Violent Video Games

There is a big controversy over video games at the moment. As time progresses, video games are growing to a much higher spec than what we’ve seen before. Games have grown from just straight PacMan to games like Grand Theft Auto. A lot of people are scared of the effects it’s having on people now. Some people find games to be quite addictive, playing numerous games at all hours and, even if they’re not addicted, it’s hard to leave a game mid way, or stop playing until it’s completed. With the special life like effects games have now, it is easy for people to feel as if they are in the game, and when “winning”, can feel a major high. Although games are usually given age certificates, it is extremely easy for someone underage to get hold of them, second hand sales, internet, downloading, and sometimes parents/careers will overlook the age thinking there’s no harm.Are violent video games making people more violent in real life? Is letting children play these letting the game play with their mind?
Some research has shown that those playing violent games have a link to higher aggression levels in real life. I think that just because someone plays a game involving killing, doesn’t mean the person will go out and kill. I do think however that it affects aggression levels, and it is easy to see that things such as knife crime and GHB have grown as video gaming and effects have grown.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-10462519-247.html
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1723

Abortion

I think that abortion should be legal and available everywhere. If it wasn't numbers of women harming themselves in order to abort the baby themselves would soar. So would the numbers of unwanted and neglected children. I think abortion is up to each woman individually. The option should always be available.
Personally, I don't really agree with abortion. Especially in cases where women have had multiple abortions which have come from their own carelessness and drunken mistakes.
I think you should always follow pregnancies through. You cannot get rid of a life to fix your mistake.
But, what if you were raped? Where would you stand then? If you'd experienced something so traumatic, how could you bring a child up, when every time you looked at his/her face you just felt your pain and upset?
What if you were on the pill and fell pregnant just through a random chance? If you weren't expecting a baby then 9/10 you won't be prepared. Where would the money, time and space come from?! Is it better to abort the child then to bring it up in a home where it's not really wanted... let it have a hard life?
What if the baby is damaging the mothers health? Should she carry on with the pregnancy knowing she may die before/during birth?

One thing that i really don't agree with though, is the abortion limit of 24 weeks. I think this should be lowered, as babies born at 24 weeks have a 50% chance of survival. I think that's too high of a rate to be aborting at.

http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/pre-term-babies-chances-of-survival/

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Abortion/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Underage Sex

Underage sex is a difficult one I think. I lost my virginity underage; I think a lot of people have. You can’t stop teenagers having sex, even if it’s illegal. There’s so much peer pressure and sex-related things around youth now. I mean, watch some music videos... the sexual content in some of them is just... WOAH. Look at Lady Gaga & Beyonce... at one point lady Gaga is wearing just police tape!! I had sex education when I was 10, and now I think they’ve lowered the age... it’s a good thing. I think it really needs to be drilled into teenager’s heads to practise safe sex. One assembly when you’re ten just isn’t good enough. If you can’t stop them, then teach them to be adult about it. There should be no hush hush beating around the bush. Parents should be a lot more open about it. If they weren’t taught about it early on and their parents are strict about it, then it’ll just make the situation worse. The consent age should stay the same at 16, and kids should be taught about sex more... It’ll l stop some unwanted pregnancies and STD’s.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/437789.stm

Prostitution

Prostitution = buying sexy time. ;)

Well, I've been reading all about prostitution, and I haven't really got a problem with the idea of it. It's one of the oldest professions and if somebody wants to make money that way, and are 100% happy to do so. Why not?

I think it'd be fine if there were more regulated brothels, which makes it ALOT safer. Some places are known to keep it as safe and clean as possible, by having panic buttons and ensuring hygene etc.
If you're willing to do it, there's plenty of money to be made. ((On another thought aswell, it might even make streets safer. I know it's just a thought, but if men could easily have access to prostitutes, maybe some of the physcos wouldn't stoop to rape to get their kicks??))

However, reality is far from it... Now sex trafficking is at it's all time high, and will probably just increase. Even children are trafficked now. 40% of Thailands prostitutes are children. In Eastern Europe, they're even sold by their own families. People are constrantly being kidnapped and passed on like parcels, and there's nothing they can do about it. Currently men are being remanded in custody that are from the street next to my old College for 'pimping' girls as young as 13, getting them hooked on drugs and using them as personal sex slaves. It's everywhere now.

I thought this blog would be quite an easy one, but instead it's made me step back and think. "Woah. What a sick world we live in."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/sex-industry/vice-uk-britains-booming-prostitution-industry-940078.html

Stealing

There are numerous reasons why people steal. Maybe because they don't have the money to pay for it, they might have the money, but want the adrenaline rush. Teenagers may lack control, and steal because of peer pressure, they may be angry and want attention. Younger children may steal as they don't understand the concept of money.
Whatever the reason, theft is "being bad", whether you steal a sweet from Tesco, or from a friend or rob a bank.

Stealing is viewed differently depending on what you steal. People are more likely to turn a blind eye if you were to steal from a big company than family or a close friend.

Growing up, I succumbed to both peer pressure and felt like being bad. I've stolen alot over the past few years, clothes, shoes, accessorises, alcohol, well anything I could and wanted. I remember at one point leaving TK Maxx with about £90 worth of stuff age 14, just... because! I even stole frequently from one shop, who now employs me!

I think people carry on stealing and push their luck because they can get away with it. I've seen loads of people steal at work, but its rare that proper action is followed though.

If all you're gunna' get is a tap on the hand, you'll carry on doing it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft

http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/shoplifting.html

Swearing

Personally, I don't mind swearing. I guess it's because I'm 18, in a rough-ish area and I'm used to it. I do swear myself, probably a bit too much. However, I do try not to swear when I'm on a bus full of old ladies or infront of children for example. I do understand that it can offend and try to limit myself.
The last time I was on a bus, I heard profanities coming from 5ish and 8ish year olds, and found that I was the only one who actually noticed that their mother was not only sitting next to them, but let them carry on too. Where do the boundarys lie? Is there any difference between swearing on your own and swearing in public? Is there any difference between older and younger people swearing?
Swearing has just become natural over the years. Swear words used to have specific meanings however nowadays you can easily intergrate most swear words into any sentance. Most of the time swearing is used to show emotions, mainly anger and fustrationg, however you can quite easily swear in any situation.
I think most of the younger generation seemed to have become accustomed to swearing. Even blasphemy isn't frowned upon that much anymore.
Maybe in years to come swearing will be an even bigger part of everyday life, and 99% of people will swear. Maybe it'd make life better for some to be able to express emotions easier, instead of keeping anger pent up all the time.

http://www.andrewgray.com/essays/swearing.htm

Gambling

Gambling seems common enough. It's a part of everday life for most of us. We all put a lucky dip on the lottery... or pick up an odd scratch card... pop your spare change in a machine in the pub. But for some people it gets too far. Gambling is addictive, and can quickly ruin someones life. It's risk taking. It can give you an adrenaline rush, and can be reinforced by the win that sometimes comes along.
In 2005 over £54 billion was spent on various gambling activities, this number keeps growing. Thats why now, there's ALOT of help available... http://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk/, www.gambleaware.co.uk/, www.betastic.co.uk/help.htm
But what chance does someone stand, when they type Gambling Help into google and http://www.888.com/, http://www.888casino.com/ AND the Postcode Lottery shows up?

Lying...

Lying is constantly condemned. But still, everybody lies, everyday. To family, friends, to everyone. I don’t really see the harm in lying to people to save their feelings being hurt. Like when someone buys something they like, and asks your opinion. You’re not going to turn around and say, ughhh, it looks like it was made by a five year old. When you think about it, you’re even taught to lie at an early age. When someone gives you a gift you don’t like, you’re told by your parents to be ‘polite’ and say “thanks a lot Nan, it’s lovely.” I don’t think theres any harm in lying to save questions and going in to detail about things. Especially when people ask if your okay, or how things are. Sometimes things are best left avoided and unsaid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie

Drugs

Well, that was an interesting lecture... Personally, I don’t really see the harm in legalising some lower drugs such a weed. It would make it cleaner and safer if it was produced properly. Maybe it would seem less cool to smoke it if you could buy it anyway? If i was going to take drugs, i would take them anyway, illegal or legal, and I don’t see why I should let some one stand in my way, it’s my informed decision. I think it’s the same for a lot of people. So maybe we should let people do it safely? The government could tax it highly and maybe more drug awareness could be available in schools? People would be more aware too. I think people would be more likely to ask for help too, if problems occurred. (If they’d taken a legal drug, rather then dealing with it themself because they’d get into trouble.) There seems to be alot of support in legalising canabis anyway... www.lca-uk.org

Smoking.

I am a non smoker. But unlike most non smokers, I am not against others smoking. Some of my close family and friends smoke, and when I was growing up, I constantly told my mum/dad/brother etc to give up. No one has. I’ve soon learned to stop bugging people about it. It’s their own choice, if you want to inhale toxic nicotine for your own pleaser, then do so. See if I care. It only causes 46,000 people in Britain to die of cancer, and a further 40,000 to die of heart disease.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/595202.stm
I find the inside smoking ban really annoying as well. Whenever I’m out, I always seem to be the one left looking after the table or drinks or bags/phones etc whilst everyone goes out for a natter and a smoke. I almost feel quite bitter and left out, when people come back in drunkenly giggling at some joke, whilst I’ve just been completely abandoned, with a pervy guy staring at me - the loner in the corner. It’s almost as if I’m being punished, in the naughty corner for NOT smoking?!

Alchoholism... binge drinking... being sociable?

This is quite an awkward subject really. I grew up with an alcoholic dad. His father was also an alchoholic, and his brother is pretty damn dependant on the stuff too. It should have really put me off any sort of booze what so ever, but it hasn’t. It didn’t stop me going out last Sunday, and getting so drunk I can’t remember anything... except that I walked (well, attempted to anyway) home with a guy I quite like, confessing my undying love for him. (well, I did something like that... I think. Hes fine with me now though, all's not lost!).

Alchohol is everywhere. Kids are drinking a partys when their 12 now, instead of playing truth or dare. People are on park benches drinking whatever pittance the actually have away. People are sat in pubs everynight, drinking their problems away, instead of going home to talk. Even with the credit cruch, binge drinking is at its highest ever. Statistics show that 50% of 14 – 15 year olds have taken part in binge drinking – thats quite high for 14 years olds, right? 50% of street crime comes solely from alchohol... thats quite high too right?http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drinking/problems/bingedrinking

There's so much of it now there are many labels which follow too.

‘Alchoholism’... dependency. ‘Binge drinking’... getting lashed just... ‘cause? Being ‘sociable’... Having one with friends?
I don’t think theres anything really wrong with having a few with some friends. Its nice to get a bit tiddly and have a good laugh. It's the effects when you are actually lashed thats scary. People take advantage. Unless youve always got a sober, tough guy of a friend to protect you, it is actually scarily dangerous. I think most girls now have gotten themselves in a stupid postion whilst loving the attention. Most lads have probably been involved in fights or arguments whilst feeling invincible. Is it worth it? Should we go back to the days my mum tells me about? Where no alcohol was served after 10pm, anywhere? Should the government increase the price of cheap booze, would it even solve any of the problems? Or would the Government and Tescos just make a bit more money?

=)!