Home Articles Bylines Research

Social Issues

HuffPost UK •

Only 18% of Teens Would Vote Tomorrow – And We've Given Them No Reason To

A poll by Merlin Strategy (via ITV) found that just half (49%) of 16-17-year-olds agreed that the voting age should be lowered, while only 18% said they’d vote tomorrow if there were an election. So, while lowering the voting age is all well and good, it means little if approximately 750,000 of them aren’t interested.

A poll by Merlin Strategy (via ITV) found that just half (49%) of 16-17-year-olds agreed that the voting age should be lowered, while only 18% said they’d vote tomorrow if there w...

Classing misogyny as a hate crime would a good start—but it's not enough

On 18th January, the House of Lords voted to make misogyny an aggravating factor in the sentencing of anyone convicted of a criminal offence, with 242 peers backing the amendment and 185 opposing. If passed by the Commons, this would grant both the judiciary and the police new powers: judges would be able impose higher sentences for crimes driven by prejudice against women, and the police would be able to list misogyny as a motive for a crime.

Leaving aside misogyny as a motivating factor, Viol

Kamala Harris isn’t as feminist as you think

“We did it. We did it, Joe.”

Kamala Harris uttered those seven words on 7th November, five days after US voters cast their ballots in one of the most tense elections the country has ever seen. Harris was right to say to Joe Biden that “We” did it: she was arguably just as influential in the Democratic campaign as he was himself. Harris, of mixed African American and Indian American heritage, was the first woman of colour on a presidential ticket. Perhaps as a consequence, 91 per cent of black w
Glamour UK •

Victim-blaming is the knee-jerk response to male violence against women – how on earth did we get here?

As a woman, how can you keep yourself safe? In 2022, we were given invaluable advice like flagging down a bus and asking police officers for ID. But amid an onslaught of other tragedies involving women — just one month in 2023 — the media has provided some more on things you want to avoid if you don’t want to end up murdered and missing. These qualities include having a successful career, making more money than your partner, having mental health issues, walking your dog, and going through menopa
Journo Resources •

Does Freelance Journalism Have A ‘Trauma Porn’ Problem?

Deep down, I knew I kind of played into the hands of ‘trauma porn’ a little — it was an easy way to build up the bylines I sought after so badly, and I knew editors loved it — but it was time to start drawing a line once I realised I was being pigeonholed into writing about my trauma and nothing else.

It was ironic in a lot of ways: I had spent half my life desperate to show that I shouldn’t be defined by my disabilities, and then the other half willingly defining myself based on them, if it me
NBC News •

Opinion | What to make of Boris Johnson almost making a comeback

We now have our third Tory prime minister in seven weeks — Rishi Sunak, a former finance minister. Sometimes, I genuinely wonder if the British electorate has a humiliation kink. Maybe it’s because I’m not invested in conservative ideology or feel opposed to many of their core values, but when I come across people who remain ardent Tories, nothing else makes sense to me.

But perhaps one of the most head-scratching moments of this whole ordeal was how Boris Johnson’s supporters were pushing for
Glamour UK •

Liz Truss may be the UK's third female Prime Minister, but she doesn't speak for Gen-Z women like me

With Liz Truss, we’re getting our third-ever female Prime Minister. So girlboss, right? Maybe she’ll let us drink our sewage water in glittery pink cups to celebrate this win for feminism.

The problem is, that Truss has proven herself to be antithetical to not just feminism but pretty much every other progressive social cause. The one thing the statistically more anti-capitalist Gen Z and more right-wing electorate can agree on is that Truss is essentially ‘Thatcher 2.0’ – but given the widespr
NBC News •

Opinion | For decades Boris Johnson showed us who he was — and we laughed

Everyone seems shocked about how Boris Johnson dug his heels in and refused to resign over claims that he condoned sexual misconduct allegations. The fact that he believed he had an ounce of support and popularity left after so many high-profile resignations and condemnations seemed absurd — laughable, even. But as members of Parliament, journalists and the electorate continue to act baffled that Johnson thinks he’s able to escape accountability, they seem to have also forgotten that Johnson’s b
NBC News •

Opinion | Calling out Lizzo's slur in 'Grrrls' was not 'cancel culture'

I can palpably remember every time I was called a "spaz." Sometimes it was in gym class, with classmates screaming in my face because I missed catching the ball for the fifth time because my brain wouldn’t let me coordinate my hands. Other times, it would be uttered and whispered behind my back, with a raised eyebrow or two, when I struggled to cut my food during Home Ec lessons or found myself tripping over nothing for the third time that day.

Worst of all was when I was in my own world, forge
VICE •

'A Complete Joke': Students Who Got Lockdown Fines React to Partygate

If this all sounds deeply unfair to you, imagine being one of the university students who were hit with fines – some totalling thousands of pounds – as a result of breaching lockdown rules for similar gatherings. Senior politicians at the time even If this all sounds deeply unfair to you, imagine being one of the university students who were hit with fines – some totalling thousands of pounds – as a result of breaching lockdown rules for similar gatherings. Senior politicians at the time even bl
New Statesman •

Why say #FreeBritney if she's not free to post nude photos on Instagram?

Less than twelve months ago Britney Spears told her story in court. In her harrowing testimony, she spoke of her lack of bodily autonomy, with the conservators who had control of much of her life refusing to let her remove her own IUD. It was because of this that millions of people campaigned to #FreeBritney.

That is, until Britney used her freedom in a way people didn’t like.

Her crime? Posting naked photos to her Instagram account. There were always going to be trolls, but most concerning is
Metro.co.uk •

People share their experiences of being exposed to porn without consent

‘I felt as if I had no power’: People share their experiences of being exposed to porn without consent

‘I felt as if I had no power’: People share their experiences of being exposed to porn without consent

From revenge porn to cyber-flashing, sexual harassment and assault have taken on new forms in the digital age — and watching porn in public is just a further example of this.

Despite the growing conversations around women’s safety, sexual harassment, and misogyny in the wake of Sarah Everar
The Independent •

Opinion: I won’t be quitting Twitter – it changed my life

In the wake of billionaire Elon Musk buying Twitter, people seem prepared to leave the platform behind them. Not only have more high-profile figures like actor and prolific tweeter Jameela Jamil announced their intention to leave the app, but a mass exodus could be on the horizon, with hashtags like #LeavingTwitter trending across the platform.

Although Twitter can be a hellsite at times, I will be staying put. I hopped on the Twitter train pretty late compared to my peers, reluctantly starting
Metro.co.uk •

Sarah Everard: Mourners remember Clapham Common vigil one year on

‘A day doesn’t go past where I don’t think about Sarah’: Mourners who attended the Sarah Everard vigil at Clapham Common reflect one year on

‘A day doesn’t go past where I don’t think about Sarah’: Mourners who attended the Sarah Everard vigil at Clapham Common reflect one year on

When Sarah Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens on March, 3, 2021, it sent shockwaves up and down the country.

Many women saw themselves as the ‘kind and strong’ 33-year-old marketing executive. At the time of her
HuffPost •

Westerners, Please Stop With The Memes And Hot Takes On The Ukraine Crisis

It’s no surprise that main character syndrome is so intricately linked with social media — after all, what’s the point of acting like your life is a movie if nobody is around to watch it? It becomes problematic, however, when this desire to center yourself in every discourse, dialogue and disaster takes precedence over everything. Even a major European war.

As commentator and YouTuber Natalie Wynn put it: “I always hated war, hated Twitter. But somehow I wasn’t prepared for how much I would hat
Dazed •

Are you an empath or a deluded narcissist?

An investigation into the internet’s mass

Two years into a pandemic, we all need a bit more empathy – both towards each other and ourselves. It’s commonly accepted that most people possess empathy and the ability to empathise, but for self-described “empaths”, their relationship with empathy goes a little further. According to Dr Carla Marie Manly, a practising clinical psychologist based in California, the term “empath” refers to the ability to “tune into” another person’s energy, feelings and
New Statesman •

Molly-Mae proves the absurdity of "girlboss" feminism

When she appeared on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast in December, 22-year-old influencer Molly-Mae Hague seemed to pre-empt the backlash she was about to receive. This wasn’t the first time she had been “slammed a little bit” for saying that achieving her level of fame and fortune came from true grit alone. Unfortunately, her self-awareness came up short.

In the now-infamous clip, where she talks about her multimillion-pound rise to fame, Hague said, “We all have the same 24 hours in a
EachOther •

Activism On Social Media Often Rings Hollow

Activists on social media can seem more interested in amassing social capital than securing social justice, argues Charlotte Colombo.

“The revolution will not be televised”. Instead, the revolution will be a black square or a catchy hashtag. With nearly two thirds (64%) of young people in the UK seeing social media as a crucial means of achieving social change, it is clear that social media activism – or ‘clicktivism’, as it’s sometimes called – isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But maybe it s
The Independent •

I’m dreading the easing of coronavirus restrictions – this is why

As the UK celebrates “no longer being in a pandemic”, it’s time for me to face up to an uncomfortable truth. The return to normality, the very thing that millions of people are desperate for, leaves me completely and utterly terrified.

I live with something called social phobia, which is a long-term, overwhelming fear of people. For those with social anxiety, the very idea of being in a room full of people, making conversation or even making prolonged eye contact is enough to cause a full-blown
Journo Resources •

Navigating Toxic Productivity As A Young Journalist

As a young journalist, the pressure to succeed has never been more apparent, especially during a global pandemic where newsrooms keep downsizing and freelance budgets are being cut. With a smaller pool of opportunities available, I feel the need to always be on. When I’m not studying, working or volunteering, I’m constantly wracking my brains for pitch ideas.

Even when I’m trying to scroll Netflix during my free time, I’ll be tapping away on my laptop simultaneously, unable to tear myself away
The Independent •

Opinion: We need to stop comparing politics to 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale

Donald Trump’s tangerine face, angry Tweets and disinfectant coronavirus remedies may be stranger than fiction. But now the 45th president has left the Oval Office, the time for us to compare dystopian literature with politics has got to go too.

In a habit that’s become a staple of Trump’s administration, the appalling scenes in the Capitol were quickly attributed to Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Washington DC was one of the first places to “fall” to Gilead’s patriarchal and evan