Comment on ‘A fundamental part of growing up’: Why Aussie kids can’t swim any more

Noite_Etion@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• Zagorath@aussie.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  They’re taking anecdotal claims and using them to personalise actual statistics.

  40 per cent of children leaving primary school are unable to swim 50 metres, while only 32 per cent could tread water for two minutes – the national benchmarks for swimming and water safety in 12-year-olds

  And that was pre-COVID, before lockdowns meant many children were missing out on learn to swim at key ages. Post-COVID,

  39 per cent of year 10 students do not meet the 12-year-old benchmarks, while 84 per cent of 15- to 16-year-olds can’t swim 400 metres and tread water for five minutes – a basic lifesaving requirement and the benchmark for 17-year-olds

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  • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    They’re taking anecdotal claims and using them to personalise actual statistics.

    Which is my problem with them, they have actual research and they use a stay at home mums personal experience to try make the situation sound worse than it is.

    It’s cheap journalism.

    Just present the facts and research and stop reaching for ridiculous headlines designed to draw clicks. Kids can still swim, its less than before but we dont have an entire generation that are incapable of doing so.

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    • zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Data doesn’t stop people from smoking, being antivax, etc. Stories move people more than data when emotions are involved. So whoever is writing this is just doing what the data say to do, ironically.

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      • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Connecting people with data is fine, but using it to draw conclusions the data doesn’t support - like saying aussie kids cannot swim anymore - is just overselling the issue to get more clicks.

        Stick to the facts, give case examples of this happening and don’t use sensationalism.

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    • Zagorath@aussie.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Just present the facts and research

      You mean facts like more than 4 in 5 teenagers don’t meet the basic expected minimum‽ Those stats?

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      • Noite_Etion@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Why are you trying to turn this into an argument, I was happy to have this conversation but you are getting a bit butt hurt man.

        Chill out dude.

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    • Ilandar@lemmy.today ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Sounds like you want an ABS spreadsheet, not a news article.

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  • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Those statistics are terrifying. Have you seen how much water we play in, in this country?!

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  • vas@lemmy.ml ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    @Zagorath, I don’t fully understand this, could you explain? If you think that the article has a poor base, why are you posting the article to Australia@aussie.zone?

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    • Zagorath@aussie.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      I don’t think the article was poor. @Noite_Etion@lemmy.world does, for reasons that seem perplexingly out of touch to me.

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      • vas@lemmy.ml ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Oh I’ve misunderstood you at first, sorry. 🙈 I think I understand what you meant now.

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