Effect of Social Media on the Umbrella Movement

Effect of Social Media on the Umbrella Movement Wong Wing Man Would the Umbrella Movement have occurred if social media platforms did not exist? Introduction In response to the NPCSC decision regarding the Chief Executive electoral reform of HKSAR on 31 August 2014, two student-led groups the Scholarism and Hong Kong Federation of Students began boycotting class and protesting outside the government headquarters in Admiralty since late September. Benny Tai announced to join the students with the Occupy Central Movement, which had been suggested since 2012. This mass civil disobedience movement was named the Umbrella movement after the use of umbrellas by protestors to defend police’s attempts of protest sites clearance using tear gas. Before the last clearance was completed by the police on 15 December, protest activities had been spread across districts to Causeway Bay and Mongkok. Its scale was claimed to be the largest ever in the history of Hong Kong. With observation of substantial use of social media platforms such as social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, Cyber-utopians believe that social media platforms, which perform functions such as text messaging, photo sharing and social networking, are revolutionary tools that give rise to the Umbrella Movement. On the other hand, cyber-realists believe that social media platforms are only tools that facilitate mobilization of protestors, while social changes entail long term social and political reforms (Morozov, 2011). This essay aims to argue from the perspective of cyber-realists that the Umbrella Movement was a result of long term effort from political leaders. Social media was only a catalyst but not a fundamental cause of the movement. The essay will justify that social media coverage was not a prerequisite for the movement by addressing the real cause of the movement, and defining the function of social media as simply a complementary but not revolutionary tool. Causality between the Umbrella Movement and social media usage Pre-existing social conditions for emergence of the Umbrella Movement The notion that democratic movements have occurred all around the globe before social media existed in the recent decade can be explained by the Modernization Theory and concept of relative deprivation. The former suggests that people would strive to overthrow and replace inadequate political institutions, while the latter explains the growth of social grievance when the gap between public expectations and actual attainment widens (Lopes, 2014). In the context of the Umbrella Movement, it is the long term demand from local communities for a genuine universal suffrage of the Chief Executive, as well as the shared grievance regarding the recent NPCSC decision on the formation of the nomination committee that triggered the occupying movements (Chan, 2014). Despite high correlation between frequency of social media usage and protest activities, Morozov (2011) believes that Arab Spring was fundamentally attributed to cyber-activism in the Middle East which had been evolving before mass demonstrations occurred in Tunisia and Egypt. He emphasizes that formation of online protest groups are not random events organized by random people. In fact, discussions on occupying central and civil disobedience movement had been continuing since 2012 among scholars and politicians led by Benny Tai. Student groups such as Scholarism were also experienced leaders which had been actively participated in demonstrations to strive against the government on issues such as civic education. Although social media played an important role in mobilizing young population to protest, the Umbrella Movement would remain leaderless without prior actions from political activists (Howard et al., 2011). Social media platforms were only tools for political leaders to organ ize protests. Politics-media-politics (PMP) principle The PMP principle suggests a three-phase process in which surge of social media usage during the Umbrella Movement was likely to be the result of increase in protest activities instead of a preceding factor (Wolfsfeld et al., 2013), while this change in media environment would eventually bring new dynamics to the political situation. Chronologically, protests in Admiralty broke out in the first phase was followed by increasing social media usage in the second phase, as the public turned to various channels for timely information at protest sites. For instance, onsite news was updated day and night on Facebook pages such as SocREC and VJMedia after police’s first tear gas shot on 28 September. Downloads of Firechat, an application that allows instant messaging without Internet, increased by 460,000 times one week after the first protest activity occurred outside the government headquarter, with fear of Internet blockade in nearby areas (Peterson, 2014). Moving towards the third phase, social media platforms gradually developed into a vital tool for disseminating information and organizing protest activities. It enhanced the scale and strengthened the impact of the Umbrella Movement. For example, 1.3 million messages posted in Twitter from 26 to 30 September made the Umbrella Movement the most heated issue among Tweets around the world (Lee, 2014), allowing protestors to bargain with the authority with support from international community. In the final stage, failure in sustaining the Umbrella Movement was fundamentally attributed to mass civil disobedience and occupying movements that provoke criticisms from the public due to long-period road blockage and incompliance with the injunction order (Chan, 2014). These follow the PMP principle that social media was neither an initiator nor terminator of the movement. In other words, the Umbrella Movement would have occurred even without social media platforms, though might be at a smaller scale with limited influence. Role of social media as a complementary tool The Mobilization Theory suggests that social media was essential for the Umbrella Movement in actualizing shared grievance into collective actions. Despite its prominent role, it is worth noting that social media was only a catalyst for the Umbrella Movement to grow and expand its influence. Without this complementary tool, the movement would still emerge with the pre-existing social conditions as described in the last section, though its scale and impact in striving for a genuine universal suffrage would be greatly reduced. 3.1 To organize fragmented forces and form coalition Social media allowed pro-protestor groups to go beyond limitations of traditional media and unite fragmented forces (Howard et al., 2011). Networking functions in social media platforms such as ‘like’ and sharing functions in Facebook and ‘hashtag’ function in Twitter or Instagram allowed people who share common goals and values to build solidarity. It was particularly important to the Umbrella Movement because targeted participants of ‘class boycott’ were the younger population who are the most frequent social media users. A larger-scale movement was thus created by involving segmented pro-protest forces to join the mass protest activities led by the two student groups. 3.2 To provide new opportunities for creating social capital Social media provided new opportunities for pro-protestor groups to mobilize citizens by creating social capital, and for commoners to produce political content as if they were social elites (Howard et al., 2011). Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter became important channels for citizen journalists to broadcast stories that were not covered in mainstream media, for instance, injuries at protest sites caused by tear gas or police’s violence. Violent response towards peaceful protestors generated sympathy from initially unengaged citizens (Dobson, 2001), mobilizing more angry people to go on streets and spread protest activities beyond the initial stronghold in Admiralty to new areas in Causeway Bay and Mongkok. 3.3 To arouse international awareness Social media platforms such as Twitter allowed information about the Umbrella Movement to be disseminated rapidly across border through Internet. Major newspapers around the globe reported the protests in Hong Kong, whilst student leader Joshua Wong was selected as one of the most influential teens of 2014 by a world renowned magazine TIME (Campbell, 2015). Recognition from international community empowered protestors and exerted greater pressure on the government to defer clearance plans and agree on a meeting with student leaders on 21 October. Conclusion In spite of the high correlation between frequency of social media usage and protest activities during the Umbrella Movement, one should be cautious when deriving their causal relationship. Rejecting the notion regarding social media platforms being a prerequisite for the Umbrella Movement, cyber-realists point out their reverse causality using the politics-media-politics principle. The principle emphasizes on the chronological order that it is protest activities in Admiralty that first emerged, causing increase in access to social media platforms for more timely and unreported information about the movement, and eventually creating new political dynamics with the changing media environment. Focusing on the first phase of the principle, protest activities emerged because of the pre-existing social demand for a genuine universal suffrage in local communities and common grievance regarding the NPCSC decision, as well as the prior discussion in organizing mass demonstrations and civil disobedience movements among political activists such as Scholarism and Benny Tai. Acting as a tool for mobilizing people and drawing international awareness, social media was only a catalyst to foster growth and expand influence of the movement. In other words, the Umbrella Movement would have occurred even social media platforms did not exist. (Word Count: 1470) Reference Campbell, Charlie. (2015). Hong Kong Student Leader Joshua Wong Questioned Over Pro-Democracy Protests. Retrieved from TIME website http://time.com/3671211/hong- kong-occupy-central-umbrella-revolution-joshua-wong-students-charged/ Chan, Johannes. (2014). Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement. The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs. 103:6, 571-580, DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2014.985465 Dobson, Charles. (2001). Social Movements: A Summary of What Works. The Citizens Handbook: A Guide to Building Community in Vancouver. Retrieved from http://www.vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook Howard, P.N., Duffy, A., Freelon, D., Hussain, M., Mari, W. Mazaid, M. (2011). Opening Closed Regimes: What Was the Role of Social Media During the Arab Spring?. Project on Information Technology Political Islam. Retrieved from http://pitpi.org/index.php/2011/09/11/opening-closed-regimes-what-was-the-role-of-social-media-during-the-arab-spring/ Lee, Danny. (2014). The role of social media in Occupy protests, on the ground and around the world. Retrieved from SCMP website http://www.scmp.com/news/hong- kong/article/1628305/role-social-media-occupy-protests-ground-and-around-world Lopes, A. R. (2014). The Impact of Social Media on Social Movements: The New Opportunity and Mobilizing Structure. Journal of Political Science Research. Creighton University. Retrieved from https://www.creighton.edu/fileadmin/user/CCAS/ departments/PoliticalScience/Journal_of_Political_Research__JPR_/2014_JSP_papers/Lopes_JPR.pdf Morozov. Evgeny. (2011). Facebook and Twitter are just places revolutionaries go. Retrieved from The Guardian website http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011 /mar/07/facebook-twitter-revolutionaries-cyber-utopians Peterson, Andrea. (2014). Protesters in Hong Kong must weigh the promise and risks of mesh networking. Retrieved from The Washington Post website http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/10/06/protesters-in-hong-kong-must-weigh-the-promise-and-risks-of-mesh-networking/ Wolfsfeld, G., Segev, E. Sheafer, T. (2013). Social Media and the Arab Spring: Politics Comes First. The International Journal of Press/Politics. 18(2) 115–137. Doi: 10.1177/1940161212471716

Recruitment in the workplace Essay

In this report, I am going to describe and explain the recruitment and selection process and the different stages that the business has to go through when filling a vacantly Recruitment is when an organisation identifies a vacancy and from the range of applicants that require a job, the organisation employ the best candidate from the application forms received to fill the vacancy in order for the business to run efficiently. Selection is when all the applicants are shortlisted and from them, the employer chosen the best candidate for the job role. The human resources (HR) department are required to work for the organisation by recruiting, training staff also motivating them to work hard in the business. If the employees are trained and recruited correctly, it would show that the business is successfully operating. There are also many other tasks the HR department do such as giving employees promotions and a wage/salary boost, annual appraisals and other employee benefits. Recruitment can be internal or external depending on the job role and the vacancy being filled. Internal recruitment is when an employee already within the business fills a vacancy rather than employing someone outside the business. The vacancy for internal recruitment can be advertised by putting up notice boards, on the intranet and it can also be discussed during staff meetings on who would be the best person to fill the vacancy. The advantages of recruiting internally in the business are that when performing an induction for them, it will not be as difficult because the employee would be familiar with the business workplace and surroundings also it is quicker and less expensive than recruiting someone externally because the amount of candidates is already been narrowed down to certain employees inside the business. The disadvantages if recruiting internally is that the person filling the vacancy from inside the business may not have all the required skills and qualifications to perform the job effectively and by recruiting someone externally offers a versatile range of skills, qualities, experience and qualifications. External recruitment is when someone from outside the business is employed to fill a vacancy. This is a more common approach when recruiting as there is a larger range of candidates that have different skills and abilities. There are many ways to recruit externally. Most businesses will advertise using media such as the internet, newspapers, company newsletters and magazines. Another way to recruit is to go to the job centre and tell them that the company has a vacancy and eventually there will be a range of different candidates with different levels of experience, qualifications and skills. The advantages of using external recruitment are that a wider audience can be reached which increases the chance that the business will be able to recruit the skills it needs also the disadvantages mentioned for internal recruitment are advantages of external recruitment. The disadvantages of external recruitment are firstly even if the new employee has all the experience and skills required for the job, he may not be able to adapt to the businesses system and therefore will take longer to familiarize with the workplace and the employees however with internal recruitment, you would not have this problem. During the recruitment process, candidates must go through seven different stages before a suitable candidate can be chosen and made an employee in the business. This applies to both internal and external recruitment. The seven stages are: 1) Identify a vacancy – This is when the business makes it known that a job is available and currently vacant so this could be because an employee has either left the business and this could be for a number of different reasons for example One reason could be that they have had a disagreement and there has been conflict between them and the owner or manager or another reason could be because they have had a better offer from a different business and they are receiving a better wage or salary. Recruitment does not have to be permanent as female employees could be on a maternity leave or an employee could be sick for a long time so they will need someone to cover for them while they return to their job and in these cases, most businesses would internally recruit someone and the advantages of this are it’s quicker and causes less hassle. Human resources will need to formally agree with the department that is requiring an employee to fill the vacancy so a replacement can be searched for immediately. Since recruiting employees cost a large amount of money, the business will only hire employees if it is absolutely vital for their business to run efficiently as the money could be spent on other parts of the business such as paying off any bills or ordering stock. 2) Draw up a job description – This is when the job is described in detail so firstly, the name of the job or job title. This is important because it gives a brief ideas of what the job involves e. g.if the job that is a marketing director, the candidates applying for the job will know what they are applying for just from the name. Marketing means to advertise the products and make sure the customers are aware of what products the business offers and persuade them to buy it. Some job titles may change over time such as in schools, the head teacher may chance to principal or head master to give a different feel to the job and possibly increase the prestige and responsibility of the job. Job description also includes employment conditions such as how much the employee will get paid and how many hours a work so for example a cashier could get i 5. 50 per hour so if they work 8 hours a week for 6 days then they will receive ai 264 a week. The employee will also need to know how much pay they will receive and that depends on whether the business pays an annual salary or wages every week. If the employee is temporarily working then they may receive the same pay as the employee they are covering for e. g. john is a cashier who earns i 7 an hour and he is off sick long term so an internal employee is recruited and will receive the same pay until john is healthy and fit enough to work again. The business will be looking to recruit someone that not only matches the job description but also has additional qualities which will make them be more conspicuous. Finally, the job description will include duties and responsibilities that are involved in the job and have to be performed on a daily basis so the applicants will understand how important the job is and how hard they will have to work. Job security is another element in the job description which will tell the employee how long they are being employed for because not all jobs are permanent as mentioned before, employers can just temporarily fill a vacancy and once that person returns to their job, the temporary employee will have to leave the job. The job description will also have a large variety of candidates all after the same job with different skills and traits. This is an example of a job description. It shows what the job is (which is a technical support engineer), the required skills but also useful and desirable extra skills which could be the difference to whether they are recruited or not and the qualifications and experience are required also. The desired skills mention what experience they have so has the candidate worked before and if so how long for, education is their school, college and university placements and what they have achieved in the time they have spent there also the work status is what type of job they like as there is part- time which is only a couple of hours so no more than 30 hours in a week. full-time work is over 30 hours a week and this shows that they may in the job for a long time and the befits of working full time are that the organization will provide you with annual leave, sick leave and health insurance also the hours they work are more flexible however, the most popular and more rewarding benefit is the fact that full time workers will get paid more money that part time workers because they are dedicating more time to the business. 3) Draw up a person specification – This is when the employer entails the physical, mental and any other requirement requirements that a candidate needs in order to perform the tasks effectively and successfully such as training and experience e. g. if the business was to be a chauffeur, the person applying for the job would probably need a long driving career which would show that they have a lot of experience and also be able to drive under pressure and quickly. P000rofessional qualifications such as GCSE’s and A-level qualifications such as GCE’s will also be required to show they have a thorough understanding of the job and may make it easier for them to perform the job e. g. an accountant will need a range of different qualifications so the requirements may be that they will need a Degree, preferably in maths, accountancy, business studies, economics or finance. However, it is possible to become an accountant with lower school qualifications. Without A Levels it is possible to acquire the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification, which is fully recognised in the trade. Office juniors can work up to accountant level, but you have to have GCSEs and preferably A Level to begin with. Qualifications show that the candidate has been studying in recent years and are prepared for them job they are going to apply for. Experience is also required in the person specification as it could be the different to whether a candidate is employed or not. Having a high level of experience in a certain field of work will show that the candidate is well trained and has the acquired skills for the job and also shows that they will require less training e. g. if the job being applied for was a cashier, someone who has already worked in other businesses undertaking the same job role will know what they are doing so they don’t need a very detailed induction and require less training also they may be able to generate a higher income perform their tasks more efficiently. A candidate new to the field of work may find it more difficult to get the job will sufficient experience as they may have never done this job before however they me able to bring new ideas or if they have performed similar jobs then they can use that knowledge to perform the job as a cashier. Candidates must also have competence which is the ability of a person to perform tasks and take on certain responsible. The more competent a person is, the better they can perform their duties e. g.a business would rather have a more competent employee that can do their job to a high standard by producing quality output results such as high sales or revenue because it would prove more successful in the long run also having a incompetent employee would require the business to waste their time and money training them especially if they are young candidates who have possibly just finished their education or have finished a degree. The advantages of having a competent employee are that they are reliable for getting their task done efficiently and are resilient to their job. The disadvantage could be that since they may be extremely good at one job but if told to perform a different task they may struggle as it may not play to their strengths e. g. if the job was a reporter, and the employee was very competent in their job but then their manager asks them to illustrate their findings in a more abstract such as creating a presentation, this does not work well for them as they may be so accustomed to writing reports that they don’t have a clue how to create a presentation and this is a disadvantage for competent employees as they don’t offer that versatility. Essential skills will have to be met in order to get the job such as in a call centre, the person will definitely need fluent communication and also be responsive to customer calls. Essential skills are what an employee should have in order to complete the job and if they don’t have the essential criteria then they may be rejected. They can also have personal or desirable skills such as being able to work a computer effectively so they can type up emails quickly rather than constantly calling or being able to co-operate in a team and possibly even lead a team to successfully complete a task or assignment. They are not absolutely necessary but will help them and make them look like a stronger candidate so they may be a possibility that they are shortlisted and interviewed. The criteria from the person specification are important when shortlisting the candidates as only the best will be put through to the interview stage and then finally accepted. This is an example of a person specification for film co-ordination and development. It shows what skills are compulsory or essential and what skills are optional or desirable and can help candidates when it comes to shortlisting as they are more likely to be chosen than a different person who has fewer additional skills. Candidates must be versatile and not just resilient for the job. The job shows that in the qualifications category they need a couple of A-level or equivalent qualifications but there are also desirable skills they could have such as GCSE’s in the field of work possibly drama. It shows that the candidate must have a minimum of 2 years’ experience and be able to manage finances and use ICT well however they can also have desirable skills such as being able to manage and supervise staff. Personal aptitude and skills are general skills that a candidate should have or either picked up from past jobs and experience such as communication and teamwork skills. Disposition is something that would be useful to have and would possibly make their job more enjoyable. Any other requirements can be helpful as it would also make them a stronger candidate. 4) Advertise the Vacancy – This is when the vacancy is publicised and the business try to get unemployed people to apply for the job. One way to advertise the job is to put it on a local newspaper as they are read by many business men and women so the business can receive a few applicants that are in need of a job and have scanned through a newspaper and found one. The advantages of this are that it will be read by a variety of people and hopefully attract more candidates. The job advertisement is written by the personnel department similarly when marketing a product. The presentation of the advertisement is important as the candidates will receive their first impressions from it and will judge whether it is good or not and also whether they would like to work for the business. On the advertisement it should include the description of the job and mention the main requirements, where the job is going to be located so the candidates know where they will work, how much salary they are expected to receive however it may not be the exact amount on the advertisement as it may vary, address and contact numbers if necessary and the company logo. The more detail that is put into the advertisement the better and more informative it will be however making the advertisement too long can make it look unprofessional. This is an example of a job advert for royal mail and as a job advert should, it includes all the important details such as the job title, company name, contact details and their salary. However it may not look very appealing. This advert is just to make sure that the general public is aware of the job and if anyone is interested and they meet the requirements then they may apply and possibly get shortlisted for an interview. 5) Shortlist the applicants – when short listing, the applications that were most appealing and may be considered for the job are listed by the human resources department. It is drawn up by using criteria from the person specification such as qualifications and experience that the candidate has to see if it is enough for them to be able to handle the new job they are applying for also any other skills and attributes they have acquired through other job would be helpful for the candidates. The selection process will begin and the employer will be looking to fill the vacancy with the best candidate amongst the applications. They will then all be individually contacted so an interview can be arranged. The candidates can be informed in many different ways such as ‘letters of initiation’ in which a brief document is sent to notify the candidates about whether they will be called up for an interview. The suitable candidates will be those who meet the exact criteria of the job description so for example if the job was to be a IT technician and the job description required them to have 5 years experience working in a ICT related firm and also the business may ask for certain qualifications such as a degree in computing and A-Level’s in Maths and IT to a grade B standard. Those who meet these requirements will be shortlisted as suitable candidates because they meet the exact requirements or are slightly above these requirements however they are not guaranteed to get the job but have a good chance. There is then possible candidates which may meet some of the requirements such as they may have the qualifications but not enough experience which could then mean if they are employed, they will have to go thorough a comprehensive induction programme and be well trained by a more experienced technician and this could cost the business a lot of money but on the other hand they may have some characteristics that other candidates don’t have such as they may be more able to speak multiple languages which could be helpful because the business may communicate with other countries on a regular basis with suppliers an customers. Finally those candidates who do not meet the requirements will be rejected and can no longer continue in the recruitment process. This can be down to a number of reasons with the most obvious being that they do not meet the requirements or they have provided false details. The job description and person specification must be used as the basis for short-listing. 6) Interview the applicants – The interviewer must also be prepared when interviewing the candidates that have been shortlisted. They will need to come up with a set of questions to ask the candidates and this can either be done themselves or they can get a panel of from the human resources department to do interview. The questions that are set must be asked to all candidates in the same manner as it states in the equal opportunities requirements policy. Since this will be the first time that the employer and candidate meet face-to-face, they will need to make a good impression by greeting them with a warm welcome and shaking hands is a good way to start a mutual relationship with the employer since the interview may be appointed the vacancy. The interviewer or panel will have a list of criteria to see how the candidate compares to the requirements for the job. It is essential that the interviewers carry copies of the candidate’s application forms, curriculum vitae and to support this, a covering letter will be required. To get the best out the candidates being interviewed, they must be relaxed and be able to answer questions calmly and correctly so the interview knows everything they need to know about the candidate and their personality. Questions in the interview should be have a mixture of open and closed questions and will be predetermined and should be all-round such as asking about previous jobs or company such as: 1) What do you think of the last company you worked for? 2) Why did you join your previous company? 3) Did they live up to your expectations? 4) Why are you leaving now? 5) What did you earn in your last job? Also asking questions relating to the new job / company such as: 1) Why do you want this job? 2) What qualities do you think will be required for this job? 3) What can you contribute? 4) What interests you about our product (or service)? 5) What can we (the new company) A list of questions could be asked relating to the candidate such as: 1) How do you handle criticism? 2) How would you describe yourself? 3) How would others describe you? 4) Do you consider yourself successful? 5) What was your greatest success? Body language and posture is also important during an interview as candidates are not just judged on their communication skills. The interviewer and the candidate want it run as smoothly as possible and both should sit in the correct way such as having their feet firmly on the floor and using gestures with hands if necessary For it portrays that you’ve difficulties controlling your anxiety about the interview process if the candidate is not seated comfortably. Making good eye contact with the candidate being interviewed is very crucial. The feeling of not getting the interviewee’s attention can be frustrating and will give the wrong impression to the interviewer. When asked a question that the candidate finds difficult and requires time to think, it is not good to frown. Facing the question with a smile proves that you’re composed at stressful situations. When closing the interview, the candidate should possibly raise any questions they have for the job role or about the business they will be working for however, there shouldn’t be a long time spent asking questions as can get tedious. The interviewer should then politely thank the candidate for appearing and answering the questions they have been asked and hope they have a safe journey home. 7) Select and Appoint the Best Candidate – this is the final stage of the recruitment process were candidates have been interviewed everything is taken into account and the interview is then evaluated. The employer will select the candidate that has been exceptional throughout the process and has been rated highly in all areas. The candidate will be contacted via a telephone call to notify them that they have got the job and then it is up to the candidate on whether they would like to fill the vacancy and if they accept, they will have to make a formal offer and if it goes according to plan, the candidate and the employer will meet formally to finalise the process of recruitment and formally agree on the job however, the employer will want references before the candidate takes on the job. This is known as the appointment stage. Once they have been contacted and recruited into the business, They are expected to start their new job however, if the chosen candidate should refuse the job then the business will require the second best candidate to step forward and they will be contacted immediately to inform them of what has happened and why the decision has changed. For the unfortunate candidates that have not got the job and have been rejected, the will be provided with feedback on why they have not been employed and how well their interview went.

Alcohol Essay

His advice to teens is to not rink at all and stand up to peer pressure. The advice he gives to his children is to Stay clear Of alcohol and if you are brought into a situation involving alcohol excuse yourself from the party or wherever that may be. He explained that even if you aren't drinking and are in an environment with alcohol that new laws in Pennsylvania claim you are still in the possession of alcohol and you can get charged for that. He touched on the fact that it's becoming socially acceptable by some parents to allow their kids to drink in a controlled environment.He is completely against this because you run the risk of them tenting behind the wheel and putting their lives at risk. I think many people need to be aware of Officer Myers view on substance abuse amongst teens. Especially the fact that you can still get charged with underage drinking, if you are in the presence of alcohol at a party, even if you aren't the one drinking it. I'm against this law because I thin k it discourages the idea of designated drivers but do believe people need to be aware of it. The first adult I interviewed had a very strong opinion on substance abuse among adolescents.She stated that people have a genetic predetermined gene that makes them have an addictive personality. If kids start experimenting with alcohol and drugs too early she believes that they will most likely become abusers by adulthood. She stated, â€Å"It runs in families, for example, several men in my family are alcoholics who personally turned me off from drinking. Also, my older brother was a heavy drinker and my niece has had years of alcohol and drug abuse. It eventually got to the point that she lost custody of her 5 children and was put in jail for stealing money to support her habit. Having grown up with an alcoholic grandfather, she explained that watching the negative effects that alcohol had on her family add her feel in a way that she didn't think alcohol was something she needed. She w as extremely curious as to how kids today even obtain alcohol, who gives them the money, and so on. She also thinks it's outrageous that some parents accept drinking among their teens or even allow them to do it at home. She added, â€Å"l have friends that who let their underage kids drink at home and they said it was to teach them to learn to drink responsibly.However, I think that could increase their chances of addiction and should not be tolerated. † I definitely can relate to this persons perspective on alcohol abuse among adolescents. Coming from a family that has had alcohol and drug problems, I completely understand her viewpoint and why she feels that its not only is it unnecessary for her to drink, but that underage drinking should not be tolerated. However, as I do believe that some people may be more prone to becoming an addict I do disagree with her statement about people being born addicts.The second adult I interviewed absolutely had a different view on drinki ng and alcohol abuse among adolescents. She started off by saying â€Å"The way the laws are today, teens cannot drink beer like did when was a teen. Now they rink hard liquor and they can't handle it. It's also so forbidden that it almost makes it attractive. † She continued by saying that drinking vodka as your first experience is a gateway into trying the next bigger thing which could be smoking weed, than taking pills, and then getting into harder drugs and major alcohol and substance abuse problems.She believes the laws have helped with Dud's but not with changing the drinking and substance abuse amongst teens. Experimenting with alcohol, she stated, is something that teens have always done and that is something she doesn't think any law or program loud change and convince teenagers not to drink. She also added, â€Å"l feel it's always going to take something tragic to happen to make somebody say they won't ever drink again. Also feel people are born addicts. I had a f riend in high school who drank beer in his house alone every night and when used to ask him why he did that he said it was because he liked the way it made him feel. That teen ended up becoming an alcoholic. She strongly felt that she there wasn't anything someone could do about it. Starting a habit that young as a teen wreaked havoc on his early adult life. When asked about her experiences with drinking she stated that, â€Å"l personally could never drink again in my life and it wouldn't bother me. I think people are the way they are. † She explained this is why it's hard for her to relate to teens that have us absence issues because she wonders why they can't just stop doing what they are doing.Something I strongly agree with that this second adult stated was that sometimes it takes something tragic to happen for a teen or even an adult to say that they will never drink again. Although this is clearly not the ideal situation I do think that this happens a lot and that some times kids are hard o convince otherwise. Also agree that bad habits of substance abuse as a teen can lead to a troubled adulthood. I also agree with her view on something that seems like a spiral affect. If you start drinking vodka as a young teen, you may keep experimenting with worse things that could have serious negative effects.The teens interviewed had very interesting views on substance abuse amongst adolescents. The first teen started off by saying, â€Å"l think it's ridiculous that the drinking age is 21 to prevent brain damage, injuries, and addiction when an 18 year old can legally buy cigarettes and smoke as many packs a day as they want. Teens can risk their lives fighting for a country in a war but can't have a beer. † His reasoning was that he understands that experimenting with alcohol can be very dangerous can kill you if you drink too much, especially as a teen, but he feels that he is mature enough to drink responsibly.His parents were raised in a house w here they were able to drink wine with dinner; this made drinking seem like less of a deal. To him, drinking in a controlled environment can benefit kids and stop them from binge drinking. He also stated that drinking in a controlled environment can decreases a child's chance of addiction. The zero tolerance by the police for alcohol abuse by teens does not work. They should instead try to teach teens how to drink responsibly,† he stated. His parents rule is that if he comes home too intoxicated then he will be grounded for a month but they understand that he Will be experimenting with alcohol.While they do not encourage it, they are understanding and want him to know that he can call them if him or any Of his friends are in danger and need help. He added, â€Å"l think that's the best way to be because don't have to sneak around and can have an honest relationship with my parents. † I thought that my friend's viewpoint on the fact that if an 18 year old is fighting for our country, risking his life, and can legally buy cigarettes that he should be able to drink a beer was very interesting.It's something that don't hear about a lot and is a bit controversial because it seems like fighting in a war and smoking can be much more harmful to one's health. I agree that the zero tolerance policy by the police with underage drinking does not work in most cases because don't think teens are ever going to stop drinking. Although I'm not sure that his family's rules on him drinking are the best, it's interesting how beneficial they seem to him. â€Å"l think drinking is really fun and that's why teenagers do it.Kids who binge drink and throw up are disgusting but they will learn from their mistakes,† is what the second friend interviewed had to say. Similarly to what my first friend said, my second friend said that although some adults are in denial of this, no alcohol class, citation, or program could make him stop drinking. Alcohol use amongst teens is completely normal to him but what he is against is getting behind the wheel after you have been drinking or getting in the car tit someone who has been drinking.He stated that if adults want to help teens maybe they should educate them about how different types of alcohol affection differently so teens are aware of alcohol poisoning and how easy it could happen to someone. He added, â€Å"l think the kids who drink the most and do drugs have family problems or other deep rooted issues. Most teenagers just want to have a good time on the weekend and get away from the stress of school, sports, Stats, college applications etc. † In conclusion, he stated that these types of kids who drink to have a good time are different hat kids who abuse drugs and alcohol and that those kids have way bigger problems.

Essay on Robert Frosts Design - 1151 Words

Robert Frosts Design Robert Frost outlines an ironic and disturbing situation involving a flower, a spider, and a moth in his poem Design. The poems text suggests the possibility of an absence of a god, but does no more than simply beg the question, for Frosts speaker does not offer the answer. By examining the events of the poem in the first stanza and the speakers annotative second stanza, we†¦show more content†¦The purpose of the plants mention in the poem is to be the ironic stage for what is soon to occur. To complete the image, the speaker declares that this white spider on a white plant hold[s] up a moth / [l]ike a white piece of rig id satin cloth (2-3). White again, the moth also represents innocence, just as the spider and heal-all do. This model is ironic: an innocent spider on an innocent heal-all holds up an innocent dead moth. The simile in which the speaker describes the moth, [l]ike a white piece of satin cloth (3), refers to a piece of a torn wedding dress, symbolizing the vulnerability of things considered to be holy, such as holy matrimony. Frost designates the spider, heal-all, and moth as [a]ssorted characters of death and blight (4), suggesting that all three had a part in the moths fatality. Ironically, Frost uses the word blight inferring the heal-alls backward influence, such as if aloe were to cause an infection. Frost again uses irony proclaiming that these characters are [m]ixed ready to begin the morning right (5), as though they are ‘part of a balanced breakfast, a ritualistic practice which ensues good health. In this line, the poet implies that the death scene and others like it must occur in order for life to continue on each morning for particular creatures; this spiders breakfast is an occurrence of Darwinist natural selection. The poet then conveys this breakfastShow MoreRelated Interpretations of Robert Frosts Poem, Design Essay1089 Words   |  5 PagesInterpretations of Robert Frosts Poem, Design The poem Design explores whether the events in nature are simply random occurrences or part of a larger plan by God, and if theres a force that dominates and controls our very existence. On that point both Jere K Huzzard and Everett Carter aggress on. They differ in their interpretations of the poems ending and what they think Frost wanted to convey with his vague ending. Both agree that the last line of the poem was written in an undefinedRead MoreRobert Frosts life and how it affected the writing of his poem design725 Words   |  2 PagesRobert Frost - ï ¿ ½ PAGE ï ¿ ½3ï ¿ ½ - He has bequeathed his nation a body of imperishable verse from which Americans will forever gain joy and understanding. This is how President John F. Kennedy described Robert Frost. Robert Frost s amazing poetry has been capturing the hearts and minds of readers around the world. The life Frost lived, and the poetry he wrote are a testament to his love for nature and his awe of the world. Robert Frost, who died in 1963 at the age of 88, is one of the most cherishedRead MoreRobert Frost: Design1385 Words   |  6 PagesWritten by Robert Frost, â€Å"Design† is a deeply philosophical poem that understands something too big to be understood by taking a small piece and understanding it and linking it to the universe at large, answers many of the largest questions that surround the universe while recognizing those questions may potentially be unanswerable, addresses the Argument from Design and the belief in a creator, describes the two concepts of Design, which can be metaphorically categorized both as an â€Å"engineering†Read MoreAesthetic Quality in The Design by Robert Frost Essay1082 Words   |  5 Pagesexcellent example of aesthetic quality in a poem would be that of Robert Frosts Design. This Poem encompasses various forms of aesthetic dimensions, from the selection of colours in the poem, to the choice of words. Frost explores the age-old enigma o f fate, while rhythmically drawing the reader in, obliging them to take notice and ponder the questions he is purposing. Robert Frost is a master of the metaphor, and after reading Design for the first time, I was compelled to examine the poem for a deeperRead MoreEssay about Nature in Robert Frosts Poems1649 Words   |  7 PagesUnder the stars of the sky, fifteen-year old Robert Frost explored the heavens through a telescope. He was seeking affirmation of the proverbial question that has plagued mankind for centuries—the proof and existence of God. While surveying the cosmos, Frost‘s interest was stirred, so he visited a library and obtained books that had illustrated star charts. Within these pages, his knowledge of the stars was edified and a poet was born. Frost‘s first poems were ―astronomicalâ€â€" and invokedRead MoreRobert Frost s Writing Style1589 Words   |  7 Pages Robert Frost once said, â€Å"The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom... in a clarification of life - not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion† (Robert Frost Quotes). This same kind of thinking opened the door for metaphorical poetry that helped to show the poets transparency. His love for the social outcast and the struggles of his life are exhibited greatly in his poems. Robert Frost helpedRead MorePoetry Analysis Robert Frost Essay733 Words   |  3 PagesPOETRY ANALYSIS: DESIGN Robert Frosts poem Design seemingly disputes the question whether there is a design to life; yet, he is not able to establish an answer. Despite the comlexity of his poem his implied message is rather simple. Frosts statement clarified humans eagerness to finding a meaning to life and an essential background and reason to events, regardless of how small and insignificant they might be. His work states an advice not to interpret too much into insignificant conincidencesRead MoreWalt Whitman And Robert Frost s A Noiseless Patient Spider1186 Words   |  5 Pages(Spider Symbol 1). The choices we make fabricate our lives; the spider chooses where to lay its web and how to connect each thread. Some of the most well-known poets, Walt Whitman and Robert Frost, display the spider in this light. Walt Whitman’s â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider† varies greatly from Robert Frost’s â€Å"Design†. Whitman stresses the importance of the title by repeating it in the first line of the poem. The title suggests the work and patience required of a spider to create their web, makingRead MoreNature Of A Man By Robert Frost1279 Words   |  6 Pagespoetry, the way an artist writes their poetry shows how they wanted their work to be perceived. Robert Frost wrote his work in common folk dialect, unlike many writers of his time. Frost’s poems Design, Road not taken, and my November guest exemplify his use of diction, imagery, and word choice to show situations in a natural form, which made Frost so popular to so many varied audiences. Robert Frost’s poetry is in between the lines of modern poetry and 19th century works. In most of his poetry,Read MoreAnalysis Of Frost s Poem Frost 1212 Words   |  5 PagesThis was not a coincidence. The irony utilized by Frost clearly contributes to the overall theme of design governing situations on earth. Frost also utilizes tone to emphasize the horrific nature of the scene while speaking in a seemingly light manner. Frost’s diction can be divided into two major categories: whimsical and light, and dark. This contrast contributes to the irony of the scene as well. Specific word choices in the octave show this clearly. Frost employs light, pleasant, and whimsical