Technology trumps reading!

It has become increasingly apparent, that teenagers these days lack interest in reading material due to the distractions caused by recent hype of technology. An average teenager would normally prefer to use computers, gaming consoles r iPods for their entertainment, rather than to read books and newspapers.

The youth of Karachi can be widely seen relying on the latest gadgets. It is common to find a group of teenagers amidst a discussion on the latest gadgets, however rarely are they spotted talking about or reading a book.

This attitude of children has parents worried as they are unable to make their child indulge in reading. This habit of teenagers is negatively affecting their language and communication skills. Teenagers do not realize the significance of reading and its many plus points, such as; increase in discipline and focus, an active mental process, enhancement in creativity and imagination skills and improvement in our memory. Also, a well- read youth is able to interact better with peers. In a nutshell, reading is known as a mental exercise that benefits us in many ways.

There are however, those teenagers who are fully aware of the benefits of reading. They understand that it helps as gain perspective, learn about different places and their culture and improves vocabulary and language.

It is a common belief amongst these youngsters that reading is a waste of time and that they cannot possibly benefit from it more than the use of internet. Furthermore, surfing the net is considered as “fun”, whereas reading is called “boring”. Also, preference is given to technology over reading as the youngsters of today wish to do everything as quickly and easily as possible.

Youngsters are more inclined towards computer technology and various gadgets because they find it more entertaining and interactive than reading. Owning the latest gadgets has become a fashion statement and simultaneously books are not considered “cool”.

But, there are some parents who believe that reading is extremely important and make it their children’s sole priority because they feel reading is an integral part of learning. Excessive reading deprives the child from physical activities which are essential for him/her. Due to such extreme measures, children tend to become socially backwards and are often classified as “nerds”.

A perfect proportion should be maintained between usage of technological devices and reading so that the teenagers have a well- balanced life.

Environmental Loss

The environment has been under increasing danger from the sources of mankind and immediate action needs to be taken to keep the environment protected and sustained for the future. The environment provides us with a stable atmosphere and has countless functions and benefits. It is a healthy source of oxygen, provides fresh air, and gives us scenic beauty, amongst numerous other advantages. However, mankind has been gradually and steadily misusing and overusing the benefits provided by the environment, thus, causing damage. In Pakistan, the main environmental problems include extensive pollution, rapid occurrence of deforestation and contribution to global warming because of the highly active agriculture sector.  These problems are certainly being addressed through regular checks on industrial and domestic pollution, afforestation programmes and use of alternatives for cattle.  

The streets of Pakistan are consumed in air, water and land pollution. The major source is the industries which dump their waste into nearby water bodies. The Pakistan Steel Mill, located near the Indus waters, often dumps its waste into lakes. Haleji Lake, once a source of freshwater has now become highly polluted. The congestion from traffic has led to severe air pollution as harmful gases are constantly being added to the atmosphere. Gases from fossil fuel industries and mining are released into the atmosphere causing further pollution. The fishing industry often dumps fish waste onto open lands which creates infections and pollution in the surrounding areas. The factories in Ibrahim Hyderi tend to dump fish waste on the nearby lands where houses are located. Also, the sewage water from these industries flows directly towards these residential areas. This results in water borne diseases like malaria and severe pollution. Pollution is being tackled in Pakistan to a minor extent. The environment is being polluted at a faster rate than it is being cleaned. Government organistaions are formed which pay regular visits to various industrial areas to keep the waste released by factories under control. Many awareness programmes about the harmful effects of pollution are being initiated. IUCN is an organization helping to protect the environment. It has projects focused on wetlands and polluted areas such as the Indus river. However, more effective implementation is required for pollution levels to decrease.

Another increasingly common issue faced by Pakistan is the rapid clearing of forest cover. Tropical forests have nearly been lost, decreasing the biodiversity level. Trees are being cut down regularly due to an increase in population and urbanization, which requires availability of land for industrial use. The wood is being used for firewood, medical purposes, furniture making and various other reasons. The clearing away of forests leads to a loss of habitat for many species of animals. Also, oxygen levels in the surrounding environment drop and so does the beauty which was previously present because of forest cover. Deforestation is occurring at an alarmingly high rate and people do not realize the damage being caused to the environment. Desertification has increased. The coniferous forests in Northern areas are also diminishing. The tropical and subtropical rainforests have reduced significantly and this environmental loss is of great worry as it disrupts the functioning of the atmosphere. Afforestation programmes have been launched to increase oxygen levels around the atmosphere but a large percentage of Pakistan’s land is now arid and infertile.

Lastly, the greenhouse gases released by the active agriculture industry of Pakistan is leading to a slow increase in global warming which is the increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere. The major source of greenhouse gases is methane gas released by cattle and carbon dioxide released from fertilizers and pesticides. Not many effective measures are taken to control the release of these gases as the functioning of the agricultural industry is vital for the economy of Pakistan.

In conclusion, the significant environmental problems of pollution, global warming and deforestation are rising day by day without the notice of the average citizen. Effective measures are not being taken to a great extent as there is a rapid need of resources by the citizens of Pakistan. 

Is Child Labour Advantageous in Developing Countries?

 

Child labor is defined as the employment of children under an age determined by law or custom. It is considered exploitative by many countries and international organizations. It has been a common practice through most of history, but with the start of universal schooling and emergence of children’s rights it came under much public dispute. According to the International Labour Organisation, there is an estimated 218 million children aged 5 to 17 in child labor worldwide. However, I believe that child labour is advantageous in developing countries because it helps in the economic growth of a country and keeps the children friutfully occupied; away from street violence and abuse and it helps supplement the income of poverty- stricken families.

According to the economist Milton Friedman's theory, to prohibit child labour is to prevent the overall economic growth necessary to eventually relieve a society of the need for child labor.

It is often said ‘’poverty is the seed-bed of child labour’’. A study conducted by the ILO Bureau of Statistics found that "Children’s work was considered essential to maintaining the economic level of households, either in the form of work for wages, of help in household enterprises or of household chores in order to free adult household members for economic activity elsewhere". In some cases, the study found that a child’s income accounted for between 34 and 37 percent of the total household income. Therefore the study indicates that a child labourer’s income is important to the livelihood of a poor family. William James, M.P. for Carlisle, expressed this fear in the parliamentary debates on factory reform:

"Undoubtedly the system which is pursued in these manufactories relating to the working of young children is a great evil; but it appears to me that the remedy which the honourable gentleman proposes to apply is worse than the disease. There appears to me to be only a choice of evils - the children must either work or starve."

The concept of a kid doing “labour” may come across as inhuman to most of you but what needs to be understood is that the child is not faced with an option or opportunity of choosing to attend school instead. Child labour eradication is not solely about removing children from the workplace and placing them immediately into schools. It is easier said than done. We criticize and protest against children working, but we fail to realize that these children are actually being productive.  I agree that it is not the place of a child to be contributing to the household income, but simply stating that does not dismiss the fact that if they don’t work the household will be stuck in a poverty trap.   Therefore, child labour should not be ban in developing nations because it helps in raising the economy of a country, keeps children away from bad things and helps improve poverty rates. Indeed, the absolute eradication of child labour can be viewed as a luxury that poor nations cannot yet a support or avail.

Should media be given complete freedom?

A free media is an integral part of any democratic nation. However, the media should not be given complete freedom as it violates the rules of ethics and decency in society- a must for checks and balance; goes hand in hand with social responsibility and results in corruption and hunger for power and money.

The statement issued by the World Association of Newspapers during World Press Freedom Day, says, “Media should be allowed to report freely and responsibly on issues that erode human rights. Failure to guarantee media freedom creates fertile ground for autocracy, with those in power refusing to be accountable and responsible”.

Media is supposed to play a central role as an independent gatherer and disseminator of information. However, this is not always the case. Its content is not determined by editorial integrity and credibility, but by market forces, resulting in media content being more dominated by business and political advertisements and advertorials than balanced news, opinion pieces, editorials and reader's views.

Pakistani media is flooded with images that contribute to the collapse of morality, namely fraud, corruption, gossip, sex, drugs, scandals, cheating, hooliganism and murder. One of the ethics journalism includes is the “harm limitation principle” which deals with the questions of whether everything learned should be reported and, if so, how. This principle of limitation indicates that some weight needs to be given to the “harm” of full disclosure.

Media operation should, therefore, include truthfulness, objectivity, accuracy, fairness and public accountability. This goal can be achieved through practice of censorship- control of information and ideas in a society. This does not imply curbing the freedom of expression – it merely draws the line between freedom and unrestrained cruelty. It is a reminder for people who have crossed the lines of morality and humanity under the name of freedom of expression. This means that the media should remain real enough to reflect the society but subtle enough to keep it humane.

Children of impressionable ages are constantly being exposed to excessive violence, as well as sexually explicit content. Media exposure is crucial in developing the opinions and values in these children. A common example is the extremely violent video games that children are addicted to which tend to increase the aggressive tendencies in them. Methods such as advance warning of explicit material, partially obscuring offensive words, blurring or cropping offensive images, movement of disturbing content from a cover to an inside page, or from daytime to late evening, when children are less likely to be watching, all may assist readers and viewers if they wish to avoid specific material, which is otherwise considered important to the story.

                                                                                                                                

For viewer ship and public ratings the media can cross all boundaries, as in the movie Condemned, which reflects sheer inhumanity and brutality as 10 of the most dangerous and 'condemned’ prisoners, including a husband and wife, awaiting trial are picked up from various prisons around the world and dropped off in a remote island with time bombs around their ankles and cameras everywhere. Task: kill/ blow up each other. Incentive: the one who survives is promised freedom. All this violence, rape and killing for: top viewer ship ratings. The Mastermind’s argument: death sentence is the destiny of each one of the ‘condemned’- but he will be giving freedom to one!

Altaf Khan wrote for ‘The Pakistani Spectator’, “All the private media channels including Geo, ARY, Express, Aaj, Dawn and others have become mouth pieces of terrorists. Just switch on any TV channel and you hear: a blast has been heard in Peshawar; then for five minutes it flashes; then live coverage starts from the blast spot; they broadcast dead bodies, crying people, blood, and injured people; they telecast live collapsing of buildings, and they show running terrified people. This so called media freedom has only filled the pockets of media anchorpersons and they have made them a celebrity of sensationalism.”

Stories with excitement or attention-grabbing names or events are more frequently reported, rather than reporting on more pressing issues to the general public. Emphasis is put on the "juicy" aspects of a story that attracts a larger audience. This is why I believe that electronic media seems to have created more confusion than educating or mending the thoughts of people. The cover story in July’s edition of local publication, Newsline, further highlights the reality and dismal state of media and journalism in Pakistan.

We must ask ourselves, if media men are justified in providing half-baked and sensational information to the public? If journalists realise that professionalism requires them to search beyond the obvious facts? And if this misuse of freedom is setting us back or taking us forward?

As a final note, I would say that media should practice freedom with social responsibility and maturity and the weapon of freedom should not be abused as does the media of today. The media should know that the power of the pen can be mighty and if this is taken lightly, it can cause great damage to our society. They must accept and understand that responsibility.  As the renowned French philosopher Albert Camus once said, “A free press can be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom a press will never be anything but bad.”