Media Watch

An obsession with "bling" culture is plunging young adults into debt as they overspend on luxury goods they cannot afford, a new report reveals. Almost three-quarters of 16 to 34 year olds admit they  secretly compete with friends in the amount they spend on gadgets, clothes and cosmetics, according to the survey. And many are spending without having a clue how much money they actually have.

The study was conducted by the mobile banking service Monilink. Almost a quarter of youngsters said debts from luxury spending were a significant strain, while 62% were still paying off debts from purchases made last year and 43% had no savings at all. The most popular luxury buys are holidays (27%), drinking and socialising (21%), clothes (19%), gadgets (12%), home improvement (10%), cars (8%) and jewellery (3%).

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk/39Bling39-culture--forces-young.4028955.jp

Plans to introduce "kiddy courts" where children form a jury and pass sentence on their peers are being considered in the Scottish Borders. The youth panels could have power to deal with a range of minor offences from graffiti to breach of the peace. Scottish Borders Council has confirmed that it is looking at the scheme, which is based on an American project.

However, a spokesman said that: "considerable discussion" still had to be held before plans could progress, The plan would involve young offenders who admit their guilt to police but whose offence is not serious enough to merit appearing before a Children's Panel. Possible punishments could include repairing damage or cleaning up graffiti. It could also see them writing letters of apology or apologising in person to the victim to hear the impact of the crime on them. The plan is based on a scheme, which has run for more than a decade in New York, where youngsters from the age of 14 sit in judgement on each other.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7371032.stm

Thousands more Scottish youngsters are to benefit from improved sports facilities and new opportunities to get involved in the arts under the latest initiative from the Scottish Government's Cashback for Communities Programme. A new £2 million sports facilities fund and £1.8 million earmarked in support of arts and cultural activities - both funded from money seized from drug dealers and other criminals - will take the overall investment in youth activities pledged through the scheme to £10.4 million so far. More resources are being secured by the authorities all the time - already boosted by £400,000 to increase the size of two units within the Crown Office to help seize even more from the proceeds of crime.

Three strands of the CashBack for Communities scheme have already been announced:

• £2.2 million to be used to fund free football coaching and playing opportunities for upwards of 30,000 young people across Scotland. Already hundreds of youngsters throughout Scotland have taken part in Street Football events over the Easter holidays and thousands more in the Bank of Scotland Midnight League programme, part funded from CashBack.
• £3 million for grant scheme to provide funding for projects which support young people involved in, or at risk from violence, alcohol, drugs or antisocial behaviour as well as support for initiatives such as youth drop-in services and residential, environmental and outdoor activities including climbing walls, skate parks, mountain bikes and canoes and yachts. The scheme is administered by YouthLink Scotland and the first batch of successful projects will be announced in May.
• Over £1.4 million seized from serious organised criminals to provide free rugby coaching and playing activities for over 32,000 young people throughout the country by 2011. This is one of the most significant investments in youth rugby ever seen in Scotland.

www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/04/21082019

Young people are risking their lives by indulging in "binge tanning", it is claimed. More than one-third of under-25s spend at least five hours a day in the sun on holiday, increasing  their chances of developing life-threatening skin cancer. And many are willing to employ a range of tricks, including using baby oil, to speed up their tanning. The poll, for Cancer Research UK, found that 36% of 15 to 24 year olds spend more than five hours a day in the sun. Almost one-third (32%) of those polled said they would be happy to increase their time in the sun if they did not feel tanned enough towards the end of their break.

Around one in three (29%) would use sunscreen with a low factor to speed up their tanning, 19% would be happy to go without sunscreen altogether and 15% would use products such as baby oil. Around one in five (17%) think getting sunburned is just part of the tanning process, while 11% would be prepared to burn if they did not feel tanned enough towards the end of their holiday. Of the under-25s surveyed, 39% actually said they would be upset if they came back their holidays without a tan.

The survey of 576 people aged 15 to 34, also found it was not just teenagers who take part in "binge tanning". One in five (19%) in this age group admitted spending more than five hours in the sun, with 16% saying they would increase the amount of time spent in the sun towards the end of their holiday to improve their tan. The poll comes after the charity also warned that people under 35 who use sunbeds are increasing their risk of skin cancer by up to 75%.

www.theherald.co.uk/news/health/display.var.2246797.0.charity_warns_of_dangers_of_binge_tanning.php

Pupils will have the opportunity to take literacy and numeracy exams under the next generation of qualifications following a review of the national qualifications system. Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced the review aimed at bringing exams into line with Scotland's new approach to learning and teaching, Curriculum for Excellence. She said that current arrangements continue to work well for many young people but the system needs to be updated to meet the needs of the 21st Century. New arrangements will:

• Place a strong focus on literacy and numeracy skills
• Reduce the current complexity of the system with Standard Grades and Intermediates being replaced by a new general qualification
• Retain Highers which remain the 'gold standard' in Scotland's education system and retain Access and Advances Higher qualifications.

The public consultation on the future arrangements for National Qualifications is expected to run from June to October. The new curriculum will be in place from 2009-2010. Young people who do not experience the new curriculum will continue with the current exams. It will be necessary to have new qualifications in place from 2012-13 onwards to accommodate those entering secondary school in August.

www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/04/23121910