Latest Stories from Olivia
Speaking to the Gen Zers using ChatGPT for therapy
We are currently experiencing the worst mental health epidemic in history, but the unfortunate reality is that there simply aren’t enough therapists for us all. Is ChatGPT the answer? That is what some young people believe. ‘I never felt like I could be vulnerable,’ says Sabrina Stocker, who first went into therapy while recovering from a very toxic relationship and buckling under the ‘unspoken pressure’ that comes with being the...
Is diabetes killing my sex drive?
Chronic conditions such as diabetes can have a severe impact on a person’s physical and mental health, but can they damage our ability to be intimate with our partners, as well as ourselves? My body image has drastically changed since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year. Insulin injections have made my weight yo-yo up and down and produced bruises and bumps all over my body, while my hair has...
Do accents still play a big role in our identity?
In an increasingly globalised world, people have progressively more puzzling accents. Do accents still play a role in how we identify ourselves and others? ‘I’ve definitely not been believed when I say I’m Norwegian,’ says Lea Dzifa Seeberg, who grew up in Oslo before moving to the UK a little under five years ago. ‘Sadly, most people assume I’m from the US,’ she tells me. But her accent can change from time...
Is the Veganuary pledge all it promises to be?
This January, nearly a decade after the annual pledge began, one person every 2.4 seconds signed up for Veganuary. But how effective is it? And is it catching on beyond the UK? People take on Veganuary for a number of reasons – from wanting to be more climate-conscious to eating more vegetables, to realising their unknowing love for animals. The annual pledge, which was founded in 2014, also ends on 1...
Opinion – we still know nothing about diabetes
Over 4.9 million people in the UK have diabetes, with a further 13.6 million individuals at risk of getting type 2 diabetes and another 850,000 left undiagnosed. Isn’t it time we collectively learned about the condition? It’s been a year since I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, but there are still days when I forget that I have the condition. The knowledge and the experience of what having it...
When will we take women’s football seriously?
Despite the win that England scored last month, the government has refused to give girls equal access to football in school PE lessons. When will we give women the equal chance to bring football home? Though I call myself a feminist, I was guilty of paying far more attention to the men’s Euros in 2021 than this year’s female tournament, only watching a couple of matches this summer. It’s not because...
Why the cost-of-living crisis is damaging for students
The cost-of-living crisis is sending food prices sky high, breaking down the UK’s national health system and forcing us to abandon our petrol-based transport. What does this mean for graduating students? ‘From September, some sacrifices will have to be made,’ says Sandali Jayasinghe, a 22-year-old Master’s student based in London. Currently finishing her dissertation in clinical drug development, Jayasinghe has already secured a full-time job in her sector due to start...
Opinion – removing abortion rights is fatal for diabetics
The moment you strip a diabetic of their choice to have an abortion is the moment you put their life in grave danger. Last month, the US Supreme Court handed down a controversial judgment, effectively changing the course of history as we know it. It shook the ground under millions of women across the US and has generated waves of anger, fear, and despair across the world. From those who are...
Is it harder for women to manage diabetes?
Diabetics are more likely to have complications during pregnancy, irregular menstrual cycles, and less enjoyable sex. Does the condition create an unintentional gender gap? Two months after I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, my body finally started to function normally again, and my period came back. But with the return of the monthly cycle came more than just the usual chocolate cravings and episodes of crying. My glucose sensor...
Are we ready for metaverse schools to be the new norm?
Global school group, Inspired, is the first of its kind to be launching a school in the metaverse, but what does that mean for education and how do students and teachers feel about it? ‘We are becoming better at realising that, as educators, we aren’t just “exam conveyor belts”. Students entering the job market in 2022 require an entirely different skill set to be able to thrive and succeed,’ says...
