It is important to note that the teenager or adolescent population includes individuals between the ages of 10 to 19. It is reported that “according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, there were 41,852,838 youth age 10-19 in the United States, 13% of the total U.S. population, in 2019” (Act for Youth, 2021, para. 1). When it comes to gender, 51% of adolescents are female, and 49% are male. In the case of ethnicity, race, and national origin, the adolescent population is “50% white, 25% Latinx, 14% Black, 5% Asian, 4% multi-racial, 1% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.5% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander” (Act for Youth, 2021, para. 3).
Adolescent Population’s Social Determinants of Health
The adolescent population is unique and complex, which is its social determinants of health are different from other populations. These primarily include physical health, family, education, peer and social group, neighborhood or community, and covariates (Wang et al., 2021). The most important determining factors are family and physical health, which are followed by the social and school environment. Neighborhood and covariates come into play last but still can impact an adolescent’s health. Covariates include race/ethnicity, household income, gender, and primary caregiver’s education level (Wang et al., 2021).
Older adults constitute a considerable percentage of the overall world population. There may not be a specific definition of an older adult, however it may be possible to define an elder as someone aged at least 60 or more. Some research related to older adults refers to this age (Danyoh et al., 2018). The relationships between the younger and the older populations introduce a problem of abuse and disparities between the two.
Abuse of the Elderly Population
There are multiple forms of abusive behavior that could be observed within the elderly age group, including physical, psychological, and financial abuse. According to Lacher, physical abuse involves using excessive physical force, psychological abuse refers to inflicting emotional pain, and financial abuse constitutes misusing the elder’s financial assets (2017). With older age and its biological and psychological effects on the person, an elder’s ability to counteract such actions may be affected (De Souza et al., 2019). This could potentially mean that people who are not part of the elderly population are the most likely perpetrators of abuse. Based on that, it can be deduced that the older age groups face high risks of oppression and abuse from the younger age groups.
While in most developed countries all age groups have the same fundamental rights concerning healthcare, specific disparities in outcomes may still be observed. An elder may be unable to receive medical care when its cost is too high or if they are not enrolled in special programs (Verulava et al., 2019). An aging person’s declining physical and mental health is a contributing factor to this problem, as it may potentially increase the complexity and costs of getting the necessary treatment. Moreover, the abuse perpetrators may disrupt any attempts to receive it (Lacher et al., 2017). Thus, the disparities between the younger and older populations’ abilities to get quality medical care are apparent, resulting in differing outcomes.
The social difference between the older generation and the new generation is largely provoked by the development and active use of technology. Weiss and Zhang (2020) state that “emerging evidence suggests that people not only categorize themselves and others based on age but also in terms of their generational membership” (p. 407). This is due to the fact that adults are more difficult to learn such innovations and prefer the old ways of performing functions such as communication or information retrieval. Teenagers today use social networks every day, which gives them a great advantage. However, because of this, young people differ from old people in that they face a greater risk of inequality in the future (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2017). Such inequalities can arise in education, healthcare, employment and income. Another factor showing the disparity of these generations is the difference in social assistance from the state, that is, the elderly are more privileged in this aspect.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is clear that the problem of oppression and abuse of the elderly population is present and relevant. As people acquire physical and mental disadvantages with age, they become potential targets of the younger population’s physical, psychological and financial forms of abuse. Older people face high risks of being abused in such ways, and while in most countries they have the same basic rights as the youth, disparities are still present. Older people may face difficulties while looking to get quality medical care, as their attempts may be disrupted indirectly by the higher costs of treatment or directly by perpetrators of abusive actions.
References
Danyoh, J. D., Dampson, D. G., & Dzakadzie, Y. (2018). Abuse or disabuse: Coping with elderly abuse in the Asaiman Municipality, Ghana. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Educational Sciences, 6(4), 1-12.
De Souza, I. M. B., Sakaguchi, T. F., Yuan, S. L. K., Matsutani, L. A., do Espírito-Santo, A. D. S., Pereira, C. A. D. B., & Marques, A. P. (2019). Prevalence of low back pain in the elderly population: a systematic review. Clinics, 74. Web.
Lacher, S., Wettstein, A., Senn, O., Rosemann, T., & Hasler, S. (2017). Types of abuse and risk factors associated with elder abuse [Doctoral dissertation, University of Zurich]. Zurich Open Repository and Archive. Web.
Wilkinson, R. G., & Pickett, K. E. (2017). The enemy between us: The psychological and social costs of inequality. European Journal of Social Psychology, 47(1), 11-24. Web.
The prevention officer’s main role is the wrong approach since it is generic in nature and not tied to the problems of the Aboriginal population. Tighe and McKay (2012) assert that suicide prevention programs must address the core issues and not simply treat the symptoms. Bagnall (2011) observes that the approach also fails to consult with the indigenous community in the intervention. An intervention that fails to engage the Aboriginal people will not work.
History has played a major role in the Indigenous suicide rates. Procter (2005) observes that among Aboriginal Australians, suicide is an expression of pain, disconnection, and despair. The predominant method of suicide for young Aboriginal men is hanging which account for over 50% of deaths (Procter, 2005). This method has some significant historical message of hurt, injustice, tyranny, and domination for Aboriginal (Procter, 2005). Colonization resulted in a loss of identity by the Aboriginal population. Hunter (2002) reveals that some of the incidents of suicide are consequences of histories of injustice and disadvantage, rather than mental health problems.
Considering the socio-economic cause of suicide among the Indigenous population, addressing the economic issues would help alleviate the problem. A culturally appropriate method to address suicide would be one that is wholly owned by the Mount Isa community. Tighe and McKay (2012) observe that ownership will ensure that the program remains fundamentally bound to the experience of the Indigenous population. Procter (2005) advocates community-based interventions since they have a lasting effect on suicide prevention. Bagnall (2011) reinforces such an approach by noting that indigenous-specific services are vital to the success of any intervention.
Comment
I agree with T’s estimation that a program managed by the Aboriginal community would be best suited since the workers would have far greater understanding of the needs of Indigenous people, be able to connect with Aboriginal clients.
References
Bagnall, G. (2011). Suicide Ignorance. The National Indigenous Times Newspaper. Web.
Hunter, E. (2002). ‘Best intentions’ lives on: untoward health outcomes of some contemporary initiatives in Indigenous affairs. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 36(1), 575–584.
Procter, N. (2005).Parasuicide, self-harm and suicide in Aboriginal people in rural Australia: A review of the literature with implications for mental health nursing practice. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 11(1), 237–241.
Tighe, J., & McKay, K. (2012). Alive and Kicking Goals!: Preliminary findings from a Kimberley suicide prevention program. Advances in Mental Health, 10(3), 240-245.
Key characteristics of African Americans include higher levels of poverty, greater risk for poor health status, limited access to health services, and higher rates of morbidity, mortality, and infant death rate. The black exhibit higher chances of contracting, being hospitalized, and succumbing to coronavirus disease, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetes than all other ethnic groups (Manjunath et al., 2019; Akintobi et al., 2020). Racial discrimination, exclusion, and prejudice strongly predict these health disparities and vulnerability. African Americans have a long history of being systematically marginalized in many areas, including healthcare, housing, and education (Snowden & Graaf, 2021).
Poverty is a primary contributor to the vulnerability because many blacks lack the basic human resources mentioned above. Due to absence of jobs and low income, African Americans cannot afford healthy food, clean water, advanced healthcare, health insurance, quality education, and better shelter, consequently making them more vulnerable. In addition, this population has high rates of gun-related violence and accounts for the majority of inmates in the US jails and prisons (Latzer, 2018). These disparities explain why African Americans are among the most vulnerable and unhealthy communities in the U.S.
Certain health practices exacerbate the health disparities and vulnerability of African Americans. Particularly, the use of opioids to manage pain, the tendency of older adults to seek alternative treatments such as home remedies, prayer, spiritual healers, and advice from their family and friends, heighten their vulnerability (O’Rourke & McDowell, 2018). Moreover, some representatives of this population do not trust health providers and fear that they may contract diseases such as cancer if they undergo surgery. Such beliefs worsen the underutilization of health services, consequently increasing their vulnerability.
At the national level, I can advocate for this vulnerable population by calling for an expansion of insurance plans such as Medicare to cover chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. At the local level, I would develop training programs for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to enhance their understanding of cultural differences and how African American patients interact with providers and the healthcare system. Furthermore, I would work with local private and public sector organizations to enhance access to basic social services such as education, housing, food, healthcare, and transportation. Lastly, I would encourage regular and follow-up medical visits to reduce the burden of chronic illnesses prevalent in this population.
O’Rourke, M., & McDowell, M. (2018). Providing culturally competent care for African Americans. American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Web.
Snowden, L. R., & Graaf, G. (2021). COVID-19, social determinants past, present, and future, and African Americans’ health. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8(1), 12-20. Web.
Carrying capacity refers to the size of the population of a certain living organism that the environment can sustain while the organisms basic needs remain available according to Chefurka (2009, para.5-6). Carrying capacity directly affects population growth of not only that specific species, but also others species that are directly affected by their effect on the environment. When studying population growth, it is therefore imperative for factors affecting the carrying capacity to be considered.
Factors limiting exponential population growth
These are grouped either as density-dependent or density-independent factors based on whether the factors are affected by the population size. Density-dependent factors are biological in nature, greatly affect constant environments and also larger organisms. An example of such factors is intra-specific and inter-specific competition for resources; a significant change in either may adversely affect population growth due to increase or decrease in resources that changes the carrying capacity for the organism. Predation is also another major factor since the carrying capacity changes with a change in the number of predators and thus the growth of the population is affected according to Campbell and Reece (2005, pp.303-321). There are other factors that may alter the carrying capacity and thus, the growth of a population such as, migration into or out of a certain ecological niche or parasitism that can lead to diseases.
Density-independent factors are physical in nature, have greater effect on extreme environments and also on smaller organisms. Examples of such factors are extreme weather conditions like delayed rainfall, flooding due to increased precipitation and generally other factors affecting the habitat of these organisms. Such factors reduce the carrying capacity of the environment and thus impact negatively on population growth as also shown by Campbell and Reece (2005, pp.322-336). These factors have a much more profound and drastic effect on the population size and can wipe out entire populations.
Natural and human population comparisons
Humans have adapted to factors that have adverse effects on other species. This is due to the technological developments and advancements achieved. While these developments may not be uniformly spread to all people due to social and economic class differences, some like shelter remain common to all. However, man is not shielded from all the limiting factors and as such any change to food supply is seen to also affect population growth particularly in developing countries. Migration mainly from rural to urban areas is also seen to affect the population growth in both areas. Natural disasters that can be viewed as density-independent factors are also seen to affect human populations. Diseases may also affect both populations, but the mortality rate is reduced for humans due to advancements in medical care.
While humans have succeeded in eliminating some factors like predation, they have also created other factors that affect their population growth, the major one being economic ability. This is a prerequisite to providing for a family and thus can affect the growth of a population. Another emerging factor not associated with natural population is the levels of education in a given society and its quality. This is because the education leads to adoption of different values about the family thus, on average families in developed countries with better education are smaller than those in developing countries. Such aspects ensure that the world human population will continue to grow but it will reach a certain carrying capacity where the diminishing natural resources and other man made factors will occasion a fall in population.
Graphs
Sigmoid curve for population growth and regulation. Web.
An exponentially growing population reaches and oscillates around its carrying capacity. The solid curve according to Marten (2001, para. 24-30) shows normal growth for an organism up to the carrying capacity. On reaching the carrying capacity, the population size starts oscillating around the carrying capacity due to reasons that include the effect of other limiting factors. The dotted line shows what might happen should an organism overshoot beyond its carrying capacity. As can be observed, the upsurge is followed by a sharp downfall in the population size to well below the carrying capacity.
Curve graph for human population from beginning to present. Web.
The above growth can be seen to represent an uncompleted and rather unnatural sigmoid graph with a progressively long lag phase and a very steep exponential growth phase. The reason for such a huge difference is due to the technological advancements of man beginning in the 1800’s and accelerating from the 1900’s onwards. Man has been able to adapt the environment to the best of his ability to further his spread and growth in the world and it is worth noting that the upsurge should be countered by sharp falls as the years go by.
Conclusion
Human population numbers will remain on the rise, particularly in the low and middle-income nations that will greater growth. The effect on the natural population by man will increase as the search for more space and resources continue and his actions on the environment begin to take their toll. Such growth cannot be sustained over the long run and hence a sharp fall must follow before eventual leveling off.
References List
Campbell, N.A. & Reece, J.B. (2005).Biology Seventh Edition. New York. Benjamin Cummings.
Vulnerable populations refer to groups of people at a disadvantage due to their gender, race, class, health conditions, and other intersectional characteristics. This puts them in danger, at risk, and susceptible to oppression by people around them (Knijnenburg et al., 2022).
African-Americans are a great example of a vulnerable population in the United States. Their race and ethnicity make them an easy target for discrimination and unfair treatment. They are designated vulnerable since they cannot protect themselves from others and lack the proper platform to air their grievances and problems.
African-Americans accounted for 12.4% of the United States’ total population, equating to 41.1 million (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018). Some challenges include; racism, inaccessibility to health care and educational services, poverty, unemployment, and living in violent and high crime-rated cities. They also face mental health issues and have no help to cope or resolve the problems. Due to unemployment, most are in poor living conditions and below the poverty line. Living in high crime-rated areas consequently leads many of them to get into crime and gangs, which leads to conviction and imprisonment.
African-Americans cannot advocate for themselves since they lack proper government representation and a platform to speak about their issues. Most of them are uneducated and therefore don’t know their rights or how they should be treated. They are also constantly looked at as criminals making it hard to speak up for fear of being misjudged. The ethical issues include protecting their rights, providing employment opportunities, and creating safe workplaces. Other issues involve constructing health facilities, offering affordable health insurance, and improving security and infrastructure around their neighborhood.
Nursing advocacy would help the African-Americans by advocating for the provision of affordable health coverage and also fighting for their rights. Their advocacy would also ensure that their mental health is addressed and talked about.
References
Knijnenburg, B. P., Page, X., Wisniewski, P., Lipford, H. R., Proferes, N., & Romano, J. (2022). Modern socio-technical perspectives on privacy.
The two articles under consideration are ‘The Tide of Population’ by Paul Ehrlich and ‘Too Many Mouths to Feed’ by Francis Lappe. Undoubtedly, people all over the world are getting involved in the global environmental crisis in its various facets. Environmental crisis has many perspectives that are worth elaborating on. This essay will elaborate on the population issues that strike our world today, within the topic the problem of influence of corporations and rich individuals will be revealed. Let me be completely biased and state that my opinion is that overpopulation has nothing to do with hunger and poverty in the third world countries. Moreover, hunger is not a result of the population growth because there are plenty of examples that prove that hunger and population rates are not interdependent. So, I support Paul Ehrlich’s thoughts in ‘Tide of Population’ about possible measures that may keep our world sustainable and super powerful.
So, my first point on the changes that have to be made in order to provide people with all the necessary they need for sustainable lives within the problems of environment is wise distribution of country’s resources. In order to achieve the latter it is important to understand that people have to reorganize the system of concentration of power by individuals and corporations, namely it is necessary to limit the power of those and the of social institutions. (Ehrlich, p.90) The basic standpoint of the concept of limiting the powers is starvation. Hunger entails population growth because people are unable to grow enough harvest for feeding all the population of a separately taken country, that is why many children are born in order to serve as labor power according to Lappe in his article ‘Too Many Mouths to Feed’. However Ehrlich argues that it does not matter how many kids a family has since there are low rates of crops. Moreover, the children of Anjouan were happy to catch a fish in order to trade it for rice, which roves the families poor state disregarding the number of children and the area of cultivation.. Therefore, the state government has to operate the country’s resources wisely in order to develop efficient domestic and foreign economy policies.
Another problem touched upon by Ehrlich in his ‘The Tide of Population’ is that the water consumption is close to reach terrific rates. The natural filters – rainwater filters down through the soil – are being unable to soak into soil because of the concrete. This brings us to totally new discussion on the global problems of overpopulation. So, the point of Ehrlich is that the growth of population makes it impossible for people to be produced with water supplies in sufficient extent, which can entail serious problems of water supplies in future and ultimate deaths due to lack of water. However, while Ehrlich claims that the reason for such problemis overpopulation, Francis Lappe states that we are simply ot aware of real rates of population fertility that have decreased hugely since 1955. Of course, here it is important to draw the problem of migration that reached the highest rates during the previous century because of industrialization and simply high fertility rates. However, if fertility is the cause to move to another country and spread throughout the planet greatly than the countries should think of providing their citizens better to keep their inhabitants home.
One more factor is that social inequality causes global problems of overpopulation. The connection between social inequality and starvation is that the more the government violets the rights and freedoms, the more specific segment of population is undergoing hunger. It is well-known that in poor families where social standards are not available to the family members (due to lack of education, social layer itself – the political order of the country) they try to give birth to as many kids as possible in order to be able to gather crops and work at farmlands. Therefore, I can observe some kind of vicious cycle: the more people are trying to survive, the more harm they do to themselves. That is why it is very hard to determine if the inability to control population entails starvation. I am more likely to believe that the political order in the country has to be reorganized in order to provide its citizens with deservedly perfect security system, so that they stop relying on the numerous children as their only security system. Besides, one of the proofs to support that unequal political systems cause population growth is that families in poverty are forced to have many kids because the health care system is aimed at rich people only, so poor individuals simply back themselves up with labor force in case health care is denied. So, the growing population is not the root problem, whereas the political system is.
So, the only thing left is to decide whether the population growth is so out of control. I agree with Ehrlich that people should learn to limit their consumption abilities though to wise extent because the drive for prestige is not the best reason to wipe out planets resources. We should really think over our attitude towards the planet. We should adjust our needs according to the available opportunities.. So, it is determinant to understand what exactly the root of the problem, rather than submitting the population growth as a root of all evil.
Works Cited
Ehrlich, Paul, R. One With Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future. Washigton: Island Press. 2007. Print.
Lappe Francis, M. et al. World Hunger: Twelve Myths. New York: Grove Press. 1998. Print.
Adolescent suicide and the increasing level of child suicide are painful topics that pose a number of problems and questions for parents and society:
What prompts adolescents to take this step?
Is it possible to discern dangerous signs in the behavior of the child in time and take some measures?
What should not be done in any case and where to go if the situation has reached a critical point?
Based on the opinions of experts, it is possible to list the most important facts about teen suicide prevention that any adult needs to know (McCance-Katz, 2018).
These facts will help to understand the following:
why it is necessary to talk openly with children about suicide and suicidal thoughts;
what are the risk factors for adolescent suicide; what are the visible signs of suicidal mood;
how not to miss disturbing signals and not to mistake the signs of suicidal behavior for ordinary mood swings;
why it is important to maintain a constant dialogue with the child, not attributing his or her problems to the peculiarities of age.
With teenage suicide rates on the rise, it is more important than ever to know certain facts, be aware of alarms, and have the tools not only to intervene when needed, but also to regularly discuss mental health issues with children.
Current Statistics
According to an October 2019 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates among children, adolescents, and young people increased 56% between 2007 and 2017 (Curtin & Heron, 2019). People between the ages of 10 and 24 die by suicide at a rate of 10.6 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007 (Curtin & Heron, 2019). When looking at a certain age level, for example, children between 15 and 19, among whom suicide increased by 76% between 2007 and 2017, the situation becomes terrifying (Curtin & Heron, 2019). In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death among people in this age group.
Warning Signs of Suicide
The Society for the Prevention of Teenage Suicide (SPTS) argues that an easy way to remember the warning signs of suicide is the acronym FACTS, which stands for:
Feelings, such as a sense of hopelessness about the future and depression.
Actions, such as hysterics and demonstration of aggression.
Changes, such as being withdrawn from friends, sleeping or eating more or less than usual, or restless behavior that is not the norm.
Threats, such as talking, recording, or planning suicide.
Situations, such as experiencing loss, changes in life circumstances, family problems, breakups, stressful situations at school, or other significant events that can trigger suicidal tendencies.
There are many similarities between signs of suicide risk and symptoms of a psychiatric personality disorder such as major depressive disorder (Singer et al., 2019). Not everyone at risk of suicide has a depressive disorder, and vice versa.
There are still many questions about suicide and the risks of suicide that the experts have no answers to, but despite this, the signs listed above are a big problem that should be paid attention to (McCance-Katz, 2018). Even if a depressed teenager does not have suicidal tendencies, he or she still needs help.
Be aware of the risk factors
While awareness of alarm signals is critical, there is no guarantee that they are accurate and reliable indicators of how a teenager is feeling (Singer et al., 2019). The difficulty lies in the fact that many people silently suffer.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies several risk factors to keep in mind:
cases of suicide in the family;
cases of abuse in the family;
at least one suicide attempt in the past;
cases of mental illness, especially clinical depression;
cases of alcohol or drug abuse;
bullying;
local bursts of suicide;
serious somatic diseases;
difficulty getting support and mental health treatment;
easy access to the means of suicide.
It is also known that young people in the LGBTQ community are at a higher risk of suicide than their heterosexual peers (McCance-Katz, 2018). Researchers have also advanced theories about the relationship between perfectionism and suicide risk.
Recommendations to parents
Maintain a constant dialogue with a teenager. Parents fear that if they ask about suicide, they will push the child to commit it, but this is a delusion. They risk nothing when they ask their child if he or she is thinking about it (Singer et al., 2019). The child may deny it, this aspect can be a frightening or emotionally difficult topic to discuss, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Spend time together. If parents have had problems interacting with their child, they may need to set a schedule to catch up (Singer et al., 2019). They can use entertainment such as eating pizza together or playing games. Not only will this help to maintain regular dialogue, but knowing that they regularly spend time together may make it easier for the child to voice difficult topics.
Listen more than talk. Parents tend to go over to mentoring admonitions or encouragements when their child shares something painful (Poland et al., 2019). Sometimes it is more important to listen, not to interrupt, show acceptance, and support.
Ask other people for help. If the parents feel that something is wrong, but their child does not want to talk about it, they need to contact the significant adults in the teenager’s life (teachers, coaches) and ask them to observe.
Joint problem solving. Suicidal behavior occurs when a teenager feels that he or she has a problem, but does not have the experience or support to solve it (Poland et al., 2019). The task of parents is to share opportunities for improving the situation and support their child.
Search for professional help. For someone who has suicidal behavior, therapy or medication may be important, but it is the parent’s job to ensure that the teenager does not feel pushed to do so (Poland et al., 2019). It is important to jointly discuss existing solutions and talk about them during the conversation.
Secure the home. Since an easy access to deadly drugs is in itself a risk factor, the home should always be a safe place, and not just in case of emergencies.
Conclusion
If the ideal world existed, then no parent would have thought that it is necessary to monitor the child for the warning signs of suicidal behavior. However, the reality is that they need to talk openly about suicide and suicidal thoughts to reduce stigma and ensure safety for children, adolescents and young people. This is especially important when it comes to adolescents, as many parents mistake the warning signs of suicidal behavior for ordinary mood swings.
All teenagers face stressful situations or occasionally get depressed or angry. They experience sadness, stress, anger or any other type of unpleasant mood. However, sometimes these emotions can signal more serious problems. In this regard, it is important to pay attention to these signs.
References
Curtin, S., & Heron, M. (2019). Death rates due to suicide and homicide among persons aged 10-24: United States, 2000-2017. NCHS Data Brief, No. 352. Web.
McCance-Katz, E. F. (2018). The substance abuse and mental health services administration (SAMHSA): New directions. Psychiatric Services, 69(10), 1046-1048.
Poland, S., Lieberman, R., & Niznik, M. (2019). Suicide contagion and clusters-part 1: What school psychologists should know. Communique, 47(5), 21-23.
Singer, J. B., Erbacher, T. A., & Rosen, P. (2019). School-based suicide prevention: A framework for evidence-based practice. School Mental Health, 11(1), 54-71.
According to researchers from the United States, in the second half of the 21st century, the number of people on Earth will begin to decline. This will happen due to a decrease in the birth rate and will lead to an increase in the number of older people. The situation can be mitigated by supporting families with children and an open immigration policy. These findings of specialists from the University of Washington, published in the Lancet, are retelling The New York Times (Gladstone, 2020). The risk of overpopulation of the Earth has been worrying scientists for a long time. Medicine has significantly reduced mortality and increased human life expectancy, which has led to an increase in the number of people on the planet from one billion in 1804 to 7.8 billion in 2020. Such high growth rates are fraught with the depletion of resources, and there are not so many territories suitable for life.
However, in all likelihood, humanity will not face severe overpopulation problems shortly – by 2060, there will be another 2 billion people, and then the population will gradually decline.
It is difficult to say how this will affect the planet. While fewer people will reduce the burden on the environment otherwise, the future could be rather bleak.
While population decline is potentially useful for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and stress on food systems, as the number of older people increases and the number of young people decreases, economic problems will arise as society strives to develop with fewer workers and taxpayers. Countries’ ability to accumulate the capital needed to fund social support and health care for older people will diminish, says biostatistician Stein Emil Wallet, lead author of the study.
The researchers used data on population, disease, and demographics around the world. According to their calculations, by 2064, the population will grow to 9.7 billion people. Then it will begin to decline and by the end of the century will fall to 8.8 billion. These figures differ significantly from other estimates made in recent years. According to some of them, the population will grow to 12.3 billion by 2100. In the calculations, much depends on what data and tools to rely on, the researchers note. It is necessary to take into account all incentives and restrictions affecting fertility. For example, today in sub-Saharan Africa, on average, one woman gives birth to 4.7 children. The record holder for fertility is Niger, where there are seven births for every mother. However, by 2100, the number of births, according to the researchers’ calculations, should drop to 1.8.
Fertility will fall in other countries as well. Japan’s population is projected to decline from 128 million in 2017 to 60 million in 2100. China’s population, which now stands at nearly one and a half billion, will fall to about 730 million.
Shortly, China is likely to overtake the United States in terms of GDP. However, if the number of the working-age population falls, then the United States will regain first place by the beginning of the next century. However, only if the country has enough able-bodied population.
For countries with high incomes and low birth rates, the best solutions for maintaining current population levels, economic growth, and geopolitical security are open immigration policies and social policies that support families with the desired number of children, the researchers say. “There is, however, a real risk that, in the face of declining populations, some countries may consider adopting policies that limit access to reproductive health services, with disastrous consequences.
In the second half of the century, the number of people over 80 will increase sixfold, the researchers note. This will raise serious questions about social support and place the focus on health resources.
The Reason Why I Picked This Item
This news shows the need to take into account all incentives and restrictions affecting fertility. Earlier work is based primarily on the overall fertility rate. It reflects the number of children a person will have in a lifetime. It also uses data on groups of women and the number of their children born by a certain age. However, in this work, the researchers also took into account the possible changes in fertility, mortality, and migration that may occur. This is necessary for the reason that, in addition to possible endless growth, humanity is also threatened with a decline in numbers due to a decrease in the birth rate. Both of these options will lead to negative consequences, the fight against which is worth thinking about right now.
Bias or Agenda the Source of the News Item Might Have
The New York Times is the most influential newspaper with national and widespread international circulation. During its 153 years of history, The New York Times has developed a reputation as one of the most respectable and influential newspapers in the United States. The New York Times, as an international media, has a reputation for influencing global affairs (Von Nordheim et al., 2018). The New York Times, which throughout its history is considered the most respected and influential newspaper in the United States, is cited as a source of reliable information and as a publication that reflects the position of leading U.S. economic and political circles.
A Question I have After Learning From the News Item.
Is it correct to assume that the population growth forecast is more about predicting the socio-economic institutions’ restructuring rather than fears about the overgrowth or drastic decline of population per se?
References
Gladstone, R. (2020). World Population Could Peak Decades Ahead of U.N. Forecast, Study Asserts. The New York Times. Web.
Von Nordheim, G., Boczek, K., & Koppers, L. (2018). Sourcing the Sources: An analysis of the use of Twitter and Facebook as a journalistic source over 10 years in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Süddeutsche Zeitung. Digital Journalism, 6(7), 807-828.
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected all spheres of life, and the sex industry is not an exception. However, when many businesses can function even if their employees work remotely, sex workers suffer from the restrictions significantly. The pandemic has disproportionally impacted the sex industry because governments have implemented protocols and policies to support most citizens but ignored sex work, which is criminalized in most countries. Thus, governments developed “public health services, emergency legislation and economic relief” for all other industries except the sex industry (Lam, 2020, p. 778). Such disparity negatively affects migrant sex workers who are excluded from any social and health services and, for this reason, cannot stay at home to survive. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions increased discrimination, stigma, economic burden, and repressive policies and excluded sex workers from the global pandemic response.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sex Workers
When the pandemic led to mass restrictions and lockdowns, many people were forced to stay at home and work remotely. However, sex workers were left without any opportunity to earn for living. A representative of this profession, Sam, reported that the physical space where he performed his sex work was shut down while client interest decreased (Callander et al., 2021, para. 5-6). Many sex workers had to discontinue their work, thus being left without income. Still, some people continued to work because it was their only source of income. As a result, they experienced various punitive crackdowns, including home and workplace raids, increased surveillance, fines, arrests, and harassment (Lam, 2020, p. 778). Sex workers had to choose between risking their health and safety and earning an income to support themselves and their families. The sex work community was left to their fate, and they had to react quickly to the government’s responses.
Impact on Human Rights
The human rights of sex workers are often violated, and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation, implementing punitive crackdowns against the representatives of this profession. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) (2020) stated that in some countries, increased policing during the pandemic led to “home raids, compulsory COVID-19 testing and the arrest and threatened deportation of migrant sex workers” (para. 6). The citizens of underdeveloped countries suffer the most. For instance, the Alliance of Women Advocating for Change reported 117 claims of women who were arrested within 14 days, 71 of them were arrested within 24 hours “through raids in Lira, Wakiso, Masaka, Kampala, Oyamu, Mbale, Nakasongola and Kasese” (NSWP, 2020, para. 2). Police officers harassed, assaulted, and blackmailed sex workers, thus violating their human rights and forcing them to choose between starvation and working while hazarding their health and safety.
Other examples of human rights violations are stigma and discrimination against sex workers. For example, with the beginning of the pandemic, governments developed public strategies aimed to support their citizens. However, sex workers are excluded from economic relief because their occupation is not regarded as labor, and the sex industry is not considered as business ownership (Lam, 2020, p. 778). As a result, sex workers are discriminated against, having no access to labor protection and economic support. Moreover, they cannot find other jobs to social stigma, especially if they identify themselves as transgender women. Thus, one sex worker from Singapore claims, “Which potential employer would employ us without any related or prior experience? […] the social stigma of being a sex worker, […], a transgender” must be considered (Tan et al., 2021, p. 2023). Society leaves no choice for such people and gives them no opportunity to change their lives.
Impact of the Pandemic on Health Services Availability
At the same time, sex workers have problems accessing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The workers with positive HIV status suffer the most because they cannot receive HIV treatment, STI screening and treatment, and basic hygiene supplies (Campbell et al., 2020, p. 4). Migrant sex workers are excluded from accessing public health services, and they are not able to stay at home and decrease their contact with other people if they want to survive. Thus, when a Ugandan sex worker asked the government health workers when she could receive antiretroviral or other drugs, they responded that she should wait until the pandemic was over (Namubiru et al., 2020, para. 3). The situation is similar in Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, and Nigeria. However, these countries have found creative ways to provide HIV patients with medicines. They organized home deliveries and allowed multi-month refills for registered patients, including sex workers (Namubiru et al., 2020, para. 7). Still, the spread of HIV during the pandemic increases, and many people die because they do not receive their treatment.
Social Protection
Many sex workers suffer from a lack of access to social protection services. Even if the workers of the sex industry self-isolate, thus responding to governments’ appeals, society continues to exclude them from social and economic protection. As a result, they put their health, lives, and safety under hazard in order to survive. Since the sex industry is illegal in most countries, sex workers are not eligible for any government relief measures and social assistance. For instance, in Thailand, 40 percent of sex workers felt that they could not ask their employers to vouch for them as employees to access government financial aid after losing their jobs (Janyam et al., 2020, p. 101). The situation is similar in other countries, even if sex work is partially legalized.
At the same time, some governments have included sex workers in the pandemic response. Thus, government initiatives in Bangladesh included supplying food to sex workers, while England and Wales ensured that these workers would receive emergency housing (Platt et al., 2020, p. 10). Nevertheless, these social schemes exclude the most vulnerable groups of the population, such as migrants, the homeless, and transgender. As a result, a big number of sex workers do not receive any help from society.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the sex industry. Sex workers have suffered in all spheres of life, becoming the most vulnerable population during the restrictions. Governments developed different policies and protocols to support other industries and unprotected citizens. However, due to the mass criminalization of the sex industry, sex workers were left to chance. Their human rights are violated; they are stigmatized and discriminated against by police officers and society. They lost access to health services, drugs, social protection, and financial relief. If governments do not address all these issues immediately, the future of sex workers will be desperate. In conclusion, instead of treating sex workers as fallen people or victims who need to be rescued, society should use social justice and human rights approaches to recognize their profession and protect their rights.
