Effects Of Internet In Our Daily Life

 The internet is a very useful tool for us. We use it either for communication or for resource but by the time passes we start using the internet for different reasons, like entertainment or just to lose some time.

The internet came with advantages as well as problems, some of these advantages might be:

-          Easy communication for everyone, with some of the most used apps like WhatsApp, Facebook or even Instagram, the communication became much easier, because everyone can use it and sending a message is way faster than sending a letter

-          Connectivity and information, nowadays you can be up to date with everything that happens in the world because of social media, if something happens for example the dollar inflation, you just “Google it”

But not everything about the internet is Good, if you don’t use it wisely you might have problems in the future

-          Illegal use of personal information, as we all know, the internet is at everyone’s reach but it comes with consequences, like the lack of responsibility and people take advantage of that stealing their information, accounts or even their money and blackmailing the specific person

-          Problems in their personal life, the excessive use of the internet and social media is causing a lot of personal issues, emotionally and physically. People start to feel lonely or can’t talk in public for the lack of experience

The social media should be a tool the is used for communication with people that matter to you, not just a random person that you find on the internet because you don’t know how many problems that person may give you, either emotional of professional. So people should pay more attention on what young or old people do on the internet because you don’t know if that may affect them.

There is no uncertainty that the internet has made our life become much easier and suitable. By the time passes the internet is still evolving, offering new elements that may be beneficial in our daily life so there is no way that anyone learn everything about every platform. There are tons of advantages of the internet so we can use, but there is also a lot of disadvantages, if used in the correct and in a careful way it can be one of the most important, so it depends of how wisely we use this new tool, besides every problem the Internet has changed our lives in so many ways that we cannot imagine and there is no doubt about it

 

Links:

-          https://whataftercollege.com/internet-of-things/effects-of-internet-on-our-daily-life/#:~:text=Excess%20internet%20use%2C%20of%20social,notable%20percentage%20of%20internet%20users.

-          http://www.mladiinfo.eu/2021/03/31/technology-internet-affecting-everyday-life/

 

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EVERYTHING IS CAPITALISM’S DEFAULT

In the human history has been different economic systems, since slavery and feudalism until capitalism and socialism in the actuality. After the cold war between USA and Russia (then URSS), the capitalism was stablished in occident countries in their majority, which has brought riches for some people and misfortunes for others. Perhaps are more the bad things and those put the capitalism like one of the worst things could happen to the world.

Capitalism is about private actors own and control property in accord with their interests, and how these compete in the free market depending on demand and supply to set prices. Unfortunately, in the quest to accumulate wealth, these actors have perpetuated extractivist models, which oil and natural gas are the first product in the world. It has become evident that these extractivist models cause serious and irreversible damage to environment, like the use of fracking which can contaminate groundwater, rivers, lakes and wetlands, in addition to other risks. Too, capitalism has promoted extensive agriculture and massive ranching, and that has a negative impact in the environment in other ways.

In other hand, the free market is influenced by the consumism, and this has created a necessity in the people to get new products to be “happy”. Nowadays there are many products to consume, such as movies and series on streaming platforms, video games, clothing, food, household appliances, books, etc. These products promise to make people happy, but it is only an excuse for people to consume more and more products. It has been evidenced that when people prioritize fortune, financial success, fame, appearances and material motivations, they tend to leave aside the intrinsic satisfaction of their lives.

In the eagerness of companies to produce and of people to consume, workers have been dehumanized to such an extent that they are considered machines to provide profits to the companies. Long and exhausting working hours, delayed and miserable payments, little or no job security, are some of the things that workers experience in their daily lives. There is even talk of the term "health" and "sickness" from the loss of productivity that employees have.

Evidently this system has a lot of issues and it has brought too many problems to our society, but this doesn’t mean that the socialism or communism are better choices for us. The humanity needs to evolve and to stablish a new system in which we could live in harmony with the environment without losing our individualities and rights, but thinking like a collective.

Recommended articles

http://nuevo.fuac.edu.co/recursos_web/documentos/publicaciones/descargalibros/TOMO3SISTEMASECOWP.pdf

https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2015/06/pdf/basics.pdf

https://www.tni.org/files/download/beyonddevelopment_extractivism.pdf

https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/hydrofracking_w.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019188691631042X?casa_token=5vG2xaH-5yYAAAAA:T0gxCulLqcNdKYIUAIcy5ot1xJ6DVitc8z47bAXvCRZr7ehumWHXZTsDFLl5CmWZ7KBHHs0X

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IS IT BETTER TO STAY OR TO GO?

Every year the amount of people leaving the country is increasing and they have many good reasons to do it. Migrants search for a better quality of life and more opportunities, but are these people hurting our country? Is it better to stay to improve our society and maybe have a better country and increase the chances for the new generation to have a better place to live?  Or is Colombia a lost cost? If the answer to the last question is yes, better to pack our bags and leave as soon as we can. I'm not sure what is the right path, however, these are the reasons I believe emigrating is not a good thing for our country. 

In the first place, many of those who emigrated from Colombia were highly educated middle and upper middle class population. Great professionals that work to improve and create better and more opportunities when away, moreover, mainly of those immigrants were in the working age population. Above all, numeros applied for scholarships that our own government offers, and all that investment got lost through the “brain drain”. As an example of this, I had a friend that I met at the time living in the USA, an excellent student from a very prestigious university. She decided to stay even knowing that she had to return all the money from the scholarship of Colfuturo plus Colciencias. she designed a new product for a company abroad that now is producing profit and benefits, sadly not on our land. 

Secondly, even though the biggest cause of the social cohesion erosion in Colombia is inequality and security, I believe Colombians living abroad can contribute a little as well to this issue.  A lot of people that emigrated can have a negative view of this land, raising a lack of collaboration and compassion for our society. Since they don't feel bound they start complaining and comparing this country with the one they lived in, creating opposite and helpless viewpoints that threaten and weaken our union and positive hopes  about the future. Moreover, people can feel like outsiders, not Colombias anymore. For instance, my cousin said that she wasn't unsure on what nationality she belonged to. Both of her parents were Colombians, but she was borned in Puerto Rico and raised in the USA. She was looking for a group to be part of, and for me she had Colombian blood running through her body, so it is sad that now her kids feel more Mexican and losing ties with all of us, an entire generation watched away. 

Finally, must people living abroad experience expat depression, one of the dark sides of migrating. Cultural changes and language barriers are some of the causes of  developing anxiety and depression. The 50% of expat are at high risk of mental health issues, mostly because of the loss of a support network and not being able to connect with their origin culture. I loved living in the USA, but my husband and I talked several times about how we felt not part of the culture, a horrible feeling of not belonging that stopped us many times to express freely and act as ourselves for the fear of the risk of being rejected or even hurt by someone. We had a lot of reunions with Colombians and even hispanics from other nationalities that had the same experience. So living abroad can be not a happy dream like most people believe. 

I understand all the reasons people decided to emigrate, but we need to think in a way we can help not other countries, that in my opinion will neve be ours. We have to transform this beautiful country into a better place to live with the knowledge of our bright citizens and brotherhood. We all together will help to create a great Colombia for our offspring to enjoy and feel proud of,even if they decide to leave for any reason. so , what choice will you make? Leave or stay? 

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COLOMBIAN CONSCRIPTION SHOULD BE REPLACED

Unfortunately, in practice and in Colombian reality, conscription (also called compulsory military service) is a class-based service, and that's one of the leading reasons why conscription should be replaced, considering that this model will affect each individual differently and will also impact the function they will play in the institution (Military rank) simply because it is a deficient model that takes into account social classes. That means Colombia has a classist and unequal conscription service, which needs to be replaced by different social services.

There are some reasons that I consider relevant to explain why conscription needs to be replaced in our country, and the idea is to spell it out. (It should be emphasized that when the word "replace" is mentioned in the text, it refers to replacing the "compulsory nature" of military service, making it an option, but not eliminating it.)

Firstly, the philosophical and political reasons why I am against mandatory military service are: it's a classist type of service. About 80% of the people who perform compulsory military service correspond to strata 0, 1, 2, and 3 (the working class) so there is a visible inequality. In that order of ideas, one of the postulates of progressive thinking is to disagree that there are class privileges. The practice today has made compulsory military service a kind of punishment for those who don't have many financial resources. In addition, privileged people (greater purchasing power) who choose to join the military in our country have a better chance of starting or getting a high military rank chart because of their influence or money. (not all of them) If you want to grow in the army, most of the time, you need to pay for it. There is a lot of corruption in Colombia, and Military forces aren't an exception. That's why rich people are more likely to get high ranks than people who come from lower-income backgrounds.

Recently, I was talking to a non-commissioned officer friend of the Army, and he told me that people from the upper strata are those who progress in the Army because of their influence; even many of them in a matter of a few months become officers. On the other hand, in most cases, many young people of limited means are and will be private soldiers. Also, I know friends that have been for years in the Army, however, they've failed to advance more than one rank, even if many of them are good at their job.

People should have the freedom to decide whether or not they want to serve their country. Putting it simply: forcing people to do something against their will is a recipe for disaster; I know that conscription is a constitutional duty, but this does not justify that the youth of our country is condemned to be used as cannon fodder. We do not deserve to be sent to die in war, what we deserve are better opportunities to study, work, and progress over time. Perhaps, banning conscription is not a viable option due to all the socio-economic problems of the country. Still, military service could be replaced with social services (only if you don't want to join The Army). That's why I agree with the current government to create an alternative to compulsory military service, and that alternative is called "social service for peace."

According to the articles, military service will not end, but an alternative to this requirement will be made. It also clarifies that it might be provided in the following modalities: "Social service to promote digital literacy in rural or urban areas; social service to work with victims of the armed conflict and the promotion of their rights; social service for the endorsement and fulfillment of peace agreements; social service to promote public policy for peace, reconciliation, coexistence, and non-stigmatization; and social service for the protection of nature and biodiversity."

The youth of this country expects the government to make a gesture of composure and social justice. Hence I like the idea of Social service for peace because it's a great way to replace Compulsory Military service with more reasonable options. Not everybody wants to go to war. If you asked me, I'd say only a low percentage of the population wants to go to the Army or any of the other three institutions of the Colombian Armed Forces (Colombian Air force, Colombian Navy, and Colombian Army).

In conclusion, to replace compulsory military service, I believe that the creation of new alternatives, such as social services, should be taken into account since these will provide a great alternative to young people who do not want to be part of the war. Likewise, we would end an unequal and classist military service, which has persecuted and denigrated young people for decades.

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THE HYDROELECTRIC AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF ITS CONSTRUCTION.

 The growing demand for electricity as a result of socioeconomic development generated for a few decades the need to find solutions and alternatives, the most feasible was the construction of large hydroelectric plants.

To operate A hydroelectric plant uses the fluctuation of large amounts of water for the activation of a turbine that when connected to a generator converts mechanical energy into electricity.

Its principles are basic, however, there is no river or river environment that alone generates the necessary pressure naturally, so large structures called dams were artificially built-in order to contain large amounts of water deviated from the normal flow of a river.

The main problem is that by changing the fluvial condition of the surface of bone waters of  very little flow, the waters having no flow change the geomorphology of the area drastically, the rate of decomposition of organic matter is increased generating greenhouse gasses such as methane. On the other hand, the water loses its concentration of oxygen extinguishing the life of aerobic nature   and, due to the great pressure, the weight of the dammed water totally changes the conditions of the soil generating landslides.

The drastic changes generated by the construction of the dam bring with them the extinction of fauna, flora and native species opening the way to exotic creatures adaptable to the conditions,

Migratory species are also affected by the fact that destroying their habitat also decreases the possibility of acquiring food and shelter.

The construction of these reservoirs affects the conditions of human life because sources of drinking water such as springs, necessary for daily life are diminished. Sometimes populations are forced to move affecting their possibilities of development and self-sustenance, in the process entire crops are razed as well as farms and homes, also those riverine populations whose economic activity was based on fishing are forced to look for another means of income leaving them in ruin.

The exodus of these populations results in the implementation of other agricultural activities such as livestock which require large tracts of land necessary for grazing livestock and planting other types of crops. Additionally, a large number of plots are needed for the construction of new homes, increasing deforestation and the destruction of habitats for animal and plant life.

Other important points about the impact of the construction of reservoirs near civilization is the emergence of different diseases generated by viruses and bacteria in the waters, droughts in different regions that are fed by the river on which the structure was built and the shortage of food generated by the lack of water for the irrigation of crops.

Currently there are strategic proposals for the use of new technologies, some already in the process of implementation and others still in development that collaborate in the reduction of pollution and exclusive dependency of water as the main source of electricity production Some clear examples are:

PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY: using solar panels to capture electrons from UV rays, storing the electricity generated in batteries and then being released.

WIND ENERGY: the force of the wind that when moving a wind turbine converts kinetic energy into electricity.

TIDAL ENERGY: it is generated by the movement of the tide, waves or marine currents.

As we can see in the media and daily life, the tools and techniques already exist, however, as long as limiting factors (social, political and economic) are present, we will not be able to see forceful changes in the process of electricity generation that benefits the civilian population and the environment.

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BPA SUBSTITUTES AND ITS EFFECT IN HEALTH

Plastic is a wide word-spread synthetic or semi-synthetic material made up by large  of large molecules called polymers. This material is part of our daily life, and it is present in a lot of things such as cups, disposable dishes, toys and so on. Polymers are big chains of large molecules; the tiny blocks of these large chains are called monomers and they are the basic unit of polymers. To link those units sometimes is necessary to use chemicals called plasticizers, they are molecules that allow the union between monomers. One of the famous plasticizers is a compound named bisphenol A, it is known by its aka BPA.  Once they have been used in the production of plastic, it stays in its structure and can seep from the container or object that contains it.

Some research has shown that BPA can be harmful and lead to many health issues.  As a solution to this problem, some companies released plastic products known as BPA-free. Those products use a wide range of chemical compounds known as BPA substitutes as plasticizers, so they have the same role of BPA in the plastic industry, but they are supposed to be harmless. 

The most common substitutes are bisphenol S and F, normally called by their abbreviation BPS and BPF, respectively. As BPA they can be found in adhesives, water pipes, paper products and other everyday products  such as toothpaste, make up, hair care products, etc.  BPS and BPF also have been found in water, human urine, and sewage effluent. 

As these compounds are subtitles of a chemical of health concert, they  would be expected to be harmless and inert. However, chemical replacements are usually done without testing before going into the market. 

In this case substitutes are very similar in their chemical structure, so they also have similar chemical properties with BPA and with some hormones such as estrogen. The main effects in living beings is as an endocrine alternator, because they can alter hormone cycles. Rochester and their associates showed that these chemicals have  negative effects in vitro and in vivo testes to different species, such as reproductive disruption, induced uterine growth, decreased gonad weight and other effects in the reproductive and endocrine system. 

On the other hand, Sangamitra and others have found that BPS impairs blood functions and induces cardiovascular risk. BPS affects the activity of a group enzyme called erythropoietin, their role is to produce precursors and activate the cell that produces Red Blood Cells (RBC).  BPS inactivates these enzymes, because of that the amount of useful RBC is low and causes different problems such as hypoxia. Additionally, BPS have been found to alter the urea elimination by the kidneys, urea is a waste product and its accumulation in the body can cause heart attack and heart issues.

In conclusion, BPA free products are not an actual solution to any problem or issue caused by BPA itself due their chemical similarity. The most common BPA substitutes are BPF, and BPS have negative impact in health in whatever organism they are present, the effects mentioned in this article were endocrine malfunction, blood alteration and heart risk, but there are more effects reported, even if the studies have been done in species different to humans, they are useful and valid due our similarity to them. In my opinion, this is something we should look at, due mostly to  the effects that these compounds would have in new generations and that  would not only affect us, but also affect other species due leaking of BPS and BPF from plastic stuck in the environment.

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Water pollution - Nicolle Tenorio

 WATER POLLUTION 

Colombia is one of the richest countries in fresh water, yet it is grapping with a water crisis, the conta,mination in the water of colombia can be dated where the process of expanssion of cities of south america began for economic and industrial development. Rivers such as bogota, medellin, cali, pasto and pamplonita which are part of the most important resources of water in the country, are highly contaminated due to direct discrage of untreated effluents, phatogens and various others toxic substances primarily done by the agricultural sector.

 Right now te country is one of the largest producers of gold in latin america, it has recently increased it’s production specially in the departments such as bolivar and cordoba whih in 2014 produced the 90% of colombia’s gold. The impact of gold mining in the enviroment mainly depends on the methods used to extract it. Aditionally this kind of activities demand high volumes of water. Therefore informal mining operations adds pollutions to the water by directly discharging many oils and fuels, studies in cordoba city showed that mercury levels in fishin the baisin of san jorge river exceed the specified threshold 200g, the porcent stablished the world health oganization.

 By all counts when humans consume contaminated fish in the long term they suffer neurological demage and autoimmune dissorders. As another way to see the pollution is the bojaca river which was contaminated with toxic wasting causing an incontriable foam that expanded reaching civilizacion who discribed it smells as something awful and rotten.

 Farming is one of the biggest creators of pollution not only in colombia also in the rest of the world, but from colombia’s point of view theres a lot of breeding centres mostly with cows which contributes to climate change and finally as a result water pollution. Water pollution and rainfall uncertainties are also affecting the stability of agricultural incomes, which are fundamental for thriving rural and remote areas of the country. 

In la guajira For nearly 40 years, conflicts have persisted between the companies involved in the contract and the Wayuú indigenous people, who have denounced, above all, the disappearance and contamination of their water sources. 

The Magdalena River in Colombia is another hreat example, is one of the world's largest tropical rivers, hosting around 170 aquatic vertebrate species. However, concise synthesis of the current ecological and environmental status is lacking. By documenting the anthropogenic stressors impacting the river on time scales ranging from centuries to decades, we found that the river system is subject to the compounding impacts of climate change, river impoundment, invasive alien species (IAS), catchment deforestation, and water pollution. 

While rural communities bear the biggest brunt, urban areas are also heavily affected. According to a report by the World Bank, one third of its population is living under water stress, meaning that they might experience water shortages at some point. Communities have historically used rain water for consumption, but the dry tropical zone is experiencing longer and more intense dry periods, making it harder to rely on this system. Fertilisers used in the palm oil plantations are also polluting the water, causing significant skin and other health problems for those exposed.

Currently colombia’s goverment has been putting effort to reduce mercury levels, for example cali’s mayor service are working hard doing campains to protect the enviroment, then some companies have joined and started to reevaluating gravity as they are relatively simple and they produce little enviromental pollution and also due to the increased costs of flotation reagents. Besides to the awareness miners should be introduce to the new techniques that minimize mercury used or provided with safer alternatives and also the goverment are provining them with technical support.

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