Living in Today's Environment

In our society, generation Z or today’s current teenagers have begun facing struggles that no other generation has encountered. Issues such as depression, bullying, sexual activity, and obesity are all issues that teens encounter every day, and they all seem to stem from the rapid increase in technology.

Now I’ll admit, none of these issues are new, however, technology or in other words social media has without a doubt amplified these struggles. Let’s start off with depression. Statistics say that roughly 3.1 million adolescents experience depression while growing up, which basically states that 20% of teenagers will experience depression before they are an adult. Many believe that the cause for this increase in depression stems off of technology. Spending too much time on technology, and not enough time in a specific team or club causes teens to feel isolated and alone.

New forms of bullying have also stemmed from technology. This is known as cyber bullying and has become the prominent form of bullying for teenagers. Sure, this bullying is not physical, and may even seem a bit milder on the surface, but unfortunately, this form of bullying is by far the worst. Imagine never being left alone because you are constantly receiving texts or emails attempting to shame you or put you down. This type of bullying can also quickly spread due to social media, and within moments your entire friend group and school can learn about something that instantly embarrasses or shames you.

Sexual activity has also reportedly increased with today’s teens. Online dating sites allow teens to connect with each other more frequently, which is not necessarily a bad thing, until you look at how the rules for dating for Gen Z has shifted. Let’s think about relationships 20 to 30 years ago. Back then, people were dating because they wanted to be in a relationship. Nowadays, a large portion of relationships start out with sex. Some can even argue and say that modern day relationships with teens have simply transitioned into friends with benefits.

Let’s also not forgot to mention the online relationship status and the unknown rules that have recently been established for couples. It seems that today, teenage couples are constantly posting multiple pictures on Instagram or Snapchat with their significant other just to prove that they are in a relationship. Personally, the worst recent trend that has started in teenage relationships is not knowing how soon is too soon to text or call back. Or being hesitant to quickly respond to texts because you do not want to seem desperate. These new and unknown rules just seemed bizarre. Why do we need to wait to respond if we had a good time on a date?

HERE is a site that goes over modern dating struggles and HERE is a website which discusses why it is beneficial to stray away from some modern dating “rules”.

Obesity has also become a major issue with teens today. According to the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey, 20.6 percent of 12- to 19-year-olds are obese. This is a major issue that leads to a much greater risk of lifelong health problems, such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. Of course, this could be caused by unhealthy eating, however, modern technology also plays a major role in the obesity of today’s teens.

As mentioned earlier, many teens end up playing video games or streaming social media rather than hanging out with a group of friends during their free time. Yes, this helps contributes to depression found in today’s teens, but the lack of exercise is also linked to obesity. The human body is meant to move and be active, never in history have so many humans been able to simply sit in their houses or college dorms and apartments as food is delivered to them. The growing rates of teens who simply sit and restrain their bodies from physical activity unfortunately live an unhealthy life. In the future, obesity levels in teens will only continue to rise, and over half of teens will be obese by the year 2030.

Finally, academic issues are also a problem with teens today. Thankfully, less teens have been dropping out of school, and the amount of high school graduates which attend college has greatly increased. Unfortunately, these statistics are not positive for every teenager. For sum, these statistics simply men there is more competition for getting into college and maintaining good grades while in college. Multiple high school students feel pressure to get good grades and get into a great college to enable themselves to have the best future possible. Unfortunately, multiple students buckle under this stress and often times burn themselves out before college.

I believe that all generations experience issues unique to their own time period. Generation Z does not necessarily have the worst issues dealt to them, nor will these be the last issues a generation will experience. I believe they are simply still learning how to cope with them. Being a Gen Z myself, I have witnessed all of these struggles first hand whether they were experienced by myself or from watching a friend experience them. From this experience, all I can say is that learning how to cope with these issues makes today’s teens stronger. Perhaps all generations experience unique issues not just because of the mistakes and downfalls of society, but to make each generation stronger in their own unique ways.

HERE is a website which discusses multiple issues that today’s teens experience.

My fascination has always been directed towards Space. The future of space travel, the history of the universe, however, if you ask me, I do not believe the fate of humanity will be determined by space. I believe we must surpass the first major barrier that all civilizations in the universe shall inevitably encounter… surviving on our home planet.

In today’s rapidly expanding environment, we continuously observe improvements with medical treatment, technological advancement, and even an increase in organizations which aid in preventing poverty. These all bring major improvements to our environment, however, with every positive reaction, there is an equal negative reaction. This negative reaction is overpopulation.

Since the bubonic plague in the 1400’s, there has been a constant increase in population on earth. One day if the population continues to increase at this rate, earth will reach its maximum carrying capacity. All empty land will become occupied, earth’s resources will become depleted, and the planet we know today will inevitably become an inhabitable war zone.

The truth is that even with two World Wars and thousands of other wars, even with natural calamities such as earthquakes and hurricanes, none of these factors have even put a dent in the constantly growing population. At the rate our population is increasing, it seems as if there will be a race between overpopulation which will deplete Earth’s resources, or nuclear fallout, the first man-made weapon that has the ability to dent our increasing population.

Before diving into a few ways that some claim overpopulation can be prevented or at least prolonged, let’s first understand the causes of it. At the root of overpopulation is the uneven balance between birth rate and death rate. The population of humanity used to be controlled by having somewhat even numbers with the number of humans born roughly equaling the number of humans who die in a specific amount of time. Medical advancements have allowed a major decrease in death rate, and as medical technologies continue to improve, the death rate will only continue declining.

Technological advancements related to agriculture are another huge factor contributing to overpopulation. Humanity has become skilled in producing a large quantity of food to support the growing population. On average about 4 billion tons of food are produced each year to support the earth’s population of 7.66 billion people. Side Note: One interesting fact that I found during research was that if you knew everyone who is alive on the earth today, you would know over half of every human who has ever lived on earth! (Wouldn’t you be pretty popular).

HERE is a website that goes over the amount of food produced and wasted in today’s environment.

Advancements in fertility and pregnancy treatments result in an increase in overpopulation as well. In the past, couples who were unable to conceive a child would only have the option to adopt. With the latest technological advancements, couples who are unable to conceive a child have the option of undergoing fertility treatments to have their own babies. There are even medications to increase fertility. Pregnancies are also much safer to have with the aid of modern technology.

So, what are some effects of overpopulation? Unfortunately, the effects are quite severe, and begin with the depletion of earth’s natural resources. As I mentioned more, agricultural advancements are able to support the growing population at the moment, but there is only so much water and food that can be produced on earth. Already the means that we take to produce this extreme amount of food is damaging the planet. Humanity is said to be inhumanely slaughtering billions of animals every year and providing them with only small and confined living spaces. Pollution has also become a major issue, and stems from the throwing away of materials used to package food.

Relating to earth’s natural resources, fossil fuels found within the earth are diminishing every day, and the carbon monoxide released by the technological advancements used to support the growing population are deteriorating earth’s atmosphere.

Both developed and under-developed countries will experience the effects of overpopulation as well. Immigration has caused developed countries such as the US, UK, Canada, and Australia to have an influx of people which results in overcrowding, a shortage of resources, and an increase in poverty. Overpopulation in underdeveloped countries shall cause conflicts involving land, starvation, and once again widespread poverty.

One of the most difficult issues that arises with overcrowding is how to go about fixing this major issue. It’s not exactly just to limit the number of children a couple is allowed to have. The best method that we have on preventing overpopulation at the moment is to simply inform people about the dangers that our economy’s growing population is bringing with it. Making people aware of how to properly prepare for a family as well as providing knowledge on sex education will slow down our growing population. Unfortunately, this will not stop the issue, and finding a successful method to providing this knowledge to the general public will prove hard enough.

HERE is a website that goes over an in-depth look about overpopulation in general, and HERE is an amazing video that discusses overpopulation!

In the spirit of conducting a deliberation focusing on CO2 emissions, I decided that an appropriate topic for this week’s blog would be one relating to one of the issues that is a result of CO2 emissions… global warming!

The Earth’s climate is constantly changing. In fact, for the last 650,000 years, there have been a total of seven major cycles of glacial advance and retreat. Most of the changes are caused from a very small change in Earth’s orbit and the amount of solar energy our planet receives. So why isn’t the change in Earth’s climate a naturally occurring event? Why are scientist and society blaming global warming?

One fact that supports global warming is the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution, the amount of CO2 emissions has reached an all-time high and continues to increase as humans use more vehicles for transportation, electricity throughout their homes and industries, and multiple other every day technologies. Basically, as industry continues to grow, CO2 emissions will do the same.

Research shows that as more CO2 is emitted in the Earth’s atmosphere, a greenhouse effect occurs and causes heat from the sun to be trapped inside the Earth, not to mention the damages the ozone layer is receiving. HERE is a link that discusses some ways we could help out the environment and decrease the emissions of CO2

More evidence that shows global warming is taking place in our environment are that the glaciers have shrunk and ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier. Due to the sudden change in climate, plant and animal ranges have shifted to locations with familiar climates than what we are experiencing today. Trees are also flowering sooner.

The negative issues that come with global warming are also detrimental. For starters, the temperature will continue to rise as long as CO2 continues to be admitted into the atmosphere. Changes in precipitation patterns will also vary drastically. In the United States, Northern precipitation is projected to increase and cause potential flooding in the future while the Southwest will experience a major decrease in precipitation causing major droughts and heat waves.

Hurricanes will also become stronger. The intensity, frequency, and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes has been increasing, and the frequency of category 4 and 5 hurricanes which are the stronger hurricanes, have all increased since the early 1980s. See levels will also begin to rise due to the melting of the polar ice caps, and are projected to have risen globally by 1-4 feet by 2100. The Arctic is also expected to become essentially ice free by the summer before mid-century. HERE is a link that discusses additional negative effects of global warming while going over what I have already mentioned.

Side Note: One rather negative effect that would impact students would of course be a decrease in school cancellations and snow days to simply relax… or do some extra studying.

Some positive effects of global warming that are rather far stretches and by no means out-way the negative effects of global warming are the fact that the frost-free season or growing season will increase in some economies. This basically means that there could be a potential increase in agriculture. We may also avoid the next ice age. Finally, the appearance of global warming will influence economies to create alternative energy methods that do not emit CO2.

If climate change is so bad, what are we doing to prevent it? There are currently groups that focus on preventing global warming such as a group known as Suntory. This group encourages people to limit the amount of CO2 they emit on a day to day basis while combating the current effects of global warming. Currently, the groups which focus on preventing or fighting global warming are rather limited in numbers as the majority of humans refrain from watching the amount of CO2 they emit.

As a result, the prevention of CO2 emissions usually falls on the governments of countries world-wide. At the moment, world-wide greenhouse gas prevention stances have been taken known as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. These obviously help decrease CO2 emissions, but on a large scale they have a rather small impact. The United States government does not even participate in either the Paris Agreement or the Kyoto Protocol. HERE is a link that discusses some methods we can individually use to reduce our carbon footprint.

In fact, the United States Federal Government is refraining from being overly involved in limiting CO2 emissions. In fact, the only prevention method that the United States currently enforces that is directed towards CO2 emissions is the Clean Air Act which encourages states to develop plans to achieve CO2 emission standards.

So why is the United State’s decision to avoid taking a major stance in the emissions of CO2? The main issue that regulating CO2 emissions has on all governments is the belief that it will stunt a country’s technological and economic growth. If a country focuses on preventing global warming, there economic advancements will most likely suffer.

One rather brutal truth is that global warming cannot be undone. Once the carbon monoxide gas is released, it will remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years. Even if we stop carbon emissions today, which is practically impossible, the effects stimulated from the emissions will not stop increasing for another forty years.

One rather intriguing thought that I will finish this blog with is has occurred to me and probably many others who ponder on global warming. In the future would humanity advance fast enough to overcome global warming or would carbon emissions increase to the point where it threatens the survival of humanity? HERE is a link that goes over an in-depth analysis of global warming.

There have always been multiple types of relationships throughout history ranging from family relationships, friend relationships, or even professional relationships. These multiple types of relationships will be around for the rest of humanity, however, the way our environment perceives these relationships is constantly changing. In this blog, I will be specifically focusing on romantic relationships and how our they have adapted and shifted in recent years. In future blogs I aim to focus on other types of relationships. HERE is a link that breaks down the different types of relationships.

To start things off, whenever I picture a true romantic relationship, I DO NOT picture two people who are soul mates that seem inseparable, and after they find each other their lives are simply perfect. Just the general Cinderella story, right! Well like I said, I do not picture this type of relationship and if I am being brutally honest, I highly doubt any relationship at any point throughout history portrays this type of relationship… unless you’re watching the latest Disney movie.

For me, a true romantic relationship consists of two people willing to contribute both time and dedication to make their relationship last. Their road ahead will not always be smooth sailing, but they both understand that they have something special and are willing to work for it. Unfortunately, in today’s society, this type of romantic relationship is hard to come by. It seems that those looking for a relationship today always encounter numerous issues, and even those who ended up finding that “special someone” and “seeling the deal” have a 31% chance that they will get a divorce.

So, what are these multiple issues with relationships today? I do not claim to be an expert on relationships, and I have not experienced many myself, but I honestly found it pretty easy to just sit back, take a second, and think about what the true hinderances are that modern relationships constantly encounter.

In my opinion, I believe the main reason relationships fail today is the fact that people have “fairytale” expectations but are not willing to put in the work. If someone wants to be successful in a career, they have to work for it. If someone wants to get in shape, they have to work for it. If someone wants to be in a strong and lasting relationship, this is no exception, they have to work for it!

Building a strong and successful relationship does not happen overnight, and in all honesty, there truly is not a specific amount of time or effort that needs to be put into a relationship to see it become successful. If you go to the gym for one day, you will not see any results. If you go to the gym for a week, you can look in a mirror and still not see any results. If you consistently go to the gym you will eventually start to see results. Same can be said about building a relationship.

Another rather prominent issue that is unfortunately extremely hard to tackle deals with today’s society and the common “long distance relationship.” People in today’s society are constantly on the go, and for many young adults, they find it rather hard to settle down in one specific location. This has unfortunately resulted in a large surge of long-distance relationships. Statistics showed that roughly 5-10% of people in the United States considered themselves in a long-distance relationship. I am by no means discouraging people to settle down in order to find a significant other. I am a strong supporter of following one’s dreams, and if this means traveling, then go for it!

One issue with long-distance relationships are obviously the distance. Causing couples to feel separated from each other and often times like they are growing apart. The inability to have a face to face conversation is also a daunting issue when dealing with long distance relationships. Couples benefit from having heart felt conversations, and it is hard to have these over the phone.

In this day and age, however, there are many positives to being in a long-distance relationship. For starters, it is extremely easy to communicate whether this would be throughout FaceTime, texting, calling, email, or even the classic, (and somewhat romantic), handwritten letters. Couples also have the benefit to truly find themselves, which doesn’t necessarily mean growing apart. HERE is a link that goes into a more in-depth analysis of long-distance relationships.

Finally, the last issue that I can see with modern relationships deals with society’s unwillingness to accept reality. In today’s society, people are simply terrified of facing the harsh realities in life. We hide from life’s realities in we hide from it in books, ideas, drugs, alcohol, sexual, shopping, TV, games, the internet. In a true relationship, the seeing of another person in all their human weakness, and their seeing us in ours, bring us face-to-face with the harsh reality that few of us are brave enough to gaze at for long. HERE is another blog discussing the modern issues or relationships.

One of my recent blogs in this series discussed the misconceptions of healthy eating as well as mentioning some advice on some food choices that are overall beneficial. I full hearted believe that healthy eating is part of a healthy lifestyle, however, I feel that working out is also essential. HERE is an article that discusses some additional benefits of eating healthy and working out. 

So that first paragraph was not much of a surprise. Nearly everybody understands that working out leads to a healthy lifestyle. So why doesn’t everyone do this? Unfortunately, getting into the routine of working out is extremely challenging. The main reason people don’t work out is simple, it takes valuable time out of our busy schedules.

Nearly everyone will announce that they do not work out enough or they want to go to the gym, but they always say they’re just too busy. Thoughts run through our heads such as, “I’ll start working out in the future or my schedule is simply too packed to include time to go to the gym.” Believe me, I understand these thoughts 100%. I’ve gone months without working out because I was just too busy, and when I did have free time, I decided to take a break and watch some T.V. which I would always regret later.

Another reason people often fail to work out on a regular basis is the fact that they are unsuccessful with getting in the “right routine.” Let’s look at New Years for example. Immediately after New Years I went to the gym and could not recognize over half of the people whenever I had been going consistently. Yep you guessed it, the New Year’s resolutions had taken action! I always encourage everyone who starts to go to the gym right after New Years or really at any point of the year, but the sad truth is that the majority of people who feel a sudden rush of determination and immediately go to the gym usually end up getting discouraged and stop going.

This usually happens because as I mentioned before, people are unsuccessful with getting in the “right routine.” Most people start working out by going all out the first couple of days they go. This will often times burn people out within the first week of going to the gym, and it can often time discourage those who try their best, but just cannot match up to those who have been repetitively going.

I often times compare going to the gym riding a bike, as corny as this may seem. If you start out too strong and do not ride with any training wheels, most people will immediately fall and get discouraged. Those who take their time to learn the basics, and repetitively go outside every day to practice will see successfully results and eventually be able to ride a bike with ease. This is the same as working out! Those who start of slow, learn the basics, and repetitively go for a small amount of time will start to see success over time. HERE is an article discussing reasons why people stop working out.

One of my best friends from high school who recently started going to the gym told me, “At first going to the gym was just terrible, I really didn’t want to go. Now it just feels like it’s part of my everyday routine.”

Another misconception about working out that I see all the time is the simple fear that people have towards working out. Many people believe that since they are out of shape, working out would be extremely hard and a healthy lifestyle is simply be unattainable. One of my biggest beliefs that I will support throughout this blog is that every single person at the gym is at a different level than everyone else. No two people are exactly equal in their abilities. It is completely acceptable to start of a daily routine of simply walking around the track, or just stretching. I personally feel that the people who are strong enough to start working out when they are unhealthy and continue working out are far stronger than those who have always been somewhat fit and maintain this status by going to the gym.

When I go to work out, I always have a predetermined plan on what exercises I want to do that day. I also strive to improve in whatever exercises I have been doing gradually over time. I believe that planning a workout schedule allows people to stay focused while working out and not get distracted or unfocused while at the gym. I am also a strong believer that the gym is not a place for conversation but should be a place where people focus on what needs to get done and simply do it.

My final comment that I would like to make in this blog is the importance of a break! I cannot describe how many people I have seen run themselves into the ground or even injure themselves while working out because they never took a chance to let their body rest or heal. I will personally take at least one day off from working out every week and simply allow my muscles to relax by lightly swimming or simply stretching.

HERE is a motivational video related to working out!

Since December 22, 2018, key aspects of the United States Government have been shut down for what is now the longest government shutdown in United State’s history. As many people have already observed, multiple US citizens have been affected by the unwelcome event. For example, government employed citizens have already lost their jobs and many have been working without pay. Whether government employed or not, nearly everyone is being affected by the shutdown while all US citizens and government officials have been taking sides on the matter at hand.

Later in the blog, will go into a more in-depth look at the negative effects of the government shutdown. For now, let’s first go over what a government shutdown specifically is. Prior to this government shutdown, I surprisingly had never heard of them before despite the fact that one occurred from January 20-23 of 2018. In fact, whenever I heard that the government was shut down, I was slightly nervous thinking all government associated services were at a standstill. Thankfully, I was mistaken and the essential services such as emergency responders, the National Weather Service, postal service, armed forces, and air traffic control were still active.

Although these essential services remain functional, many federal workers will end up being furloughed over the length of the shutdown or work without pay. This causes the structure of the United States government to be weakened during a government shutdown, and the longer one lasts, the more the United States and its citizens will be negatively affected as a whole. Those in congress during a government shutdown, however, remain protected.

So far, the shutdown has already affected more than 800,000 federal workers in nine different departments as well as federal agencies. As previously mentioned, federal workers that deemed essential are required to work without pay. Federal employees have sued the government over the requirement that some workers work without pay and have claimed that this procedure was inhumane.

One rather interesting fact relating to the government shutdown and proving that it effects all US citizens is that Native Americans who live in tribal communities have experienced rather unforgiving effects. Federal funds that go to tribal communities to plough the roads and provide healthcare have been terminated for as long as the shutdown continues. One tribal member actually lost his life because an emergency service vehicle could not arrive to him in time due to the unplowed roads. Aside from residents of the US being negatively affected, federally funded tourist attractions have also been drastically affected. On January 2, the Smithsonian museums and national zoos in Washington DC were closed due to the shutdown. HERE is an in-depth look into how the government shutdown has been affecting the US citizens.

So why are we currently in the midst of a government shutdown that has been lasting for so long? The simple truth is that President Donald Trump and Democratic Politicians have arrived at a major disagreement and neither one seems to be budging. In short, Trump has so far refused to back down on his request for 5.7 billion dollars towards the construction of the wall separating Mexico and the United States while the Democrats have yet to budge for agreeing with Trump’s plan of action.

Although the government has been shutdown for over one month, Trump has still been active with responding to the situation. Whether his actions throughout the shutdown have been beneficial or detrimental to the United States is up for debate… Throughout the entirety of the government shutdown, Trump has not budged on his request for 5.7 billion. He claims that if he backs down now his decision would “look foolish.” Trump has state that he is prepared for the shutdown to last years. Trump has also repeatedly threatened that he would declare a national emergency in order to build the wall. This action, however, would lead to legal challenges.

On January 9th, Trump met with Democrats to “negotiate” ways to end the current shutdown. Trump, however, had no intentions of negotiating and ended up walking out of the meeting. Trump stated, “I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!”

Democrats on the other hand feel that building the wall would be expensive and ineffective. As a negotiation, Democrats are willing to fund security measures that does not include the wall. Democrats blame Trump for the shutdown referring to it as the “Trump Shutdown” and claim “There is no reason to have workers pay a price with their paycheque.” HERE is an in-depth look at both Trump’s and the Democrat’s stances relating to the government shutdown.

Aside from damaging the United States, the shutdown is also affecting Trump’s standings in the next election. At the moment, Trump’s approval ratings have been the lowest they have been in months. Since the shutdown has taken place, US citizens have become unimpressed with how the government has been handling the situation.

If I have recognized one common theme throughout the shutdown, it’s that government shutdowns to the people appear more than just monetary furlough and the damages to all US citizens that come with it. What a government shutdown means to the citizens is that the government is not acting like a true government and looking after the citizens. It simply appears to many that the government is caught up in their egos while launching an attack on the American people.

HERE is an interesting link with unique facts relating to the government shutdown.

My true passion that I am practically always thinking about, (anyone who knows me will justify), is basically anything related to space. I love space theories, the physics relating to space, and even the math behind our unexplored universe, (dang, I’m already rambling on). I do, however, have a mother who is a dietitian and since I was a little kid has always made sure I was eating healthy while I was learning about healthy eating tips throughout my life.

Yes, at first this would seem like any little kids’ nightmare. I definitely had less candy than the average kid growing up and in order to keep me from staying away from ice cream, my mom would call the ice cream truck the music truck and we would simply dance as it passed by. Somehow, I found a true love for eating healthy along the way, and thanks to my mom being informed with what’s healthy and unhealthy, I would classify myself as being somewhat knowledgeable when it comes to healthy eating in general.

I was lucky to have my mom educate me on healthy eating, however, multiple people have not had a chance to learn about the common misconceptions when it comes to food and unhealthy eating. To most, this may not appear to be a major issue, however, I strongly feel that the world’s current knowledge when it comes to healthy eating needs improvement. Today, there are multiple fast food restaurants, foods that claim to be healthy when they secretly aren’t, and even the plethora of diets found online that promise big weight loss when all they truly do is damage your health. I believe people need to be educated on what they are putting in their bodies.

First, let’s start off the list of healthy eating misconceptions with diets. I honestly don’t think that anybody likes the word “diet”. To me, it feels like I would simply be cutting off all good tasting foods and living on a “no fun” food regimen for the rest of my life. Most people who end up going on diets usually quit early with unsatisfactory results while simply being frustrated that they wasted their time trying. In fact, multiple diets aren’t truly focused on health but only focus on losing weight. Because I never wanted to fall into the routine of jumping from one diet to the next with mediocre results, I can confidently say that I have never been on a diet, but still eat healthy, (I’ll discuss how I do this in a few paragraphs).

One diet that is currently popular is the keto diet. First off, I’m not saying that this diet is good or bad, but I can confidently say that there are other ways to be healthy aside from attempting a keto diet. This diet focuses on allowing the body to enter ketosis by avoiding eating anything with carbohydrates, (from what I here it’s not a fun process). Once in ketosis, the body focuses on burning its backup source of energy when carbs aren’t present… fats. Now don’t get me wrong, fats have a rather negative misconception and aren’t all bad to eat, (take avocados as an example)! Eating a diet that is strictly fats though doesn’t seem like the healthiest option to me. The simple fact that a ketosis diet does not consist of fruits is simply strange to me.

Overall, the ketosis diet has been effective in the short term based on weight loss, however, we do not know what long-term effects this diet can have on our bodies. I feel that a diet that takes in a large amount of fat and calories, but no carbohydrates or even antioxidants from fruits would definitely display some negative side effects. So what diet should people follow, or at least what foods are good to eat on a healthy basis? Here is a VIDEO on an athletic trainers take on ketosis as well as a well as an ARTICLE on a dietitian page.

Like I said, I never really think of healthy eating as a diet, but more or less something to be aware of and pursue daily. Some useful facts that I have discovered throughout the years include the misconception with fats. Aside from the keto diet, everyone seems to be afraid to eat anything that contains fat. I for one love avocados, and if eaten in the right portion, they can be extremely beneficial to living a healthy lifestyle while eating beneficial fats. Quick tip however, when I say avocados, I mean an actual fresh unpackaged avocado. One that doesn’t come as a guacamole dip filled with multiple preservatives and other unhealthy substances.

Another good rule of thumb is to always make sure that the food you eat is fresh and does not contain a large amount of preservatives. Most canned or packaged foods tend to be filled with preservatives. It would be most beneficial to stay away from these.

Carbs and proteins are another misconception that happens when people attempt to eat healthy. I honestly cannot mention how many people I see at college going to lunch only eating a salad with no carbs or proteins because they are on a diet. This is not effective or even healthy. Carbs and proteins are how everyone gets their energy.

Once again, a well-balanced diet with proper portions of both carbs and proteins will allow everyone to live a healthier lifestyle. Side not, whenever I mention proteins, I do not mean bacon, hot dogs, anything fried or chipped meat you would find on a hoagie. I’m talking about lean meats such as chicken, beef, and especially fish.

Finally, the last bit of advice I can give is to stay positive and to start eating healthier bit by bit every day. Similar to how cutting cold turkey when smoking is nearly impossible, getting on a solid healthy eating life style is the end goal, but the journey reaching this goal is just as important.

HERE and HERE are two cites that go into a more in depth analysis on healthy eating misconceptions.

When one imagines an addiction, the first thing that comes to mind are consuming drugs, drinking alcohol, gambling, etc. Yes, these actions are all looked down upon in today’s society, but why are they so addictive? Each of these actions are so addictive because they give off the release of dopamine, a chemical released from the brain which simply makes one feel good. What most people don’t think of when discussing an addiction, however, is technology.

When one thinks about the current issues of technology they usually think of a waste of time throughout the day, a decrease in communication skills, and an overall unhealthy lifestyle if used in abundance. All of these assumptions are true, but technology should also be classified as an addiction due to the fact that when someone is using technology, they are releasing dopamine into their body. HERE is a video that discusses the release of dopamine with the use of technology.

When one sends a text, they feel good about themselves when they get a response due to the release of dopamine. When one goes on Facebook to catch up with friends, look at other’s stories, or share their own daily story, they feel good due to the release of dopamine. When one plays video games with their friends, you guessed it, they feel good due to the release dopamine. (I think you get the picture). Another interesting take on the addiction caused by technology is the fact that drinking alcohol and gambling both have an age limit, but having technology constantly implemented into your life happens basically right after birth.

So why is the release of dopamine so bad? In moderation, similar to drinking and gambling, technology is not harmful, it can also be extremely beneficial. On the other hand, when technology becomes an addiction and it becomes the main topic that most people think about, then technology will slowly start to corrupt communication skills, damage relationships, and lead to an overall unproductive lifestyle.

In today’s society, one common belief is that technology damages communication by damaging face to face speaking skills. This is somewhat true, but it only really discusses half of the issue. Personally, I have been influenced by technology my whole life, but I still consider myself a strong presenter with good social skills. Technology damages communication skills by simply interrupting the conversation.

Think about going out to eat with a group of friends. During the dinner, your group takes time to catch up with one another, and discuss what’s new in everyone’s lives. Unfortunately, they do this with technology sitting right beside them. Think about how many people throughout the dinner will take a brief second to stop and look down at their phone to see if they received any recent texts, calls, or emails. Throughout the dinner, the short interruptions of technology are ever present, and truly hinder everyone’s ability to have a good conversation. HERE is a video that describes why we need to put our phones away.

The use of technology can also damage relationships. Today, walking outside, almost everyone you pass will have some type of electronic device on them at all times. Most likely they will be listening to music with their headphones or scrolling through social media on their cell phones. This type of behavior is similar to when people are in a relationship.

Simply talking to another person with your cell phone in your hand shows the person you are talking to that your cell phone is more important than the conversation taking place. How many times have you been talking to someone, and suddenly they stop in the middle of the conversation to look at their phone? For me it’s been too many times to count!

How relationships are started today is also an issue. Instead of going out to converse with others, multiple people of all ages will go on dating sites to easily be placed in a relationship. I’m not saying that this method doesn’t work, but the foundation built from talking to someone online versus getting to personally know them is practically incomparable. Even during an actual relationship, couples spend a large amount of their time together on social media rather than talking to one another. Side note, I was actually at a social gathering when I witnessed someone scrolling through a dating site rather that simply talking to the people around them.

Technology can also lead to an unproductive lifestyle. I personally cannot tell you how many times I was planning on going to the gym but decided to watch a T.V. show and play video games instead. One predicament to think about is the use of technology while driving. If someone is using their phone as a map and it runs out of battery, most people would spend more time looking for a place to charge their cellphone rather than simply ask for directions.

Technology can be great. It could be a beneficial way for people to communicate in work, day to day life, or to stay in touch with friends. Technology can even be fun when people take a brake and play video games together and watch a movie! The main issue that our society experiences with technology is addiction. Having technology in our lives can be beneficial but having too much technology in our lives will slowly start to corrupt communication skills, damage relationships, and lead to an overall unproductive lifestyle.

HERE is a site that recaps the damages technology can bring to our society as well as some statistics and research to back up this claim.