Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Is Sex A Big Deal?

Sex is everywhere. From television, to music, to conversation, to everywhere. The media pressures young children into thinking that they should be ready. I think it’s harmful to young minds. In addition to feeling like they should try sex, kids are now feeling like they want to try sex. More and more, teens are being exposed to sexual images and themes, which pile on top of their already raging hormones. Sociologically, it’s praised and uplifted in our culture and used as a means to determine who's more attractive or masculine, as opposed to what really matters in a person. Because it's so casual, people don't think anything’s wrong anymore. Sex itself isn't an issue; it's a natural thing. But because we're human and not animals, sex is a very personal and bonding experience for both sides. You’re completely vulnerable to that other person, and giving your body. So is sex a big deal anymore? It’s a tough question to answer. For some people, virginity is sacred and sleeping around is a big deal; for others, it isn't. I remember in school when kids would shout "Ewww cooties!" and suddenly everyone thought girls had girl germs and guys had guy germs. There was no such thing, but so many kids thought there were. Same with sex, it is not a big deal really except for the possibility of STD's and pregnancy but if you are wearing protection and understand 100% the possible risks there is no big deal at all. People are taught that it’s a big deal. I think you should do what you think is right for you, and let others do what's right for them. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Pg. 163 Text Response

There’s always some kind of talk, controversy, or disagreement about the issue of cellphones. It’s kind of getting annoying to me because it’s pretty much turned into an issue we can’t really control. There are strict restrictions in high schools about not using cellphones at all, yet student’s still manage to use their cellphone. The article in our book, starting on page 163, deals with the illegal activity of phone jammers in the United States. They’re illegal in the U.S. yet, they’re bought and used secretly to cut off people’s access of cellphones at work/other situations. They work by sending out a radio signal so strong that phones are overwhelmed and cannot communicate with cell towers. In the article, the author discovered that dealers of phone jammers sold them to clients, such as owners of cafes and hair salons, and bus drivers. If phone jammers were legal in the U.S., I think it would be appropriate to use them in big events, such as religious ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, and maybe even important school assemblies. If someone wanted to use their phone, they would have to go outside of the event and then use their cellular device. I think they’d do more good than harm if they were used on an incidental basis. However, sadly, they’re been used inappropriately, so that’s why they’re illegal now. It’s funny to me, because it’s not just the illegal activity of phone jammers people participate in; there are so many other illegal undertakings as well. This just again expressions the point I made earlier- “it’s become an issue we can’t really control”.

Monday, February 10, 2014

I Get My Energy From The Sun

We live in a world that is bombarded with paranoid messages about how dangerous the sun is. The sun, in my opinion, isn’t as bad as people make it sound!  With moderate exposure, the sun can actually heal all kinds of illnesses, and bring about radiant health!  According to an article submitted by Marcs J. Felicetti, titled “10 Benefits of the Sun”, the sun actually has the benefit of killing bad bacteria. Crazy isn’t it?! Sunlight has a beneficial effect on skin disorders, such as psoriasis, acne, eczema and fungal infections of the skin. Sunlight also lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Even a single exposure significantly lowers blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. Sunlight penetrates deep into the skin to cleanse the blood and blood vessels. During the winter, I get seasonal affective disorder, which is depression in the winter months due to a decreased amount of sun exposure. I am that type of person that hates gloomy, dark days, so whenever I see that it’s bright and sunny out, I get cheerful, happy, and hyper. The sun seriously makes such a difference in my day. Sadly, a lot people go overboard with the exposure of sun they get. During the summer, I have friends that will exposure themselves to hours and hours of dangerous, hot sunlight, attempting to get a “radiant, glowing tan”. Exposure to the sun should be done slowly. If you are not used to the sun, then your skin will be more sensitive to it. Too much of anything is bad for us. Moderation and limitation is the key in achieving healthy sun exposure! 

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Is Social Networking a Waste of Time?

Bernhard Warner reveals in his article the fuss in today’s generation dealing with the loss of productivity brought on by multi-tasking between work/school and social networking. Social media has its pros and cons, however the author mainly favors it in his article, stressing the fact that social media is far more valuable in the concept of creativity, courage, and computer coding. Social media, in my opinion, is a huge distraction to students in all schools. I see student’s spending excessive amounts of time during class texting, snapchatting, facebooking, instagraming, and tweeting their friends. It’s a big distraction in the learning environment. In the Time Magazine (U.S. Edition), an article titled Wired for Distraction: Kids and Social Media, submitted by Dalton Conley, states that students and people who are heavily involved in social media have "continuous partial attention". Constant distraction affects not only how well kids learn but also how their brains absorb the new information. Sure, some kids can do a good job multitasking, but how many kids can text and listen to an important class lecture at the same time? The brain doesn't do a great job filtering multiple things at once, just like the brain can’t when texting or talking on the phone while operating a motor vehicle. Despite the fact that social networking is a huge distraction in the learning environment, it is amazing how the Internet is changing people's lives. People are able to quickly do research and gather data on the web, navigate through websites flawlessly, and most people are able to find anything on the Internet in ten seconds flat thanks to search engines such as Google. We obviously can’t ban social media from schools and colleges; however students should start making wise decisions and change their habits to become less distracted by social media networks in class.