Australia has  introduced a world-first ban on social media for children under 16, and the internet is on fire. 🔥

In this episode, Rosie and Roula unpack the controversy, the fear, and the very real questions nobody seems able to answer.

Is this really about protecting kids — or are we opening the door to digital ID, facial recognition, and loss of privacy?

Who should be responsible: governments, tech companies, or parents?

And why are teenagers saying the wrong people are being punished?

From AI age verification that can be fooled by a pug 🐶, to the power of algorithms, validation, and confirmation bias, this conversation goes far beyond one law in Australia. It becomes a bigger question about how social media is shaping all of us — not just children.

Roula reflects on stepping back from social media entirely, inspired by insights from Jay Shetty, while Rosie wrestles with what connection, community, and balance really mean in a digital world.

In this episode:

Australia’s under-16 social media ban explained

Why enforcement feels vague and unsettling

Facial recognition, AI age estimation & privacy risks

Teenagers calling out misplaced responsibility

Algorithms, validation & confirmation bias

Are we the product — and are our kids the product too?

Would life be better without social media or WhatsApp?

Missing people, deeper connection & slower communication

There’s no easy answer — but there is a lot to think about.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

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Is it rude to leave someone on read? 👀

In Episode 223 of The Rosie & Roula Show, Rosie and Roula dive into one of the biggest modern etiquette dilemmas: read receipts, unanswered messages, and the pressure to reply instantly.

With messaging apps showing when someone has seen your message, expectations around communication have completely changed. But are we actually obligated to reply right away — or is that pressure harming our mental health?

In this episode, Rosie and Roula explore:

Why being left on read feels so personal

Whether ignoring messages is rude or just modern life

How read receipts increase anxiety and overthinking

Why instant replies became the expectation

When not replying becomes avoidance

Healthy communication boundaries in texting

How to stop taking delayed replies personally

This conversation touches on texting etiquette, emotional triggers, communication anxiety, and healthy boundaries in friendships and relationships.

If you’ve ever stared at your phone wondering “Why haven’t they replied?” — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

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This episode starts with a thumbnail crisis and ends with one of the most practical life lessons we’ve ever shared: how to handle bad breath without ruining friendships, feelings, or first impressions.

Rosie wants honesty about how she really looks in the episode thumbnail (stoned? serene? stroke victim? 😅), while Roula calmly insists it’s exactly how she sees her. And from there, the conversation takes a turn into one of the most relatable social dilemmas ever: what do you do when someone’s breath stinks?

Roula, our resident etiquette queen, breaks it down with grace, honesty, and a bag full of cinnamon candy. From hydration and mints to subtle kindness and cultural habits, this episode is equal parts hilarious and genuinely useful.

We talk about:

Why bad breath is completely normal (and unavoidable sometimes)

How dehydration, sickness, and bacteria play a role

The art of offering a mint without humiliating someone

Why honesty doesn’t have to be rude

Childhood memories that shape our sensitivity to smell

Morning breath, family love, and turning your head out of kindness

Why cinnamon candy is Roula’s secret weapon 🍬

And how a lost Christmas package turned into an ongoing joke

It’s awkward. It’s funny. It’s real life.

And it’s exactly the kind of topic nobody talks about… until Rosie & Roula do.

👉 Don’t forget to check the thumbnail on YouTube and tell Rosie: Is that really how she looks?

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Have you ever been told “no offense, but…” right before something deeply offensive? 

In Episode 221 of The Rosie & Roula Show, Rosie and Roula unpack why this phrase triggers defensiveness, damages communication, and often masks discomfort rather than honesty.

This episode dives into communication skills, emotional intelligence, healthy boundaries, and how to say hard things without hurting people. From friendships and relationships to cultural habits and humor, Rosie and Roula explore why phrases like “no offense,” “not being rude,” or “not being racist, but” actually do the opposite of what we intend.

You’ll learn:

Why “no offense” puts people on edge instantly

The psychology behind defensive communication

Better, emotionally mature alternatives for difficult conversations

How to check in before saying something sensitive

The difference between honesty, humor, and harm

If you care about healthy relationships, self-awareness, and clear communication, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

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What do you do when you find out something that could completely blow up someone else’s life? Do you speak up, confront the person involved, or stay quiet and mind your own business?

This episode starts light, with Rosie’s annual “haven’t seen you since last year” joke, before quickly turning into a deep and uncomfortable conversation about secrets, cheating, and where responsibility actually sits when you know the truth.

Roula shares a real-life dilemma someone brought to her: discovering a friend’s partner is cheating and losing sleep over whether to say something. Rosie reflects on a moment from high school where she found herself carrying a secret that felt completely out of alignment with her values, and how that experience shaped the way she thinks about honesty today.

Together, they unpack wildly different approaches to loyalty, confrontation, guilt, and support. Is telling the truth about relieving yourself, or protecting someone you love? Is cheating ever just “none of your business”? And who actually benefits when secrets come out?

What would you do if you knew something that could change everything for someone you care about?

TOPICS COVERED

• Whether you should tell a friend their partner is cheating

• The emotional weight of carrying someone else’s secret

• Confronting the person cheating versus telling the person being cheated on

• Honesty, guilt, and feeling complicit

• Why people cheat and what might sit underneath it

• Different values around loyalty, boundaries, and responsibility

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Turbulence hits, the plane drops, your stomach flips — and suddenly you’re scanning everyone around you trying to work out if you’re the only one terrified. Some people are gripping the armrests, some look frozen, and others are somehow asleep like nothing is happening.

In this episode, Roula talks about flying through heavy turbulence and feeling completely overwhelmed by fear, while watching others act totally calm. Rosie shares her own discomfort with flying and they unpack the strange mental gymnastics that happen mid-air — from overthinking the safety demonstration, to watching the cabin crew for clues, to wondering what the unspoken etiquette is when people won’t stop talking.

It’s an honest, relatable chat about fear, discomfort, and all the weird thoughts that surface when you’re stuck in the sky with no control.

Are you genuinely scared of turbulence, or do you just pretend you’re fine?

TOPICS COVERED
 • Fear of turbulence and flying anxiety
 • Why some people seem calm during turbulence
 • Watching other passengers for reassurance
 • Overthinking safety demonstrations on planes
 • Cabin crew behaviour as a comfort signal
 • Airplane etiquette and unspoken social rules
 • Why flying is uncomfortable even when it’s safe

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Making a mistake can spiral quickly. One wrong decision, one awkward moment, one thing said the wrong way — and suddenly it’s all you can think about. You replay it, analyse it, avoid people, lose sleep, and punish yourself long after it’s over.

In this episode, Roula opens up about how deeply she’s struggled with beating herself up after mistakes, and a recent moment where she tried something new: firm, no-nonsense self-talk instead of days of rumination. Rosie shares her own experience of holding onto mistakes for years, and they talk honestly about why we do this to ourselves — even when it never actually helps.

This is a raw conversation about self-compassion, accountability, and learning how to let things go without pretending they didn’t matter.

What’s a mistake you’re still beating yourself up about, even though it’s already done?

TOPICS COVERED
 • Why we ruminate after making mistakes
 • The emotional toll of constant self-blame
 • The difference between accountability and punishment
 • How harsh self-talk can sometimes stop spiralling thoughts
 • Letting go after arguments or uncomfortable moments
 • Why replaying mistakes doesn’t make us better people
 • Learning to move on without dismissing what happened

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As the year wraps up, there’s this unspoken pressure to look back and list all the big, exciting things that happened. But what if nothing major happened at all? What if it was just… a year?

In this episode, Rosie and Roula talk about the weight we put on New Year reflections, why we feel obligated to praise every year as meaningful, and how exhausting the hype around New Year’s Eve can be. They explore redefining achievement, letting go of resolutions that never stick, and why simply getting through the year might be more than enough.

This is a conversation for anyone who feels awkward, embarrassed, or behind when asked, “So… how was your year?”

When you look back on the year, what do you count as an achievement for yourself?

TOPICS COVERED
 • The pressure to label every year as exciting or successful
 • Redefining achievement beyond big milestones
 • Why New Year’s resolutions often create more stress than motivation
 • Journaling without pressure and noticing small moments
 • Seasonal goals versus yearly goals
 • Letting go of shame around “quiet” or difficult years

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Gut Feelings, First Impressions & Is It Okay Not to Like Someone?

Can you trust your gut feeling when you meet someone new? Is it ever okay not to like someone before really knowing them?
In this holiday rerun of The Rosie & Roula Show, Rosie and Roula dive into intuition, first impressions, cultural differences, and gut feelings. From childhood memories to adult experiences, they explore when it’s valid to trust your instincts—and when bias might get in the way.

This episode is perfect for anyone who’s ever asked themselves: “Do I really have to like everyone I meet?”

🎙️ What We Talk About in This Episode:

• Is it okay not to like someone before knowing them?
• Split-second judgments and first impressions from childhood to adulthood
• Real-life examples of gut feelings in professional and personal settings
• How cultural differences and sarcasm can influence initial impressions
• Confirmation bias: seeing only what confirms our initial thoughts
• How to balance intuition with openness
• Why it’s okay to trust your gut—without feeling guilty

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Your intuition is a valuable tool to guide you
• First impressions aren’t always wrong, but be mindful of bias
• Cultural differences can shape how we perceive people
• You don’t need to justify every dislike
• Following your gut can help maintain personal boundaries and safety

🔍 SEO Keywords & Search Phrases:

trusting your gut, first impressions, intuition and decision-making, podcast on first impressions, Rosie and Roula Show, is it okay not to like someone, cultural differences in judgment, confirmation bias podcast, trusting intuition as an adult, social boundaries conversation

💬 Join the Conversation:

Have you ever disliked someone at first sight only to change your mind later—or were you proven right?
Do you trust your gut, or do you try to keep an open mind no matter what?
Share your experiences and help us explore this fascinating topic.

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Naked Spas, Body Freedom & Why Nudity Isn’t Sexual

Is being naked in public really as terrifying as we think—or is it actually one of the most respectful, freeing experiences you can have?
In this honest, funny, and surprisingly deep holiday rerun of The Rosie & Roula Show, Rosie and Roula unpack the topic of naked spas, body image, nudity, freedom, and why nudity doesn’t automatically equal sexuality.

What starts as shock and disbelief quickly turns into a thoughtful conversation about boundaries, respect, self-acceptance, and cultural conditioning.

🎙️ What We Talk About in This Episode:

• What actually happens at a naked spa (step by step)
• Why Rosie finds the idea terrifying—and why Roula loves it
• Nudity vs sexuality: why they are not the same
• Feeling safer naked in a spa than clothed on the street
• Body image, self-acceptance, and letting go of shame
• Cultural differences around nudity in Europe
• Respect, boundaries, and unspoken social rules
• Seeing bodies as art, not objects
• Why nobody actually cares what you look like
• Should you “get over yourself” and try it?

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Nudity does not automatically mean sexualization
• Safe spaces exist where bodies are treated with respect
• Clothes often hide insecurity more than nakedness does
• Body confidence grows when comparison disappears
• Freedom sometimes begins where fear ends

🎧 Why This Episode Still Matters:

This conversation challenges deeply ingrained beliefs about nudity, safety, and self-worth. It’s a powerful reminder that our discomfort often comes from social conditioning—not reality.

If you’ve ever struggled with:

• Body image or shame
• Fear of being seen
• Cultural taboos around nudity
• Feeling unsafe in public spaces

This episode will make you rethink everything you assumed.

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