Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas

Contributor


A sunrise over the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on April 3. Victor Besa / The National
The benefits of Ramadan on the human psyche are limitless

Beyond the religious prescription, the holy month has numerous positive effects on well-being

April 17, 2023
Gillette's 'The Best Men Can Be' 2019 campaign that dealt with toxic masculinity amid the #MeToo movement. Gillette / YouTube
Toxic masculinity is common but models of positive manliness abound too

Men who inhabit healthier types of masculinity can set examples of better behaviour

March 27, 2023
Doreen Barber. 97-year-old former ice skater from Stansted in Essex, back on the ice at Riverside Leisure Centre in Chelmsford, Essex, with Jess Wolohan (right), lifestyle co-ordinator at her care home, and her daughter Nina Martin (left). PA Media
It's the UN decade of healthy ageing but what should that entail?

An important aspect of healthy ageing is not just to live longer but to live better

March 08, 2023
A ChatGPT prompt on a device near a school in New York, on January 5. New York City school officials started to this week block the writing tool that can generate paragraphs of human-like text. AP
ChatGPT heralds a new era in the classroom

There are concerns that this new technology can be used for plagiarism – or 'AI-giarism'

January 10, 2023
Audience members record on their phones as US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host a Hanukkah holiday reception at the White House in Washington, on December 19. Reuters
Do you need a digital detox?

A well-being retreat could foster good digital hygiene habits – like spending time away from the phone

December 26, 2022
Elon Musk seeks to drastically change the way the platform works. Reuters
Twitter's blue checkmark: verification badge or digital status symbol?

The early day's of Elon Musk's Twitter takeover shows the changing ways we approach our online identities

November 15, 2022
PA Wire
Contract cheating is big business

More and more countries are making such services illegal, but snuffing them out won't be easy

November 02, 2022
Chatbots are increasingly sophisticated and could make up the majority of customer service interactions surprisingly soon. Reuters
The surprising reasons that chatbots deserve our respect

New research makes a powerful psychological case for treating our virtual helpers well

October 17, 2022
Young People's Laureate Theresa Lola (left) and poets Sarah Aluko (right) and Jolade Olusanya provide a platform for young Black poets across London. PA Wire
During Black History Month, let's push for better mental health

Mental health problems among Black people in the UK are higher than in other groups

October 09, 2022
Gamers take part in a 54-hour charity video game marathon. AFP
Don't ignore the many benefits of gaming

While negative habits can emerge, it is lazy to assume online games are only bad

September 27, 2022
Second-grade teacher Melissa Shugg teaches a lesson at Paw Paw Elementary School about thoughts, feelings and actions on December 2, 2021, in a school in, Michigan, US. Shugg is one of many teachers at the school who've been trained to teach a social-emotional curriculum created at the University of Michigan called TRAILS.  Research suggests TRAILS lessons for at-risk kids can reduce depression and improve coping skills. AP
The new theory around depression

The idea that some antidepressants corrected a chemical imbalance in the brain is being revisited

August 08, 2022
The Dhofar Mountains, west of Salalah, Oman. Stephen Lock / The National
The hazards and benefits of travel in a digital age

Technological innovations are shaping the way we travel – or experience travel from home

July 26, 2022
Udom Idongesit, 13, uses a gaming controller as he plays a Vikseen Virtual video game, in his home in Ogun State, Nigeria June 23.  Reuters
Not every gamer will become an addict, but regulation is necessary

It bears repetition that gaming and gaming disorders are not the same thing

July 11, 2022
Apple's new iOS 16. EPA
Passwords could soon be a thing of the past

Biometric data is likely to underpin the security of our digital devices in the years ahead

June 28, 2022
Flowers laid in tribute to the victims are seen on the pavement near the scene of an incident in which a car rammed into a group of visitors, in Berlin, Germany, last week. Reuters
The Berlin car crash proves 'running amok' is a global phenomenon

The word 'amok' has its roots in South-East Asia and was believed to be a culture-bound syndrome. No longer

June 12, 2022