#children below the age of 15 shouldn’t have their face on the internet

[awanderingcanadian]

Stepping Out and Stepping Up

I’m an educator. I’ve spent thousands of hours over my 30+ years in education in classrooms with children of all ages. I’ve gone through dozens of flu seasons, tons of head lice events, and in 2009 H1N1 swept through my school like a hot knife through butter. However I’ve never seen a pandemic like this one, both in its insidious form and the length of time we’ve been dealing with it.

As we see schools here in the Northern Hemisphere starting back, (although in the Southern Hemisphere, they’ve been back for a few months now), I’m seeing my educator colleagues displaying a wide range of emotions and reactions. As well we are seeing a range of schooling options: from full time in person, to hybrid mixes of in person and remote, to full remote learning. I have no doubt that some of what I’m going to say here will rub my educator friends the wrong way, but these are my thoughts. Based on how in my experience, and according to research, there is no panacea here: there is no magic bullet to keep everyone safe and make everyone happy and successful. To me, the rub is that educators aren’t epidemiologists, and epidemiologists aren’t educators. Educators know what children need to learn and grow, epidemiologists know how to best keep people safe...but what happens when the institutions can’t ensure the conditions the epidemiologists recommend...and here we go. Please do not quote me as being factual, but rather this is my opinion and thoughts from my interpretation of research and personal observations.

I’ve been checking in with my teacher friends in Scotland, different places in Canada, and in California. As well I’m devouring articles giving insights into how things are faring in other countries. Armed with all of this and some solid research, I have some thoughts. Let’s look at the 3 ways schooling is being offered this year around the globe and some of the results thus far.

In person schooling is what almost all of us are familiar with. The in person model has many advantages, (and not all are educational), and some drawbacks. The advantages include a consistent routine for students, teachers are able to quickly check for understanding and adjust pacing and methods accordingly, students with learning challenges can connect with the folks who support them, there’s the very important social aspect of being there, and of course for parents there’s the daycare aspect, (don’t pretend that doesn’t come into play). The main con of course is the risk of transmission of the virus. Data has shown though that younger children, (10 and under), have VERY low rates of acquiring COVID-19 and of transmitting it. This is good news as I fear they will also have very low rates of successful mask wearing! However as students get closer to adulthood, they get closer to mimicking adult transmission rates, (around 14-15%). Teachers are scared that they will get sick themselves, that they will bring it home to someone with compromised immunity, etc. Medical personnel felt the same way: they weren’t ready, they didn’t want to do it, yet 6 months later they’ve found a way. Of course most medical staff get the full meal PPE deal, and a client load far below the average class size, but it is important to know that the medical field did adapt...because they had no choice. There are tons of questions out there though from what happens if a teacher tests positive, (sick leave, pay, replacement teacher, etc), to what happens if a student tests positive, (is that class suspended for 2 weeks, is just the positive student out for 2 weeks)...it’s endless. I will say that comments made by my teacher friends who have returned to in person teaching overall are that they are happy to be back, happy to see their kiddos again.

Let’s skip to the full online/remote learning option: this is what the world did when COVID-19 first hit, and it wasn’t pretty. This is a slide from a presentation I gave last week:

Hands down, remote delivery isthe safest way to ensure you don’t get the virus from school. However, the problems arising from relying on this mode are myriad, and teachers need to acknowledge them. First is that remote learning is a sure fire way to ensure the learning gap between the privileged and those less so increases exponentially. The argument that giving a device to students will solve this just doesn’t hold water. In homes where internet connectivity is either non-existent or unreliable available due to its cost, how do these students join? Schools can set up remote hot spots in their parking lots and fields, putting up covered areas for when there’s inclement weather. Again, not perfect, but there IS a way. Then there’s the question that people don’t like to mention: what about homes where food security is a larger reality than schooling and that device is pawned for food? Now there are 2 issues: attendance and who pays for the pawned devices? Lastly, there is the data that shows the mental health impact that 100% remote learning had on our children: here in B.C.

Somewhere between the two lies the hybrid systems...yes, systemS. There are so many to choose from. There’s the A/B day with students alternating attendance and following up at home. While this works well for student grouping, teachers are still exposed to high numbers. But if they wear face shields and keep physical distancing, it’s possible. Then there’s the 2 classes a quarter system: this limits the number of students and teachers in the school at any given time. It’s worth looking at, but again with high schools with 1600-2000+ populations, it’s still a tough set up. There’s a humanities taught remotely, science taught in person for lab activities, and everything else is on the table to see what’s done where. There’s the teach in person with a camera so you are also delivering remotely version...any many more.

One of the big issues with high schools, are the huge student numbers. Some places have mandated that students stay in one classroom and teachers move, but doesn’t work in high schools where there are individualized timetables, with different electives, types of math classes etc to navigate.

What do I think we should do? I really think that we need to look at what we need students to know/learn, and how we do we assess those skills in our current situation, then we step on the existing box, (making notes of what we liked about the box so we can resurrect those things at some point), and we start to build a new structure. Some parts can, and dare I say should be in person. Some can occur remotely better than others. Teachers will be allocated assignments, (in person, remote, or a mix of the two), based on a myriad of factors, and I’m thinking that in a pandemic seniority shouldn’t be one of them until the other considerations, (underlying health conditions for one), are dealt with. It won’t be pretty, yes your children are part of an experiment, because we currently are ALL part of said same experiment, and we a vast majority of us are trying our best. So while some parents want their children in classes, some are saying “no way”, and some are undecided or in the middle, know that educators are also all over the place with you.

[wikiablogger]

Change the Law Regarding Sex with Minors

Consequences for Both Parties Involved in the Act of Sex with a Minor

Our current laws are designed to punish the older participant of a sexual encounter whether they are male or female with no punishment are responsibility to the younger participant.

There are thousands of cases where the male has been incarcerated for having sex with a minor and nothing happens to the female.

We have all heard how a girl concealed her age and voluntarily had sex with an older person. When this occurs it’s not the girl that gets in trouble with the law but the person that has been deceived.

As a concerned citizen I am trying to prevent this from ever happening again. When the girl/boy is made responsible as well for the act of sex with another person then this injustice of incarceration of individuals will decrease drastically and the lives of good people will be preserved.

There are numerous cases where a male has sex with a girl and discovers that she is underage and gets incarcerated. This is a serious offense and one that can ruin a person’s life. Consider this story:

A male went to a club where you had to be eighteen or older. During his time there he hooked up with a female and ultimately they went somewhere and had sex. Several days later the parents of the girl discovered the relationship and filed charges against the male because their daughter was under the age of eighteen. The outcome is that the male goes to jail and possibly has to register as a sex offender. The girl goes on with her life as normal and is free to put another male in jail. The girl had a fake ID and knew what she was doing when she obtained it. How did the eighteen and older club not catch that this was a fake ID? Shouldn’t they be responsible in some way as well for allowing this underage female into the club? 

Consider this story as well:

A male and female start talking and seeing each other and decide to have sex. The female didn’t tell the male her age. This female looked considerably older than what she actually was and when she eventually told the male her age he told her he could not see her again. She said she wouldn’t tell her mother or anyone else and he still said he couldn’t because he didn’t want to get into trouble.  She told her mother and now this male is sitting in jail.  This is a lie of omission and this young lady should be the one in trouble not the male. Just as the female in the example above this person is allowed to continue on as if she did nothing wrong and live her life as normal.

The law says these girls are not of age to know the difference between right and wrong when it comes to sex. Stealing, vandalism, murder, etc… are offenses they can be punished for under the law for but not sex. This is beyond unbelievable and this needs to be changed! The law states that a minor hasn’t the emotional wherewithal to make a decision to have or not have sex. This is not what this petition is debating but rather it is trying to get enough people to agree that both parties should bear the consequences of their actions. Also if one of the parties involved lied or deceived the other party regarding their age they should be the ones punished instead of the other party involved. When minors realize that this is against the law then they will think hard and long about engaging in sex until they are of legal age.

Kyle Joseph Scott who is a Sexual Harassment Attorney states that in California the age of consent is 18. Therefore he says that when two minors engage in sexual activity then each of them is considered to be a victim and a perpetrator. Even though both minors are not emotionally and mentally capable of giving their consent to sexual activity they have the good sense to know they are engaging in an illegal act.

There are many articles to found on the internet such as “Girls Who Lie About Their Age Should Be Charged With A Sex Crime” and this petition echo’s this  charge.

In today’s promiscuous sexual revolution females are taught that sex is to be used and flaunted in front of the males. As a result, the United States leads the world in teen pregnancy and there are 19 million new STD infections every single year. Our society is teaching girls of all ages that sex is what being a female is all about. Consider the facts below for how this is validated and played out in our society:

·       There are 19 million new STD infections in the United States every single year.  Approximately half of them happen to young people in the 15 to 24-year-old age bracket.

·       There were more than 1.4 million cases of chlamydia reported in the United States in 2011.  An astounding 33 percent of those cases involved Americans that were younger than 20 years of age.

·       It is estimated that about one out of every six Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 have genital herpes.

·       In the United States today, approximately 47 percent of all high school students have had sex.

·       Sadly, one out of every four teen girls in the U.S. has at least one sexually transmitted disease.

·       According to one survey, 24 percent of all U.S. teens that have STDs say that they still have unprotected sex.

·       Amazingly, one out of every five teen girls in the U.S. actually wants to be a teenage mother.

·       If you can believe it, the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate on the entire planet.  In fact, the United States has a teen pregnancy rate that is more than twice as high as Canada, more than three times as high as France and more than seven times as high as Japan.

·       The sexual revolution has caused women to be primarily looked at as sex objects.  In this kind of environment, it should be no surprise that there has been an absolute explosion of pornography in recent years.  An astounding 30 percent of all Internet traffic now goes to pornography websites, and the U.S. produces more pornography than any other nation has in the history of the world.

(Snyder, M., 2013, para. 1).

 American women are being destroyed by the sexual revolution and our promiscuous culture… and the lives of young men are being destroyed by girls giving in to this promiscuous behavior.

This also brings up another problem. Thousands of men are spending time in jail or prison for having engaged in sex with a minor. In many of the cases the girl concealed her age either by not telling the man how old she was or she lied outright about how old she was. What occurs is that the man is the offender and he alone is punished. In cases such as this the girl should be the one that is punished and not the man. The lack of commonsense in our laws is appalling and this is one instance where it is illuminated. How is a man to protect himself from this? Girls falsify their Id’s to get into clubs and to obtain alcoholic beverages and if the club owner can’t make the distinction then how is the man that chooses to have sex with the girl going to know this. Girls are constantly having sex with men knowing that they are not of legal age and they need to be held responsible for their actions. When this occurs the man should be exonerated of any wrong doing and the girl should be the one paying the price for her illegal actions. This is no difference than baiting, setting a trap, entrapment or whatever you want to call it and the girl should be the one getting in trouble with the law not the man.

 So what can be done about any of this?

Making girls responsible for their sexual misbehavior is where it starts. If the girl realizes that she too will be punished as severally under the law as the male or in cases where she lied or concealed her age and suffers the punishment by herself then we will see a drastic reduction of this sexual offense taking place. The old adage “it takes two to tangle” is so apropos in this situation. When the girls are facing jail time the majority of them will cease to sleep around.

Parents, guardians, school officials, the media, and others that have an influence in a young girl’s life need to step up to their responsibilities of providing for their well-being. Schools that have adopted the foolish and irresponsible act of teaching safe sex, offering contraceptives to the children, providing help for abortions, and keeping the parents in the dark regarding the child’s sexual behavior has got to stop. What they are engaging in is the contribution to a crime being committed. What they need to be teaching is that having sex before reaching the age of maturity (according to the law) is against the law and doing so will among other things destroy many young men’s lives. When this takes place and loose sexuality is no longer glorified or seen as acceptable behavior we will see these cases of statutory rape decline considerably.

Bottom line is that it is illegal for minors to be participating in any sexual activity. The problem is that the law goes after the older participant and not the younger party. In no way is this addressing the case of rape. That is another issue all together and has nothing to do with what this petition is talking about.

By signing your name to this petition you are saying to our government officials to pass a law that makes the girl that has not been forthcoming of her age as responsible, if not the only one responsible, to the act of sex with the male. You are also speaking out to the school officials to start teaching the young girls that having sex before reaching the legal age is illegal and can result in destroying the lives of those they have sex with. This message also strongly encourages parents and anyone that has an influence in the lives of minors to be good role models and teach their children the law on having sex before the legal age.

 Concern Citizens for Justice

  Reference:

Snyder, M., (2013).  25 Signs American Women Are Being Destroyed By The Sexual Revolution And Our Promiscuous Culture. Retrieved on April 7, 2015 from: endoftheamericandream.com/archives/25-signs-american...

https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-change-the-law-regarding-sex-with-minors

[polixy]

How focus groups helped inform our survey about technology use in emerging economies

How focus groups helped inform our survey about technology use in emerging economies;

A challenging aspect of designing opinion surveys in countries with different cultures and languages is making sure we understand what people are thinking about the subject we’re studying, in their own words. So when we began our recent study of mobile phone and social media use in 11 emerging economies, we started by conducting focus groups with diverse participants in four of the countries studied: Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines and Tunisia.

The groups included smartphone users of different ages and educational levels, as well as people with basic phones. Unlike some focus groups which are aimed at understanding how to persuade people to like a product or political candidate, our groups were exploratory and shaped by broad questions about the social impact of mobile technology and the internet.

Given the open nature of the conversations, one of the most striking elements of the focus groups was the level of consistency exhibited by the participants both within and across countries. Regardless of their age or direct experience with technology, groups often came up with similar lists of positive and negative changes brought about by mobile phones and an increasingly digital environment.

The content of these focus groups was wide-ranging and touched on a number of issues. But four themes emerged in those discussions and were ultimately incorporated into our survey as a result. Below, each of these themes is paired with quotes taken directly from the focus groups that highlight the ways in which people see technology use.

People see technology often helping – but sometimes harming – their interpersonal relationships. Those we spoke with in the focus groups see mobile phones affecting their interpersonal relationships in both positive and negative ways. We heard repeatedly that the ability to stay in touch with people who live far away is a key benefit of mobile phones and social media. This was especially true in groups in which the participants lived far from home or had relatives who lived abroad. But people also expressed concerns that technology is hastening the demise of face-to-face communication, or noted what they saw as the shallowness of talking online to “friends” who are not friends in real life.

“Because most of the time we talk through the phone, it has reduced the rate of physical contact. You can be in the same house but you haven’t seen each other the whole day and you can just communicate through the phone. Someone is in the bedroom, the other one is in the sitting room, and you just text them, you don’t have to see them.” –Man, 26, Kenya

“In general terms, communication is much more efficient. You are more interconnected, being with your relatives or with world affairs.” –Man, 26, Mexico

“Before, we communicated with people through telegrams, long-distance phone calls. But now we use Skype and social networking sites to interact and connect with each other anywhere in real time. … Cellphones are considered crucial for communication, maintaining good relationships and keeping up with relatives or loved ones away from home.” –Woman, 54, Philippines

“Everyone is using their own phones; people don’t interact or talk together in the same home, so bonds are more fragile.” –Man, 23, Tunisia

Based on these and other comments, we added questions to the survey intended to gauge people’s attitudes toward the impact of mobile phones on direct, interpersonal communication, as well as on connections with people who live far away. The survey’s results showed a similar tension across all 11 countries analyzed: Mobile phone users nearly universally say their phones help them stay in touch with those who live far away, even as majorities of adults in all countries say people should be very or somewhat concerned about losing the ability to communicate face-to-face because of mobile phone use.

The impact of technology on children is a key source of concern for parents and non-parents alike. Parents in our focus groups also spoke at length about their concerns that technology is negatively affecting their relationships with their children. But these concerns were not limited to parents: Non-parents also expressed concerns about the impact of screens on children in their country, and about the broader societal problems that might come from children being exposed to things that may not be appropriate for them.

After hearing these concerns in the focus groups, we added multiple questions to the survey about the impact of phones on children. And the results from the survey indicate that the concerns about children raised in the focus groups are common in each of the 11 emerging economies surveyed.

“Young people use the phone too much. It can disturb them, it can prevent them from studying so they don’t concentrate on their studies. … There are also bad things on the internet. There is a lot of danger, a lot of dangerous things on it.” –Woman, 51, Tunisia

“Sometimes when I come home, I just place [my smartphone] on the table, and I find that my son has just come across it, picked up the phone, and gone straight to the bedroom so that he can play. By the time I realize it, it has almost been two hours.” –Man, 44, Kenya

“Young children see things that they are not yet supposed to see.” –Woman, 26, Philippines

“There is addiction for children and laziness, and electronic games on the phone means kids lack focus in the classroom.” –Woman, 45, Tunisia

Technology is affecting people’s most intimate relationships.The impact of technology on romantic relationships was not a topic we originally intended to ask about in the survey. But in the focus groups, we heard repeatedly about the ways in which people track their partners’ online and mobile activity. Some were unabashed about their own online monitoring and highlighted the importance of keeping tabs on their partners. Others pointed to the ways in which these behaviors could result in jealousy or friction in relationships. We included a question about this topic in the survey and found that, across the 11 countries polled, a median of 26% of those whose partner or spouse uses a mobile phone have indeed monitored what that partner is doing on their phone.

“Most of the women you find on ChitChat who have pseudonym accounts are actually married. They have kids.” –Woman, 25, Kenya

“[My partner] controls my messages and my calls, and he enters my Facebook account with his cellphone because he has my password. … I feel that I cannot do anything. I feel stalked, watched.” –Woman, 25, Mexico

“If you have crushes, you don’t have to stalk outside his or her house.” “You can stalk the pictures.” –Woman, 27, and Man, 22, Philippines

“You can have more than one relationship at the same time, and thus be confused [about] whom to choose, whether it is love or friendship. … Also, some couples divorce because of their Facebook activities.” –Man, 23, Tunisia

Concepts like “fake news” and misinformation resonate across cultures. We had always intended to ask our survey respondents about news on social media – specifically, whether such news is easily accessible, up-to-date and tailored to users’ personal interests. But in the focus groups, we were struck by how much “fake news” as a concept came up during the sessions. Indeed, even though the bulk of the focus groups were conducted in a foreign language, the phrase “fake news” was sometimes mentioned in English.

For some, concerns about fake news centered on not knowing who is spreading a particular piece of information and finding it difficult to verify. Participants in the Philippines, for example, mentioned reading on social media that mobile phones caused radiation poisoning. Others worried about being actively misled by posts on social media, and not being able to know what was truly happening until the stories they encountered on social media were reported on the nightly news. Still other discussions revolved around the related concept that social media is fueling animosity between political parties (in the Philippines and Mexico) or tribes (in Kenya).

“Mobile phones have contributed a lot, in a good way and in a bad way. In a good way, they have brought more information to citizens. You can access information in a good way, but the kind of information you are now accessing has brought on tribal conflict, because there is a lot of information which you cannot verify.” –Man, 24, Kenya

“Facebook gives you more fake news posted by citizens. When the earthquake occurred, you had to watch the news to confirm. For me, the news is the closest thing to reality. Perhaps you find lies in Facebook.” –Woman, 34, Mexico

“Yes, there was [fake news about politics], like when there was a post that showed a big house, a palace, and was said to be Duterte’s. It was not his, though. … You cannot really say what’s true and what’s not nowadays.” –Woman, 29, Philippines

“On Facebook there are a lot of rumors and fake news. You shouldn’t trust them 100%.” –Man, 23, Tunisia

Based on these conversations, we added a series of questions to the survey designed to capture people’s trust in different information sources, as well as the extent to which they think social media and other technologies are encouraging misinformation or political divisions. The findings from these questions will be released in a Pew Research Center report later this year.

; Blog – Pew Research Center; http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/03/15/how-focus-groups-helped-inform-our-survey-about-technology-use-in-emerging-economies/; ; March 15, 2019 at 12:03PM

[ghaw2007]

15 Coconut Oil Benefits

15 Coconut Oil Benefits

1. Coconut Oil Improves Cholesterol

Coconut oil contains lauric acid, a saturated fat that is a type of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). Lauric acid increases the good HDL cholesterol levels in the blood.

2. It Boosts Immunity

It’s full of anti-oxidants. It has antibacterial and antiviral (more on this below) properties.

3.  It Helps Digestive Disorders Like IBD

There is some controversy here because diets high in fat can worsen IBD symptoms. Check with your doctor. Some claim that because the body can absorb MCTs directly into the bloodstream via your intestines, that they provide much-needed nutrients that sufferers from digestive disorders can’t normally absorb.

4. It Can Promote Weight Loss, Especially Around The Waist

Apparently, when coconut oil’s MCTs break down, these healthy fats in the liver increase metabolism (giving you more energy to work out) and positively affect sugar levels and thyroid hormones. According to a 2009 study, some women who consumed 2T of coconut oil per day for 12 weeks, lowered their abdominal fat versus women in the same study who consumed soybean oil and saw no change.

5. Use Coconut Oil As A Natural Moisturizer

My massage therapist, Robin Swan at Firebird Touch Therapy in La Jolla, uses organic coconut oil during massages. She prefers coconut oil over others, such as olive oil, because it absorbs into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling and washes out of clothing easily.

Also, when we use soap, we wash a protective MCT layer off of our skin. Applying coconut oil re-establishes this natural barrier.

6. It Helps Heal Sunburn

People across the internet swear one of the health benefits of coconut oil is that it’s a sunburn remedy, reporting major improvement after just one application. Coconut oil does provide some natural sun protection, but shouldn’t replace a higher SPF.

7. Replace Shaving Cream With Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a chemical-free, natural lubricant that allows your razor to glide over skin with ease. And, it moisturizes and heals razor nicks. Some people report not needing lotion after shaving with coconut oil. I do though. Put your coconut oil in a plastic, non-breakable container and ditch the shaving cream.

8. Treat Athlete’s Foot, Ringworm, Diaper Rash And Other Skin Conditions

The anti-fungal properties of coconut oil help treat recurrent skin conditions. People use it in combination with tea tree oil, Vitamin E, and herbs. Researchers have discovered that though coconuts grow in many humid environments where fungi thrive, the people living there who consume a lot of coconut oil do not have fungal infections in general.

9. It Helps Treat Acne

If you’re going to use it on your face, invest in high-quality coconut oil. The antimicrobial benefits of lauric acid and capric acid (the same acids found in mother’s milk) basically replenish the protective acid layer of skin and reduce inflammation. Internal consumption of coconut oil also helps acne, because it helps regulate hormones (see above) and metabolism leading to regulated sebum.

10. Use For Healing Minor Cuts And Scrapes

Apply coconut oil to cuts and scrapes as an antibacterial and healing agent. People claim their wounds heal more quickly, painlessly and with less scarring.

11. Coconut Oil Reduces Irritation From Bug Bites

Apply coconut oil after being bitten or stung for almost-immediate relief.

12. It’s Good For Wrinkle Prevention

Applying coconut oil stimulates the turnover of collagen which we all know helps prevent the appearance of wrinkles.

13. It May Reverse Or Slow The Progression Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Please note that this is a hotly debated topic. It is thought that coconut can slow or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. The most notable example is a pediatrician in Florida, Dr. Mary Newport, who fed relatively large amounts of coconut oil to her husband who had Alzheimer’s disease. She claims she was able to somewhat reverse and slow it.

In a nutshell, it is thought that Alzheimer’s Disease is like diabetes for the brain. Insulin issues prevent the brain from accepting glucose.  Ketones are an alternative fuel to glucose which the brain will accept. And, ketones are metabolized in the liver after eating MCTs, which are ever-present in coconut oil.

14. It Helps Manage Pneumonia Symptoms

A study presented to the 2008 American College of Chest Physicians showed that children with pneumonia who received doses of coconut oil recovered faster than children in the same study who did not.

15. Coconut Oil Is Anti-Aging

With the above health benefits of coconut oil, it seems to keep us alive longer and looking better, no?

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