Category: Family

Introduction

Many people want to live long, be happy, and thrive. However, only a few achieve this goal, and the materials studied this week, Dan Buettners TED Talk on longevity and Mitsuhashis article on the concept of ikigai, reveal the reasons. Even though ideas and actions standing behind longevity are pretty simple to execute, at the current pace of life, only some people may follow them and become centenarians.

Discussion

People who have become centenarians usually share several common qualities. Notably, studies have found that genetics determines life expectancy by only 10%, and the rest depends on lifestyle (Buettner 00:04  00:20). Therefore, the key takeaways from the video are lifestyle features, which contribute to longevity. Individuals who have lived to the age of 100 and more have strong social ties  they put family first and belong to communities. They do not follow a particular diet but eat wisely, including many plants and avoiding overeating. Moreover, centenarians move a lot daily  these are not specific exercises but natural movements. Finally, having the right outlook and focusing on small joys and daily goals is essential.

In terms of outlook, the video is intertwined with readings, where the concept of ikigai has become the main takeaway. It is used in Japanese and does not have an exact English translation (Mitsuhashi). Ikigai means finding happiness and meaning in living and daily activities. The idea is not focused on the global purpose in life but on small joys. Ikigai motivates people to get up in the morning and can be present even when individuals do not feel happy. The idea unites human values, favored activities, and talents in itself. For example, favorite work, family care, volunteering, or hobbies can be ikigai.

Conclusion

Thus, this weeks materials reveal the lifestyle features of those people who are 100 years old and older. They share several characteristics in eating habits, everyday physical activity, and the level of social connections with family and community. An essential feature of every centenarian is also their worldview. They can find happiness in their regular activities, which motivates and supports them, reflected in the Japanese concept of ikigai.

Works Cited

Buettner, Dan. How to Live to Be 100+. TED, Web.

Mitsuhashi, Yukari. Ikigai: A Japanese Concept to Improve Work and Life. BBC, Web.

I am comfortable working with a social group consisting of older people. I do not have any problems or worries when interacting with them. At the same time, I might feel uncomfortable collaborating with people with alternative sexual orientations. Some interactions might be awkward for me and require additional effort to remain involved. The three significant things making me feel comfortable when interacting with the first group are respect, knowledge, and compassion. Most older people have numerous experiences from their past and can share knowledge, which can be interesting for a person. Moreover, they usually respect their interlocutor and are happy to engage in conversation. Finally, because of their experiences, they are compassionate and can notice strong emotions and help to share them. For this reason, I do not have issues interacting with this social group, and these things make me feel comfortable.

As for the aspects making me uncomfortable, it is possible to mention a lack of understanding of how to behave, stigma, and problematic communication. The problem is that society offers stereotypic and biased judgments about people with alternative sexual orientations. It results in the emergence of a specific attitude to them and issues in communication. As for me, I do not have a prejudiced attitude toward this cohort; however, trying to avoid complex issues and themes, I might feel awkward. In such a way, to address the discomfort, I should do three main things. First, I should communicate with this social groups representatives to acquire a better understanding and avoid the fear of using inappropriate themes or issues. Second, it is vital to improve my communication skills as they would help to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and feel more confident in various situations. Finally, it is necessary to stop thinking about the stigma existing in society and how to avoid touching it.

Introduction

It is good to write to you, after all this time. Now that we are both dead, we get to live on in this new plane of existence. Last time we met, we came to blows. I was angry at you for what you did to me, at first. But I think I understand your motivations now. I like to think that I understand you, too. You were a career officer, and war was what you have ever known. We were people from peaceful lives and vocations, thrown into its fires. You tried to keep us safe, all of us. Even if you had to make harsh decisions, sometimes.

Main body

War was different for me, as I was a soldier who knew nothing of it, before. My experience was shooting targets at a carnival, before getting enlisted. I did not have the same responsibilities you had. My concerns were largely for myself, my actions, and my duties. When I ran into that fire, I did not think about the rest, only about that girl in the fire. It was a girl, you know, not a shadow. I met her at the end of my journey. She was my 5^th person, the one I was the guiltiest towards.

I managed to come to terms, with what had happened. With the pain that you caused to me, and the one I caused to others. The Blue Man, my first, said that everything in life is interconnected. Every living being, and every living soul affects one another in ways they could not possibly fathom, or foresee. Before I died, I had no idea about any of it, living separated from others, and from my real self. I lived my life thinking that it was a failure, that I accomplished nothing, and was a victim of circumstance. Being here, however, let me see the results of my day-to-day work, and how many lives I have saved, including that last one. I am sure you have saved just as many, Captain, including myself. Thank you for that.

Learning about what happened hurt at first, but it needed to be done. What I learned about you and myself is that most of us, in the end, are trying to do the right thing, even if it means our demise. I also learned about how much people could forgive. The girl I met at the end, my 5^th person, managed to forgive me even though I was the reason she died in a fire, back at the mine. And if she had it in her heart to forgive me for that, how could I not forgive you?

Conclusion

I would like to end this letter by saying that I have no hard feelings for you now. Whatever you did is in the past. And besides, there is no pain here, no suffering. I can see all the people, past, present, and future, who will have benefitted from my work and grew to live their lives to the fullest. And when the girl I managed to save comes here, I will be waiting for her too. Tell her my story, so that it too would be included in the great tapestry of the afterlife. Thank you for waiting for me.

Matthew Gaeta

Matthew Gaeta started Gaeta Sports Management and serves as its CEO and founder. He has passed the required training to become a Certified Agent with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MBLPA). More than eighty major league baseball players are under Mr. Gaetas representation, and he has built his firm in only four years. In the business world, Matthew Gaeta is unusually young for having been an official MLBPA agent. He passed the test at age 21 and received his certification. He has been successful thanks to his past as a player, his education, and his ability to network in business.

Job Responsibilities

Matthew Gaetas role as a sports agent and player representative would include his advising professional players on matters such as endorsement deals, public appearance fees, financial investments, and tax obligations. A players agent or representation may have just one client, or they may have a roster full of athletes. A sports agent assumes the high-stakes, potentially lucrative role of guiding the professional careers of players.

Key Points of Sports Agent Vacancy

Athletes often need the aid of a professional to assist them avoid possible public relations catastrophes, since an image-ruining incident may put an end to a promising career (Jessup, 2022). Agents assist their clients maintain a positive public persona by setting up interviews with fans and media and organizing humanitarian events.

Industry Growth for Player Agents

The demand for celebrity sportsmen as brand ambassadors has increased with the popularity of online marketing. Products as diverse as watches, automobiles, and even food have been endorsed. Athletes trust their representatives to not only get them big endorsement deals, but also to look out for their financial interests while negotiating contracts. The globalization of the market has also made it possible for athletes from any country to compete at a professional level in another. Now more than ever, a player needs an agent who is well-versed in the global commercial landscape.

Trends in the Sports Agent Industry

Social media and e-commerce giants are disrupting the sports rights business that has been established over many years. For instance, Facebook got the rights to broadcast the World Surf League for two years at a cost of $30 million, and for a while it showed the Spanish Primera Division, the best professional soccer league in Spain, only in India (Thieringer, 2022). Many sportsmen are striving to boost their reputations by aligning themselves with the growing trend toward sustainability and eco-awareness. There was a long period of time when the sports industry was dominated by men. However, the sports sector is also being forcefully shaken up as a result of societal shifts. Thus, a pattern emerged with the growing exposure of women athletes.

References

About the founder. Gaeta Sports Management. (n.d.). Web.

IBISWorld. (2022). Celebrity & Sports Agents in the US  Market Size 20032028. Web.

Jessup. (2022). Sports agent salary and job description. Jessup University. Web.

Thieringer, A. J. (2022). 10 sports marketing trends you should take advantage of. ISPO.com. Web.

When a person is asked directly if they are creative or not, the instinctive response is to say No. There are reasons for that  most people are raised to be modest and not flaunt whatever personal talents they have in front of others. Self-esteem and understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses, however, are important. Some of the qualities that are essential to creativity include flexibility, sensitivity, originality, playfulness, productivity, fluency, as well as analytical and organizational skills (Hallam & Ingold, 2021). Every person has these developed to some extent, though some may be more advanced than others. In this essay, I will evaluate my creative potential by outlining two of my strongest creative skills, which include analytical and organizational capabilities.

When people think about creativity, they usually imagine something like writing books, poetry, creating art, or other similar activities. I was not particularly good at these since childhood. However, what I lacked in originality, playfulness, and other areas, I made up for with analytical and organizational skills. The former became useful whenever I had to understand what exactly was expected of me and what results I should provide. This knowledge helped frame my creativity because it is more difficult to create when surrounded by restrictions and unspoken expectations. In a way, one has to be creative to include various conditions, that are often contradicting one another, and still provide a satisfactory result. Organizational skills are a very useful aspect of creativity since they help provide actual results, within allotted timeframes. I am capable of self-organization, which helps me summon my creative flow whenever I need it, without relying on a muse to guide me.

During school, I was able to produce a better quality effort by starting and finishing assignments on time. Creativity, as I discovered, requires time and preparation to flourish. Thus, organizational skills are another quality that I possess.

Reference

Hallam, E., & Ingold, T. (Eds.). (2021). Creativity and cultural improvisation. Routledge.

Is the Book The Gift of Sex for Me?

Indeed, this is one of the most important questions that a young man or woman who is stepping into the life must ask him- or herself. This question can be paraphrased in the following way: Am I ripe enough to read the book that will open the secrets of life to me? Am I ready to know these secrets?

Only in case if the answer is positive, and the sexual education is a subject that does not cause confusion or nervous laughter, the time has come to see the light.

The introduction helps the youth to realise that what is happening to them is not something out of the ordinary but just another stage of their physical and spiritual development.

The preface also dwells upon such important issue as the integration of the spirit and the body. It gets the youth accustomed to the idea of sex as a part of love, and not its dominating part, though the one of great importance.

Why All the Confusion?

Of course, it is rather hard to start speaking on the topic that has been considered as something to keep silence about. But the next question would be, what is the use of this top secrecy? Is there something dirty, vulgar or indecent in physical love? The answer is certainly no. Thus, the chapter explains that the topics tabooed from the very childhood are nothing but a prejudice that the adults follow blindly. Once a sacred topic that only the enlightened could speak about, now it has turned a thing to be shamed of, but this is totally wrong. Sexuality is not banned by the Christian religion and not considered to be a sin.

Still people hesitate because the standards that have been created by their ancestors are still in motion. That makes the topic of sex so difficult to speak about.

Sexuality Is a Gift from God!

Since it has been figured out that discussing sex is no crime and sin, the time has come to bust another common myth. This one concerns such quality as sexuality. the quality itself is completely inherent and impossible to forge. Many people think that this is something that church thinks to be a sin and an indecent trait of character. The abovementioned is completely wrong, for sexuality is a gift of God, and, like any gifts of His, it is a blessing and treasure.

The human psychology suggests that people should seem attractive to each other; otherwise they would have vanished long before. People are programmed to give birth to another generation, and it is biologically determined that they choose those whom they consider the best mate. Accordingly, a specific behaviour that is called sexuality has been developed. This is the remainder of our animal past, and there is nothing to do about it.

When a youngster starts feeling the sexual appeal growing inside, this means that the time for blooming has come. Accordingly, this is simply a mark of another stage of development passed, and not a vice to eliminate.

What the Bible Says about Our Sexuality

Actually, if people think that the Holy Scripture has nothing to do with the aspects of gender and reproduction, they are deeply wrong.

There are some passages in the Bible that state a clear position on peoples sexuality and sex as it is.

First, there is a famous quote from Bible, which says: Go forth and multiply! So this is the prescription of God that people must follow.

There are other pieces of evidence that speak for themselves. Most people cannot see the Biblical understanding of sexuality because of the misunderstandings concerning the original fault that the fall of man followed. However, the sin was disobedience, not the very relationships Adam and Eve stepped into, this must be remembered.

There are also some clues that can lead to the Biblical understanding of sex and sexuality as not only an integral part of a persons life, but also a chance to know the relations that are beyond the bodily contact and mean the contact of souls.

Our Bodies

The chapter deals with the detailed explanations of how our bodies work. The difference between a man and a woman is not only biological and concerns not only the primary sexual characters; it lies deep inside the nature of both.

Still, for a normal family life, at least basic knowledge about the functioning of a mans and a womans organisms is needed, and the chapter provides it fully. Giving brief and delicate notes on what the essence of manhood and womanhood is, it makes the young people aware of the issues they could not find out themselves without several not really successful and religious experiences.

Discovering and Sharing Our Bodies

The chapter that follows gives more precise information on the peculiarities of the organs working. It is necessary information that the people will not be able to cope without, like those basic rules without which people stay illiterate for all their life.

The secrets of a humans body are sometimes even more mysterious than those of a humans psycho. Why does this very person make one feel uncomfortable, hesitant, shy? Is it the chemistry to blame? Or is there something more than meets the eye?

Sharing the bodies should not be associated with another vulgar understanding of this motion. The kind of sharing that is being discussed is more like a part of sharing peoples souls. Since we are bodily creatures, the bodily contact is inevitable. Again, this could be a handshake, or touching on someones fingers unintended as you ask a person to pass you something& Al these things cannot be enumerated, but they are a part of the bodily contact that is necessary to make way for the spiritual one.

How Our Bodies Work

The more the book digs, the better it explains what is happening to a persons body as he or she grows up. The multiple changes that take place can be explained by the organism getting ready to give birth to another generation.

It has also been dealt with in details what exactly a chemistry of love is. The body reactions to the person whom one falls in love with are nothing to be afraid of, since such is the humans nature. The only thing that a man can do is to find out about the processes that are going on in his brain and body, since what is going on in the brain at this time is an absolute mystery.

Our Bodies Sexual Response

However long one might search for a true love, he or she will finally meet the person that is dear and beloved, and who shares this sweet feeling. Then it comes to speak about the electrical current that floats between the two, making them shiver.

Again, there is nothing to be ashamed of. The key thing here is to concentrate on the fact of the merging of the spiritual and physical communication, trying to combine the simple pleasure of socializing with the spiritually rich delight of the souls intertwined.

However, sexual response does not necessarily belong to the sphere of the solely primary physical instincts. This might be the shiver that handshakes with the person you feel affection to send right through your spine, or the irises getting bigger as you speak to the one that attracts you. This is an issue where physiology is so tightly connected with psychology that a touch on a hand can result in an outburst of feelings.

Getting Interested

The way to get interested in the other person is to feel his or her mood and try to understand and know the inner world of his or hers. This is an integral part of the relationships between a man and a woman, and without it, it would be impossible to reach the bliss of the communication with someone completely different. The shapes that the process of getting interested may take are unpredictable. It is also impossible top say where and when one will catch a love fewer. So, one can come across his true love anywhere.

What is basically getting interested involves? It depends on the stage of the relationships development. A couple of glances before the first hello-how-do-you-do, a compliment on the hairstyle and a first kiss are all the elements of taking interest in each other, and the evidence of something grand and new coming into each youths life.

Having Fun

Passing the stage of embarrassment and the first awkward words, the couple is starting to get closer each day. To understand the importance of the process that is going on, it should be said that a single wrong step can spoil everything. That is why the basis for the relationships at this stage is sincerity and openness. However, the youth does not think anymore about such trifles. The hard moments have happily passed, and now they are enjoying being together without any fear or embarrassment. It is a sheer pleasure for them to spend time in each others presence, and they are ready to share their lives and make it a whole indivisible lot of fun.

They are indulging into the wonders of common pastime. The fun that the couple is having is close to that one Adam and Eve had before they have known the sin. The two young people are innocent and happy, what else can be desired?

Initiating

As the two young people have stepped into another stage of the relationship development, they will have to pass a certain stage that indicates the beginning of the adult relationships, that is, the life of a husband and a wife. They are standing at the very beginning, and they will have a lot of things to learn, with the new discoveries ahead, but what they are to do at this very given stage is to start the new stage of relations. Unlike it is in the Muslim world, where people are, according to Strubbles definition, decades behind on the issues of sexuality (Out 2002, p.119), the Christian religion is rather progressive in these terms.

Meshing Your Worlds

This chapter deals with the most intimate sphere of the relationship between a man and a woman. Indeed, what else could be so secret and so desired as sharing each others worlds? This is the peak of the bodily enjoyment that can be the apotheosis of the spiritual communication as well, in case both partners want it. The fascinating delight that both can feel if they are striving for bringing the joy to the partner is indescribable.

However, there are some stepping stones that the newlywed might encounter on their way to the spiritual unification, but these can be easily avoided in case both the husband and wife ate trying to lay all their love on their soulmate.

The Christians are worried now by the fact that more and more people marry rather late. The tendency in the contemporary Western society for single people to delay marriage until well into adulthood only agitates sexuality problems in the church (Robertson 2006, p.28).

Pleasuring

One of the key ideas of the physical and spiritual unification is the one of altruism, which presupposes that each of the two cares about his or her beloved first, trying to give everything they want to share. The idea is that love can be complete only when the two give themselves away completely, without demanding the immediate response. Otherwise, there will be no unification of the souls and the couple will not be able to go on with their common life. Pleasuring is something that has to be shared and that is understood as the ultimate way to reach the top of the spiritual contact together with the soulmate. This is the territory where there is no place for egoism or thinking about yourself, because it is the partner who will.

Special Treats That Add Pleasure

In the given chapter the author is telling how the two people ho have already known the pleasure of being together can make the experience even more delightful. Indulging into knowing each other, the two beloved get to know about the art of making the relationship deeply emotional. And as they are bound to find out, this can be achieved if they remember the ideas of two people living a happy family life. the primary aspects of relationships between a husband and a wife, they presume the respect to each other, in every sphere of the couples life. This can be the respect for the tastes of the partner, even if they do not coincide with yours, but fully oppose them; this is also the wish to make a person whom you live with happy.

There is one more component of the couple living happily together, which is the self-development of each of them. Staying on a certain stage of development is not quite good, however sweet this stage might seem, for this might cause the relations to cool down and the family might get broken.

Stimulating

One more tricky aspect of the relationships between a husband and a wife is that it needs to be encouraged to go on. Like any source it will sooner or later become not so plentiful, and Getting themselves ready for that, the couple must remember that without their reaction the partner will not be able to reach the top of the spiritual integration, and both a husband and wife have to learn the right way to answer the partner and to try to find the right way of pleasing him or her. This is one of the most important aspects of living together. Without a proper feedback, the love will finally weather, and there will be nothing to do about it but to cry over its remaining and recollect the time when things were far better.

Such is a humans nature that it needs encouragement. When someone does not want to help the partner to improve the situation and find the way to love that fits the both, the marriage is doomed to collapse.

By Invitation Only

It is always hard to invite someone into the sanctuary of your own world, and the chapter shows how important it is to appreciate the partners freedom and choice. The notorious problem of a wife saying that she has a headache to avoid the contact she is not willing to have is another delicate problem, which needs to be talked over, so that the husband and wife would not spoil their life with the arguments that could be easily avoided.

Letting Go

The time has come to speak of the deepest bottoms of the sweethearts souls. They are going to face one of the most delightful experiences in their lives, and the boundaries that they might have can be dictated only by their own imagination. This is certainly one of the most dramatic moments in the couples life.

Affirmation Time

When the affirmation time comes, the couple starts to take a certain part of the responsibility over the family life and the relationships. This stage means that the young couple is ready to start their journey off, and living together will be just as pleasant as the life in heaven.

Cleaning Up

Speaking of the cleaning up part, it is necessary to say that sometimes it takes a lot of time to solve the important questions that concern the family life and its peculiarities. That is what the cleaning-up faze needed, and the author emphasizes its importance in the relationships between a husband and a wife.

Why Sexual Problems?

The origin of sexual problems can be caused by different factors, among them the psychological, the physiological and even the environmental ones. It must be well understood that the problems that have risen are to be solved together, the couple together discussing the situation. Although there could be rather embarrassing points to discuss, the spouses are learning to live together not only the happy moments, but also be of help to the spouse as he or she is in trouble. This is where a lot of tactfulness and understanding is needed.

Differing Sexual Needs

It must be taken into account that a man and a woman have different sexual needs, and the situation when those needs coincide at least partially is very rare. Nevertheless, the sexual needs of both must be taken into account if the couple wants to reach their happily ever after.

Never Enough Time

The lack of time is another problem that the partners might face, but this can be easily solved by their desire to please each other, without making the other spouse to bring you pleasure immediately. In other words, this is where the altruism becomes of the greatest importance again.

You Want to Do That?

However compatible the two people might be, there are always some taboos that the other soulmate does not have. As a result, there can be conflicts caused by persuading the beloved to do what he or she is not used to or fears or hates to doing. The answer to the problem is very simple: the two people just have to talk it over.

I Dont Love Him Anymore

However sad it might sound, love is something that does not last forever. And as time passes, one of the lovebirds inevitably notices that the love has gone. This can end in the breach of the family.

It must be well, understood that as love gets older, it fades away, and then comes the respect towards the spouse. The thing that the couple has to know is that someday they will have to change their love into respect to each other.

Birth Control Gets in the Way

Touching upon the issue of the birth control, one can say that there is only one thing that can be done. No, it does not mean that a husband and a wife should forget about the private life. It is all about calculating the days when it is quite safe to come together in bliss of two souls united. It is that simple.

Im not Interested

The day when one of the couple will say I am tired of you will never happen, says Pennel, if the tow people develop gradually together, in the way that they will choose as the most appropriate one.

Not Enough When You Need It: Erectile Dysfunction

Speaking on this uneasy issue, there can be given one piece of a reasonable advice. The sooner the husband talks to his wife and the doctor, the easier the disease will be cured.

Too Soon, Too Fast: Premature Ejaculation

Dwelling upon this subject, Pennel warns that the young wives should be more tolerant to their impatient and young husbands. What Sampson has called uncontrolled male sexuality (Third Way 2000, p.25) is a subject that can be handled.

Less Arousal or no Release: Some Womens Frustration

As Pennel notices, most of the womens problems are deeply psychological, and that makes them both easier and harder to get rid of. On the one hand, frustration is not something that demands operation, but, on the other hand, it is hard to operate such a delicate issue as humans soul. Again, a help of a qualified psychologist will be the best answer to all problems.

Pain Reduces Pleasure

The pain that a woman is supposed to experience during her first time is unavoidable, but it is also depends much on the overall mood. If a man acts accordingly, a woman might forget about the fears and not even notice the notorious pain that she has been afraid of.

Pornography and the Internet

This is, perhaps, one of the hardest issues to touch upon. The harm of pornography is undeniable, and the only way is to avoid it. It destructs the perception of love as a sacrifice and turns it into a humiliation of a spouse. Although it has been argued for long that pornography serves as the social valve, there is no way it can be justified. As Henry Soles (Jet 1977, p. 22) put it, Most clergymen are trained to handle the issues of sex today. And I prefer that to issuing a book which can become another piece of pornography.

Inviting God into the Bedroom

As the spouses reach the peace and harmony in every sphere of their relationships, starting from the spiritual one and ending with the bodily contact, it can be said that they have God within  within their room, their family and themselves. This is the achievement that some couples have been going to for years. As Mahadevan (Outlook 2008) has said, And I know Him as a dear friend to whom I pray and talk to every day  about my career, my dreams, successes, failures, finances and even my sexuality (p. 29).

Build Sexual Passion and Intimacy

Since passion is nothing close to a sin, it can be built within the world of God they live in. With such a treatment of each other they will find a heaven on the earth.

A Plan for Change

As the relationships are cooling down, there could be some changes that might help the fire burn again. These can be any, as far as the imagination of the spouses goes. However, they must take the preferences of each other into consideration, of course.

Going for Help

In this section the author explains that however hard the luck might press on the husband and wife, they should take the pushes of fate together as they have vowed once.

Questions and Answers

In this section the most popular questions of the newlywed are answered in detail.

Final Word

In his final word, the author expresses hope that these little pieces of advice will help the people treading into a new wonderful world of a love and family life to avoid the conflicts that might emerge further on.

References

Mahadevan, A. (2008) I, the Convert. Outlook. 48 (43). 29.

Robertson, C. K. (2006) Religion and Sexuality: Passionate Debates. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing.

Sampson, P. (2000) The Body in Question. Third Way. 22 (10). 23-26.

Strubbe, B. (2002) Cruising the Casbah. Out. 11 (3). 115-119.

West, Malcolm R. (1977) Religious Sex Manuals. Jet, 52 (23), 22.

Introduction

As it can be seen from the survey, my personal media usage altered with the course of time. It mainly happened because of the enormous development in the technological sphere, the influence of media, and individual changes.

Even in 2005, I spent the majority of my free time watching something on television. Cartoons and films made me laugh a lot that is why I liked them very much. As a result, I tried to watch them as often as possible. Those of them that were funny and depicted pleasant things attracted me the most, identifying my preferences. However, soon I started to consider television to be rather limited, as I could not find something to my liking with its help. The Internet, on the other hand, provided and provides me with the opportunity to reach any information I want. It makes me feel enthusiastic and powerful when I refer to some creative activities, as I can easily find inspiring words, pictures, and videos. The Internet allows me to do numerous tasks that previously required much time and various tools; that is why it is my favorite form of media.

I cannot ignore the fact that the media is constantly affecting people, making them do the things they are not intended to do. The greatest example is purchasing. The Internet, television, newspapers, and other forms of media are full of different advertisements including those that are obvious and those that tend to be hidden. Even though I tried to avoid their influence, I admit yielding to some. For example, I saw a new chocolate bar advertised in the commercial recently. Even though I am not one of those people who cannot live without chocolate, I could not stand the temptation and after watching that product several times bought it when found it in a shop. I was not going to purchase it that day, and I was looking only for milk, but then I realized that I should try it. I believe that the media were hoping to attract children, adolescents, and young adults who like sweets and are willing to try something new and extraordinary, and I fit into this target market.

Once I had nothing to do and was surfing the Internet without any purpose; I was looking through different book reviews and photos of cover pages. Then I found one picture that appealed to me and started to look for a book. I found a video with a trailer to it. It was rather short (just a few minutes) but resembled a part of a movie. The main character was played by the actresses I knew. I was very impressed and decided to buy the book as soon as possible. The media wanted to attract people who prefer stories of that kind. The thing is that it affected not only me but also those who do not even like to read; they start doing it because of the trailer.

Daily Use of Media

I have tracked my use of media for a week and found out that my experience is not varied because I mainly refer to the same websites over and over.

• Monday: weather forecast; Facebook (2016); television while eating (did not pay much attention to the film, as it served mainly as a background); listened to music while going to the college; sent several messages; billboards with smartphones; watched Friends in the café; Twitter (2016); ProQuest (2016); e-book.
• Tuesday: television (cornflakes commercial, news); Facebook; Twitter; the Economist (2016); YouTube (2016); e-book; Google Books.
• Wednesday: YouTube (film trailers); television (music channel); various commercials (including laptop, hair color, tea, etc.); Facebook, Twitter, smartphone; ProQuest.
• Thursday: e-book; weather forecast; television (music channel); Facebook; Twitter; Allrecipes (2016); ProQuest; the age of Adaline (2015); smartphone.
• Friday: Facebook; Twitter, YouTube, smartphone, commercials (different technical devices, food, etc.); Google Books; Houzz (2016).
• Saturday: smartphone; weather forecast; YouTube; e-book; Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest (2016), commercials (medicine).
• Sunday: BookPage (2016); Facebook, YouTube; commercials (food, technical devices, medicine); smartphone.

I spend much time every day interacting with the media which is why it has a great impact on me. Very often, its usage is rather helpful. For example, when I get to know the weather forecast for a day with the help of radio, television, or the Internet, I receive an opportunity to dress up decently and feel comfortable outside. While chatting with my friends on Facebook and Twitter, I improve my communication skills and get to know new information. Television allows me to broaden my mind and be up-to-date (as well as printed commercials) even though it often serves me as a background. With the help of my smartphone, I can listen to music not to get bored, communicate with friends and family, and search the Internet if I need to find something out. Various websites help me with my homework and enhance my creativity.

Still, it cannot be denied that the mentioned forms of media make me dependent. I cannot imagine my life without the things that are not really vital, such as online communication and Internet search. Even though such things seem to be rather advantageous in todays world, they make me lazier and limit the time I could spend interacting face to face with other people. I have never thought about the media as a thing that makes people isolated, but now I believe that it is really so. Except for that, I see that people lose control of their lives. Even though I realize that commercials are made to affect me, I cannot resist them. It is not so crucial when I buy some sweets, but the issue becomes serious when it comes to health-related products and services. I also think that the media can spoil peoples relations. The message one sends as well as the pictures and texts one repost can lead to argues and quarrels. I also realized that the life of the individual in the digital and real-world can be tracked with the help of social media. The received information can be used to conduct illegal actions or to get to know more about the person. In the last case, one can have problems when applying for a job, for example.

Taking everything mentioned into consideration, it can be claimed that just like many other representatives of the general public I am affected by the media and with the course of time its influence increased. I started to spend more time using it instead of communicating face to face. Still, media usage has both positive and negative effects on my life, which means that it is critical to find balance.

References

YouTube. (2016).

Allrecipes. (2016).

BookPage. (2016).

Facebook. (2016). Web.

Pinterest. (2016). Web.

ProQuest. (2016). Web.

The age of Adaline. (2015). Web.

The Economist. (2016).

Twitter. (2016).

The first thing a person thinks about when he or she hears the word sport is something connected with movements, strength, competitions, hard training, and special physical abilities. Football, tennis, hockey, volleyball, ski race, weightlifting, track and field, swimming, and other activities are familiar sports. Also, no one is surprised by the fact that chess and poker are sports. However, many people do not consider eSports real sports because of its originality, paradox, special rules, the predominance of mental effort over physical, and the use of computers. The purpose of this paper is to establish the nature of the controversy, discuss advantages of recognition of eSports, and analyze opposing opinions on the problem.

Esports is a competition in video or computer games in virtual space. The synonyms for this term are cybersports, virtual sports, electronic sports, and gaming (Jenny et al. 4). Although a large number of people have never heard of this competitive video gaming world, eSports are rapidly developing as a part of the entertainment industry. They have thousands of fans, superstars, competitions, tournaments, uniforms, the playoffs, and even different kinds of disciplines. All eSports disciplines are divided into several main classes, distinguished by the properties of spaces, models, game tasks, and the developed gaming skills of cyber sportspersons. For example, there are 3D shooters, simulators of sports games like FIFA, real-time strategy like StarCraft, and team role games containing elements of tactical games which are popular among people of all ages.

Online games appeared almost simultaneously with the emergence and quick development of the Internet; very soon, they became unbelievably popular among a significant number of people around the world. Computers can offer us several games that are modeling activities, such as racing, football, boxing, golf, volleyball, basketball, boxing, and many others. Esports competitions are about twenty years old, but their explosive growth is connected mainly to the launch of Twitch, an online streaming platform, which now rivals major entertainment sites for online traffic (Holden et al. 48). There are many parallels between traditional athletic sports and eSports. However, the nature of the controversy is the virtual environment and lack of physical activity. Skeptical people do not consider games as a sport since the actions performed by cyber sportspersons are virtual, unreal, and, to their mind, meaningless. It calls into question whether we can genuinely define eSports as real sports without any qualifiers or eSports could be considered mind sports.

Nowadays, the eSports industry is rapidly developing, the prize money for a competition can reach several million dollars, and tournaments are broadcast live on the Internet, gathering a broad audience. It has a lot of similarities with traditional sports; for example, it is commonly played between professional players and has a vast amount of viewers. There is a different quantity of players in a team in different eSports disciplines, and their number varies from one to fifteen. Like any other kind of a sport, eSports requires tremendous efforts, numerous training, outstanding ability, competitive spirit, intelligence, and fast reaction. According to Loy, sports are games, yet must be institutionalized within organized spheres (2). There are also the differentiating features, and similar aspects of play, games, and sport, described in the book, and they confirm that eSports is a sport.

Many contradictory data are proving or refuting the thesis of this essay. The fact that, in many countries, eSports has already been recognized as an official sport casts doubts on the opinion of the opposite side. It is legalized by many governments, and it became possible because eSports meet the criteria by which it can be attributed to the sport. Thus, it contributes to the physical and intellectual development of the human body, improves motor activity, and forms a healthy lifestyle (Jenny et al. 4). Also, it trains mental or physical abilities in the use of information and communication technologies. Video games mostly develop a memory of cyber sportspersons, their attention, quick reaction, critical thinking, and the ability to get out of problematic situations very fast. Game is the central part of eSports, and play is the foundation for all kinds of a sport.

At first glance, computer games and sports are entirely incompatible things. Nevertheless, human nature makes it go beyond the usual utilitarian framework and come up with something extraordinary. Therefore, computer technology, the pinnacle of modern pragmatism, became the basis not only for computer games but also to make it a real sport. Simple entertainment does not make much sense if it has no place for achievements and competition. That is why computer games turned into a platform for sports tournaments very soon. The competitions based on games are united by one exciting feature  the complexity or even the impossibility of implementing such activities in the real world. This fact provides attractiveness not only for the players but also for the audience. Even though almost all cyber sportspersons do not train in specialized educational institutions, there are several universities with eSports programs in the world. There, eSport athletes improve their professionalism in virtual battles, and the best of them earn real money.

Another argument in support of eSports is that cyber athletes must possess outstanding abilities. A moment can separate a triumph from a loss, so the reaction and the speed of thinking of a sportsperson play a crucial role. A high level of these specifications cannot be achieved without good physical and mental condition and training (Holden et al. 49). Also, not all gamers can become great cyber athletes: it requires a particular type of mind, and, possibly, talent. Esports are not weightlifting or running, but there are no distinct differences between them and such long-recognized sports as, for example, chess or archery. As for the psychological aspect, there are no differences at all. Esports athletes also aim to win; they have a competitive spirit, and, like any other sport, eSports are out of politics.

On the other hand, many people in the world still do not recognize eSports and consider it only entertainment. Their position is based on the fact that for eSports athletes, the determining factor is mental abilities, not physical ones. They think that a true sportsperson should have strength, speed, endurance, aggression, masculinity, and, thus, have advantages over female athletes. Masculinity is synonymous with the sport for them, but in eSports, a fragile girl, non-athletics guy, and a strong man can be on a par (Hemphill 196). That is, theoretically, an eSportsperson is not required to have a sports physique or staying power. However, professionals competing at the world level always pay attention to their physical condition and form. Also, many persons do not recognize the digital nature and use of the computer for eSports. Nevertheless, if one were to consider a computer as a tool for a game, such as a ball, tennis racket, skates, skis, and other things used in traditional sports, then such an objection to eSports has no valid reason.

Esports can hardly be called something traditional and ordinary, although it originated many years ago and is spread all over the world. For example, the assumption that computer games are not a sport is challenged by highlighting the physicality associated with them and coins the activities as cybersport (Hemphill 197). To my mind, it is possible to say that computer games competitions have all the formal attributes of a traditional sport: there are teams, fans, tournaments, uniform rules, and broadcasts. Esports can be perceived in different ways: for people who are not ready to accept progress  it is not entertainment, for innovators and strategists  it is a unique sport. Depending on this perception, this statement can be considered as an opposition to traditional sports, or combined into one unit.

To sum up, eSport does not fit into the standard framework and does not follow all the rules. However, eSport is precisely the same sport as any other traditional sport. It is not a competition between people and a computer; it is a competition of two persons or teams, an intellectual tournament in which a computer is sports equipment or a space for a game. An understanding of nature and historical definitions of sport is at the heart of eSports recognition. Maybe eSports currently lack great physicality and institutionalization, but they include play and competition, are organized by rules, require skill, and have a broad following.

Works Cited

Hemphill, Dennis. Cybersport. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, vol. 32, no. 2, 2005, pp. 195-207.

Holden, John T. et al. The Future is Now: Esports Policy Considerations and Potential Litigation. J. Legal Aspects Sport, vol. 27, no. 1, 2017, pp. 46-78.

Jenny, Seth E. et al. Virtual (ly) Athletes: Where Esports Fit Within the Definition of Sport. Quest, vol. 69, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-18.

Loy, John W. The nature of sport: A definitional effort. Quest, vol. 10, no. 1, 1968, pp. 1-15.