technology

The tools rewriting our days — for better and worse.

A man frustrated with bad customer service.
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Has technology improved customer service or simply made it cheaper for businesses? Explore chatbots, self-service systems, offshore support and the value of speaking to a real person.
A smartphone sitting on a kitchen bench
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Smartphones have made life easier, but have they also reduced our curiosity, creativity and willingness to experience the world firsthand?
A couple sit at a cafe having a conversation
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Have we forgotten how to disagree? Explore whether modern society has started viewing debate as confrontation, why differing opinions feel more personal than ever, and what we may have lost along the way.
A young couple inspect an apartment they are hoping to purchase
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Have we made it impossible for our children to be grown up? Or is adulthood entirely different than it was just one generation ago?
An employee and his supervisor chatting in a manufacturing workshop.
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Have workplace protections gone too far, or are employers simply avoiding difficult conversations? We explore the challenges of performance management, accountability and fairness in modern Australian workplaces.
A man and a pregnant woman sitting on a park bench talking.
By Jenny Marsden June 22, 2026
Modern sexual freedom has transformed society, but pregnancy can still change lives forever. Explore the difficult questions around choice, responsibility, child support and reproductive rights.
A woman walking along a riverside path.
By Jenny Marsden June 22, 2026
Healing is supposed to feel like freedom, so why does it sometimes feel like betrayal? Exploring grief, recovery and the guilt that can come with moving forward.
A man sits on a bench by the ocean contemplating his loss.
By Notes From The Sideline June 22, 2026
If grief is the currency of loss, how much do we need to spend? Questioning whether suffering is always necessary to honor the people we love.
An employer frustrated over not being able to get people to just do their jobs.
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Is it getting impossible for employers to just ask people to do their jobs?
An employee and his supervisor chatting in a manufacturing workshop.
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Have workplace protections gone too far, or are employers simply avoiding difficult conversations? We explore the challenges of performance management, accountability and fairness in modern Australian workplaces.
An employer frustrated over not being able to get people to just do their jobs.
By Notes From The Sidelines June 22, 2026
Is it getting impossible for employers to just ask people to do their jobs?