"Society and its problems" (51)
Youth is a beautiful time. The faces of young people, the young souls and young love – everything is beautiful. We can describe all the amazing attractions of this only period in life, which is usually remembered during all lifetime, but many youngsters say that their life is followed by numerous troubles. Really, there is no life without problems, but we can't make little account of youth problems.
Unfortunately, most of the problems are connected with family relations.
Moms and dads say that teenage rebels just growing up normal. Their parents said it, just as parents say it today.
"Damn kids these days". This phrase is the fad of the adults of all times.
To my mind, each new generation of kids receives negative reviews because of two entwined social dynamics: surliness and rebellion in youth; fear and loathing by parents, whose youth has passed them by.
It's called the generation gap, which pits the impertinence of youth against the attitudes of people over 30, who forget what a pain in the butt they were as kids.
If you look at history, youth has always looked bad from the adult perspective. Sometimes it's because they don't remember all the stupid, dangerous things they did as kids.
Adults always tend to glorify their own past. It explains the reason why they often look down their noses at the next generations. Basically, what these critical adults are saying is, "why can't these kids be like us." It is amazing, but every generation goes through this.
I'm deeply convinced tat if some parents are ready to write off the next generation, they should remember how they behaved as young teenagers and recognize rebellion as a sign of growing up.
But we should admit, there are some dangerous temptations of the youth and only parents can preserve their children from such social evil as alcohol, smoking and even early sex and killing oneself by using drugs.
For example, the former Soviet Union admitted that it had over 200,000 drug addicts. Because of this the government opened several special hospitals for these addicts. There's a big anti-drugs campaign in the country's schools too. Usually drugs come from several places including Western Europe and Afghanistan. Also, some addicts use glue or steal medical drugs from hospitals.
This problem is closely connected with gang-violence. As well as gangs of punks, rockers and hippies, there are ultra conservative gangs, too. They want to stop "the dangerous" influence of teenage culture in our country. But actually they follow the ideas of nationalism and even fascism.
One more acute problem for many young people is smoking. Millions of teenagers know it's bad for them, but they still do it. I think it is rather easy to withstand the influence of those who smoke. We should be simply strong enough to say "no".
Many people offer their way out. Some of them say that teenagers should not be let to the discos because of the danger of drugs; others say that young people should be given more money and more freedom, because everything that is forbidden astonishes.
But in my opinion, one thing is clear: after decades of silence in the Soviet Union we face a lot of urgent problem, which should be solved as soon as it is possible.
What are the main youth problems? Everyone knows and at the same time noone knows. As sand through fingers - youth problems are always changing. Thirty years ago Johnny Rotten sang " Too many problems oh why am I here, I don't need to be me 'cos you're all too clear, well and I can see there's something wrong with you but what do you expect me to do?.. Problems, problems, the problem is YOU!" The idea of that punk styled song is simple clear. All our failures depend on us. Imagine your life without money, can you do that? No fancy clothes, no fashionable clubs, no entertainments, no troubles. Americans say "No mass - no fuss" in such case. Don't you think teenagers depend on money greatly? They are obsessed on their appearance, they need to be clothed fashionable and in modern style. Some of them, who are lacking money prefer to wear jeans and plain clothes, this is their way out. The fashion industry is based on some youth preferences, there is a kind of business in producing special clothes and accessories for teens, Kira Plastinina, for example. Young try to do their best in getting labeled and fancy stuff, they are really crazy about such things. External life may force out their spiritual life, and that are dangerous circumstances. In my point of view, young should pay more attention to their inside world, to develop their selves.
Another youth problem is mutual understanding in their families. It's hardly believable situation when a teen feel comfortable with his relatives, even in a tight-bonded family. Parents want them to be serious, to study hard and to think about their future, but rare senior could understand teen's tormented soul. In past life grown-ups were the same teens, but they don't remember that state. Our parents were bits, hippies, and they struggled for their personal independence, just like us! But things change, tastes grow differ and differ, and we can't understand each other, we lose the connection. If teens could obey they olds implicitly, that'll be very convenient for the last ones. Liberal seniors are absolute rarities, so teens have to look for common language with their parents in any case. We all know the moral disaster of being misunderstood. Try harder - and you'll make friends with your relatives. Sometimes young fall apart with their families and begin to take drugs, alcohol. That is not the reaction on the emotional environment, that is the reflection of tortured inside world. Drug addicts are spread all over the world, but in their majority they are young people. Junkies are used to hang on with the same disappointed people, sometimes they had to steal money or jewelry from their houses, to get the drug. It is obviously damaged way. Normally up-brought youth avoid junkies, and addicts could not find the way-out of their abusement.
There is the proverb which says " A word can kill, a word can save", everything is up to you and your attitude towards people. I don't believe we can't rescue people surrounding us. There are special rehabilitation centers for junkies, anonymous help is offered for people. So don't lose your chance to be safe and sound, to live long and unforgettable lives, and one day you'll be thanked for your compassion paid to drowned people. "Life is very short, there is no time for fussing and fighting my friend" (Paul Mc Cartney )
Today it is fashionable to speak about teenage problems. A few years ago alcohol, fights, murders and other kinds of violence were more problems of adults rather than young people.
But now, as official reports admit, violence, AIDS, drugs and alcohol are more and more associated with youngest. For many children from poor families violence, drinking problems and all that is associated with powerty becomes more and more real.
The Government surveys show that every fifth teenager who was arrested for criminal actions, was younger that 14 and couldn't be sent to prison. Almost half of teenagers have an experience with drugs, alcohol and sex under age of 16. A lot of teenagers who have drug or alcohol addiction almost never believe that they are dependent. These things are often combined with family and school problems.
What has gone wrong? Some specialists explain that the changes of our society, the system of our life force young people to choose their own lifestyle. On the one hand, our society agrees that 15-17-years old people are old enough to be responsible for what they do and gives them quite a lot of freedom and rights. On the other hand, most adults think that teenagers are too young to be taken seriously. This misunderstaning has produced many problems. Actually, a lot of teenagers say that their parents let them do anything they want and are quite indifferent to their problems. Many teenagers get upset or depressed when they can't solve their problems. As a result, it makes them believe that there is only one way out - to stop living and commit suicide.
No doubt, the teens' problems will increase. And young people should feel that they are cared about.
For many people, fact about workaholism are not clear. What is workaholism, exactly? When should a person seek help about his problem related to his job. Workaholism is the same kind of addiction, like alcoholism. Most often, workaholism in its severe from could be observed. They have always been getters, and for modem workaholics it is a good argument to justify themselves. For smart people it is easier to become a workaholic, because physical labor can not last long. For example, modern workaholics are the majority of computer geeks. These people, suffering from this particular from of addiction, have a special warehouse mentality. According to most physicians, these people are always restless about themselves. The problem of workaholism is that the line between hard work and this disease is difficult to draw. A workaholic usually leaves work later, much later than the other workers. Most likely it seems to us we don't depend on workaholics but if his boss sees his work and thinks that other workers can stay after work too. So he voluntarily or involuntarily pulls the staff in an uncomfortable situation for them. It should be noted that workaholics ore divided into several groups. In the first there are workaholics who work because they like it. In the second there are workaholics who work because they have to. There are those are engaged in useless activities, which nobody is interested in it simulates, filling avoid in his life.
I think that workaholism is curable, if a workaholic understands in time that he is a workaholic. That in his life, there are serious problems from which he frees to work, without deciding, but only adding to them. Likely workaholics need to learn to enjoy doing nothing. Spend a delicious lunch twice as longer than usual. Give yourself a break once a week. You can choose a distraction from work but what it could be family, religion, art, sport or embroidering a cross - it's up to you.
In the UK people get married either in a church or a registry office (a local government building). In the US people often get married in a house , a park, a hotel, or wedding chapel, as well as in a church. The traditional wedding, called a white wedding as the bride wears a white dress, takes place in a church.
The Main People at a Wedding
The bride is the woman who is getting married. Traditionally she wears a long white dress and a veil, and carries a bouquet of flowers. She also wears "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" to bring her luck. The bridegroom (also called the groom) is the man who is getting married. He wears a suit, or something a tuxedo in the US, or a morning suit in the UK.
Before the Ceremony
It is considered bad luck if the bridegroom sees the bride on the morning of the wedding. The bridegroom arrives first at the church and waits at the altar with the best man. The best man is responsible for bringing the wedding ring, and there are many jokes about him loosing or forgetting it. The bride arrives at the church in a car with her father. There are often jokes about the bride being late, and the groom being very nervous as he waits and worries that she may not come.
The Ceremony
It is traditional for the bride's farther to give her away (to walk to the front of the church with her and formally give permission for her to marry). The bride and her farther walk slowly up to the aisle and the bridesmaids follow. When the bride and bridegroom are together at the altar, the priest begins the wedding service. He or she asks if there is anyone present who knows of any legal reason why the couple should not get married. Then the bride and groom exchange the traditional vows. It is sometimes possible to change the vows or even white your own. "I, Jane Smith, take thee, David Jones, to be my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forth, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forsaking all others, until death do us part."
The couple then give each other a gold ring and say, "With this ring I thee wed" (I marry you).
At the end of the ceremony, the priest says, "I pronounce you man and wife," which means that they are officially married. The husband and wife then sign the register (the official record of their marriage).
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was founded on 16 November 1945. Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal: to build peace in the minds of men.
Today, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse — for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge — while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields.
In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 191 Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.
UNESCO is working to create the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture.This role is critical, particularly in the face of terrorism, which constitutes an attack against humanity. The world urgently requires global visions of sustainable development based upon observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which lie at the heart of UNESCO's mission and activities.
Such products as glue, butane gas, solvents are made on solvent base. That is why they can be used for sniffing and then receiving post effects of visual hallucinations.
Solvents are usually commercial products, like glue, nail polish remover, aerosols, gas lighter fuel and petrol, which give off a vapour. When the vapour is inhaled, it can make you feel light-headed, happy, dizzy. The effects can last up to an hour, depending on what, and how much was inhaled. Solvents are depressant drugs.
It is estimated that one of five young people in Britain have used solvents. It is the second most commonly used drug for this age group. Talking about our country, there is no exact statistics concerning this fact, but it is not a secret that the number of "sniffers" is growing and yet has reached a tremendous index. It happens, because such substances are the most available and cheap.
Because solvents are often sniffed from a plastic bag, sometimes covering the head, there is a risk of suffocation, if the user becomes unconscious.
Solvent use is extremely dangerous. Nobody knows exactly how many children die in our country, because of solvent addiction. For example, in Great Britain in 1999 thirty nine young people died as a direct result of inhaling butane lighter fluid. This is ten times more than die from Ecstasy.
In Great Britain it is prohibited to sell solvent-based products to children under 18s. It is illegal there. Here, in our country, there is no such legislation concerning this problem, which is becoming worse day after day.
Every person has some particularities that make him unique. Everybody is talented in something, but not everyone can notice and improve the abilities. Moreover much less of them can become popular with their talent. But what is the main cause person became popular of?
In my opinion, all people who became famous have gone very difficult way to achieve respect and acclaim of public. No wonder that the richest of millioners were very poor at the beginning of their career but they weren't afraid of risk. It's very important not to give up and if you fall down 9 times you should rise 10 times only then you can achieve your aim.
One of the most common features of famous people it's the braveness to think differently from the opinion of the majority. Only strong and independent people can become popular.
In contrary to saying above I want to notice that even if a person has all these features, it is not a fact that this person becomes popular. One thing is necessary - it's fortune. To be in the right place in the right time – sometimes it plays a great role in the people's fade and can made them popular easy like wind changes.
There are lots of famous people in different fields of activity. But only the most talented brave and hard-working deserve to be famous with millions of people. I believe that popularity will belong only to people who really worth it.
Our age is so strange. We know that we are on the way to become adults. But this way is so hard. And we teenagers usually stay alone with our thoughts, because nobody even we ourselves understand what is happening around us. There are a lot of problems – that is what we know exactly. And problems are everywhere and we cannot expect why and where they come from. This is very difficult time though some people think that it is the best time. And what is more it's hard to stay quite and calm. Every young generation has more complicated problems than previous. And maybe nowadays teenagers have more problems then other generations. And this difference awakes misunderstandings with parents. Sometimes it seems that our parents are too tiresome and dull in their demands. And also they often interfere into our life. Parents always say that we are lazy and can't do anything except rest. Moreover they give not much money, and we hardly can find a job because in our age we cannot be responsible for money of firm or do some kinds of job. And there is a great problem: parents also always doubt in our independence. Our age – is time of making a choice what we will be in future, what we want to do and how. So we have to choose the university to have better education and future profession. If you have a good education you'll be always perfect at you profession and of coarse you'll earn more money, make your life better. And the best way to prepare is to study better at school. The school ages are also very difficult. We do a lot of homework and even have no time to go for a walk or do whatever we want. Another problem in school – marks. And we try to do our best to have good marks. But our parents never like them. And for boys there is such problem like conscription. And nowadays it' Also nowadays a problem of drugs is very actual. A lot of teenagers have drug addiction. And sometimes they use drugs not because of that they want. And it often leads to bad ends. Moreover, you may have problems with health. Emotional problems for young people can be far more difficult than financial ones. The typical teenager problem is that "nobody understands me". Youth is also the time to meet your first love. It is of coarse wonderful but as it is widely known that first love often has an unhappy end. This also increases young people's problems. Even friends cannot always stay friends when young people begin to understand themselves a little bit better old friends sometimes just grow apart. And sometimes you have problems in communicating with each other and you even stay alone. So as you see it's very difficult to be young nowadays as indeed it always was. But you only can be young ones and some wonderful things can happen to you only when you're young. So it's better to enjoy youth while it lasts.
All people have problems. Some of them have many problems, the others have one or two problems only. Young people have as many problems as the grown-ups. It is possible to solve some problems but sometimes we can not solve this or that problem. The first problem is to choose a good friend. I know the proverb "A friend in need is a friend indeed." I agree with it, that's why I try to make friends with merry and true persons. I want to have a friend who understands me. It will be simple and interesting to speak to him or her. I think that young people have problems with their parents. What are they? Sometimes we have different tastes. I like the proverb "There is no accounting for tastes." For example, I go shopping with my mother. She likes this dress but I like that one. My mother wants me to buy this dress. But I am sure, that dress is much to my taste. My parents want me to be a teacher as they are skilled teachers but I have a taste for music, and my dream is to be a composer. Where can we go? What can we do if we have free time? My friend Nastya lives in a village. Her village is far from Moscow. It takes her three hours to go to Moscow. She says that there is nowhere to go and there is nothing to do in her village. There are no clubs, museums, cinemas, parks there. If she wants to go to Moscow it'll take her a lot of money. She can't afford it. It is a problem to get a good education. It is necessary to pay for a good education. I think it is difficult to learn English, for example, without additional classes. I can't enter the Institute without good knowledge. To get it it is necessary to pay for it and have heavy expenses. Many good teachers