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Internet Usage and Education

For all the advantages in terms of convenience, speed and delivery that the internet has provided to the average consumer and household, there are increasing concerns as to its influence on social conduct and etiquette. These concerns are centered on the fact that the premise of the World Wide Web has been outweighed by its impact, and despite its supposed benefits to individuals and families alike, it is often citied as a prominent factor in decreasing values and social behavioural trends.

The fact remains that while consumers can purchase and internet users can seek information through the vast resources of the internet, there is less and less need to venture into the outside world and communicate with other human beings through traditional conversation. This type of secluded environment in which young adults are thrust can contribute towards a restricted and introverted outlook on life, and in extreme cases develop anti-social behavioural trends amongst users.

Internet Usage and Education

One of the primary concerns around internet usage is its influence on the education of teenagers and young adults. With regards to the vast resources available on the World Wide Web, there are two schools of thought. One would consider that the diversity of information and opinion is beneficial to further education, and actively encourages the development of a considered point of view. However, there is a further notion that the internet’s depth of resource and often uncensored nature is confusing for impressionable minds and often contradictory to curriculum teaching.

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The Reality of Drug Usage and Users

There is often a noticeable dichotomy between public perception and reality, and this ethos is particularly relevant to drug use and drug users. The general understanding of drug use is that it is currently more widespread than ever, and that it is particularly prevalent amongst teenagers and young adults. This theory is developed due to over exposure to sensational media reports and generic journalism, where indistinct statements contrive an unconsidered presentation of actual events.

In fact, the level of drug use between the 18 to 25 year old demographic has fallen between 2000 and 2008, with a total decrease of 0.5 percent. This may seem insignificant, but not when you consider the sum of the US population and also the fact the percentage drop for the same period of citizens who have ever used drugs was registered at 2.4 percent. This secondary statistic is far more indicative of a continual and gradual decline in the number of drug users since the turn of the century.

A Public Perception

So, where does the perception of a worsening drug culture emerge from? Surprisingly, the only increase in the number of drug users is actually in the 26 to 34 year age demographic, where the level of current users has risen from 10.5 to 11 percent between 2000 and 2008. Although this statistic, when considered on its individual merits, may suggest an increase in adult drug use, it not supported by other figures that feature in the same target age range.

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Is Society Equipped for Multiculturalism?

This is not a slur on western culture, but more a realization of the magnitude of melding numerous cultural and religious bodies into a weave of similar communities. It requires a certain level of tolerance, knowledge and understanding, and also vast amounts of interaction and communication to make the transition smooth and effective. The danger is that by merging different entities together without the requisite foundation being laid could lead to ignorance, resentment and ultimately conflict.

Teaching the Values of Different Religions

There are two major issues with religious teaching in general education facilities. Firstly, it is not considered a primary or compulsory subject, and therefore either abandoned or simply ignored by students who do not see the value in such education. Secondly, where specialist religious education bodies exist, they often teach only a single religious or cultural theme that does not encompass alternative or external influences. While this at least teaches at some religious values in depth, it creates a closed minded attitude towards the notions of other belief systems.

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Education as a Resolution to Social Issues

When addressing issues of poverty and rates of crime throughout the US, education would appear to be the strongest tool in opposition. This applies to the teaching of children and young adults in two separate guises: from standard or private educational bodies and personal examples set through the conduct of guardians. However, while the number of children enrolling in education is rising year by year, there are concerns as the rates of crime, poverty and teenage birth continue to display a rising trend.

The total number of children and adults enrolled in education was over 72 million in 2008, which was a significant increase in the figure of 69.5 million in 2000. These figures include individuals who sought and completed further educational and vocational courses, and who continued to learn and develop through their adult years. These statistics, when compared with the comparative levels of hardship and delinquent behaviour in certain areas, would suggest that education is not a relevant resource with which to improve society significantly.

The Ages of Child Enrolment

However, investigation of these numbers reveals some more relevant portents. While the number of children enrolled in schools and educational outlets has risen annually, the number of children per demographic age range has not. In some cases, there are groups of children where the numbers of school attendees have actually decreased from those reported in 2000. A secondary element is the ever increasing population of the US, which inevitably increases the number of youngsters and individual’s eligible for schooling year on year.

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The Links between Poverty and Crime

Of all the supposed consequences and effects of poverty, crime is one of the most discussed. It is a common perception that people who live beneath the poverty threshold and who are victims of economic hardship are more likely to commit crime, whether for financial game or otherwise. Although various US census statistics would corroborate this to some degree, it is still pertinent to investigate other factors in criminal behaviour such as the types of crime committed and how poverty influences an individual’s personal morality.

What research has shown is that high rates of crime are more prevalent in low income areas of the US, and therefore that states that are subject to the highest rates also populate beneath the poverty threshold. Crime, however, is a broad and diverse subject matter, and understanding the types of crime most common in these areas is crucial to establishing the role that poverty plays in delinquent and illegal conduct.

The Levels of Crime in Deprived Areas

It is important to remember that the US federal definition of poverty differs to its public perception. An individual or family who are beneath the poverty threshold are not necessarily struggling to exist, but are more likely to have their residual income stretched across daily and monthly expenditure. Therefore, someone who is technically living in poverty in the US may actually live a comfortable life, only without many of the contemporary luxuries and features in higher income households.

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Teenage Pregnancy and the Rise in Population

Given the continued explosion in population figures, there is much discussion concerning birth rates and fertility in the US. With so much conjecture and so many conflicting statistics, it is difficult to separate the facts from pure speculation and create a clear comprehension of the exact situation. The general public perception is that birth rates are rising steadily both in the US and worldwide, and also that teenage pregnancy is an increasing problem and affecting girls of a younger and more vulnerable age group.

While so of this is true, these theories do not portray the wider picture. The birth rate in the US rose from 4.3 million to just under 4.5 million between 2007 and 2008, which reflected the trend of an increasing population that has been prevalent since the early 1990’s. When investigated further and divided into specific demographic groups, it is certainly true that the rate of teenage pregnancies (among young girls aged between 15 and 19) has risen over the last 5 years. However, this is only a small faction of the overall narrative.

Understanding the Statistics

Though the rise has been small and yet significant since 2005, the number has not risen continuously since the late 1980’s. In fact, the rate of teenage pregnancies had been subject to a steady and consistent decline between 1990 and 2005, following a huge increase that had begun since the legalization of abortion in 1973. The statistics already betray many of the common worldwide perceptions concerning teenage pregnancy, and the presumed epidemic of promiscuity that had engulfed western culture.

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Where to Save Money in a Recovering Economy

As the US and other western nations continue their recovery from the global recession, more and more citizens and consumers are looking for ways to save money. This ethos is employed in all areas of existence, from day to day expenditure through to sporadic and luxury spending. However, the core emphasis for frugal living relies on saving through regular and necessary consumer spending, rather than reducing the amount sourced and spent on luxurious items and experiences. Statistics show that all forms of consumer spending have risen between 2000 and 2009, and also that the inflated expenditure far exceeds rises in average income and salary.

For those on a tighter budget, there are many ways to save money on food, drink and other household necessities. Although these processes often involve consumers having to spend more time to find discounts and devise money saving strategies, the end result can be seen at the end of each month. By reducing expenditure, a household can in effect begin to save money and capital for future times of need and hardship. If periods of recession teach society one thing, it should be that when experiencing economic growth and prosperity, each citizen has a duty to spend responsibly and save money for periods of financial regression.

Saving on Weekly Expenditure

The most effective avenue to saving money is on day to day expenditures. By saving money on groceries, drink and household bills, a consumer can create the biggest possible excess in their residual income. With regards to food and drink, many consumers find that shopping online helps to both reduce overall cost and also wastage of unused items. This is because customers are able to peruse a supermarkets website at their leisure and calculate the outgoings throughout the process and even at the checkout stage. This means that they are able to adjust their list as they go along and not only be aware of every cent that they spend, but also make sure that what they purchase is required and necessary.

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Understanding Poverty and its Characteristics

Poverty is an often misunderstood concept, and is perceived differently depending on the status of a nation and its people. In deprived areas of the world, poverty is seen as an extreme state of existence, where a community has steep population levels and not enough natural or economic resource to sustain them. This is also the wider view of poverty, as it is well documented through news bulletins and global charitable events and organizations.

However, it is less well known that poverty subsists in many affluent and renowned nations, only it harbors beneath a different and less extreme definition. In countries like the US, poverty is status is determined by contrasting annual income to a regulated dollar value, which are referred to as thresholds. These thresholds vary depending on the size of a family and average age of a household. An family unit whose income falls below this threshold are considered to be in poverty.

Increasing Poverty Throughout the US

The poverty threshold is refreshed annually to account for modifications in the cost of living and other economic variables. Between 2009 and 2010, the percentage of US citizens who had fallen beneath the poverty threshold was registered at 14.3, which was a 1.0 increase on the recorded figure from 2008. While this statistic is surprising in itself, the geographical split of poverty and where it is prevalent within the US is even more interesting, and highlights particular areas of concern.

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Can Extensive Research Really Benefit Society?

There is an ever increasing amount of capital invested in research every year throughout the US. The nature of this is variable, ranging from market research into consumer trends to scientific and medical research into remedies and vaccinations to treat and cure diseases. Some of this research is funded by governments through appointed grants, whereas others are sourced through private investment, and which types of investigative research qualify for grants depends entirely on their purpose and benefit to people and society. However, given the sums of public and private resource that are committed to such projects, it seems reasonable to question the effectiveness of such outlay.

It appear that there is no hope of doing perfect research, and this can be argued through two core principles. Firstly, certain types of research are reliant on human response and reaction when faced with an action or a set of questions, which of course are open to a completely unique interpretation from each subject. Secondly, and despite the global nature of research across an increasing range of media, we are still analyzing individual tests and results rather than opting to review a garnering of data from different sources to provide a more accurate set of findings. These facts compromise the conclusions drawn from all types of research projects, and draw sharply into focus their purpose and they way that they are conducted.

Human Reaction and Conditioning

Examples of this this can be seen through various projects conducted. Looking at the influence of the effects of media violence on society, the work of George Gerbner stands out from other protagonists. His seminal research through the USA not only inspired further testing but also suggested that heavy TV viewers had their perceptions of the world molded to suit the images presented by the media. He surmised that, due to the sensationalism of media reporting, society was left more anxious and fearful of their surroundings, a concept Gerbner labelled ‘Mean World Syndrome’.

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Are Religious Bodies Doing Faith a Disservice?

The concepts of faith and religion have undergone much scrutiny since the turn of the century. As individual religious bodies have developed splintered and extreme fractions, the core principles of various faiths have become increasingly unclear, creating conflict and dissention within and outside of certain independent belief systems. This has seen a steep rise in the increase of those who practice atheism and are agnostic within the US.

The last 9 years have witnessed the total number of citizens who practice atheism double from its 2001 figure. In terms of individuals who are agnostic, their number has more than doubled in the same length of time, as faith has been tested and numerous eminent voices have disputed the validity of religion as a whole and their values. The question is whether religious bodies and their teachings actually doing God and the concept of faith a disservice?

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The Celebrity Age and Reality Television

The word celebrity used to hold different meaning to the connotations affiliated to it now. Before the advent of reality television, celebrity was a consequence of public achievement, and represented a status that was earned through endeavours in film, television or literature. Actors who had starred in numerous feature films were defined by their career achievement, and celebrity was a following corollary of their deeds.

In today’s age, this has changed. Rather than celebrity being an effect of a person’s ability or career, it has become a direct aspiration to an entire generation. Youngsters growing up throughout the world no longer desire to be famous actors, writers or sportsmen, but instead yearn for fame and the perceived ideals of a celebrity status. People are now able to leap from anonymity to celebrity without anything tangible to bridge the cavernous chasm.

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Violent Crime and the Cultivation Theory

Of all the criminal activity that causes concern amongst society, it is undoubtedly violent crime that remains the most pertinent. The statistics for violent crime in the US have fluctuated over the previous 20 years, rising, falling and then rising again since the turn of the century. There were an estimated 1.8 million instances of violent crime reported in 1995, which reduced to 1.3 million in 2003. This approximate figure has risen again to more than 1.4 million in 2009, prompting concerns of a further increase and gradual decline of social conditions.

There have been several theories forwarded for increased violence amongst society’s members, some of which have been developed since an initial explosion of violent felonies in the 1960’s. The most forward thinking and relevant today is George Gerner’s renowned cultivation theory, which emerged from his experiments and research conducted over a 20 year period. His project involved looking at the effects of television and social media has on impressionable young minds, and their reaction and understanding of concepts such as politics, ideology and violence.

A Relevant and Innovative Study

The reason that Gerbner’s work remains so relevant is the focus from contemporary society on the frequency with which young children play video games. The development of games consoles and games with violent tendencies began to peak in the early 1990’s, coinciding with the sudden increase in instances of violent crime. Gerbner’s studies examined television and media outlets in how they influenced people’s thoughts and actions, and although violence and the effects of violence were a portion of his work, his findings were significant none the less.

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Can Stricter Laws Combat Declining Moral Standards?

With instances of fraud and violent crime remaining unacceptably high through 2009 and early 2010, there is an ever intensive focus on US laws and legislation to help resolve criminal behavioural trends. However, there is another factor which influences criminal acts and conduct, one which remains less defined and yet potentially more pertinent, and this is the concept of personal morality. Completely individual to each person, these nurtured principles govern an independent philosophy of living, and help determine which acts a conscience deems acceptable and righteous. With this in mind, it is fair to question the validity of strict and detailed law when confronted with an individual’s own standards of morality.

Acknowledging Morality as a Factor in Criminal Behaviour

If we consider their core definitions, laws and morals are essentially as one. Both are sets of principles that govern what actions are deemed to be acceptable and righteous, and act as a code by which we conduct our lives and daily affairs. However, whereas laws are set by government legislation to serve society as a single entity, morals are unique to each separate member of that society. They are conditional, influenced by nature, upbringing and most crucially the surrounding environment and circumstance that an individual finds themselves in at any given time. Morals are the most malleable to a subjects situation, and are therefore are often the primary principles by which conduct is orientated. This means that in order for laws to effectively govern a society, they must serve two specific purposes: firstly, to recognise the role of morality in certain criminal offences, and secondly to ensure that such actions are met with swift and consistent consequences.

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Consumer Debt and Responsible Spending

Statistics released by the Federal Reserve suggested that the level of consumer debt stabilized throughout 2009, amounting to an estimated sum of nearly $2.5 trillion. To help comprehend these figures, this amount equates a consumer of debt of just less than $8,100 for every single individual citizen in the US.

Despite showing signs of steadying, this level of consumer debt is still a sharp increase on the figures reported at the turn of the century. What is interesting is that despite the continuing growth in debt and financial burden, consumer spending continues to rise sharply and out of proportion to inflation.

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The Problems with Increasing Population

As the world population figure continues to climb towards the 7 billion mark, and the population of the US alone closes in 311 million, there are increasing concerns surrounding the capacity of the earth’s natural resources to sustain such growth. This, coupled with the continual decline of the environments health, is raising pertinent questions as to whether people and governments are losing control of the world as it is known.

It is common sense to suggest that where there are more people subsisting in a particular space, then there will be more pressure applied on the areas resources to fulfill the growing need. With this mind, it is clear that unless the separate concerns of spiraling population numbers and environmental issues are tackled soon, the quality of life in more and more pockets of the world will be affected swiftly and adversely.

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Living Alone: By Choice or Through Circumstance?

There is wide and varied debate concerning the modern trends in living and welfare, especially amongst the individual members of society that live by themselves. While many consider tales of increasing loneliness little more than an urban myth, there are various statistics that not only it as fact but also expose it an increasing phenomenon amongst many factions of the community.

Statistics released in 2010 show that the number of US citizens living by themselves has risen by nearly 50 percent of the total recorded in 1990. Over this 20 year period, the trend has been for a gradual increase across many age categories, although this rise has been most prominent amongst males and females aged between 45 and 64. With so many factors having the potential to influence these statistics, it has raised the issue of whether if living alone is a considered choice or a consequence of circumstance.

A Considered Choice or Consequence of Circumstance?

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How to Combat Unemployment in a Global Recession

Quarterly statistics for November 2010 showed that the unemployment number rose to 9.8 percent in the US. Although this figure has only risen by 0.2 percent on the last 2 quarters, the rate of citizens without a job has steadied at just beneath the 10 percent mark since the beginning of the global depression in late 2008, and subsequent job cuts through the first 6 months of 2009.

Although the unemployment rate and global economy are displaying signs of slow and steady growth, people are still finding it difficult to source and find employment. This is chiefly due to the fact that companies, cautious not to over commit their resources through a period of economic recovery, are looking to consolidate their numbers rather than grow and employ more staff.

Opportunity not Crisis

This situation has left more and more families financially stretched and looking for alternate ways to create revenue. In the months prior to Christmas, these concerns become even more pertinent as the balancing act between income and expenditure is an even more delicate activity. In these periods of financial pressure and hardship, where costs and inflation remained fixed while people’s income levels drop or diminish, the most positive course of action that an individual can adopt is to treat these issues as opportunities rather than moments of crisis.

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