Category: Awareness

Gender awareness is greatly explored in Jules Vaughn’s (played by Hunter Schafer) character as a transgender, such as how her differences in roles and relations with different genders had a great impact on the show’s credibility and authenticity, as well as how her story and experiences is introduced and narrated throughout the show. Her character shows that she is different from other characters which has a binary gender identity because it emphasizes distinction, that is, she is not considered as male nor female.

Moreover, it is clearly shown in the film that transgenders do not literally mean that they undergo a sex reassignment surgery to conform their gender nonconformity, but they may have some hormone therapy to alter just how Jules do in the film. Also, she already feels nonconformity on her sex assigned to birth since she was young and started transitioning. In this film being analyzed, she doesn’t receive any discriminations from other younger people around her, that is, gender awareness is being portrayed throughout the film.

Episode 1: “Pilot” at 21:02. The boldness and rawness of Jules’ character and how the director executed this scene is shown. This is perhaps the first of many context clues the show revealed. As Jules is getting ready to meet the older man (which is Nate’s father), she injected herself an estrogen, as viewers presume, and how the bulge in her panty is visible, yet there is no confirmation if she is a transgender. Jules has a short-term relationship with the same man she met in a unit.

Further, after having an affair, Jules joins the party of the young people and there, she has been (gipakaawhan) by Nate in front of the crowd because she’s still anonymous to them since she just move to that place. Jules shows her (kasuko) by cutting her arm which shows braviness and it also depicts that she’s invincible. From here, Jules meets a friend named Rue (played by Zendaya in the film).

However, the great thing about this episode is that her character being a transgender is normalized and it is not a big deal especially to the generation that is shown. The father doesn’t care if she’s a trans or not, as well as the people around during the party. It doesn’t mean Euphoria disregards Jules’ gender identity or use it as a plot point. When actually, it does both, yet it does not reduce the rich complexity that is Jules to her transgender status and—so far—without trotting out the same old transgender tropes that have plagued Hollywood and received massive backlash because of misrepresentation (Allen, 2019).

Episode 4: ‘Shook One Pt. II’ at 4:22. This episode starts with a narration from Rue when Jules was still young. It is a heartbreaking scene when the young Jules’ and her mother supposedly going on a “road trip” to see a psychiatrist and going on a tour in a psychiatric hospital. About halfway through the tour, Jules realized that her mother lied as she saw her from afar at the glass door leaving and knowing her mother admitted her into the unit. During her stay, she’s experiencing bullying and inflicting self-harm on herself. After leaving, she begins transitioning at the age of 13.

In addition, Schafer explains “is pretty young in the scheme of trans people” (Chambers, 2019). Since her parents are divorced, she stayed with her father and developed a great relationship and that is why she is able to transition so young because she has an openly supportive father. This transitioning backstory of the show really gives a huge impact on how transgenders are properly represented in media.

It is also shown in this episode the revelation of Nate being Tyler (the one who texts regularly with Jules, in which she considers as an ideal man). Jules’ emotions, being a transgender, is being played by Nate in this certain situation and her character shows disappointment. Moreover, the subtleness of real experiences with regard and authenticity was depicted throughout the episode.

Episode 8: ‘And Salt the Earth Behind You’ at 15:20. This scene is when they all went to the winter formal, talking about school and their relationships with their partners and other issues. In the usual teen series, there are different cliques for different personalities, as well as genders. This show really proves that it is unnecessary in this generation. Everyone belongs and is accepted in the same girl group and everyone is friends with everyone no matter what race, gender, body size and personalities they may possess.

Conclusion

The emergence of transgenders in media especially in films creates a great impact in representing the said community and their portrayal helps young people confirm their identities since it serves as a primary source for gender identification. This study uses gender awareness as the main focus in analyzing the scenes of the selected episodes from the HBO series film Euphoria where Hunter Schafer acts as Jules Vaughn. Through Schafer’s portrayal, it is genuine and authentic in the sense that she, herself, is a transgender individual, a fashion model, as well as an LGBT rights activist in real life thus, she knows well how to execute the scenes that would provide the audience a well-represented trans character of Jules. However, the most captivating thing about the show is that it does not make a big deal about Jules character being a transgender and does not make it the main storyline of her character, but just merely a piece of her identity (Sonoma, 2019).

The film director also consults a transgender consultant prior the filming of Euphoria HBO series, so, it gives a raw and proper representation of the transgender community. According to Scott Turner Schofield, Euphoria’s trans consultant, “director Sam Levinson’s earnest desire to listen to trans individuals and fairly and accurately represent their experiences on screen” (Haasch, 2019).

Moreover, the series appeals strongly to the parents of kids ages 5 to 10 years old with relatively good relationships who can anticipate troubles concerning the future, not teens nor their parents (VanDerWerff, 2019).

Cyber security is known as the protection of computer systems from theft or damage to their hardware. It was developed in 1971 by a man named Bob Thomas. Cyberattacks happen daily, and they’re constantly evolving. The common cyberattacks that we hear about on the news are usually major data breaches or information leaks about our government. Simple viruses that started from high school teenagers have turned into a full-scale cyberwar between nations. Cyber security is an essential tool that every company and the nation should utilize.

One of the most common hacks is called ‘phishing’. An example of phishing is when you receive an email that looks like it’s from a legitimate company but then links you to a fake webpage. These emails are designed to trick you into giving away your personal information like passwords, and credit card numbers. Another common hack is known as cramming. Cramming is where you find charges on your phone bill for services you didn’t order. This is a fraudulent practice that is used by adding unauthorized charges to a customer’s phone bill. A good example of cramming is usually on applications that sell ringtones, or an application that has a lot of advertisements that pop up. This is an extremely common hack, and I’ve been a victim of cramming on more than one occasion. Sometimes you can’t prevent these types of attacks. The best way to prevent this is to only download applications with good ratings. Read the ratings before you download. Most of the time someone will mention a negative comment saying that they got charged for something he or she didn’t approve. “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that as many as 20 million people are crammed annually” (‘TOP 10 of the World’s Largest Cyberattacks’). With that said, always check your phone bill, and check your bank statements daily to catch this attack right away. These are just two of the most common hacks, but there are many more.

The tool cyber security is used to prevent you from outside attacks. Everyone that owns a computer today or any smart device should have some type of virus protection to prevent you from losing any of their information. Most of us today have all our passwords saved to our computers, and some of us even use a simple application to save that information. Any of these applications could be breached and you could easily lose your sensitive information from your computer or smart device. There are some simple steps that you can take to help prevent you from losing your information. All computers today come with a built-in firewall and some type of trail virus protection. You should utilize virus protection or find a free virus protection application online. Just to make this clear though, anyone can be hacked, even if your firewall is on, and your virus protection is up to date. With these applications though, you’re making it a lot harder for hackers to get your information. Without protecting yourself, you’re making it extremely simple for hackers to steal everything off your device with little to no effort.

Every major company or even a small business should use a cyber security policy to help avoid them from an expensive attack. Anything can be hacked; we have seen it so much in the past. A major attack that affects all of us is when a bank, or credit card company is hacked because then they lose all our sensitive information. An example of a major cyberattack is when the store known as Target was breached by hackers. Target lost data from 110 million customers including banking data of 40 million customers (Carroll and Rigden). Companies that we chose to do business with should upgrade their cyber security policy to help prevent them from losing our important information. We put our trust and our information in their hands, and it should be protected.

Cyber security should be a major concern for every nation around the world. Cyberwarfare from the dictionary means “the use of computer technology to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of information systems for strategic or military purposes” (‘7 Shocking Cyber Scams of 2017’). February 2015, Iran spoke to the press about the Russian report on a new family of malicious programs and worms that is infecting computers all around the world. The worm is known as Stuxnet worm. The New York Times and Washington Post have said the worm was “developed by the US and Israeli governments to disrupt Iranian nuclear facilities” (Iran, 2015, Associated Press). This is a great example of cyberwarfare. What I also read in this article which I thought was very interesting was “signs of malware-infected computers in more than 30 countries, with the heaviest concentrations in Iran, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China” (China, 2015, Associated Press). The second article I found was also from February 2015. In this article, China stated that “US intelligence agency was hiding spying software within the hard drives of computers made by manufacturers such as Toshiba and Seagate” (China, 2015, Associated Press). This proves how big of a threat cyberwarfare is. Countries are finding new ways to harm other countries without even putting boots on the ground, this is truly a new age war. As stated above, you can see how important it is for every country to have a cyber security policy to help protect them from future attacks.

In the end, there can be no doubt that cyber security has developed over the last few years to become one of the major concerns of most modern developed societies. In fact, common cyberattacks that happen every single day. It is relatively easy for individuals to protect themselves from these attacks with just a few simple steps. Furthermore, companies and other agencies should constantly be evolving to protect their information and, perhaps more importantly protect their customer’s information. There can be no doubt that every nation should have a strict cyber security policy. That protects them from today’s new age war know as cyberwarfare. There is no question how important cyber security is today, and we should all be aware of all the common and possible attacks while keeping up to date with this information from here on out because it is constantly changing and evolving.

SMEs face a severe issue when it comes to cyber security, the issue faces all kinds of organizations, from big companies to small and medium enterprises. SMEs are usually targeted because of the less secure security protocols which makes them vulnerable to attacks that might lead them to close business or damage the business reputation. In the following research we shall cover how to improve the SMEs security and the importance of investing finance to purchase proper tools to protect them from being easy targets, we shall also cover the challenges that SMEs face, when it comes to cyberattacks and the various types of attacks that can occur. We will also cover on how to improve user awareness and how to prevent being a target in employee’s personal life and career.

Definition of User Awareness in Cyber Security

It’s important for a small company to teach their employees on the risks of cyber security as it has a severe impact in their personal lives and career. The employees should be educated on how to conduct themselves when entering a world wide web platform as it can be very dangerous in their personal lives and in return can affect their careers in the work place environment. Small companies should gather together to educate themselves and their staff on the importance and risks of cyber security. Certain attacks can lead to health issues with employees, i.e. stress and migraines due to be the victim.

SME Challenges

The challenges that SMEs face is a wide range of various attacks that they exposed to when they don’t take proper precautions to set up a proper protocol for the organization, the important of having a proper well-structured framework for guarding their assets is very important as it’s the back bone of the company security. These are the challenges that they face: targeted attacks, ransomware, dos attacks, BYOD, insider exfiltration and business processes outsourcing.

SME Attacks

Dos attack

Dos attack prevents users from accessing the network or its resources preventing users from accessing the system. Hackers can overload the web server of the SME until the server starts having a slow response and become unresponsive to its users. SMEs rely on other websites for service or work functions and that specific website is down due to an attack then it will affect SMEs in a very catastrophic way as the SME’s will lose out on customers.

Malware Attack

Malware is also one of the issues that causes SMEs to close down business as a malware enters the business computer system without the user’s knowledge then performs a harmful task which can be from destroying the motherboard, stealing confidential information and corrupting confidential data. The Malware has evolved over time to perform specific functions such as circulation/infection which the malware is spread to several other computers via USB flash drives. The circulation/infection are divided into 3 segments of Malware which is a virus, it multiplies itself in the computer making sure that the computer performs tasks that’s are imbedded within the virus. The virus attacks applications and system program files that end with .COM, EXE and DLL, online the virus affects other files extensions like HTML, HTM and ASP. It causes a damage by replacing some or all program codes that the application consists of and replaces them with its own codes. Trojan contains a code which is imbedded within a popular program. The trojan is hides in the program until the application is launched then it performs the task that it should. (MIS 7 2017, p. 100). Worms travel in a network to other computers, they can affect plenty of computers that are on the network.

SQL Injection attack

SQL Injection is almost like phishing as the hackers will send out a SQL command that consists of a password input section such as a login page for them to be able to capture or get hold of your password credentials.

BYOD attack

Most SMEs lose their data due to BYOD. Employees bring their devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets and USB which are normally not protected with an antivirus or it has no security measures to protect the data that it contains. When employees us a USB which contains a malware such as a virus, worm or trojan it can cause a huge damage to the company’s reputation or image and make it easy for hackers to attack.

Ransomware

Ransomware is one of the most effective forms of hacking that hackers use as it’s a guarantee payoff for them. An email with malware attached to it or a link is sent to a user, and once the user opens the attachments on the mails or clicks on the link the hackers, then gets full control of the system and blocks you out and requests money, so that they can release the ceased data or computer access. Ransomware comes in 3 forms namely scareware, screen lockers and encrypting ransomware. Scareware is normally a scare not an actual ransomware as its function is to scare the user to believe that the hackers have already invaded the system and pay requested funds. Screen lockers is when your completely have no access to your pc as it has frozen you out and to get back to control your pc you will need to comply and pay the ransom or if you have backed up all the data on an external then you can format the pc and reinstall your operating system. Encrypting ransomware is most dangerous form of attack as the hackers will take your files and encrypt them then after demand money to decrypt and return your files.

Insider Exfiltration

Insider exfiltration has become of the biggest problems when it comes to any business as inside information is stolen by employees via USB, key logger or other means. The employees would give hackers companies confidential information in exchange for money or can be for spiting the company. SMEs would take the biggest hit when it comes to employees giving out confidential information to hackers as the company is very small and has no proper resources to stop the attack. Employees can also lose devices like smartphones, laptops, tablets and USB with confidential data without being encrypted which makes it easier for hackers to take full advantage of the flaw itself.

Outsourcing business process

Outsourcing business process plays a similar action as insider exfiltration except that the employee gives out the process of how the business operates and gives out the type of devices and applications that the business uses in which puts the business in a predicament as the hacker has full knowledge of the process and can make out the flaws in the process making it easier for the hacker to hack and steal data.

Recommendations for Improving User Awareness in SMEs

When it comes to SMEs the owners usually don’t have much funds to get themselves equipped with the proper resources to protect their business from hackers or insiders. SMEs should make use of the resources which are provided to help SMEs such as NCSA which helps small business protect their business from hackers’ other threats that can occur and privacy breaches. BH training is other organization that helps SMEs with security courses on how to protect their data, lastly PCI security standards council teaches SMEs to mask the card number so that it will be difficult for hackers when they sniff the transaction. SMEs should invest in proper resources to protect their business data simply by Installing a firewall and configure it to their preference, they should update their operating system defense application as virus’s evolver daily, so their antivirus software definitions are updated to pick up recent viruses, worms and trojans and an installation of software to prevent unauthorized programs/applications from executing. Policies should be put in place to protect data such as a password policy and physical security measures to protect computer assets, policy for training should also be implemented. The company should prepare for the inevitable, a way of recovering after being hacked to make sure business runs normal without any delays to their clients. They should back up data so that they can recover quickly. Spam filtering should also be installed and updated so it can help in filtering emails that are untrusted from dodgy sources.

Conclusion

With hackers having so much knowledge that they share between them it puts the SMEs in a fragile position as they are always the first victims to be targeted and there’s a lot to lose from them being attacked. The form in which hackers hack is vast with different strategies of doing it. It’s important that SMEs invest in their policies for staff awareness and to tighten their security to protect their most valuable data. The most important part is that SMEs need to invest in proper equipment for such as top-class firewalls, anti-malware and provide training programs to educate staff.

References

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2. Halliday, Josh, “Facebook Users Unwittingly Revealing Intimate Secrets, Study Finds”, The Guardian, Mar. 11, 2013, accessed Sep. 12, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/mar/11/facebook-users-reveal-intimate-secrets.
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Cybersecurity is the system used to protect software, hardware and data from many cyberattacks, application security is the system that protects the application and PC from external threats. When considering software design, security has become an increasingly important concern during development as the apps have become more accessible to the network and as a result, it has become vulnerable to various threats. Built-in security measures and a good application security routine reduce the likelihood that unauthorized codes will be able to access applications to access, steal, modify or remove sensitive data. Steps have been taken to ensure that workplace safety is sometimes called countermeasures.

The most basic software is to limit data handling of firewall files that broadcast or transmit special programs. Basically, hardware measurements protect the personal computers IP address from becoming a router that is easily visible on the Internet. Common firewalls include other counters, encryption/decryption programs, anti-virus programs, adware detection/removal programs, and biometric authentication systems. Application security can be increased by defining assets, identifying what each asset door will recognize these assets. In addition, detect all changes in the assets and create a security file for each application. Checking threats and documenting adverse events and actions taken in each case, this process is called threat modelling.

Countermeasures is an action, process, device, or system that protects or mitigates the effects of computer or network threats. That can compromise company assets or a computer or network integrity. Countermeasures can be taken in various forms such as software, hardware, and behavior modes. First, there are five different countermeasures in software, including personal firewalls, application firewalls, antivirus software pop-up blockers, and spyware detection/removal program. Sometimes, personal firewalls called a desktop firewall. It is used to protect a single Internet-connected computer from intruders. For the user with always-on connections such as DSL or cable modem, a personal firewall is mostly useful. Such links use a static IP address, which is particularly vulnerable to potential hackers. Compared to frequent anti-virus applications, personal firewall devices (connection layer) and malicious computer code from the computer to protect background work integrity by controlling Internet connections from a user’s computer, inbound and outbound traffic filtering, and alerting the user to attempt an intervention.

Access to an application firewall is an enhanced firewall that restricts a computer’s operating system (OS). Traditional firewalls simply test each packet and determine if it is a special destination to proceed to control data from the central processing unit (CPU). An application provides additional protection by executing firewall files or by specific application-controlled combined data applications. For best performance, the user must configure a traditional firewall. The user needs to know which port is likely to enter or exclude unwanted data. An application prevents tampering with the firewall execution program or the DLL (dynamic link library) files. Although an intruder can get past a traditional firewall and does not allow any suspicious malicious code to enforce the firewall of an application, such destructive activity can be performed because a computer, server or network has trouble.

Pop-up blocker is a program that prevents pop-up displayed in a web browser. Pop-up blockers work in several ways: some windows have been mirrored, you can disable the pop-up call to receive commands, and change the window’s HTML source. One problem with pop-up blockers is that they cannot distinguish between unwanted pop-up windows and user-requested windows. Those programs that are often called smart pop-up blockers. Free pop-ups such as STOPzilla and Panicware are readily available for download. Both the Google and Yahoo toolbars include the ability to block pop-ups, which is also enabled by default for Internet explorer in Microsoft XP service pack two (SP2) settings.

Spyware is a software installed on a computer device without user knowledge. Any software can be classified as spyware if downloaded without user authentication. Spyware is controversial because it is set up for relatively flawless reasons, it can violate the privacy of the end user and is likely to abuse it. Spyware detection can be difficult; often the first sign is that a computer device has been infected with spyware, which is a lack of processor or network connection speed and a noticeable lack of mobile devices-data usage and battery life. The most common hardware countermeasure is a router that can prevent an individual computer’s IP address from being directly visible on the Internet.

Other hardware countermeasures include: biometric authentication system; physical restriction of access to computer and peripherals; intrusion detectors and alarms.

Behavioral countermeasures include:

• Often delete and store temporary files from web browsers;
• Regular scanning for viruses and other malware;
• Regular installation of updates and patch for the operating system;
• Refusing to click on incoming links in e-mail messages;
• Avoid opening e-mail messages and attachments with anonymous senders;
• Stay away from suspicious web sites;
• Regular data support on external media.

There are several ways to tackle different types of attacks in application security to protect user data and application from many attacks. Such as increasing security by defining assets, detecting each asset does or will recognize these assets and creating the security file for each application. The problem is not a cybercrime issue, therefore, is aware of cybersecurity. Awareness of countermeasures such as software, hardware, and behavioral modes. Sometimes the user loses their personal data because they are not so aware of these countermeasures that all people are aware of cybersecurity and its benefits and usage.

The term ‘ambient awareness’ refers to the idea of knowledge and apprehension about the ones surrounding. Such knowledge is acquired without physically encountering the ambiance. Social media provides us with access to a vast array of information about everyone and everything taking place in the world.

‘What is going on’ is the query that social networking sites have been providing answers to. These bits of incoming information or answers are further propagated among the users of social media. The influx of information is constant and never ceases unless it becomes the talk of the town. Social scientists have named this constant online connection as ‘ambient awareness’. Leisa Reichelt, who is the research head at Atlassian, describes it as the tendency to stay in touch with people who use social media websites and acquire knowledge about their lives regularly without being there physically due to space and time constraints. Moreover, the concept behind ambient awareness is to be ambiently aware of other people’s experiences and their lives without knowing them personally and requesting such knowledge.

Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are direct sources of awareness. These are the platforms that use different features to produce knowledge about the events taking place in the world, from mundane news to global news. These websites provide access to people from all around the world who follow each other and stay connected and remain updated about each other lives without being connected in real life. The enormous amount of information is refreshed on a daily basis, and every new day has a unique story to tell.

People use Instagram to post pictures of their daily life activities, ranging from eating to hanging out with their loved ones and a lot more. Facebook is a similar medium used by people to keep their followers updated about everything happening in their lives, including their actions, moods, experiences, routines, etc. Additionally, Twitter is yet another medium to share your thoughts basically on anything that sparks your interest.

The regular flow of these tiny bits of information helps us to form a bigger picture of people’s lives who post them, thus creating ambient awareness. Ambient awareness helps us to know about things, events, and people who use social media. Therefore, it’s safe to say that we are always connected to the world through social media. The entire world news has become a tap away due to social media.

Social media platforms have always remained a primary medium to communicate social change, be it in the form of social movements like feminism, Occupy Wall Street (OWS), or the Arab Revolution. People arranged events and delivered their voices through social media platforms. Advocates of social change use platforms like Facebook, and Twitter to communicate their voices. Such activists are also called social media activists.

Social media contains information related to politics, health, social events and gatherings, business, and education. It spreads the news about the latter domains to the masses through social media. Hence it is people’s source of information about the world besides other mediums.

Social networking sites contain a massive amount of user-generated information that is eventually propagated to social media, so the possibility of coming across fake news or misinformation is always around the corner. The urgency of sharing information in social feeds, as well as their updates, has led readers to circulate information without even reading it. Social media has become a firsthand source of news for many people around the world. For example, people used social media as a medium of communication and requested aid at the time of Japan’s tsunami and Hurricane Sandy in the US. The latter fact points out a very crucial aspect of social media, which is credibility assessment.

One way to assess credibility is by tracking the source of information. Based on the user profile, we can form a judgment of assessment. For example, if your Facebook friend shares a piece of news, then the probability of its trustworthiness for you will be more. CredRank is a social media believability algorithm that inspects users’ online conduct to measure their reliability. Social scientists use the data-driven model as a credibility approach. The data-driven model uses machine learning methods to point out misleading information. Another source to confirm online information is to consult renowned and credible sources, such as UNICEF, WHO, etc.

A recent example of the influence that social media holds in spreading the news is Covid-19, also known as the coronavirus disease, it’s a contagious disease spread by the novel coronavirus. Previously it has never been recognized in humans. It originated in China’s city of Wuhan. The coronavirus is zootonic in nature, i.e., found in animals, and its transmission takes place from animals to humans when they consume animals. On January 11th, 2020, the first death by the coronavirus was reported, and the patient was a regular customer of Wuhan’s wet market. Since then, Covid-19 has reached 153 countries, and it has been declared an international health emergency by the World Health Organization. The death toll has reached up to 10,000 globally, CNN confirms. Officials have announced it is a pandemic. Countries have gone into lockdowns, closing educational institutions, ceasing public dealings, and every extreme measure to fight the virus from spreading more.

On the one hand, social media is playing a tremendous role in raising awareness about Covid-19, but on the other side, the misinformation being spread on social networking websites about Covid-19 has done equally significant damage. Consequently, social media has become a constant source of essential information and a bearing land for menacing rumors and misinformation. The Director-General of the World Health Organization tweeted that besides fighting against an epidemic, they are also combating an infodemic.

On the brighter side, social media users, including influencers nationally and internationally, are putting their best foot in encouraging people to observe precautions and practice social distancing. Healthcare organizations have launched campaigns on social media to make people aware of Covid-19, its causes, and its symptoms. Major health organizations like UNICEF and WHO have been using Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to propagate essential information. Social media celebrities are making the most of their influence by raising awareness among their fans and encouraging them to practice social distancing. Through their Instagram stories, they are supporting people to take self-isolation as an actual practice. Social media influencers have been posting videos and discarding myths related to Covid-19. Physicians have been giving lectures on Instagram TV about the coronavirus, the way it affects the human body and the importance of handwashing. Twitter and Facebook users are promoting hashtags #togetherwecan, #stayathomechallenge, #istayhomefor, and #covid19update. WHO has issued a helpline number for the public, and UNICEF has been giving sharing video messages featuring people giving tutorials about how to wash hands, the correct ways to wear masks, etc.

Consequently, social media’s enormous influence over people has turned out to be a blessing in the fight against Covid-19, and it has proved to be an easy and quick source for healthcare officials to raise awareness against Covid-19 without physically interacting with the public. We are aware of Covid-19, and even though we have no firsthand experience with the disease, our knowledge and awareness will serve as our greatest weapon to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

From a very young age I asked myself the question that many of us ask ourselves. What meaning does my existence have? The exact answer I have not yet found because it is a very complicated question and difficult to understand not only for me but for all. Talking to myself experiencing things to know myself better I could find that I came to this world with a purpose. I came with a purpose A compromising purpose, great and positive for the world. I came to this world to live every second as if it were the last, because life taught me that not everything is forever and that we have nothing more secure than death. To live every second as if it were the last one, I mean to value the people that surround my family and treat them as I would like them to treat me, to help people who need my heart and to put into practice my strengths and talents. Since, as the saying goes, if you do not put them into practice or take advantage of them, God takes them from you.

My talents are specific sports (basketball), sales and being very creative. Thanks to the sport I have been able to have scholarships in all the schools so I never paid for my education and I was able to travel, to know different countries to represent my island of Puerto Rico. I feel that thanks to that talent of being good at sports, I met people who helped me to be a better person and helped me to be where I am today in Miami. Miami has been a blessing since after the hurricane it is now my home. Life in Puerto Rico compared here is very cheap and here it is very expensive therefore I could not continue with the sport and I had to change to work to be able to meet my expenses. That has changed my purpose a lot since basketball was the most I liked to do, but I do not give up and I keep going because I think everything in life happens for a purpose and something much better God takes away to multiply us. In the times of now people live so busy, with many worries and with so many expenses that many work only to pay and can survive, they do not work in what they like and many times they do not do it with love. We live day to day so fast that we do not have time to stop and think about ourselves, what we are, the reason for our life, our purpose.

Many of us have felt lost on many occasions, we have thought that we have made a mistake or we have programmed what we are doing with our lives. That feeling of emptiness and many times of frustrations, anxieties, despair, that sometimes make us feel that our lives have no meaning is not a bad thing because we all normally go through that as humans, but that can serve as a turning point that makes us reflect on what we really want and how to achieve it. From my point of view, the purpose of any person is the purpose that one gives them. For me, it’s not that life has a meaning, but I think we’re here to enjoy the blessings that God and life gives us and just be happy.

My purpose of life is to share each second as if it were the last with my friends and family, to help and serve others from the heart, to grow and evolve as a good person, to become my best version and to give the best of myself always for the world. I think that putting that into practice my life will have a good sense because each one of us finds happiness in his own way. The race that in my life the people who have had the most influence are my family and God they have been present in all my triumphs. They are my complement and my motivation to do things from the heart. At one point in my life, a moment has come to run away and give up everything and it is on that occasion that my family and God have been giving me strength, wisdom and faith to get through all the obstacles.

My main interest is to be a professional and build a family with the blessings of God that every decision and action that we take this with the union of a family. Besides working to pay expenses since I was very small, I love sales and business, my dad is an entrepreneur and I think that runs in my blood. My ability is to be a good seller since I was a little girl, I used to sell things on the street and where I lived. My career in business administration will help me to be successful in life and that will help me make great sense of my life and happiness. It will help me and to be able to create a better family that has financial stability and has no needs. I feel that working in a company or creating a company is what I would most like to do.

In conclusion, we all have a purpose in life is in us to be able to find it to shine and contribute to a better world. This kind of ethics helped me take some time and reflect on my values ​​beliefs in remembering that I came into the world and I believe that every student should take this class.

Frederick Douglass was a man that was full of wise words and he once said, “if there is no struggle, there is no progress,” and that defines his life and importance. Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, a former slave who escaped and later went on to become one of the leading African American leaders of his time, as he became a “famous intellectual who advised presidents, gave lectures, was an early supporter of women’s rights”, and was an important figure within the abolitionist movement. As a matter of fact, the abolitionist movement was effective as a result of the leadership from Douglass.

Although a good portion of Douglass’ life was spent fighting against slavery, it arguably could not have been possible had he not had the experiece of being a slave himself. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland, where it was prohibited to teach slaves how to read and right, but thanks to his slave owners wife and later other children, learned how to read and write. After learning how to do such things, Frederick did not keep his newfound knowledge to himself, but instead, opted to teach others the gift. Unfortunately for Frederick, while the owners wife and other children had defied the law, other slave owners were not impressed with Douglass’ good deeds and would form together and “armed with clubs and stones,” would break up the teachings and furthermore, would permanently stop them from happening. Douglass would later be sold to Edward Covey, a slave owner who was known to be the “slave-breaker,” at the age of sixteen. Douglass was determined to defy that nickname and although abuse from Covey almost caused him to crack mentally, he fought back and would later write about it in his biography. As the reasoning for his nickname would start to show, Douglass would physically start to fight back, and after beating Covey in a physical confrontation, Covey never beat him again. After showing his defiance in not only breaking rules to learn to read and write, but also for fighting back against his master, Douglass would escape from slavery, which he would fail in twice, in 1838 with the help of his future wife, and already free woman, Anna Murray.

After his escape, Frederick and Anna would settle in Massachusetts and meet another free colored couple known as the Johnsons, who would give them the idea to change their surnames to Douglass. While Frederick and Anna settled and had five children together, it was also during this time that Douglass would start his path to becoming a member of the abolitionist movement. During the time that he attended the movement meetings, Douglass would come in contact with writings from William Lloyd Garrison, an abolitionist journalist. At a later meeting, the two men would meet, and after sharing his story of being a slave and escaping, Garrison encouraged Douglass to become a speaker and leader within the abolitionist movement. In 1843, five years after escaping slavery, Douglass became a member of the Anti Slavery Society and would take part in a tour with the group throughout the United States, and would be physically assaulted numerous times by those who opposed the movement. Some of the injuries that Frederick suffered in these attacks would never heal, for instance, after an attack in Indiana, Frederick would not have full use of his hand for the remainder of his life. Despite some not agreeing with his mission and being attacked on multiple occasions, Douglass kept fighting for what he thought was right and kept leading the charge for the dream he shared with Garrison.

Frederick Douglass knew that, although slavery was a thing of the South, the entire nation had to deal with and was involved with it. In 1852 on Independence Day, Douglass would give a speech in Rochester and questioned, “What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.” Douglass is pointing out the contradiction that the American people show when they celebrate the holiday, as they celebrate their freedom and ability to live and make their own decisions, while supporting a country that holds people hostage from doing the same thing. While most northerners did not even realize how hypocritical their holiday really was, Douglass called them out and, along with other abolitionist and slaves, looked at Independence Day as a fraudulent celebration for only people of a certain color and class.

As well as being an active force within the abolitionist movement, Douglass also supported Women’s Rights and championed for equal rights until his death. In July 1848, Douglass was invited to and attended the First Woman’s Rights Convention. Douglass would go on to write, “All that distinguishes man as an intelligent and accountable being, is equally true of a woman.” Douglass was not only fighting for just African American women’s rights either, but instead, was fighting for ALL women. Douglass was not just a leader for the people that he could relate to, he wanted the United States to follow its declaration and give all people the equal right to freedom, life, liberty, and happiness.

Frederick Douglass used his experience as a slave to speak out on slavery and to give it awareness in the North, something that another person in the position might not have been able to do. Douglass defined his leadership role by actively participating in bettering the cause, no matter the backlash that he faced, he pushed forward. Douglass used his abolitionist established platform to push other movements such as the Women’s Rights, and although not alive to see all of the effects, Douglass’ involvement helped propel Women’s Rights.

In today’s generation, mental conditions are very rampant. We are suffering from a mental apocalypse. It is quite challenging to determine the signs of having a mental illness. People who experience mental health issues mask them so well and the sad thing is that nobody really knows how much anyone else is hurting. We could be standing next to somebody who is broken and we would not know about it. Worst, we made them feel completely broken. Even the strongest and the most cheerful person can experience mental health problems. It is crazy to think that those who are acting strong are those who are really suffering. Mental Illness has no face. Not because that person laughs so hard, smiles a lot, and looks strong means he or she is not having a hard time. And sometimes those people who always tell you to be strong and happy are those people who want you to be happy because they cannot make themselves happy.

A lot of people tend to ignore discussing mental health issues, maybe it is because it is an uncomfortable conversation, and any comfortable conversation stirs emotion, and sometimes people do not want to feel their emotions but we are humans and we are supposed to feel emotions. Some people always tend to invalidate feelings, do not understand, and do not pay attention to mental health problems, This is one of the reasons why nobody talks about it in this messed up society we live in because we are afraid of getting judged by the people who surround us. We better respect and understand each other that everyone has their own battle to deal with, you never really know what someone is going through, so we better be sensitive with our words and actions.

I believe we all need to open our eyes and hearts that mental health is as important and real as physical health. If you are going through a dark tunnel, do not hesitate to seek help. It is never a sign of weakness to ask for help. Just reach out and let others hear your voice.

We definitely cannot save everyone, but we can start by being aware. As someone who struggles with mental illness, I can say that we are all in this together. Together we can make a change. Together we can help people who are suffering find care, treatment, and most importantly, acceptance. Our mental health really does matter.

The Houston Zoo is both a conservation and rehabilitation place for animals and education source for kids and adults alike. They provide easy to understand information about the animals that reside at the zoo. This is mainly done through the means of plaques, boards, and electronics devices that are stationed near the animal exhibits. Along with signs, the Houston Zoo has an educational center and programs. These help promote and educate the guests who visit or want to learn more on how to conserve the wildlife.

The plaque are easy to understand and straight to the point. There, people could easily read up on the animal’s place of origin or habitat, diet and or preferred choice of food, conservation status, interesting facts about the animal, and a picture to accompany the information. This doesn’t only apply to animals as some boards contain information regarding how to conserve the wildlife. For instance, one such board educates the viewers on the dangers of polluting the ocean with plastic and what could potentially occur as a result. Some boards are interactive, giving the kids a fun twist on learning. It ranges from a sound board that imitates animal noises to a board that requires flipping in order to see facts on one side and a picture on the other. There is even one where people could spin the crank to see effects of plastic remaining in the water (the example can be seen in the picture with the blue billboard and the child spinning the crank). These are more appealing for the younger audience as it’s more interesting than the tradition boards where there are just facts.

To further promote animal education, the zoo provides many learning opportunities in forms of educator workshops, Collegiate Conservation Program, camps, field trips, and various school programs. At the educator workshops, teachers can register to learn about activities and projects that can promote wildlife conservation and its connection with the STEM field and TEKs. This information educators grasp can be utilized in their classroom and pass onto their students. At the Collegiate Conservation Program, people are placed on a 10-week internship. Interns then train, learn, and work at the Houston Zoo or regional conservation partners. For the younger audience, the Houston Zoo has camps open to the kids ages 4 to 16. These camps include fun and educational activities to immerse them in the wildlife. Shorter versions of that experience would be through scheduled field trips where students can learn and observe the animals. If schools would like to take it a step farther, they can participate in school programs such as Mascots for Saving Wildlife or Pollinator Garden Partnership. With many opportunity up their sleeve, the Houston Zoo has many methods to educating both the young and older visitors.

With all that in mind, the Houston Zoo has many methods of presenting information and educating their visitors regarding the wildlife and animals. The signs and plaques give animal facts that educated us about its life and habitats. Children, adults, students, and teachers could all learn something just by reading the facts of animals. If anyone so wish, they can also further their education through the many programs and projects they offer. These ways help educate Houstonians in a fun, interactive manner. A trip to the Houston Zoo is an educational and entertaining experience that visitors leave being well informed about the wildlife animals.

Over the course of ten years education has changed, sometimes good and sometimes bad. For the most part, our education is missing some important pieces of information. Mental health is something that has changed but has also become less talked about throughout societies. The education for it has decreased and is continuing to decrease. In future years the education for mental will drastically decrease. The more challenges will come up, and the more problems will be caused throughout society. Today, more and more teens are starting to be diagnosed with mental health illnesses but aren`t getting the treatment they require only because not everyone Is fully educated on the situation at hand.

Throughout society people have used a mental illness to get attention, it really shows how people show that they care about these types of things. Mental illness can be challenging, two people can be diagnosed with the same condition but will show the signs of it in a different way. Not every condition is portrayed the same way, some are more severe than others. But some are more noticeable than others. Do not judge someone until you know the actual truth about someone’s health. Sometimes stress can be the main cause of mental health but can also be to be overwhelming for one person to handle.

Too much stress can cause people to struggle more with mental health, which can give people the impression of it being fake. When people are using it for attention, they tend to consistently share about it on social media. Doing that can cause people to not want to talk about it. Which makes it a struggle to raise awareness for something that not a lot of people want to talk about, only because they have other people doing it for them. But doing it, in a way where their information is wrong and they did not fully educate themselves on something so important. People want to be aware of what is really happening, not something that is being made up. Like any mental illness health conditions can vary. There are days that can be more manageable than others, when they become more manageable one person can become more alive and aware of stuff happening around them, instead of staying in their own personal bubble. Most people with a mental illness want the chance to be successful throughout one day, which might even be getting up an getting ready. Or even just getting out of bed can be a big thing for some people. getting up and doing something doesn`t show that they are seeking attention, it shows that they are able to get through a day without any problems, even if that means the next day, they struggle to do anything.

People make things up all the time, but to make something up about a mental illness makes it hard for other people to talk about because they don`t know what’s true and what is not. They do not feel comfortable talking about something, that themselves do not fully understand. People are afraid to say that they are struggling with something so severe but are still being told that it is okay to admit that you have a mental illness, or even just to admit that you are sad. It is a good way to tell someone that something is wrong. There is nothing wrong with talking to someone about problems that someone is having.

People have a tendency to assume that people are not trying to get better. It can be hard to try and recover when people are in your head about not trying hard enough. It does not mean that they do not want to get better it just means that they do not have the fight in them to put the effort in and get better. Mental illness can be challenging but it does not mean it has to take over someone’s life. Raising awareness can help people to understand it just a little bit more than they already do. Mental illness should be understood just like math or science, it should never be ridiculed or silenced. Never accuse someone of making it up when you do not know the full story as to why they are acting the way they are.

People are more likely to get diagnosed with a mental illness between the ages of 12-19. People born in the 1980`s and 1990`s are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Back in the 60`s and 70`s researchers were not very good at cracking down on certain illnesses, which is why more people then were diagnosed in their late 20`s. In the early 60`s the main cases of mental health were anxiety and depression, only because they were the only known cases of an illness. Anxiety and depression are known as the most common illness in the early 60`s to 70`s. researchers now are studying on when it is becoming more known and at what ages. They are studying from the ages of children to middle aged adults. The study shows an increase in mental health with people in high school and college. The increase shows it started in the early 2000`s and over time has climbed but also declined. Other studies have shown that mental health has not improved over the past 20 years. More high school seniors in the year 2010 have been shown to have depression but were also having trouble sleeping.

Although suicide rates have gone down, the depression rates have gone up. People at the highest risk of suicide are more likely to be on anti-depressants even though the suicide rate has declined the mental health rate has drastically increased. As far as the study goes there are not many differences in mental illnesses, the main differences are that they are portrayed in different ways. The first step to making sure people are okay is to get them the help they need. Getting as much research as possible allows for people to understand the problem more at hand. If misinformation is spread the more it can hurt someone.

Currently younger kids are starting to show signs of mental illnesses. It all starts with not being able to pay attention, being distracted, lack of motivation, and always having a negative mood. From what researchers know it is still unclear as to what is causing mental health problems at schools. It can sometimes be known to affect their mental development, and in general their social development. Studies show that 1-6 percent children from the age 4-7 are showing more signs of a mental illness, 4-6 percent from the ages 7-11 are being diagnosed with a mental illness, and 4-5 percent from the age 12-19 are not getting treatment for their mental illness.

Mental health problems are showing more of an increase in students of having to repeat a grade, or even dropping out of school. By preventing that more students are changing schools because of the environment. But can also be different by school-based programs. Teachers are not recognizing the amount of stress they are putting on students, they don`t know a lot about the topic itself, which is why the education has gone downhill over the course of 10 years. Teachers don’t understand the how so much stress can affect one student, and how it makes them work. They are not fully educated on something so important. Schools do not take into consideration the amount of education needed for teachers to understand something to important. Programs should be made at the school for teachers to get the chance to learn about mental health so that they know what to do when a student is having a problem. It can make a big change in schools across the globe.

Mental health problems are affecting children and adults of all ages. The mental health rates are becoming higher as the years go on. Children are not getting the treatments they need to be able to live with something so severe. Very few children and adults receive the treatment they need to be able to live on. Some reasons why people aren`t getting the treatment they deserve would be that, the proper healthcare is not provided, they have a fear of being diagnosed with something they do not want, parents do not want their child to have a mental illness, little to no information, and sometimes language.

One of a teacher’s tasks is to support the children with their mental health development as they grow. Children in elementary school spend more time in a large group trying to be social but end up being more uncomfortable than they do comfortable. They face a lot of challenges, which can cause learning differences. It can also cause students to lash out at people because of how they are feelings, teachers do not know how to control that, and it is only because of the lack of education.

Over the course of 10 years the education has changed, sometimes good, but for the most part it’s been bad. Our education is still missing important pieces of information, which cause a decrease in research. It has still become less talked about and throughout society’s it still becomes less talked about. More challenges come up, and the more that come up the more people do not understand. More and more teenagers are starting to become diagnosed with a mental illness, but even then, they are not getting the treatment they need to be able to make it through a day. The reason no one wants to talk about mental illnesses is because they are scared that they have it themselves.

References

1. World Health Organization, (2005). Mental Health – Facing the Challenges, Building Solutions. Report from the WHO European Ministerial conference.
2. Massatti, R.R., (2007). The De-Adoption of Innovative Mental Health Practices: Why Organizations Choose Not to Sustain an IMHP.
3. Gerd, S.K. (2016). Mental Health Problems in a School Setting and Adolescents. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4850518/
4. Twenge, J. M., (2015). Are Mental Health Issues on the Rise.
5. Edwards, K., (2017). Why People Use Mental Health for Attention.