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BTN: Episode 18 Transcript 26/6/18

Hey, Amelia here. Welcome to BTN. Coming up today.

• We find out about the World Cup hiccup that had football fans fuming.

• Meet a young Tasmanian who's making winter warmer for homeless people.

• And find out what happens when a teenager takes over his family's finances.

Gaming Addiction

Reporter: Jack Evans

INTRO: We'll have all that and more for you soon. But first to a story that might have caught your attention last week if you're into gaming. The World Health Organisation is worried that some people are becoming addicted to it. It's decided to officially list gaming addiction as a mental health disorder. Jack went to find out what that means and whether it's time to put down the controller.

KID 1: I usually play video games 6 hours a week.

KID 2: I only play Fortnite and I play for about 5 hours maybe 6 hours a week.

KID 3: I play 3 games for a total of 6 hours a week.

For a lot of kids a few hours of gaming a week is pretty normal. But there are some people out there who spend way longer saving the world or fighting bad guys or wining gold. And experts say it can actually be a serious problem.

Last week the World Health Organisation announced its adding gaming addiction to the international disease register. It's an official list of all of the world’s diseases and disorders and gaming is down there as a mental health disorder. Basically, a person is considered addicted to gaming if it's having a significant impact on how they live their lives. Like if they're not sleeping, not going to school and not socialising in the real world.

REPORTER: Experts say the reason why people get addicted to video games has actually got something to do with the way our brains respond to them.

Have you ever played a game and felt that tingling excitement when you level up or unlock a new feature? Well that's your brain releasing a chemical called dopamine. That's the chemical that makes us feel happy. The same thing happens when you listen to music, watch something funny or eat certain foods like chocolate. But experts say that people can actually get really addicted to this feeling and it can lead to kids playing for more than 40 hours a week.

CHRISTOPHER MULLIGAN, CYBER ADDICTION RECOVERY CENTRE: Gamers, texters, kids that are reading and like watching YouTube videos get this dopamine release. When it stops abruptly, like when a parent or there's a time they have to stop, they really experience almost spontaneous withdrawals.

ALEXANDRA BARLOW, GAMER: There was a time when I was in middle school and my entire summer went to playing World of Warcraft and I didn't do anything else. I spent 15 hours a day playing. So that was an addiction.

But don't freak out just yet. Just because you play a lot of games doesn't mean you're an addict. Experts say gaming addiction only affects around 6 per cent of young people around the world. And some reckon there needs to be more research to determine what exactly gaming addiction is. As for all you part-time speed racers, warriors, world builders and wizards, experts say you'll be fine just don't let it take over your life and remember there's a world outside of your screen.

KID 3: I believe it can definitely be a problem because playing too many games can affect your mental health.

KID 2: Once you win you get excited and you want to win again and then once you lose you think oh no I better play again to win.

KID 4: Being addicted to it too much is becoming like Dracula, you just stay in the dark all day.

Did you know?

Did you know that the bestselling video game of all time is Tetris? The tile matching puzzle game was released in 1984 and since then 170 million copies have been sold. Minecraft is the second-best seller.

This Week in News

US President Donald Trump says families who illegally cross into the country from Mexico will no longer be separated.

Kids were being taken from their parents because of a tough new immigration policy.

It meant any adult caught coming into the country without permission was sent to jail. Kids can't go to jail, so they were sent to detention centres. The government wanted to discourage people from illegally entering the US, but a lot of people criticised the policy including some members of the President's family. Now there are new rules which mean families caught at the border will be kept together.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given birth to a baby girl. Neve Te Aroha was born last Thursday afternoon and made her public debut on the weekend. Ardern is only the second female leader in history to have a baby while in the top job.

Meanwhile back in Australia, Woolworths has officially stopped giving out single use plastic bags to shoppers. From now on, people shopping here will need to bring their own bags to the store. Coles will also stop giving out their bags from next month.

And finally say hello to the world’s most unfortunate looking dog.

Zsa Zsa the English bulldog with a very droopy tongue was crowned the winner at the World's Ugliest dog contest in San Francisco. She beat other unconventional beauties like Scamp and Josie for the top spot and a cash prize of $2000. The competition is actually all about encouraging people to adopt homeless dogs and to appreciate the inner beauty of dogs like Zsa Zsa.

ZSA ZSA'S OWNER, MEGAN BRAINARD: Thank you so much. She is definitely one of the best dogs I've ever come by and she's just an amazing dog, so, adopt, don't shop.

World Cup Coverage

Reporter: Matt Holbrook

INTRO: If you're into soccer you'll probably have been following the Aussies at the World Cup and if you're really into soccer you'll have been following everyone else as well. But some serious soccer fans were seriously angry last week after some technical problems kept them from watching games. It was such a big deal that the Prime Minister got involved. So we decided to have a closer look at what happened and why broadcasting rights are a big deal when it comes to people's favourite sports.

If you're obsessed with the World Cup, or spend a lot of time with someone who is, you've probably witnessed something like this recently

NIC: No.

MATT: It's not working, is it?

BOY: When I was with my aunty we were on Optus and it completely failed.

GIRL: I don't know what happened, but I do know that she had a glitch and she was mad about it.

GIRL 2: I think it's really disappointing because everyone was really excited.

So, what's going on? Well this year, Optus holds the exclusive rights to most games at the World Cup. But since the cup started, there's been big problems with the streaming service, and many people haven't been able to watch the games they've paid for. People vented on social media, former players spoke out. Nic still couldn't be consoled, and even the Prime Minister stepped in.

TURNBULL: I have a call in to Allan Lew at Optus to seek his assurances that the failure in the streaming service has been rectified.

MATT: Can't we just watch it on free to air?

The World Cup isn't just one of the biggest sporting events going around, it's also big business. Broadcasters pay a lot of money for rights to show the World Cup, in the hope of bringing in more advertisers and viewers.

MATT: But, of course, to people like Nic here, sporting events like the World Cup are kind of important.

NIC: Really important.

MATT: Which is why Australia has laws to in place to make sure everyone has the chance to enjoy them, even if they can't pay for it.

It's called an anti-siphoning scheme, and basically there's a list of major sporting events like the Olympics, AFL, and of course, the World Cup, that free to air broadcasters gets first dibs on.

A few years ago, SBS bought the rights to show the World Cup. Once it had the rights, it could basically do what it wanted with them, so SBS decided to do a deal with Optus. Optus got the rights to every game of the World Cup. In exchange, SBS got to play some English Premier League games, as well as Australia's World Cup matches.

But of course, things didn't exactly go to plan. Optus says now it's fixed its streaming service, and it wasn't prepared for the huge demand. But it has given fans free access to games on SBS for the rest of the World Cup group stages. So, for soccer nuts like this one, it's back to business.

NIC: YES, goooal.

Quiz

What is the only country to have played in every single FIFA World Cup?

Is it

Brazil

England

or Uruguay?

It's Brazil. It's won the cup five times and is the most successful team in World Cup history.

Ask a Reporter

Do you have a question about the World Cup? Ask me live on Friday during Ask a Reporter. Just head to our website for the details.

NAIDOC Indigenous Women

Reporter: Jack Evans

INTRO: Over the holidays Australians will mark NAIDOC Week. It's a celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and this year's theme is "Because of her, we can". It's dedicated to all of the Indigenous women who've made a difference and inspired others. So, this week, we decided to ask some school kids about the famous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who've inspired them. These are their stories.

SONNY: Hi I'm Sonny and the woman who inspires me is Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. She was born in 1937 in Amatjere country in the Northern Territory. She is probably best known for being the first Indigenous women to have a lead role in a film. After the film's success Rosalie devoted her life to Indigenous issues. She has worked with the department for Aboriginal Affairs, ran Aboriginal hostels, legal aid and is a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. I chose Rosalie because she inspires me to follow my dreams.

RICHARD: Hey I'm Richard and the woman who I'm inspired by is Fanny Cochrane Smith. Fanny was a Palawa woman born in 1834, two years after the Black War had ended which had killed hundreds of Indigenous people. Between 1899 and 1903 she recorded songs on a wax cylinder in Tasmania’s Indigenous language. These recordings are really important because many believe she was the last fluent speaker of Tasmania's original Indigenous language. Fanny inspires me because without her there would be no evidence of any Indigenous Tasmanian language.

JOSH: Hi my name is Josh and the woman who inspires me is Gladys Elphick. She was born in Adelaide in 1904. She was a Kaurna and Ngadjuri woman. In 1965 she helped form the Aboriginal Women’s Council. The council carried out a great deal of work for the Aboriginal community. Including campaigning for the 'yes' vote in the 1967 referendum. It changed Australia's constitution so Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were counted as citizens. Gladys inspires me because she worked so hard for the Aboriginal rights.

FRASER: Hi I'm Fraser and the person I have chosen is Truganini. Truganini was a famous Tasmanian Aboriginal woman. Truganini was born in 1812 when Palawa people were at war with European settlers. To keep their people safe Truganini and her father convinced other Palawa people to move to a settlement on Flinders Island. They were promised blankets, food, houses and their customs would be respected. But instead the island became a prison, and many became sick and died. Truganini and 45 other people were moved to another settlement on the mainland were conditions ever worse. Some say this made her strong again because she was the last of the group to survive. Truganini inspires me to be strong and resilient.

SHONTI: Hi I'm Shonti, the person I look up to is Nova Peris who was born in Darwin in 1971. She identifies with the Kiga People of the East Kimberley, Yawuru People of the West Kimberley and Muran People of West Arnhem land. When Nova was eighteen she went to Perth determined to become a champion Hockey player. And after several years of training really hard she made it to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta with the Aussie Women’s hockey team the Hockeyroos, where she became the first Indigenous Australian to win a gold medal. But In 2013 Nova made a massive career change and she became Australia's first Indigenous federal politician. Nova Peris inspires me to be an athlete like her.

RICHARD: These are just a few of the women who have changed Australia and made it better.

SONNY: And because of them we can grow to be whoever we want to be.

SHONTI: And hopefully inspire kids for the future.

ALL: Happy NAIDOC Week.

Free on a Tree

Rookie Reporter: Oliver

INTRO: Thanks so much for that guys. Now to another inspirational story from Hobart. If you live there or if you've visited recently you might have noticed some coats on trees. No, it's not an art installation, it's a campaign started by a local school kid who wanted to find a way to help homeless people in winter. Here's Ollie's story.

Hi BTN, my name's Oliver. I'm ten years old and I live in Hobart.

It's a really nice place to live. But in the winter time it can get really cold and rainy here. In fact, last month there was so much rain that it caused some big floods. Lots of homes and businesses were damaged and a lot of people were affected. There also aren't enough houses for people to rent in Hobart at the moment and I saw stories about people having to camp in tents at the showgrounds.

So, I decided to do something for people who don't have any protection from the weather and that's how I came up with Free on a Tree. We get the coats from donation points all around the place in Hobart and find a good place like a park or something and get a suitable tree which is thin enough and you zip or button up the coat or jacket and then you put the sticker or badge on it then you hope that someone who's in need can take the jacket.

The most important thing that you need to do is make sure that the coat you're putting on the tree is warm and dry. That's why we only put coats out when we know it isn't going to rain.

So far, we've got about 200 and above and we've hung about 60 coats on trees. We've already had some really good feedback.

PAT FLANAGAN, ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: I just found it very inspiring that someone could see this area, see people in need and come up with a solution for it.

MICHAEL HENDERSON, BETHLEHEM HOUSE RESIDENT: I think it's a wonderful idea and when you're out on the streets and you're homeless and you really need something to keep you warm especially coming into winter now and Hobart it gets so cold and there are many people out there who appreciate they can get something warm.

I think it's helpful if you help people in the community and then you have a rough time and you really need some help desperately then the community helps you because you helped them.

I hope my idea keeps growing and that I can help people stay warm every winter. My next goal is to get all of the coats donated up on trees and to get Free on a Tree a thing all over the world.

Sport

New South Wales has won its first State of Origin series in four years. The Blues won the second test 18 to 14 in front of a sell-out crowd in Sydney to take an unbeatable lead in the best of three series.

Queensland started strongly going up 10 - nil in the first half but the Blues hit back. It was a tight second half, and despite some close calls, New South Wales held on for the win.

It was another Blues victory in the first ever women's State of Origin as New South Wales defeated Queensland 16 to 10.

The two sides have actually been facing each other since 1996 but it was called the interstate challenge. This is the first time the teams meet under the official state of origin banner. Isabelle Kelly starred with two tries.

The Aussie men's one day cricket side has lost in a 5-nil series sweep to England.

Jos Butler starred for England in the fifth and final match of the series with an unbeaten 110. It's been a disappointing series for the Aussies who will be looking to bounce back in a T20 match next week.

The group stages of the World Cup are wrapping up and Australia's still in with a shot of progressing to the round of 16. It all comes down to the final round when the Socceroos take on Peru.

Meanwhile, back in Australia, this real-life soccer-roo would have made a handy addition to the side. It interrupted a local match in Canberra by hopping onto the pitch. And here's the kicker, the roo's pretty handy with a ball.

Teenage Boss

Reporter: Matt Holbrook

INTRO: Now, the end of the financial year is nearly here which means you'll probably hear adults talking about money stuff like tax and budgets. But how much do you know about financial matters? A lot of experts say Aussie kids need to brush up on their financial literacy and that's why ABC Me has started a project called Teenage Boss. With some coaching from maths guru Eddie Woo, some young Aussies were asked to take over their families' finances for a whole month. Let's see how that went.

Vasanth is 13. He loves getting around on his scooter.

VASANTH: I love scooters. If everyone lived in my utopia everyone would be riding scooters to work.

And spending his pocket money at the shops. He's about to have a lot more money to spend, though. He's one of a few Aussie kids taking part in a TV show called Teenage Boss. It puts them in charge of their family's budget for a whole month.

EDDIE WOO: I've got something exciting in this case, can I show you. What your family spends is $3,850. In one month.

Luckily, Vasanth has some help to make those decisions.

EDDIE WOO: That’s so much money. There must be a lot of things that your family has to buy and has to pay for. So, I’m going to show you what some of them are.

Eddie Woo is a teacher famous for his maths videos on YouTube. He's racked up more than 15 million views.

EDDIE WOO: I'm going to give you some time to have a think about this.

VASANTH AND FRIEND: It's a lot of money. So many frozen cokes. I know, right.

Vasanth's family will have to live with the financial decisions he makes for a whole month. So, they're understandably a little bit nervous.

VASANTH'S MUM: This will let us know whether he values what we value.

VASANTH: I'm honestly just trying to save a bit of money.

What Vasanth is finding out is that stretching out his family's finances to cover everything that needs to be bought in a month isn't that easy.

VASANTH: Table spread it is. Woo!

At the supermarket, he tries to save some cash by giving himself a $100 budget. Although not everyone's happy about it.

VASANTH: What are your thoughts on my shop?

VASANTH'S BROTHER: Not that good. You bought margarine instead of butter.

There's a really good reason for all of this budgeting. Teenage Boss is all about teaching kids, and their parents, how to spend money sensibly, something experts reckon we need to get better at.

Recent studies have found young Aussies aren't as financially literate as they were in the past. For example, one in five fifteen-year olds doesn't know how to manage a budget. That's a problem, because pretty soon kids like Vasanth will have to make those decisions for a lot longer than a month.

VASANTH: It's OK it's my first shop, I'm learning.

The good news is, Vasanth seems to be pretty handy at this budgeting stuff.

VASANTH's MUM: That child is so tough. I had to shop around to see where I could get the cheapest one.

At the end of the month, he'd managed to save his family a fair bit of cash.

EDDIE WOO: $889

And he rewarded himself with a scooter upgrade. His family was pretty impressed.

MUM AND DAD: It’s a pleasant surprise may I say. He's done a good job, you know. We should leave it to him.

Closer

Nice work Vasanth. Maybe you could take a look at my finances? Well, that's it for this week and this term. We'll be taking a few weeks off like you over the holidays, but we'll be back after that. And if you need a news fix in the meantime, you can catch BTN Newsbreak every weeknight. Have an awesome break. Catch you later.

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