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Are new policies needed to keep more teens in school?

Robert Kiener

Introduction

The U.S. public high school graduation rate has risen to 80 percent, but more than 700,000 teens still drop out each year. Experts say dropouts create an economic and societal burden because they are ill-prepared to participate in an increasingly sophisticated global economy. The dropout rate is highly uneven, with students who are poor, disabled or still learning English more likely to leave school. Much of the problem can be traced to factors such as poverty, family instability and dangerous neighborhoods. But many critics also fault schools for failing to engage students and Congress for resisting adequate funding for schools. At the same time, conservatives and the Obama administration are locked in a debate about the proper role of Washington in shaping school policy. The federal government aims to increase the graduation rate to 90 percent in coming years, but critics say meeting that goal demands major educational reforms and the money to pay for them.

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The U.S. public high school graduation rate has risen to 80 percent, but more than 700,000 teens still drop out each year. Experts say dropouts create an economic and societal burden because they are ill-prepared to participate in an increasingly sophisticated global economy.

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Do social networking sites threaten privacy rights?

Marcia Clemmitt

Introduction

From Facebook to the photo-sharing site Pinterest to virtual adventure games, software that helps people meet, converse, work and compete with others is drawing billions online. The use of social media comes with a price, however. Every photo upload or click of a "like" button deposits users' personal data online, much of which is sold to help businesses target advertising. To some, such data mining endangers long-cherished privacy rights, but social media supporters say it is a small price to pay for the benefits of online socializing. Meanwhile, critics of social media express concern that many members of the digital generation may fail to develop vital communication skills because they prefer virtual contact over face-to-face conversations. But proponents say most people use social media not to avoid others but to stay in touch with them.

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From Facebook to the photo-sharing site Pinterest to virtual adventure games, software that helps people meet, converse, work and compete with others is drawing billions online. The use of social media comes with a price, however. Every photo upload or click of a "like" button deposits users' personal data online, much of which is sold to help businesses target advertising.

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Introduction

Due to the growing dominance of the Internet as the primary medium for commerce, entertainment and social communications, Americans are using more electronic media than ever. Some worry that the Internet, with its visual stimulation and constant distractions, is altering the way we think - and not for the better. Some studies indicate that it may alter physical mechanics of the brain that lead to long-term memory formation. And China and South Korea have declared "Internet addiction" a primary public health concern. But every new medium that comes on the scene has elicited similar fears about ill effects on popular taste and capacity for reflection and deep thinking. Still, there's no question that the Internet is having profound effects on our lives - perhaps as great as any technological change since the advent of the printing press.

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Due to the growing dominance of the Internet as the primary medium for commerce, entertainment and social communications, Americans are using more electronic media than ever. Some worry that the Internet, with its visual stimulation and constant distractions, is altering the way we think - and not for the better.

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Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas - Username

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Welcome to Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas