Life Matters

Meet someone who has made the switch away from a smart phone to a device with no internet. No maps, no email, no google and no facetime. Just how practical is it, and do the benefits outweigh the cons? Plus how being a fan can enrich your life.

Your stories about times when sex has been disappointing, and how you turned that around. We get tips for those who want a more satisfying sex life from expert sexologist Tanya Koens. And in Ask Aunty, the job interview full of awkward pauses.

Journalist Marina Kamenev learned how unsustainable the nuclear family model was, both practically and economically, and began looking for alternatives. Plus the joy of watching dogs muster sheep, and how to engage with wildlife in your area.

The recent Australian Universities Accord report says if we don't increase higher education participation, it will "do lasting damage to Australia's prospects of national economic success" and lock out certain groups from higher-paid jobs.

But is radically increasing the number of people going to TAFE or university the answer? Will that fix social and economic inequities, as well as skilling up our future workforce? We explore and hear your thoughts.

Plus, playing sport is great for kids, when they get to participate that is. Spending too much time on the bench can be discouraging, so how can we manage the tension between playing and winning?

Every day, we interact with dozens of algorithms as we go about our lives, but many of us don't understand how they work. How do we get the the best out of these tools while keeping the potential dangers in check?

And, by 2050, we're going to need twice the level of palliative care in the home as we do now. What can we do to start building the workforce we'll need to make sure our future selves are cared for?

We explore the cultural devaluation of ‘home’ work, and how rethinking our relationship with domestic can improve our lives.

And getting something for nothing seems like a great deal, but earning points, particular when credit cards are involved, can expose us to financial traps. We look at what airline points really get you.

Two years after the breakdown of her 20-year marriage, Hilary Harper feels like she might be ready to date again. But the dating scene has changed a lot since she was last single in the early 2000s. 

Having never made contact with the world of dating apps and profiles, she feels overwhelmed wading into things again. How do you pick up the pieces and work out when you're emotionally ready to resume the quest for love? How do you figure out what you want? In our 40s and beyond, our priorities around relationships shift.

Hilary sets the scene, letting us know what she's weathered and how her heart got to a place where she might be able to put herself out there again.

Credits

• Hilary Harper, Presenter
• Nat Tencic, Series Producer
• Matthew Crawford, Mixing and mastering
• Hayley Crane, Executive Producer
• Maria Tickle, Editor - Factual, ABC RN

If you missed the rise of dating apps because you were in a long marriage or relationship, it’s very fair to find them a bit intimidating.  

The way we meet potential lovers has changed drastically over the past decade, moving from pubs and parties to the online space.

Hilary navigates these shifts and gets across these new tools, learning how to craft the perfect profile and grappling with the flat way we have to represent ourselves to catch a mate today.

Credits

• Hilary Harper, Presenter
• Nat Tencic, Series Producer
• Matthew Crawford, Mixing and mastering
• Hayley Crane, Executive Producer
• Maria Tickle, Editor - Factual, ABC RN

Hilary goes on her first first-date and finds the goods are not quite what was advertised.

Plus, an oversharing bookseller and the flaky 'poetry guy' test her fragile heart.

How do you deal with people who lie, overshare, or don't respect your feelings? Hilary confronts the reality that the people she meets on the apps might challenge her trust while looking inward at how her baggage affects her interactions. Older daters are covered in scars. Some heartbreaks and hang-ups significantly influence how we connect with others. So, how do we protect ourselves while trying to be vulnerable with strangers?

Credits

• Hilary Harper, Presenter
• Nat Tencic, Series Producer
• Matthew Crawford, Mixing and mastering
• Hayley Crane, Executive Producer
• Maria Tickle, Editor - Factual, ABC RN

Hilary has found someone, and sparks are flying. She's starting to feel the flutter of sexual attraction, but she's worried about breaking her long dry spell.

She takes a hard look in the mirror and considers her relationship with her body and sexuality. With the help of sex therapist Tanya Koens, she learns how to overcome the trauma of her past and embrace pleasure again with someone new.

Credits

• Hilary Harper, Presenter
• Nat Tencic, Series Producer
• Matthew Crawford, Mixing and mastering
• Hayley Crane, Executive Producer
• Maria Tickle, Editor - Factual, ABC RN