Streaming services became a staple during the COVID-19 lockdowns, with binge-watching and couch marathons evolving into a “quarantine and chill” lifestyle. By mid year, the idea that we had exhausted all our Netflix options became ironically popular. By the second lockdown, many Victorians were tuning in to some less-than-thrilling viewing – watching for the sake of watching. “Quarantine and chill” was a big boost for streaming services. Throughout 2020, Netflix users watched

You can hear the live music from the far end of the street as the brightly lit domes and colourful shipping containers come into view. The mouth-watering smells of African barbecue and fresh caramel popcorn fill the air at Melbourne’s newest foodie playground, Grazeland. Set on 10,000 square meters of abandoned shipyard in Spotswood, Grazeland is an outdoor food precinct now permanently home to 50 speciality food vendors, three bars, artisan stalls and rotating live enterta

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused global lockdowns and mass panic, a game came along that turned out to be exactly what we needed. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – about making friends with neighbours and the joys of community and everyday life – was released on March 20, 2020. People pounced on it. The Nintendo Switch game is the fifth main title in the Animal Crossing series that began in 2001. According to Nintendo’s 2020 financial report, it sold 11.77 million units in t

“This is what we love, we love music, we love records,” says favourite Swinburne cafe co-owner and manager Max Le Bras. For 14 years, Alley Tunes has sold records and coffees in the heart of Glenferrie Station to university staff, students and train goers. Alley Tunes’ atmosphere radiates through its surroundings, attracting people of all ages and walks of life. Customers can buy their coffee through the front window and then browse through the thousands of records while musi

“Most people take it for granted but being recognised is a very awesome feeling for people like me,” says Keelin Foley, a gamer with a disability from Melbourne. Ms Foley is a 22-year-old wheelchair user with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2. She is part of a massive community of gamers with disabilities both in Australia and globally. The CDC estimates 61 million American adults live with a disability in the United States. With such a large audience unable to play, it’s no won

Thousands of people gathered near Parliament House in Melbourne today as part of the nation-wide March4Justice rallies, protesting against gender inequality and demanding justice for victims of sexual assault. Event organiser and Animal Justice Party spokesperson Bronwyn Curry said it was “something women and girls should be proud of”. The protests are in response to a series of recent accusations of gender-based discrimination and violence in federal politics. A list of name

In 2004, Mark Barlet watched as a friend’s multiple sclerosis began to interfere with her ability to use a mouse, leaving her unable to game the way they always had. He decided to make sure nobody with a disability would have to miss out on the joy and friendship that comes with video games. And so Barlet founded the AbleGamers charity. Almost two decades later, US live-streaming platform Twitch is donating $1 million to AbleGamers, joining a growing list of companies and in

Surrounded by red soil in the baking Northern Territory, Lajamanu is one of a handful of isolated communities suffering from record-breaking low school attendance rates for Indigenous students. The communities – all hundreds of kilometres from Darwin – share frustrations over a once-strong education system some say is now doomed. Education experts and parliamentarians say one way to help fix the problem is to bring back bilingual education. It’s a system that was painfully

Scott Rathman was lacking direction and motivation at school when a chance encounter with an artist changed his life. Scott – the grandson of a member of the Stolen Generation – often found himself skirting the law without understanding why. The artist showed him that a different life, one rich with possibilities that connected him to his culture, was possible. Born in South Australia’s Riverland region, the Arrernte descendant grew up struggling to fit into the Australian

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Caitlin Oakley lost her job working for a music theatre producer in Sydney. Worried she might never get another job, she moved back in with her parents in Melbourne. Work is a “defining” part of the 23-year-old’s identity. Without a purpose she struggled with confidence and self-worth. But instead of accepting her jobless fate or depending on others for work that might never eventuate, Caitlin decided to set up her own business. In Apr

After talking to a friend about the pressures on friendship groups during COVID-19, Callum Mackay took to a Facebook community to ask: are you satisfied with your friendships? Over half of the respondents to the post in the Carlton Good Karma Network said no, prompting a larger discussion about the impact lockdown has had on the way people connect with one another. As restrictions across Australia continue to ease, many are rushing to catch up with friends they haven’t seen s

Online gambling rates among Australians rose during lockdown, even when popular leagues like the AFL and NRL were on hold. Betting companies quickly switched to offering significantly more options for novelty bets. SportsBet, one of the largest online bookmakers in Australia, had markets on various events, awards and TV shows, from the Triple J Hottest 100, to the ARIAs and Logies, and even Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year. Over one period, a daily market was opened to allo