social researcher Mark McCrindle says that politicians, workmates, and teenagers are the worst cliche offenders. Full Article

Time to think outside square when it comes to cliches

Maris Beck - The Age, October 13, 2008

At the end of the day, people are totally over cliches. A study to be released shortly found that 40% of Australians find the use of cliches annoying or very annoying. Research by Mark McCrindle found that cliches were considered "habitual, boring, groan-worthy, and overdone". Full Article

The words that grate us most

Angela Saurine - News.com.au, October 13

If you want to catch up with a work contact, suggest something other than "let's do lunch".And whatever you do, don't phone someone to "touch base". # Join the survey: Share your most hated cliches That's the verdict of fed-up Australians, who have voted on the most overused and hated phrases in a nationwide survey. Social researcher Mark McCrindle found politicians, workmates and teenagers the worst cliche offenders. Full Article

Broken English

The Age - September 18, 2008

Katie Cincotta looks at how texting is changing our language.

THE prophets of doom say technology is killing the English language. All that evil shortcut lingo spawned on mobile phones, instant messaging and chat forums is slaughtering our vocabulary, savaging our sentences into silly acronyms and bad-mannered abbreviations - all in the name of high-speed communication. Who has the time and the space to write properly when you're limited by 160 characters in an SMS or when three friends are chatting to you at once on messenger? "Will c u 2moro arvo" followed by a smiley face seems to make perfect sense under that pressure. Full Article

Table turn-up

Sydney Morning Herald, August 19, 2008

Cooking at home and eating together are fashionable again, writes Robin Powell.

IT SEEMS rumours about the death of the home kitchen were premature. Home-cooked food is the new status symbol and the kitchen is alive and well A report on home food trends from market researcher Roy Morgan - using data from seven years of research on 24,000 people, along with focus groups of mothers and 800 telephone surveys - found the percentage of Australians who say they love to cook is rising. The number of people who say they don't have time to cook has also decreased and fewer people are buying takeaway food to eat at home. Full Article

Are good manners all finished?

The Daily Telegraph - Angela Saurine, August 26, 2008

AH, Sydney. A place of well-mannered, thoughtful folk. No grumps, no short fuses, full of people who hold the door open, wait their turn, move to the left, give way, always say "please" and "thank you" . . . yeah right, you might well say. Full Article

While our reputation isn't as bad as Londoners or New Yorkers - yet - many would say we have a long way to go in the manners department.But I don't think so. When you make a conscious effort to look out for the good in people you can actually see how prevalent good manners in our city really are.

Marriage helps you live longer

By Sharon Labi and Carmel Melouney - news.com.au August 03, 2008

WOMEN have always suspected that men can't live without them - now figures have proved it. Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that men who lose their lifelong partner often die soon afterwards. Widowers over 85 have the highest rate of death per 1000 (191.6), while married men in the same age group have a death rate of only 140.3 per 1000. "It seems longevity and marriage are directly linked ... and marriage is good for your health,'' Ageing Minister Justine Elliot, whose office analysed the figures, said. Married people have lower death rates and live longer because they are more likely to look out for each other's health, serve as role models to children and engage in less-risky behaviour. Full Article

Stars are bright in baby name game

EMMA SWAIN - Maitland Mercury, 23/07/2008

She may share the same moniker with a certain Brit It girl but Aberglasslyn’s own little Sienna Liva has brought a touch of glamour to the ‘burbs.At four-and-a-half months, Sienna is a natural in front of the camera – not surprising given her increasingly popular name. A name made famous by English actress Sienna Miller and one that has made the top 10 Australian girls names for 2008. This year’s most popular baby names list (by McCrindle research) says names of popular actresses – including Sienna, Scarlett (Johansson), Eva (Longoria), Keira (Knightley) and Angelina (Jolie) – are in vogue and Maitland bubs happily follow the trend. Full Article

Children of the tech revolution

Lucinda Schmidt, Peter Hawkins - SMH, July 15, 2008

Pinned to the wall of my daughter's grade 1 classroom is a sheet of butcher's paper, listing questions she and her classmates would like to answer. Will the water run out? How many children travel to school in a sustainable way? Are cities a good idea? The next sheet lists ways they will find out the answers. First on the list: check the internet. Full Article

Forget Sunday - Jack, Ella top names

By staff writers, News.com.au, July 09, 2008

FORGET Sunday, Apple and Pilot Inspektor - the most popular baby names in Australia are Ella and Jack.

According to an annual list produced by research group McCrindle Research, the most popular name for baby girls is Ella, with one in 28 baby girls in the last year given the name. That is followed by Emily, Mia, Isabella, Chloe, Charlotte, Olivia, Sophie, Lily and Sienna. For boys, it’s Jack (one in 29 male babies), then Joshua, Lachlan, William, Thomas, Riley, James, Cooper, Ethan and Noah. Full Article

Your table is in their hands

The Sydney Morning Hearld - July, 2008

If Sydney can claim one culinary mantle over almost all others, it has to be food with a view. But how to secure a table with spectacular scenery as a backdrop? Such spots often come with hefty menu prices and if you are forking out big bucks you hardly want to spend a romantic evening watching the apprentice chef fiddle with the sausage-making machine. So what are the tricks, if any, for getting an upgrade to the premier seats? Is it a case of who, not what, you know? Are Sydney's top tables the sole domain of the rich and fabulous or mates of the maitre d'? Are the rest of us mere mortals forever destined to spend our lives in dining purgatory, out of sight of the view and floor staffs' minds? Full Article

The power of one

The Sunday Telegraph - June 16, 2008

THEY exist in force as they have in no other generation. Now long-term singles are shaping up as the new social force to be reckoned with.Unmarried? Living alone? You’re not the only one. In fact, unmarried women now outnumber married women in Australia for the first time in 85 years. The only difference being that, 85 years ago, our bachelors were occupied with war and the state of the nation rather than Foxtel and the state of their bank balances.

SPUDs (which stands for Single Person Urban Dwelling) are now officially a dominant consumer force. While it’s true they were once a hot potato, socially speaking, SPUDs are now so numerous they have marketing gurus scrabbling to spruik them everything from TV shows and Tim Tams, to holidays and phone plans. They’re everywhere – and they’re affluent. They now comprise more than a quarter of all Australian households. Full Article

THE POWER OF ONE

Emma Mansfield, Sunday Telegraph, 15 June 2008

Unmarried? Living alone? You're not the only one. In fact, unmarried women now outnumber married women in Australia for the first time in 85 years. The only difference being that, 85 years ago, our bachelors were occupied with war and the state of the nation rather than Foxtel and the state of their bank balances. Full Article

The generation snap

Article from: The Sydney Morning Hearld - June 14, 2008

As the baby boomers who transformed Australian society shuffle off stage, Nigel Bowen asks what happens next. At 34, social researcher Mark McCrindle likes to think of his age cohort as a middle child. "Quiet, compliant, they just get on with it. They never got much attention and they don't expect it." Typically, no one's paying much attention, but that overlooked middle child is belatedly emerging from the shadow of its elder sibling and taking charge of the family business.

"Gen X have been punching below their demographic weight," McCrindle points out. "They're 44 per cent of the workforce but that's not reflected in the leadership ranks of organisations. Keep in mind that at a similar age the baby boomers were very much in leadership positions because they were moving through the workforce in the boom years, without a big bubble of older people above them. Full Article

Slouching towards power: what generation X did next

Article from: The Age - Nigel Bowen- June 14, 2008

SOCIAL researcher Mark McCrindle, 34, likes to think of his age cohort as a middle child. "Quiet, compliant, they just get on with it. They never got much attention and they don't expect it." Typically, no one's paying much attention, but that overlooked middle child is belatedly emerging from the shadow of its elder sibling and taking over the family business. "Gen X have been punching below their demographic weight," McCrindle says. "They're 44% of the workforce but that's not reflected in the leadership ranks of organisations. Keep in mind that at a similar age the baby boomers were very much in leadership positions because they were moving through the workforce in the boom years, without a big bubble of older people above them.Full Article

Generation Y doctors wedded to the city lifestyle

Sarah Colyer, Australian Doctor, 6 June 2008

GENERATION Y doctors will accept nothing short of an 80% pay rise as incentive to work in rural practice, a study of outer-metropolitan Sydney registrars shows. Even retaining young doctors in outer suburbs could prove a struggle in future, with almost all registrars saying they would not live in lower socioeconomic areas, although they would be prepared to drive to them if it took less than 90 minutes each way. Full Article

More families going solo

SHARON LABI, Sunday Telegraph, 1 June 2008

THE once-dominant traditional family unit is under threat by the soaring number of single parents and childless couples Demographers say the nuclear family of two parents and two children is losing ground to couples with no children and sole-parent families. Full Article

Y the Confusion?

Leo D’Angelo Fisher, BRW (Abstracts), 15 May 2008

Although making up an ever increasing share of the workforce, generation Y is still widely misunderstood. Employees like Tom Laundy from accounting firm William Buck is helping to break down the stereotypes most commonly associated with this generation. Generation Y does not hold a completely different outlook from the baby boomers according to a survey compiled by AMP Financial Services and the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling. It concluded that unlike their predecessors, gen Ys simply choose to delay things such as children, marriage and mortgages. Hudson’s report, The Generational Mirage?’ proved that these generations have more in common that previously thought. Mark McCrindle from McCrindle Research says that whilst there are some differences similarities are inevitable due to the shared experience of the 21st century.

A report conducted by Human Synergistics found that generation X is increasingly dissatisfied partly due to the focus of management on trying to satiate generation Y employees.

It's up to generation X, Y, Z

DENICE BARNES, Central Coast Express 14 May 2008

THE key to developing strong regional economies is to understand the emerging generations even those now in kindergarten.This was just one message from demographer Mark McCrindle at the Australian Regional Economies Conference at Terrigal. He spoke about social trends and how they impacted on regional development.

Mr McCrindle said understanding the mindset of not only the baby boomer generation, but generation X, Y and Z was the key to attracting and retaining populations in regional areas.``We can get very solid predictions from demographics,'' Mr McCrindle said.

He said the notion that sea changers were predominantly grey nomads was incorrect and statistics showed people aged 50 and under made up 80 per cent of sea-changers. He said at the other end of the scale, emerging generations such as X, Y and Z had more options open to them than ever before and planners needed to develop the right ingredients and brand to attract and keep them.

``The challenges in remaining relevant to this generation are key to our future.''

He said planners needed to consider the 2020 snapshot when children in kindergarten today would be consumers of tomorrow.There will be fewer children born, parents will be older, there will be smaller families, probably one child a family, they will live longer and they will work longer.

``You have to understand this emerging generation. Their expectations have changed and broadened and so should regions.

``It will be a balance of head arguments and heart arguments and when you have the balance right, you will not only attract them but retain them as well.''

too much too soon?

Molly McShane , Townsville Bulletin, 9 May 2008

Molly Mcshane looks at the Y Generation and discovers that their slogan is `I want it, and I want it now'. . . according to studies, (they) are also demanding, job-hopping, immature, self-absorbed and impatient' Yyou are the generation that has your iPod earphones surgically attached like an extra pair of limbs, you sleep with your mobile as a security blanket and can't last a day without surfing the net -- you are Generation Y. Full Article

We're more selfish - Busy, stressful lives leave little time for others

Anooska Tucker-Evans, Sunday Mail, 4 May 2008

AUSTRALIANS are becoming more selfish -- and work and technology are to blame, a new survey reveals. The Bushells Barometer, a poll of 1200 Australians aged 18 to 64, found most Aussies believed we were becoming more self-centred, with three in four respondents saying we were more selfish than 10 years ago. Social researcher Mark McCrindle said life stresses meant we were focusing only on ourselves. Full Article

Not the retiring kind It's work all the way for Gen X

GILL VOWLES, Sunday Tasmanian, 4 May 2008

GENERATION X will not only be the first generation to die younger than its parents, it will also be the first to forgo a formal retirement.

That's the message from Australia's futurists, who say Generation X (born 1964 to 1980) will never be able to stop work to indulge in a life of travel or bowls Thanks to an ageing population, in 2050 the average Aussie will be in their mid-40s and retirement will be nothing but a historical concept for Generation X and Y (born 1980-2000). Full Article

Brits' tea etiquette dunked

Gold Coast Sun, 1 May 2008

AUSTRALIAN attitudes towards general household etiquette are shifting, with the vast majority of Aussies, particularly Generation X, turning their backs on former faux pas once respected by their British forebears. These findings are the result of the Bushells Barometer, a survey which polled 1200 Australians aged 18 to 64 years, exploring attitudes towards etiquette and cultural values Full Article

IT to fill hole left by boomers

Ben Woodhead, Australian Financial Review (Abstracts), 1 April 2008

Corporate IT departments will need to dramatically reshape computer systems to cope with the upcoming wave of baby boomer retirements, analysts say. According to McCrindle Research principal Mark McCrindle, the demands of an increasingly mobile workforce will require greater flexibility from employers, particularly in terms of work/life balance. S2 Intelligence managing director Bruce McCabe says companies will have to replace stalwart technologies such as the desktop with devices that are more mobile. Both men, along with researchers from the CSIRO and the University of Melbourne, will present their views on the coming decade to business leaders as part of the Future Forum 2008 in early May.   

Children Less Social: Expert

The Nelson Mail (NZ), 3 April 2008

New Zealand children graduating from school in 2020 could have as many as six careers but will have fewer social experiences with family and have learning styles shaped by technology, secondary school principals have been told.  

Australian social researcher Mark McCrindle, speaking to the Secondary Principals' Association of New Zealand national conference in Nelson on Tuesday, said children were less social than they used to be. They spent less time with parents because the parents were working, had fewer siblings, and were less likely to play with other children in their neighbourhood or join groups such as Scouts.  

Children were more exposed to technology and it was shaping their learning styles and even their vocabulary, he said.  

One father had written to a Sydney newspaper to say his young son had asked whether bread was supposed to be put into a toaster "portrait or landscape".  

Young people graduating in 2020 would live longer and as a result work longer, probably averaging about six careers, he said.  

Mr McCrindle said young people were becoming more empowered by technology. However, they needed good adult role models at school who knew how to engage with them. Emotional connections were important to keep students interested in learning, he said.  

The four-day conference, attended by 130 principals, finished yesterday.  

Struggling to name your baby? Call a consultant 

Reuters - By Belinda Goldsmith, 24 March 2008

CANBERRA, March 20 (Reuters Life!) - Actress Halle Berry's decision to call her daughter Nahla had some people perplexed, but baby experts said it mirrored a trend for unusual names which has helped create a new profession -- baby name consultant. Many parents have moved away from giving their children family or unisex names and want their youngsters to have names that stand out from the crowd -- but not in a bad way.   Full Article

SMS language sparks off unusually spelt baby names trend!

Asian News International, 6 March 2008

Most parents these days are drawing on the cool SMS and email spellings, by eschewing traditional spellings for versions such as Alex-Zander, Cam'ron, Emma-Lee, Ozkah, Thaillah and Ameleiyah.  

Social analyst Mark McCrindle looked at Australian births in 2007 and discovered that the name Jayden was registered spelt in 12 ways, Aidan in nine ways, and Amelia and Tahlia in eight ways.  

The name Lachlan had five other versions - Lochlyn, Lochlin, Lochlen, Lochlain and Lauchlan.  

"The use of a 'y' instead of an 'i' has hit epidemic proportions, as has the use of 'k' over 'c' like in the names Jaykob and Lynkon, double letters like Siimon and Chriss and hyphens like Emma-Lee," News.com.au quoted McCrindle, of private research agency McCrindle Research, as saying.  

He added that the increasing trend could be attributed to the phonetic spelling in email and text messaging and to parents wanting their children to be prominent.  

"Gen X parents were the first generation to grow up themselves with mum not staying home with the kids or their parents divorcing, and they hated their parents not being around to show them love," he said.  

"Knowing they will probably recreate some of those sins, they now are naming their kids uniquely to show how individual and special they are to them.  

Imagine winning an Ozkah

MX (Brisbane), 6 March 2008

Now it's being fingered for a trend in oddly spelt names.  

Parents are shunning traditional spellings to name their kids Alex-Zander, Cam'ron, Emma-Lee, Ozkah, Thaillah and Ameleiyah.  

Analysing Australian births in 2007, social analyst Mark McCrindle found the name Jayden was registered 12 ways, Aidan nine ways, and Amelia and Tahlia eight ways.  

Lachlan had five other versions Lochlyn, Lochlin, Lochlen, Lochlain and Lauchlan.  

``The use of a `y' instead of an `i' has hit epidemic proportions, as has the use of `k' over `c' like in the names Jaykob and Lynkon,'' said McCrindle, of McCrindle Research.  

Roze by any name would spell as sweet

Annalise Walliker, youth affairs reporter , Herald-Sun , 6 March 2008

Parents are shunning traditional spellings for versions such as Alex-Zander, Cam'ron, Emma-Lee, Ozkah, Thaillah and Ameleiyah. Analysing Australian births in 2007, social analyst Mark McCrindle found the name Jayden was registered spelt 12 ways, Aidan nine ways, and Amelia and Tahlia eight ways. Lachlan had five other versions -- Lochlyn, Lochlin, Lochlen, Lochlain and Lauchlan.   Full Article

What young women want

Stephen Lunn, The Australian, 5 March 2008

Young women in particular see it as a little more than an anachronism. Yet some of the big issues feminists have long championed -- equal pay for equal work, affordable child care, the fight against the undervaluing of women acting as unpaid carers for ageing relatives and the underreporting of domestic violence and sexual assault -- remain high among the concerns of Australian women.Full Article

Work-life balance the great juggling act

Ben Schneiders, Workplace reporter, The Age, 1 March 2008

IT IS the great juggling act of modern life. Employees would prefer greater balance between work and the rest of their lives but also face cost-of-living pressures that mean they have to work more than they would like. Nearly 80% of people asked in a study by McCrindle Research thought that work-life balance was either very important or important to them. But nearly two-thirds of respondents said they were "driven to work more in order to earn more money for life expenses", the survey of 800 people found. Full Article

Lifestyle costs tip balance

Ben Schneiders, Workplace Reporter, The Age, 1 March 2008

IT IS the great juggling act of modern life.  

Employees would prefer greater balance between work and the rest of their lives but also face cost of living pressures that mean they have to work more than they would like.  Nearly 80% of people asked in a study by McCrindle Research thought that work-life balance was either very important or important to them. But nearly two-thirds of respondents said they were "driven to work more in order to earn more money for life expenses", the survey of about 800 people found.   Full Article

Age of google

Joan-Maree Hargreaves, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 March 2008

RAUL Vera may be considered the old bloke in his office, but the engineering manager of  Google Australia doesn't see it as a barrier to getting on with his co-workers. As a baby boomer, Vera is probably a rarity in a workplace like  Google, which by its very nature is staffed by young and innovative IT types who are at the forefront of the technological revolution.   Full Article

Striking a balance key for workers

ALEXANDRA TREDREA, The Advertiser, 26 February 2008

WORK-LIFE balance is the biggest factor in engaging and retaining staff, research shows. A study commissioned by professional services firm Converge International found that 80 per cent of employees considered work-life balance the key to their career. But 60 per cent of respondents said they were unhappy with their current situation.  

``Work-life balance is not simply a female issue, nor is it solely a demand of Generation Y or those with caring responsibilities,'' Converge International chief executive Lindsay McMillan said. Dr McMillan and social researcher Mark McCrindle will hold a forum to discuss the findings at the Rendezvous Allegra Hotel on March 19. 

Gen Z: here they come, ready or not

Annalise Walliker, youth affairs reporter , Herald-Sun, 25 February 2008

THEY may come at the end of the alphabet, but they'll soon be at the forefront of tackling the most complex problems our world has ever faced.They're Generation Z, born from 1995 onwards, the latest generation made up of today's babies and children. This year sees two important milestones for the Zs because the oldest of the generation are becoming teenagers and this year's prep students will be the graduating class of 2020, the year now the focus of the Rudd Government's summit.   Full Article

Forever young

Janice Breen Burns, The Age, 23 February 2008

Driving next week's  L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival are people who are twice to three times the age of their typical customer. In an industry obsessed with youth,  Janice Breen Burns finds out why the eternally hip are far from replacement Full Article

Credit drives Gen Y - Cashless society on cards

Melanie Christiansen, The Courier Mail, 9 February 2008

JELLAINE Ross rarely has more than $20 in her purse. Instead, at 24, the full-time marketing consultant and confessed  eBay junkie has five credit cards with a combined debt of $13,000. But far from cutting up her multiple credit cards, Ms Ross avoids paying cash wherever possible, preferring to use credit records to help monitor her spending with the aim of being debt-free within a year.   Full Article

Cupcakes and smiles mark first day of big school

Hills Shire Times, 5 February 2008

THERE were no tears but plenty of smiles for new the kindergarten class at John Purchase Public School last week, as excited youngsters couldn't wait to get stuck into painting, singing and reading stories.  

Michael Kamel's mother Maha said her son was so excited that he woke up at 5.30am.  

``It was more exciting for him than Christmas,'' she said. ``His older brother is already at school here so he is familiar with the buildings and looking forward to the whole experience.''  

Imojen Daly had a double-whammy of excitement, with her fifth birthday coinciding with the first day at school. She celebrated by bringing in some cupcakes for all her new friends.  

``So far it's been smooth sailing,'' relief deputy principal Margaret Collier said. ``There are lots of different activities to keep them occupied all day, from creative activities to playing on the lap-tops.''  

Twins Alex and Luke Durheim looked set to have a great year, getting stuck straight into the building blocks.  

``I love my big school,'' Alex said.  

According to Social Researcher Mark McCrindle students starting school this year for the first time were born in 2002 and make up the smallest group of kindergarten students in 12 years.  

McCrindle's research also reveals they are part of Generation Z, considered to be digital natives, the most technologically literate generation of children ever.  

TIC offers connection and new perspectives

GREG ELLIS, The Illawarra Mercury, 5 February 2008

IN BUSINESS What's happening in the Illawarra  

TONIGHT is the first Illawarra Connection dinner of the year. But it is also a great time to reflect on the past 12 months at the peak networking body. As well as an opportunity to meet other business people, TIC offers a broad range of speakers with perspectives on business and personal life. GREG ELLIS looks back on the highlights of last year's TIC program. Full Article