No More Guns by Fayyaz Ahmed

Columbine High School, San Bernardino, Roseburg, Charleston. The list goes on and on. Thousands die in the United States alone due to gun violence and gun related crimes. What the public of the US find so hard to understand is that the very weapon that helps reassure “safety”, is the weapon that causes innocents to die so effortlessly by the hands of maniacs. Maniacs who forget who they really are, who lose their grip on reality and how the world really works. Shouldn’t they be the last person a government allows the use of a firearm? If at all? The ordinary citizens of the United States of America should not be given access to firearms. Instead, gun laws and gun control should be further enforced on to the public. Common citizens should be under an obligation to submit their rights to own a firearm. This is because guns cause crime rates to shoot up, homicidal killings to increase in number, and because even adolescents are likely to use guns and the violence it brings as an “escape route”.

Crime is and has always been a very real issue that all countries of the world face today. No doubt there are places where crime rates are far lower compared to others, clearly that must mean there are “safer” countries. But why is it safer? Why does Singapore and places like Greenland report far less murders or violent crimes? There are multiple possible causations as to why people in places such as Australia or Canada feel safer than they would in the US. The FBI states that, “the number of cases of violent crime rate during the first 6 months of 2015, is 1.7 percent higher when compared to the same time period in 2014.”. Another poll carried out by PewResearchCenter states that, “A national survey finds that nearly half of gun owners (48%) volunteer that the main reason they own a gun is for protection; just 32% say they have a gun primarily for hunting and even fewer cite other reasons, such as target shooting. In 1999, 49% said they owned a gun mostly for hunting, while just 26% cited protection as the biggest factor.”. This clearly shows us that more and more citizens of the US are acquiring guns not for traditional hunting use, but for protection. Protection from dangerous people who in turn use the same weapon to carry out their barbaric goals. There is always a solution to any problem, but to fight fire with fire, not only is that an unnecessary path, it’s a mistake. A mistake that costs and will continue to cost thousands of innocent lives.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, intentional mass shootings have been a common occurrence that the citizens of the United States have become familiar with. But being familiar doesn’t reduce the level of pain and grief parents, children, and family members feel after such a horrible event. NationMaster, an organization that records multiple statistics of almost every country, and allows a feature to compare countries based on certain statistics, states that, “the U.S. murder rate is 12,996, annually.”. That means that 12,996 people are killed every year in the United States of America. Another comparison involves the number of firearms per 100 residents, “Approximately 88 out of every 100 citizens in the U.S. own a firearm. That leaves them ranked number 1.”. When compared to the statistics of Singapore, the gap between numbers is shocking. Not only is Singapore’s murder rate far less (16 deaths annually), but the number of firearms per 100 residents is drastically further down. The estimation is 0.5 out of every 100 citizens owns a gun in Singapore. This clearly shows a direct correlation between the number of firearms and the number of shootings or murders. And that the more guns a country or city holds, there is an increased likelihood of shootings or killings to occur. No matter if citizens say they feel “safer” owning a firearm.

Authorities, media, and the public sometimes forget that the mad maniac behind many intentional shootings are children. Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Virginia Tech, and Red Lake. The most common causation to horrific moments is from revenge seeking. Kids are less likely to feel these emotions and acquire this motivation. So clearly they must be mentally unstable for whatever reason. Something or someone has provoked him or her to carry out horrendous actions such as the mass murdering of innocents. If children or people in general are not socially stable, then indirectly, giving them access to firearms is last thing we should do, if at all. According to NoBully.com,  “Since 1992, there have been 387 school shootings in the US alone.”. Situations like Columbine are becoming far more common. In these cases, the perpetrators are literally hunting their classmates in attempts to inflict as many fatalities as possible. Two gunmen were able to kill 12 students and injure 23 others, before ending their own lives with gun fire. Colorado is a relatively conservative US state with fewer violent crimes than more heavily populated areas. However, there have been five school shootings there since 1992 and two of them have resulted in multiple fatalities. Now even children have become a potential threat to the public, only because they too, have access to these murder weapons. Which is the one of the biggest factors for people to be afraid of them.

While it may seem obvious that guns are the cause to so many deaths of innocents, there are a massive number of citizens of the US that still believe that giving the public easy access to firearms is the best decision. The 2nd amendment states that “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.". Such language has created considerable debate on the 2nd amendments intended meaning. On the one hand some people believe that, the amendment’s phrase, “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” creates an individual right for the citizens of the United States. On the other hand, some scholars point to the collective rights theory. A collective rights theory of the 2nd amendment states that citizens do not have an individual right to possess firearms. And that federal, local, and state authorities are able to regulate firearms without compromising a constitutional right. The 2nd amendment plays a major role in the discussions and debates on this issue. And since the 2nd amendment is written by the four fathers of the United States, that is why it makes it impossible to ignore it.

In conclusion, the issue of firearms and weapons has and is causing horrific fatalities all around the US. The ability to own a gun holds many different consequences, negative and positive. But the public of the United States are caught in a misconception that owning a gun helps protect themselves, their families, and others around them. If so, why is it statistically proven that residents in Singapore feel far safer walking alone at night than in the US? Singapore’s law and punishment system has become far more strict over the course of 50 years since it first became independant. Gun control in Singapore is not even in the discussion, as to own a gun and be a regular citizen is simply illegal. The statistics prove that the number of murders in the US annually, directly correlates with the level of access the public possess on machines built to kill. Would you rather have your safety almost 100% guaranteed? Or would you own a firearm just to “feel” safer, but still be exposed to countless dangers from maniacs?

- Chemerinsky, Erwin. "Second Amendment." Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School, 13 July 2014. Web. 16 June 2016.

- FBI. "Crime Statistics." Federal Bureau of Investigation. Federal Bureau of Investigation, 6 Sept. 2015. Web. 4 June 2016.

- Moore, Maloy. "Deadliest U.S. Mass Shootings." Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2016. Web. 13 June 2016.

- "Why Own a Gun? Protection Is Now Top Reason." People-Press.org. PewResearchCenter, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 3 June 2016.

- "Singapore vs United States Crime Stats Compared." NationMaster.com. NationMaster, 24 Nov. 2015. Web. 6 June 2016.

Healthcare Needs Help! by John Krupa

There are 7.1 Billion People on earth and almost 94% of them have access to essential health care but whether or not they can actually access the healthcare depends on how they pay. Some countries like Canada have health care costs included in the high taxes (even if you don’t need health care) and when someone needs health care it has no charge. Or there are models like in the U.S. where you pay from your own pocket only when you need health care. I believe that healthcare should be paid for by people when they need it, to not put the government into debt, so people are more cautious because they know they’re paying, and because people can get better healthcare the more money they pay.

In Canada the cost outweighs the benefit when it comes to healthcare, it actually costs more to provide health care to all citizens for no cost. In The Huffington post says this about it “In 2013, a typical Canadian family of four can expect to pay $11,320 for public health care insurance.” This costs a lot for families and over time this cost can become a lot more and add up I think that this costs a lot more than the others who would pay for healthcare in places like the US or England. I found on Time.com they say “Workers now pay an average of $1,318 out of pocket before health insurance coverage begins to cover part of their bills, up from $584 a decade ago” Just by looking at this you can she the huge cost difference between Canadian and US healthcare systems. This also proves

One summer several years ago I went to my grandma’s house is south-east Canada and while I was there I met her neighbor who was 75 years old. She was cleaning her driveway in 35O heat. I offered to help and asked why she hadn't hired anyone or asked someone to help. She said that if she got hurt it wouldn’t cost anything and that she would be home a few days later. I think that people will do more dangerous things if their health care is paid for. When healthcare is free people do more dangerous activities and care less about their safety. I may know this from personal experience but I also know this in

My final point is that people who pay more can get better healthcare and there should be different healthcare facilities set up for the different people. This can help starting doctor with costs and the amount they have to pay. This cost can be changed as the doctor and facility grow. This can help with the free market and the progression of the healthcare system. This also means that doctors can charge a correct amount and can use top of the line technology for their specification. Currently, doctors think that health care cost too much. This is proved in News Asia one's letter from Dr. Tang Kok Foo “Last year, patients and healthcare professionals alike expressed their concerns over the growing disparity in medical costs, which made it difficult for patients to estimate their bills.” This talks about healthcare costs and

Some people might say that a divide between better and worse health care is worse and creates a divide in classes that is bad for social stability. The differences in classes and income has happened in the past creating problems and differences. This also means that some people who have more money will be healthier and in less danger of medical problems.

I don’t agree with this because of several reasons, firstly I believe that this gap is good and actually beneficial to doctors. This divide can add stability to the system of buying health care and I think that clinics and hospitals can be more efficient with costs and expenses and with handling the number of  patients which is currently a problem in Canadian hospitals. Most patients that enter hospitals wait long hours in waiting rooms for sub-par equipment.

Over healthcare is a big problem and has a lot of opinions and is a very controversial topic with some thinking it should have one cost for patients or one cost for the governments with taxes being a lot more. Some even think that the cost should be split evenly between higher taxes and public heath care while also haveing private health care. Thank you for reading my opinion on why people should pay the costs of health care.

Bibliographies:
-Lee, Lam Min. "YOURHEALTH, SINGAPORE." News Asiaone. News Asiaone, 22 July 2015. Web.
-Helfand, Duke. "HEALTHCARE'S HIGH COST; Unusual Alliance Slashes Expenses; An HMO, a Hospital Chain and a Doctors Group Team up and save $20 Million." Los Angeles Daily Times. Los Angeles Daily Times, 2 Aug. 2011. Web.
-Esmail, Nadeem. "'Free' Health Care in Canada Costs More Than It's Worth."The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 09 Aug. 2013. Web. 12 June 2016.

Child Soldiers: Jail or No Jail?

     The issue of child soldiers has come to light in recent times with a previous child soldier, Omar Khadr, being controversially released from Guantanamo Bay, a notoriously severe prison. Child soldiers should not be convicted and prosecuted for their actions, and should instead be re-integrated into modern society. This is because some of these child soldiers were born into circumstances where terror acts were common and that these innocent, young children went to a military base for security and safety, but were forced into the war. Now some argue that these children still committed the acts and that that’s the long and thick of it, but despite this, it is also the case that when taken as a whole, the mentality that these children were subjected to in the military was ‘kill or be killed’.

     One example of a child being forced into unfortunate war-like circumstances against their will is the case of a man named Omar Khadr. Born to a high-ranking Al-Qaeda terrorist, Khadr was placed in jail after entering a firefight, during which he threw a grenade that killed a US Army soldier. Khadr had no choice in joining a terrorist force as a child, as his father had taken him to several Al-Qaeda training camps when he was ten and fifteen years old. Khadr, “only 15 at the time of his apprehension,” (Prasow, 2010) but 30 now, has been through several jail systems and has another two years to serve in prison. Being prosecuted as a child soldier has stolen his teenage years and his 20’s, and he may never be able to lead a normal life ever again.

     Secondly, some child soldiers are forced into service, but not by their parents or family line. As we can see in ex-child soldier Ishmael Beah’s autobiography, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, he and his friends had arrived at “[...] Yele, a village that was occupied by the military. [...] we had finally found safety at Yele. The village was always full of lively chattering laughter,” (Beah, p100). This shows that in the beginning, a large number of the children soldiers went to the military base simply to find security. However, when opposing forces started closing in on the base, the children either had to fight for the military or leave the base for good. “If you do not want to fight or help, that is fine. But you will not have rations and you will not stay in this village,” (Beah, p106). “The man insisted that he didn’t want to be a part of our war, so I gave him his wish and let him go. [...] The rebels shot them in the clearing,” (Beah, p107). This evidence points to the thought that these children, with no parental guidance or support, had to make a tough decision: kill or be killed. After being forced into the army, these poor, innocent children are forced to take some very bad drugs, like brown-brown (a mix of gunpowder and cocaine) and marijuana. These drugs calm the children down and make them hallucinate to the point where they do not believe that they are doing anything wrong or violent.

     The third and final reason as to why these children should not be prosecuted is because regardless of how these children came to be in the military, they were brainwashed into thinking that they had done nothing wrong. One piece of evidence suggests “child soldiers are not morally responsible for the actions they perform [...] once recruited, the children soon become brainwashed through the use of drugs and alcohol,” (CSIC, Unknown). This text shows that violent thoughts are planted into these innocent children's minds through the use of cheap brainwashing techniques.

     While some may argue that these children committed these acts, whether they were the children’s acts or not, they fail to realise that these soldiers are still just that: children. As we can see from several pieces of evidence in the past, children can be easily manipulated, and can be quickly trained to enforce the orders of others without thinking twice, especially if these orders are given by someone they trust. This can be detrimental to the rehabilitation of children, when they have “been "marinating" in the [...] views of elder statesmen of terrorist groups” (Prasow, 2010) while in prisons. This evidence points to the thought that if children are to have a second chance in life without being feared by the general public, being in a prison can ruin their possible future.

     As these pieces of evidence have been unpacked and examined, it becomes quite clear to see that child soldiers should not be prosecuted as these children are forced into service, born into a family that is involved in these affairs, or brainwashed. Furthermore, prosecuting and jailing these children is clearly detrimental to their possible reintegration into society, and ruins any chance of them leading a normal life.

Bibliography

- Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. Print.

- Prasow, Andrea. "The Child Soldier on Trial at Guantanamo." Human Rights Watch. N.p., 27 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 June 2016.

- "Child Soldiers- Summative Essay." Child Soldiers: Invisible Children. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2016.

Video games and teens! by Victor Schneuwly

Every week there is an article by a news company claiming that video games are the worst things for teens. The media has been so full of these stories that everyone including parents believes this. Yes, it's true that video games also have negative effects such as being addictive or not being active anymore. But teens and some scientists prove this wrong because they believe that video games are actually beneficial for teens in terms of making their vision better, they help teens stay away from drugs and violence. It also can help them in solving problems and having better attention during different times.

Many people say that video games screw up your eyesight but that is not at all true. Because Daphne Bavelier who has been studying the effects of video games on people for 7 years, did some research and found that “The gamers that play 5 to 10 to 15 hours a week, you might think that their vision is bad, well it is better than people who do not play video games”. Also an article Carrot sticks or joysticks: video games improve vision written by Caplovitz, Gideon and Kastner, Sabine says “A study in this issue of Nature Neuroscience demonstrates that normal-sighted people who play action-based video games can benefit from long-lasting improvements in contrast sensitivity, one of the most basic visual functions that commonly deteriorate with aging, among other causes. This improvement is probably a result of changes in neural processing, rather than physical changes in eye structure.” This proves the point that video games aren't bad for teens but on the other hand, can be beneficial.

Drugs and violence are a rough thing that many people and not just teens struggle with everyday. There was a story unfortunately the mother didn’t want any names but her children were sitting on the sidewalk while a car went by shooting at them but since they had been playing a first person shooter they realised they were gonna be shot. So acting like in the game they took cover behind some concrete and came out alive. This relates back to the point where they saved their lives by reacting to the sound of the gun just like in the game. A study done at Yale shows that “Most teens who play video games do not fall into unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drugs, fighting or becoming depressed”. This proves the point that teens are better of playing video games instead dealing drugs and involving themselves in violence because video games are simulated however in real life there are limits.

Many people suggest that video games do not improve reflexes which is not at all true. In a study by Daphne Bavelier “People who play video games can solve problems faster.Normal Adults can track about 3-4 objects without losing focus, however teens who play video games can track about 6-7 objects at a time without losing focus.” This shows that people who think that video games don't improve reflexes are wrong and this is why teens should be allowed to play video games.

Unfortunately video games also have their disadvantages like for example being addictive. An article written by Valley Morning star says that “Some teens if it was possible they will just go ahead and play their video game "24/7" so that they can manage to pass the different existing levels”. This is one of the most common examples where teens become addicted to the game. In the same article by Valley Morning Star the say “Teens would rather play video games than go out to eat with their family now at days.” Playing 24/7 is bad but not going out to eat with your family that's a whole new level of bad.

Since teens play video games they have no time whatsoever to go outside to play a sport or do an activity because they need to finish this last level. In an article by Valley Morning Star they say that “Some teens that focus so much in video games that they stop living an active life. By this I mean that many teens may close down to reality in the way that they get home and the only thing they do is go directly to their TVs, and they start to play with their video game.” Many parents can confirm that especially if their child likes to play video games. And in the same article by Valley Morning Star they also say that “Now at days that's all that teens do when they hang out. Instead of going out and exercising, they sit, eat, and play video games.” This is actually a serious problem because if people don't exercise and stay at home the new generation will be fat and lazy.

Video games are actually pretty good for teens because video games can improve the eyesight, it can help steer teens away from drugs and violence and video games can lead to teens having better attention problems and solving problems faster. However video games also have their negatives such as being too addictive and spending less time outside to play a video games. Even though video games are addictive and can cause teens to not do any exercise they actually have good benefits, but nobody is willing to accept that.

Bibliography:

Bavelier, Daphne. "Your Brain on Video Games." N.p., n.d. Web.

Star, Valley Morning. "Do Video Games Have a Negative Impact on Teens? Why or Why Not?" Proquest. N.p., n.d. Web.

Julia VanTine. "Video Games Not Harmful to Most Teens: Study." US News. N.p., n.d. Web.

"Carrot Sticks or Joysticks: Video Games Improve Vision." Proquest. N.p., n.d. Web."It's Official: Video Games Are Bad for Your Brain; New Research Shows Permanent Effects on Minds of Players." Proquest. N.p., n.d. Web.

A Breach In The Social World by Sota

Are you on your phone checking how many likes you got for a picture you posted last night? Social media has had a major impact on the lives of teens. It is a new system that has grown exponentially in this decade or so. 90% of teens have used some way of social media. It is a new way that allows teens socialise with their friends even if they're at home or on the other side of the world. “Worldwide, there are over 1.65 billion monthly active Facebook users (MAUs) which was a 15 percent increase year over year” (Facebook, 27/4/16). However, there are many dangers that can come from it. It has mental impacts like depression, destroy body image and being offended. Also, social media is a distraction for the teens and has played a role in lowering teens academic success. With these reasons in hand, social media is a way that teens socialise in recent times; however there are many negative impacts, for example, it can cause mental issues, a distraction for academics and cyber bullying.

One of the dangers that it can have is the mental impacts that it has of teens. Teens talk about how they “often encountering racist or sexist or homophobic content in the digital dialogue.” This becomes one of the reasons that teens gets emotionally harmed. Social media can also destroy body image and lower self-esteem. But on the other hand, 52% of the all the teens who use social media say that it has mainly helped their friendship, while only 4 percent say it has mainly hurt their friendship. Also, 20 percent of all the teens say that it makes them feel more confident. This can be taken that it is very helpful for some people. Also, it makes them feel more at home. But this can also mean a sign of addiction when teens feel more at home on social media. This will become a distraction from the real world and cause depression. Another way that teens can be harmed mentally is body image. On social media people can post whatever they like, this can also include pictures of handsome people or beautiful women. The teens look through photos and expect that they are like them. But in reality, it is far of and can create mental sadness and destroy body image. These are just some of the ways mentally that teens are being affected by social media.

The second way that social media can have a negative impact on the teen is by cyber bullying and stalking. The internet is a very wide and open place, anyone in the world can be stalking you at this moment. For example “64% of teens with Twitter accounts say that their tweets are public, while 24% say their tweets are private”. This means that anyone on the internet can access and see the 64% of teens tweets, which might be personal. A study shows that more teens post their real names, interest and birth dates in 2012 than back in 2006. The risks of teens getting stalked and cyberbullied are increasing year and year. Cyberbullying can lead to the thought of taking their own life. Cyber bullying can also scar the teens for their whole life. They will often remember what happened and will never forget about it. Posting with care is a very important part of social media, many teens with that they have their accounts on private when it is public. Posting something on social media is very easy, but the aftermath of it can be bad. The post you posted yesterday can well be the biggest regret in your life. There was a research done by AVG Technologies, stating that almost one in three teens have regret posting something online because it was too personal. There are many people who do not do good in social media. These people tend to use personal information and pictures of teens to threaten them or blackmail them. These things can often lead to stress and depression.

Another way that teens can get impacted is the distraction and the decrease of academic success. It is scientifically proven that social media leads to in-productivity. Most teens who are addicted to social media comes back homes from school and straight on to their phones to chat about the day. This mostly continues on until the go to sleep. The amount of homework they do is minimal leading to the decrease of academic success. 90% of all teens in the US has used some kind of social media before. This means that the number of teens who are on their social media, not doing homework is increasing. Jennifer L. Walsh, of The Miriam Hospital’s Centers for Behavioural and Preventive Medicine, constructed a study which aimed to find out “how media use related to later school performance." Walsh and her colleagues interviewed 483 freshmen/women during from a northeastern university. As a result, researchers listed that cell phones, social networking, television and magazines had a severe impact on students' academic results for their fall semesters. Walsh further noted that students who spent more time engaging in these forms of media, had "fewer academic behaviours, such as completing homework and attending class, lower academic confidence and more problems affecting their school work, like lack of sleep and substance use.” Considering the large population of teens using social media, the future is not too promising.

There are still exceptions to this, teens who can manage their time on social media are able to get the academic success they worked for. There are many facts supporting that social media can be negative but, in some ways it can have a positive impact. Social media is a new way to socialise with your friends and the world. In this globalised world, the fastest way to spread your ideas is probably posting it on social media. With the overwhelming population on social media, it is very easy to find people with the same interests as you. There are many true believers of social media, they think that social media is the way to go and this is can only bring positive impacts for teens. Even with the instalment of social media the majority of the teens like to socialise and talk to they friends face to face. Social media is just helping them expand their ways to socialise. However, social media still has many negative impacts on teens. One of the biggest impacts that are lead from social media instalment is the lack of social skills in the teens. People from older generations learned how to communicate and interact long before social media was even a thought, but for the younger generations, they do not interact socially except at school and work, where social interaction is well monitored and minimal. Social networking has created a serious breach in the ability of young people to communicate and interact with each other. This leads to another problem. Job employers say that “many young people do not have the necessary verbal and social skills to obtain a job. Often, those lacking the verbal skills to land a job spend much time networking and texting on cell phones”. This means that engaging with social media can have a bigger impact of teens futures, not just the mental and health issues. 

Conclusively, social networking can be very beneficial in the modern world. However, social media allows for unnecessary risks in privacy, safety, social skills, and health. One bad decision on social media can impact teens who still have a long way to go. Depression and lowering self-esteem are just a few ways that social media can have a mental issue. Privacy and Cyberbullying is an another way that social media can impact teens in a negative way, making your account and posts private is just one of the ways you can secure yourself from people who cyber bully and take personal information. Cyberbullying always happens, with the increasing population using social media the amount of people that are going to be impacted by cyber bullying is going to grow. The last way that I mentioned that can have a negative impact on teens is distraction and decrease in academic success. Social media often distracts the teens from doing homework for example. Teens always want to know how many people liked their post. This mostly works against them, acting as an obstacle to academic success. Keeping in mind that social media can have negative impacts, it is still important to understand that social media is a new way for teens to socialise with friends nearby or on the other side of the world.

Bibliography

"Teens' Use of Social Media: Teens' Use of Social Media: Positive or Negative?Positive or Negative?" Teens' Use of Social Media: Positive or Negative? ProQuest, Oct. 2012. Web. May 2016.
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1086333661/51DAA3B4377240BFPQ/1?accountid=74409
"Seomworld." : Social Media and Cyber Stalking Facts. N.p., 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 June 2016.
http://www.seomworld.com/2013/09/social-media-and-cyber-stalking-facts.html#.V14AtOZ95E5
"10 Ways Social Media Affects Mental Health." Degreed Blog Atom. N.p., 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 June 2016.
http://blog.degreed.com/10-ways-social-media-affects-our-mental-health/
"Top 20 Facebook Statistics - Updated March 2016." Zephoria Inc. N.p., 30 May 2016. Web. 12 June 2016.
https://zephoria.com/top-15-valuable-facebook-statistics/
"Social Media's Negative Effect on Academic Performance." Headlines Global News RSS. N.p., 15 Apr. 2013. Web. 12 June 2016.
http://www.hngn.com/articles/1929/20130415/social-medias-negative-effect-academic-performance.htm
"Almost One in Three Teenagers Has Online Regrets by Age 16." AVG Now. N.p., 03 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 June 2016.http://now.avg.com/teen-online-regrets/

Rethinking Hiroshima by Isaac

Arguably the most significant part of the 20th century was World War 2, supposedly the ultimate ‘Good guys versus Bad guys fight’ but the war did end abruptly when the United States performed one of the most controversial actions of human history : Dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where it ended thousands of lives. The public responded extremely negatively to this action and state that if the bombings never occurred, the world would be a better place. But the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary and beneficial because it gave us the knowledge to harness a new energy source and prevented the war from proceeding and descending into more violence.

During the last stages of world war 2, Before the atomic bomb was dropped. Two plans were to be executed, one by Japan and one by the United states and were named “Cherry blossoms at night” and “Downfall” respectively. Both plans; if they had been carried out would have ended more lives than the atomic bombs. The first plan : Operation Downfall was the planned invasion of Japan and eventually force a surrender. Downfall was planned to involve 4 million US invaders and an estimated 35 Million Japanese defenders , The estimated death toll for the US was around the hundred thousands[1] which would have exceeded the tragic Normandy landings if the plan was indeed executed. The lesser known operation, conceived by Japan was named Operation Cherry Blossoms at night. Cherry Blossoms at Night was a plan to wage biological warfare on the United States, it was to involve kamikaze attacks each kamikaze plane was to carry fleas infected with bubonic plague. The operation had no value but was meant to prevent the united states from invading. It is unknown how many casualties this would have created but if this plan had been carried out, south carolina might have been infected with plague for a long time. But even if both plans were not carried out, it would have been likely that the war would have gone on for much longer than it did in our world as the people who had absolute power in japan were incredibly ferocious so much that before Hiroshima, there were no official documents that detailed anyone that had power in Japan contemplating terminating the war[1]. Another example of this ferocity is in our history, As after both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were obliterated, the war minister of japan urged Japan to continue fighting. Fortunately, the emperor of Japan overruled his decision and surrendered and finally ending the pacific war.

Another reason that the nuclear bombs were beneficial was that it opened the door to what could possibly solve our global warming problems and earth’s other issues. Richard Feynman once described : “To every man is given a key to the gates of heaven. The same key opens the gates to hell” followed by “And so it is with science”. Paraphrasing, Feynman described how science gives us keys, but doesn’t tell us how to use such keys. When nuclear fission was discovered, The united states immediately started weaponizing nuclear fission, leading to the development of Little boy and Fat man. But the same key, Nuclear fission, also led to the development of nuclear energy which supplied us with large amounts of power without releasing any greenhouse gases. While some people may argue that there are alternatives to nuclear energy, citing the Chernobyl disaster and the Fukushima disaster. New research is giving us cleaner and more efficient energy which could solve our energy crisis and our global warming issue all together.

People may argue that the creation nuclear bombs directly caused the cold war and almost resulted in the extinction of humanity multiple times, coined the term “Megadeath” which is used to measure deaths in the millions and is directly involved with measuring the catastrophic killing power of the nuclear bomb and created the fear that extinction could happen on a whim. While that is true. Like what I mentioned above, the same keys that can be used to open the gates to heaven, also open the gates to hell. For example, the Saturn V rocket, the ones used to deliver nuclear payloads across continents during the cold war. Was the very same rocket used in the Apollo 11. It goes to show that what we think of as harmful and bad to us now, could be beneficial and good to us in the future.

The nuclear bombs were devastating, it killed thousand, created the fear of nuclear weapons and it polarised almost everyone’s views on the effects of the war. But while those facts are true, what the nuclear bombs created, set us, as a species, on the track to evolving even further than what we could’ve achieved before we discovered the power of the atom, it put us on the track to ending our current issues like global warming, our energy crisis and the limits of our solar system. As the saying goes: “A curse is a blessing in disguise”

Bibliography
[1] : Frank, Richard B. "No Bomb : No End." What If? 2: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been: Essays. By Robert Cowley and James Bradley. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2001. 366-81. Print.
[2] : ""DOWNFALL" THE PLAN FOR THE INVASION OF JAPAN." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2016.
[3] : Bernstein, Barton J. "The Atomic Bombings Reconsidered." ProQuest. ProQuest, Jan. 1995. Web. 13 June 2016.

Dangers of Social Media By Arko

Social media is a crucial part of our life, on a daily basis, we spend an average of 3 to 4 hours on it. Imagine you’re on your laptop, and you are supposed to be working on school work, but you just go on facebook, just to see how many likes you got on that photo you just posted. There is a problem when you are addicted to social media. Social media has a few positive things about it, however, there are still many dangers that come from it. An obvious reason that makes the statement above true is the issue of cyberbullying and the dangers that come from it. Another piece of evidence is the teen's physical health that is affected when teenagers get addicted to social media. It can affect their sleep schedules and their own body as they can see themselves as too fat. It can also affect their mental health as they can feel things such as depression and another obvious reason is that social media can cause poor self-esteem. Facebook has caused so many teenagers to have depression that doctors created something called Facebook Depression. It can also have a negative effect on academic success. However there are still a few good things that come from social media, it can allow us to communicate with each other easily.

One of the dangers that come from social media is cyber bullying. It is not uncommon amongst teens to experience cyberbullying, the Kids Health Organisation found that 95% of teens have witnessed cyberbullying and 33% of teens are victims. Cyberbullying by itself is not the only problem, according to LiveScience.com cyber bullying can be linked to depression. However teenagers are not being safe on social media 52% percent of kids from the age of 8 to 16 have a social media account but only 32% of the parents are confident enough to let them have a social media account. Cyberbullying is the bullying that occurs online, according to Kids Health Organisation “Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. By definition, it occurs among young people. When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber-harassment or cyberstalk.” Cyber bullying is a crime that can have legal consequences and involve jail time. This means that almost all teens witness other people being harassed, threatened, embarrassed or targeted by another person on social media. It also means that the teenagers that are committing the crime can face jail time if caught. Cyberbullying can be linked to depression, it can be a cause for it. Cyberbullying is still a big problem in our society, and it should not be ignored.

As I mentioned cyberbullying is a cause for social media. “There are three main causes of depression that are linked to social media. Bullying, self-comparison and influencing self-worth,” said Brent L. Fletcher a mental health therapist. “Bullying can occur when ‘friends’ post means or derogatory statements about others or upload unflattering photos and make negative comments about them,” says Fletcher. This obviously can cause low self-esteem, which is also another cause for depression. This seems to coincide with secondary school years. One 13-year-old girl told a ChildLine counsellor: ‘I hate myself. When I look at other girls online posting photos of themselves it makes me feel really worthless and ugly.’ A 12-year-old girl said: ‘I feel like crying all the time. I’m constantly worried about what other people are thinking of me. I use social media sometimes but that just makes me more depressed as I hardly have any friends online and no one likes my posts/photos. Another reason is that people tend to compare themselves to others. Even celebrities, so people have to have the “perfect” body, people tend to compare themselves. Afterwards, they try to lose or gain weight to have a “perfect” body. This can also affect your body health obviously.

As I said people can compare themselves to others, they want to see how they pan out against others. They don’t want to come out looking weird or silly or different. Sometimes people want to even compare themselves to celebrities. They sometimes feel that they are too skinny or too fat compared to celebrities and models. This can affect your body, can cause eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa. There is no single cause of body dissatisfaction or disordered eating. But, it is clear that media does indeed contribute and that exposure to and pressure exerted by media increase body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Numerous experimental studies have linked exposure to the thin ideal in mass media to body dissatisfaction, internalisation of the thin ideal, and disordered eating among women. The effect of media on women’s body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalisation, and disordered eating appears to be stronger among young adults than children and adolescents. This may suggest that long-term exposure during childhood and adolescence lays the foundation for the negative effects of media during early adulthood. Pressure from mass media to be muscular also appears to be related to body dissatisfaction among men. This effect may be smaller than among women but it is still significant.Young men seem to be more negatively affected by the media images than adolescent boys are. This can all be caused when people who are addicted to social media, compare themselves, to lies. According to the BBC, almost all teens that use social media alter their photos. This can also link to self-comparisons to themselves. They don’t want to appear ugly or different looking. So, they photoshop their images so they aren’t treated badly.

However, these aren’t the only issues that come with social media, school is an important factor of our lives, and sets us up for the future. Social media can have a negative influence on academic success, especially if you are addicted to it. A study was done by the Miriam Hospital, researchers show a link between social media and academic performance among the freshmen in a study, which is the first of its kind. The study looked at students engaged in any form of media use including texting, music, the Internet and social networking. The study shows that an average freshmen woman spends 12 hours every day engaged in any form of media use. Students were asked to report an average time spent on any forms of media throughout the previous week. They were also asked to report their grades in the academics for the fall and spring semesters and their intellectual confidence, behaviour and troubles, the report said. As a result, researchers listed that cell phones, social networking, television and magazines had the severe impact on students' academic results for their fall semesters.

There are still many good things about social media, the obvious being it allows us to connect and socialise easier. Before social media, we had to wait for a long time to get replies. Even email was uncommon, so people used letters. This made progress extremely slow, while now with instant communication we can talk with people around the world, and get a reply instantly. However, while these positive aspects are present there are still negative aspects that are part of social media. As I mentioned earlier there are still dangers to teenagers and adults using social media, dangers such as cyberbullying and risks of depression.

The dangers of social media will always remain high as you know almost all teenagers witness cyberbullying online. So, social media has a few positive things about it, however, there are still many dangers that come from it. To conquer the negatives of social media, we have to take a step back, before social media people had very little risk of being bullied or depressed. Now I am not saying that we should never go on social media. It is important in our life, and we cannot deny the importance of it. But that doesn’t mean that we should constantly be on facebook or Instagram either. There should be times in our daily lives, where we put the phone down and be aware of our surroundings, so we can live in the moment because that moment won’t come back.

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"Social Media and Society: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." SEO Chat. SEO Chat, 01 May 2013. Web. 12 June 2016. <http://www.seochat.com/c/a/social/social-media-and-society-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/>.

"Teaching Kids to Be Smart About Social Media." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, 20 Aug. 2014. Web. 12 June 2016. <http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/social-media-smarts.html>.

"Web Exclusive." Is 'Facebook Depression' For Real? N.p., 4 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 June 2016. <http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/exc_080811.shtml>.

Magazine, Forbes. "Can Too Much Social Media Cause Depression." Forbes. N.p., 22 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 June 2016. <http://www.mainlinetoday.com/Blogs/Thinking-Forward/February-2014/Can-Too-Much-Social-Media-Cause-Depression/>.