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This is a science website that suggest the origins of popular belief systems. It can help us understand why people might have different arguments due to their beliefs.

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The Origins of Religion: How Supernatural Beliefs Evolved

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(Image credit: Sergey Nivens | Shutterstock.com) Many Catholics reveled in the pope's whirlwind visit to the East Coast of the United States last month. But as the devout return to life as usual, nonreligious Americans may be left scratching their heads, wondering what all the fuss was about.

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A different source on the origin of world religion.

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The Origin of World Religions

As people created more efficient systems of communication and more complex governments in early agrarian civilizations, they also developed what we now call religion.

Having done some research on the common features of early agrarian cities, I'm interested in finding out why all civilizations adopted some sort of religion and how these religions spread over vast regions. I know that by 1200 BCE, there were developed cities in most parts of the world. Having examined some early writing from the city of Sumer in Mesopotamia, I know that people had already conceived of gods that looked out for them and the welfare of their crops and cities. But the world religions I know of - Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam - were bigger than a single city or even a single region of the world. In fact, these religions have survived for thousands of years, and all of them seem to have developed around the same time. Since people do not appear to have lacked for religious life on a local scale from very early times, why did several large-scale belief systems emerge between 1200 BCE and 700 CE? In fact, why did all the major world religions appear in that era?

Why religions became global

One possibility is that by about 100 BCE, the population in Afro-Eurasia had climbed to over a million. As a result of increasing commercial and cultural interaction between people across this large area, religions were shared. The new religious systems provided foundations of cultural communication, moral expectation, and personal trust among people who were meeting, sharing ideas, and doing business with one another far beyond their local neighborhoods. The historians J.R. and William McNeil call this the development of "portable, congregational religions." Common features of these religions are the following: there is usually a founding man who receives the word of God; there is a key text or set of texts that defines man's relationship with God; there are recommended ways of living and worshipping; people come together regularly to have God's word interpreted for them by an authority; and there is a path to self-trans-formation and eternal salvation in one way or another. In The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye View of World History, the McNeills argue that religion took hold during this time period for the following reasons:

So what they're saying is that religion provided structure and meaning for large groups of people in ways that small, tight-knit village communities used to do. Religion, especially faiths that were shared by large groups of people, actually provided stability in cities. These religions were accepted by thousands of followers because they appealed to many different people from all social classes and occupations. If the texts and tenets of these faiths spoke to such a wide variety of people then the religious beliefs were more likely to spread along trade routes, unlike the earlier village-based religions.

Faith

Approximate start date

Place of origin

Approximate number of followers (2014)

While many people were drawn to these early religions, they are not all the same. Each faith has its own answers to questions about humanity and each one has different practices. All faiths, apart from Confucianism, which some scholars classify as an ethical system rather than a religion, offer eternal salvation in one form or another. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all monotheistic, with one omnipotent and omniscient deity. Hinduism allows for the worship of numerous, powerful gods and goddesses. Buddhism and Daoism also accept the existence of multiple divine beings in various forms and incarnations. All of these religions teach that human relations should be guided by kindness, selflessness, and decency. Confucianism, in particular, emphasizes public moral behavior, good government, and social responsibility.

A closer look at Hinduism and Buddhism

So how did each belief system define these relationships with God, with society, and with other humans? First, I'm going to take a look at Hinduism. I learned through a few web searches and from several secondary sources that Hinduism is often called the "oldest religion" mainly because there is no single founder and because the main ideas of the religion appear in a variety of different texts written over time, starting around 4,000 years ago. What's interesting about Hinduism is that it was developed by a group of people living in the Indus Valley who had a rigid hierarchical social structure called the caste system. Michelle Ferrer sums up the basic tenets of Hinduism in The Budding of Buddhism, which is quoted below.

The Hindus also believed in the Purusharthas: Four Goals of Life. These goals motivated people in their lives:

So what this is telling me is that the religion evolved from a social class structure where people had very defined roles. Since the religion hinges on this idea of karma - what you do in life today determines what you do in the next life - I wonder if the untouchables could come back as a higher caste if they "lived a virtuous life." If I look back to what the McNeills said about religion giving meaning to the drudgery of daily life, Hinduism seems to fit that description perfectly. What's more, it seems to be an effective system for maintaining a social hierarchy and control over the population. If indeed you can improve your lot in the next life by living well in this one, why dwell on how miserable your life is now if you can focus on having a better one next time around? It is also interesting that the four paths in life aren't just about spirituality and God. The second and third goals are really about daily life - specifically, living a pleasurable daily life. In this view, the path toward moksha seems enjoyable. You're supposed to be happy, wealthy, and successful. This sounds a lot like later seventeenth and eighteenth century political philosophies that would shape the founding of America: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Focusing on the positive and trying to achieve happiness now does indeed bring meaning to life and lift people's focus away from daily drudgery or suffering, with the hope that one day people might achieve eternal salvation or be released from the reincarnation cycle (samsara).

The second religion I'm going to take a look at is Buddhism. Buddhism evolved from Hinduism and the ancient Indian social structure. In this case, there is a male founder of the religion. His name was Siddhartha Gautama and he was born in South Asia (what is now Nepal) in 563 BCE. He was born into a Ksatriya Hindu family, which was the warrior/ruler class. The story goes that Siddhartha's father asked some wise men what his son would become in life. These wise men said he would become a great leader, unless he saw suffering. So Siddhartha's dad kept him inside the palace walls all of his life. When he was 16, he got married and had a son. Then, he went outside of the palace and saw all the illness, poverty, death, and human suffering in the world.He fled his home and began to search for peace. Siddhartha spent six years wandering around South Asia trying to find ways to ease the suffering of the world. One day, he sat under a Bodhi tree to meditate. While he was meditating, he became enlightened, or saw the truth. This is how he earned the name Buddha, the Bhodi Satva, or the Enlightened One. After his enlightenment, he began to share what had been revealed to him under the Bhodi tree. These teachings include the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path. I learned that the whole purpose of ending suffering (dukkha) in the world is to achieve the ultimate goal of enlightenment (nirvana).

What a story! This young man from the upper class of society gave up his status and position when he saw the effects his status was having on people outside of his palace walls. These eight tenets of Buddhism are really about how people should relate to each other and how people develop self-discipline. Each of the eight "rights" is a simple statement about how to ease suffering in life. They are simple and they are, in fact, present in one form or another in all of the other religions as well: be kind to each other, don't gossip, don't kill or steal, be loyal, make good choices, learn a lot, and chill out. I also learned that after he revealed these ideas, the Buddha stopped worshipping Hindu gods and stopped believing that one caste was better than the others. But similar to Hinduism, Buddhists came to believe that following these steps leads toward nirvana and therefore, stops the cycle of reincarnation.

So what have I learned about the development of early religions from studying Hindu-ism and Buddhism? In both cases, the development of religious ideology was intimately linked to the already established systems that humans used to relate to one another - the social hierarchy of caste, in this case. The major ideas in each religion provided more structure and guidance for how people should peacefully relate to one another and how they should live their best lives. Both provided a pathway and documents (texts) on how to earn salvation - in this case, by ending the cycle of reincarnation.

This short journal entry is an example of how historians go about exploring important questions and looking at new information. They use a mixture of historical documents and the writings of other historians to inform their thinking. All sources are listed in the working bibliography.

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READ: The Origin of World Religions (article) | Khan Academy

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Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

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This is an article on how Tik Tok can help small businesses. It can be used on a research topic of how social media have created an impact in the business world.

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For small business owners, TikTok might not seem like a strategic place to concentrate marketing efforts, but the micro-video platform has introduced new initiatives to help small businesses grow. In addition to a recent collaboration with Shopify, which allows businesses to sell products directly on the platform, TikTok has focused on highlighting the ways it can support SMBs. These initiatives include:

Free TikTok ad credits for SMBs

In July, 2020, TikTok announced the launch of the "Back-to-Business" ad credit program. This program was "designed to support the small business community as they begin to rebuild for the future" in response to the global economic downturn the pandemic created. Small businesses around the world could apply to receive part of the $100 million in ad credits that TikTok made available.

This program was launched alongside a few other tools, like business-specific accounts, creative tools for advertising, and a self-service Ads Manager platform. Though the Back-to-Business program is no longer active, these initiatives marked a notable shift toward TikTok becoming a substantial opportunity for businesses to reach new audiences in a meaningful way.

Small Biz Block Party workshops

This summer, TikTok announced it would further support small businesses by offering free, live workshops called Small Biz Block Parties in collaboration with Main Street America. These workshops are designed to teach US-based small business owners and their staff what makes TikTok a useful tool, how to create engaging content on a budget, and how to find the right TikTok community.

This is a unique opportunity for TikTok newcomers to hear first-hand experiences from small business owners who have seen success on the platform, as well as official representatives who can provide instruction and answer questions.

The last session is scheduled for Thursday, November 18, 2021, and prospective attendees can register until the event begins. Before the event, attendees are advised to create a TikTok account and familiarize themselves with the platform. After the event, TikTok says Block Party attendees will receive invitations to future special events, including training series and 1:1 strategic consultations.

User-generated Small Wins campaign

Most recently, TikTok launched its new "Small Wins" campaign, which highlights the growth and successes that small businesses have experienced using the platform. For example, the "Views Lead to Visits" video showcases a restaurant owner named Don, who saw a huge influx in foot traffic to his restaurant because of his TikTok content:

Because TikTok is so focused on video content-unlike Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, which have historically approached video as an afterthought-it's strange that the Small Wins series is hosted on YouTube rather than its own platform. However, the TikTok for Business account is full of tips and insights that will help small businesses maximize their TikTok success:

Should small businesses use TikTok?

On the surface, TikTok might seem like an app for pre-teens or an threat to privacy, but the reality is that the platform has become a game changer in the social media marketing space. Small businesses that aren't using TikTok are likely missing out on an opportunity to engage with and expand their audiences. So, the question isn't really whether small businesses should use TikTok, but rather how quickly they can start leveraging TikTok's impact to grow their business.

Thankfully, TikTok's Small Business Resource Center is full of guidance and free tools that small business owners and marketers can use to hit the ground running. In addition to video templates, step-by-step guides, and global insight reports, the Resource Center also provides data-backed success stories, trends analysis, and information about upcoming events.
Video Marketing: A Case for Small Businesses

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How TikTok is Helping Small Businesses | Small Business Computing

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For small business owners, TikTok might not seem like a strategic place to concentrate marketing efforts, but the micro-video platform has introduced new initiatives to help small businesses grow. In addition to a recent collaboration with Shopify, which allows businesses to sell products directly on the platform, TikTok has focused on highlighting the ways it can support SMBs.

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This is an opinion article of learning using social media. It can be use as a counter perspectives to the benefits of using social media for learning.

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Wikipedia, one of the last remaining pillars of the open and decentralized web, is in existential crisis.

This has nothing to do with money. A couple of years ago, the site launched a panicky fundraising campaign, but ironically thanks to Donald Trump, Wikipedia has never been as wealthy or well-organized. American liberals, worried that Trump's rise threatened the country's foundational Enlightenment ideals, kicked in a significant flow of funds that has stabilized the nonprofit's balance sheet.

WIRED OPINION

ABOUT

Hossein Derakhshan (@h0d3r) is an Iranian-Canadian media analyst who was imprisoned in Iran from 2008 to 2014.

That happy news masks a more concerning problem-a flattening growth rate in the number of contributors to the website. It is another troubling sign of a general trend around the world: The very idea of knowledge itself is in danger.

The idea behind Wikipedia-like all encyclopedias before it-has been to collect the entirety of human knowledge. It's a goal that extends back to the Islamic Golden Age, when numerous scholars-inspired by Muhammad's famous verdict of 'Seek knowledge, even from China'-set themselves to collecting and documenting all existing information on a wide variety of topics, including translations from Greek, Persian, Syrian, and Indian into Arabic. In the 9th century, a Persian scholar named Ibn Qutaybah collected the first true encyclopedia, 10 books on power, war, nobility, character, learning and eloquence, asceticism, friendship, prayers, food, and women. He was followed a century later by another Persian scholar, al-Khwārizmī who, in addition to inventing algebra, produced an encyclopedia covering what he called indigenous knowledge (jurisprudence, scholastic philosophy, grammar, secretarial duties, prosody and poetic art, history) and foreign knowledge (philosophy, logic, medicine, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music, mechanics, alchemy). The Chinese had their own encyclopedia dating back to the 7th century.

In Europe, the quest to compile a modern encyclopedia started with the Enlightenment in the 18th century. (Immanuel Kant coined a fitting Latin motto for the movement: "Sapere aude," or "Dare to know.") French Enlightenment thinkers like Francis Bacon and Denis Diderot began compiling ambitious encyclopedias, inspiring others throughout France, Germany, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The religious ruling class's discomfort with the effort only helped its financial feasibility; there was an obvious market for these massive collections, often published in numerous volumes, for an increasingly secular middle-class. The first volume of Encycopedie was sold in 1751 to 2,000 subscribers, who would go on to receive the entire twenty-eight-volume set. Notable revolutionary thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu were involved in the editing of the work and several even ended up in prison. Only 17 years after the publication of the last volume in 1772, the French revolution began, leading to perhaps the most secular state in human history.

That trend toward rationality and enlightenment was endangered long before the advent of the Internet. As Neil Postman noted in his 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death, the rise of television introduced not just a new medium but a new discourse: a gradual shift from a typographic culture to a photographic one, which in turn meant a shift from rationality to emotions, exposition to entertainment. In an image-centered and pleasure-driven world, Postman noted, there is no place for rational thinking, because you simply cannot think with images. It is text that enables us to "uncover lies, confusions and overgeneralizations, to detect abuses of logic and common sense. It also means to weigh ideas, to compare and contrast assertions, to connect one generalization to another."

The dominance of television was not contained to our living rooms. It overturned all of those habits of mind, fundamentally changing our experience of the world, affecting the conduct of politics, religion, business, and culture. It reduced many aspects of modern life to entertainment, sensationalism, and commerce. "Americans don't talk to each other, we entertain each other," Postman wrote. "They don't exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials."

At first, the Internet seemed to push against this trend. When it emerged towards the end of the 80s as a purely text-based medium, it was seen as a tool to pursue knowledge, not pleasure. Reason and thought were most valued in this garden-all derived from the project of Enlightenment. Universities around the world were among the first to connect to this new medium, which hosted discussion groups, informative personal or group blogs, electronic magazines, and academic mailing lists and forums. It was an intellectual project, not about commerce or control, created in a scientific research center in Switzerland.

Wikipedia was a fruit of this garden. So was Google search and its text-based advertising model. And so were blogs, which valued text, hypertext (links), knowledge, and literature. They effectively democratized the ability to contribute to the global corpus of knowledge. For more than a decade, the web created an alternative space that threatened television's grip on society.

Social networks, though, have since colonized the web for television's values. From Facebook to Instagram, the medium refocuses our attention on videos and images, rewarding emotional appeals-'like' buttons-over rational ones. Instead of a quest for knowledge, it engages us in an endless zest for instant approval from an audience, for which we are constantly but unconsciouly performing. (It's telling that, while Google began life as a PhD thesis, Facebook started as a tool to judge classmates' appearances.) It reduces our curiosity by showing us exactly what we already want and think, based on our profiles and preferences. Enlightenment's motto of 'Dare to know' has become 'Dare not to care to know.'

It is a development that further proves the words of French philosopher Guy Debord, who wrote that, if pre-capitalism was about 'being', and capitalism about 'having', in late-capitalism what matters is only 'appearing'-appearing rich, happy, thoughtful, cool and cosmopolitan. It's hard to open Instagram without being struck by the accuracy of his diagnosis.

Now the challenge is to save Wikipedia and its promise of a free and open collection of all human knowledge amid the conquest of new and old television-how to collect and preserve knowledge when nobody cares to know. Television has even infected Wikipedia itself-today many of the most popular entries tend to revolve around television series or their cast.

This doesn't mean it is time to give up. But we need to understand that the decline of the web and thereby of the Wikipedia is part of a much larger civilizational shift which has just started to unfold.

WIRED Opinion publishes pieces written by outside contributors and represents a wide range of viewpoints. Read more opinions here.

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Wikipedia, one of the last remaining pillars of the open and decentralized web, is in existential crisis. This has nothing to do with money. A couple of years ago, the site launched a panicky fundraising campaign, but ironically thanks to Donald Trump, Wikipedia has never been as wealthy or well-organized.

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This is a parenting website that gives a balance evaluation in the social media use for children and teenagers.

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About social media for pre-teens and teenagers

Popular social media apps among pre-teens and teenagers include Instagram, Messenger or Messenger Kids, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, WhatsApp and YouTube Kids.

Online chat in multiplayer video games, like Fortnite, League of Legends, Clash of Clans and The Sims is also a popular social media option for pre-teens and teenagers.

Using social media often involves uploading and sharing content. This includes:

creating online profiles

posting comments or chatting

uploading photos and videos

reacting to or 'liking' other people's posts

sharing links

tagging photos and content

creating and sharing game modifications

remixing or changing existing content and sharing it.

Social media: benefits

Social media is a big part of social and creative life for pre-teens and teenagers.

Pre-teens and teenagers use social media to have fun, make and maintain friendships, share and learn interests, explore identities and develop relationships with family. It's an extension of their offline and face-to-face interactions. For older teenagers especially, it's often a key part of how they connect with friends.

Social media can connect pre-teens and teenagers to online global groups based on shared interests. These might be support networks - for example, for young people with disability or medical conditions, LGBTIQ+ teenagers, or children from particular cultural backgrounds. Or they might be sites for commenting on and sharing content about particular interests like games, TV series, music or hobbies.

Your child can get many other benefits from using social media:

Learning: your child can use social media to better understand, extend or share what they're learning at school, either informally or in formal school settings.

Hobbies and interests: your child can use social media to follow their interests and learn new ones.

Creativity: your child can be creative with profile pages, images, video and game modifications.

Mental health and wellbeing: connecting with extended family and friends and taking part in local and global online groups can give your child a sense of belonging.

Social media: risks

Social media can also pose risks. For your child, these risks include:

being exposed to inappropriate or upsetting content, like mean aggressive, violent or sexual comments or images

uploading inappropriate content, like embarrassing or provocative photos or videos of themselves or others

sharing personal information with strangers - for example, images, date of birth, location or address

cyberbullying

being exposed to too much targeted advertising and marketing

being exposed to data breaches, like having their data sold on to other organisations.

Managing social media risks for pre-teens and teenagers

Talking about social media use
Talking with your child is the best way to protect them from social media risks and ensure their internet safety. Talking gives you the opportunity to help your child:

work out how they want to treat other people and be treated online - for example, you can encourage your child to make only positive comments

understand the risks involved in using social media - for example, your child might be tagged in an embarrassing photo taken at a party

learn how to navigate the risks - for example, if your child posts an identifiable selfie, they can reduce risk by not including any other personal information

learn what to do if people ask for personal details, are mean or abusive online, post embarrassing photos of them, or share information that links back to them.

Finding out more about social media
Social media apps and functionality are always changing, so it's a good idea to keep up to date with the social media your child uses. You could ask your child which platforms are popular and which ones they like. You could also get your child to show you how they work.

Thinking about age recommendations
Most social media apps require people to be at least 13 years old to sign up. But these age restrictions aren't always enforced, so pre-teens can often still use the apps. It can be tricky if your child's friends are using social media apps before they're old enough and your child wants to do the same.

If you want your child to wait, here are some options you could think about:

Could you compromise? What if your child uses a family social media account until they're old enough for their own? This could give your child a way to connect with friends with your help to navigate social media.

Could your child use a child-friendly social media app, like YouTube Kids or Messenger Kids? These have stronger safety settings and age-appropriate content.

What about banning social media?
It can be hard to ban social media, even for younger children. This is because social media is increasingly a part of children's apps, games, websites and learning environments. Instead, it's better to teach your child how to navigate social media risks and behave respectfully on social media.

Internet safety for children aged 9-11 years and internet safety for teenagers is about identifying and managing risks and also protecting your data and privacy.

Setting up social media guidelines

Some written guidelines about social media can help your child get the benefits of social media while using it responsibly, respectfully and safely. This agreement could be part of a family media plan. If these guidelines include your social media use as well as your child's, you can be a positive role model.

Here are things your guidelines could include.

Using social media
This might cover basics like:

when it's OK to use social media and how long your child can spend on social media

whether it's OK to use social media during homework time, family meals and so on

where it's OK to use social media - for example, only in family areas of the house, not bedrooms.

Posting content and comments
It's important for your child to agree to:

think about why they want to post something and what reactions they might get before they post

not upload or share inappropriate messages, images and video

show respect in posts and when sharing content - for example, if it's not OK to say or do something face to face, it's not OK online

seek consent before posting images of others.

Protecting privacy
It's a good idea to go through social media privacy guidelines and settings with your child.

Your child can protect their privacy by agreeing to:

not share personal information like location and date of birth - for example, by giving this information to strangers online, doing online quizzes or tests and so on

not add personal details like phone numbers or date of birth to private profiles

regularly check privacy and location settings on apps and devices

keep passwords and log-in details private and not share these with friends

not use social media or other online accounts on public wi-fi

log out of all accounts after using public computers.

Staying safe on social media
Safety essentials for your child include:

blocking and reporting people they don't know or people who post upsetting comments or content

not clicking on pop-ups - some pop-ups that seem safe can lead to pornography sites or are scams

accepting friend requests only from people whose identity they know

taking screenshots of concerning things they see online, and talking to a trusted adult about them.

One way you can teach your child how to be safe and respectful on social media is by making a joint social media account that you can use together. This can give your child the chance to get familiar with social media before they're old enough to have an account of their own.

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Social media benefits and risks: pre-teens and teenagers

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Social media is a vital part of life for many pre-teens and teens. Social media guidelines can help your child get social media benefits and avoid risks.

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A trusted new source that explains why Indonesia thinks that the COP26 Deforestation Pledge is unfair to developing countries.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia's environment minister has dismissed as "inappropriate and unfair" a global plan to end deforestation by 2030, days after her country, home to a third of the world's rainforests, joined 127 other nations in making the deforestation pledge.

The agreement late on Monday at the COP26 climate talks was at odds with Indonesia's development plans and the global goals should be fine-tuned, said minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, who attended the summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

"Forcing Indonesia to (reach) zero deforestation in 2030 is clearly inappropriate and unfair," she said on Twitter on Wednesday.

"The massive development of President Jokowi's era must not stop in the name of carbon emissions or in the name of deforestation," she said, referring to Indonesian leader Joko Widodo by his nickname.

Her comments so soon after the pledge underline the challenges ahead over global deforestation goals, with just three countries - Indonesia, Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo - collectively accounting for 85 percent of the world's forests.

Adding to confusion over Indonesia's position, the country's vice foreign minister, Mahendra Siregar, on Thursday denied that zero deforestation by 2030 was even part of the COP26 pledge.

"The declaration issued does not refer at all to the 'end deforestation by 2030,'" he said in a statement.

"It is important to move beyond mere narrative, rhetoric, arbitrary targets and sound bites," he added.

He further explained that the pledge did not mean to halt deforestation completely, but to ensure there was no net loss of forested land.

A spokesman for the environment ministry did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on Thursday and the presidential palace could not be reached.

Mahendra later told Reuters that Indonesia interprets "halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030," as stated in the pledge, as "sustainable forest management... not end deforestation by 2030."

Environment minister Siti said definitions of deforestation differed widely, so imposing European standards on Indonesia was unfair.

Instead, she highlighted Indonesia's own, less absolute goals, where the forestry sector would absorb more greenhouse gases than it releases by 2030 by minimizing deforestation and rehabilitating forests.
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But the almost immediate about-face by a country central to saving the world's tropical rainforests set off outrage among environmental activists.

"The statement is profoundly disappointing," said Kiki Taufik, head of Greenpeace's Indonesian forests campaign, calling it "completely at odds with the declaration."

Although Indonesia has plans to retire its coal-fired power plants and reach net-zero emissions before 2060, leaving forests untouched will be a challenge.

Indonesia is the world's biggest exporter of palm oil, and in 2019 alone an area of forest and other land half the size of Belgium was burned for plantations.

Authorities have, however, since 2018 suspended issue of permits for new plantations and cut deforestation by 75 percent last year.

Indonesia is also seeking to expand its nickel and electric vehicle (EV) industries, requiring more land.

Fitch Solutions, in a research note on the COP26 pledge, said it could pose a risk to Indonesia's EV supply chain development and establishment of new nickel mines due to pressure to stem deforestation.

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Indonesia criticizes COP26 deforestation pledge as 'unfair'

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JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia's environment minister has dismissed as "inappropriate and unfair" a global plan to end deforestation by 2030, days after her country, home to a third of the world's rainforests, joined 127 other nations in making the deforestation pledge.

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This is an article backed by trusted sources that ranks the top countries who are polluting the earth.

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Discover which nations pump most carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere

Emissions of greenhouse gases of human origin are the main cause of climate change. Their effects on global warming are devastating and it is becoming more and more urgent that these emissions are reduced to stop humans from exercising so much pressure on the planet. The situation is so critical that the International Energy Agency () has forecast an increase in emissions of 130% by 2050 if we continue unabated.

The most polluting countries seem to be aware they must reduce their emissions, but, despite agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, these carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise. To a greater or lesser extent, almost all the world's countries are responsible for the high level of global pollution, but there are five that stand out from the rest, as shown below:

These are the 5 most polluting countries on the planet. Surprised by any?

1. China (30%)

The world's most populated country has an enormous export market, which has seen its industry grow to become a serious danger to the planet. In just five provinces, which that host most of these industries ,more dioxide is emitted than in any other country in the world. As a consequence, Beijing has experienced, in recent years, constant red alerts for environmental pollution.

2. United States (15%)

The world's biggest industrial and commercial power. Although in recent times it has led the most important initiatives to combat climate change, in practice the great majority have been shown to be insufficient. Neither are its pollution levels limited to big cities; many rural areas are also beginning to notice the consequences.

3. India (7%)

Fourteen out of the world's 15 most contaminated cities are in India, says the World Health Organization. The country has had a law protecting air quality since 1981, but the burning of fossil fuels has grown significantly and as a consequence India occupies third place in the ranking of the most polluting countries in the world.

4. Russia (5%)

The biggest country in the world geographically appears in this ranking for its high dependence on products such as oil, coal, gas and fossil fuels. Also, in the past few decades, it has experienced several environmental emergencies and has high levels of deforestation and animal hunting.

5. Japan (4%)

Finally, the other great Asian power after China completes the list. Japan is the biggest consumer of fossil fuels in the world and the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases. This situation is due to its high level of urban development and industry that seems to care little for nature.

Sources: UNHCR, World Bank and The Times of India.

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Discover which nations pump most carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere

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A good article on how to contribute to sustainable living by doing simple things.

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If the end of the world would depend on you, would you save it? This is a tough question, yet we hold this responsibility every second of every day. We live in a world that needs our help to keep surviving, but are we doing enough?

Here I will share with you some of the best ways in how to live sustainability and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle that will make a difference in the world that we all share.

What Living A Sustainable Lifestyle Means

Living a sustainable lifestyle is adopting a new way of living. It's to live in a way that would meet all the natural human needs to be alive, which are basically food, water, and shelter. But without any extra luxury and resources that bring no value for our surviving and can potentially harm the planet.

The main reason to adopt a sustainable lifestyle and deprive ourselves of things that we don't need is mainly to attempt to reduce the negative impact that we continually have on this planet.

That way, we stand a chance to ensure that future generations will have not only a place to call home but will have the essential resources that they need to survive.

So if you think about it, choosing to live a more sustainable life is just like an excellent investment for future generations to come. It's to give them a chance to live in this world and experience the amazing things that our planet can offer.

By reducing our carbon footprint, our energy consumptions, fashion choices, and our diets, we can make a difference that will change the lives of future generations to come.

We are all here due to the many heroic actions that generations before us took upon them to ensure that we could have a future, so isn't it our obligation to ensure that the next ones will have a standing chance as well?

The Importance of Sustainable Living

The answer is quite simple and straightforward; we need our planet to keep being able to resource us with the basic things that we need to survive. It's about survival but it's also about stopping catastrophic disasters from happening.

Natural disasters are not just accidental damage from mother nature. We are the cause for many of the climate change challenges that we have been experiencing, things like floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, even the abnormal snowing in the Sahara desert

Our impact has consequences on the planet, and many of those will affect us directly. Mainly due to the things that we use every day.

Things like the enormous and misplaced amount of garbage disposal, the high demand for fossil fuel (that provide us with electricity). Excessive carbon print and wrongly disposal of toxic chemicals into the sea, are just some of the human-made acts against the environment. Little but incredible impactful actions can lead to:

Health problems, which have been more and more common

Climate change, for example, the rising levels of the water

Lack of resources from mother nature, without water and food, we can't survive

Little and almost seamless acts such as dropping a little straw on the ground can have terrible consequences that will affect every person, animal, and the environment.

So if you could make a difference today, would you? Next, I'm sharing 50 ways that you can use to live a more sustainable lifestyle and help make a huge difference.

50 Ultimate Ideas to Begin Sustainable Living

There are so many little actions that will have a tremendous impact on saving the world, and you can do them so easily and without much effort. Small actions that will help you to be more grateful for the world that we all share.

Living a sustainable lifestyle might seem simple, but it represents a tremendous feeling of joy in knowing that you are one of the reasons why future generations will have a chance.

1.Reduce your energy usage

Turning off unnecessary lights or switching off the T.V will not only save you money on your electricity bill but can also reduce global warming.

2. Change the lights in your house

Changing for a CFL or LED light bulbs allows you to use less electricity and last longer than a regular light bulb, a small change that can make a huge difference.

3. Unplug electronics from ports overnight

Did you know that most of the electronic devices keep on drawing electricity even when you turn them off? By unplugging your electronics, you can reduce your electricity usage.

4. Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Not only is this a great exercise but it also saves energy.

5. Use solar energy charges for your smartphones and tablets

Smartphones need a lot of charging and takes a lot of electricity, by using a solar energy charger, the sun will charge them for you, plus you can charge them at night as long as you let your solar charger to recharge during the day.

6. Set your thermostat lower than usual in the winter

Heating can take a lot of energy, but nothing that a few extra layers of clothes cannot resolve. Plus, you will save money as well.

7. Hang clothes to dry instead

Dryers are perhaps handy, but they can also use a lot of energy, so invest in a hand dryer instead and save a significant amount of money in your electric bill.

8. Air dry your hair

Blow-drying your hair is a luxury that not only wastes energy but also damages your hair. So by allowing your beautiful locks to dry naturally, you will also impact the environment.

9. Reduce your water usage

The world is demanding more and more from nature; a simple gesture of turning off the water while you brush your teeth can already make a big difference. If you are using the water, turn off the tap. There are too many people in this world without water, still.

10. Reduce how frequently you wash your clothes

Most of us wash our clothes too many times unnecessarily, sometimes you mainly just need to add some to fill up the washing machine. Either use the half-cycle if your machine has it, or hand-washing is also an option (plus it's gentle on your clothes and you get to keep them for longer).

11. Limit the use of hot water when hand washing dishes

Cold water takes less energy, and it does a pretty good job too.

12. Use a dishwasher instead of handwashing

Dishwashers use less water than hand-washing, especially if you keep the water running at all times. However, it would be best if you only put your dishwasher on when completely full.

13. Invest in a pressure cooker

Not only will you reduce your cooking time, but did you know that pressure cookers reduce the energy used by 70%?

14. Reduce your food waste by eating only what you need

Overbuying food that will end up in the garbage is not only hurtful to your wallet, but it's also a waste for the planet. So before you buy it, make sure that you will eat it.

15. Start composting

Compost can help the growth of plants and trees, so instead of putting your food scraps in the garbage, start composting, and help to provide natural nutrients to your garden.

16. Recycle EVERYTHING

If you can reuse it, recycle it.

17. Buy second hand

There are so many great things that you can find in a second-hand shop or vintage shop.

18. Transform old clothes into new garments

You don't need to be a pro at sewing to alter an old outfit into a new gorgeous one.

19. Recycle your devices

Instead of dumping your old devices in the garbage, recycle them, there is a lot of companies out there that even pay you for them.

20. Reuse and repurpose glass jars

Glass jars are amazing for reusing, you can fill them up with spices, flower, on the go salad or pasta. The choices are endless.

21. Declutter your house

Decluttering your house gives you an idea of how much stuff you have around that you don't need and is also good for your health because it will provide you with a sense of confidence. Don't forget to give away anything that you can give for charity and recycle anything that you can't give away.

22. Buy bigger bottles

Instead of buying small bottles often, buy bigger ones, which can also save you some money.

23. Ditch the plastics

Do you know how long it takes for plastic to decompose on its own? It takes millions of years for plastic to decompose, and unfortunately, most of it ends up in the ocean and endangers every marine life. Reducing it is an excellent way to save the planet, but if you can ditch it altogether, then you are a superhero!

24. Consider using shampoo bars

Shampoo bars are not only all-natural, meaning that you will not be using any chemicals. But they also come in wrapping so that you will be ditching the plastic.

25. Grow your own vegetables

When you grow your own vegetables, you are also helping to protect the environment. Naturally grown vegetables lower the number of chemicals introduced to the environment through the soil.

26. Use organic fertilizers

Chemical fertilizers contaminate the soil and water, which is a significant reason for diseases on humans and is also one of the causes behind the extinction of plants, animals, and even insects.

27. Eat more whole foods

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of global warming. Eating a diet high in plant-based reduces our consumption of animal products and helps to save the planet.

28. Plant a tree with someone

Trees are awesome, and this will make a great bonding experience. Trees battle global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, as well as contributing to soil health.

29. Buy fair-trade products

Paying farmers fair prices gives safety in an ever-changing environment. This expanded financial protection, mixed with standards and organic production, makes Fair Trade the most suitable alternative for the planet and its inhabitants.

30. Think twice before shopping

Before traveling to the shops, make a list of the things that you need. That will stop you from buying unnecessary food items.

31. Cook it yourself

When you cook at home you help the environment too, it will take less energy, and you will know exactly what's on your plate.

32. Shop locally

Shopping locally will help you to support your community and travel fewer miles.

33. Number 9

Have you ever noticed the stamps on your fruit with numbers? Numbers that start with the number 9 and contain five numbers, meaning that it's fully organically grown.

34. Make a meal plan

If you plan out your weekly meals in advance, you are more likely only to buy what you need and avoid any waste.

35. Ditch the single-use makeup removing wipes

Instead, use a reusable and washable cloth for removing your makeup.

36. Coconut oil for your beauty care

Coconut oil is excellent for hair masks, removing makeup, taking care of dry skin, and so much more!

37. Use multipurpose bathroom products.

Instead of using many detergents to clean your bathroom, buy just one multipurpose that can do all the jobs in one.

38. Use natural cleaners

Making your own cleaning products by mixing vinegar and water, for example, decreases the plastic that we use and reduces the chemicals that we introduce to the environment.

39. Share products with your family

If you can, instead of buying things like different shampoos and deodorants individually, purchase one that can be shared by everyone.

40. Make your own personal products

Nowadays, it's so easy to make personal products like creams and even deodorants by using natural ingredients.

41. Go paperless

You can opt-in for paperless services in most companies and save trees and even the fossil fuel that is used to make the paper and printing.

42. Use recycled toilet paper with plastic-free packaging

Toilet paper created from recycled waste has a lesser environmental impact than virgin fiber, as well as saving a lot of trees.

43. Use your phone, tablet or computer for note-taking

Go paperless on your notes and use digital notes instead.

44. Get reusable instead

Instead of getting disposable things like straws, plastic bags, or paper coffee cups, replace them with reusable things that you can use more than one time.

45. Always use double-sided printing where possible

When you can't avoid going paperless and need to print, try to double print.

46. Buy books from a second-hand book store, or go to the library

Buying second-hand books, using the library, or buying ebooks can save the environment by reducing the paper that we use.

47. Use public transportation

If you can, instead of taking your car to work, take public transportation or even better walk or cycle if you can so you help reduce global warming.

48. Spend more time outside

By spending time outside, you waste less energy at home and enjoy the beautiful sights that nature has to offer you.

49. Gift experiences instead of materialistic things

Instead of buying materialistic things, gift them with unique things like a home-cooked meal or a day out, creativity has no limits!

50. Adopt pets instead of buying them from a breeder

There are so many pets desperately looking for a family to love. Dog breeders do not always breed dogs for the right reasons and treat the animals in inhuman ways just for a profit.

Sustainable Lifestyle Examples to Follow

Living a sustainable lifestyle takes a lot of commitment; it's not only a couple of changes but a way of living. Here are three examples of how to begin your journey on sustainable living:

Identify and remove anything that is not necessary for your survival or happiness. Materialistic things that bring no value to our lives have no space in our way of living. Replace things that are harmful to the environment and apply changes for the benefit of the planet, such as gardening, recycling, and even adopting a more healthy diet.

If you plan a new way of sustainable living, make sure to set some rules, planning things in advance can help you to make the transition more smoothly and you will probably stick to it much quicker.

If you are planning to live a more sustainable lifestyle, then you should do it for the right reasons and even do some research. Sustainable living might seem hard in the beginning. Still, if you are committed to make it a lifetime commitment, then it will become easier. After getting used to it, you will see the incredible benefits that sustainable living has on yourself and the others around you.

Final Thoughts

Living a more sustainable lifestyle is a big change. There are things that you will perhaps find strange or take some time to adapt to, but the process of learning how to help the planet to heal and keep surviving for longer is an incredible journey.

You will be proud of being one of the reasons why future generations will be able to experience life in this world.

There is a quote from Robert Swan that says "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone will save it," the reality is that it's everyone's job to make sure that this planet survives, but you can't wait for others to start making the changes today.
You can make the difference; by adopting small everyday measures that can make a huge difference. How will you approach sustainable living? Share your thoughts in the comments below:

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50 Simple Ideas to Begin Sustainable Living in 2021

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Living a more sustainable lifestyle is a big change. There are things that you will perhaps find strange or take some time to adapt to, but the process of learning how to help the planet to heal and keep surviving for longer is an incredible journey.

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A YouTube video on how we respond to diversity

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A YouTube video on how we respond to diversity

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A TED talk video that suggests how we can respond well to diversity in the community

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A Tale of Two Teachers | Melissa Crum | TEDxColumbusWomen

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This is an article where we can learn about family. This also gives us information on how to make kids happy and this article also shares idea to help your children to learn new things and exploring the world.

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Fun ideas to help your kids explore the world.

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A TED talk video that  discusses how we can turn the cold of outer space into a renewable resource.

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How we can turn the cold of outer space into a renewable resource | Aaswath Raman

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This is an article that explores the contribution of animals to improving human health.

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Read “Science, Medicine, and Animals” at NAP.edu

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Read chapter How Have Animals Contributed to Improving Human Health?: The necessity for animal use in biomedical research is a hotly debated topic in clas...

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This article talks about how social media acts as a safe space for youths who are apart of the LGBTQ community, despite risks of harassment and cyber-bullying

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Social media can provide ways for LGBTQ youth to learn more about, and stay connected to, their identities. miakievy/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Teens today have grown up on the internet, and social media has served as a space where LGBTQ youth in particular can develop their identities.

Scholarship about the online experiences of LGBTQ youth has traditionally focused on cyberbullying. But understanding both the risks and the benefits of online support is key to helping LGBTQ youth thrive, both on- and offline.

I am a senior research scientist studying the benefits and challenges of teen social technology and digital media use. My colleagues, Rachel Hodes and Amanda Richer, and I recently conducted a study on the social media experiences of LGBTQ youth, and we found that online networks can provide critical resources for them to explore their identities and engage with others in the community.

Beyond cyberbullying

The increased risk of cyberbullying that LGBTQ youth face is well-documented. LGBTQ youth are almost three times more likely to be harassed online than their straight, cisgender peers. This can result in increased rates of depression and feelings of suicide: 56% of sexual minorities experience depression, and 35% experience suicidal thoughts as a direct result of cyberbullying.

However, the digital landscape may be shifting.

Our 2019 survey of 1,033 children ages 10 to 16 found no difference between the amount of cyberbullying reported by straight versus sexual minority youth residing in a relatively progressive part of the U.S. known for legalizing gay marriage. Some social media platforms like Tumblr are considered a safer haven for sexual minorities than others, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. This is despite past censorship of LGBTQ content on certain platforms due to biases in the algorithm.

LGBTQ youth tend to have smaller online social networks than their straight peers. We found that LGBTQ youth were significantly less likely than their straight peers to engage with their online friends. Conversely, LGBTQ youth are more likely to have friends they know only online, and to perceive these online friends as significantly more socially supportive than their in-person friends.

The LGBTQ youth we surveyed in our study were more likely to join an online group in order to reduce social isolation or feelings of loneliness, suggesting that they were able to reach out to and engage with social media networks outside of their in-person peer circles in supportive and fortifying ways.

Despite living in an area with higher levels of acceptance toward sexual minorities, our study participants felt a need to keep parts of their identities separate and hidden online. They were less likely than non-LGBTQ kids to be friends with family members online and more likely to join social media sites their parents would disapprove of. And about 39% said they had no one to talk to about their sexual orientation at all.

Not just surviving, but thriving online

Despite the risk of online harassment and isolation, social media can give LGBTQ youth space to explore their sexual identities and promote mental well-being.

In 2007, Australian researchers conducted one of the earliest studies on how internet communities serve as safe spaces for LGBTQ youth who face hostile environments at home. Their surveys of 958 youth ages 14 to 21 found that the anonymity and lack of geographic boundaries in digital spaces provide an ideal practice ground for coming out, engaging with a communal gay culture, experimenting with nonheterosexual intimacy and socializing with other LGBTQ youth.

The internet also provides critical resources about LGBTQ topics. LGBTQ youth may use online resources to educate themselves about sexual orientation and gender identity terminology, learn about gender transition and find LGBTQ spaces in their local community. The internet can also be a useful tool to identify LGBTQ-friendly physicians, therapists and other care providers.

Finally, online platforms can serve as springboards for LGBTQ activism. A 2013 report by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network surveying 1,960 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 18 found that 77% had taken part in an online community supporting a social cause. While 68% of LGBTQ youth also volunteered in-person, 22% said they only felt comfortable getting involved online or via text. This signals that online spaces may be critical resources to foster civic engagement.

While social media is not without its dangers, it can often serve as a tool for LGBTQ youth to build stronger connections to both their local and virtual communities, and communicate about social issues important to them.

[ Insight, in your inbox each day. You can get it with The Conversation's email newsletter.]

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Social media gives support to LGBTQ youth when in-person communities are lacking

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Teens today have grown up on the internet, and social media has served as a space where LGBTQ youth in particular can develop their identities. Scholarship about the online experiences of LGBTQ youth has traditionally focused on cyberbullying. But understanding both the risks and the benefits of online support is key to helping LGBTQ youth thrive, both on- and offline.

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This article discusses the differences and similarities between the parenting of a heterosexual and same-sex parents. It also gives an insight on the impacts of having same-sex parents. Ultimately, the article debates on which type of parenting is better.

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Optimally, you've got the input from both [a mother and a father] and the children brought up in those circumstances are, as a cohort, better off than those who are not.

... whether it's in terms of health outcomes, mental health, physical health, whether it's in terms of employment prospects, in terms of how this is generated from one generation to another, the social science evidence is overwhelmingly in one direction in this regard. - Liberal MP Kevin Andrews, excerpts from an interview on Sky News, August 13, 2017.

Public campaigns for and against same-sex marriage have been heightened by the Turnbull government's plan to conduct a $122 million voluntary postal survey asking the nation whether same-sex couples should be able to marry under Australian law.

Discussing his opposition to same-sex marriage during an interview on Sky News, Liberal MP Kevin Andrews said children who are brought up with a mother and a father "are, as a cohort, better off than those who are not".

Andrews also said the "social science evidence is overwhelmingly in one direction in this regard".

Let's look at the research.

Checking the source

When asked for sources to support his statements, a spokesperson for Kevin Andrews told The Conversation:

Mr Andrews wrote a book called " Maybe I Do". You might also like to look at the 2011 report, For Kids' Sake, by Professor Patrick Parkinson of the University of Sydney and studies by Douglas Allen (2015) in Canada and Paul Sullins (2015) in the US.

Verdict

Kevin Andrews' assertion that children who are brought up with a mother and father are, "as a cohort, better off than those who are not" is not supported by research evidence.

The majority of research on this topic shows that children or adolescents raised by same-sex parents fare equally as well as those raised by opposite-sex parents on a wide range of social, emotional, health and academic outcomes.

Response to Kevin Andrews' sources

First of all, let's look at the sources provided by Andrews' spokesperson to support his statements. A summary of Kevin Andrews' book on the National Library of Australia website says it:

... reviews the evidence on the benefits of marriage for society, children, and adults. It argues that healthy, stable, and happy marriages are the optimal institution for promoting individual well being and healthy societies.

It's true that there is a large body of evidence to show that stability in marriage and family life is beneficial for children, particularly in early childhood. Some research has shown that these benefits are associated with higher average income and education levels among married couples, rather than marriage itself.

But these studies didn't involve comparisons between opposite-sex and same-sex married couples, so they do not defend the argument that heterosexual marriage leads to better outcomes for children than same-sex marriage. In fact, some research suggests same-sex marriage would provide benefits for children being raised in these families.

Patrick Parkinson's report, For Kid's Sake, links rising rates of divorce, family conflict and instability in parental relationships with increasing psychological distress among young people in Australia. One of Parkinson's conclusions was that:

the most stable, safe and nurturing environment for children is when their parents are, and remain, married to one another.

There are studies that support these assertions. This research supports the importance of family stability, quality relationships between parents and children, and the need for access to socioeconomic resources - but not the need for parents to be heterosexual.

Douglas Allen's 2015 paper is a critical, but not systematic, review of more than 60 studies relating to same-sex parenting and/or child outcomes. This paper does not present findings related to child outcomes.

Rather, Allen says that, due to sampling bias and small sample sizes in the existing body of work, there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence demonstrating that children raised by same-sex couples do better or worse than children raised by heterosexual couples.

Andrews' spokesperson also pointed to 2015 research from Paul Sullins. Sullins' 2015 analysis of data from the US National Health Interview Survey indicated that children raised by same-sex parents were more than twice as likely to experience emotional problems than those raised by heterosexual, married parents who were biologically related to their children. But this analysis was criticised for not taking into account the stability of the family environment.

The author combined all children in same-sex families into one category, while placing children in opposite-sex families into separate categories - including different categories for step-parents and single parents, for example. So the comparison made was between all same-sex parented families, and a selection of stable heterosexual families.

Research on outcomes for children in same-sex parented families

Now let's look at other studies that have been conducted around the world. Many of these studies examine the outcomes for children in same-sex parented families where both parents are women. There has been comparatively little research on families in which both parents are men. It can be difficult to achieve adequate sample sizes of children raised in two-father families, given the small number of these families. There is no research showing that children raised by gay fathers fare worse than other children.

A study published in 2016 using data from the US National Survey of Children's Health for 2011-12 compared outcomes for children aged six to 17 years in 95 female same-sex parented families and 95 opposite-sex parented families.

The study found no differences in outcomes for children raised by lesbian parents compared to heterosexual parents on a range of outcomes including general health, emotional difficulties, coping behaviour and learning behaviour.

A paper published for the American Sociological Association in 2014 reviewed 10 years' of scientific literature on child well-being in same-sex parented families in the US. The literature review covered 40 original published studies, including numerous credible and methodologically sound social science studies, many of which drew on nationally representative data.

The authors concluded there was clear consensus in scientific literature that children raised by same-sex couples fared as well as children raised by opposite-sex couples. This applied for a range of well-being measures, including:

academic performance

cognitive development

social development

psychological health

early sexual activity, and

substance abuse.

The authors noted that differences in child well-being were largely due to socioeconomic circumstances and family stability.

A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Marriage and Family in 2010 combined the results of 33 studies to assess how the gender of parents affected children. The authors found the strengths typically associated with married mother-father families appeared to the same degree in families with two mothers and potentially in those with two fathers.

The meta-analysis found no evidence that children raised by same-sex couples fared worse than children raised by opposite-sex couples on a range of outcomes including:

security of attachment to parents

behavioural problems

self perceptions of cognitive and physical competence, and

interest, effort and success in school.

This review included studies from Europe, the UK and the US. The authors said that scholars had achieved

a rare degree of consensus that unmarried lesbian parents are raising children who develop at least as well as their counterparts with married heterosexual parents.

In Australia, a large study published in the peer-reviewed BMC Public Health Journal in 2014 (and of which I was one of five co-authors) surveyed 315 parents representing 500 children. 80% of children had a female same-sex attracted parent, while 18% had a male same-sex attracted parent.

The results did support previous research showing that stigma related to a parent's sexual orientation is negatively associated with mental health and well-being.

But, overall, the study found children and adolescents raised by same-sex parents in Australia fared as well as children of opposite-sex parents, and better on measures of general behaviour, general health and family cohesion.

A follow up paper published in 2016 found there was no difference between children raised in female same-sex parent households and children raised in male same-sex parent households.

Further work from the same project reported on surveys and interviews with adolescents raised by same-sex parents. This study (of which I was one of four co-authors) did find that some adolescents with same-sex parents reported experiencing anxiety relating to fear of discrimination, which was linked to poorer well-being.

A US study published in 2011 found adolescents raised by lesbian mothers were more likely to have reported occasional substance use, but not more likely to have reported heavy use, than other adolescents.

A 2010 analysis of data from the 2000 US census found that children raised by same-sex couples had no fundamental deficits in making normal progress through school compared to children raised by opposite-sex couples.

When parents' socio-economic status and the characteristics of the students were accounted for, the educational outcomes for children of same-sex couples couldn't be distinguished with statistical certainty from children of heterosexual married couples.

Analysing studies that show different results

Some studies have indicated that adults raised by same-sex parents fare worse on some educational, social or emotional outcomes. But the majority of research does not support this. There are also studies that have been published and later discredited, but continue to be used as references.

The 2012 US New Family Structures Study, also known as the "Regnerus study", is often cited by groups opposed to same-sex marriage.

The study looked at outcomes for adults aged 18-39. It compared outcomes for adults with a parent who had had a same-sex relationship, with outcomes for adults raised by still-married, heterosexual couples who were biologically related to their children. It showed the adults with a gay or lesbian parent or parents fared worse on a range of social, educational and health outcomes. But this study has been very widely criticised.

In a brief filed in the US Supreme Court in 2015, the American Sociological Association said:

The Regnerus study ... did not specifically examine children raised by same-sex parents, and provides no support for the conclusions that same-sex parents are inferior parents or that the children of same-sex parents experience worse outcomes.

As outlined by the American Sociological Association, the study removed all divorced, single, and step-parent families from the heterosexual group, leaving only stable, married, heterosexual families as the comparison. In addition, Regnerus categorised children as having been raised by a parent in a same-sex relationship

regardless of whether they were in fact raised by the parent ... and regardless of the amount of time that they spent under the parent's care.

A subsequent reanalysis of the data, using different criteria for categorising respondents, found the results inconclusive, or suggestive that "adult children raised by same-sex two-parent families show a comparable adult profile to their peers raised by two-biological-parent families".

Strengths and weaknesses of evidence on outcomes for children

The "gold standard" for research on child and family outcomes are studies that involve randomly selected, population-based samples. This has been difficult to achieve in research on same-sex parenting because many population-based studies don't ask about parents' sexual orientation. Even where they do ask, not all studies include a sample of children or adults raised by same-sex parents that is large enough to provide for reliable statistical analysis.

This has led to criticism of the quality of evidence on outcomes for children raised by same-sex parents, because most studies have relied on convenience or volunteer samples, which are not randomly selected, and so may include bias.

However, there are methodological limitations in all studies. And, as outlined earlier, recent analyses of population-based data sets have supported the finding that children or adolescents raised by same-sex couples do not experience poorer outcomes than other children. So there is no clear basis to the argument that convenience samples lead to "incorrect" findings due to bias. - Jennifer Power

Review

This FactCheck gives a good broad overview of the research and scientific consensus in regard to child health and well-being in same-sex parent families. The studies included, on balance, represent the current understanding of academics and child health experts on child health and well-being outcomes in same-sex parent families.

The National Lesbian Longitudinal Family Study provides additional evidence to support the verdict of this FactCheck. As a well established and methodologically robust longitudinal study, the National Lesbian Longitudinal Family Study provides important additional insights.

In the Australian context, the 2013 Australian Institute of Family Studies review of same-sex parent families also supports the overall verdict of this FactCheck.

It should be noted that research has indicated that same-sex parent families experience stigma and discrimination, and when they do it can impact on child health and well-being.

Overall, however, the verdict in this FactCheck is appropriate based on current research. - Simon Crouch
The Conversation's FactCheck unit is the first fact-checking team in Australia and one of the first worldwide to be accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network, an alliance of fact-checkers hosted at the Poynter Institute in the US. Read more here. Have you seen a "fact" worth checking? The Conversation's FactCheck asks academic experts to test claims and see how true they are. We then ask a second academic to review an anonymous copy of the article. You can request a check at checkit@theconversation.edu.au. Please include the statement you would like us to check, the date it was made, and a link if possible.

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FactCheck: are children 'better off' with a mother and father than with same-sex parents?

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Optimally, you've got the input from both [a mother and a father] and the children brought up in those circumstances are, as a cohort, better off than those who are not. ...

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This article suggests how a vegetarian diet can solve world hunger.

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The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that food production will need to increase globally by 70% to feed the world's surging population in 2050. The FAO says that efficiency gains in agriculture will be overwhelmed by the expected population growth.

As the global population surges towards a predicted 9.1 billion people by 2050, western tastes for diets rich in meat and dairy products, and which are increasingly being adopted around the world, are unsustainable.

Simply put, the more people eat meat, the fewer people can be fed. For example, over 10 pounds of plant protein are used to produce one pound of beef protein. If these grains were fed to humans instead of animals, more food would be available for the 925 million people in chronic hunger worldwide. Research from Cornell University, of the United States, found that the grain used to feed livestock in the United States alone could feed 800 million people.

The issue with water is similar. It takes about 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef and about 660 gallons to make a pound of chicken. It only takes about 220 gallons to make a pound of tofu and 180 to make a pound of wheat flour. Compared with the meat industry, a vegetarian diet consumes far less water. There are plenty of other examples, but you get the idea.

Some may be concerned about whether a vegetarian diet is healthy. In fact, a well-balanced vegetarian diet is actually more healthful than a meat-oriented diet. The American Dietetic Association and the United States Department of Agriculture both agree that a vegetarian diet can provide complete nutrition for optimal human health including all 10 essential proteins (amino acids) necessary for good health. Vegetarians suffer less from heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a variety of other diet-related diseases which now cost the United States alone over $1.2 trillion each year.

There is more than enough food in the world to feed the entire human population. So, why are more than one billion people still going hungry every day? The meat-based diet is largely to blame. We cycle huge amounts of grain, soybeans, and corn through animals killed for food rather than directly feed starving people. If we stopped intensively breeding farmed animals and grew crops to feed people instead, we could easily feed everyone on the planet with healthy and affordable vegetarian foods.

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World Hunger Can Be Solved With Vegetarian Diet

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The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that food production will need to increase globally by 70% to feed the world's surging population in 2050. The FAO says that efficiency gains in agriculture will be overwhelmed by the expected population growth.

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This TED talk raises a controversial discussion about modern day feminism. Although feminism itself is uplifting and promises gender equality, today's society goes about the movement in a toxic approach that could be misjudged for misandry.

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Is Modern Feminism starting to undermine Itself? | Jess Butcher | TEDxAstonUniversity

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This is an article that suggests how religion and vaccine hesitancy are related.

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As measles cases have surged across the US and Europe this year, there's been a lot of talk about what's causing the outbreaks. Among the most discussed issues: mistrust of the medical establishment, populist politics fueling vaccine doubt,and the spread of misinformation on social media.

Of course, there's more to the story - and a major global survey, published Wednesday by the Wellcome Trust, a UK health research nonprofit, helps shed light on what's going on. Researchers asked 140,000 people ages 15 and older in more than 140 countries about their views on religion, science, and health, including their attitudes toward vaccines.

They found people in higher-income countries were among the least confident in vaccine safety - particularly in North America and Europe. Meanwhile, vaccine trust was highest in countries where preventable diseases still spread, such as Bangladesh and Rwanda. So the further people are from outbreaks, and the more distant the memory of diseases like whooping cough and measles, the more likely they are to shun vaccines.

"It is in wealthier countries, where we no longer see the terrible impact these preventable diseases can have, that people are more reticent," said Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. "This reticence is a luxury we can ill afford."

The survey also uncovered something that unites some of the communities where outbreaks have been spreading lately, and it's not as easy to talk about: religious belief.

North America was the only high-income region where people who follow a religion were much more likely to say they side with that belief system over science whenever disagreements arise. That finding was driven primarily by the US, where measles has been spreading among religious communities in states that have allowed religious vaccine exemptions.

Religious concern about vaccines is "a big problem," said Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher who was not involved in the survey. "We're down to 15 states that have philosophical exemptions to vaccines and we have 45 states that have religious exemptions. That's because the minute anybody says, 'This is my faith,' we respect that in this country."

We're now living in a moment where families once again need to fear measles - a nearly eliminated disease - because enough people have opted out of their shots that the virus has taken hold and America's status as a country that eliminated measles is under threat. If we don't address every driver of vaccine refusal, this public health crisis won't improve, said Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar.

"There are hugely important lessons to be learned about how to bring religious groups in who may be skeptical or may really question the value of science," he added. "But without them, you can see outbreaks [of vaccine-preventable diseases] will continue to happen."

With few exceptions, vaccine doubt has no religious basis

After Edward Jenner developed the first immunization in 1796, he faced a backlash by clergy members who argued that vaccination acted against " God's will." Since then, religious concerns about vaccines have persisted in many parts of the world.

No major religion opposes vaccines - but members of several religious groups have in certain instances come up with religious justifications for vaccine refusal, or used their authority to turn people off immunization. Some religious groups have also been targeted with vaccine misinformation.

In a 2013 scholarly article examining outbreaks in religion and vaccines, a researcher from Merck found more than 60 reports of outbreaks in religious communities. He also noted that, with the exception of Christian Scientists, there are "few canonical bases for declining immunization" in the world's major religions. Instead, "religious reasons to decline immunization actually reflected concerns about vaccine safety or personal beliefs among a social network of people organized around a faith community."

That's mostly how outbreaks in religious communities have played out in the US. In New York, the epicenter of the largest US measles outbreak in recent history, the Orthodox Jewish community has been hardest hit. It's also where anti-vaccine campaigners made inroads, drawing on rabbinical authority to spread misinformation about autism and vaccines. (For the record, most rabbis support vaccines.)

Another major measles outbreak in 2014 happened in an Amish community in Ohio: It was sparked by a missionary who brought the virus back from a trip to the Philippines and spread it to his unvaccinated community, many of whom opted out of vaccines because of safety concerns.

In both cases, vaccine doubt had little to do with religion - but tight-knit religious communities helped it go viral, leading people to decline vaccines and causing diseases to spread.

In Washington, the site of another major measles outbreak this year, some Christian patients have opted out of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine because of concern that it was derived from cells originally obtained from an elective abortion in the 1960s. Catholics in Kentucky have been avoiding the chickenpox vaccine for the same reason. (According to the National Catholic Bioethics Center, using these vaccines is justified because the "risk to public health, if one chooses not to vaccinate, outweighs the legitimate concern about the origins of the vaccine.")

Meanwhile, the lobbying efforts of Christian Scientists, who have openly discouraged vaccination, helped pass religious vaccine exemptions that are now law in most states across the US.

Religious concerns about vaccines are a global problem

The problem of vaccine doubt spreading in religious communities shows up in several countries. Only three countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria - haven't been able to stop polio transmission, a virus that's nearly been eliminated thanks to vaccines. In these countries, Muslim fundamentalist leaders have sometimes convinced people that the eradication of polio is "an American ploy to sterilize Muslim populations" or "that vaccination is an attempt to avert the will of Allah," according to one analysis.

In Indonesia, a " vaccine fatwa" was issued by Islamic leaders against the measles-rubella vaccine because, they say, it's not "halal" and contains trace amounts of pig products. (Islam forbids the consumption of pork, and according to Science, the vaccine's pork products include a gelatin derived from pigs' skin.) This concern helped the vaccine rate plummet, and the effect spilled over into neighboring Thailand, spurring a measles outbreak there.

To be clear, millions of Muslims around the world get vaccines with no objection. But outbreaks of preventable diseases in Muslim-majority countries have happened often enough that governments are now experimenting with fines for parents who refuse to vaccinate their kids - just as Australia and some countries in Europe are doing.

North America is the only high-income region where religious people are much more likely to side with religious teachings over science

The new Wellcome survey is filled with insights about people's beliefs in science, medicine, and vaccines. Most notably, it found 79 percent 'somewhat' or 'strongly agree' that vaccines are safe. That's certainly a majority - but there's also a dangerous number of people who don't trust in vaccines.

"Deeper pockets of doubt" about vaccine safety were more common in certain regions. For example, several higher-income regions were among the least certain about vaccine safety: "Only around 72 percent of people in Northern America and 73 percent in Northern Europe 'agree' that vaccines are safe, and the figure is as low as 59 percent in Western Europe, and 50 percent in Eastern Europe."

The report also helps explain the conflicts that can arise between science and religious belief. Among the findings:

In people who reported a religious affiliation, 55 percent said they would agree with their religious teachings in a disagreement between science and their religion.

The proportion was even higher - 64 percent - for people who have a religious affiliation and say religion is an important part of their daily life.

The largest percentage of people who say that science has disagreed with their religious teachings are based in the US and Southern Europe (59 percent).

North America was the only high-income region where people who follow a religion are "substantially more likely" to say they believe in their religious teachings over science when disagreements arise. "This finding is driven predominantly by the US, where people who have a religion are almost twice as likely to believe their religious teachings (60 percent) as science (32 percent) in cases of disagreement."

Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health, who was not involved in the survey, noted that tightly knit groups that aren't affiliated with any religion have also seen major outbreaks, though "there is substantial data to support that it's mainly religious communities."

"Public health can't afford to ignore the potential for working with religious leaders," he added. "Even if the issue may not be the religion itself, religion is an organizing way for communities to come together, and it means that public health has the opportunity to intervene and work with [these] communities."

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Religion and vaccine refusal are linked. We have to talk about it.

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As measles cases have surged across the US and Europe this year, there's been a lot of talk about what's causing the outbreaks. Among the most discussed issues: mistrust of the medical establishment, populist politics fueling vaccine doubt,and the spread of misinformation on social media.

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A blog containing collections of TED talks on the benefits of gaming

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[ted id=1618]

This weekend, hundreds of video games enthusiasts lined up in the cold, waiting 12 hours-plus to be the first to get their hands on Nintendo's new console, the Wii U. And when the game Call of Duty: Black Ops was released in 2010, gamers around the world played it for more than 600 million hours in just the first 45 days. That is the equivalent of 68 years.

While some people worry about the popularity of video games, in today's talk, brain scientist Daphne Bavelier suggests that gaming may be far more beneficial than we think (in moderation) - even if the game is all about shooting up the enemy.

"Most of you have thought, 'Come on, can't you do something more productive than shooting zombies?' I'd like you to put this knee-jerk reaction in the context of how you'd feel if you found your girl playing Soduku," Bavelier says. "In reasonable doses, action-packed shooter games have quite powerful positive effects on many different aspects of our behavior."

In the lab, Bavelier and her team measure the impact of gameplay on the brain. While your mom might have told you that staring at screens will wreck your eyes, Bavelier's lab actually found that playing 5 to 15 hours a week of video games correlates with better vision - and the ability to see more detail in the context of clutter.

It's another common trope that gaming causes attention problems. However, Bavelier shows data that people who play video games are better able to keep track of objects around them - while the average person can track three objects effectively, video gamers can track six to seven objects. They're also better able to multitask in general.

Initial studies suggest that these benefits may be trainable. In one study, Bavelier's lab gave participants a test, and then asked them to play 10 hours of video games over a period of two weeks. When they came back for a post-test, their performance improved - and the improvement was still measurable five months later. Bavelier's lab hopes to use these findings to create games that can improve eyesight or help keep the brains of senior citizens sharp.

To hear more about Bavelier's studies, watch her talk. And after the jump, six other talks that suggest video games may simply have a bad reputation.

[ted id=799]

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world
Video game designer Jane McGonigal is deeply inspired by video games like World of Warcraft - because they call on players to become heroes and save worlds. In this blockbuster talk from TED2010, she shares why she thinks it's possible to harness the power of gaming to solve real-world problems like hunger, poverty, climate change and war.

Gabe Zichermann: How games make kids smarter
Gabe Zichermann wishes that we could channel the era of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? -when students, parents and teachers agreed that video games were great. In this talk from TEDxKids@Brussels, Zichermann suggests that video games make kids better at problem-solving and multitasking, and should be championed rather than villainized.

[ted id=1053]

Ali Carr-Chellman: Gaming to re-engage boys in learning
Many boys are having a hard time in school-they're disproportionally suspended, marked as learning disabled, and diagnosed with ADHD. In this talk from TEDxPSU, Ali Carr-Chellman ponders whether this could be a simple culture clash. She shares a fascinating idea - that creating educational video games full of rich narratives could help boy culture connect with school culture.

[ted id=996]

Tom Chatfield: 7 ways games reward the brain
Video games are transfixing, says Tom Chatfield at TEDGlobal 2010. Why? Because they offer emotional rewards and satisfy our ambitions. In this talk, he wonders if other tasks - for example, going green or losing weight - could be made fun by emulating the brilliance of game design.

[ted id=1501]

Jane McGonigal: The game that can give you 10 extra years of life
After a severe concussion, Jane McGonigal found herself on mandatory bedrest and feeling deeply depressed. In this talk from TEDGlobal 2012, she shares how she found her way out of a downward spiral - by creating a video game, SuperBetter, that helps people heal. ( Check out the TED Blog post: 10 online games ... with a social purpose.)

[ted id=361]

David Perry: Are games better than life?
Speaking in 2006, game designer David Perry says we're at an interesting moment in video game history-where graphics and audio have gotten extremely lifelike. Which means that the next generation (meaning: now) could have games that actually surpass real life. While Perry is excited for what's to come, he points out that video game makers have a big responsibility given their influence and reach, and hopes that his industry will rise to the challenge. What do you think: Has it?

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ted id=1618] This weekend, hundreds of video games enthusiasts lined up in the cold, waiting 12 hours-plus to be the first to get their hands on Nintendo's new console, the Wii U. And when the game Call of Duty: Black Ops was released in 2010, gamers around the world played it for more than 600 million hours in just the first 45 days.

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A YouTube video that explains how and why countries provide foreign aid

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WHAT IS FOREIGN AID AND DOES IT WORK? | IE EXPLAINS

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Impact of the use of technology to  the generation

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Impact of the use of technology to  the generation

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This website tell use about how technology has impacted the generation also the pros and con on the impact of the use of technology to the younger generations

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In today's Era, the Enhancement of new technology really cause an impact on the young generation, and also technology changed the world in every field of life but How is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation 2022.

Technology allows you to explore as many things you wish to probe. Over the last few decades, the impact of technology has been massively increased and can be easily seen in every walk of life.

With every passing day, technology is growing and making lives happier and convenient for everyone, especially for the young generation.

Technology has enabled our young generation to pursue their goals and opens up the paths of success for them.

For them, technology is a source of information, entertainment, and distraction all at the same time, and each having a direct effect on our youth development.

So let us count the ways that H ow is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation and let's have a comprehensive look at the positive and negative effects of technology on today's youth.

Christian Lous Lange said;

"Technology is a Useful Servant But a dangerous Master"

How is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation (pros & cons):

Technology plays an ever-growing role in making our lives simple and advanced. Almost 70% of the positive and negative effects of technology are faced by today's youth because they have increased access to modern technology in comparison with the rest of all.

Today's younger generation is also called as Digital generation because modern technology is either making them smarter or making them dumb depending upon the usage made by them.

Technology is creating a huge generation gap and each generation is different and unique from that of the previous one only due to the rapid advancements in the field of technology.

"Try to Control Technology instead of Letting it Control You"

Ways in which Technology has affected the Younger Generation 2022:

Pros and cons of technology for youth 2022:

Let me share some pinpoints that how technology has affected our younger generation and their problems both in good ways and bad ways:

1. Modern Technology has made the youth so much productive, which is an extremely positive aspect while on the other hand, inappropriate use of modern technology is making them less capable of working smartly and efficiently.

2. Modern Technology has saved our valuable time by automating so many manual tasks while on the other hand technology made the younger generation lazy.

3. Modern Technology has enabled efficient communication but has affected the social and interpersonal skills badly.

4. The latest useful information present on the internet has made the younger generation updated to what is happening in the world around but not every information present on the internet is useful for our youth, it is distracting at times.

5. Excessive use of Social media has diminished the book reading.

6. The use of Modern Technology has improved Social Networking while on the other hand, the ratio of Cyberbullying has also increased in a greater amount.

7. The use of modern Technology Affecting the Younger Generation so much creative while distracting their minds at the same time.

Is Technology Good or Bad for today's Youth?

If we look at our surroundings, we can see the good and bad outcomes arising from the use of technology in today's youth.

It is a well-known fact that technology will never come to an end and technology will never remain the same but the thing is that every new generation must have the capability to control themselves with the fastest and rapidly growing technology.

The control is mandatory because we never know what effect new technology can have on our young generation.

Older generations view on technology 2022

in the past Era, Older generations have no such advancement in their lifestyles and also people don't know about Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, etc.

Older generations have this web issue, and now and again is anything but a smart thought to have web-based media. For instance, Facebook and Snapchat have become typical things that we can't survive without that and are subject to.

We can't deal with anything without web-based media. While the more seasoned age used to acquaint somebody faces with face and realize that individual, they take a smidgen longer than us, since this age, including utilizes online media constantly but they don't face the things about How is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation.

The Positive and Negative Effects of Technology on Today's Youth:

Technology is a huge source of learning, entertainment, and distraction at the same time. The effects of technology completely depend that how you use it.

There are various positive and negative effects of technology on today's youth. Let's have a comprehensive look at them one by one.

Positive Effects of Technology on Youth:

It is nearly impossible for our youth to spend a single day without the use of technology. The younger generation can experience so many new things just within few minutes with the help of technology.

There are countless benefits of technology on today's youth because it has not made their lives simpler but also a source of positive variations and diversions in their life.

"Technology Connects Us
Technology Unites Us
Technology Amplifies Our Power
& MUCH MORE...."

Let us count how technology benefits our today's youth in building their successful life.

What do you think that the technology of today is helping in increasing the creativity of youth or it is hindering it?

So my answer would be yes it is increasing the creativity and mindsets of today's youth because youth have strong observing power.

They observe deeply and experience things with the help of technology which thus enhances their creativity.

Increasing creativity through technology might not be simple, some strategies are adopted by youth but the involvement of technology plays a vital role here. Let's have a brief look at the strategies adopted by youth.
Technology helps Youth to adopt strategies to enhance Creativity:

1. They learn things by the easy access to information present on the internet.

2. This access to learning leads them towards Curiosity.

3. This Curiosity leads them to look for inspiration.

4. This inspiration leads to increased and enhanced Creativity.

Technology has enabled our youth to try and learn new things on their own. Youth has now become independent for the learning process. The efficient learning process has made them problem solvers.

The best thing about technology is that it has completely changed the attitude of youth towards learning and experiencing new things. Thus their improved learning process helps them to accomplish their goals.

Making the right decision at the right time is an essential part of life. Technology simplifies the decision-making process and provides essential and mandatory information that helps in the completion of several tasks that are required to make a final decision.

One of the best advantages of technology is empowering youth with today's modern technology. The youth of today can not make an excuse for unemployment.

They can simply use digital platforms to learn something new and innovative. After learning, they can polish their skills and search for a platform where they can earn online while sitting in their comfort zones.

Technology helped our youth to empower themselves and many others by creating jobs for many others because the jobs using technological platforms are highly in demand these days.

No doubt, this is one of the best advantages of Technology Affecting the Younger Generation because an empowered youth is not less than a blessing and asset for a nation.

Technology has enabled every individual to brand themselves in a great way. With the help of technology, one can showcase their talent and can let everyone know about his/her skills.

Promoting personal branding through technology opens up several paths of opportunities for our youth.

Negative Effects of Technology on Youth:

Where there is a brighter side, there is a darker side. Technology has countless contributions to today's youth but on the other side, there are some negative effects of technology on health that are extremely harmful to our youth.

It is an alarming situation for any country because youth is the hope of the future.

Albert Einstien said;

"I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of Idiots."

Nowadays, people utilize technology in real meanings and also use technology to earn for themselves. The younger generation playing games live stream on Youtube and Facebook to get more popularity and earning.

if Every youth uses the technology in real meaning, so the country will found the superheroes and also will be the inspiration for the upcoming new younger generation.

Technology has made our youth to stay isolated. Because of the excessive use of technology, people try to deny real-life facts and things and engage themselves in other activities.

Technology provides them everything they want so when they start fulfilling their needs by the use of technology, they try to stay isolated and this isolation thus results in ruining the true relationships.

The adverse effects that technology have is on our health. It includes both physical plus mental health.

The damage to the physical and mental health of youth is an obstacle in their career and their goals.

Physical health problems include:

Severe headache

Eyesight issues

Backache

Hearing problems

Mental health problems include:

How does technology cause depression and Anxiety:

Technology Affecting the Younger Generation both physically and mentally if a person uses it in Excess amount. Everything has a bad impact if you can use it regularly in excess amount in routine time.

It may cause the interruption, narcissism, desire for moment delight, and even discouragement.

Technology made access to information easy and simpler. The information present on the internet is useful but not every information present on the internet is useful for everyone.

Access to inappropriate content is made extremely so easy and convenient and is exploiting our younger generation in a greater amount.

Conclusion:

From the above-given explanation, it is concluded that how does technology affect the younger generation in both positive and negative ways.

The thing is that each individual must have a proper check and balance on themselves to avoid any harmful situation.

Technology has enlightened our lives and brought so many productive positive changes in our lives.

I will be sharing more about technology in my upcoming articles and strategies to control the negative effects of technology on our younger generation for sure.

Get back to me if you have any queries related to the topic "How is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation 2022", I will respond to you as soon as possible.

Do share this article with your friends and concerned people. Keep reading and learning with Tech Baji.

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How is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation in 2022

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In today's Era, the Enhancement of new technology really cause an impact on the young generation, and also technology changed the world in every field of life but How is Technology Affecting the Younger Generation 2022. Technology allows you to explore as many things you wish to probe.

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This article exposes the fashion industry's dirty side about its unsustainable practices. It further raises awareness on how the fashion industry should change its ways.

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Fashion’s impact on the environment is actually a mystery

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Questionable facts plague the conversation around sustainability and fashion, and that makes the industry harder to regulate.

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The impacts of social media on teenagers

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The impacts of social media on teenagers

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Nowadays, most if not all teenagers globally has their own social media account(s), it is important that we raise awareness to the impacts it has on our growing teenagers. This website from The University of Queensland clearly states them.

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Is social media a blessing for teens, a curse for parents or perhaps a bit of both? We explore how social media affects teenage mental health and other key aspects of this ongoing dilemma.

It's no secret social media has become an essential part of the average teenager's everyday life. Whether it's sharing photos on Instagram, messaging friends on Snapchat or choreographing a dance on TikTok, teens are enveloped by the online world of social media.

But is social media good for teenagers? Can the potential benefits balance out the well-documented problems? We sought out Associate Professor Alina Morawska, Deputy Director at the Parenting and Family Support Centre in the UQ School of Psychology, to learn how social media affects teenagers and what parents can do to help.

How does social media affect teenagers' mental health?

Alina says teenagers on social media have "increased exposure to harm, social isolation, depression, anxiety and cyber-bullying."

The impact of social media on teenagers can be significant. It's not just a case of losing sleep and getting distracted during the day - social media can have far-reaching negative effects on a teen's mental health.

As the adolescent brain is still developing, it's more vulnerable to time online. And since teens can sometimes struggle to self-regulate their screen time, their exposure - and the risk of harm - increases. As a result, teen social media use often correlates with:

"Adolescence is a time when peer relationships are particularly important, so there may very well be pressure from the peer circle to be online," says Alina.

"If you're not online, you're missing out - you're not part of the group."

Depression and anxiety

While researchers have only just started to uncover the link between depression and social media, what they've discovered suggests increased social media use can intensify the symptoms of depression. Teens suffering from this will usually display an increase in loneliness and a decrease in social activities.

Another component is anxiety. Many teens are deeply devoted to their social media accounts and content, which leads them to feel an immense amount of stress - to respond quickly, to post perfect photos with witty captions and, of course, to receive lots of likes. Add cyber-bullying and other offensive online behaviours to the mix, and it's easy to see why social media causes a great deal of anxiety for teens.

Low self-esteem

Another way social media affects teenager's mental health is by exacerbating any existing problems with low self-esteem. Teens are particularly vulnerable to feeling down about themselves and their bodies when they follow certain celebrities and influencers online. They're getting content, feedback and pressure from many more people than they ever would encounter in the real world. This makes it easy for teens to play a dangerous comparison game when they see people's curated feed online and think they are happier, better-looking or more well-off than they are. This can be detrimental to their mental health.

How long does the average teenager spend on social media?

According to Australian statistics from Roy Morgan:

girls aged 14-24 spend 822 minutes on social media each week (about 2 hours a day)

boys aged 14-24 spend 528 minutes a week (just over an hour each day).

The average teenager spends about 1.6 hours on social media every day.
Research carried out in the United States by Common Sense Media found that teenagers spend an average of 7 hours and 22 minutes on their phone each day. And this screen time doesn't even include any schoolwork or activities related to reading or listening to music.

Alina shed some light on why social media is such an addictive vice for young minds.

"Social networking is a way of being and interacting with others and the world these days," she says.

"Humans are inherently social, so our use of social media is consistent with this. However, because of the way social media is structured - always on, always available - it can be difficult to switch off from it."

Should parents limit their teenager's use of social media?

There are several cases where it might be suitable for a parent to limit their teenager's social media use.

The first reason is addiction. If social media takes up a large proportion of their day, affects their sleep and schoolwork, and they don't have the self-regulation to limit their use themselves, it may be time to step in and implement some boundaries.

The second reason is if you have reason to believe your teenager is engaging in inappropriate and irresponsible online behaviour or if they are exposed to it. Teens shouldn't have the privilege of their own social media accounts unless they're able to conduct themselves responsibly online.

And thirdly, if your teen is showing signs of mental illness such as depression, anxiety or disordered eating related to social media, it's a good idea to restrict their use and seek professional help.

In most cases, though, banning or limiting social media use won't address the underlying issues and may only lead to resentment. So, we asked Alina how else parents can help their teens with their social media usage.

"It's important for parents to consider their own relationship with social media and what they are modelling to their child," says Alina.

"Consider setting some household rules around social media and devices for everyone, such as no devices at the dinner table."

"Encourage discussions about the pros and cons of media use."

Is social media good for teenagers?

While there are many downfalls of social media, there are benefits for teenagers as well. Social media platforms allow teens to:

create online identities and be part of a community

build social networks and communicate with others, which can provide them with support

find entertainment, distraction, humour, education and information about social movements and human rights issues.

There are many positives associated with social media, and it's important for teens to develop social media savviness to prepare them for adulthood where, undeniably, social media remains a major part of daily life. You can work with your teen to help them find the right balance between social media and their mental health. And if you're worried your teen's social media use is interfering with their schoolwork, consider these helpful study apps.

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Is social media a blessing for teens, a curse for parents or perhaps a bit of both? We explore how social media affects teenage mental health and other key aspects of this ongoing dilemma. It's no secret social media has become an essential part of the average teenager's everyday life.

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This is an article from Sustainable Development Goals that talks about how this pandemic affected sustainability.

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The pandemic could push the number of people living in extreme poverty to over 1 billion by 2030.

New COVID-19 cases have not plateaued - they are accelerating. And socio-economic effects, which mirror the virus with a lag of months and years, are accelerating as well.

Our new study conducted with the Pardee Center for International Futures at the University of Denver maps out three different 'futures' to assess potential COVID-19 recovery trajectories. This is the first installation of a global flagship initiative, assessing the impact of three COVID-19 recovery scenarios on the SDGs, capturing the multidimensional effects of the pandemic over the next decade. The study finds that COVID could drive the number of people living in extreme poverty to over 1 billion by 2030, with a quarter of a billion pushed into extreme poverty as a direct result of the pandemic.
But this is not the full story. With dedicated SDG interventions we can accelerate out of the crisis.

Under a 'COVID Baseline' scenario, the pandemic could raise the number of people living in extreme poverty by 44 million in 2030. Uncertainties are manifold and under a 'High Damage' scenario, the world could see a staggering 251 million people driven into extreme poverty by the pandemic, bringing the total number to 1 billion by 2030. Our research also shows that an ambitious but feasible set of integrated SDG investments has the potential to exceed the development trajectory the world was on before the pandemic, even when taking COVID-19 impacts into account.

With 48 targeted investments in governance, social protection, green economy and digitalization under the 'SDG Push' scenario, we can reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty by 146 million in 2030 relative to the 'COVID Baseline' scenario - and narrow the gender gap, as 74 million women and girls are lifted out of poverty. And while the risk of falling into poverty is highest in countries that are affected by war and conflict, it is also here that the greatest gains can be made: a majority of the 146 million people escaping poverty live in these settings, including 40 million women and girls.

The benefits are echoed across additional human development indicators, including nutrition and education. In 2030, about 128 million adults and 16 million children are likely to escape malnutrition with the interventions, and the proportion of children graduating from upper secondary school rises from the estimated 66 percent to 70 percent. This can be compared with the High Damage scenario where an additional 37 million people are likely to be malnourished, including 4 million children under the age of five, and the global upper secondary school graduation rate plummets to 64 percent.

The study applies the International Futures tools developed by the Fredrick S. Pardee Center at the University of Denver to understand the potential effects of three scenarios:

The 'COVID Baseline' scenario represents significant pandemic-period increases in poverty and hunger and substantial longer-term negative consequences;

The 'High Damage' scenario describes a future where the economic damage is worse and recovery is delayed;

The 'SDG Push' scenario outlines the impact of targeted policy interventions that can accelerate progress towards a more fair, resilient and green future.

These interventions are ambitious, even radical, and require behavioural changes on all levels of society. Governments must improve their effectiveness and efficiency. Citizens must change consumption patterns in food, energy and water. And the global collaboration on climate change must improve - including on carbon taxes and fossil fuel subsidies.

This study shows that governments and other partners need to enhance access to basic services and improve health and social protection transfers, as well as increase connectivity to mobile and broadband services and strengthen investments in R&D. It will be critical to boost access to inclusive, effective and accountable governance. And for all of this to be sustainable, we need to rebalance the relationship between nature, climate and economy. This means eating less meat, using water and energy more efficiently, boosting investments in renewable energy and introducing carbon taxes.

The pandemic has exposed the consequences of deepening systemic inequality and prioritizing growth beyond planetary boundaries. But amid a devastating crisis there is space for bold decisions. In the past months, the world has seen policy making that seemed impossible just a few months ago.

For example, temporary basic income has been introduced in Lebanon and Brazil. Groundbreaking digital solutions in Colombia helped reach over 2 million people with a new social protection scheme in a few weeks. Energy pricing reforms appear imminent to increase fiscal space. And the burden on women to carry out unpaid domestic work during lockdown has sparked calls for investments in the care economy, similar to those in Uruguay.

As the technical lead of the UN's socio-economic response to COVID-19, UNDP spearheads integrated approaches that can move us from optimizing status quo to reimagining development pathways, connecting unlikely dots, and ultimately creating the conditions for radically different futures.

This is our lodestar as we support countries to reach the vision and ambition of the 2030 Agenda. We have an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate and transform global development through an unprecedented crisis. By redirecting our efforts along proven development pathways, we can enhance future development and ensure that our new trajectory is more resilient than the one we were on prior to the pandemic.

This study is the first installation focused on the implications of the scenarios on poverty, education, health, nutrition and gender equality. In 2021, subsequent instalments will analyse impact across all dimensions of the 2030 Agenda.

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Impact of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals

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The pandemic could push the number of people living in extreme poverty to over 1 billion by 2030. New COVID-19 cases have not plateaued - they are accelerating. And socio-economic effects, which mirror the virus with a lag of months and years, are accelerating as well.

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UU ITE. Is the freedom of press in Indonesia in grave danger ?

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UU ITE. Is the freedom of press in Indonesia in grave danger ?

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An instagram post that explains a little bit about the law on how information is shared electronically and how we conduct electronic transactions.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by What Is Up, Indonesia? (WIUI)⁷ (@whatisupindonesia)

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This is an article where we learn about humans and other species and it also gives an information about how humans has to be responsible of the extinct of some species of animals.

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Humans and other species

There are different ways in which humans have become responsible for the disappearance of other species. From this point of view a fundamental responsibility is the impact of agriculture on the world ecology. The conversion to agriculture of the land, that has taken away considerable areas from the forests, the grasslands and the humid environments, has deeply simplified the ancient structure of biomes and ecosystems. Naturally these alterations have had differential results in terms of extinctions in the tropical and subtropical areas where biodiversity reaches its peak, the results of the agricultural conversion of the territory have been much greater than in the higher latitudes. But also industrialization and urbanization have played a key role in the extinction of the species. In particular, in the last three-four centuries, the human population has registered a rate of growth that had never been noted in the past, and anthropization of the natural environments that derived from this and all its consequences in terms of cementing, industrialization and deterioration of the territory, has deeply modified the features, and the ecological quality of the habitats. Another crucial factor in the present loss of biodiversity is to be found in the anthropogenic climate change. The accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions produced by human beings in the atmosphere in fact has produced an increase in the global temperature, that in many regions of the planet is already pointing out severe biological alterations and documented extinction phenomena.
The origin of the extinctions that are being recorded all over the world however, is not very recent. Due (directly or indirectly) to man, many hundreds of animal and vegetable species have become extinct starting 400 years ago. Furthermore it must be taken into consideration that many other species today can survive only because they are bred in captivity or are under the protection of conservation programmes. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) organization cyclically issues a "red list" of the organisms that are threatened by extinction. At present the list includes 12,500 species subdivided into the categories "in critical danger", "in danger" and "vulnerable". For example, out of the almost 10,000 species of birds, over 1,000 are classified in one of the three categories indicated above. Which means that more than 10% of the avifauna in the world, has a significant risk of extinction.
However the problem may be even more severe. In fact if on one hand many "vulnerable" organisms can be monitored quite easily nowadays, and therefore effective measures can be carried out in order to protect them, on the other hand there is an entire universe of organisms that cannot be controlled easily that, due to their microscopic size, their habits or for the simple fact that they still have not been discovered, escape any form of assessment of their state of conservation. A precise definition is important because most of the biomass of the planet is probably concentrated in these organisms, which in turn play an indispensible role in the balance of the ecosystems.

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There are different ways in which humans have become responsible for the disappearance of other species. From this point of view a fundamental responsibility is the impact of agriculture on the world ecology. The conversion to agriculture of the land, that has taken away considerable areas from the forests, the grasslands and the humid environments, ...

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A website that explains the need for sustainability practices in our lives.

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Sustainability is a concept related to the development of products, goods, and services that involves meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to fulfill their own needs. Sustainability as a concept recognizes that the environment is an exhaustible resource. Therefore, it is important to use the environment and its resources rationally and protect it for the good of the Earth, our environment, humanity, & all living things.

While most people associate it with the environment, sustainability can be explored in various other contexts, including economic development and social responsibility. These contexts include the Earth's carrying capacity, the sustainability of ecosystems, occupations, behavior patterns, and so on.

In a sustainable society, humans live in harmony with the natural environment, conserving resources for their future generations, so that everyone enjoys social justice and a high quality of life.

Why Is Sustainability Important?

Sustainability improves the quality of our lives, protects our ecosystem and preserves natural resources for future generations. In the corporate world, sustainability is associated with an organization's holistic approach, taking into account everything, from manufacturing to logistics to customer service. Going green and sustainable is not only beneficial for the company; it also maximizes the benefits from an environmental focus in the long-term.

Here are the major benefits of embracing sustainability:

Ensures a Future For All

Regardless of who we are, where we live, and what we do, we all have a moral obligation to each other, our future generations, and other species to sustain the planet. Our present choices and actions have huge long-term impacts on future generations. Practicing sustainability ensures that we make ethical choices that bring a safe and livable future to everyone. If we deplete the resources of the Earth, future generations will be depleted. For example, if we over fish our oceans, we risk not only depleting the supply of fish, but also depleting the supply of every organism in the food chain related to that fish.

Reduced Energy Usage

Sustainable business practices lead to a significant reduction in long-term energy costs. Some quick initiatives, like switching to energy-efficient lighting, according to production schedule, reduce long-term electrical costs. Using solar and wind energy, along with energy-efficient equipment, reduces monthly utility bills. Reducing energy consumption is actually a positive thing for businesses, it helps them become more efficient overall.

A Healthy Habitat For All

In the long-term, our society benefits from improved water and air quality, reduced landfills, and increased renewable energy sources. Sustainable actions help make a real difference in society. Being committed to sustainability will reduce your carbon footprint and the amount of toxins released into the environment, making it safe. When we focus on sustainability, the entire world benefits and gets to live in clean, more healthy living conditions.

Societal Impact

Encouraging the conservation of natural resources deeply penetrates not only your company standards and brand, but also employees and their families. If you make sustainability important in your business, you're bridging a deeply important conversation to the forefront of consumerism. The societal impact can reach far and wide.

How To Be Sustainable

Fortunately, by making a lot of simple choices, you can easily make your life more stable and still enjoyable. Here is the list of easy changes to live sustainably every day. Choosing to live a sustainable lifestyle does not mean you'll have to give things up or reduce your quality of life at all! In fact, you'll feel more fulfilled and happy knowing your contributing to a better world.

Choose Sustainable Billing Options

Every person and business on the planet has bills that need to be paid. This is a simple way all of us can make a difference. Sort through your bills and try to go paperless as much as possible. Encourage businesses you associate with to go paperless if they're not already. Regular billing statements can be sent to your email, making them more accessible, organized and secure. E-billing makes your life easier and is better for the environment.

Use Sustainable Products

It's actually very easy to opt for sustainable products these days. Tons of companies make sustainability a priority. From clothing, to beauty brands, to food and energy companies. There are so many sustainable options to choose from. So choose brands that make sustainability a top priority. Choose brands that use recycled plastic or materials rather than brands that continuously add to the landfills. If you are a business owner yourself, careful planning across your business processes can help you stop sending waste to landfills. Businesses can take a lot of simple steps to achieve more sustainable practices, such as using bamboo instead of disposable plastic cutlery, replacing fluorescent tubes with LED bulbs, and hiring waste treatment contractors, etc.

Make Transportation Adjustments

Try to avoid automobiles as much as possible, at least for short distances. It will help reduce carbon emissions, thus saving the environment. You can opt for an electric car, bike, or run or walk if you live in a walkable city. Its a great way to get exercise and reduce how much you need to rely on gasoline powered transportation.

If you can't walk or use public transportation, opt to carpool. You can offer to drive coworkers and friends rather than ride together. Or hitch a ride whenever possible. Small consistent actions really add up over the long run!

Choose Sustainable Food and Beverages

Most importantly, vote with your money. Choose sustainable food manufacturers. You can shop at local farmers markets to get tasty farm-fresh produce from local providers. Shopping at farmers markets helps reduce carbon emissions from transportation. You can also just choose brands that have committed to sustainable practices. For instance, at Blugalacier, we're fully committed to maintaining sustainable aquaculture. This is something we're super proud of and will always maintain.

Choose Reusable Products:

A little change in your habits can have a big sustainable effect. Opt for reusable bottles on the go. Choose reusable dishrags over paper towels, reusable grocery bags over paper or plastic bags. Also, use reusable food storage containers to pack your food safely while reducing waste.

Cut Down On Plastic

Every year, thousands of sea turtles, seabirds, and other marine mammals die because of plastic. So cut down on your plastic waste by using reusable bags when and avoiding plastic-made products. Plastic is not biodegradable, so it ends up in landfills unless reused by a brand committed to sustainability.

Recycle

Recycling is the very least everyone should be doing at this point. It's so easy and convenient to recycle. Simply make sure you have a recycle bin in your home, business, etc. All waste companies now offer recycling pick up with trash pick up so there is really no excuse!

Does Sustainability Matter To You?

Would love to know what your thoughts are on sustainability. Do you try to live a sustainable lifestyle? Do you choose to support businesses that make sustainability a priority? Try Oshen Salmon for a fresh and sustainable protein choice.

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Why Is Sustainability Important? | BluGlacier - Top-quality salmon producer

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Sustainability is a concept related to the development of products, goods, and services that involves meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to fulfill their own needs. Sustainability as a concept recognizes that the environment is an exhaustible resource.

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Some families across the globe face a common problem on the dinner table, silence. Or maybe just not a lot to talk about. Do we really not have a lot to talk about or are we waiting for our parents to start the conversation? This thoughtful website provides a total of 50 questions that you or your parent(s) can ask to start a conversation on the dinner table. Silence on the dinner table is a bigger problem than we think. As a family, communication is what keeps us together!

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As you and your family nourish your physical bodies with a delicious meal, you can grow together by feeding yourselves emotionally, intellectually, and even spiritually-with great conversation while being totally present and attentive.

These types of conversation starters can help make mealtimes with your family a uniquely special time of the day.

1. What was the best part of your day?

2. What are you grateful for today?

3. Does anyone have a good joke to tell?

4. How did your test go at school?

5. Did you help anyone today?

6. What is something really nice that someone did for you today?

7. If a friend was being bullied, what would you do?

8. What's your favorite movie? Why?

9. What's your favorite book? Why?

10. If you could invite someone to dinner, who would that be? What would you talk about?

11. If you had one wish that was guaranteed to come true, what would you wish for?

12. If you could be someone famous for a day, who would you be?

13. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

14. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

15. What's the nicest thing about yourself and why?

16. If you could travel back in time, what era would you like to visit?

17. What's something really nice that a friend has done for you recently?

18. What are you most proud of?

19. If there was one thing you could change in the world, what would that be?

20. If there was one thing you could change about yourself, what would that be?

21. If you could change one thing about your parents, what would that be?

22. If you could change one thing about your school, what would that be?

23. Who is your favorite teacher and why?

24. What do you think about home schooling?

25. How do you feel when someone is mad at you?

26. Who is your closest friend at school? What do you like most about them?

27. Do you know why people get divorced? Are any of your friends' parents divorced?

28. Do you like your name? If you could pick a different name, what would you pick?

29. If you could make dinner for us tomorrow night, what would you prepare?

30. If you could decorate your room however you wanted, how would it look?

31. What fun activity would you like us to do as a family?

32. What is your favorite room or area of our home?

33. What do you like most about our family?

34. What are two goals that you have for this year?

35. What would you do if you found out that your best friend was lying to her parents?

36. Who is your favorite movie star or singer? Why?

37. Who is your favorite teacher or coach? Why?

38. What is your favorite activity that you like to do with your friends?

39. What is one of the most important lessons that you have learned?

40. What did you do during recess today?

41. How did your [insert after-school activity] go today?

42. Describe yourself in three words. Then describe me in three words. (You can go around the table and have everyone take turns describing each other.)

43. If you were the leader of a country, what is one law that you would like to pass?

44. What is your favorite vacation memory?

45. How do you like this dinner? What else do you think might make it better?

46. If you could change one thing about your day today, what would it be?

47. Put a glass on the table that's half filled with water. Ask your children: "Is the glass half full or half empty?"

48. If you were an architect, what kind of building would you design?

49. Out of all the people in our family, who are you most similar to?

50. If appropriate, tell your children: "I have to make a decision about something at work." Briefly share the situation in an age-appropriate way. Then ask: "Can you help me?" Typically, children love to feel that their opinion matters... and often, their ideas are quite creative and surprising!

. . .

PS. The list of questions above, is an excerpt from a guidebook that I wrote for parents. It's called: "It Starts With You. How To Raise Happy, Successful Children By Becoming The Best Role Model You Can Possibly Be."

. . .
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Contact your qualified provider before implementing or modifying any personal growth or wellness program or technique, and with questions about your well-being.
Copyright ©2019 Dr. Suzanne Gelb, PhD, JD. All rights reserved.

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50 Things to Talk With Your Kids About at Dinner

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As you and your family nourish your physical bodies with a delicious meal, you can grow together by feeding yourselves emotionally, intellectually, and even spiritually-with great conversation while being totally present and attentive. These types of conversation starters can help make mealtimes with your family a uniquely special time of the day.

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This video shows about why biodiversity is collapsing due to climate change and it is caused by extreme weather and destroying habitats.

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Biodiversity is collapsing worldwide. Here's why.

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This article discusses the use of animal testing and the controversy surrounding it. It writes about the fact that animal testing is considered by many to be inhumane, and how it is still a vital part in research and medicine.

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"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Animals have been used repeatedly throughout the history of biomedical research. Early Greek physician-scientists, such as Aristotle, (384 - 322 BC) and Erasistratus, (304 - 258 BC), performed experiments on living animals. Likewise, Galen (129 - 199 / 217 AD), a Greek physician who practiced in Rome and was a giant in the history of medicine, conducted animal experiments to advance the understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar), an Arab physician in twelfth century Moorish Spain, introduced animal testing as an experimental method for testing surgical procedures before applying them to human patients.

In recent years, the practice of using animals for biomedical research has come under severe criticism by animal protection and animal rights groups. Laws have been passed in several countries to make the practice more 'humane'. Debates on the ethics of animal testing have raged since the seventeenth century. Theodore Roosevelt in the nineteenth century stated, "Common sense without conscience may lead to crime, but conscience without common sense may lead to folly, which is the handmaiden of crime."

Those against, contend that the benefit to humans does not justify the harm to animals. Many people also believe that animals are inferior to humans and very different from them, hence results from animals cannot be applied to humans. Those in favor of animal testing argue that experiments on animals are necessary to advance medical and biological knowledge. Claude Bernard, known as the father of physiology, stated that "experiments on animals are entirely conclusive for the toxicology and hygiene of man. The effects of these substances are the same on man as on animals, save for differences in degree". Bernard established animal experimentation as part of the standard scientific method.

Drug testing using animals became important in the twentieth century. In 1937, a pharmaceutical company in the USA created a preparation of sulfanilamide, using diethylene glycol (DEG) as a solvent, and called the preparation 'Elixir Sulfanilamide'. DEG was poisonous to humans, but the company's chief pharmacist and chemist was not aware of this. He simply added raspberry flavoring to the sulfa drug, which he had dissolved in DEG, and the company marketed the product. The preparation led to mass poisoning causing the deaths of more than a hundred people. No animal testing was done. The public outcry caused by this incident and other similar disasters led to the passing of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requiring safety testing of drugs on animals before they could be marketed.

Another tragic drug fiasco occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960s with thalidomide. It was found to act as an effective tranquilizer and painkiller and was proclaimed a 'wonder drug' for insomnia, coughs, colds, and headaches. It was found to have an inhibitory effect on morning sickness, and hence, thousands of pregnant women took the drug to relieve their symptoms. Consequently, more than 10,000 children in 46 countries were born with malformations or missing limbs (phocomelia, from the Greek meaning 'limb'). The drug was withdrawn in 1961 and 1968 after a long campaign.

The above-mentioned incidents and others illustrate the harm to humans from the use of substances that have not been first tested on animals and underline the importance of animal experimentation to avert or prevent human tragedy. The practice of using animals in biomedical research has led to significant advances in the treatment of various diseases.

Issues such as 'cruelty' to animals and the humane treatment of animals are valid concerns, and hence, the use of animals in experimentation is greatly regulated. This has led to the 3Rs campaign, which advocates the search (1) for the replacement of animals with non-living models; (2) reduction in the use of animals; and (3) refinement of animal use practices. However, total elimination of animal testing will significantly set back the development of essential medical devices, medicines, and treatment. By employing the 3Rs when continuing to use animals for scientific research, the scientific community can affirm its moral conscience as well as uphold its obligation to humanity to further the advancement of science for civilization and humanity.

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"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Animals have been used repeatedly throughout the history of biomedical research. Early Greek physician-scientists, such as Aristotle, (384 - 322 BC) and Erasistratus, (304 - 258 BC), performed experiments on living animals.

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Reasons why family and friends are good for your health

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Reasons why family and friends are good for your health

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4 reasons friends and family are good for your health

The holidays are the perfect time to gather with loved ones-- sharing stories that ignite laughter and good cheer. Engaging in these precious moments with family and friends is not only enjoyable, it's also beneficial to your health.

Health benefits of social interaction

Being social and spending time with others:

1. Helps you cope with stress. People who spend time with family and friends find healthier ways to cope with stress. A study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University found that people use their family and friends as a stress buffer, talking about their problems instead of seeking negative coping mechanisms like drinking alcohol, smoking or doing drugs.

2. May lengthen your life. An article in the American Society of Aging noted that older adults with larger social networks have a good episodic memory, better cognitive functions and a lower allostatic load, which is the wear and tear on the body and brain from being stressed. Having a good relationship with marital partners, adult children, siblings, and friends contribute to these positive health effects.

3. Improves psychological well-being. The emotional support provided by social ties enhances your psychological well-being. One study found that people who view their friends and families as supportive reported a greater sense of meaning in life and felt like they had a stronger sense of purpose.

4. Is good for your cardiovascular health. Stress can actually encourage inflammation in the arteries, which is a precursor to atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries. Having good friends and a strong social support network can relieve stress. One study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that people who discussed difficult times in their lives had a lower pulse and blood pressure when they had a friend by their side.

Check out more helpful, healthful advice from Living Better experts.

Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online.

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4 reasons friends and family are good for your health

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The holidays are the perfect time to gather with loved ones-- sharing stories that ignite laughter and good cheer. Engaging in these precious moments with family and friends is not only enjoyable, it's also beneficial to your health.

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The blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for each one of us is to develop a sustainable goals

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Elon musk, the billionaire we all know latest mission is to launch a rocket to Mars. At first thought, it sounded like a good idea. A new venture for us humans to expand! But on second thought, if this mission fails, think about all the money and un-renewable resources from Earth that will utterly go to waste. Is this worth the risk?

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Today, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he hopes to finance his plans to colonize Mars by making SpaceX's entire fleet of vehicles - the Falcon 9, the Falcon Heavy, and the Dragon spacecraft - obsolete.

Speaking at the International Astronautical Congress, Musk said that SpaceX will eventually start stockpiling these vehicles and then focus all of its resources into developing the company's next monster vehicle: the Interplanetary Transport System, codenamed the BFR (for Big Fucking Rocket).

"we believe we can do this with the revenue we receive from launching satellites and servicing the space station."

"All our resources will turn toward building BFR," Musk said. "And we believe we can do this with the revenue we receive from launching satellites and servicing the space station."

Musk also announced he's planning to scale down the ITS, proposing 31 main engines this year. Last year at the same conference, Musk unveiled the combo rocket-and-spaceship's design, which included 42 main Raptor engines that could send up to 450 metric tons to Mars. Most of the rest of the major design elements, such as in-orbit fueling and propulsive landing, remained the same.

Musk also proposed a variety of new uses for the scaled-down rocket beyond just going to Mars. Supposedly, the ITS can be used to launch satellites, take cargo to the International Space Station, and even do lunar missions to set up a Moon base. SpaceX's current Falcon 9 fleet is used to do a few of those things already, but Musk says eventually the company will turn to the ITS to do all of its space missions.

Musk also proposed a variety of new uses for the scaled-down rocket

"We can build a system that cannibalizes our own products, makes our own products redundant, then all the resources we use for Falcon Heavy and Dragon can be applied to one system," he said at the conference. Musk says the cost of launching cargo on the ITS will be fairly cheap, too, since the rocket and spaceship will be a fully reusable system (unlike the Falcon 9, which is only 70-80 percent reusable). However, SpaceX will still keep the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy on hand in case customers want to launch on flight-proven vehicles once the ITS starts flying.

Moon Base Alpha

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on

Advertising how the ITS can be used for Moon missions is a savvy business move for Musk. It's also a political one. While launching satellites and servicing the space station is lucrative, it probably isn't enough to fund the rocket's development, despite what Musk says. SpaceX will need other funds - and the US government is a good source of cash.

That may explain the newfound interest in the Moon. Vice President Mike Pence, who is in charge of the new National Space Council, has hinted at directing NASA to return to the Moon. And a few key space advisors - including Scott Pace, the executive director of the council - have been vocal about their desire to do human lunar missions.

Of course, Musk's ultimate goal is still Mars

And a lunar mission won't require going solo, like Mars does: many national space agencies, such as Russia, China, and the European Space Agency, all have their sights set on the Moon. Recently, Russia and NASA signed an agreement to study concepts for stations that could be built near the Moon.

Of course, Musk's ultimate goal is still Mars, and he's still making incredibly optimistic predictions about when the company is going to get there. Last year, Musk claimed the first crews would start flying to the Red Planet as early as 2024. This year, he said the first two cargo ITS ships will launch to Mars in 2022. That's just five years to create an entirely new rocket, send it to another planet, and land it on the surface intact. If it does land successfully, it'll be the heaviest vehicle to ever make it to the Martian surface in one piece. (The most we've ever landed on Mars weighed about 2,000 pounds, but the ITS can supposedly land between 20 to 50 tons.)

It's an unrealistic timeline. (Musk's word for it was "aspirational.") SpaceX has yet to launch any people into space, and the company has blown plenty of deadlines before. It was supposed to start sending astronauts to the International Space Station as early as this year. Now the absolute earliest is 2018 or 2019. Meanwhile, SpaceX initially promised to launch its new heavy-lift rocket, the Falcon Heavy, in 2013. The rocket hasn't yet flown, though Musk said today it should launch before the end of the year. Its development was much more difficult than he'd originally expected, Musk said.

Again this year, Musk didn't address what kind of habitats people will live in on Mars, or how a Martian colony would sustain itself. Last year, he did mention that SpaceX considers itself a transportation company first, akin to the Union Pacific Railroad, and that other companies would answer the call of how to keep people alive on the Red Planet. Instead of showing his audience more details on his Mars plans, he proposed using rockets to fly people around on Earth.

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Elon Musk plans to put all of SpaceX's resources into its Mars rocket

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Today, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he hopes to finance his plans to colonize Mars by making SpaceX's entire fleet of vehicles - the Falcon 9, the Falcon Heavy, and the Dragon spacecraft - obsolete.

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This is a web page that explains why we need music.

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Why Music Matters

Music is a universal language. It can transport us; help us relive special moments; and make us healthier, happier and more connected as family, friends, and as part of a larger community.

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Why Music Matters - Concord Conservatory of Music

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Music is a universal language. It can transport us; help us relive special moments; and make us healthier, happier and more connected as family, friends, and as part of a larger community.

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This article by the United Nations shows statistics and the problem of human inequality throughout the world

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This article suggests the importance of trade and aid for developing a country

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Ministerial Declaration

At the Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on 15-18 December 2015, ministers agreed the following text on Aid for Trade as part of the Ministerial Declaration:

"We recognize the importance of the Aid for Trade initiative in supporting developing country Members to build supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure and we shall accord priority to the LDCs' needs. We take note of the outcomes of the WTO global reviews on Aid for Trade, in particular the Fifth Global Review, and recognize the continuing need for this initiative".

Global Review of Aid for Trade

The purpose of the Global Review is to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of Aid for Trade to provide a strong incentive to both donors and recipients for advancing the Aid for Trade agenda.

Aid for Trade work programme

Activities under the Aid-for-Trade initiative are carried out on the basis of a biennial work programme. These work programmes promote deeper coherence among Aid for Trade partners and an on-going focus on Aid for Trade among the trade and development community, with the emphasis on showing results. Work programmes have generated impetus for Aid for Trade activities on the ground.

A new Aid-for-Trade Work Programme for 2020-2022 was issued on 11 February 2020. Under the theme of "Empowering Connected, Sustainable Trade", the Programme seeks to develop analysis on the opportunities that digital connectivity and sustainability offer for economic and export diversification - and how Aid for Trade can help empower different economic actors realize these opportunities. Aid for Trade can contribute towards the latter objective by addressing supply-side capacity and trade-related constraints that exist, notably among LDCs. The Work Programme will also seek to add value by analyzing how current industrialization and economic growth objectives interact with those on sustainability and responsible production, approaches which can be collectively termed "green growth", with a particular emphasis on women, youth and MSMEs. A further point for consideration is the nexus between green growth and digital connectivity itself, how these trends promote inclusive growth, in particular for LDCs - and how Aid for Trade can empower different actors to realize the opportunities created.

Role of the WTO

The role of the WTO is to:

encourage additional flows of Aid for Trade from bilateral, regional and multilateral donors to support requests for trade-related capacity building from beneficiary countries

support improved ways of monitoring and evaluating the initiative

encourage mainstreaming of trade into national development strategies by partner countries.

The Enhanced Integrated Framework is the main mechanism through which least-developed countries access Aid for Trade.

The Standards and Trade Development Facility maintains close contacts with the Aid for Trade initiative. It complements this global scheme through projects and monitoring of aid flows at an operational, issue-specific level.

Background

The Aid for Trade initiative was launched at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in December 2005. In February 2006 the WTO established a Task Force, with the aim of "operationalizing" Aid for Trade.

The Task Force recommended in July 2006 that Aid for Trade should focus on identifying the needs within recipient countries, responding to donors and acting as a bridge between donors and developing countries. It also recommended the establishment of a monitoring body in the WTO, which would undertake a periodic global review based on reports from a variety of stakeholders.

Working in cooperation

The WTO works in cooperation with, and encourages coordination among, a number of key players in the Aid for Trade initiative to take forward the Task Force recommendations. Key players include: the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Monetary Fund ( IMF), Inter-American Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, International Trade Centre ( ITC), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD), United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ( UNESCAP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization ( UNIDO), World Bank, World Customs Organization, the Enhanced Integrated Framework, and the Standards and Trade Development Facility.

Implementation/monitoring

In 2007 the WTO's Aid for Trade initiative moved into its first stage of implementing the 2006 recommendations of the Aid for Trade Task Force.

The WTO started by establishing a system of monitoring Aid for Trade at three levels:

global monitoring of overall Aid for Trade flows, based on work carried out by the OECD

monitoring the commitment of individual donors to provide additional Aid for Trade

monitoring how the needs of developing countries for additional Aid for Trade are being presented to, and met by, the international donor community, including the development banks.

A Symposium Identifying Indicators for Monitoring Aid for Trade was held on 15-16 September 2008.

Since the inception of the Aid for Trade initiative, four monitoring exercises have been undertaken, each with greater complexity and depth. Global Review events have also been held under the themes of ï¿½Maintaining Momentumï¿½ in 2009, ï¿½Showing Resultsï¿½ in 2011, and ï¿½Connecting to Value Chainsï¿½ in 2013. At each event, the WTO and OECD issue a joint flagship report on ï¿½Aid for Trade at a Glanceï¿½.

Regional reviews

Working with its partner agencies, the WTO also encourages the holding of national and sub-regional Aid-for-Trade reviews to ï¿½road-testï¿½ Aid-for-Trade plans, identify priorities, and agree on how these plans and priorities should be implemented. These review events provide a platform to raise awareness of Aid for Trade, showcase ï¿½real-worldï¿½ examples of Aid-for-Trade strategies in progress, and create incentives for other countries and sub-regions to follow. The results of these regional reviews are profiled in the Global Reviews of Aid for Trade.

Events

Official documents on Aid for Trade

Links to documents series: (WT/AFT/*) and (WT/COMTD/AFT/*)

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back to top At the Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, on 15-18 December 2015, ministers agreed the following text on Aid for Trade as part of the Ministerial Declaration: "We recognize the importance of the Aid for Trade initiative in supporting developing country Members to build supply-side capacity and trade-related infrastructure and we shall accord priority to the LDCs' needs.

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This documentary gives insight of problems within the clothing industry, such problems include overworking employees, child labour, underplaying workers especially from 3rd world countries. People often buy clothes from known brands such as H&M without knowing how it affected the environment and those who were behind the process of making those clothings.

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Modern Slavery in Fashion Industry | Child Labour | Fast Fashion | Human Rights | Documentary

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This article shows reasons how technology is helping to save our planet.

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Technology is fundamentally changing the way we live, work, relate to one another and to the external world. The speed, breadth and depth of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent and is disrupting almost every sector in every country. Now more than ever, the advent of new technology has the potential to transform environmental protection.

The hunt for new smarter ways to support our development has always been a key driver of technological advancement. Today as our civilisation faces a new unprecedented challenge, technology can play a crucial role in decoupling development and environmental degradation.

Let's be clear. No human technology can fully replace 'nature's technology' perfected over hundreds of millions of years in delivering key services to sustain life on Earth. A productive, diverse natural world, and a stable climate have been the foundation of the success of our civilization, and will continue to be so in future. A fundamental issue in previous technological revolutions has been the lightness with which we have taken for granted healthy natural systems like forests, oceans, river basins (all underpinned and maintained by biodiversity) rather than valuing these as a necessary condition to development.
We consume more natural resources than the planet can regenerate
On 1 August, the world hit Earth Overshoot Day, the point in our calendars when we tip into consuming more natural resources than the planet can regenerate in a year.

Global Footprint Network, an international non-profit that calculates how we are managing ― or failing to manage ― the world's resources, says that in the first seven months of 2018 we devoured a year's worth of resources, such as water, to produce everything from the food on our plates to the clothes we're wearing - a new unwanted record.

At present, we are using resources and ecosystem services as though we had 1.7 Earths and such an ecological overshoot is possible only for a limited time before ecosystems begin to degrade and, ultimately, collapse.

As global biodiversity continues to decline steeply, the health and functioning of crucial ecosystems like forests, the ocean, rivers and wetlands will be affected. Coupled with climate change impacts which are evident in warnings from scientists and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events worldwide; this is going to be disastrous for the ecological balance of the planet and for our survival. Earth Overshoot Day is a stark reminder of the urgent actions individuals, countries and the global community must take to protect forests, oceans, wildlife and freshwater resources and help achieve resilience and sustainable development for all.

We have a critical window of opportunity between now and 2020 to put in place commitments and actions to reverse the trend of nature loss by 2030 and help ensure the health and well-being of people and our planet.
This is not just doom and gloom, the risk is real
The failing of natural systems is not without consequences for us.

Every day new evidence of our unsustainable impact on the environment is emerging. The last five years have been the warmest five-year period on record, the Arctic warmed much faster than predicted and the UN estimates that in the last 10 years, climate-related disasters have caused $1.4 trillion worth of damage worldwide.

In just over 40 years, the world has witnessed 60% decline in wildlife across land, sea and freshwater and is heading towards a shocking decline of two-thirds by 2020 if current trends continue. This has happened in less than a generation. A blink of the eye, compared to the hundreds of millions of years some of these species have lived on our planet.

Forests are under pressure like never before with unabated deforestation and at sea, 90% of the world's fish stocks are overfished. All indicators point toward our planet being on the brink.

Why does this matter? It matters because we will not build a stable, prosperous and equitable future on a depleted planet.
The 'battle of technologies'
It is time to focus on the solutions which we know exist or have the potential to be developed and this is where technology, along with behavioural change, can help us reboot the health of our nature and planet.

From the high seas to the depths of the world's most dense forests, technology can transform how we identify, measure, track and value the many services and resources nature provides us with.
Blockchain to revolutionize the commodity markets
Earlier this year, WWF in Australia, Fiji and New Zealand joined forces to stamp out illegal fishing and slave labour in the tuna fishing industry using blockchain technology. "From bait to plate", the advances in blockchain technology can help consumers track the entire journey of their tuna - and potentially other agricultural commodities and fish - revolutionizing systems of certification and traceability. We can also use satellite data and cost-effective GPS tracking devices to 'see' and understand global fishing and global vessel traffic.
Remote sensing in planning and monitoring
On land as well, remote sensing plays an important role in planning, monitoring, and evaluating impact on the ground. It has enabled WWF to monitor the developments of extractive industries in socially and ecologically-sensitive areas, including World Heritage sites.

We're also partnering with NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) and UCLA to develop an algorithm that enables the detection of deforestation from palm oil expansion using remote sensing data, and we're exploring the potential to expand this technology to other commodities.
Drones and crowdsourcing help monitor forest health and detect illegal logging
Protecting the world's forests means ensuring land-in the right places-is protected or restored as well as healthy, providing people and wildlife what they need to survive, like clean air and water, food and jobs. And that's where drones come in to play, acting as our eyes on the forest. And it's not just WWF that is using this technology.

WRI (World Research Institute) has developed Global Forest Watch (GFW), an online forest monitoring and alert system that uses crowdsourcing, to allow anyone to create custom maps, analyse forest trends, subscribe to alerts, or download data for their local area or the entire world.
Thermal imaging to combat poaching
Every night, park rangers patrol the pitch-black savanna of Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve. They search for armed poachers who spill across the border from Tanzania to hunt for bush meat and ivory. For years the number of poachers overwhelmed the relatively small cadre of rangers. Technology is now helping to turn the tide. Thermal imaging video cameras enable rangers to catch poachers at record rates and deter many more from even making the attempt.

Beyond direct interventions to stop poaching, WWF also uses technology to go after wildlife traffickers. To that end, we're working with a coalition of leading e-commerce and social media giants in the US and China to root out the sale of illicit wildlife products on their platforms.

It is hard to think of technology and nature together but even advances like Artificial Intelligence (AI) that could not be further removed from the natural world are helping conservation efforts.

In China, WWF and tech giant Intel are harnessing the power of AI to help protect wild tigers and their habitats, while also protecting countless other species as a result while helping carbon storage, vital watersheds and communities in the area.
An engaged public is critical
As we engage new partners and pursue novel applications of technology, we believe an informed and engaged public is critical to this work and we are constantly looking to make people aware of the challenges facing our planet and what we're doing to solve them. In 2016, we partnered with Apple to create an Apps for Earth campaign that raised $8 million and educated millions of people around the world about core conservation issues. More recently, we leveraged Apple's augmented reality tools to launch the " WWF Free Rivers" app that invites people to experience the importance of free-flowing rivers for nature and for humans, and demonstrates how ill-conceived economic development endangers them both.

The possibilities for technology partnerships to reboot nature are endless. Our challenge now is to scale this work beyond a few test sites and into all of the places we are working to protect the planet. More than technology, we need a fundamental shift in mindset and understanding of the role that nature and biodiversity plans in our lives and businesses.

If we continue to produce, consume and power our lives the way we do right now, forests, oceans and weather systems will be overwhelmed and collapse. Unsustainable agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure projects, mining and energy are leading to unprecedented biodiversity loss and habitat degradation, over-exploitation, pollution and climate change.

While their impacts are increasingly evident in the natural world, the consequences on people are real too. From food and water scarcity to the quality of the air we breathe, the evidence has never been clearer. We are however, in many instances, failing to make the link. Alongside the technological revolution, what we need is an equally unprecedented cultural revolution in the way we connect with the planet.
This article is part of the World Economic Forum's Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth series, which explores how innovative technologies are beginning to transform the way we manage natural resources and address climate change and other environmental challenges caused by industrialization.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Technology can help us save the planet. But more than anything, we must learn to value nature

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Technology is fundamentally changing the way we live, work, relate to one another and to the external world. The speed, breadth and depth of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent and is disrupting almost every sector in every country. Now more than ever, the advent of new technology has the potential to transform environmental protection.

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Having a family is very important because family gives us a lot of advantage. Family are the people who comforts us, they teach us about manners and attitude that we might not be able to learn in school and they also tell us what we are allowed to do and what we are not allowed to do and they tell us that for our own good or for our own safety

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The Top Ten Benefits of Spending Time with Family | Highland Springs

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The benefits of spending time with family are such a critical component of a full, meaningful life. Learn more about why spending time with family is important!

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Electronic/Digital Gadgets.

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Electronic/Digital Gadgets.

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of course in gadgets there will always be advantages and disadvantages as well. Some of the advantages of gadgets are that gadgets entertains us. some people uses gadgets such as pc, laptop, mobile phones to play games, watch tiktok, watch Youtube, text their friends and families. Gadgets can also help us when we need to research about something we need. we can use google or maybe other apps to help us with our researches. but most people doesn't know that there are also disadvantages when they use their gadgets. some of the disadvantages are that our gadgets can most likely distract us from our other priorities such as school homework, lesson homework and many more. Gadgets also damages our eye sight because of the brightness in our gadgets. Gadgets can also be very addictive and there are already a lot of people who are so addicted with gadgets until they cannot let go of their gadgets and can never focus on their school or lesson studies.

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Bharti Adhikari 4 Mins Read

As a parent, it is important to manage your child's exposure to gadgets. Let's look at some advantages and disadvantages of electronic gadgets for your child

Today, technology has become an inseparable part of a child's daily life and it's not surprising to see even a four-year-old unlock mobile phones, operate apps, play games, and hit the right links on touch screen gadgets.

For children, these gadgets promote an enhanced learning experience, help them enhance their skills, and allow them to explore their topics of interest.

As parents, it is important to make yourself aware of the advantages and disadvantages of electronic gadgets, and ways to manage gadget use to benefit your child's lifestyle.

Electronic devices may help to enhance speaking, listening, and creative skills.

Toddlers and preschoolers learn by listening to music or watching programs on handheld gadgets or television. The visual representation helps to stimulate their senses.

Playing competitive video games on electronic devices helps improve hand-eye coordination.

Students are able to understand concepts better by using learning apps without any assistance.

Young children may refuse to cooperate unless allowed to play with their gadgets.

Excess use of electronic gadgets can lead to children spending less time outdoors and limiting their social interaction.

It may lead to poor concentration in studies and lack of interest in day-to-day activities.

Excessive gadgets use can lead to poor health, a sedentary lifestyle, and bad eating habits.

Playing video games of a violent nature can have a negative effect on your child's behavior.

Importance of electronic devices

Electronic gadgets are beneficial in many ways to students. Here are some examples of how children and students use them to benefit in different ways.

Communication: Email, chats, and group discussions all are made possible with gadgets like tablets, smartphones, and computers connected via the Internet. Students are increasingly sharing tasks and information, making reports, and taking part in group activities and projects via their electronic devices.

Learning: There are many learning apps and educational videos available online to make learning easier for children of all ages. There are various types of educational apps like language learning apps, home tuition apps, and study apps which students can access on their electronic gadgets.

Research: Electronic devices are a boon for students who do a lot of research online, access online journals, books, or magazines, and attend virtual classrooms as part of their academic activities.

How to manage your child's gadget exposure

Every gadget in your hand will fascinate your child, and yes, we understand perfectly how worried you may be as a parent when you hear about gadget addiction issues in children of a very young age. Also, there are online safety concerns.

So, what do you do, as a parent?

Be involved

To ensure your child reaps the right benefits, you need to get involved. You should bear in mind that parental monitoring and intervention are essential when it comes to content. Choose TV programs, apps, software, and gadgets only after researching. You can even consult other parents. Look for content that fosters your child's creativity, and social and academic skills without any exposure to violence and negativity.

Embrace the trend

Allowing your child to engage in electronic media may throw up some challenges for you. You will often find yourself wondering whether to appreciate its academic benefits or worry over online safety issues. Your anxiety may end up imposing a ban on such media. The best thing to do is make electronic media work for your family in ways that will help your child hone her skills, improve her performance in academics, and grooming her social behavior.

Choose wisely

The electronic media market for children is no more limited to television, educational DVDs, and computer games. What gadget you choose for your child will decide what he derives out of them. Most importantly, sit, watch, play, and discuss along with your child to make sure he is safe online.

ParentCircle is a magazine that empowers parents to raise successful and happy children. SUBSCRIBE NOW

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Electronic Gadgets, Negative Effects of Gadgets for Students | ParentCircle

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Bharti Adhikari 4 Mins Read As a parent, it is important to manage your child's exposure to gadgets. Let's look at some advantages and disadvantages of electronic gadgets for your child Today, technology has become an inseparable part of a child's daily life and it's not surprising to see even a four-year-old unlock mobile phones, operate apps, play games, and hit the right links on touch screen gadgets.

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There are a lot of similarities between humans and animals. Some of the similarities are that they both have feelings, families and both humans and animals have intelligence. Some of the difference between animals and humans are that humans and animals communicate in a different way. humans and animals also lives in different kinds of habitats. For example, polar bears has to live near the ice or in a very cold place to live while humans doesn't necessarily have to live in a cold habitat. another difference between them are that animals lives near the nature for example the forest and desert while humans lives in houses which are not usually near animal habitats.

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You want to know what commonalities connect humans and animals? Then you've come to the right place! Since I have been campaigning for the rights of animals, I often feel how little appreciation many people have for the life of an animal. Many people would like to save endangered species such as polar bears or orangutans - but when it comes to cows, pigs, chickens and other "farm animals" the compassion stops abruptly. "Animals are not human" and we "humans are simply more intelligent" are popular justifications for the exploitation of animals and the unavoidable Cruelty to animals. But are we humans and animals really so different?

Whether it's a dolphin, a dog, a cat or a cow - it's the 21st century and it's time to become aware of the similarities between humans and animals in order to give all animals the life they deserve. Here I present you 10 commonalities that will show you how similar we are to our animal friends. Let's go!

Here is in advance a short Overview for you:

What commonalities connect humans and animals? 10 wonderful examples

Of course, we humans are not exactly like animals. But animals are not the exact opposite of us humans either. We do not differ entirely, but only in degree. Biologically, we humans are even animals Homo sapiens is defined as a higher mammal from the order of primates and belongs to the family of apes. A DNA comparison between humans and chimpanzees supports this classification. Between 96 and 99 percent of the DNA match.₁

But basically, every animal has a certain thing in common with us humans. Here I would like to introduce you to 10 of them - and I am sure that I can surprise you with one or the other.

1. both experience the world consciously

Just like us humans, animals have a central nervous system₂ and therefore also experience the world quite consciously. They can hear, smell, taste, feel and see and perceive the stimuli from the environment. Many animals can do these things even better than we humans.

Notice: Most people justify their carnality with the argument " Do plants have feelings?". Even though plants are naturally living beings, they do not have a brain according to the current state of research. They only react to light, touch and other external stimuli. But they have no consciousness and do not need it.

2. both maintain a social life

What else do humans and animals have in common? For example, the fact that they maintain an orderly social life. A look at the " Pecking order" of chickens confirms this. In this hierarchy of the community, every chicken knows its place - even friendships are made.₃ Pigs, by the way, also show a very sophisticated, social competitive behavior.₄

3. both are clean

We humans are not the only ones, who like it clean! An example from the animal world? Even if the term "dirty pig" has established itself in the linguistic usage of many people, pigs are totally clean animals. As soon as you are given the opportunity, they take care, for example, not to defecate where they sleep or eat. They usually also have some sort of "toilet corner" that they use.

4. both are intelligent

What do humans and animals have in common? Their intelligence, of course. Vertebrates possess a central nervous systemthat from Brain and spinal cord. Studies have shown, for example, that pigs are even smarter than average three-year-old children.₅ And crows are inventive, gifted with language and able to use tools. There are countless examples of intelligence in the animal kingdom that support this similarity to us humans.

Tip: Also, feel free to read through my post with the tips we People learn from animals can!

5. both have feelings

Most know feelings from the animal world certainly from their dogs or cats. In fact, however, almost all animals show that they have feelings like Joy, Fear or also Faithful can feel. For example, many chickens and turkeys like hugs and cows like to listen to music - behaviors that surprise most people. Also moral conduct has already been demonstrated in the form of empathy, emotion contagion, perspective taking, reconciliation after an argument, and sharing and comforting.₆

It is scientifically proven that Animals emotions have. Nevertheless, many people still put animals on the same level as plants.

6. both have a self-perception

Not all, but many animals recognize themselves in the mirror. For example, apes, magpies, dolphins and pigs. They all have the so-called Mirror test passed and shown that you recognize yourself. So the similarities between humans and animals also include self-awareness.₇

7. both develop diseases

Even though I do not want any form of Animal testing reject, the Medicine much diseased animals learn. For example, on the relationship between stress and sudden heart failure, which is common in birds, rabbits and monkeys.

Like humans, animals can also develop food intolerances or allergies. The symptoms are similar, but in dogs, cats or horses, for example, they mainly concern gastrointestinal complaints and the skin.₈

Notice: The cattle disease or the Corona pandemic are a consequence of our treatment of animals. Rethinking this is one of the things, we humans from the covid19 pandemic need to learn.

8. both have one vote

What else connects humans and animals? The voice, of course. By definition, this is the ability to produce sounds and tones through vibrations of the vocal cords in interaction with resonance phenomena. We humans may not be able to directly translate and understand the mooing of a cow or the crowing of a rooster - but still the animals communicate with each other like this. In advocating for the rights of animals in our society - which we humans give them - we must nevertheless give them a "human" voice in order to improve their living conditions.

9. both can remember faces

What other similarities do humans and animals have? We're both pretty good at remembering faces and recognizing them. In a study conducted by the University of Cambridge Sheep for example, match the faces of President Obama with an astounding hit rate.₉ Even Crows and Chickens can memorize faces and recall their memories of them. However, the ability to recognize faces applies not only to human faces, but also to faces among animals themselves.

10. BOTH WANT TO LIVE

"All animals know it, except man, that the highest goal of life is joy." - this Animal welfare quote by the former British writer Samuel Butler is representative of another commonality between humans and animals: the will to live. However, the way we humans treat the majority of all animals creates the feeling, that we are quite indifferent to the will to live and the happiness of the animals. In the Factory farming cows, pigs or chickens try to break out of the killing boxes as soon as they smell the blood of their fellow species. Even small fish try to flee from predators like sharks or jump back into the water when they are pulled onto the cutter by fishermen. No human being or animal that consciously experiences our world wants to die voluntarily.

Use the commonalities of humans and animals to treat each other with respect

Respectful towards animals - and subsequently more respectful towards other people! Because let's be honest: how big would be the psychological hurdle to harm another human being, if it is already considered reprehensible in our society to harm animals?

We have the power, therefore the choice, and therefore the responsibility. We are in the comfortable position of being able to exploit animals, but should we do so when it is not necessary? Humans and animals have so much in common. We should use the common ground to better put ourselves in the shoes of animals. And think twice about whether it's worth it for a sentient being to pay with his entire life for us to enjoy his body parts for 4 minutes on a sandwich.

Humans and animals are similar in so many of their behaviors and ways of thinking - even though they may differ significantly from us humans in appearance (with fur and feathers). All animals should be treated equally-fairly by us, in order to Speciesism to defeat

Do you have any questions or suggestions? Or can you think of other similarities between humans and animals? Then feel free to write me a comment!

Stay pet friendly,

PS: Today you learned what humans and animals have in common. At Animal welfare blog you will get a lot more tips! For example, learn what you do against factory farming in everyday life can.

References:

₁ H. Dambeck: Genetic comparison - chimpanzees and humans almost identical (as of 31.08.2005), https://t1p.de/metg. [12.04.2021].

₂ Toshiyuki Saito (2002): Functional study of the central nervous system for farm animal husbandry, https://t1p.de/azf2. [12.04.2021].

₃ PETA Deutschland e.V.: The chicken - 10 fascinating facts about chickens (as of June 2006), https://www.peta.de/themen/huehner. [12.04.2021].

₄ Hope and Cogen Bohanec (2013): The Ultimate Betrayal, Is There Happy Meat?, https://t1p.de/1qye. [12.04.2021].

₅ E. Petras: Pigs Are Intelligent, http://www.agtiere.de/tierschutz-info/info-schweine. [12.04.2021].

₆ J. Brunke: Moral Behavior in Animals, https://t1p.de/faq7. [12.04.2021].

₇ PETA Deutschland e.V.: Self-perception: These 5 animals recognize themselves in the mirror (as of September 2018), https://t1p.de/d4wc. [12.04.2021].

₈ MTA - DAS PORTAL: Incompatibilities - What humans and animals have in common (as at: 26.08.2017), https://t1p.de/lbe5. [12.04.2021].

₉ University of Cambridge: Sheep are able to recognize human faces from photographs, available at https://t1p.de/12a7. [12.04.2021].
* Links with asterisks are so-called Affiliate linksIf you click on it and buy something, you actively support my work with CareElite.de, because I get a small share of the sales revenue. Thank you for your support and best regards, Christoph!

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10 impressive similarities between humans and animals - CareElite

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You want to know what commonalities connect humans and animals? Then you've come to the right place! Since I have been campaigning for the rights of animals, I often feel how little appreciation many people have for the life of an animal.

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An article which shares that several studies have suggested some animals are able to comprehend spoken language.

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Many humans are sure their pets understand a variety of commands – but what do the experts have to say? Read on to find out exactly how much animals grasp the English language.

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This article elaborates on how culture (and stereotypes engraved within society) influences our belief.

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Too often, we find ourselves assuming knowledge about an entire culture based on misleading sources of information, be that the media or a misinformed friend. As a result, cultural stereotyping has grown.

Culture shapes people's attitudes about others, and because they have these attitudes, it influences how we see ourselves, said sociology teacher Chris Salituro.

"Because you are part of those groups, you are more likely to think in certain ways, behave in certain ways because our culture influences those groups to think and behave in those ways," Salituro said. "Being an American, being a teenager, being white, being a female-all of these are groups that you could be part of."

Moreover, it is about what we believe to be acceptable and how we expect people to act, Salituro said. Humans are made to be social beings who tend to form bonds more easily with people who are in the same groups, also known as ingroups to sociologists. The opposite of that is an outgroup, a group one does not belong to. We, as humans, more easily develop mistrust judgment of outgroups.

"When the Irish first came to America, people didn't even believe that they were white-but eventually, they were accepted and became part of the ingroup," Salituro said. "Then they judged the Italians, and then the Polish, and then the Mexicans, and we see that with each new ingroup, something else becomes the outgroup."

However, judgment based on appearance is not often as black and white as history's examples show. Today, false cultural assumptions are oftentimes made as a result of mixed backgrounds with subtle physical indications.

Raised by a Catholic mother and Muslim father, Juli Ozmeral '15 had a diverse upbringing in both culture and religion. Her mother was raised in Aurora, Illinois where she attended private Catholic schools from kindergarten to college. Her father grew up in Istanbul, Turkey where he lived until he came to the United States for college at 18. Her father's family typically only practiced loosely, celebrating their faith for holidays, weddings and funerals, Ozmeral said.

At the age of 9, Ozmeral began to attend a Unitarian Church as a compromise between her parents' faiths. She was taught about all different religions and faiths around the world and explained that any belief system she held was valid as long as she treated others with respect and kindness. The entire religious education process led to her Affirmation Speech, where she proclaimed her beliefs to the congregation at thirteen.

Ozmeral's least favorite part of having a mixed background was the frustration and confusion it caused. Because many people tend to see things as two-sided, Ozmeral felt that she needed to be able to describe her family with a pre-defined label.

"Every time I mention I am Turkish, or that my father grew up in Istanbul, the same question always arises: 'Oh. He must be a Christian Turk, right?'," Ozmeral said. "And each time I must explain to my presumptuous audience that just because I have blonde hair and blue eyes does not make me any less the daughter of a Muslim man."

Blind misconceptions, though sometimes harmless, are not always given a second chance. Seema Jain, Director of Multicultural Affairs at Marriott International, works with Marriott hotels to ensure that associates are culturally competent for multicultural guests.

"My main responsibility is to make sure that we provide our teams with the tools and resources to be more culturally competent," Jain said. "Whether it is a Japanese, Brazilian or German traveler, we want to ensure that our associates are comfortable with all the guests who come to our hotels."

Since her start 2 years ago, Jain's work at Marriott has gained significant recognition. According to diversityinc.com, it is currently the 16th most diverse company. As a global company with a presence in many countries across the world, Marriott holds partnerships with various diversity organizations to build ties and help all of them gain even more awareness.

"Once upon a time, it was very important to find out what kind of pillows your guest wants, but now it's also what kind of cultural needs might they have," Jain said. "My philosophy is that if you can understand the mindset of a particular group, and you can become immersed in their culture, you will start to appreciate that culture-and it makes it a lot easier when you're working with a group because you understand."

Ultimately, there is a key difference between understanding a group and their culture and assuming knowledge through judgment and generalizations.

According to Jain, when we are genuine and authentic and truly want to learn about cultures, others will see that.

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Too often, we find ourselves assuming knowledge about an entire culture based on misleading sources of information, be that the media or a misinformed friend. As a result, cultural stereotyping has grown. Culture shapes people's attitudes about others, and because they have these attitudes, it influences how we see ourselves, said sociology teacher Chris Salituro....

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Some societies disregard toxic parenting and instead, glorifies it. This article shows an in-depth exploration of toxic parenting. From experiencing toxic parenting as a child to co-parenting with someone who asserts toxic parenting - all is discussed.

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There are people in your life who will lift you up and give you support whenever you need it. And there may be others who delight in tearing you down or causing you pain.

It can be particularly disheartening and challenging when a toxic person like this also happens to be your parent or someone you're tasked to co-parent with.

Whatever the case, there are things you can do to mitigate the effects of toxic parents. Here's more about what exactly a toxic parent is and how you can make strides toward healing emotional wounds from a traumatic childhood.

To be clear, "toxic parent" isn't a medical term or a clearly defined concept. When people discuss toxic parents they are typically describing parents who consistently behave in ways that cause guilt, fear, or obligation in their children. Their actions aren't isolated events, but patterns of behavior that negatively shape their child's life.

The thing is, parents are human beings. And that means that they may make mistakes, yell too much, or do potentially damaging things to their kids - even unintentionally. But their impulse is to do better and make things right.

A toxic parent, however, is more concerned with their own needs than whether what they're doing is harmful or damaging. They likely won't apologize or even admit that what they are doing is wrong. And the abuse or neglect tends to be ongoing or progressive.

Characteristics

"Toxic parent" is an umbrella term for parents who display some or all of the following characteristics:

Self-centered behaviors. Your parent may be emotionally unavailable, narcissistic, or perhaps uncaring when it comes to things that you need. It may feel like all situations return to the same question: "What about ME?"

Physical and verbal abuse. Abuse may not always be hitting, yelling, threats, or something totally obvious either. You may encounter more subtle abuse like name-calling, shifting of blame, silent treatment, or gaslighting.

Controlling behaviors. Toxic parents may invade your privacy or not allow you to make your own decisions. Or maybe they're overly critical and controlling of your decisions, even as an adult.

Manipulative behaviors. Your parent may try to control you by using guilt or shame to play with your emotions. Toxic parents may even hold time, money, or other items as pawns in their manipulation game.

Lack of boundaries. Toxic parents tend to push and push and push to get their way. As you tire from their tactics, you may simply give in to ideas or situations out of exhaustion or frustration.

Outbursts and bad days are perfectly normal for anyone to have, including parents. But if the behaviors you remember from your childhood are constant or have some type of pattern, you may want to take a second look at how they impacted the person you have become.

Think back to your childhood and ask yourself:

Did my parents emotionally abuse me? Did they tell me I was worthless or just plain bad?

Did they physically abuse me under the guise of discipline?

Was I forced to care for my parents at a young age?

Was I scared of my parents or their actions? Was I afraid to show my anger or frustration to them?

Did they make me keep secrets from family or friends about things they did to me, like physical or sexual abuse?

Or maybe you're still dealing with this type of relationship:

Do my parents treat me like I am still a child?

Do they guilt me to get what they want? Or do they use threats or other manipulation strategies, like giving/withholding money?

Do I feel ill or have other overwhelming physical or emotional feelings after seeing my parents?

Do I just feel like I will never live up to my parents' expectations?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you may have a toxic parent in your life. Take a moment to let that sink in.

Then consider this: You may blame yourself for their behaviors or how you react to them. You may feel guilty or inadequate, which makes it hard to thrive in your life as an adult. Growing up with such tremendous stress and confusion can also make it very hard to form healthy self-esteem, so you may be carrying some heavy baggage around with you.

But you can also make changes to your relationship and your life to address and heal from the damage done.

Family - no matter what form it takes - has a significant impact on an individual's feelings of self-worth, perception of and trust in others, and general world view. Basically, it's the foundation for how you see and interact with the people, places, and things around you.

Once you realize that you have been exposed to toxicity, it may be helpful or even liberating to recognize that many behaviors you learned are toxic. You may have viewed damaging experiences you had growing up as, well, normal.

For example, you may have been beaten or abused but pushed it off as being merely spanked. You may have been severely neglected but framed it as your parents being too busy.

If you are a parent who grew up with a toxic parent as a model, you may feel doomed. How can you overcome history repeating itself?

There's good news here. With a little work, learned behaviors can be unlearned and modified. This isn't an easy task, but the first step is recognizing that you were shaped by your environment. You cannot change until you understand and accept the things that have influenced your behaviors.

While you cannot change someone else's behavior, setting boundaries can limit the interactions you have with toxic parents. It can also help you take control in the situation and feel some power where you may have felt powerless before.

As an adult, you may still be influenced or overwhelmed by your parents. You may even feel like you're waiting for someone to give you permission to escape from that influence.

Here's the thing: You are that person who can grant yourself permission. You are that person who can decide to change and take back your life. And you can start as early as today by making a plan.

Boundaries

One of the best places to start is with setting clear boundaries. A boundary is simply an invisible line that you set for yourself and that you do not allow someone to cross. This may be physical or emotional. And exactly where that boundary is drawn is completely up to you.

California-based psychotherapist Sharon Martin shares three tips for setting boundaries with toxic people.

Be straightforward with the boundaries you define - and don't leave them up for interpretation. While your toxic parent may not be happy being told what to do (in fact, pushing beyond your limits is likely one of the ways they are toxic!), they will lose the ability to push you past your breaking zone.

Make communication about boundaries clear and consistent. Stick to your guns. It's OK to say NO to your parents if they have gone too far. At the same time, stay calm and resist blaming and getting overly defensive (some parents feed on this energy).

Continually check in with yourself. Are your parents respecting your boundaries? If not, you may need to come up with a plan B, even if it means cutting contact for some time.

Healing

It's important to take the time to think about your childhood experiences and how they shaped you. Sit with them. Think about how they make you feel. Think about how they make you act. You might find it helpful to write your feelings down or to talk with a trusted family member or friend.

For some, this process may be overwhelming. You don't have to embark on the path of healing alone. Consider making an appointment with a licensed mental health professional to get some ideas for how to start.

And if you do see certain behaviors coming out in your own parenting, try these tips from the experts at Brown University:

Make a list of the things you want to change.

Write next to each behavior the way you would like to behave/feel instead.

Prioritize the list if you want, and then choosing a behavior to start with.

Practice your desired behavior in place of the one you want to change.

Once you feel you've mastered one behavior, you can move your way down the list and attack others.

Related: The no BS guide to protecting your emotional space

So, maybe you didn't grow up with a toxic parent, but you have to work with one to bring up your children. Impossible, right?

In this situation, there are unique challenges for both you and your children. Expect things to be difficult. Expect there to be some heartache. But also remember that you make up half of the equation and you have power over how things progress as time goes on.

You must come up with ways to advocate for your children and set boundaries, all while having to maintain a working relationship with your toxic ex.

Try your best to breathe. Remind yourself that you are your own person. You have power over your actions and thoughts. You can change how you behave and react. And you can set limits for your children and their interactions with your ex.

Some strategies that might help include:

Setting up a legal parenting plan. That way, you'll have things in writing that you both must follow. No guilting or manipulating can change what's written by the courts.

Working through court-appointed mediators. If you're running into issues time and time again, take the fight out of your hands and get help from higher authorities. Plus, this way, you have clear documentation of exactly what is done and said.

Showing your kids some extra empathy. Your children are likely taking the brunt of the toxicity. Try the best you can to assure them they are in a safe space with you. And give them the tools they need to find this safety when they aren't.

Related: Tips for co-parenting with a narcissist

No matter what, be sure to give yourself some grace. Recognizing difficult things about your childhood can be painful and bring up a host of emotions you might not expect.

And if you feel you have slipped into toxic patterns yourself, just know that changing can take time. The important thing is that you are committed to changing and that you recognize the need to change for your own mental health and for the health of those around you.

You'll get there. You will! Reach out for help when you need it and understand that you are not alone in this journey.

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Understanding and Dealing with Toxic Parents and Co-Parents

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There are people in your life who will lift you up and give you support whenever you need it. And there may be others who delight in tearing you down or causing you pain. It can be particularly disheartening and challenging when a toxic person like this also happens to be your parent or someone you're tasked to co-parent with.

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This article is about families that declines the traditional image of a family. For example people might think that a single parent  and a child is not a full family. But it still is a complete family.

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The Decline of the Traditional Family

One parent households, cohabitation, same sex families, and voluntary childless couples are increasingly common.

Learning Objectives

Summarize the prevalence of single parents, cohabitation, same-sex couples, and unmarried individuals

Key Takeaways

Key Points

One recent trend illustrating the changing nature of families is the rise in prevalence of single-parent families.

Cohabitation is an intimate relationship that includes a common living place and which exists without the benefit of legal, cultural, or religious sanction.

While homosexuality has existed for thousands of years among human beings, formal marriages between homosexual partners is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Voluntary childlessness in women is defined as women of childbearing age who are fertile and do not intend to have children.

Key Terms

cohabitation: An emotionally and physically intimate relationship that includes a common living place and which exists without legal or religious sanction.

Voluntary Childlessness: Women of childbearing age who are fertile and do not intend to have children, women who have chosen sterilization, or women past childbearing age who were fertile but chose not to have children.

Family structures of some kind are found in every society. Pairing off into formal or informal marital relationships originated in hunter-gatherer groups to forge networks of cooperation beyond the immediate family. Intermarriage between groups, tribes, or clans was often political or strategic and resulted in reciprocal obligations between the two groups represented by the marital partners. Even so, marital dissolution was not a serious problem as the obligations resting on marital longevity were not particularly high.

One Parent Households

One recent trend illustrating the changing nature of families is the rise in prevalence of single-parent families. While somewhat more common prior to the twentieth century due to the more frequent deaths of spouses, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the nuclear family became the societal norm in most Western nations. But what was the prevailing norm for much of the twentieth century is no longer the actual norm, nor is it perceived as such.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the change in the economic structure of the United States --the inability to support a nuclear family on a single wage--had significant ramifications on family life. Women and men began delaying the age of first marriage in order to invest in their earning power before marriage by spending more time in school. The increased levels of education among women, with women now earn more than 50% of bachelor's degrees, positioned women to survive economically without the support of a husband. By 1997, 40% of births to unmarried American women were intentional and, despite a still prominent gender gap in pay, women were able to survive as single mothers.

Cohabitation

Cohabitation is an intimate relationship that includes a common living place and which exists without the benefit of legal, cultural, or religious sanction. It can be seen as an alternative form of marriage, in that, in practice, it is similar to marriage, but it does not receive the same formal recognition by religions, governments, or cultures. The cohabiting population, although inclusive of all ages, is mainly made up of those between the ages of 25 and 34. In 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 4.85 million cohabiting couples, up more than 1,000% from 1960, when there were 439,000 such couples. More than half of couples in the United States lived together, at least briefly, before walking down the aisle.

Same- Sex Unions

While homosexuality has existed for thousands of years among human beings, formal marriages between homosexual partners is a relatively recent phenomenon. As of 2009, only two states in the United States recognized marriages between same-sex partners, Massachusetts and Iowa, where same-sex marriage was formally allowed as of May 17, 2004 and April 2009, respectively. Three additional states allow same-sex civil unions, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont. Between May 2004 and December 2006, 7,341 same-sex couples married in Massachusetts. Assuming the percentage of homosexuals in Massachusetts is similar to that of the rest of the nation, the above number indicates that 16.7% of homosexuals in Massachusetts married during that time. Massachusetts is also the state with the lowest divorce rate.

Same sex couples, while becoming increasingly more common, still only account for about 1 percent of American households, according to 2010 Census data. About 0.5 percent of American households were same-sex couples in 2000, so this number has doubled, and it is expected to continuing increasing by the next Census data.

Childfree Couples

Voluntary childlessness in women is defined as women of childbearing age who are fertile and do not intend to have children, women who have chosen sterilization, or women past childbearing age who were fertile but chose not to have children. Individuals can also be "temporarily childless" or do not currently have children but want children in the future. The availability of reliable contraception along with support provided in old age by systems other than traditional familial ones has made childlessness an option for some people in developed countries. In most societies and for most of human history, choosing to be childfree was both difficult and undesirable. To accomplish the goal of remaining childfree, some individuals undergo medical sterilization or relinquish their children for adoption.

Change in Marriage Rate

Over the past three decades, marriage rates in the United States have increased for all racial and ethnic groups.

Learning Objectives

Recognize changes in marriage patterns

Key Takeaways

Key Points

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people, called spouses, that creates kinship.

Marriage laws have changed over the course of United States history, including the removal of bans on interracial marriage.

Of all racial categories considered by the U.S. Census, African-Americans have married the least.

Of all racial categories considered by the U.S. Census, Hispanics have married the most.

The average family income for married households is higher than the average family income of unmarried households. However, marriage rates have increased for poverty -stricken populations as well.

Key Terms

wedding: Marriage ceremony; a ritual officially celebrating the beginning of a marriage.

Marriage Laws: The legal requirements that determine the validity of a marriage.

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people, called spouses, that creates kinship. The definition of marriage varies according to different cultures, but is usually an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged. Such a union is often formalized through a wedding ceremony.

Marriage Rates in the United States

Marriage laws have changed over the course of United States history, including the removal of bans on interracial marriage. In the twenty-first century, laws have been passed enabling same-sex marriages in several states. According to the United States Census Bureau, 2,077,000 marriages occurred in the United States in 2009. The median age for the first marriage of an American has increased in recent years; the median age in the early 1970s was 21 for women and 23 for men, and rose to 26 for women and 28 for men by 2009. As of 2006, 55.7% of Americans age 18 and over were married. According to the 2008-2010 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, males over the age of 15 have married at a rate of 51.5%. Females over the age of 15 have married at a rate of 47.7%. The separation rate is 1.8% for males and 0.1% for females.

Marriage Trends

African Americans have married the least of all of the major ethnic groups in the U.S., with a 29.9% marriage rate, but have the highest separation rate which is 4.5%. This results in a high percentage of single mother households among African Americans compared with other ethnic groups (White, African American, Native Americans, Asian, Hispanic). This can lead a child to become closer to his/her mother, the only caregiver. Yet one parent households are also more susceptible to economic difficulties. Native Americans have the second lowest marriage rate at 37.9%. Hispanics have a 45.1% marriage rate, with a 3.5% separation rate.

In the United States, the two ethnic groups with the highest marriage rates included Asians with 58.5%, and Whites with 52.9%. Asians have the lowest rate of divorce among the main groups with 1.8%. Whites, African Americans, and Native Americans have the highest rates of being widowed, ranging from 5%-6.5%. They also have the highest rates of divorce among the three, ranging from 11%-13%, with Native Americans having the highest divorce rate.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, the average family income is higher than previous years, at $62,770. Nevertheless, the percentage of family households below the poverty line in 2011 was 15.1%, higher than in 2000 when it was 11.3%.

Unmarried Mothers

With the rise of single-parent households, unmarried mothers have become more common in the United States.

Learning Objectives

Discuss the factors involved in the increasing number of single-parent households

Key Takeaways

Key Points

One recent trend illustrating the changing nature of families is the rise in prevalence of single-parent household.

The expectation of single mothers as primary caregiver is a part of traditional parenting trends between mothers and fathers.

In the United States, 27% of single mothers live below the poverty line, as they lack the financial resources to support their children when the birth father is unresponsive.

Key Terms

nuclear family: a family unit consisting of at most a father, mother and dependent children.

Primary Caregiver: The person who takes primary responsibility for someone who cannot care fully for themselves.

One recent trend illustrating the changing nature of families is the rise in prevalence of the single-parent household. While somewhat more common prior to the 20 th century due to the more frequent deaths of spouses, the nuclear family became the societal norm in most Western nations. But what was the prevailing norm for much of the 20 th century is no longer the actual norm, nor is it perceived as such.

Since the 1960s, there has been a marked increase in the number of children living with a single parent. The 1960 United States Census reported that 9% of children were dependent on a single parent; this number that has increased to 28% by the 2000 US Census. The spike was caused by an increase in unmarried pregnancies, which 36% of all births by unmarried women, and to the increasing prevalence of divorces among couple.

The prevalence of single mothers as primary caregiver is a part of traditional parenting trends between mothers and fathers. In the United States, 27% of single mothers live below the poverty line, as they lack the financial resources to support their children when the birth father is unresponsive. Although the public is sympathetic with low-wage single mothers, government benefits are fairly low. Many seek assistance by living with another adult, such as a relative, fictive kin, or significant other. Divorced mothers who re-marry have fewer financial struggles than unmarried single mothers, who cannot work for longer periods of time without shirking their child-caring responsibilities. Unmarried mothers are thus more likely to cohabit with another adult. In the United States, the rate of unintended pregnancy is higher among unmarried couples than among married ones. In 1990, 73% of births to unmarried women were unintended at the time of conception, compared to about 44% of births overall.

The "Sandwich Generation" and Elder Care

Elderly care is the fulfillment of the special needs and requirements that are unique to senior citizens.

Learning Objectives

Describe the challenges of elderly care in the U.S.

Key Takeaways

Key Points

The Sandwich generation is a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children.

Elderly care encompasses such services as assisted living, adult day care, long-term care, nursing homes, hospice care, and in-home care, as well as less formalized caretaking, such as by an elder's grown child.

Given the choice, most elders would prefer to continue to live in their own homes rather than move to an elder home or caretaking facility.

Respite care allows caregivers the opportunity to go on vacation or a business trip and know that their elder has good quality temporary care. Without this help, the elder might have to move permanently to an outside facility.

Key Terms

sandwich generation: The generation of persons who are the children of baby boomers, whose lifestyle is governed by the fact that they must simultaneously care for the needs of their children and their own elderly parents.

Respite Care: Temporary care that allows caregivers the opportunity to go on vacation or a business trip and know that their elder has good quality temporary care, for without this help the elder might have to move permanently to an outside facility.

Elderly care is the fulfillment of the special needs and requirements that are unique to senior citizens. This broad term encompasses such services as assisted living, adult day care, long-term care, nursing homes, hospice care, and in-home care. Because of the wide variety of elderly care found globally, as well as different cultural perspectives on elderly citizens, the subject cannot be limited to any one practice. For example, many countries in Asia use government-established elderly care quite infrequently, preferring the traditional methods of being cared for by younger generations of family members.

Elderly Care in the United States

The form of elderly care provided varies greatly among countries and is changing rapidly. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, the older population-persons 65 years or older-numbered 39.6 million in 2009. They represented 12.9% of the U.S. population, or about one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million older persons, more than twice their number in 2000. In the United States, most of the large multi-facility providers are publicly owned and managed as for-profit businesses. Given the choice, most elders would prefer to continue to live in their own homes. Unfortunately, the majority of elderly people gradually lose functioning ability and require either additional assistance in the home or a move to an eldercare facility. The adult children of these elders often face a difficult challenge in helping their parents make the right choices.

One relatively new service in the United States that can help keep the elderly in their homes longer is respite care. This type of care allows caregivers the opportunity to go on vacation or a business trip and know that their elder has good quality temporary care. Without this help, the elder might have to move permanently to an outside facility. Another unique type of care cropping in U.S. hospitals is called acute care of elder units, or ACE units, which provide "a homelike setting" within a medical center specifically for the elderly.

The Sandwich Generation

The Sandwich generation is a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children. According to the Pew Research Center, just over 1 of every 8 Americans aged 40 to 60 is both raising a child and caring for a parent, in addition to between 7 to 10 million adults caring for their aging parents from a long distance.

Childless Couples

Voluntary childlessness in women is defined as women of childbearing age who are fertile and do not intend to have children.

Learning Objectives

Discuss the factors involved in voluntary childlessness

Key Takeaways

Key Points

To accomplish the goal of remaining childfree, some individuals undergo medical sterilization or relinquish their children for adoption.

The factors involved in voluntary childlessness include age, income, unmarried status, and higher education.

Most societies place a high value on parenthood in adult life, so that people who remain childless intentionally are sometimes stereotyped as being "individualistic" people who avoid social responsibility and are less prepared to commit themselves to helping others.

Key Terms

Childfree: Childfree (sometimes spelled child-free), also known as voluntary childlessness, is a form of childlessness. Voluntary childlessness in women is defined as women of childbearing age who are fertile and do not intend to have children, women who have chosen sterilization, or women past childbearing age who were fertile but chose not to have children.

sterilization: A procedure to permanently prevent an organism from reproducing.

Childless Couples

Voluntary childlessness in women is defined as women of childbearing age who are fertile and do not intend to have children, women who have chosen sterilization, or women past childbearing age who were fertile but chose not to have children. Individuals can also be "temporarily childless" but want children in the future. The availability of reliable contraception along with support provided in old age by systems other than traditional familial ones has made childlessness an option for some people in developed countries. In most societies and for most of human history, choosing to be childfree was both difficult and undesirable. To accomplish the goal of remaining childfree, some individuals undergo medical sterilization or relinquish their children for adoption.

Factors Involved in Voluntary Childlessness

First, while younger women are more likely to be childless, older women are more likely to state that they intend to remain childless in the future. Thus age plays a significant role in the decision. Further, according to 2004 U.S. Census Bureau data, the proportion of childless women 15 to 44 years old was 44.6%, up from 35% in 1976. The higher a woman's income, the less likely she is to have children: Nearly half of women with annual incomes over $100,000 are childless. Third, being unmarried is one of the strongest predictors of childlessness.

Research also suggests that married individuals who were concerned about the stability of their marriages were more likely to remain childless. Most studies on this subject find that higher income predicted childlessness. However, some women report that the lack of financial resources was a reason why they decided to remain childless. Childless women in the developed world often express the view that women ultimately have to make a choice between motherhood and having a career. Lastly, the chance of being childless was far greater for never married women (35 to 44 yrs old), 82.5% vs. ever-married (12.9%). Chance of childlessness (age 35 to 44) by education level: graduate or professional degree (27.6%) vs non high school graduate (13.5%), high school graduate (14.3%), some college but no degree (24.7%), associate degree (11.4%), and bachelor's degree (18.2%). The higher the level of education, the more likely a woman is to remain childless.

Social Attitudes to Remaining Childless

Most societies place a high value on parenthood in adult life, so that people who remain childless intentionally are sometimes stereotyped as being "individualistic" people who avoid social responsibility and are less prepared to commit themselves to helping others. With the advent of environmentalism and concerns for stewardship, those choosing to not have children are also sometimes recognized as helping reduce our impact, such as members of the voluntary human extinction movement. Some childless individuals are sometimes applauded on moral grounds, such as members of philosophical or religious groups, like the shakers.

Some opponents of the childfree choice consider such a choice to be "selfish." The rationale of this position is the assertion that raising children is a very important activity. Proponents of child freedom posit that choosing not to have children is no more or less selfish than choosing to have children. In fact, choosing to have children may be the more selfish choice, especially when poor parenting risks creating many long-term problems for both the children themselves and society at large.

Organizations and Political Activism

Childfree individuals do not necessarily share a unified political or economic philosophy, and most prominent childfree organizations tend to be social in nature. Childfree social groups first emerged in the 1970s, most notable among them The National Organization for Non-Parents and No Kidding! in North America. Numerous books have been written about childfree people and a range of social positions related to childfree interests have developed along with political and social activism in support of these interests. The term "childfree" was used in a July 3, 1972 Time article on the creation of the National Organization for Non-Parents. It was revived in the 1990s when Leslie Lafayette formed a later childfree group, the Childfree Network.

Change in Household Size

Household models include the single family and blended family home, shared housing, and group homes for people with special needs.

Learning Objectives

Describe different household models

Key Takeaways

Key Points

A shared house is a household in which a group of usually unrelated people reside together.

A group home is a private residence designed to serve children or adults with chronic disabilities or special needs. This type of home usually has a maximum of six residents and a trained caregiver available 24 hours a day.

A boarding house is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years.

People who live together in a shared house are called roommates.

A single room occupancy is a single room dwelling or a multiple-tenant building that houses one or two people in individual rooms.

Key Terms

Single Room Occupancy: A multiple-tenant building that houses one or two people in individual rooms (or to the single room dwelling itself).

roommate: A person with whom one shares an apartment or house (UK: flatmate or housemate).

Group Home: A private residence designed to serve children or adults with chronic disabilities. Typically there are no more than six residents and there is a trained caregiver there twenty-four hours a day.

Household models in Anglophone culture include the single family and varieties of blended families, shared housing, and group homes for people with support needs. Other models of living situations that may meet definitions of a household include boarding houses, a house in multiple occupations in Great Britain, and a single room occupancy in the United States.

Shared Houses

A shared house is a household in which a group of often-unrelated people reside together. The term generally applies to people living together in rental properties rather than in properties in which any resident is an owner-occupier. A shared house is formed when a group of people move into a rental property; typically, one or more of these people has applied to rent the property through a real estate agent, been accepted, and signed a lease. People who live together in a shared house are called roommates. In both developed and developing countries, shared housing is an increasingly popular household model. This is due to a variety of economic and social changes, such as the declining affordability of home ownership, as well as delayed marriage and decreasing marriage rates.

Group Homes

A group home is a private residence designed to serve children or adults with chronic disabilities. Group homes typically have a maximum of six residents and a trained, on-site caregiver available 24 hours a day. Residents of group homes usually have either a chronic mental disorder or a physical disability that prevents them from living independently. They need regular assistance in order to complete daily tasks, such as taking medication or bathing. Other residents may be developmentally disabled, recovering from alcohol or drug addiction, or abused, troubled, or neglected youths. Some residents have behavioral problems that are potentially dangerous to themselves or others and require constant supervision. Since the 1970s, group homes have assumed the role of earlier institutions such as asylums, poorhouses, and orphanages.

Boarding Houses

In a boarding house, lodgers rent one or more rooms for a period ranging from one night to weeks, months, or even years. Common areas of the house are maintained and services like laundry and cleaning may be provided. Boarding houses usually offer bed and board, or at least some meals as well as accommodation. Formerly, boarders would typically share washing, breakfast, and dining facilities; in recent years, individual rooms have tended to have their own washing and toilet facilities.

Single Room Occupancy

A single room occupancy is a single room dwelling or multiple-tenant building that houses one or two people in individual rooms. As the value of urban land has increased, many of these properties have been renovated and made available at higher prices. This has played a role in the displacement of lower-income people who once lived in these properties; it has also been cited as a reason for the visible rise in homelessness across America since the early 1980s.

Women in the Labor Force

Women in the workforce have faced barriers, though they have greater access to education and employment in the contemporary era.

Learning Objectives

Discuss three factors that restrict women's access to certain occupations

Key Takeaways

Key Points

Women have participated in the workforce for as long as men have, yet women have been challenged by inequality in the workforce.

Historically, women's lack of access to higher education effectively excluded them from the practice of well-paid and high status occupations.

Access to higher education remains a significant barrier to women's full participation in the workforce in developing countries.

The gender pay gap is the difference between male and female earnings expressed as a percentage of male earnings.

The feminization of the workplace is a label given to the trend towards greater employment of women and of men willing and able to operate with these more 'feminine' modes of interaction.

Key Terms

Wage Gap: The difference between male and female earnings expressed as a percentage of male earnings.

occupation: A regular activity performed in exchange for payment, including jobs and professions.

Feminization of the Workplace: A label given to the trend towards greater employment of women and of men willing and able to operate with these more 'feminine' modes of interaction.

Women in the workforce earning wages or a salary are part of a modern phenomenon, one that developed at the same time as the growth of paid employment for men; yet women have been challenged by inequality in the workforce. Until modern times, legal and cultural practices, combined with the inertia of longstanding religious and educational conventions, restricted women's entry and participation in the workforce. Economic dependency upon men has had the same impact, particularly as occupations have become professionalized over the 19 th and 20 th centuries.

Historically, women's lack of access to higher education had effectively excluded them from the practice of well-paid and high status occupations. Entry of women into the higher professions like law and medicine was delayed in most countries due to women being denied entry to universities and qualification for degrees; for example, Cambridge University only fully validated degrees for women late in 1947, and even then only after much opposition and acrimonious debate.

Barriers to Equal Participation

As gender roles have followed the formation of agricultural and then industrial societies, newly developed professions and fields of occupation have been frequently inflected by gender. Some examples of the ways in which gender affects a field include: prohibitions or restrictions on members of a particular gender entering a field or studying a field; discrimination within a field, including wage, management, and prestige hierarchies; expectation that mothers, rather than fathers, should be the primary childcare providers.

Access to Education and Training

A number of occupations became "professionalized" through the 19 th and 20 th centuries, gaining regulatory bodies, and passing laws or regulations requiring particular higher educational requirements. As women's access to higher education was often limited, this effectively restricted women's participation in these professionalizing occupations. For instance, women were completely forbidden access to Cambridge University until 1868, and were encumbered with a variety of restrictions until 1987, when the university adopted an equal opportunity policy. Numerous other institutions in the United States and Western Europe began opening their doors to women over the same period of time, but access to higher education remains a significant barrier to women's full participation in the workforce in developing countries.

Access to Capital

Women's access to occupations requiring capital outlays is also hindered by their unequal access to capital; this affects occupations such as entrepreneur and small business owner, farm ownership, and investor. Numerous microloan programs attempt to redress this imbalance, targeting women for loans or grants to establish start-up businesses or farms, having determined that aid targeted to women can disproportionately benefit a nation's economy.

Discrimination within Occupations

The gender pay gap is the difference between male and female earnings expressed as a percentage of male earnings, according to the OECD. The European Commission defines it as the average difference between men and women's hourly earnings. There is a debate to what extent this is the result of gender differences, implicit discrimination due to lifestyle choices (e.g., number of hours worked, need for maternity leave), or because of explicit discrimination. The 2008 edition of the Employment Outlook report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that, while female employment rates have expanded considerably and the gender employment and wage gaps have narrowed virtually everywhere, women still have 20% less chance to have a job than men, on average, and they are paid 17% less than their male counterparts.

Feminization of the Workplace

In response to the pressure from feminism and cultural trends highlighting characteristics in workers that have culturally been associated with women, feminization of the workplace is a label given to the trend towards greater employment of women, and of men willing and able to operate with these more 'feminine' modes of interaction.

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One parent households, cohabitation, same sex families, and voluntary childless couples are increasingly common. Summarize the prevalence of single parents, cohabitation, same-sex couples, and unmarried individuals Key Points One recent trend illustrating the changing nature of families is the rise in prevalence of single-parent families.

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How Does Advertising Influence People?

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You know your marketing team has done a great job when they explain how advertising - your advertising - influences people to view your website, read your content, click on your ads, respond to your queries and, ultimately, become your customer. You know your marketing team has done an exceptional job when they have presented this information in such a way that it whets your appetite to learn more about how advertising influences people's behavior on a more fundamental level, or how it forges bonds, shapes perceptions and makes some habits seem cool while others a waste of time.

As a small-business owner who deals with advertising decisions on a practical level, you may think that philosopher Marshall McLuhan went over the top when he declared advertising "the greatest art form of the 20 th century." You may be more at ease with McLuhan's assertion that "the medium is the message," in which he meant that the medium - print, broadcast, face-to-face - determines how a message is perceived.

Either way, there is no denying that the influence of advertisements on society and the people in it has been profound. It continues to make advertising one of the most fascinating and talked-about fields of the 21 st century.

Even someone as culturally astute as Marshall McLuhan would probably be bowled over by how many hours per day people immerse themselves in media. In 2018, Americans spent just under 10 hours a day consuming media content. Most significantly, it was the first year that people spent more time with online media than with TV, although this was by the slimmest of margins. Still, these two powerhouse mediums easily outdistanced the allure of the traditional advertising venues of radio and print, which occupied 18 and 7 percent of people's time, respectively.

Media immersion of this magnitude pretty much guarantees that people will be exposed to a deluge of various advertising messages, even if the recipients are only passive viewers and listeners. The media environment of McLuhan's heyday - the 1970s, after he gained widespread recognition for coining his momentous phrase in 1964 - seems almost quaint, compared to today. Back then, people saw about 500 ads per day.

Since then, most media experts agree that the number has increased tenfold, thanks in part, to a greater number of media outlets available at people's fingertips. It isn't out of the realm of possibility that some people view as many as 10,000 ads of different types per day, depending on where they live, what they do for a living and how they spend their leisure time.

Whatever the exact number, there is no doubt that many people have not only rebelled but have also sought greater control over the number of ads they are exposed to every day. They have chosen to "opt out" by installing ad blockers, and explaining their rationale by stating that ads are annoying, disruptive, intrusive and are an invasion of their privacy. Like it or not, these are also some of the effects of advertising.

In this way, advertising has influenced people's behavior by motivating them to seize control of this frenzied dynamic via ad blockers. By some reports, more than 80 percent of people use ad blockers. As a small-business owner, this reality may give you conniptions. But this is exactly why you should have a plan of counterattack.

For example, many small-business owners are relying more on native advertising and also on inbound marketing. The latter, in particular, has revolutionized online marketing. Although ads still play a role in this strategy, consumers are more amenable to the ads' presence, because they are the ones who initiated the communication in the first place.

It doesn't really matter if you take an extreme view of advertising - whether you believe that it exists to present helpful, relevant information or whether it manipulates subconscious thoughts. Perhaps you can meet critics and defenders in the middle of the debate by agreeing that just as with every other form of communication, advertising relies on the fact that it must strike the right chord to persuade a person to respond. If you can, then you're likely to agree that the influence of advertisements on society is notable in how it has:

*Transformed salesmanship.* Scores of books, textbooks and articles have been written about the impact of advertisements on consumers and consumer behavior. As a small-business owner, it's as worthwhile as it is riveting to understand the evolution of advertising. As far back as the 1880s, ad writers focused on the acronym AIDA, which stands for (getting) attention; (attracting) interest; (creating) desire; and (delivering) action. The mediums may have changed since then, but the principles remain bedrock. Advertising legend David Ogilvy offered business owners a cogent piece of advice about how advertising should influence people's behavior: "Your role is to sell. Don't let anything distract you from the sole purpose of advertising."

Prompted incremental and subconscious shifts in consumer behavior. Some people believe that advertising is so powerful, so persuasive, that one needs only to see an ad to rush out to purchase a product or read a job ad and send a resume. Some ads can in fact produce such instantaneous reactions. But the majority of advertising research falls down hard on the side that advertising influences people's behavior in a more subtle way: By nudging along slow, incremental changes in behavior. In this way, advertising increases what marketers call a brand or product's "saleability." You may prefer to call it "brand building." Whatever your preference, these slow shifts have been shown to be more potent by strengthening customer preferences, even in the face of heavy competition.

Forged emotional bonds with brands. Charles Revson, the founder of Revlon, once said that "In our factory, we make lipstick. In our advertising, we sell hope." This statement captured well what advertisers have long maintained about how advertising influences people's behavior: by spurring them to choose products that help them feel happy, fulfilled, younger, healthier, sexier or in another appealing state that is just outside their current grasp. Today, champions of inbound marketing are reveling in an abundance of research that underscores how consumers want to purchase products from companies they feel an affinity for, whether this means a company that meets their basic needs and wants or a company that embraces social causes. Psychographic profiles haven't become standard marketing procedure for nothing; they help identify exactly what consumers are after so companies can respond in kind and forge lasting bonds.

Reinforced perceptions of the world. Proponents tend to have a field day with this effect of advertising, often saying that advertising presents an exaggerated, distorted view of the world and also of the people in it. And sometimes, by the looks of it, it may indeed appear that "everyone" clinks a wine glass every night, "everyone" drives a fast, sleek car and "everyone" wears expensive designer clothing. But to assume that advertising mirrors "everyone's" life and lifestyle is to imbue it with an almost unworldly power - and to overlook the fact that effective advertising should teem with at least one emotional appeal. If anything, advertising reflects society, providing a sort of "snapshot in time" of how people dress, the language they use and how they interact. One need only look back to the TV commercials of McLuhan's day to see how times have changed and how advertising reflects it.

Made fame cool and desirable. It certainly would help explain the popularity of reality TV shows and the dominance of social media, in which people literally and sometimes relentlessly advertise themselves in words and pictures. Advertising is as much a part of popular culture as popular culture is a part of advertising. Today, anybody can become a brand. For the small-business owner - who has so much practical and pertinent information to share - this phenomenon should portend only good things, especially if you modify McLuhan's tenet and ensure that your business becomes the message.

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How Does Advertising Influence People?. The primary function of advertising is to persuade people to buy something. Consequently, understanding how advertising influences people is an exercise in understanding how persuasion techniques are used in advertising to trigger buying decisions. Persuasion techniques can be ...

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this article discusses the rise of cryptocurrency (mainly bitcoin), and the reasons behind its massive rise in adoption and popularity.

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In recent weeks Bitcoin's price has seemed to continue marching higher. But what is driving this growth? It turns out there are a wide variety of factors that continue to make Bitcoin rise in value.

Previous Resistance

Bitcoin has seen extremely volatile peaks and troughs in its time. Its last peak was near $14,000 in June of 2019. At this point, Bitcoin experienced a hard resistance and it failed to push through this stage.

If Bitcoin were to break through that resistance in June it would have likely triggered a bull market. Unfortunately, for Bitcoin bulls, it failed to do so and cascaded down to a low point of nearly $3,800.

In October, Bitcoin retested this resistance point only to fall back down. On November 4th, Bitcoin pushed straight through $14,000 and continued higher. This is significant because Bitcoin's next resistance point is its previous all-time high of $20,000.

With Bitcoin no longer having a theoretical resistance point until its previous all-time high of $20,000, many investors have become bullish that the cryptocurrency will be able to retest that price point or even push past it. This speculation has lead to an increase in Bitcoin's value.

Inflation and the Rush Toward Safe-Haven Assets

Another reason for Bitcoin's rise is the growing inflation of the U.S. dollar. While inflation is on average 2% each year, recent stimulus spending is poised to greatly increase the level of inflation and decrease the dollar's purchasing power.

With the recent stimulus packages, the United States has added around $2.4 trillion to the economy. This has many worrying about the inevitable decrease in the dollar's purchasing power and the rise in inflation.

To hedge against this rising inflation, many have retreated from the dollar and have taken shelter in assets that historically have held value or have even appreciated in value. Typically, assets that people convert their dollars into to avoid inflation or volatile markets are ones that are scarce or are less volatile in general. These ' safe-haven' assets include things like precious metals, stocks in sectors that are generally less volatile, and more recently, Bitcoin.

Adoption as a Means of Payment

Another reason for Bitcoin's price appreciation is its growing adoption as a payment method. Recently, PayPal ( PYPL) announced that it would soon allow its users and merchants to buy, sell, hold, and accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a form of payment.

This news pushed Bitcoin's price higher immediately. PayPal has nearly 350 million users who will now have the ability to easily buy, store, and use Bitcoin. PayPal also has well over 20 million active merchants who can now accept the currency.

Aside from PayPal, this has further implications. PayPal also owns the widely popular payment app, Venmo. Venmo has more than 40 million active accounts, making the accessibility to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies even more significant.

While PayPal and Venmo are newer to crypto, there are a host of other applications that allow its users to buy, sell, and hold. Popular competitors to PayPal and Venmo, Square ( SQ) and CashApp, also accept cryptocurrencies making the audience to Bitcoin even wider.

Institutional Investment

As discussed above, there is a growing narrative of Bitcoin as a safe-haven asset. In the current societal and economic climate there is a growing incentive to hold less cash and be hedged against intense market swings.

Recently, a trend started where publicly traded companies were beginning to convert cash in their treasuries over to Bitcoin as a more sound store-of-value. Most notably, MicroStrategy, a business analytics company, converted $425 million worth of cash in its treasury to Bitcoin. Shortly after the payments company Square made a $50 million purchase.

Since then, a number of companies have followed suit. The confidence that these companies and their investors have in Bitcoin has given increased merit to the concept of Bitcoin as a store-of-value and safe-haven asset.

Halving and the Stock-To-Flow Model

Perhaps the most important reasons for the rise in Bitcoin's price are two attributes that are inherent in its design.

The first: there is only 21 million Bitcoin that will ever exist. There will be no more and no less and this number will always stay static. This makes bitcoin more scarce than anything that has come before it. Other scarce assets are not 100% finite and in some cases, they can be synthetically manufactured.

The second is a process coded into Bitcoin called the halving. Essentially, Bitcoin has its own built-in escrow mechanism where Bitcoin is released and given to miners as a reward for processing transactions. This reward is cut in half every four years.

By doing so, Bitcoin's rate of inflation is reduced by half each halving and its stock-to-flow ratio is doubled each halving. This process continues every four years until all Bitcoin in this escrow mechanism is released and in circulation. From that point on Bitcoin in circulation will be capped at 21 million. As of the time of writing, there are 18,534,818 in circulation.

So far, Bitcoin's price has followed its stock-to-flow ratio very closely and if it were to continue on this trajectory Bitcoin's value could be somewhere around $100,000 in late 2021.

Cryptocurrency Performance: Year-to-Date

Investing in cryptocurrencies and Initial Coin Offerings ("ICOs") can be highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or ICOs. Since each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein.

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In recent weeks Bitcoin's price has seemed to continue marching higher. But what is driving this growth? It turns out there are a wide variety of factors that continue to make Bitcoin rise in value. Bitcoin has seen extremely volatile peaks and troughs in its time.

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The mass breeding of animals in agriculture contributes to several environmental problems, such as climate change, deforestation, pollution, etc. This article discusses the use of plant-based meat as a way to combat climate change, and the possible problems surrounding this alternative.

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Plant-Based Meats, Human Health, and Climate Change

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There is wide scale concern about the effects of red meat on human health and climate change. Plant-based meat alternatives, designed to mimic the sensory experience and nutritional value of red meat, have recently been introduced into consumer markets. Plant-based meats are marketed under the premi…

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The debate as to whether or not benefits of video games really exist has been going since the days of Pong and Space Invaders.

Unfortunately, most people have always assumed they were the cause of many mental and physical problems. Even if there was a lack of scientific evidence to prove it.

Some say it is in our human nature to find something to blame when there's an issue, and video games have always been an easy target.

But things have changed and now more professional studies are being conducted to find out the real benefits of playing video games.

Are video games good for you?

Are video games really hinder our ability to learn, make us more violent, or affect our physical health?

While there still isn't enough evidence to offer a solid answer, the good news is that most researchers are discovering why gaming is good for you.

The Benefits of Video Games

Video games benefits include promoting healthy lifestyles, increasing social activity, slow the aging process, and make the participant a better decision-maker.

Video Games Can Help Build

Source: ESA Essential Facts

Is Playing Video Games Good for You?

Yes, there are plenty of positive effects of video games. Gaming can help those suffering from addictions or cravings to decrease the intensity of their desires. They can also potentially help those who have multiple sclerosis with balance and improved cognitive function.

Why Video Games Are Good for You

The positive effects of video games are in the way they fit into different facets of our daily lives. Some of the benefits are physical, psychological, and social. Contrary to popular belief, they can promote healthy living and increased social activity through various avenues.

Games like Call of Duty and Splinter Cell multiplayer can help forge friendships and bonds that will last for years. Things like the Wii Fit can promote a better lifestyle, keeping someone active, and on their diet goals daily.

The Positive Aspects of Playing Video Games

Source: Statisca

This article will show you 10 reasons why video games are good for you.

Before you read on, remember that anything in excess can be harmful.

No positive effects of video games will justify playing them for 10 hours a day.

It's your responsibility to figure out how long you should play before putting the controller down and doing something else, as difficult as it may be. So, let's take a step back and take a look at the 10 positive effects of video games.

Remember that anything in excess can be harmful.

No benefit that comes from a video game will justify playing them for 10 hours a day.

It's your responsibility to figure out how long you should play before putting the controller down and doing something else, as difficult as it may be.

10 Data-Driven Benefits of Video Games

Playing Video Games May Slow Down Aging

Male, female, young adult, middle-aged person- all have one thing in common and that's aging.

And while getting older and wiser has its perks, there are also a number of natural problems that come about as well.

There's a reason why you see senior citizens driving at 25 MPH even though the speed limit is 45.

But just like maintaining a healthy exercise routine can help your body feel 50 when you're 60, our brain can also be kept 'in shape'.

In fact, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa showed that playing video games can do just that.

The study had 681 healthy people aged 50 and older to play video games for 10 hours for five to eight weeks, and this is what they found:

"We've shown that 10 hours is enough to slow the decline by several years. We saw a range across all our tests from a minimum of a year-and-a-half all the way up to about six-and-a-half years of recovery or improvement. From just 10 to 14 hours of training, that's quite a lot of improvement".

Key Takeaways

It seems performing any task that requires exercising your mind will help it stay sharper, and that includes video games. ()

If you have ever done a crossword or sudoku, then you already know the benefits of gaming. Video games can train your brain, open up new pathways of thought in your brain, and keep your mind a honed edge.

Although I'm an admitted crossword addict, being intellectually stimulated by the benefits of gaming started in 6th grade when I first played Shogun Total War. I was captivated by the setting of feudal Japan. I then dedicated a project towards it and started reading more and more about specific points in history.

It was addictive, learning about these different phases of history, and how well that video games serve them. These different niches serve to help us learn better and experience creative and enjoyable brain tools.

Better Decision Maker

C. Shawn Green from the University of Rochester wanted to see how video games benefits our ability to make decisions.

His goal was to test if games, which demand us to view and keep track of moving peripheral images, improve our ability to receive sensory data and thus help us make more precise decisions.

The study had a group of young adults with no gaming experience play video games in action genre, at a fast pace for 50 hours.

A second group of the same age played a slow-paced strategy game instead.

Key Takeaways

After the study, Green had nothing but good things to say:

"Action video games are fast-paced, and there are peripheral images and events popping up, and disappearing. These video games are teaching people to become better at taking sensory data in, and translating it into correct decisions."

A colleague of his even went on to say that shooters can change the brain by dramatically enhancing many of our low-level perceptual functions. Definitely good news for all the Halo and Call of Duty fans out there. ()

Games Can Help (Not Hurt!) Your Eyesight

There are few gamer kids who grew up without ever hearing their parents say "you're going to go blind watching that screen all day".

For a while, it did seem like they had a point since we tend to blink much less frequently while playing a game.

This can cause serious problems like eyestrain and dry eye syndrome.

Another team of researchers from the University of Rochester sought to determine once and for all: Are video games bad for you when it comes to vision?

The 2009 study involved having a group of experienced first-person shooter gamers plays Call of Duty and Unreal Tournament 2004 while more casual gamers played slow games like The Sims 2.

Key Takeaways

After testing, those who played the first-person shooters showed signs of having a better vision than the others.

Daphne Bavelier, the leader of the study, discovered a clear physical benefit of playing video games which is an improvement in the ability called contrast sensitivity function.

This ability helps us discern between changes in shades of gray against a colored backdrop, which is very beneficial while driving at night. ()

Video Games Can Make You Less Anti-Social

One of the worst stereotypes associated with playing video games is that those who do are awkward social rejects.

Even if there are plenty of basement-dwelling gamers out there, that doesn't mean all gamers have problems socializing in public and making friends.

Researchers from three different institutions in the UK and Canada recently did their own studies to find out how common antisocial behavior is among people who play video games frequently.

Key Takeaways

What each one discovered is that gamers who partake in live social environments are actually the most communicative and friendly people there.

"Gamers aren't the antisocial basement-dwellers we see in pop culture stereotypes; they're highly social people," said one of the researchers who went to more than 20 events where gamers get together.

While observing gamers he even went on to admit that they formed stronger relationships than non-gamers due to their matching love of games. (

When the second Splinter Cell game, Pandora Tomorrow came out, I was the only one of my friends with it. That means I was relegated to play spies vs. mercs alone with strangers. Luckily for me, I met a cool gamer, and we hit it off almost immediately.

After some time playing the game, we developed a little friendship. We would play video games together after school, and it was a ton of fun being able to collaborate with someone, especially with some of the more toxic users online.

We remained Xbox LIVE friends throughout the years, along with the other gamers that I have crossed paths with. So is playing video games good for you socially? Yes, in many cases they can form and strengthen friendships.

Benefits of Gaming in Everyday Life

Source: ESA Essential Facts 2022

Games Can Enhance Your Ability To Learn

Contrary to popular belief when it comes to positive and negative effects of video games, researchers from the UK found that certain video games can actually enhance our brain flexibility.

The study was done at both the University College London and the Queen Mary University of London and had 72 volunteers play two different games for 40 hours over six to eight weeks.

The games were Starcraft, a fast real-time strategy game, and The Sims, a slower life-simulation game. Both those games were used to answer the question once and for all: Is gaming good for your learning ability?

Key Takeaways

Here's what they had to say:

"This result supports the notion that the within-StarCraft gaming manipulation led participants to manage more information sources during gameplay, thus leading to enhancements in cognitive flexibility."

In other words, the people who played Starcraft boasted better cognitive flexibility since the game requires constant thinking and player input.

So there you have it - slower games may not offer the same benefits of playing video games with a faster pace. It's cool to know that our favorite fast-paced games are helping us become better learners while entertaining us. (

Help Improve Hand-Eye Coordination

There are many professions that require having better hand-eye coordination than the average person.

Of course, surgeons depend on theirs to not only perform a successful operation but also make sure they don't nick an artery or vital organ.

That's why a lot of aspiring surgeons are now required to perform virtual surgeries for training.

Curious to see who could perform better at these virtual surgeries, Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch brought together a group of high school kids, college students, and medical residents.

After testing the three groups to see who could outperform the others, the scientists were surprised to discover that the high school students did the best.

Why?

Key Takeaways

Simply put, the high school kids played video games at least two hours a day while the medical residents rarely had time to play.

While one of the researchers insists that the residents would still do better in actual surgery, the study is one of many proving that our favorite games can help improve our hand-eye coordination. ( Source)

I credit getting my driver's license to gaming. No, seriously! I didn't get it right away when I was 16, which caused some loss of self-esteem. Yet, when I finally tried driving, I realized how similar it was to driving games and flight simulators.

Hours playing Grand Theft Auto paid off! Okay, maybe not the best 'car' example. How about Gran Turismo? Yeah, hours of playing Gran Turismo paid off!

So, when people ask, what are the advantages of video games? Yes, they can help with hand-eye coordination, confidence, and reflexes. Not to mention helping someone pass their license test!

Improved Focus and Attention

One of the biggest worries among parents today is almost unanimous, and that is: Are video games good for your brain? Most parents fear that their children sit in class thinking about Minecraft and Pokemon instead of listening to the teacher.

To see if improved cognition and perception can be a direct cognitive benefit of playing video games, a researcher named Vikranth Bejjanki performed a few experiments alongside several colleagues.

These tests first involved having two groups, experienced and inexperienced gamers, perform several perceptual tasks such as pattern discrimination.

The gamers ended up outperforming the other group who rarely, if ever, played games before the experiment.

Key Takeaways

The paper concludes with the following:

"The enhanced learning of the regularity and structure of environments may act as a core mechanism by which action video game play influences performance in perception, attention, and cognition."

In other words, playing video games improves several abilities, including paying attention. ()

Video Games May Help Treat Depression

A few years ago researchers in New Zealand sought to search for any benefits of gaming that can help in treating mental disorders like depression.

This was done with SPARX, a game specifically designed to provide therapy to teenagers in a way that's more active and enjoyable than regular counseling.

Over 168 teens with an average age of 15 participated, with all of them having shown previous signs of depression.

While half of the group received traditional counseling, the other group got to play SPARX.

The game involves creating avatars to rid the virtual world of enemies representing gloomy, negative thoughts.

Every stage also introduced general facts about depression, including ways to relax and deal with negative emotions.

Key Takeaways

Here's their conclusion after discovering that SPARX players did better at recovering from depression than the other group:

"SPARX is a potential alternative to usual care for adolescents presenting with depressive symptoms in primary care settings and could be used to address some of the unmet demand for treatment."

Video Games Can Help You Stay Fit

Of all the benefits of video games on this list, this is the one that most people already know.

This is likely attributed to Nintendo's Wii system that introduced motion control gaming to players all over the world.

Active games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit are to this day found in hospitals and retirement homes.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center recently performed a test to discover the pros of video games for kids in comparison to activities like watching TV and browsing the internet.

Tests involved measuring the heart rate, self-reported exertion, and energy expenditure of kids aged 10 to 13 while they performed three specific activities:

playing active video games

watching television

walking on a treadmill

The team discovered that playing motion-control games was was just as beneficial as walking on a treadmill at a speed of 3.5mph.

Both exercises had the kids burning the same amount of calories, which was nearly three times more than the children just watching Netflix. ()

Video Games Can Help Couples

While there are plenty of ways for couples to have fun together and relax, psychologists from the University of Denver wanted to find out if playing video games was one of them.

This is an interesting study because research shows men care more about this part of a relationship than women do.

At the same time, most guys are known to either play games alone or with other male friends- not so much their girlfriend, wife, etc.

The study, which actually started in 1996, had 200 couples in their second year of marriage decide what aspect of their relationship was most important.

Their answers demonstrated a strong correlation between the importance of partaking in fun, exciting activities together, and a good relationship.

Key Takeaways

Howard Markman, one of the psychologists involved in the study said this:

"The more you invest in fun and friendship and being there for your partner, the happier the relationship will get over time."

So even though the experiment didn't involve playing video games, it serves to prove that couples who play video games together tend to have happier, healthier relationships. ()

Okay, so I know that some couples experience what I deem 'Call of Duty syndrome.' In which the girlfriend is disinterestedly (can you blame her?), watching her boyfriend play video games, usually Call of Duty.

You can totally avoid this through the benefits of gaming with the right combo of game and gamer. With my girlfriend, we found a sweet gaming spot. One day I recommended Stardew Valley to her. Being a fan of Harvest Moon, she picked it up and immediately loved it.

Later on, Stardew Valley came out with a multiplayer update, allowing us to play together. It was so much fun, and I believe it really added important communication aspects to our relationship.

Recently, we beat Starbound together, and we are on the lookout for the next great multiplayer co-op game!

More Reasons to Love Video Games

Interest in History and Inspires You to Read More

With so many different benefits of gaming out there right now, it's a wonder we can get to even a fraction of them. Luckily, one of the most popular series is the Assassin's Creed franchise is steeped in factual and fictional history.

The games take place in real-time periods, having the player take part in actual events with fictional and historically accurate characters. This is only one example of a video game advantages you can gain over time from playing games.

The Total War games are rife with historical accuracy and freedom. The most recent release of Total War: Three Kingdoms introduces those not familiar with China's epic history could very well have gamers pick up the famous book it's based on, promoting more literacy.

After playing the game mentioned above, I actually headed to the bookstore and picked up a copy of Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It's a dense read, but the point is I was interested enough in the rich history built up with the gameplay that I was moved to read more.

Click here to check out the most popular video game genres out there.

Excuse me while I plot like Cao Cao and fight like Lu Bu!

Helps Multiple Sclerosis Patients Improve Their Balance

Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a severe disease that affects the nervous system. Although it can be treated, there currently is no cure.

Along with medications, playing video games have actually shown to help MS patients with their uncomfortable symptoms like balance, cognitive functions, and motor control impairment. MS patients often go through trying and tough physical therapy for their conditions and provide benefits of gaming they can easily manage and access.

"For example, a study published in November 2014 in the journal Radiology reported that 24 MS patients improved their balance and even lessened their risk of falling as a result of playing video games using a Wii balance board. The game works by having users stand on a board while shifting their weight to follow the interactive instructions on the screen."

Although playing video games doesn't cure MS, they can potentially be a valuable and life-changing experience for those suffering from it.

Along with being a fantastic party game, the Wii has proven to bolster the number of benefits of gaming, in conjunction with something like the Wii Fit.

Video Games Can Stop Cravings

While we all know the feeling of being completely enchanted by a great game, could this help people struggling from cravings like smoking?
A study was released in which players who played the puzzle game Tetris experienced significantly fewer cravings than those who didn't partake in Tetris. This was initially a study to determine if playing video games could curb cravings for junk food, and ended up helping those suffering from severe addictions to alcohol and tobacco.
Prof. Jackie Andrade, from the School of Psychology and the Cognition Institute at Plymouth University, explains:

"We think the Tetris effect happens because craving involves imagining the experience of consuming a particular substance or indulging in a particular activity. Playing a visually interesting game like Tetris occupies the mental processes that support that imagery; it is hard to imagine something vividly and play Tetris at the same time."

Looks like staying up late playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was actually healthy and not terrible for me! Well, okay, maybe not exactly the same thing, but still. It's definitely good to know that seeing Tetris blocks when you close your eyes at night might actually be a good thing! The benefits of gaming couldn't be more evident in this case.

Conclusion on the Benefits of Gaming

Just like video games themselves, the field of studying how games help or hurt us is still very new.

There is still plenty of research to be done before we find out how the virtual characters, stories, and worlds we love really provide any significant benefits of video games. In the meantime, check out our list for the most popular games in the market right now.

Even so, feel free to show your friends and family this list if they're the kind of people who still assume games are to blame for obesity, school shootings, and antisocial behavior.

It will help them realize that instead of giving us problems, games may have actually been improving our lives in some ways.
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Written by Dustin Tyler [ Updated September 27, 2023]

Initially focused on web dev, Dustin was introduced to game design by a friend after college and was immediately attracted to the combination of technical skill and creativity required to make an awesome game.

While not a professional game developer himself, he's utilized his web dev skills and desire to help others by creating a resource where expert game designers can share what they've learned with the next generation of aspiring game makers.

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10 Reasons Why Video Games are Good for You, Sometimes

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See 10 reasons why video games are good for you with our comprehensive list debunking the notion that video game are only harmful. View various studies that show how gaming can be helpful.