But lately, I’ve started to feel as though there should be a little more space to mourn the people we once were.

There are so many versions and stages of ourselves that we move through. We aren’t those people anymore, but we were, once, and each version helped shape who we are now. For better or worse.

Yes, we can thank those around us for helping shape the new, better versions of us, but I think there’s beauty in doing this for ourselves, too. To look back at who we were with a little more tenderness, rather than only seeing how much has changed.

I feel this most when I look at photos of myself, some in a distant time, some not so distant, but in all I feel a distinct separation between our times of being. Between the me in the photo and the me looking back at her. Of course she is me and I am her, in a literal sense, but looking at these photos sparks an odd mix of nostalgia and grief.

I grieve, I think, for what she didn’t know was coming. For what she thought her life would look like. For what could have been. Sometimes I grieve for the happiness she had that I no longer feel in quite the same way. Sometimes for the sadness she felt that I now understand differently.

Sometimes, I just miss her.

Not necessarily because I want to be her again, but because she knew herself in a way that feels further away from me now.

I guess in the craziness of life I often feel further and further away from a self I truly knew. I’m sure that’s just what growing up can feel like, becoming someone new, but at the cost of becoming more and more distant from a version of ourselves in order to grow.

Maybe it’s inevitable. Maybe it’s just part of moving further away from the innocence of childhood, and into all the complicated, messy, beautiful things that come after it. But I like to think there’s a place somewhere where all the versions of me can meet. That might be a bit woo woo of me, but it helps, I think, to think of new beginnings (and endings) in your life as an opportunity for our past selves to meet. When things change and you change with it, for all the previous versions of you to meet the latest, most recent update of you, and appreciate the role each has played in that journey. I hope others find comfort in that too.

I don’t know, maybe I’m in my feels.. but a big thanks to little Issy, teen Issy, and all the other Issy’s. I miss some of you, glad I’m far away from others .. but we’re here thanks to all versions of you/me, and for that I am grateful.

With love,

Issy

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There is a growing unease I carry with me every day: the feeling that the freedoms women have fought decades for are becoming far more fragile than many of us realise. My fear isn’t only for myself, it’s for all of us - particularly the future of girls who are growing up right now hearing “you can do anything”, “the world is your oyster”.. believing that the freedoms they have today will always be there tomorrow.

For most of my life, I’ve assumed progress was more permanent. I assumed that the generations of women before me had fought battles that I would never have to fight, and while i knew there would always be disagreements and setbacks, the overall direction of history was forward.

More freedom. More autonomy. More opportunity.

Now I’m not so sure.. and don’t get me wrong, the shift didn’t happen all at once, which is likely why there are so many who remain less attuned to what is happening to us. If the recent by-election in Farrer showed me anything, it's that many people don't simply disagree with me, they also don't seem to view issues such as these with the seriousness they deserve. There is a clear, tragic lack of understanding of what is actually being proposed and who is going to bear the consequences. Watching both men and women treat movements with real consequences as though they are internet jokes or political memes.. It’s disappointing to say the least.

There was (and is) an eagerness to embrace ideas that felt (and are) regressive, packaged as common sense, ‘tradition’ or somehow ‘the Australian way’.. as though history has taught us nothing. As though the freedoms we enjoy today appeared naturally rather than being fought for. I feel this most when conversations around abortion and reproductive healthcare become central subjects of public debate. The arguments from those who oppose women’s right to autonomy are never framed as discussions around improving healthcare or providing better supports for women and children, rather they centre around whether or not women should have access to basic, necessary healthcare or autonomy at all.

Why the fuck are women still being asked to justify their right to make decisions about their own bodies?

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What makes all of this even more difficult is the sense that many women don’t seem worried. Perhaps they believe these freedoms are too established to disappear? Or maybe they think concerns like mine are exaggerated or they feel genuinely protected enough not to think about these things at all.

I envy that certainty - because I don’t feel it.

Instead, I find myself thinking about the women who came before us. The women who fought to vote, to access education, to work, own property, open bank accounts, leave unhappy marriages, access healthcare and build lives on their own terms. None of these things were handed to them and none of them arrived because society simply decided to become more fair. Women organised, protested, endured ridicule, hostility and they sacrificed.. they did so believing that future generations, like ours, would inherit something better. So what? So we could forget? So we could hand those hard-won freedoms back to people who have never understood their value? No thanks.

That is why I struggle when I see our independence reframed as a problem - like female autonomy is something to be negotiated.

I know there are women who will disagree with every word I’ve written here, but I also know that the fear I feel is real and widely felt. Not because I think all progress will suddenly disappear, but because I no longer believe progress is guaranteed or protected. The women and those who fought for our freedoms before us understood this. Perhaps that’s why they fought so hard? They knew that freedom is not something you gain once and keep forever. It has to be protected, remembered and valued. Because the moment we start treating our freedoms as permanent is often the moment we become blind to them being taken away.

So i guess i want to remind us of what we have and why we have it. My ability to sit here writing these words wasn’t inevitable. Your ability to read them wasn’t inevitable. The lives we’re able to build, the choices we’re able to make, the futures we’re able to imagine for ourselves weren’t inevitable either. They were fought for. And if history teaches us anything, it’s that what was fought for can also be lost. It’s not something we’ve always had and i refuse to take that for granted. You shouldn’t either.

It shouldn’t be seen as some radical idea, that we as women get to make choices that directly impact our ability to live. It just shouldn’t. If things were the other way around, i guarantee you people would be louder about it - so i encourage you to be. Because fuck the patriarchy and anyone trying to take away our right to live the way we want to.

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With love, anger, fear and solidarity,

Issy x

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If you’ve been to a psychologist before, you know that the first session is usually a long conversation that allows your psych to get to know you. I’ve seen a few psychologists and the first session never ceases to amaze me. I never feel like i’ve said anything really specific, and yet, by the end, they’ve nailed my issues down to a T. I absolutely despise being so easily understood by my traumas, but i guess it means they’re good at their job?

After this first session with my new psychologist, i was feeling good. The appointment had come at a time where i actually didn’t feel too bad - i kind of felt guilty for going to the appointment when i wasn’t in too bad of a place (though they usually tell you this is the best time to go). So when i returned for my next appointment, i wasn’t expecting much outside of another catch up on how i’m travelling - but, i was wrong. What followed was a new understanding of ‘schemas’.

A schema is essentially a mental framework that helps us organise and make sense of information, often developing during childhood and becoming our patterns of thinking and behaviour. It sounds a little confusing but stay with me.

I had to do a questionnaire and discuss certain things that eventually led to a distinct 2 ‘schemas’ that resonated. I was told that i had many.. but these were the main ones. (I warn you, it sounds depressing af)

1. Self-Sacrifice Schema - Excessive focus on prioritising and meeting the needs of others at ones own expense. Sometimes leads to a sense of one’s own needs being unmet or neglected.

2. Unrelenting Standards / Hypercriticalness Schema - An overwhelming belief that one must strive to meet extremely high standards of behaviour and performance, usually to avoid criticism. May result in difficulty slowing down or relaxing, an ongoing sense of pressure, poor self-esteem, difficulties taking pleasure from accomplishments and unsatisfying relationships. May be hypercritical of oneself or others. Typically presents as perfectionism and excessive focus on detail, rigid rules and ‘shoulds’, or a preoccupation with efficiency.

Yikes.. Not exactly the attractive traits i was hoping to have. And yet, pretty interesting that someone who is essentially a stranger was able to pick out these 2 ‘schemas’ in relation to, me.

After some more uncomfortable moments of having my own experiences reflected back to me, it became obvious that some form or part of these schemas were evident in my day to day life. Maybe not exactly as described, but enough to recognise how many of my decisions come from patterns that no longer “serve me”.

For example, delving into the self-sacrifice schema highlighted the many, both big and small, decisions i have made because it’s what suits someone else more - out of fear i will upset, disappoint, make things more difficult, embarrass myself etc etc etc. (Now is also probably a good time to tell you i suffer from anxiety.. in case you couldn’t already tell).

While I don’t have any answers, yet, as to where exactly this stems from or how to change this schema / default part of my personality, i am finding that identifying this true and real part of my experience to date, is odd, but comforting.

It isn’t just some weird nervous belly feeling i get that’s telling me to constantly do right by another or hyperfixate on some kind of happy medium/compromise that isn’t exactly right for me but will at least make things less inconvenient for another… Instead - it’s a response to something, or many things, in my long term memory that up until now, has been my brains way of dealing with life. It may not be helpful, but it’s real.

Good news! The entire reason behind my psychologist sharing this with me, is because schemas can change and rewire to benefit you rather than inhibit. So i guess my reason for sharing it here is to both find and offer comfort in being young and confused by one’s own self, with the knowledge that even the most embedded of traits can be altered.

However, to live inside a schema - or to have your relationships and decisions shaped by one - is pretty confronting.

Realising how much of yourself you’ve been sacrificing or quietly devaluing leaves you with this strange combination of grief and relief. Relief, because maybe there’s finally an explanation for why you move through the world the way you do. Grief, because you start to wonder how much of your personality was actually built around this survival.

It shows up in ways that seem harmless at first. Like saying yes when you really want to say no, overthinking a text for hours, staying quiet to avoid being inconvenient, or apologising and going back on your words because someone didn’t like them, feeling weirdly responsible for everyone else’s comfort in a room before considering your own.. The kind of behaviour people praise you for - being easygoing, thoughtful, selfless - until one day you realise how exhausted you are from constantly shaping yourself around other people.

And maybe that’s why part of me now wants to say, fuck it. To stop automatically choosing what makes everyone else comfortable and start figuring out what actually makes me feel okay. Because at some point, the things that once protected you start becoming the very things that hold you back. Maybe? I don’t know.

I’m sure this is just part of growing up too. Recognising the tension between “this kept me safe” and “this is hurting me now” or “holding me still”. Even though, honestly, it feels completely fucking unfair that life forces us into this constant process of self-analysing and unlearning ourselves. I still don’t know why it takes a professional to point these things out before I can fully see them myself, or why it takes so long to realise certain parts of your life need to change in order to feel fulfilled. But maybe that’s the point.. Maybe awareness comes slowly because we spend so much of our lives mistaking survival strategies for personality traits.

Anyway, this was a lot of blab from me and I still don’t know where my schemas began. But for the first time, I’m considering that the voice in my head that tells me to be smaller, easier, better.. might not actually be me.

P.S - For those of you thinking ‘Issy is so not these things - she’s loud and extraverted etc’. You’re right, i am. But notice we are these things when it comes to our passions and morality - not when we are looking inward.

With love,

Issy xo

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I want to preface before you read, because these days you have to: i don’t hate men - i love them (I just hate the men who so clearly hate women). Also, to be a feminist just means to be someone who believes in the equality of all people :)

Now,

Louis Theroux’s doco focuses on a few key, self-proclaimed ‘masculinity influencers’, examining what these men who are part - if not sculptors of, the manosphere - think, do and produce, as a result of their skewed and deeply problematic beliefs.

For many viewers, I imagine this documentary feels like a window into a hidden world. A strange, online subculture that’s being brought to light. But for me, watching it as a woman, it didn’t feel like that at all. It felt like actual documentation.

There’s a particular frustration in seeing something framed as shocking when it mirrors things you’ve been navigating, sidestepping and absorbing for years. The language might be more explicit here, more extreme, but the underlying attitudes are the same.

You’ve heard softened versions of them on dates. At work. At school. In passing comments that are easy to brush off in the moment but harder to forget later. I remember being made fun of at school, regularly, for calling someone out for a misogynistic comment, and being met with some whiny voice imitating me ‘oh i’m Issy and i’m a feminist’.. Like.. yes. And why aren’t you?

Ideas about what women are, what they owe, how they should behave, packaged more politely, perhaps, in the younger years, but not fundamentally different.

What was really interesting to see, and what Louis seemed to highlight, was the monetisation strategies and pyramid scheme reality of the manosphere. These ‘masc influencers’ are literally brainwashing and using young boys and men to make money, and to be honest, its just - sad.

True to form, Louis Theroux uses his interview style of listening closely and sitting in the awkward silences, exposing the actual absurdity that is, these men, letting the inconsistencies reveal themselves without forcing the moment. This shit, i love. However, as a woman who knows the day to day realities of living in an age where you don’t know if the men around you respect you or see you as a piece of meat, a cleaner, a chef, a child bearer, a sex doll, etc etc etc - this wasn’t really anything new, nor was it anything groundbreaking to see.

What i did love, was how genuinely pathetic and stupid these men looked and sounded on screen. Like…. embodying, applying and plagiarising the term ‘red pill’ from ‘the matrix’…..a movie…..as if what their group of insecure boys are doing is some kind of groundbreaking, otherworldly truth that we’re all not privy to? Please.

These are the same ‘men’, who in the safety of their sadistic little podcast studios, say things to women like - “You’re huge, you’re not attractive and for you to behave in the way you do is a fucking embarrassment to society.” And - “You fat fucking bitch, get the fuck out of my studio.” But then, when the cameras and mics are off, and their girlfriends are in the room, they act like little puppies and fear the wrath of woman.

All it shows is their deep insecurity.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I actually fear for these men. I feel bad for them. Instead of learning the art of conversation, they decided that the lack of interest they receive from women meant they became the enemy, and led them down this seriously dark and damaging hole that is the manosphere - an environment of women hating conspiracy theorists who would rather take society completely backwards than put themselves in any new or interesting space where they might have to.. introduce themselves to a woman..? With the possibility of rejection like any other living, breathing human being..? It’s truly bizarre.

Anyway, all in all, for those less familiar with the manosphere (highly unlikely), the doco does do what it sets out to do: exposes the way insecurity becomes philosophy, how rejection is reframed as injustice and how entitlement dresses itself up as self-improvement.

I laugh not because its genuinely comedic, but because it’s so obviously contradictory, rehearsed and oddly theatrical. You watch someone explain their worldview with total conviction, and the gaps are right there, visible, to everyone but them. Theroux doesn’t even need to point them out.

The truth is, men that are part of the ‘manosphere’ need to blame something for the things they lack, namely women and feminism. Instead of doing the work to become a good man, they give up and fall back on these excuses, while some even take it as far as becoming an influencer spouting this shit online, just to make money off of others naivety, loneliness, and search for belonging.

It makes me truly sad to see so many young men and boys think so little of themselves, that they feel they belong in a space that benefits no one, especially them.

To be clear, there is value in putting these ideologies on screen. Naming them. Tracing their logic. Letting them unfold without disguise.

But as a woman, you can’t help but wonder, so what changes because of this?

The ‘men’ in the documentary don’t seem particularly destabilised by being observed. If anything, visibility is part of the ecosystem. Attention is currency and controversy is amplification/fame. Though they do still try to make a mockery of Louis for being a ‘less than’ man - the only ‘less than’ man we see, are the boys on screen talking about women as if they didn’t literally come out of one, were raised by one or given the opportunity to be truly loved by one.

I guess if something this extreme still feels familiar for some of us, then it isn’t operating on the margins, instead it’s drawing from something wider, deeper, more socially embedded and ‘normalised’. I hope everyone who watches this doco sees how dangerous this is.

REALITY

The documentary frames itself, in part, as revelation. But for many of us, it just.. isn’t. It’s our everyday reality.

• It’s the pink tax,

• the wage gap,

• the expectation to change your last name,

• tear your body apart in order to procreate,

• to keep fit but not too fit that you’re provocative, but to still be provocative enough that men are attracted to you and therefore you have value,

• to nurture and be kind and docile and attentive,

• to remember important dates and organise the events and the food and the home,

• to ensure that if we’re rejecting someone we do it in a kind way that leaves room for us to change our mind with no intention of actually doing so just in case a man takes your rejection too hard and ends up wanting to hurt you, abuse you, rape you or kill you.

That’s our reality - thanks to the manosphere, patriarchy and historical hatred and devaluing of women.

So i’ll leave you with some lyrics, a random but beautiful series from the one and only,

TUPAC:

And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?

I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't, we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up?
I know you're fed up, ladies, but keep ya head up.

With love,

Issy

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Every election cycle, someone says it. “Voting independent is a wasted vote”.

This assumption rests on a very narrow and misleading idea of what a vote actually does. It assumes that the only purpose of voting is to help elect the candidate most likely to win, but a vote is not just a mechanism for choosing the winner of an election, it is also a piece of information that tells us what voters (predominantly everyday people) actually want.

Putting it simply, under the ‘independent = wasted vote’ assumption: if your preferred candidate can’t win, you’re supposed to pick the major-party candidate you hate the least. But if everyone follows that logic, elections stop reflecting what people actually believe and want. Over time, this transforms elections into a competition between two increasingly disliked options (sound familiar?), while alternative voices struggle to gain traction.

Essentially, the “wasted vote” argument doesn’t just predict two-party dominance, it actively reinforces it.

The reality is, political parties change when they feel they’re losing voters. Without competition, they become complacent and cater to their safest voters while assuming dissatisfied voters will continue to choose them over the alternative. Independent candidates disrupt this reality.

Even if Independents don’t win outright, they introduce uncertainty and draw attention to key issues. If a significant number of voters move to an independent or minor party, major parties are forced to ask and address important questions:

What policies and decisions are driving people away?

How do we get them back?

Without this, major parties have little to no incentive to change or evolve.

Australia’s preferential voting system is specifically designed to prevent “wasted votes”. Preferential voting means that if your first preference does not win, your vote goes to your next preference. This means you can vote without worrying about the worth of your vote, but vote by what you truly believe and want. E.g. putting an independent as your number 1 does not mean your influence over the final outcome is lost. Your vote still counts. In fact, it provides more necessary information.

Not convinced? Keep reading

Many of today’s established political parties were once seen as disruptive outsiders. The Australian Labor Party began as a movement representing workers who felt excluded from traditional political power. In the United Kingdom, the UK Labour Party emerged from trade unions and socialist groups challenging the political establishment of their time. At their beginnings, supporting these movements could easily have been seen as ‘a wasted vote’.

Political systems evolve because voters occasionally support alternatives.

Independents and minor parties can scrutinise the government, challenge policy decisions, and raise issues that major parties might otherwise ignore. Basically, independents are exactly that -independent.

All the criticism of Independents and ‘Teals’ (community independents), I believe, is outdated. Independent candidates across Australia are proving they have the power to make real change and improvements for their electorates. They work closely with their communities while being held to a high level of transparency.

In my opinion, a vote actually becomes wasted when it no longer communicates what you, or everyday people truly believe.

(I’m not saying you have to vote for an Independent or minor party, I’m just saying that having the narrow view that you can only vote between the major parties is sad and unhelpful).

With love,

Issy

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• On Saturday, the U.S. (Trump) and Israel (Netanyahu) ILLEGALLY bombed Iran.

• A girls school was bombed, reportedly killing more than 165 people.

• Trump says this attack was aimed at destroying the Iranian government and their missile and nuclear programs.

• Iran has responded, saying every U.S. military base is now a target.

• The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have confirmed missiles have since hit their territory. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar have also reportedly intercepted missiles.

• The UAE (United Arab Emirates) has closed its airspace. This means there will be (and already has been) a massive effect on global air travel, forcing flights to turn around while leaving others stranded.

• Flights in and out of airports in Tel Aviv, Dubai, Doha and other international hubs in the region have been suspended. - BBC

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shown public support for the U.S. and Israel … Big sigh

• Australian diplomats have been told to evacuate the Middle East.

• Trump is a pedophile and the Epstein files prove it. He is doing anything he possibly can to distract us from this truth. Even starting a completely unnecessary war.

• In 2011, Trump said that Obama would attack Iran “because of his inability to negotiate properly - not skilled!” The irony…

• Netanyahu (Israeli prime minister) has now fled Israel, leaving his people to fight a war he and Trump created.

• Iran has said they will assassinate Trump.

• Iranian hackers have threatened to leak sensitive videos and images of Trump with minors if the U.S. attacks Iran. (If true, this would be huge).

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For more:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rjpr575g9o

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/3/2/us-israel-attack-iran-live

With love,

Issy

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First of all, what in the world!? No wonder we women grow up hating ourselves, our bodies, our looks.. The media we grew up on literally body shamed, humiliated and bullied some of the most conventionally beautiful women in the world, on screen, for the world to see. All to the extent that the show became more than just trashy reality TV; it became a place where women were taught to hate themselves.

It was sold as empowering. A show about dreams.. a real life Cinderella story. But, Cinderella didn’t get publicly weighed. She wasn’t forced to starve herself, undergo irreversible procedures, get told her smile was wrong, her thighs were too big, her walk was too stiff, her bum was too big.. I could go on.

Keeping in mind, there is a lot of nuance to be had with this conversation, particularly through the experiences of male and queer people in the modelling and media industry. However, to keep myself from spiralling into complete despair, I’ll just be focusing on the female experience here.

The main standout for me while watching the show was the deeply personal, yet universally felt, experiences of self hatred. From society at large and the media, funnelled through to the hatred we impose onto ourselves. The show struck a chord with me in a way I believe it would for many other women, because although we’ve seen a huge diversification of visible body types on screen and within the plus-size modelling industry, it is still labelled ‘plus size’. Body positivity discourse and the growing public appreciation of diverse bodies are incredible steps forward, but they still have their limits, and that momentum feels like it’s fading. Now, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the idolised body types of the early 2000s are having a resurgence.

You may have noticed a lot of the female stars in Hollywood slowly looking more and more ‘skeletal’. We idolise these kinds of women and with that, their looks and lifestyle, because we are told from a young age that they are the peak beauty standard. The best of the best, deserving of money, fame and widespread appreciation. Why wouldn’t we want to be like them?

Heroin Chic. Making a comeback?

Heroin chic was a style that emerged in the 90’s. It was a fashion trend marked by literally looking like a heroin addict. Skeletal, grungy, emaciated. I mean, America’s Next Top Model’s known sample size was a size 2. A SIZE 2. They had models passing out from starvation left right and centre, on TV, and yet they remained berated by judges for being too big and unworthy.

The shows star and host, model Tyra Banks, blames this on ‘the time we were in’ when the show was airing. But aren’t reality TV shows and the media responsible for producing and defining norms? And thus, what ‘the time’ becomes? Her response is partially true however, but not in the way she implies. We haven’t suddenly stopped body shaming women into eating disorders. The expectation has just been.. reinvented. Take the rise in wellness culture. Is it a rebrand? In a new age of influencers, the ‘transformation’ narrative is clearly alive and well, finding its way into our algorithms as ‘hot girl summer’, ‘skinny tok’ and ‘what i eat in a day’ videos. It may not be watching young, beautiful women get yelled at and publicly critiqued, but it might be our algorithms taking the role, and forcing us in new ways to consistently compare ourselves to what society deems acceptable.

Now I’m not saying I’m above this. My own algorithm is how I know ‘skinny tok’ and the millions of high protein, low calorie meal plans. But it’s interesting isn’t it? How much has changed, and how much hasn’t.

There are obvious similarities with other shows during this time too. Shows like the biggest loser, or later, beauty and the geek.. Sitting at home watching these shows on a school night, rooting for a strangers transformation of a lifetime; a cinderella story if you will; feels like a distant memory now. I just hope it stays that way.

I also don’t want to take away from the progress we have seen. We’ve seen women gain more social power and the idealised body type and size shift. But again, I fear this may not be long lasting. With the rise of the manosphere and destabilised power, we’re seeing more and more control mechanisms placed on the body. It may be worth asking whether the debate and destabilisation of gender roles actually makes way for the resurgence of hyper-femininity, and with that, another unobtainable body standard for women to spend their lives trying to obtain. But that’s a conversation for another time.

So while watching this potential rebrand of heroin chic emerge, look after yourself. It’s tough out here and can be really difficult to feel enough when the people you’re excessively exposed to are those with the money and access to consistently change themselves alongside the norms and trends of society. I just urge us all to be critical of what we’re exposed to, and thus, compare ourselves to, to prevent the early 2000s female body standard from becoming the norm, again. (Or the fashion. I beg. The outfits on this show were diabolical).

With love,

Issy

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“I’m just not into politics”.

Okay, fair. A lot of people aren’t. Particularly in an era of information overload and media saturation. But, here’s the uncomfortable truth, politics is into you.

Everything from your TikTok feed, your rent, the food you eat, your gender, your age, your race… you get the picture. Basically, being disengaged doesn’t mean you’re outside politics, it just means you’re not paying attention to how it works.

Stay with me here.

We are often led to believe that politics means the big dogs shouting at each other about things far bigger than us that we have no real ability to change. That’s okay. It’s actually what a lot of said ‘big dogs’ want you to think. It benefits people in power when we feel too overwhelmed or detached to participate. So I’m here to BEG you to prevent that from happening.

I won’t go on and on, but I do want to give those of you who resonate with “I’m just not into politics” my little take and cheat sheet to becoming more engaged, and remaining human.

Being somewhat engaged can look like:

• Following a few reliable sources on social media that provide news and information in a way you enjoy

  I personally love cheek media.co on Instagram and thedailyaus.

• Knowing when major elections are happening

  Just take a 10 second longer look at that post or flyer that mentions your electorate or country with the word ELECTION on it. Then you should know if it’s for you. Or just google it. (P.S - If you don’t know your electorate, have a quick google: ‘What is my electorate if I live in….?’).

• Voting locally

  Not just because you can get a fine if you don’t, but because it’s where you live! Those making decisions about where you live, deserve to know what all the people who live there really think. Your vote really does count and has the power to shape our future. I promise.

• Staying open minded

  You might just listen to your parents or family members and think, I love them, i trust them, i’ll vote like them. WRONG! You can still love your parents without being a copycat. (By the way, when you go to vote, no one can see who you vote for. That’s intentional). Have conversations with people around you and if you can think about something you care or feel strongly about, find out what the candidates think about it too. This will help you figure out your voting preferences.

  We know it well and have heard the “when i was a kid, we didn’t have phones and played outside” trope. EXACTLY. They didn’t and aren’t growing up in the same way you are, or even in the same world. Your everyday stresses and the way your future looks will be different. So make up your own mind! Your own voice is far more interesting.

• Learning how to vote!

  To be honest, I was really confused at first, and you’re not exactly given a lesson. So some key things to remember are: 1. You can take as long as you want, so read the sheet properly. 2. Some of the party names are deceptive, if you don’t know about them, it’s probably best you don’t vote for them. 3. Samples and instruction videos are online - look one up if you’re going in blind.

These are just a few things, but they can go a really long way.

If you still think it isn’t important, I ask that you consider this:

When young people disengage, older and more extreme voters often dominate and control outcomes.

When people feel powerless, they are easily manipulated.

In saying this though, overconsumption of news and politics (especially right now) can be exhausting and counterintuitive at times. So take breaks when needed, just don’t avoid completely. It will create a whole other kind of anxiety through knowing things are happening, but not understanding why.

You don’t have to be perfect. Just present.

It’s normal to change your mind and question things. In fact, it’s good! It’s about caring about yourself and the world you live in enough to know what’s shaping your future, and being or becoming an adult in a world that will move whether you’re paying attention or not.

With love,

Issy

Historians William Strauss and Neil Howe’s generational theory might just prove this, and even offer some hope to those of us feeling increasingly less optimistic.

THE FOUR TURNINGS

Strauss and Howe suggest that society follows a visible, predictable cycle that repeats through time. They call these turnings:

1st Turning: The High

This phase comes right after a major crisis. Trust in institutions is strong, communities feel united and there’s a shared sense of purpose. Society focuses on stability and rebuilding.

2nd Turning: The Awakening

Following the High, people begin to push back. Personal freedom, identity and meaning gain importance. Institutions are questioned, cultural and spiritual movements flourish and society becomes more individualistic.

3rd Turning: The Unravelling

Here, institutions are weak and widely distrusted. Individualism thrives and it feels like everyone is going in different directions. Society is more fragmented and shared consensus breaks down.

4th Turning: The Crisis

Here’s where things really get intense.. war, economic collapse, or other large-scale challenges occur. As the crisis unfolds, institutions are forced to rebuild, communities pull together and collective action becomes essential. It’s the groundwork for a new period of stability.

So who’s who?

Each turning tends to align with a generation, and Strauss and Howe have names for these too! In short:

• Prophets = Born near the end of a crisis; visionary rebels

• Nomads = Born during an Awakening; resilient survivors

• Heroes = Born after an Awakening; bold leaders

• Artists = Born after the Unravelling; thoughtful collaborators

But what does any of this mean?

Strauss and Howe call these cycles the seasons of history. Applied to today, they suggest we can identify what ‘season’ and generation we’re in, and thus, what might come next.

For Gen Z and young Millennials, this context explains a lot. Growing up amid political instability, economic uncertainty and social polarisation, we’re coming of age in a Fourth Turning world. Institutions are being tested, collective action feels urgent and change is necessary.

This doesn’t mean we’re a lost generation. If Strauss and Howe are right, we’re being forged to rebuild, unify and lead society toward its best phase yet.

Yes, it’s messy. Yes, it’s exhausting. And yes, it often feels like everything is falling apart. But, if we step back and look through the lens of Strauss and Howe, I find some hope and comfort. The turbulence we’re living through now isn’t just that, it’s what time and again, has forged a generation capable of rebuilding, leading and shaping better societies. I believe this is us.

So maybe the takeaway isn’t despair, but perspective (or nothing at all..). If history is any guide, the adults we’re becoming have the power to rebuild better than ever.

Do you feel like we’re in a Fourth Turning??

Want to know more?

https://www.cdamm.org/articles/strauss-howe

https://raindance.org/the-cyclical-nature-of-history-understanding-generational-turning-points/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6986184/

With love,

Issy

I’m 22, just graduated, and equal parts terrified and frustrated by the world I’m stepping into. Talk of politics and the news cycle right now feels exhausting, confusing, and at times, just not real.

So here I am, trying to make sense of the big scary things and the smaller, mundane things, all in a way that’s (hopefully) digestible, interesting, and fun. And yes, this includes topical news and pop culture, because learning about the world shouldn’t feel like a chore.

I suppose this is my attempt to make young people a little more curious, a little more confident, and a lot more willing to question the world we live in (without pretending I know it all).

What will this be?

A space for people who are curious, frustrated, excited, or just confused about the world. A place to explore ideas and have a gossip xoxo

You can reply to posts, share your own thoughts, or just read along quietly. Either way, this is a space to engage with ideas, challenge assumptions, and have a laugh!

What to expect

Expect honest and at times, probably biased commentary on the things going on in the world (pop culture, politics, work, adulthood, womanhood, climate, etc etc etc..). The goal is to make the big scary stuff understandable, the smaller random stuff interesting, and to give you the confidence to engage more with the world.

The aim is for 1-2 posts a week, and eventually (hopefully) some paid subscriber benefits too!

Oh, also, to tell you the truth.. you probably won’t fit in here if equality doesn’t resonate with you :)

So, if this sounds like your vibe, come along and subscribe.

With love,

Issy