Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Essay Example for Free

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Essay The conditions causing the psychological condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD has continued to become a puzzle to psychologists. Overtime, the symptoms for ADHD have undergone numerous diagnoses. Although the main cause of ADHD remains unknown, present evidences show that ADHD is genetically acquired (Lilly, 2007). ADHD is a mental disorder characterized by problems of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV, inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are either or both of the two syndromes associated with this psychological disorder (House, 2002). ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children in the United States and it is believed that it affects 4 to 5 percent of the children in the country (Coile, 2004). ADHD often affects the school performance of the children. Because of the lack of attention and hyperactivity of children, it is difficult for them to concentrate on learning or educational activities (House, 2002). One of the speculated roots of ADHD is through heredity and genetics. Researches presented that ADHD runs in families. According to the Pediatric Annals, there is a 25 percent chance that the child of an adult with ADHD will also acquire the disease (Lilly, 2007). At present, since there is insufficient evidence on the real and exact cause of ADHD. Most researches consider the genetic explanation of ADHD as the most valid. It is believed that a particular gene is passed on from parents to children; this may be the inherent cause of ADHD. This can be well explained in identical twins. If one of the twins has ADHD, there is a greater risk that other will have it too (Driscoll, 2007). Researches firmly suggest that ADHD occurs in cluster within families. ADHD occurs in biological relatives of children or adults with the disorder, implying the strong hereditary cause of the disorder. An ADHD twin studies found out that identical twins are most likely to manifest symptoms of ADHD, and this finding is consistent in all studies conducted (Joseph, 2006). One of the comprehensive reviews in the twin studies is made by Jay Joseph where he examined the continued misinterpretation on the findings of the twin studies. He firmly believed that the similarities manifested by the twins are not presenting the possible genetic influences on ADHD but this may lie on the environmental factors experienced by the twins (Southhall, 2007). The twin studies are crucial theoretical assumptions. Some researchers claim that the studies are not supported by sufficient evidences. The study merely focused on identical twins, but there are fraternal twins and considered that the environmental factors are equal, there are changes in the findings. Since the evidences is deeply anchored on identical twins who are treated more alike and spend more time together and has a greater tendency to experience confusion and closeness, thus, in a controlled environment, it is expect that the identical twins will correlate higher than the fraternal twins on ADHD measures (Joseph, 2006). ADHD twin studies are based on unsupported theoretical assumption and offer only a possible genetic influence on the symptoms of ADHD. These studies recorded are based more on the psychological bond, more similar treatment and same environment experienced by identical twins than fraternal twins (Joseph, 2002). Another method of study used to discover the roots of ADHS is the adoption study. The difference of this approach on the twin studies is that, it is able to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on psychiatric disorders due to the genes that came from one family and was raised in the environment of another. The rules of hereditary and environmental influences or the nurture and nature influences are relevant in this study of ADHD causes (Joseph, 2002). In this approach, participants are obtained from families with adopted children and families with their biological children, who both have ADHD and same type of families without the psychological disorder. However the research is proven to have a flaw; it is unable to consider the biological parents and relatives of the adopted children. This may contain pertinent information on the genetic influence of ADHD. Therefore, the researchers were not able to make a definite comparison on the foster and biological families of the adopted children. Another flaw of the research is that hyperactivity of the parents is solely based on recollections of the parents if they experienced symptoms of ADHD when they were young. This method and data are unreliable for the having the possibility of giving false accounts (Joseph, 2002). The fundamental assumption of the adoption studies is that ADHD is more prevalent in biological families than in families with adopted children. The studies found higher rates of hyperactivity in children and their biological parents than children with adoptive parents (Joseph, 2002). It is reasonable to dismiss the conclusions of the adoption studies since it did not perform blind diagnoses and introduced a genetically-biased research with conclusions favoring genetics. The control group is unable to serve its purpose if the researchers know the participants related to the cases and which belongs to the control group (Joseph, 2002). Now, psychiatric geneticists see children inheriting a predisposition that will eventually develop into ADHD in the presence of unknown environmental factors which might include viruses and toxins (Joseph, 2002). Though the genetic influences are believed to be the most valid cause of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), they seem to only give possible genetic assumptions and add to the incomplete puzzle of the real cause of ADHD, as the root cause of the psychological disorder targeting most of our children is still unknown.

Do New Wars Pose Difficult Challenges Politics Essay

Do New Wars Pose Difficult Challenges Politics Essay Civil wars in todays modern world have become increasingly described as new wars ever since the end of the Cold War era due to a perceived change in the format of warfare and the emergence of war economies as central to internal skirmishes. Some scholars argue this evolution in warfare and intrastate conflict requires adjustments and changes to the post conflict reconstruction process due to new challenges new wars creates in comparison to the old wars of the past. This essay argues that there is in fact little evolution in warfare since the end of the Cold War and in fact many of the characteristics of the so-called new wars are in fact present in conflicts in the past. It is for this reason that new wars do not pose more difficult challenges any more than the already complicated problems associated with post conflict reconstruction; although some changes are necessary to adjust the course of development, it is in fact the growth and advancement of media and the communications secto rs that have led to an increased focus on civil wars that has pushed them into the public arena and granted them a new status. The first part of this essay will analyse the new wars thesis posited by Kaldor and outline the characteristics attributed to new wars; this will be followed by the convincing criticisms by many academics that argue new wars are not in fact new and assists the final section of the essay that discusses the post conflict reconstruction process and argues contemporary conflict does not post a more difficult challenge to the post conflict reconstruction process anymore than old wars do. The concept of new wars was first written about in detail by Mary Kaldor at the end of the 1990s, as she attempted to define the characteristics of low-intensity conflicts and distinguish them from traditional state versus state conflicts of the past. Kaldor argues that towards the end of the 20th Century, in particular in the post-Cold War order, a new form of organized violence has emerged, with blurred distinctions between war, organized crime and large-scale human rights violations (2006, pp.1-2). This thesis has gained considerable academic support as scholars notice the trend in the decrease of interstate wars and the increase in violence within states (Holsti, 1996, p.40). New wars are characterised as criminal, depoliticized, private and even predatory in their nature, whilst the old wars of the past were ideological, political and noble (Kalyvas, 2006, p.100). Kaldor thus believes there has been a progression in the nature of warfare and conflict since the Cold War as intern al conflicts become the norm and interstate battles become far less common. Kaldor argues that New wars can be contrasted with earlier wars in terms of their goals, the methods of warfare and how they are financed (2006, p.7); these differences will be outlined in the following section to explain the new features of new wars. The goals of new wars are based on identity politics, especially ethnic identity, rather than ideological differences or geo-political ambitions, and often occur due to the erosion of state autonomy and state failure (Kaldor, 2006, pp.5-7). Groups will claim control of the state or certain areas of the state in the name of ethnicity, religion or tribe (Kaldor, 2005, p.212). The Bosnian conflict during the 1990s is often depicted as the archetypal example of a new war as it displays this identity conflict clearly (Kaldor, 2006, p.33). Due to its ethnic diversity of Muslims, Serbs and Croats (as well as several other ethnic identities), it was no surprise that conflict arose between the groupings as the Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats set about ethnic cleansing in an attempt to establish ethnically homogenous territories (Kaldor, 2006, pp.34-5). Furthermore, the attrition of state power means the monopoly over violence is severely limited, which leads to widespread skirmishes and conf licts as groups compete to fill the vacuum created through state collapse (Newman, 2004, p.175). The warring parties in the Bosnian war described themselves as states and made use of the former state apparatus in order to finance, resource and run their campaigns (Kaldor, 2005, p.214). Globalisation has resulted in a cleavage between rich and poor that results in conflict and structural violence (Berdal, 2003, p.479) and also a cleavage between cosmopolitanism and the politics of particularist identities (Kaldor, 2006, p.7). There is a growing them and us divide as identity politics play a more dominant role in how individuals see themselves to each other. This of course increases the inevitability and the probability of conflict among groups of differing identities The form of combat has also changed as guerrilla and counter-insurgency tactics become the norm (Kaldor, 2006, p.8), as the nature of conflict adapts a distinctively politically chaotic and military atrocious character (Snow, 1996, p.105). In the past, guerrilla warfare has aimed to capture hearts and minds of civilians and the population; however, the new warfare uses counterinsurgency methods of destabilisation, aiming to create fear and hatred amongst civilians instead, using this to gain support or at least prevent citizens from disobeying orders (Kalyvas, 2001, p.109). New wars appear to lack military order or discipline (Angstrom, 2005, p.8) which often leads to extreme violence and barbarism, directed in particular at civilians as a deliberate strategy (Mello, 2010, p.299). This strategy of civilian targeting rests in the aim to control populations, inducing destabilization and terror in an attempt to remove those of a different identity through violent and barbaric killings a s well as techniques of intimidation (Kaldor, 2006, p.9). The genocide in Rwanda or the random atrocities committed against civilians in Sarajevo highlight this dark side of new war (Snow, 1996, p.105), and in situations such as Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia, the military objective was the systematic murder and terrorizing of civilian populations (Snow, 1996, p.ix). Civilian casualties and forced displacement has increased in proportion to all causalities in conflict since the 1990s, highlighting this deliberative civilian targeting, further assisted by a blurring of boundaries between civilians and combatants as public authority breaks down as part of state failure (Newman, 2004, p.175). The final feature that distinguishes new wars from old wars is the form of financing that occurs; war economies of the past focused on using resources to defeat the enemy (Broodryk, 2010, p.11), whilst the new wars utilise looting, criminal networks, diasporic support and taxation of humanitarian aid to provide resources for their conflict (Kaldor, 2005, p.216). The simplest form of financing the war effort is through looting, robbery, extortion and hostage-taking and is seen in a number of contemporary wars (Kaldor, 2006, p.108). However, some war economies utilise networks of legal and illegal trade, arms and drug trafficking, corrupt governments and supportive diasporas that influence the outbreak and perpetuation of violent conflicts (Mello, 2010, p.300). The new war economies involve the fragmentation of the state as it cannot monopolise production and employment in order to fund their war cause (Broodryk, 2010, p.11). Resources are instead traded outside of the country to private companies lacking any interest in the conflict, only aiming to profit on the internal disruption (Broodryk, 2010, p.11). Kofi Annan highlights the economic struggle as central to internal conflicts: The pursuit of diamonds, drugs, timber, concessions and other valuable commodities drives todays internal wars. In some countries the capacity of the State to extract resources from society and to allocate patronage is the prize to be fought over (Annan, 1999, emphasis in original). This creates a globalized war economy in which rivalry between criminal groups occurs over resources or illegal commercial activities (Newman, 2004, p.176). The process of resource capture thus means there is no real desire of victory as groups aim to maintain resource profitability and the power they capture (Newman, 2004, p.176) the state of war is preferred to peace as it provides a cover for illegal economic activities by warlords and non-state actors (Melander et al., 2009, p.511) However, there are a number of academics that criticise Kaldors new wars thesis, arguing that many of the new features of new wars can be found in earlier wars, and that the differences between old and new wars are not as dichotomous as made out and are often exaggerated (Newman, 2004, p.173; Mello, 2010, p.305). This essay agrees with this to an extent a number of the features of new wars that Kaldor outlines in her argument are also present in wars of the past and suggest there is little new about modern warfare in internal conflict situations, as will be outlined in the following section. In terms of empirical evidence for new wars, Newman accepts that civil war have been more frequent than interstate war, but argues that both forms of conflict have decreased since the mid-1990s, with the exception of a spike in intrastate conflict in the early 1990s (2004, p.180). This, as Newman believes, shows there has not been an evolution of new wars in the post-Cold War period, and infact, the probability of country being in conflict is not similar to that at the end of the 1950s (Newman, 2004, p.180). In addition, Melander et al. argue battle severity (the number of deaths in battle) has declined in the post-Cold War era, whilst violence against civilians in civil conflict has also decreased (2009, p.507). Kalyvas explores the features of the new war convention, contrasting them to those of old wars, and concludes there are probably more similarities than differences, and that the new wars thesis is flawed in a number of ways. Firstly, he takes the argument that ideological concerns were the motivations of old wars, claiming that in fact, many wars in the past have involved high levels of looting (such as the Russian and Chinese Revolutions) and that many combatants actually made decisions to fight based on local considerations (Kalyvas, 2001, pp.106-7). Many soldiers are usually stimulated due to group pressures such as comradeship, respect and network ties such as family or friendship ties (Kalyvas, 2001, p.108). This can be seen in Irish Revolution and Civil War, where often the ideology at the centre of the war was rarely discussed amongst combatants and the conflict was based instead on family factions and old feuds (Hart, 1999, pp.264-266). Moreover, the depiction of new wars as lacking any ideological movement can be challenged; many rebel forces of contemporary civil wars have been stigmatised as missing any ideological motivations for combat, but in fact many hold an in-depth understanding of their own participation from a political perspective, as shown in Sierra Leone (Kalyvas, 2001, p.104). The portrayal of contemporary warfare existing through a move from chivalrous fighting to that of barbarity by militia and warlords is unfounded (Newman, 2004, p.181); the use of gratuitous violence can be found in old civil wars such in America, Russia and Spain, whilst the practice of child abduction to create child soldiers may be associated with contemporary Africa, but was common in conflicts in Afghanistan (during the Soviet invasion), Peru, Guatemala and the China (Kalyvas, 2001, pp.114-5). The horrific violence and barbarism portrayed in Kaldors new war thesis is also visible in past wars; the deliberate targeting of civilians can be seen in the Mexican Revolution at the start of the 20th Century, whilst World War II represents perhaps the most widespread cases of atrocities in the form of the Holocaust, the German advance into the Soviet Union (with huge civilian displacement) and the Russian advance on Berlin (with numerous cases of rape or sexual brutality) (Newman, 2004, pp.182-3). It is for this reason that Madame de Staà «l remarks that all civil wars are more of less similar in their atrocity, in the upheaval in which they throw men and in the influence they give to violent and tyrannical passions (cited in Kalyvas, 2001, pp.114-5). It is also possible to argue that modern intrastate conflicts do not utilise senseless violence, and that actually the portrayal of violence is defined by culture those in the West find the use machete as more barbaric than mass killings through bombings (Kalyvas, 2001, p.115) who is it to say which is the more atrocious and inhumane? Furthermore, Kaldor contends the violence rebel and militia movements use is not as gratuitous as made out, and in fact it is often strategic and selective Kalyvas argues the Algeria massacres, or the tactics used by RENAMO in Mozambique were part of larger strategies, whilst the forced amputation of womens hands in Sierra Leone can be seen as calculated to instil fear (2001, pp.115- 6). This is not to deny the acts as barbaric, but it certainly weakens the depiction of the violence as undisciplined and random. A case study that suggests new wars are not in fact new can be found in the Congo civil war during the 1960s; Newman argues this conflict closely follows the new wars model and identifies with several characteristics of Kaldors thesis (2004, p.184). The conflict arose after Belgium withdrew from Congo in June 1960, resulting in a political crisis as the centralised government broke down and disorder erupted. The Katanga province, rich in minerals, declared independence from the Congolese state after receiving support from the Belgian mining companies who were protecting their interests and promoting secession in the background (Newman, 2004, p.184). Conflict and struggles against the new leadership of the Republic of Congo was motivated primarily by material aggrandizement, particularly amongst militias and private mercenaries; at the same time, ethnic and religious differences stimulated the violence further, with some fighting orientated around clear political agendas (such as the unitary state against Katangan secession), whilst most fighting revolved around the interests of warlords and local factions (Newman, 2004, p.184). State failure and the breakdown of authority led to social disorder and the emergence of a war economy as mercenaries attempted to perpetuate conflict due to the benefits they gained not only from their employers but also from illegal activities such as arms sales (Newman, 2004, p.184). This case study therefore highlights the presence of new war features during the Cold War period, with state failure and collapse leading to social disorder and conflicting identity groups competing for resources. This suggests that new wars are in fact not new but have always been present; it is instead the emergence from the Cold War era that simply brought these conflicts to the fore and the expansion of media and communications that has led to the reporting of the internal disputes around the globe. The essay will now turn to the question of whether new wars pose more difficult challenges to postconflict reconstruction, and whether new approaches to state rebuilding after internal civil war are required. Although the essay has argued throughout that new wars are not completely new, it has also noted that some characteristics of contemporary intrastate conflict have evolved from those of the past, and there have been some changed in the forms of conflict. It is for these reasons that the post conflict reconstruction process must make a few adaptations in order to assist a states recovery after civil war. As Newman outlines, evolution and advancement in historical, technological and social-economic terms have meant the nature of conflict has also changed (2004, p.185), and therefore the reconstruction process will face some new challenges. In many post-conflict nations, the levels of crime and human rights abuses remain high as warlords and militia remain at large, making use of t heir illegal economies created through civil war the are weaknesses in the reconstruction process that mean identity politics and the new wars rebuilding programmes are not tackled head on (Kaldor, 2006, p.x). At a basic level, post conflict reconstruction must address a wide and complex range of challenges in states ravaged by internal conflict the prevention of future armed conflict, the rebuilding of effective state institutions, recreation of a social fabric, redressing of human rights abuses and the nursing of a health civil society are all central to the reconstruction process (Call Cook, 2003, p.135). The prevention of further armed conflict is particularly important in the case of new wars as it is essential to discourage warlords, militia and other forces from restarting and perpetuating conflict in order to sustain the resource capture that is common in contemporary warfare. This therefore means the war economy that existed during the conflict must be replaced by an effective state economy that has a monopoly of the nations resources and can prevent resource competition from accumulating and resulting in a fresh break out of conflict. Furthermore, the prevention of future confl ict is not simply a matter of removing arms access and taking guns from the combatants, but it is also the establishment of accountably, transparent, and participatory systems of authority (Call Cook, 2003, p.135). In the aftermath of a new war, it is essential for restructuring forces to quickly create a form of state authority that is accountable to the people and is capable of solving the grievances of those involved in the conflict. Kaldor stresses the importance for reconstruction to primarily involve the restructuring of political authorities and civil society, in the forms of law and order and the mobilisation of political groups (2006, p.145). The integration of all identities is also essential in order to remove the binary them and us dichotomy than can threaten to reignite ethnic or religious differences and disputes. The establishment of law and order requires disarmament, demobilisation, policing or training police forces, arresting of war criminals and the re-establishment of the justice system (Kaldor, 2006, p.146). However, it is not that simple; disarmament through buy-back programmes results in the handing back of average or poor weaponry whilst the high-tech arms are held onto (Kaldor, 2006, p.146). Furthermore, as new wars are essentially a combination of war and criminality, law enforcement must involve both soldiers and police in order to provide adequate security and authority. Infrastructure s uch as basic services, transport and production needs to be restored at both regional and local levels in order to re-establish the economy and reduce the need to humanitarian aid (Kaldor, 2006, p.147). Humanitarian assistance also needs to become more targeted in order to remove war economies and their siphoning of aid, and also to prevent over-reliance on aid that means the economy cannot be rebuilt. For instance, in Somalia, food provisions were high and numerous in an attempt to ensure all of those in need actually received the aid; however, this meant food prices in the state fell, creating an environment where it was no longer economically viable for farmers to produce food (Kaldor, 2006, p.144). Another example of aid problems can be seen in El Salvador; here, and IMF stabilisation programme attempted to provide monetary assistance for the country to reconstruct. However, the strict spending limits of the IMF provisions meant the state could not afford to build a civil police force and enact buy-back schemes for disarmament that was required by the peace programme to help reintegrate combatants back into society (Kaldor, 2006, p.143). In this instance, therefore, humanitarian assistance in post conflict reconstruction needs to become more targeted and utilise local knowledge for it to be effective at rebuilding after a new war. This essay has only touched on the surface of the reconstruction process after a new war, providing a basic outline of state rebuilding. However, it explains the need to adapt certain procedures uses in reconstruction of the state after a new war the need to retarget and develop aid provision, the importance of establishing effective authoritarian institutions to enforce security and peace, and the importance of reconstructing state structures that enable grievances to be addressed, civil society to be rebuilt, war economies removed, and the implementation of policies to prevent future state failure and conflict. To conclude then, this essay points to the need for perspective when approaching new wars and post conflict reconstruction each struggle will need its own unique form of reconstruction, and therefore the post conflict rebuilding process is a case-by-case thesis, with no singular set of reformation practices or factors and the presence or lack of certain factors associated with new wars is down to the unique contexts and mitigations of specific conflicts rather than linear historical changes (Newman, 2004, p.180). There has indeed been a decrease in state vs. state conflict commonly associated with the past, whilst globalisation, decolonisation and the following state building, and the resurgence of identity politics have all suggested a shift from warfare of the past and therefore the need to adjust reconstruction policies (Newman, 2004, p.180), and indeed some changes are required. However, it is perhaps more appropriate to highlight the rise and expansion of the media and communic ations as an explanation for the perceived changes in conflict many of the factors Kaldor outlines in her thesis are not in fact new and have been present in past skirmishes it is simply the prominence and attention these conflicts now receive from the media that has resulted in changes of perceptions and ideas of civil wars (Newman, 2004, p.179). The first section of this essay outlined the basis of Kaldors New Wars argument and the factors attributed to contemporary civil war; following this, the essay provided and agreed with the criticisms of the new wars thesis, highlighting the fact than many of the characteristics of new wars are not as new as Kaldor makes out. Finally, the essay contended that contemporary wars do not provide many more difficult challenges for post conflict reconstruction in comparison to old wars, rather small adjustments must be made in order to account for the rise of globalisation and the modern world.

Pickering & Chatto :: Pickering & Chatto

Pickering & Chatto Every Romanticist is heavily indebted to Pickering & Chatto for their publication of a series of valuable sets of Romantic texts. From the Works of Mary Wollstonecraft (published in 1989), to the Novels and Selected Works of Mary Shelley (published in May 1996), and continuing with forthcoming editions of Hazlitt's and De Quincey's Selected Works, Pickering & Chatto continues to foster the study of Romantic writers with excellent scholarly editions. Under the general editorship of John Mullan, Pickering & Chatto offers us a new collection in their series of Romantic studies publications: Lives of the Great Romantic Poets . This three-volume set contains facsimile reproductions of biographical accounts of three major poets of the Romantic period: Shelley, Byron and Wordsworth. Each volume contains a clearly-written introduction which presents an overall picture of the poet's career and popularity during his lifetime. Though unfortunately limited by space considerations, the editors have succeeded in compiling intelligent accounts of the poets. A selected, and rather brief, bibliography of useful secondary works and a brief chronology are also to be found. Each extract of biographical writing is preceded by a short editor's introduction containing details about the author, the work from which the extract is taken, and the relationship between the author and the poet referred to. These introductions are straightforward, with enough details to improve the reading of the extracts without overwhelming the reader with too many facts. I have to stress the fact that this edition is a facsimile reproduction of extracts from Romantic texts and not a scholarly edition of these texts. Thus, although one finds a few notes, one should be aware that the interest of these volumes lies mainly in the texts they make newly available to the public. In this, this edition echoes the Revolution and Romanticism series of facsimile of Romantic texts chosen by Jonathan Wordsworth and published by Woodstock Books. The first volume is devoted to Shelley and edited by John Mullan. Mullan's introduction presents an accurate description of the difficult question of the reception of Shelley during the nineteenth century, and then during the twentieth century. Mullan rightly points out how tempting it is to equate Shelley's poetry with his own life, and how, to a certain extent, Shelley himself invited his readers to do so. This is obviously a question that Shelleyan scholars have dealt with for over a century.

The Ecstasy Debate: Weighing The Good And The Bad :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Ecstasy Debate: Weighing The Good And The Bad Ever since its first synthesis 80 years ago, the seemingly harmless nature of the drug ecstasy has been the subject of much debate. While many scientists are convinced that there is a darker side to the euphoria-inducing pill than meets the eye, the millions of users insist that no such danger exists. In fact, while I conducted my research on the subject, I discovered that to some extent, the users' concept is true - ecstasy does seem to be far less harmful than any of the other popularized drugs of the century. But why, then, in 1985 was this limitlessly pleasurable drug outlawed (1), with such a weak case against it? Is the scientific world's overly cautious attitude preventing us from experiencing a limitless pleasure unlike anything we have ever known? These were the questions I sought to have answered. 3,4 - Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA as it has come to be called, is a psychoactive drug with a chemical structure similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline, and demonstrates both psychedelic and stimulant effects (3). It was first synthesized by a German company in 1912 to be used to help develop more advanced therapeutic drugs (1). In the 1970s, MDMA was used to facilitate psychotherapy by a group of therapists in the United States (5). Not until the 1980s and early 1990s did the drug gain worldwide popularity as the illicit "ecstasy" (5), the drug that would eventually stir a wave of excitement among young people everywhere. Ecstasy use, which saw its roots in the hippie generation of the 1970s, has since grown exponentially. Ecstasy tablets confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Administration increased from 13,342 in 1996 to 950,000 in 2000 (4). According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research in 1998, 4.3 percent of 8th graders, 7.3 percent of 10th graders, and 11 percent of 12th graders reported they had used MDMA at some point (4). However, by far the age group with the heaviest use (1.4 million Americans) of the drug was reported for those between 18 and 25 years of age (4). So much ecstasy is entering our country at present that the Customs Service has developed an ecstasy command center and is training dogs to sniff out the drug (2). What is it that lures so many people to "experiment" with ecstasy and tantalizes them to want more?

College Admissions Essay: An Meaningful Activity :: College Admissions Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When the horsehair is one millimeter over the A string is when I wonder if my cue has been strong enough. It is too late, however, to turn back. I have started the quartet, and with the ictus of my violin's scroll, the sound is released. The first seconds of connection between horsehair and metal string are the most important. I concentrate on controlling my right index finger as every inconsistency in the fluidity of my hand magnifies itself in my ears. Under my chin the wood begins the vibration that lets me know I am connected to the sound. Only I can hear the secret nervous bounce of my bow as I speed up my right forearm and the impurities in my contact with the string that are masked by the distance between my first violin chair and the first row of audience. The imperfection is what I love. Only one note has passed, but as I relax my shoulder for the reversal of my bow, I strive to make the next one more beautiful. There is a never-ending series of notes. At the conclusion of this phrase, the downbeat brings the capital letter of a new sentence. At the end of this movement, there is another.

Relationships between Satisfaction with Life Essay

   Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Satisfaction with life is a concept highly valued in today’s society. In an effort to understand mechanisms behind the life satisfaction, present study investigated the relationships between social network size, optimism and conscientiousness and the outcome variable, satisfaction with life. The four variables were measured through the use of a survey. Participants were students from California State University, Fullerton. A correlational analysis of the data showed a significant positive relationship between optimism, and conscientiousness and satisfaction with life. It was also found that individuals with large social network size were more satisfied than those with small social network size. These findings imply that improving levels of optimism and conscientiousness and increasing one’s social network can insure greater life satisfaction. Relationships between Satisfaction with Life, Social Network Size, Optimism, and Conscientiousness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Satisfaction with life is most often one of the greatest concerns of an individual’s life. There is a general belief that an inability to achieve satisfaction with one’s life indicates an unsuccessful life. Because of this socially generated drive for satisfaction with life, one is made to wonder. What factors are related to the experience of life satisfaction? What variables are good predictors of life satisfaction?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One suspected variable that would act as a good predictor of satisfaction with life is social network size. A social network refers to an individual’s link or relationship with other individuals. This link can cause certain social behavior to be explained (Mitchell, 1969). Quinn, Gavigan, and Franklin (1980) defined social networks to be the social units an individual is placed in contact with. Quinn et al. (1980) studied the effects of social network interaction on life satisfaction in older adults. The findings indicated that social network interaction was not a good predictor of satisfaction with life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another study conducted by Bowling,   Farquhar, ands Browne (1991) indicated that social network size is a poor indicator of life satisfaction. The study involved the participation of two types of individuals – those who lived in rural neighborhoods and those who lived in urban neighborhoods. Bowling et al. (1991) noted larger reported social network sizes for individuals in the urban areas as opposed to those in the rural areas. Despite this difference in reported social network sizes, life satisfaction between the two groups was not found to be different. This may, however, have been a result of difference in the levels of interaction available to individuals residing in the two areas. The insignificant findings may have been a result of the inherent differences between neighborhoods and therefore not representative of the social network size of a given individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Optimism is a second variable deemed to be related to feelings of satisfaction with life. A greater sense of optimism allows one to maintain an outlook on life that allows for the consideration of the world as a generally positive place. Research exploring the life satisfaction felt by retired physicians showed that greater optimism resulted in a greater satisfaction with their life. (Austrom, Perkins, Damush, and Hendrie, 2003) In retired individuals, especially, optimism may be an essential variable for achieving life satisfaction as it may also be a coping mechanism to the sudden change in lifestyle for the said individuals. The retired physicians felt that the greatest challenge going against their satisfaction with life was in the loss of their professional roles, thus, optimism might have served as a form of mediation between the two stages of the transition. Having a positive outlook on the way their lives was going allowed these physicians to better accept the end of their professional careers and to look forward to the beginning of their retired life. The probable importance of optimism as a mediator was also evidenced by the fact that in the same study by Austrom et al. (2003) it was found that optimism didn’t play as significant a role in determining life satisfaction when it came to the physician’s wives. This may have been due to the fact that they did not need to maintain a positive outlook to boost a sudden change in life roles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Optimism and not pessimism, which involves having a negative outlook on life, is found to be a greater predictor of life satisfaction. This was specifically found by a study conducted by Chang & Sanna (2003). Thus in the present study, only the variable of optimism will be taken into consideration and not its counterpart, pessimism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another variable that may show a relationship with an individual’s satisfaction with life is the personality trait of conscientiousness. Conscientiousness has been investigated by many researchers in terms of how well it predicts an individual’s life satisfaction. This trait refers to an individual’s tendency to be organized, diligent and reliable in their behavior. (Chapman, Duberstein, and Lyness, 2007) Conscientiousness may have a role to play in satisfaction because conscientious individuals are able to have more mature defenses and are also able to have a quality of life that is considered by most to be above par as they are able to have more responsibility and control over their health, their social interactions, and their general well-being (Chapman et al, 2007). It may well be that the same link can be found between conscientiousness and life satisfaction. If higher levels of conscientiousness indicate higher quality of life, it may also indicate greater degree of satisfaction with life as a result of the same mechanisms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A study by Lounsbury, Saudarga, Gibson, and Leong (2005) examined just this relationship. Through an inspection of the personality characteristics accounted for in the Big Five, it was found that conscientiousness along with extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to experience account for 45% of total perceived life satisfaction. Is conscientiousness, then, as a variable independent of the other personality traits in the Big Five, significantly related to satisfaction with life?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The present study aims to investigate the relationships that exist between satisfaction with life and the three variables stated above: social network size, optimism, and conscientiousness. Based on the empirical evidence provided by past literature, it is predicted that satisfaction with life will be significantly correlated to optimism and conscientiousness. A greater level of optimism and conscientiousness in an individual will indicate a greater satisfaction with life. Also, social network size is hypothesized to have no significant difference on satisfaction with life. The last hypothesis is based on the findings of past literature. However, due to the questionable nature of past studies and how these measured social network against life satisfaction, the present study’s hypothesis may turn out to be negated. It is hypothesized, then, that the variables of optimism and conscientiousness will have a significant and direct relationship with satisfaction with life while that of social network size will have no significant difference on satisfaction with life. Methodology Participants   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The participants of the study totaled 91 students, 23 (25.3%) of whom were male and 68(74.7%) of whom were female. (See Table 1 in Appendix for tabulated figures) All the participants were enrolled in Research Method in Psychology classes at the California State University, Fullerton. The ethnicity break down of the participants is the following: African American – 1.1%, Asian (Pacific Islander) – 3.3%, Caucasian – 49.5%, Hispanic – 27.5%, Middle Eastern – 2.2%, Southeast Asian – 2.2%, multiethnic – 11%. 3.3% of the participants reported to having other types of ethnicity.   (See Table 2 in Appendix for tabulated figures) The range in ages of the participants was from 19 years to 46 years. The mean age was 23 years old. (See Table 3 in Appendix for tabulated figures) None of the participants received incentive for their participation. There were no extra credits or monetary compensations given in exchange for their contribution to the study. Materials or Measures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). The PANAS measures trait negative affect or the affective well being of the participants. It is composed of a 10-item scale designed to measure typical experiences of negative affect. Participants are able to rate the extent to which they experience certain mood states such as distressed, upset, scared, and irritable. They are able to do this through the indicators of a 5-point scale (very slightly or not at all, a little, moderately, quite a bit, extremely). The participants were asked to indicate to what extent they felt each feeling or emotion listed during the past two weeks from the time of the survey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) The SWLS is a global measure for subjective well-being and life satisfaction. Diener et al (1985) defined life satisfaction as a conscious cognitive judgment life. This entails an individual’s comparison of their own life experiences with a self-set standard. The scale is composed of 5 items and utilizes a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 7-strongly agree).   The items of the test included statements such as â€Å"The conditions of my life are excellent† and â€Å"If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.† Possible total scores range from 5 to 35. A resulting score ranging from 5 to 19 signifies dissatisfaction while scores between 21-31 signify satisfaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life Orientation Test (LOT-R; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) The LOT-R measures generalized optimism. The test is made up of 10 items. Participants will indicate the extent to which they agree with the 10 statements in the test through a 5-point Likert-type scale (0-strongly disagree to 4-strongly agree). The statements involved sentiments like â€Å"in uncertain times, I usually expect the best†. A participant can achieve a score from 0 to 24 with a higher score indicating greater levels of optimism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1994) The BFI was used to assess the personalities of the participants with regards to the five aspects included in the big five namely extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. The BFI consists of 44 items that ask the participants to rank themselves on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-disagree strongly to 5-agree strongly). The 44 items deal with different types of behavior related to the Big Five. For the present study, the BFI will be used to measure the variable of conscientiousness. BFI items related to conscientiousness included â€Å"perseveres until the task is finished†, â€Å"is a reliable worker†, and â€Å"does things efficiently†. Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6; Lubben &Gironda, 2003) The LSNS-6 is a test of a set of questions establishing ties with relatives and ties with non-relatives. Examples of these questions include â€Å"How many relatives do you see or hear from at least once a month?† and â€Å"How many friends do you see or hear from at least once a month? The participant chooses one of the options available for each question. These answers have corresponding points. Total scores of the participants may range from 0 to 30. A higher score indicates a higher level of social network. For this research, the LSNS-6 was used to measure social network size. A high score in the LSNS-6 was taken to signify a larger social network size while a low score meant a smaller social network size. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1989) The RSES measures global self-esteem. The test is composed of 10 items. Responses are given on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 5-strongly agree). A sample question is â€Å"At times I feel like I am no good at all.† Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS; Lyubominsky, and Lepper , 1999) The SHS measures global subjective happiness. The test consists of four items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-7). A sample question is â€Å"Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life regardless of what is going on, getting the most out of everything. To what extent does this characterization describe you?† Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ; McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang, 2002) The gratitude questionnaire is a self-report test measuring global gratitude. The test consists of six items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-stronlgy disagree to 7-strongly agree). A sample item is â€Å"If I had to list everything that I was grateful for, it would be a very long list.† Tendency to Forgive Scale (TTF; Brown, 2002) The TTF is a test measuring global forgiveness tendencies. The test consists of four items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 7-strongly agree). A sample item is â€Å"I tend to get over it quickly when someone hurts my feelings.† Procedure Questionnaires were handed out to all participants in their respective classrooms of Research Method in Psychology at the California State University, Fullerton. Participants were given instructions as a group and were told that participation in this study would be anonymous. It was also stated that they may voluntarily choose to participate and could withdraw at anytime. The whole session took about 15-30 minutes. Participants were provided informed consent prior to the administration of the test and were debriefed after they finished. Results The results showed that individuals’ with a smaller social network size (mean=4.10) were significantly less satisfied compared to those with life larger social network size (mean=5.05; t(89)= -3.79, p.001). There was a noted positive correlation between optimism and satisfaction with life (r = 0.543, p = 0.01). A positive correlation was also found between conscientiousness and satisfaction with life (r = 0.222, p = 0.05) Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main purpose of this research was to establish whether a relationship existed between satisfaction with life and optimism, and satisfaction with life and conscientiousness. Another purpose was to establish whether social network size made a difference to satisfaction with life. The original hypothesis of the study stated that a significant positive relationship would be found between satisfaction with life and optimism as well as between satisfaction with life and conscientiousness. It was also hypothesized that social network size would not have a significant difference on satisfaction with life. The hypotheses of the present study were based on the findings of past researches. (Quinn et al, 1980; Bowling et al, 1991; Austrom et al, 2003; Chang and Sanna, 2003; Chapman et al, 2007; Lounsbury et al, 2005) The results of the current study show that there is a significantly positive relationship between satisfaction with life and two variables it was compared against, namely, optimism and conscientiousness. Results also showed a significant difference with social network size and satisfaction with life. The initial hypotheses for optimism and conscientiousness were supported. The hypothesis regarding social network size, however, was rejected by the statistical results. The findings on optimism and conscientiousness validate past research findings. These showed that greater optimism in life contributed to greater satisfaction with life (Austrom et al., 2003). Optimism was also found to be a good predictor of life satisfaction (Chang and Sanna, 2003). Past findings established conscientiousness to be a contributing factor to life satisfaction (Lounsbury et al, 2005) as well as a variable directly related to higher quality of life ratings (Chapman et al., 2007). The findings on social network size, on the other hand, disagree with past research findings where social network interaction was not found to be related to life satisfaction (Quinn et al., 1980) and where the size of the individual’s social network was determined to be a bad predictor of life satisfaction (Bowling et al., 1991). Optimism may be able to affect life satisfaction positively due to the fact that a positive outlook on life can also cause a better assessment of past experiences not just of present circumstances. If one is able to achieve a better disposition towards life, the tendency to overlook the negativity that will detract from satisfaction felt towards life will be greater. This shows that the statistical significance of optimism (r=0.543, p=0.01) with satisfaction with life is warranted. Conscientiousness, on the other hand, was also positively correlated to (r=0.035, p=0.05) with satisfaction with life. This may be due to the fact that conscientiousness indicates a better ability to handle life experiences. Conscientiousness, as defined in the Big Five Inventory (Donahue et al., 2001), entails caution, dependability, organization and responsibility. These characteristics when applied to the everyday behavior and experiences of an individual are most likely to indicate an individual who achieves success. People who are more cautious, more dependable, more organized, and more responsible are the ones who are achievers in human society. It may be that the success and achievement linked with conscientious people is also the link that sustains their satisfaction with life. This is not to say that individuals deemed to have low conscientiousness are not likely to feel satisfaction with life. The findings only suggest that a high level of conscientiousness predicts life satisfaction to great extent. The discussion of how social network size is related to satisfaction with life should be done with care. The fact that previous research found no significant difference between social network and life satisfaction may have been due to the inadequacy of measurement with the past research. Quinn et al. (1980), for example, concentrated on the interaction that occurred in social network and not size. This meant that Quinn et al. (1980) focused on the quality of the individual’s social network and not on the quantity. Bowling et al. (1991), on the other hand, compared two different localities and this is what might have caused the inconsistencies in their findings concerning social network size and life satisfaction. Inherent characteristics of urban and rural locations could have played into action and caused the insignificant findings. For the present study, however, the significant difference between social network size and life satisfaction makes sense especially because social network size is also an indicator of an individual’s degree of social interaction as well as sources of social support; both of which are essential in an individual’s development. The findings of this study are limited because of the small sample size used. A bigger sample that is more representative of the general population should be used in future research. In addition, only a few variables concerning satisfaction with life were investigated. Future research should incorporate more variables that may affect life satisfaction into the study. The variables of social support, social interaction, and pessimism are a few of the factors that should be investigated. The significant relationship between social network size and life satisfaction should also be validated by future studies as the results in this study are not in agreement with previous works. The implications of the study are far-reaching. Establishing the relationships existing between life satisfaction, optimism, and conscientiousness allows different clinicians and practitioners in the healthcare system a chance to improve their handling of clients with low satisfaction with life. This may most likely involve older adults. Because satisfaction with life in itself is a concept that health-care workers find hard to deal with, finding other personality traits and variables that are related to it enables these workers an alternative in aiding these types of patients. Increasing optimism and improving conscientiousness in an individual can help to increase their satisfaction with life. In addition, increasing the size of the client’s social network will improve their satisfaction with life. The present study’s findings can also be expanded to teachers in the field of education. Satisfaction of their students can be increased by allowing them to feel more optimistic about their activities also by guiding them to be more conscientious in their behavior. Also, increasing opportunities for students to enlarge their social networks can also help these students improve their feelings of satisfaction with life. References Austrom, M.G., Perkins, A. J., Damush, T. M., & Hendrie, H. C. (2003). Predictors of life satisfaction in retired physicians and spouses. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38, 134-141 Bowling, A., Farquhar, M., & Browne, P. (1991). Life satisfaction and associations with social network and support variables in three samples of elderly people. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6, 549-566 Brown, R. (2003). Measuring individual differences in the tendency to forgive: construct validity and links with depression. Society forPersonality and Social Psychology, 29, 759-771 Chang,  E.C., & Sanna, L. J.  (2003). Optimism, accumulated life stress, and psychological and physical adjustment: is it always adaptive to expect the best?  Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology,  22,  97-115. Chapman, B., Duberstein, P., & Lyness, J. M. (2007). Personality traits, education, and health-related quality of life among older adult primary care patients. Journals of Gerontology: series B psychological sciences and social sciences, 62B, 343-352 Diener, E., Emmons, R., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71-75. John, O. P., Donahue, E. M., & Kentle, R. (1991). The â€Å"Big Five† Inventory – Versions 4a and 54.   Technical Report, Institute of Personality Assessment and Research, Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley. Lounsbury, J. W., Saudarga, R. A., Gibson, L. W., & Leong, F. T. (2005). An investigation of broad and narrow personality traits in relation to general and domain specific live satisfaction of college students. Research in Higher Education,46, 707-729 Lubben, J. E., & Gironda, M. W. (2003a). Centrality of social ties to the health and well-being of older adults. In B. Berkman & L. K. Harooytan (Eds.), Social work and health care in an aging world (pp. 319-350). New York: Springer Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S.  (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation.  Social Indicators Research,  46,  137-155. Mancini, J. A., Quinn, W., Gavigan, M. A., & Franklin, H. (1980). Social network interaction among older adults: implications for life satisfaction. Human Relations, 33, 543-554 McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 112-127. Mitchell, J. C. (1969) The concept and use of social networks. In Social Networks in Urban Situations: Analysis of Personal Relationships in Central African Towns Ed. J.C. Mitchell. Manchester: Manchester University Press Rosenberg, Morris. (1989). Society and the adolescent self-image. Revised edition. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & Bridges, M. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063-1078. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54,1063-1070.

Lack of values in today’s society Essay

In the last years, we have been facing the lack of values in the society and in human relationships. We consider as † value † the degree of importance, significance or meaning that objects acquire, the actions, the situations or positions, to the extent that respond to the needs of the species and the human being in a certain time, and the struggle for this, to locate and rank the material and spiritual goods in order of importance. Talking in terms of what it is worth an object, in one hand, to satisfy a need and on the other hand, to express the dependence of building a life goal. Compassion, freedom, humbleness, generosity, justice, peace, tolerance, honesty, loyalty, respect and trust among other values are no longer the qualities that characterize the people in the world. These new behaviors that have adopted the majority of the people are antisocial and dehumanized but unfortunately are installed in our society as common pattern. As a result we get attitudes such as: the lack of respect that has been lost to the women and in many cases the woman no longer demands that respect, because in many places the â€Å"gender equality† is going to new extremes and because of that there exists problems between them such as; the early addiction to the cigarette, consume of alcoholic beverages, smoking, which is not only seen in teenagers but in most of the community, also not planned pregnancies in teenagers, and sometimes this lack of responsibility is the reason an abortion takes place making them very cold and dehumanized. All of this is because the parents do not raise them the way it is supposed to, or have bad friends that give them the wrong meanings of the values, or they do not even put them in practice anymore. If in the education that they give them to the children there was more love and more interest, the world would not like it is now, with drug traffic, massacres, shootings, organized crime, kidnappings, robberies, and even wars. We all complain about the insecurity of our country, of the injustices and robberies committed by our rulers without realizing that these rulers and these killers were educated by a mother and a father who are part of our society and those who did not teach and show them the values needed to make them good citizens and above all, good people. Everything that has happened is due to a lack of values and influences by those who have lived and shared  his life with. Parents many times because of work, economic problems, stress, or sometimes by the simple fact of not wanting to fight, leave to one side the education of their children, and in a lot of cases they think they can replace the love with material things, buy the love from their off springs. There are parents who think that the schools are responsible for the moral education their children are receiving without realizing that the values are obtained from the house and everything comes from family, according to the experts until their first 7 years. Nobody is born knowing how to be father, so, you have to teach teenagers that they will be the adults who will need to be responsible to educate and teach these values to their children. Parents need to put more effort into forming a bond and communicating with their children, they need to gain trust and respect for them. But do not make the mistake of not knowing to mark their line of â€Å"freedom† to â€Å"debauchery†, because of that many teenagers do not know the respect and the education of being able to follow rules and listen to their elders. If we want to see a different world, a more balanced society and a more hopeful future, then this is the time to pause and think, what do values mean to me? Which ones take part in my life? What do others mean to me? And then we should stop thinking about the â€Å"me† and turn to the others, be generous and see that others need us more than we need ourselves. We need to get people to commit to their ideals, values, families, professions and personal lives. The values are and will always be a guide that will allow us to lead us on the right path, so we should reinforce, transmit and commit ourselves to put our values in practice every day. As a teenager I have many dreams just as you, I just wish that everything that happens around us changed. I do not want to be arms-crossed, and when I turn on my television see far too many tragedies happen that are no longer abnormal. Anyone can change from â€Å"normal† to something â€Å"different† if they are determined to do it. Believe me that it would be something very nice to see that our state, our country and our world grows with the help of so many people who like me want to achieve a goal in life without selfishness for the good of everyone. The important thing in life is not your position, but  your disposition. The change depends on all of us for the future that we want to create, be born as humans is not enough, we need to reach out to actually be humans. And when we have succeeded with we can be proud to say â€Å"I was part of the change â€Å".