Internet and Our Social Life Essay Example for Free

Internet and Our Social Life Essay For a few decades now, the internet has been an important gear in the ticking clock we like to call everyday life. Its significance and usage is ever growing, as well as the number of areas in which it has crept in. The phenomenon that is the internet brought power at the click of a mouse, but as it goes with power, consequences are inevitable. The internet is, undoubtedly, the largest source of information today. It is also a practical tool for managing bank accounts, staying in touch with friends and communicating with people all over the world, with technology that enables you to simultaneously talk while looking at the person on screen and even hold video conferences. But practicality and availability of information are not the only things that attract internet users. In online social communities, forums and game rooms people are given the opportunity to be whoever they want to be. The internet gives us virtual clay which we can use to mold our identities in any way we want. Especially in game rooms, people tend to fantasize and invent characters in order to compensate for the lack of their own. That is how a regular John Doe can go to his boring work every morning, but come back home, turn his computer on and become Zyborg, the hero from outer space. The cyber space can be used as a resort when real life is difficult to deal with. For example, people with low self-esteem or people who lack social skills will probably find online chatting much easier than talking to the person face to face. Such use of internet can make one’s life more interesting or less stressful, but too much time and dedication to it can lead to serious social and psychological consequences. If a person spends too much time on the computer, with its virtual character and virtual friends, he develops a virtual life which he may prefer more than the real one. Consequently, even though he might feel satisfied and safe, he does more damage than good by neglecting some important parts of his regular life such as time with his family, health, responsibilities and productivity. Lately, a diagnosis called Internet addiction disorder has been introduced for people who are thought to spend too much time on the internet. This issue is facing its beginning and it i s still disputed whether it is a real disorder. But according to Dr. Maressa Orzack between 5% and 10% of internet users suffer some form of internet dependency and she lists withdrawal, loss of control, and compulsive behavior as some of the effects. Online dating sites, which people visit in order to find a partner for romantic or sexual relationship, have made courtship easier, but, paradoxically, there have been many cases in which the internet was the prime cause of ending a relationship, marriage or even filing lawsuits. With internet becoming more and more integrated into our lifestyles it is only normal that the effects, both positive and negative, be visible in all aspects of our lives, including socializing. It is nice to be able to see your sister who lives miles away smile for you on screen as if she were in the room with you, or exchange e-mails with a person who you normally wouldn’t have the courage to come up to, but it would be a scary thing if cafes would become empty and internet networks overloaded with Zyborgs.

Roe V. Wade Essay -- essays research papers

January 23, 2000 marked the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Roe v. Wade case. It all started out in a small town in Texas where a woman under the alias Jane Roe filed a case in district court for a woman’s right to choose abortion. At this time law in Texas prohibited abortion. Eventually the case moved to Supreme Court. The attorneys for Roe argued that the law was unfair and unjust. They said that the unborn fetus id not a real person. They pointed out that a women should have the right to control their own life and body. They said it was a right of privacy and if women fell that it’s the right choice to abort a baby they should be allowed to make it. They also said that women should be able to abort a baby if the birth of the baby would endanger the life of the mother or the baby, they should have a right to abort it. They also argued that women have fundamental right to abortion. The case, which was filed in District Court, was filed against Dallas District attorney Wade. Wade strongly opposed abortion he believed abortion was murder. Wade made the point that Fetus is human being and has right to life under the law. He also argues that the fetus is life upon conception. He said that abortion hurts women not only physically but psychologically. Abortion can result pain, discomfort, and unstable metal conditions. According to the fourteenth amendment a person has an undeniable right to freedom. They stated that the fetus has a right to freedom guaranteed by this amen...

Confucius’ Social and Political Philosophy Essay

These days we are focusing on the topics of Confucius’ social and political philosophy. After finishing readings of this section, I would like to give reflections that mainly about Confucius’ view on governing and analyze the traditional culture and administration of our country. This essay will present my opinions about the merits and demerits of nowadays Chinese society’s government. First, let us deal with something that Confucius would say that Chinese society is currently doing well. According to Confucius, when the population is already numerous, make them wealthy will further improve them, and once they are wealthy, to instruct them will improve them further more.[1] I think this passage is suitable for making appraisals to nowadays Chinese society, because China has a large population and Chinese government is taking the road of common prosperity, these are very similar to passage’s description. The road of common prosperity means, for the purpose of enabling more and more people to become prosperous, some people are encouraged to become prosperous first, and at last all people will become prosperous. In my own understanding, I think this passage did not show that Confucius think wealth is more important than education. I think what Confucius want to said is, to make people wealth does not means just make people hold a lot of money, actually it means to let people live a peaceful and wealthy life, which is important to build a harmonious society. In addition, Chinese government also focuses on education, like the government increases the input of fund for rural compulsory education. In another passage, Confucius said â€Å"If common people’s need are satisfied, how could their lord be lacking? If the common people ‘s needs are not satisfied, how can their lord be content?† [2] These above passages show Confucius think it is important to satisfy common people’s needs, to let them live a wealthy life is necessary for reaching this goal, so he would be pleased to see Chinese government is paying efforts to improve people’s life and education. However , it is obvious that there is also something Chinese government is currently not doing well. In recent years, human flesh search engine became very popular. According to Wikipedia, human flesh search is a primarily Chinese internet phenomenon of massive researching  using Internet media such as blogs and forums. What made human flesh search became famous is misconduct in public office were exposed frequently through this way, this means the government is not honest enough. When this kind of things happened, it usually begin with some public servants wearing or using luxuries in public activities, then people think it is suspicious that public servants can afford those kind of luxuries, so they begin human flesh search to find out what happened. Confucius would be displeased, because the dishonest behaviors of some public servants are damaging government’s reputation. According to Confucius, he said he would sacrifice armament and food, but he though a state cannot stand once it has lost the confidence of the people.[3] That means Confucius regard the confidence of the people as the most important thing for a government. There is also an old saying that the lord is a boat and common people is water, means when a lord gain the supports from his people, it is like the water make the boat float over water-surface. And it works both ways. The correct attitude towards common people will gain people’s support, the bad reputation cause by dishonest governing will lose people’s support, it is no doubt that Chinese society is not doing well at this point. Confucius also said â€Å"Raise up the straight and apply them to the crooked, and the people will submit you. If you raise up the crooked and apply them to the straight, the people will never submit.† [4] When we understanding this passage and relating it to nowadays society, I think the â€Å"straight† can be understand as the public servant who work honesty and really care of common people’s interests. Likewise, â€Å"crooked† can be understand as the public servant who abuse power and damage common people’s interest. Chinese government did not build up a complete supervise system to punish the corrupt officials and it is what government should do in the future. The key to adopting Confucius’ philosophy centers on discarding the dross and selecting the essence. Chinese society is doing a good job in striking a balance between social improvement and inheritance on traditional culture, like the idea about building up a harmonious society. I think Chinese society should be as Confucian as it is today, because although we can carry forward things from tradition, we cannot carry forward everything from tradition, we need to keep pace with the times. Some of Confucius’ view on governing cannot accommodate itself to the Chinese society’s development. For example, Confucius said, let the lord be a true  lord, the ministers true ministers, the fathers tr ue fathers, and the sons true sons.[5] In this passage, Confucius was only requiring the lord to fulfill his obligation, but he did not require any democratic rights which are extremely important to nowadays society. In ancient China, People did not have their right to choose a lord they want, but nowadays people are supposed to have their democratic rights and choose the government they want. The Chinese society must comply with the world development trend. We should accept the good things showed in the passage, like the idea â€Å"to do what you are deemed to do†, but for governing, we are not supposed to take its idea like â€Å"people serve their lord and cannot against the lord† Chinese society does not take the wrong way and its governing is becoming more and more democratic, so it is Confucian enough and it just need to keep this style. In conclusion, there is still lot of things that we can use the experience of Confucius for reference, the view on governing is just a part of it, and Confuciusâ€℠¢ philosophy is always the important asset for us.

Human Resource Is the Most Important Assets in an Organization Essay

Assets can be defined as â€Å"tangible and intangible resources of a firm which can be drawn upon by a the firm when required to achieve its objective(s)† (Ray and Ramakrishnan, 2006). Tangible assets include financial and physical assets such as machineries and manufacturing plants while examples of intangible assets are branding, company reputation, technological know-how and human resource (Noe et al., 2012). Human resource is the most important asset of an organisation. Using studies which showed that effective use of human resources contributed to better corporate performance and/or productivity, this essay attempts to show that this intangible asset is a key driver in the survival and competitiveness of an organisation. For organisations to be successful, they need to survive and obtain an advantage over their competitors. There are many ways to attain a competitive advantage, including patented product and process technologies, protection and regulation of domestic markets and access to financial resources (Pfeffer, 1994). However, the aforementioned contributors of success are deemed to be less relevant in today’s societies because technologies can be imitated, markets are increasingly globalised and global capital markets ever more opened for worldwide movement of financial resources (Pfeffer, 1994). Instead, in today’s organisations, it is widely accepted that employees are key strategic resources for companies because their knowledge, expertise, ideas and services drive innovations, steer product developments and build relationships with clients. This in turn increase companies performances through multiple means such as driving profits, increasing productivity and building large customer bases. For example, Sears, a multinational US company, attributed its transformational success through its believe in the 3†³Cs† of â€Å"Compelling Place to Work†, â€Å"Compelling Place to Shop† and followed by â€Å"Compelling Place to Invest† (Yeung and Berman, 1997). The senior management at Sears believed that by optimising its human resources (through shaping of employee’s attitudes, increasing motivation and skills), it will become an attractive venue for customers to shop with high level of satisfaction. Consequently, it will be a good investment option due to strong financial results (through increase in customer expenditure) and productivity (through optimisation of human resources) (Yeung and Berman, 1997). Strategically valuable resources may give companies a competitive edge. Bartlett and Ghoshal (2002) argued that there is an evolving corporate strategy from one that competes for markets and products, to one that compete for resources and competencies, to the current strategy of competing for talents and dreams. Resources are deemed to be valuable when they cannot be easily imitated, their value depreciate slowly, they cannot be easily substituted and they are relatively better than competitors with similar resources (Collis and Montgomery, 2008). While these resources may be tangible or acquired capabilities, it is the view of this author that it is people that best fit the described characteristics of valuable resources. Creativity and expertise of an employee may not be easily duplicated. It takes time to groom talents, and their experiences and competencies cannot be easily replaced. Thus, to gain a competitive edge, companies need to invest in the hearts and minds of the key success factor – human resource. Many studies have shown that effective HRM (such as investments in training and strategic HRM) had led to increase in company performances, through proxy indicators such as increased profits return, labour productivity, and service quality. In the employee-customer-profit chain model devised by senior management at Sears, they predicted that a 5 unit increase in employee attitude will drive 1.3 unit increase in customer impression that will in turn increase revenue growth by 0.5% (Rucci et al, 1998). When put into context, in 1998, a 4% rise in employee and customer satisfaction translated to an increase in more than $200 million of revenues over a 12-month period (Rucci et al, 1998). Other than the example on Sears, Choudhury (2010) showed that there is a positive relationship between investment in human capital and company performance in India’s information technology sector. Similar positive correlation can also be observed from studies analysing quality of human capital an d sales revenue per employee in Romanian software companies (Camelia, 2012) and perceived effectiveness of rewards on corporate performance in Nigerian Banks (Ojo, 2011). As an important asset of the organisation, human resources need to be managed properly. HRM encompasses a multitude of responsibilities including recruitment, training and development, benefits, health and services (Noe et al., 2012). There are many case studies that have demonstrated that a highly-skilled workforce and appropriate training of employees play a key role in increased company performances. A survey done on 62 retail stores showed that percentage of personnel trained in their designed training programme correlated with the stores’ performances (Russell et al., 1985). Another study done in 15 manufacturing sectors of seven European Union countries suggested that intermediate- and highly-skilled workers increases labour productivity, which is a proxy for companies performances (Corvers, 1997). It is envisioned that with training, employees will be equipped with job-related skill sets and competencies. A company with cutting edge technology needs employees with the know-how to operate the machineries. A retail shop may distinguishes itself from another shop that sells similar merchandise through quality services that helps build a brand name and large clientele. Employees may learn how to serve customers through training programmes. A study of 2003-2006 Training Top 100 survey report published by the Training Magazine showed that there is a positive correlation between training expenditure and operating performances (Liao et al., 2011). This supports the general perception that training is an important HRM tool for companies to survive in the increa singly competitive market. Human resource is a key contributor to the success of organisations today. Examples used in this essay reinforced the argument that human resource is likely to the most important corporate asset as it is a unique resource that drives companies performance. In order to effectively tap on this valuable resource, companies need to train employees so that their potential can be harnessed.

Quotes From the Classic Novel Black Boy

Quotes From the Classic Novel Black Boy Black Boy  by Richard Wright was first published in 1945. This autobiographical novel was a bestseller, and it is an important 20th-century work of literature. Another famous novel by Richard Wright, Native Son, was published in 1940. Here are a few quotes from Black Boy. Black Boy Quotes The faint cool kiss of sensuality when dew came onto my cheeks and shins as I ran down the wet green garden paths in the early morning. Im hungry now, but I wont live with you. Im doing all I can, When you get through, kiss back there. White, red and black, but quickly tells him to hush, saying, Theyll call you a colored man when you grow up. Do you mind, Mr. Wright? You cant eat a dead dog, can you? If I kissed my elbow, I would turn into a girl. At the age of twelve, before I had had one full year of formal schooling, I had a conception of life that no experience would ever erase, a predilection for what was real that no argument could ever gainsay, a sense of the world that was mine and mine alone, a notion as to what life meant that no education could ever alter, a conviction that the meaning of living came only when one was struggling to wring a meaning out of meaningless suffering. I said to myself, that boy just doesnt know what hes doing... The naked will of power seemed always to walk in the wake of a hymn. You ought to know God through some church. Even if that isnt right, its not far wrong. I never saw a dog bite that could really hurt... the principals speech is the better speech. My ass is tough and quarters is scarce. This was the culture from which i sprang. This was the terror from which I fled. Color hate defined the place of black life as below that of white life... Having been thrust out of the world because of my race, I had accepted my destiny by not being curious about what shaped it. Trying to please everybody, I pleased nobody... We must have a purge. You lost people! I lived in the South and I never saw any chain gangs. Get out of our ranks! I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of the hunger of life that gnaws in us all, to keep alive in our hearts a sense of the inexpressibly human.

A Better Chance Helps Students of Color Attend Top Schools

'A Better Chance' Helps Students of Color Attend Top Schools The scholarship organization A Better Chance (ABC), founded in 1963, has provided many students of color with the chance to attend college-prep private schools and public schools across the country. Their mission clearly illustrates the goal of the organization: Our mission is to  increase substantially  the number of well-educated young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society.  Since its founding, ABC has grown greatly, first starting out with 55 students enrolled at nine schools to now more than 2,000 students enrolled at nearly 350 of the best private schools and public schools, as of the 2015-2016 school year (ABCs website has not been updated since we initially reported this statistic in July 2016).   United States President Lyndon Johnson meets with African American and white political figures from New Jersey, discussing aspects of his War on Poverty legislation. Afro Newspaper/Gado  /  Getty Images A Brief History   Originally, the program involved identifying and selecting talented students of color and providing  scholarships  for them to attend  private day  and  boarding schools. In the first year, even before  President Lyndon B. Johnson  announced his War on Poverty, 55 boys, all poor and mostly African-American, took part in an academically rigorous summer program. If they completed the program, the  headmasters of  16  private  schools agreed to accept them. In the 1970s, the program began to send students to competitive public high schools in areas such as New Canaan and  Westport, Connecticut; and  Amherst, Massachusetts. Students lived in a house staffed  by program tutors  and administrators, and the local community provided support for their house. In addition, many  colleges across the country, from Stanford in California to Colgate in New York state, have partnered with ABC to express their interest in promoting diversity. Racial Diversity   The current program is focused on increasing diversity at educational institutions.  While the majority of students enrolled are African-American, today the program also includes a wide range of diverse students. In addition to racial diversity, ABC also has increased its assistance for students of varying economic backgrounds, helping not only students who have significant financial constraints, but also middle-class students. The program offers to subsidize tuition for these students based on demonstrated financial need.   ABC notes that its scholars are a racially diverse group (figures approximate):   67% are African-American16% Latino7% Asian American1% Native American9% multi-racial or other Tracy Chapman. Chris Carroll/Getty Images   A Strong Alumni Base As a result of their dedication to making a quality education possible for students of color,  ABC can boast an alumni base of tens of thousands of individuals who are active in many fields.  According to President Sandra E. Timmons, there are over 13,000 alumni and alumnae of this program, and many are influential in the fields of business, government, education, the arts, and other areas. The organization includes among its famous alumni  Governor of Massachusetts  Deval Patrick, who was raised on the South Side of Chicago by a single mother. One of his middle school teachers recognized his talent, and Mr. Patrick was able to attend Milton Academy, a boarding school in Massachusetts, on a scholarship. He later went on to attend Harvard College and Harvard Law School before becoming governor of Massachusetts. Another notable ABC alumna is  singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman,  who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended the Wooster School in Connecticut on a scholarship. The Wooster School is a private co-ed pre-K through 12  school. After she graduated from the Wooster School in 1982, Ms. Chapman went on to  Tufts University  near Boston, where she majored in African Studies and Anthropology. She also started to perform at local venues, and she was discovered by a classmate whose father helped her get her first recording contract, though she insisted on graduating from college first. She is famous for singles such as  Fast Car  and  Give  Me One Reason. Program Requirements and Fees The College Preparatory Schools Program (CPSP) of ABC works to identify, recruit, place and support deserving students of color in college prep middle and high schools. Students applying to ABC must currently be in grades 4-9 and be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Students must also be academically strong, maintaining an overall average of a B or better and rank within the top 10% of their class. They should also participate in after-school activities, demonstrate leadership potential, and have good character. They must also receive strong teacher recommendations. Interested applicants must submit an inquiry online and later create an application, as well as write an essay,  ask for letters of recommendation, and be interviewed. Member schools may require additional steps as part of the overall application process, such as standardized testing or additional interviews. Acceptance at ABC does not guarantee admission at a member school. Participation in ABC is without cost, and the organization offers fee waivers for its scholars to take the SSAT and to apply for financial aid. Member schools do charge tuition, but all offer financial aid which is usually based on a familys personal financial situation. Some families may find they must contribute some funding towards a private school education, which can often be paid in installments. Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

Media Research - Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media Research - Discussion - Essay Example The focus of the most desired effects studies would be on the content of video games as a mass media format and how it impacts youth personality and behavior. A recent study identified that the content of violent video games maintains the ability to lower player empathy toward others, in a survey of 307 adolescents between fourth and sixth grade (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold & Baumgardner, 26). It was cited as the â€Å"creative nature† of these games, accompanied with violent content, that changed how young individuals in society can lose their sense of compassion and kindness toward others with routine exposure (Funk, et al, 26). As identified, many varieties of this type of mass media contain advertising imagery that also alters attitudes and lifestyle focus, making effects studies absolutely fascinating. Offers one psychologist, â€Å"regular exposure to games actually rewires a child’s brand, making them more amenable to violence† (gamepolitics.com, 1). This, again, is why effects studies would be so critically important to understanding the role of different mass media formats on human behavior as they actually manage to create bio-physical changes to the human brain. Since there are many different formats of mass media other than video games, effects studies on all types of media could determine whether actual brain restructuring could be a potential and common outcome as a reason for why people change their attitudes and social behaviors. Effects studies related to video game media could be expanded to include the potential for television, radio and the social media found on the Internet to determine whether bio-physical changes occur after routine exposure to multiple media sources. By taking a larger sample of individuals who are not only children but include multiple demographics with different socio-economic backgrounds, actual brain measurements can be taken to witness whether structural changes occur after constant exposure to