Technology

Technology is everywhere. There's at least one television in most homes across the United States, most people have a cell phone and many have a tablet or laptop to go with it. There are smart watches and Bluetooth headphones that hang off people's body. There is no escaping the grip that technology has on society. We are surrounded by this bubble, but should we be sheltered from it? Is it a parents job to limit how much technology their child consumes? The short answer is yes; the long answer depends on the technology. Limiting how much a child watches tv limits how much time they can spend on the couch as compared to going outside or reading a book. It gets a child away from mind numbing tv shows and into things they can interact with and grow with. On the other hand, limiting a child's time on their cell phone would be like limiting the amount of time someone can spend writing letters. More often than not, that person is speaking to or texting a friend. They may be talking about something important or just catching up with one another. Either way, they are using their phone to be a part of the lives of people around them. This shouldn't be limited the same way the television may be. The television should be limited to about one hour while a cell phone should be limited for about an hour. These are two vastly different devices and should be treated that way. Technology isn't always a bad thing, but it should be taken in moderation. The rules should not be so strict that technology is treated like something bad or toxic, but they should encourage children to want to do more. Rules should make children want to be better and act better. Keeping technology from them completely will leave them wanting as much as possible when they are left to make decisions for themselves. It is a parents job to teach their children this balance and make rules that are easy to follow, but also promote a healthy lifestyle. Technology is great, but only in moderation.

Privacy

Privacy is a human right. Something we all should have access to. We should be able to choose what the rest of the world sees and when and how. Each individual person is responsible for how they are presented to the world. Shouldn't they decide which parts of their life it sees? Are there people better suited for handling this information, parents for example? A parents job is to protect and raise their children. They make many decisions for them when they are young and even as they grow older. Can they effectively decide how much should be shared about their children?

Facebook and other social media sites are filled with people's children. Everyone wants to share their child's greatest achievement. they want family and friends aware of what their kids are doing and what they currently look like. Parents love to take group photos and portraits and post them as profile pictures and things to comment on. This is common in this technology driven era. Not posting photos of your kids is considered uncommon. This oversharing isn't necessarily good, though. Teenagers are warned not to post everything online because in a few years a job or college might see that photo of you smoking weed or partying. Parents can make this same mistake too, though. An innocent photo to a parent could change the decisions of potential schools, jobs or relationships.

Children should have a say in what a parent can or cannot post about them. If a child doesn’t like a particular photo, why should the rest of the world get to see it? When it comes to anyone else taking a photo they always have the choice of where they can post it, otherwise it a violation of privacy. Parents are no different. It also risks children’s name and face being posted on the internet for anyone to see. There are bad people out there. If a child is worried about someone finding them through their parent’s account, it should be posted.

Children are much more aware than some parents give credit for. Sometimes they see consequences that parents regard as unimportant. They should not have to face these consequences because of a picture.

Our Role Models

A sports team job is to entertain by being incredibly strong, fast, agile, etc. The undeniable outcome of this is people look up to them. They want to be faster or stronger. They see these athletes as something they can achieve if they work a little harder. They become dreams for those that are not included in the term “athlete”. Little kids tell their parents they want to be a football player when they grow up. They’re role models. They have always been seen in this society as the elite. They get paid more, they are seen as the most attractive, who doesn’t want to be an athlete? When an athlete acts out and is seen swearing often or stealing or acting inappropriately, the public WILL see this. They will see it and judge it and then they will think “this is how all athletes think and act”. But society is always unwilling to change. The thought will be “This is how all athletes act” followed or preceded by “I want to be an athlete.” If there is no one to check how athletes act, societies role models suddenly are showing everyone that this is okay, I’m allowed to act this way. There needs to be punishment for acting this way. It needs to be said in big, bold letters that “THIS IS NOT AN ATHLETE! THIS IS NOT HOW AN ATHLETE SHOULD ACT.” America is so easily persuaded by the media. It shows us the people to look up to, the people to shame, the people that we never talk about. Seeing the people we worship act out without punishment sends a big message. If a person is going to sign themselves up to be a role model they should be willing to act as such or face losing that position. It is in their job description. It is important to America’s well being that some form of punishment be served. If we are going to tell people that these are the citizens that have excelled and made it to this special position, we cannot allow them to take that for granted.

Grading Teachers

Teachers are some of the most influential people in a student's life. They plant seeds that help form how a student thinks and behaves. As a collective, they control everything a student knows. Could they be abusing this power? Are there instances where students are not being taught or are being mistreated by these important people in their lives? Most students would probably stand proudly and exclaim "I can name many!" They would name any teacher that didn't give them the grade they wanted or disciplined them in class. Obviously, this isn't true in most cases, teenagers like to exaggerate and can be exceptionally brutal when given the opportunity. But there are most definitely cases where students realize they are not receiving the education they deserve. Students realize subpar teaching, they notice when the teachers care just as little as they do about the work being assigned. A student should be able to voice this opinion. One student's bad evaluation of a teacher should not mean their immediate termination, but it should be accessible to the teacher. Although the teacher may be more experienced, the student is ultimately the one that takes the class and receives the lessons. A teacher should know what their students think about them and adjust the things that many of them have issues with. It's about always improving. No one is perfect and teachers should want to grow to fit their students. Students grading teachers is a great thing! Teachers deserve the feedback. However, this evaluation should not affect the teacher's job or pay. Students are still children. They should not be the deciding factor in a person's career. I have had teachers pass out evaluations at the end of the year to improve the class and themselves. This is a great thing and it should be encouraged.