RMIT experts available for comment on what’s in store in 2021

RMIT experts available for comment on what’s in store in 2021

Experts from RMIT University are available to talk on a range of topics relating to the year ahead including not setting goals, uptick in seniors online, rebooting the live music scene and remote working trends.

New Year’s resolutions

Dr James Collett (04 1287 2884 or james.collett@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: goal-setting, planning, New Year’s resolutions, acceptance, gratitude.
“We will look back on 2020 as immensely challenging year, both historically and personally, with many experiencing mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

“The end of the year is a milestone where people often take stock and try to change something about themselves, especially in the form of New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes this can turn what should be a time of celebration and relaxation into a time of great distress.

“While setting well-defined measurable goals and carefully planning your approach to them can be helpful, psychological research consistently tells us that setting vague goals, focusing on comparing ourselves to others, or pressuring ourselves to meet an impossible ideal is not only demotivating, but downright harmful to our wellbeing.

“With 2020 being such a tough year, and a time of such uncertainty, perhaps the only New Year’s resolution you should be making for 2021 is to give yourself a break from New Year’s resolutions?

“Instead, focus on accepting the year that has been, expressing gratitude to the positives around you, and showing appreciation for the important people in your life.”

Dr. James Collett is a Lecturer in Psychology at RMIT University’s School of Health and Biomedical Sciences. He has explored hoarding behaviour as a clinician, researcher, and educator for more than 10 years.

Older man doing yoga online

Seniors and technology

Torgeir Aleti (0423 343 088 or torgeir.aleti@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: seniors and technology, stereotyping seniors, fear and risk perception around technology, marketplace exclusion, social isolation and loneliness

“In the year ahead, we are likely to see many seniors continue to turn to technology where they would not have before the lockdown.

“Technology has become essential for people to stay connected, access services and make purchases. Yet, senior consumers have responded vastly differently to rapid changes super-surged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Prior to COVID-19, many would use ‘excuses’ to stay away from technology in favour of face-to-face interaction, but during the pandemic, we witnessed a resilient capacity by seniors to up-skill and overcome previously held fears.

“Senior organisations such as U3A saw a remarkable uptake of online courses where older citizens have been ‘zooming’ everything from computer classes to yoga or dancing.

“At the same time, some seniors have fallen further behind in digital interactions and refuse to engage. The reason behind this is often fear of an unfamiliar environment where the potential for shame and embarrassment is high.

“Men, in particular, can be reluctant to log-on in fear of not being in control of the situation, and viewed as stupid or incompetent by others.”

Dr Torgeir Aleti is Lecturer of Marketing in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing. He is the co-founder of www.shapingconnections.org – a research program dedicated to understanding how technology use supports senior’s connectedness and enhances social inclusion and participation. Aleti is a regular media commentator on senior consumers and their relationships with technology. 

Woman in band

Music industry

Dr Catherine Strong (0404 604 544 or catherine.strong@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: live music, music industry and trends

“In 2021, the music industries will face the difficult task of rebuilding and redefining themselves after the devastation of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

“Exactly how this will happen is still uncertain, and constantly changing guidelines are making planning difficult for all areas of the sector – particularly live music.

“As part of this reopening, the sector will also have to work out how to deal with its pre-existing problems that COVID made worse, such as precarity, unequal access, and a culture that can often be damaging for the people in it.

“How to balance the joy and benefits of music for communities and audiences with the wellbeing of the people creating and facilitating it will be the big challenge as we open up fully.”

Dr Catherine Strong is a Music Industry lecturer in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University. She is Chair of the Australia-New Zealand branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music IASPM and the author of several music books. Her research focuses on memory, heritage and gender in relation to popular music. 

E-changers

Dr Andrew Glover(0407 951 790 or andrew.glover2@rmit.edu.au) 

Topics: e-changers, remote working, ethical travel 

“While many people are set to return to the office next year, we’re also likely to see a trend toward remote working, accelerated by the pandemic.  

“In the past, we’ve witnessed the tree change and sea change movements, now a newer migration trend is underway known as an e-change. 

“E-changers are people who move away from the large capital cities to nearby regional and coastal “lifestyle” towns, where they use broadband internet connections to perform work remotely. 

“Remote workers need not be completely absent from a workplace and might come into an office once or twice for face-to-face meetings, working the rest of the week remotely either at or near their home such as in café’s, libraries or co-working spaces. 

“While mostly still located in cities, co-working spaces are increasingly appearing in smaller coastal and regional towns. This trend indicates a demand from e-changers to work outside the home. 

“Making remote work more widely available would reduce the need for people to commute to their place of work every day, easing pressure on our congested city roads and public transport systems.” 

Dr Andrew Glover is a social researcher at RMIT University’s Digital Ethnography Research Centre (DERC)). He has an interest in the sustainability of air travel and household energy practices and is currently researching how remote work arrangements are being integrated into everyday life in Australia.

***

For media enquiries, please contact RMIT Communications: 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au

 

17 December 2020

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17 December 2020

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