On Writing Regrets

All writers from time to time will look back – or think back – to something they’ve written and feel some regret. Whether writing for many years as a hobby or professionally, there will likely be a progression in how one writes – there will be a maturing of outlook and opinions, changes in style, and…

View Post

The Different Faces of the Anti-Psychiatry Movement

Anti-psychiatry is a loose social movement that first emerged in the 1960s in Europe and the US, and it began as an ideological response to the treatment of mental illness in asylums at the time. Those supporting the movement were concerned about the poor conditions of many of these asylums, as well as the abusive…

View Post

Mark Twain on the Root Cause of Antisemitism

In 1898, Harper’s Magazine published an essay by Mark Twain titled ‘Concerning the Jews’, in which the author responds to a letter from a lawyer who asks Twain to explain why antisemitism is so rampant in society and why Jewish people throughout history have born the brunt of so much hatred and hostility. Twain essentially…

View Post

Fears About Ageing and Old Age: The Root of Negative Attitudes Towards Older People

Ageism, a form of prejudice and discrimination based on age, was originally formulated by the psychiatrist Robert Neil Butler in 1969 to refer specifically to prejudicial attitudes towards older people, old age, and the ageing process; discrimination against older people; and the stereotyping of older people. Nowadays, ageism applies as a general term for prejudices…

View Post

Tackling Fake News With Media Literacy: A Lesson From Ukraine

In an effort to challenge fake news, propaganda, disinformation, and hate speech in the media, schools in Ukraine have been teaching students media literacy skills. This programme was initiated following the war in eastern Ukraine, which saw government forces in conflict with Russian-backed separatists. The war led to a rise in propaganda and disinformation in…

View Post