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Too Much Tech?
by Dania Mehani
All day staring at our iPads until our eyes are dry. Slowly hurting our eyes and brains down to the crisp. What's causing this? Too Much Tech? What will our punishment be, for all this screen time at home and at school?
"What will our punishment be, for all this screen time at home and at school?"
What is one place we seem to use our iPad very often? Health. We are always on our iPads with a new assignment, or worksheet, or video. Can we call it healthy? Personally I think heath class is one major class that we need to cut down on iPad use. People are always saying we spend too much time on the iPads. And I agree. We need to spend more time off the screen and in the real world. And maybe we can start by cutting down during Health class.
All this technology is something we pay for every day, even if we don't realize it. It can damage our everyday lives a ton. One thing that technology damages is our sleep time. When we are on it all day and night, our eyes may feel more awake at night from the screen making it harder for us to sleep. Social skills are another thing technology causes damage to. When we are on our phone or computer spending time on social media or on the web, instead of socializing, we are slowly losing our ability when it comes to socializing, possibly making us socially awkward. So don't think for a second that we don't pay for our screen time.
"...we are slowly losing our ability when it comes to socializing, possibly making us socially awkward..."
What can we do? It is hard to get over an obsession you do so often. Is there a solution? In my eyes, yes. I think something that we can do to help is dedicate a day at Sweet Home; something like: “Tech Free Day”. If we were to not use iPads or computers and take the time to turn off our electronics, maybe it could make a difference and help us to appreciate everything around us and to love our world.
"Is there a solution? In my eyes, yes."
I don't want Sweet Home to become a place where we are sitting in front of our screens all day. Having iPads is great here, but not when we use them so often. So maybe we should turn off our electronics and enjoy the world around us. Because appreciation is the number one thing this world needs.
Animal RiGhts
by Bahja Rizeq
Do you have a pet at home? If so have you ever thought of all the pets that are being killed, because people are abandoning them, or they don't have a spaying and neutering and which causes pet overpopulation? Or just people in general are abandoning them or drowning them because they don't want them. All these problems have a solution!
"There are too many puppies and kittens that are being born and unwanted."
There are too many puppies and kittens that are being born and unwanted. There is one big reason why pet overpopulation occurs. That is when pet owners abandon their pet and it has babies and it goes on and on unless they get them spayed or neutered.
On an average 70,000 puppies and kittens are being born in one day. In that same day if this keeps up animal shelters are going to euthanize approximately 30,000 dogs and cats. Animals shelters won't have to do this if you get them spayed or neutered.
Faye Carey is a 16 year old activist. An activist is someone that tries to make a difference in the world. What she does is re-home abandoned dogs. In the article “ Teenage Girl is Dog's Best Friend” by Briar Marbec, Faye said, "We picked up a puppy in the pound the first day I went to Animal Control and then on my last day he was still there I felt really sorry for him, so I advertised home on Trade Me and he got a lot of interest and he went to a lovely home in Auckland.” In the time of being an activist she set up a Facebook page called Re-Home Waikato where she would advertised dogs who need homes to stay at. Also she would volunteer at the animal control and groom the dogs so she can put them on the Facebook page. In the article Faya Carey Talks To Animal Re Home Waikato by Veronica, Faye said “ I am very grateful for the time they have spent with me and I enjoy dealing with the community whist enjoying the time I spend with the dogs at the pound.”
"An activist is someone that tries to make a difference in the world."
Lou Wegner is a teen activist that fights for animal rights. The way he became an activist in this area, is when he went on a Facebook page called “ Kids Against Animal Cruelty “ created by for kids to come together to fight for animal rights. In the article “A Discussion with Teen Actor/Animal Activist Lou Wengner” by Jordan Carlton Schaul, Lou Wengner said, “ My passion and dreams are to inspire kindness and compassion to my generation.” The things that he has accomplished include: running “Kids Against Animal Cruelty,” volunteering at an animal shelter, and creating multiple public service announcements.
There are lots of ways to become and activist. One way is you can go on the website The Humane Society and what you can do there is put in your zip code and it will show you animal shelters that are nearby. If you go to one of them you can find a problem there and fix it and make a difference in those pets lives.
"There are lots of ways to become and activist."
Life TIps
by Noelle Geis
Hey there! Listen up!
When you’re walking to a different class, and you look down at your shoelaces and you say,
“Hey there shoelaces, I see that you got yourself untied!” Well, I bet you don't talk to your shoes. But, oh-no your shoes are untied and you only have a few seconds to get to class. What do you do? Call Ghostbusters! Ok, ok. You don't call Ghostbusters. You can go to the side of the hall and tie them up! But wait, that takes too long.
Tip one to survive middle school:
If your shoe laces get untied in passing time, just tuck your shoelace in your shoe, and tie them when you get to class.
Simple, right? But wait, when you are walking in the halls and you turn around at a corner, (such as the corners going to health, gym, and tech) and you run into people. Then you say,
“Oh-no I just wasted my time, and I might have hurt the other person and me!”
But wait, there is a solution! So say you are just about to turn around and—BOP! You run into someone! But how do you avoid that?
Tip two, to survive middle school:
When you turn around, at a corner, hide behind someone so: 1. You don't run into anyone, and 2. You don't waste any time.
Use these tips to survive in middle school and high school. Good luck, you're going to need it!
—Noelle
