Society

COB-Jan-21-1-2.png

'I’m 14,000 kilometres away from home nine months out of the year and am very much on my own. It’s definitely a bit daunting at times.'

The cost of being: A 19-year-old studying in the US on a full scholarship

temporary-permanent-buildings.jpg

If there's one thing this country loves, it's holding onto stopgap structures for decades past their original use-by date.

A short history of permanent temporary buildings in New Zealand

Gabi-feature-pics-2.gif

Sometimes a long drop is just the beginning of a turd's journey.

What happens to tramping poo?

FeatureImage_TorsoShowing.png

Painful penetrative sex isn't just a medical symptom. It's a brick wall, a monster, an unwanted third partner in the bed.

A decade of painful sex

brown_town_fp.jpg

'We found a home in each other and realised the huge need for many more brown people living in Ōtautahi to have something like this.'

Pacific profiles: Meet the three friends behind Ōtautahi collective Brown Town

COB-Jan-21.png

'My childhood and adolescent years were strict, sensible, and often sad... I decided to give our son a better, happier childhood.'

The cost of being: A ‘conscious and curious’ mum who works in insurance

golriz.jpg

The reasons people commit crime are often the same, whether they're rich or poor.

Golriz, I think I get it — I shoplifted too

GettyImages-2193488843.jpg

The agreement will ease Palestinians’ suffering, but international agencies will struggle to meet the massive need for humanitarian relief.

World celebrates Gaza ceasefire deal

Gabi-feature-pics-2-2.png

Our prized tracks are frequently listed among the best in the world. They’re also, sorry to report, dusty, boring mountains with no gift shops, hobbits or TikTok.

The worst Google reviews of New Zealand’s best tramps

HMH_FeatureImage.png

I can’t help but feel that my 2025 is cursed already. Should I start over, or give up and wait for 2026?

Help Me Hera: I’ve already broken four of my five new year resolutions

patchyfeature.png

A cautionary tale of how writing a quick news banger can leave you with a guilty conscience.

How a $1.50 coffee became a priceless lesson in ethical journalism

Gabis-Feature-images-6.png

gabi-cover-story-4-png

Gabi-cover-story-4.png

Over 10,000 school students in New Zealand learn outside of school, but that doesn’t mean they’re always at home.

Goodbye to the classroom: Where and how home-educated students learn

AWM_repoting_google_maps.png

Google Maps navigation now lets you report police sightings while driving. But should you do it?

Is it OK to nark on the cops? An argument with myself

climate-change-and-banks-story.png

Despite making net-zero commitments, big banks have lent fossil fuel companies billions of dollars.

How banks can make climate pledges – then keep funding fossil fuels

shortsightedness.png

Shortsightedness in kids is skyrocketing overseas. Is New Zealand next?

Staring down the ‘silent epidemic’ of myopia in children

Tara Ward

Copy-of-Master-Backgrounds-23.png

The dream of a winter Christmas is well and truly alive in some parts of New Zealand this summer.

Cruel summer: A whinge from those who didn’t get a sunny holiday

FeatureImage_Weed-if-it-were-legal.png

Five years ago, we voted against legalising cannabis. But what if the referendum had gone the other way?

Here’s what Aotearoa might have looked like today if we legalised weed in 2020

COB-Jan-14.png

'I'm known to be pretty terrible at buying fun things just for me.'

The cost of being: A high-earning 30-something who avoids impulse spending

pokie-machine-image.png

Despite fewer machines, pokies are raking in more than $1bn a year. So are restrictions working?

Sinking lids and rising profits: The problem with pokies

backlash-to-therapy.png

The tide is turning on Insta-therapy. Good riddance, but actual therapy is still good and worth doing. 

Don’t let the backlash to therapy culture stop you from doing therapy

BooksConfessional_Jenny-Pattrick.png

The author of The Denniston Rose on her life in books, including a memorable week in Centennial, Wyoming.

‘Annie has a pretty macabre streak’: Jenny Pattrick’s holiday with Proulx

Alex-feature-images-2025-01-22T115838.721.png

A serious and urgent briefing for the first minister for the South Island 

FeatureGif_local-screen-industry.gif

It's looking like another year of uncertainty – here's what needs to change.

What challenges does 2025 have in store for the local screen industry?

PFAS-v1.png

They're in stuff you use every day – and probably in your bloodstream, too.

Are we doing enough about ‘forever chemicals’?

Liam Rātana

Gabi-feature-pics-2-5.png

A number of esteemed Māori academics have lost their places to make way for some controversial new appointments.

Clean-out at the Waitangi Tribunal: Who’s in and who’s out?

fold.jpg

Recapping a big month for social media, and some predictions for the year ahead.

The Fold: On Meta going Maga, TikTok’s perilous future and NZ media in 2025

Short-Book-reading-primer.png

Ten brilliant – and brilliantly short – books to kickstart the year.

One simple trick to conquer your reading goals: read shorter books

FeatureImage_Twister-fruitsnack_Review.png

Can either newbie beat the best ice block in New Zealand?

A review of the two new ice blocks vying for the Cyclone’s crown

microplastics.jpg

It may look like a beautiful piece of abstract art, but the reality of what you're looking at 'raises a few scary questions'.

Great, there are microplastics in our compost now too

In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today, Kenneth has a message for Auckland – stealing road cones is not OK. OK?

The Spinoff

SocietyNovember 16, 2017

Kiwis of Snapchat: A road cone PSA from Auckland Council

Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos

Loading...

SocietyNovember 16, 2017

Kiwis of Snapchat: A road cone PSA from Auckland Council

Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos

More Reading

Loading...