Social networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social networking - Essay Example However, the impact of using these websites is both positive and negative on the users and it mainly depends on the way people use them and the level of addiction to these websites. Facebook is one of such social networking websites that are being commonly used by the people of all age groups. Although this website provides many communication benefits to people, such as, social interaction with people from different societies, entertainment facilities, information sharing, developing kinship and other relationships, and facility to find old friends, but some harms are also associated with it if one becomes addicted to the use of such websites. Some of those harms or negative effects include wastage of time, development of unhealthy relationships, and threat to personal privacy. This is the problem which needs to be discussed in some detail. Therefore, in this study, the aim of the researcher will be to discuss the negative effects of making heavy use of social networking media, such as, Facebook. The researcher will base the judgments on the research findings. The researcher will also provide some recommendations to reduce the negative consequences of social media. Review of Research Literature As Rennie and Morrison (2013) state, â€Å"social networking has become an addictive pastime for many young people as they keep monitoring their site for new activity or comments† (p. 126). Facebook is one of the main examples of such social networking websites that have intruded itself in office, as well as in the home of almost every person. Alba and Stay (2008) state, â€Å"Facebook is a networking platform† (p. 24). It is true that Facebook connects people from different parts of the world and helps them in forming communities. Users of Facebook can form communities with no boundaries and geographical limitations. Along with this, Facebook has also made people less individualistic (Miller, 2011, p. 190). However, with all benefits of using this website, there also exist some negative points associated with addiction or heavy use of such websites particularly for teenagers and young adults. Addiction to social networking websites has a number of negative effects (Hargrave & Livingstone, 2009, p. 150). One of the main negative aspects of being addicted to Facebook is that it has reduced interactions between close family members. The reason is that when a person makes use of this website all the time, he/she finds no time to interact with his/her own family members. In many homes, both children and parents stay on their computers (mostly on social networking sites), which causes less face to face interactions between the people living under the same roof. Heavy users of such websites prefer to remain online to chat with others. Excessive use of Facebook has a negative impact on ethics and moral development of young people (Maurieni, 2012). Some other serious concerns regarding heavy usage of Facebook and other social networking websi tes include decreased affection for close family members, interaction with strangers, and decreased interest in studies (Papacharissi, 2011, p. 74). Increased addiction to internet and social media is becoming a concern in the United States though it is not widely publicized (Lancelot, 2011, p. 92). Users of social networking websites develop relationships with strangers that increase the threat to personal privacy. Posting

Globalization Transforms a Planet into a Flat World Coursework

Globalization Transforms a Planet into a Flat World - Coursework Example Thomas Friedman indicates that the world has now become flat and recommends that people embrace the changes as fast as they can. He also says that the globalization might not be in its finale but it is just on its early stages towards more developments. Friedman indicates in amazement that people might find themselves in his situation if action is not taken to be at par with the developments taking place in the world. Friedman (2005) indicates that he found himself ‘behind’ new technology at the time of conducting his research.New technologies had come up at the time of his research, and Friedman could not believe how people were in a position to hold meetings with people all over the world without their physical presence. In short, Friedman meant to say that new technologies are coming up, and it is a high time people get ready to embrace the new changes. He claims that other parts of the world have already embraced change, and are on the verge of restructuring their sy stems to welcome many more that may knock their doors.In Abowitz and Roberts (2007) work, it is justified to argue that technology is one of the many reasons that led to Friedman indication that the world may be leveled. Pollack (2005) argues that among the most important forms of technology is outsourcing. Over the years, many countries have been on the run to acquire millions and billions of shillings to invest in the technological sector. All forms of technological advancement were welcome by all states no matter how minute, so long as they proved their ability to move the country an inch further towards technological advancement. With this taking place, Brakman and Marrewijk (2007) argue that it became easier for the world, not only to store data but also to access to all undertakings in the world. As a result, computers became extremely cheap with more producers venturing into this market.

Does Freedom Have a Price Chinese versus U.S.A Research Paper

Does Freedom Have a Price Chinese versus U.S.A - Research Paper Example Compared to other nations, American families in contrast are able to afford more products in a grand scale than most countries around the globe. However taking a flashback towards the rise of capitalism, one cannot refute the fact that the upper class in the 1900’s controlled the surplus of the products. In essence, the rich controlled the resources and used the working force of the upper and lower class. However, the upper class continued to reap the profits and used them for future investment. The whole essence of that was to improve the process of production that can not only facilitate the work force but also enabled them to reach a higher a level of efficiency. Stock prices have dropped sharply and both the NASDAQ and Dow-Jones have suffered. Scholars have insisted that the NASDAQ has lost more than 63 percent of its value since March 2000. In addition, individuals have lost about $5 trillion in the value of stocks traded on major U.S. exchanges. More than 400,000 workers have been laid off, which has drastically been detrimental to the economy. The current recession that occurred internationally has forced the American economy to hinder. When the economic collapsed occurred, majority of the banks failed to accumulated the loans they were obligated to receive from the customers. In midst of this chaos, the banks failed to make any revenue and tightened the parameters in which loans can be lender. However, the mid and small size businesses in this recessive environment have no build up capital to initiate their venture. Thus, this poses a problem for a capitalistic economy that is so driven by regional economies. Since capitalism is so driven by the purchasing power of consumers, it is crippled when spending diminishes. The domino effect not only occurs at macro but also in a micro level. Since the recession, the US market has been under heavy scrutiny with the SEC and other commissions. The US public debt that is borrowed by the government at throug h the Treasury consists of two essential components. The first component is the debt held by public companies and the other debt is held by intragovernment agencies which consist of Treasury securities. Throughout history, the public debt has continued to increase as government spending as surpassed its deficits by the amount of $500 billion. The United States needs to borrow nearly $10 trillion over the next decade, including about $1.6 trillion in this current year. The question remains- will China still give the United States this money? Currently, the foreign ownership in the market is possessed by China. The largest single holder of US government debt is held by China as it holds almost 36% of all stocks. Throughout history, China has been extremely weary of foreign control as it has dramatically been exploited from other nations. Comprehensive research indicates that China’s economy has been spurted out of ashes and is one of the most developed nations that challenges t he GDP production of America. Production and innovation has been a key component for China as it imports majority of its goods. In addition, products in China are cheap and durable, which can pose a risk for other organizations. Undoubtedly, China wants to gain leverage not only in the political sphere but also in the economic sphere. Gaining leverage will be highly beneficial for China as it can inject its products in the

Impact of interest rates on the typical consumer in the economy Essay

Impact of interest rates on the typical consumer in the economy - Essay Example Many people work hard in order to fulfill their aspirations of owning their dream home or buying a brand new car. To afford these, numerous consumers resort to borrowing from financial institutions such as banks, which impose interest rate on the said loans. When interest rates go up, the cost of borrowing increases. This means that should they decide to push through with purchasing the house or car this period their monthly amortization would be relatively higher. If the amortization amount goes beyond the consumer's budget, he/she may decide to defer buying the new house or car. With this, it becomes evident that interest rate uptrend complicates borrowing decisions since consumers become confronted with the uncertainty if the said trend would prevail in the long term. As such, consumers usually suspend purchasing big-ticket items when interest rates climb. This may potentially lead to a contraction in the housing or automobile markets as well as in other industries. On the contrary, an interest rate downtrend easily translates to a boom in the housing market and various industries for big-ticket items. A low interest rate environment augurs well with consumers, as they are encouraged to borrow in financing their purchases. This condition fuels consumption spending since consumers are driven by the relatively lower interest payments they would be potentially servicing every month. Cost of Loans/Mortgages For those who are currently servicing debt payments under adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), jump in interest rates entail ballooning monthly payments. Given this, an upward movement in interest rate puts the period of full ownership of a house further over the horizon. This may even lead to payment default or property foreclosures for homeowners on tight budgets who may be having a hard time affording rising mortgage payments. In this regard, increase in interest rates creates a dent on income which results in lower spending of consumers. However, on the upside, should interest rates go down then there maybe a downward adjustment on consumers' monthly payments. As a result, they are left with more disposable income which they could allot for other purchases. Credit Card Purchases Not only does an interest rate movement affect consumer spending for big-ticket items but also for ordinary expenditures such as groceries, utility bills and other household items among others. Since there are a considerable number of consumers who purchase using their credit cards, an increase in interest rates may lead to an uptick in credit card rates and the amount consumers have to pay for monthly credit card charges. With this, consumers who are not so liquid, i.e. those who do not have ample cash on hand, may cut back on credit purchases. In the same way, consumers may perceive that lower credit card rates make them better off as they are able to derive "savings" from what they would have paid when rates were much higher. This goads them to spend more to take advantage of low rates. Savings Incentive Apart from spending, interest rates also affect consumer savings. With higher interest rates, consumers have greater incentive to save because their deposits may earn higher interest income. However, a low interest rate regime brings about disincentive to save. When interest rates slide, so does the

Business Letters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Letters - Essay Example We believe at offering the best services to our clients and thus we oftenly conduct an evaluation for the cleaners with the help of the clients they serve. We highly uphold integrity and so we encourage our clients to communicate directly to us in case of any misconduct from the employees. Further, we encourage our clients to communicate to our office before making any kind of payment. We also do not accept cash payments and thus encourage our clients to make cheque deposits to our bank account that is indicated in the brochure. Kindly inform me of availability of a vacant room in your newly constructed mall. Our business has been in operation for over ten years, with branches in many parts of the country. This has enabled us to serve customers from different parts. We have therefore been considering opening a new branch and we are hopeful that opening an office in your building will enable us serve the customers in the area that have not been able to access our services. It is our belief that our banking services will benefit even the newly opened businesses within the mall. We are willing to pay the set amount of rent and adhere to the set standards of payment. We considered security purposes also and arrived at a conclusion that the mall will be an ideal place for our new office. It will also be ideal due to the short distance from the mall to our headquarters thus reporting to the headquarters will be easier. We will also be in a position to advertise our services to a big number of people. Kindly contact us therefore for an availability of a vacant office and inform us of the appropriate time for us to come and check get more information about the terms of payment of rent. Thank you in advance. I would like to express our company’s interest of supplying pure drinking water to your office. Our company has been delivering water to the nearby offices for the past

Is Osama Bin Laden Killing Legal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Osama Bin Laden Killing Legal - Assignment Example According to international humanitarian law, the killing of Laden seems justifiable as there was armed conflict involved. In addition, as the law indicates, there was intense conflict and the actor was an organized group. Thus, it becomes evident that the killing of Laden is legal according to humanitarian law. Now, when the human rights law is considered, it is pointed out that one can be targeted as far as that person directly participates in hostilities. Thus, planning terrorist attacks from hideout can be considered as direct involvement in terror. However, a look into the international law as evident from the UN Charter reveals that America violated the international law by entering the Pakistan soil without the permission or authorization of the UN Security Council, and even without the knowledge of Pakistan officials. Though Pakistan declared that their sovereignty had not been violated by the US operation, it is evident that it is the embarrassment of being caught red-handed with their malicious motives that made Pakistan respond that way. In fact, Article 2 of the UN Charter declare that all member nations should refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. In addition, America violates international law in the fact that it did not seek the permission of UN Security Council. To illustrate, Article 39, Chapter VII of the UN Charter states that the Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42 to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Pros and Cons of Curtailing Immigration to North America Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons of Curtailing Immigration to North America Essay Debates on immigration and health care issues are regularly featured in the newspapers of the United States. The relationship that seems to exist between the current immigration policy and the state of the health care system in the country cannot merely be coincidental. Every year, the Border Patrol makes at least one million apprehensions of individuals that blatantly violate the immigration laws by crossing the United States borders unlawfully in order to work or to enjoy the benefits of free public services (â€Å"Illegal Immigration is a Crime†). No wonder, health care access has become a problem for countless legal citizens and residents of the U. S. to boot. There remain around 10 to 20 million illegal immigrants in the United States today. There are approximately 12 to 15 million jobs held by these people. So, illegal aliens represent around 8 percent of the U. S. work force. Between 4 to 6 million jobs held by illegal immigrants are serving the underground economy. The United States is foregoing around $35 billion each year in income tax collections because of such jobs. The country does not seem to be taking very strict action against undocumented immigrants and their means of earning a living because it â€Å"is simply hooked on cheap, illegal workers and deferring the costs of providing public services to these quasi-Americans (Justich and Ng 2). † What is most relevant to this discussion, however, is the fact that the United States is paying the consequences of being lenient toward illegal immigrants by suffering serious defects in its health care system. Illegal immigrants continue to add to the population requiring health care but ‘naturally. While the U. S. does not want to kick out all illegal immigrants because of their use to the U. S. economy, it also cannot afford health care for everybody. It is clear that immigrants have an effect on the health care system of the country, just as they have an effect on the U. S. economy. Therefore, it is correct to take stricter action against increasing flows of immigrants, both legal and illegal. Most of these people come to the United States with great hopes in a world-class system. At the same time, however, the United States believes that it cannot afford a health care system that includes illegal immigrants, when the legal residents and citizens of the country – the naturally born and the naturalized Americans – are complaining that they are finding health care too difficult to access because of high prices. High prices are, no doubt, led by high demand. Hence, it is obvious that immigrants are raising the demand of goods and services in the United States, thereby raising the prices. Only by checking the immigration policy and trying to control illegal immigration with stricter measures than before could the United States hope to achieve a balance in its health care needs, thereby making the health care system easily accessible to all. Legal immigrants have also benefited economies of North America, which is the reason why both the United States and Canada had opened their doors to huge numbers of foreigners in recent decades. Masci wrote about the United States in the year 2000: In the last 30 years the United States has absorbed the biggest wave of immigrants since the turn of the century, when millions arrived at Ellis Island in search of a better life. Today, more than 25 million Americans are foreign born – nearly 10 percent of the population. And that’s good for the economy, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who says the pools of skilled and unskilled workers created by high levels of immigration have greatly contributed to the nation’s prosperity (Masci 571). Illegal immigrants, in particular, take up less-skilled jobs, and their wages are lower than those of native laborers. Natives must be rendered jobless if there are too many immigrants taking up their jobs. This is another reason why immigration must be curtailed. All the same, studies have shown that when the United States tightens border control, thereby making it more difficult than before for illegal immigrants to enter the nation, the economic growth of the nation turns into economic sluggishness. As an example, a drop in the number of illegal immigrants from Mexico in early 2001 coincided with the onset of a recession in March 2001 (Orrenius). Perhaps the current recession is also related to the nationwide debates on immigration in recent years and policy changes made through the debates. Now that the entire North America is facing a recession, it must be time to reconsider allowing greater numbers of immigrants into the United States and Canada. After all, immigrants bring their skills to North America as well (Messerli). Messerli describes other advantages of refusing to curtail immigration to North America thus: [Immigration] increases the diversity and expands the culture of the country. It improves the overall image of America internationally, as it is seen as an open, welcoming country; and immigrants who return home or maintain contact with family back home have a true image of America, not the one propagandized in much of the international media. Adding an additional group of cheap labor adds to the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits. It gives struggling people all over the world an opportunity for a better life. This country was built on immigrants who sought opportunity, political religious freedom, etc (Messerli). However, curtailing immigration is necessary because immigration is also known to destroy diverse cultures. According to an article published by the Library of Congress: â€Å"When European settlers arrived on the North American continent at the end of the fifteenth century, they encountered diverse Native American cultures—as many as 900,000 inhabitants with over 300 different languages (â€Å"Destroying the Native American Cultures†). † It is known fact that the diverse cultures of the Native Americans were destroyed to a large extent, and most of their languages became extinct. Hence, other reasons for curtailing immigration must also be deliberated. Messler brings home the truth that immigrants could add to the population of drug dealers, terrorists and other kinds of criminals. Oak writes that immigrants are responsible for crowding. It is not surprising, therefore, that prisons in the United States are overcrowded. Oak also states that immigrants may bring diseases into North America, that is, diseases prevailing in their home countries. Moreover, curtailing immigration is important because home countries are hurt when their most intelligent workers are allowed into North America in increasing numbers (Messler). And, what if their foreign credentials are not recognized in North America? In Canada, even the most intelligent and qualified foreigners may have to take up low-skilled jobs because their foreign qualifications are not recognized (â€Å"Canada’s Immigration Problem†). Such people may have to settle for lower standards of living than before. What is more, even if their credentials are recognized, such people may have to behave as â€Å"functional illiterates† in Canada if they do not know English and/or French, simply because applications for immigration to Canada ask for only basic proficiency in these languages (â€Å"Canada’s Immigration Problem†). Then again, it is necessary to consider both the pros and cons of curtailing immigration to North America. The fact that immigrants boost economies is essential for policy makers to bear in mind. After all, North America values foreigners for the skills. Now that a worldwide recession has set in, it is even more important to allow increasing numbers of foreigners into both the United States and Canada. Research has already revealed that recessions may be connected to curtailing immigration. Increasing flows of immigrants add to the diversity of cultures in North America. However, it is also a fact that immigrants may destroy the culture of the natives, as it happened in the case of Native Americans. Furthermore, increasing flows of immigrants seem to have a relationship with health care problems facing the United States. Immigrants may bring in diseases from their home countries. If they are illegal immigrants, they may add to crime, too. Additionally, immigrants may take up low-paid jobs or bring their high skills to North America to replace native workers. During a period of recession, joblessness is a major problem. Thus, these issues surrounding immigration present a dilemma to policy makers that are presented with the question of whether to curtail immigration. Works Cited â€Å"Canada’s Immigration Problem. † Vive Le Canada. 5 Jul 2004. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. vivelecanada. ca/article/print/163651492. â€Å"Destroying the Native American Cultures. † The Library of Congress. 8 Apr 2003. 10 Dec 2008. http://memory. loc. gov/learn/features/immig/native_american. html. â€Å"Illegal Immigration is a Crime. † Fair US. 2006. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. fairus. org/site/PageServer? pagename=iic_immigrationissuecenters6ce3. Justich, Robert, and Betty Ng. â€Å"The Underground Labor Force is Rising to the Surface. † Bear Stearns Asset Management. 3 Jan 2005. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. bearstearns. com/bscportal/pdfs/underground. pdf. Masci, David. â€Å"Does the U. S. Admit Too Many Newcomers? † The CQ Researcher (14 Jul 2000) Vol. 10, No. 25, pp. 569-592. Messerli, Joe. â€Å"Should America Maintain/Increase the Level of Legal Immigration. † Balanced Politics. 8 Nov 2008. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. balancedpolitics. org/immigration. htm. Oak, Manali. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Immigration. † Buzzle. 2007. 10 Dec 2008. http://www. buzzle. com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-immigration. html. Orrenius, Pia M. â€Å"U. S. Immigration and Economic Growth: Putting Policy on Hold. † Southwest Economy (Nov-Dec 2004), Issue 6.