Distracted Drivers by Martha Lugo

INTRO

          It is important to drive safe. The responsibility of drivers is to make sure to get safe to whatever place they go. On the road and in cars, we can find a lot distractions, and those distractions are temptations for our hands and eyes.  Not only distractions cause accidents, a health problem is also a risk of driving. Distracted driving can cause the death of the driver, passengers, walkers on the streets, etc... The most deaths on the road by distractions are caused by teenagers and elderly people. Driving is not fun; driving is a responsibility. When we drive, our life is in our hands and eyes; we need to keep our hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road. While driving, we can see cars weaving from one side to the other, or go too slow too fast, and they even disregard signs on the street.

HISTORY

              In Texas, the deadliest accidents are caused by distracted drivers. The use of cellphones while driving is the highest distraction and the cause of accidents, “In 2012, there were 90,378 traffic crashes in Texas” and “this crashes resulted in 18,468 injuries and 453 deaths” (“Distractive Driving Key Messages”).  The phenomenon of driving distracted has been on the road as long as we started driving. The distractions have developed over the past the years. In 1950, cup holders appeared in cars. In 1983, a Dodge Caravan was made with a cup holder and food holder, in which Americans feel more accommodated while driving because they can eat, drink, and drive at the same time (1).

“By the end of 1994, The New York Times reported that you could buy your very own GPS-equipped car Oldsmobile…”, and people were thinking this is a great tool for people to not get lost, but it is also a distraction for the driver (Fruhlinger). Now, distractions for drivers are everywhere; some examples are: GPS, DVD players, plugs for cigarettes, and cellphones, etc…

  

SOCIAL EFFECTS

The social effects while driving varies, depending on the age of the person who is driving, the weather, the entertainments inside of the car, and road the driver is on. Teenagers are the most causes of accidents that results in deaths. These young people are more susceptible to distractions, specifically electronic devices, because they think they can drive and text or answer phone calls at the same time. These issues are affecting our community in different ways. They can cause the death of children riding bikes because they are driving distracted, and that will affect that family members of the victim, and the teenager life and family’s lives, will have been affected too, because he/she will go to jail.

 One real example of death while driving distracted is the one recently happened this March, 2017. Three teenagers from Houston, Texas, were killed in a crash by a distracted driver. These three teenagers went to South Padre Island for spring break. On their way back, the driver was checking her GPS, and she get into the wrong lane hitting the oncoming 18-wheeler, authorities told KHOU-TV. Brianna Robinson, 19, her sister Jade Robinson, 17, and Brittanie Johnson, 18, died after the 2 p.m. collision near Corpus Christi on U.S. 77 (Salinger).  The fourth passenger, Shelby Coleman, 18, was critically injured but stable, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (1).

          Another example of accidents that involve several distractions is the one where Princess Diana lost her life. This accident had a huge impact all over the world. The driver was drunk and trying to avoid the paparazzi in bad weather on a dark night. He hit the bridge and that was a fatal accident for all of them (Brown et al).

These are examples of distractions while driving:

·         Falling sleep              

·         Driving someone else's car            

·         Few years driving experience                 

·         High speed                                    

·         Putting seat belt on

·         Something unusual in the back of the car/truck        

·         Anxiety

·         Distress                      

·          Anger for something or with someone

·         Rushing to home/work       

·         Babies crying on the back of the car/truck

·         Kids fighting on the back of the car/truck       

·         Loud music

·         Poor vision                  

·         Rainy weather/foggy                    

·         Flashing signs

·         Talking on the cell phone /texting           

·         Fighting with the passengers

The ten highest distractions causing accidents while driving are:

·         Using or reaching a cell phone

·         Adjusting audio or climate controls

·         Looking others people car

·         Others occupants talking/fighting with the driver

·         Driving with anger for something or with someone

·          Eating/ drinking

·         Putting makeup on

·         Dressing their self’s

·         High speed

·         Bad weather (Benton)

      People think they can multitask while driving. They don’t realize they can hurt someone: “An estimated 9% of all persons who drive during the day do so while dialing or talking on a cell phone or sending or receiving text messages” (Benton). Unfortunately, the use of cell phones becomes the highest risk of accidents while driving; this device is necessary in our daily life, but it could be the end of our life if we use them in inappropriate times or places.

SOLUTIONS

              A safety app for android cellphones called CarSafe, is offered to the public:

This app contains a detector, in which alert the driver when he/she dangerous driving conditions and behavior. It uses computer vision and machine learning algorithms on the phone to monitor and detect whether the driver is tired or distracted using the front-facing camera while at the same time tracking road conditions (e.g., drowsy driving) (e.g., tailgating) and "blind spots” only found in expensive top-end cars. (Taipei, Taiwan)

                Another solution could be to take a safe driver course. These courses teach how to be a better and safe driver, but not only that they also reduce the risk of accidents and avoid tickets.

 Another solution could be to make cellphones stop working while cars are in movement, and alcohol detector inside of a car. The first solution it may not work because the Carsafe app is only found in expensive cars.  Accidents won’t happen only in rich people; poor people have accidents, too. A safe driver course is the best solution for people because that is for everyone; it makes people think better while driving. New drivers should take a course before they start driving.

CAMUS AND ABSURDITY

Camus would think about the distracted drivers and decide it is absurd for him because when people drive they should know what they are doing. This topic is important to talk about; it makes us realize how small distractions can cause huge impacts for us and our family members, and our society will be affected too if one of this distractions cause a fatal accident. While driving, we should avoid distractions in our cars and on the road. Sometimes is impossible to avoid such a distraction, such as listening to music, texting, or eating while driving.

CONCLUSION

              Driving is not fun; driving is a responsibility. It is important to know how to drive safe in order to save our lives and others on the road. The responsibility of drivers is to get safe to the places where they go. In order to drive safe, people need to get enough sleep and rest. On the road and in cars, we can find a lot distraction and temptations for our hands and eyes. Not only distractions cause accidents, health problems are also a risk of driving. The most deaths on the road by distractions are caused by teenagers and elderly people. When we drive, our life is in our hands and eyes; we need to keep our hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road.

Work Cited  Alerting Drowsy and Distracted Drivers Using Dual Cameras on Smartphones.” CarSafe App, ACM, dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2465428. Brown, William J., et al. “Social Influence of an International Celebrity: Responses to the Death of Princess Diana.” Journal of Communication, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 10 Jan. 2006, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2003.tb02912.x/full. Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers — NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1204142#t=articlehttp://. Fruhlinger, Josh. “A Brief History of Distracted Driving.” ITworld, ITworld, 2 Dec. 2013, www.itworld.com/article/2822874/mobile/130453-A-brief-history-of-distracted-driving.html “Http://Www.jstor.org/Stable/185719?Seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Malinowski.” Pastebin, pastebin.com/af2QHpfg.  Lynberg, Matthew. “Risky Driving.” NHTSA, 26 Jan. 2017, www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving. Salinger, Tobias. “Three Houston Teens Killed in Distracted Driving Crash.” NY Daily News, 21 Mar. 2016, www.nydailynews.com/news/national/houston-teens-killed-distracted-driving-crash-article-1.2572373. “TEXAS TRANSPORTATION BY THE NUMBERS: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe and Efficient Mobility.” July 2014, pp. 1–23., doi:http://www.tripnet.org/docs/TX_Transportation_by_the_Numbers_TRIP_Report_July_2014.pdf.

Screen Addiction by Daniel Moosavi

Introduction

            Think about the time you were in a long line at the grocery store or in bumper to bumper traffic. Did you succumb to checking your cellphone out of mere boredom? “Let’s face it, checking your likes is the new smoking” (“New Rule: Social Media Is the New Nicotine”). Cigarettes were supposedly intended to be smoked for the “flavor”. However, nicotine which is a highly-addictive drug, along with other addictive substances, were put in cigarettes making them a delivery device for an addictive product. You may ask, what does this have to do with cellphones? Well, our cellular devices act as a delivery system for a similar addictive product, social media. We will go over many aspects as to why and how we are so addicted to screen time.

History

The internet has been around for many decades, yet social media has become the talk of the town in recent years. Websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and many more fall under the category of social media. Most of the social media websites and applications used today were created in the mid-2000s, however, the history of these types of sites can be dated back to as early as 1990 (Jones). The evolution of these sites has progressed greatly, from Tom at Myspace to Zuckerberg at Facebook. For example, Facebook, in its early stages, was created mainly to connect with friends and family by sharing personal photos and posts. Nonetheless, it is used now for sharing ‘internet memes’ and playing various applications. Social media nowadays has a different agenda than what it was once created for. It seems as though the administrators of these websites are more concerned with keeping us entertained rather than connected.

Effects on Society

            In accordance to research done by Cornell University's Steven Strogatz, social media can cause troubles in differentiating casual online relationships from more meaningful relationships cultivated in the real-world (Jung). If we are focusing on forming online relationships with people we do not know, we may lose sight of more important people who we interact with on a daily basis. This is not healthy mentally and physically because a typical person who is addicted to social media may refrain from leaving their home. Why would they need to have a social life if it exists online? This type of addiction can obviously wreak havoc on an individuals’ life by decreasing their daily productivity (1). Furthermore, cyber-bullying is another epidemic in youth who use social media. Numerous online articles will state how some teens have been driven to suicide due to constant mental torture from peers or anonymous individuals. However, social media can be somewhat beneficial to our lives by giving us ways to communicate with family in different parts of the world, in a sort of way that keeps our real-life relationships strong, but not to be overly used. If you’re enrolled in an institution, it can be used to communicate with other students to get group work assignments done, or to contact your professor. Sadly, social media is widely misused, however, we will go over possible solutions later on in the text.

Examples

            People in general use their phones at unnecessary times. For example, when I am with family or friends, I usually see them using social media applications more than anything else. Rather than communicating with each other, we watch silly ‘internet memes’ or trending videos on YouTube. To see how addicted we are to our phones, I decided to do a test. Every day last week while at a stop light I would glance over to the car next to mine. Eight out of the ten drivers I looked at were using the cellular devices. I decided to ask a few of my family members if they also indulged in such a habit. They responded “yes” and further stated that they were using social media applications such as Snapchat or Instagram. Studies show that addiction to social media is a symptom of poor emotion regulation skills (Gregoire). My theory as to why people use social media so much is because in our day and age, people get bored extremely quick.

 We live in an era that if we want the answer to virtually any question, we can find that answer in a quick Google search. Having capabilities to get almost any information instantly is great, but does it spoil us? I asked around my college campus to see exactly why people check their phones so often. Most of the participants to my survey stated that they used social media to “pass time”. I asked the participants to not speak for 5 minutes and in that time to also not use their cellular device. Every single participant seemed anxious, and when questioned about their emotions regarding the test, most replied that they felt “fidgety”. My conclusion is that the participants were experiencing mild withdrawals from not being able to use their cellphones, having symptoms like those who experience withdrawals from malicious substances like nicotine, making social media the new form of smoking.

Solutions

            Social media addiction, like any other addiction, can be mild or much more serious. For those who have mild addiction to social media, drastic measures would not need to be taken. Treatment for a mild addiction to social media can be handled at home at one’s own disposition, given that a person is seeking treatment. One method to limit the addiction is to simply turn off the notifications. When one is able to put a halt to notifications disturbing a daily routine, the individual will most likely be able to get tasks done easier with less distractions (Waller). Another method is to get a new hobby. It is possible that a person may have too much free time which could cause an indulgence in bad habits. A constructive hobby such as learning a new instrument or painting could be sufficient. Meeting people in real life is another solution to this addiction. As previously stated, “Why would they need to have a social life if it exists online?”, if an individual is spending time forming online relationships he or she may not find purpose in cultivating a relationship in the real world. It can be hard for people who are socially awkward; however, with support from friends and family this could be overcome and overall a perfect solution for halting an addiction.

 For someone with a serious social media addiction, the preceding methods may be useless. Most people with a strong addiction do not realize how bad it is damaging their lives so drastic measures must be taken. The treatment for social media addiction can be similar to those who have an alcohol or tobacco addiction, which supports the claim that “…checking your likes is the new smoking” (“New Rule: Social Media Is the New Nicotine”). The need to be on social media accounts can be so strong that treatment may require clients to go through some kind of detoxification program (Young). There may be underlying reasons why the addiction occurred in the first place, so these would have to be addressed and dealt with so a chance of relapse is slim to none (1). Even in major social media addiction, one of the first steps is realizing the addiction. The most effective treatment for social media addiction is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Griffiths et. al). The least effective would be trying to solve the issue alone. As with most addictions, help is essential to recovery. Some people do not wish to seek help in fear of embarrassment or disappointment; however, these emotions may worsen addiction issues, as plenty of the addicted seek social acceptance. Meditation is also a form of treatment that is taught in Cognitive Behavior Therapy; this is used in treatments for many types of addictions (Griffiths et. al).

Camus and Absurdity

Camus believed that many people committed philosophical suicide by shutting down the part of their minds that ponder the fundamental questions life has to offer. Furthermore, Camus believed that people committed philosophical suicide by believing in religion, mainly to act as an anxiety relief. However, religion is not the only way to commit philosophical suicide. It has been stated that entertainment can also be a way of doing such, as it distracts people from seeking answers to their absurd lives. Social media is not used to just connect with friends but it is mainly used as entertainment, distracting one from questioning life’s absurdities. This makes sense because most people who are addicted to social media seek acceptance from peers due to social anxiety.

Camus existed in an era where the internet did not exist, so trying to understand how Camus would feel about this particular epidemic would be difficult. Nonetheless, I would expect Camus to see the absurdity of an individual who would spend countless hours worshipping a small electronic device that does not promote any productivity whatsoever. Cellphones are the modern day way of committing philosophical suicide, as opposed to religion. Religion is an important aspect of many people’s lives as well, but cellphones act as a constant way of delivering entertainment 24/7. I do not know of any person who does not use a cellphone, which makes me ponder that if Camus were alive in 2017 in the prime of his life, would he also use social media, or even a cellphone? Maybe not for entertainment purposes. However, he would probably see this epidemic as being foolish.

Many people seek religion to have a greater purpose in life, serving something greater than themselves. Yet cellphones and social media are not to seek purpose, only entertainment. Has anyone ever attended church solely for entertainment? I would like to think that Camus would rather like the idea of religion over social media. One could only imagine the anger and frustration Camus would have toward social media because of how absurd it is.

Conclusion

            Screen-time addiction, in particular, social media is becoming more apparent as technology advances. It is an individual’s duty to help or seek help for those addicted to social media. One could only imagine a society of people who communicate through electronic devices with no face-to-face contact. Eventually that is what the world will become if this potential epidemic is not prevented. Encouraging physical or outdoor activity is a simple way to get teens to put their phones down. As previously stated, loneliness can be a factor for social media addiction. Therefore, to alleviate loneliness, individuals may resort to social media. Humans require non-sexual physical contact, which is becoming extremely rare in the present digital age (Williams). “Let’s face it, checking your likes is the new smoking” (“New Rule: Social Media Is the New Nicotine”). Just like nicotine addictions, social media is an addiction that is hazardous to a person’s health. It may sound silly, but if people actually evaluate the time spent on their phones, they may find that they too, are victims of screen-time addiction.

Works Cited

Gregoire, Carolyn. “Research Links Addictive Social Media Behavior With Substance Abuse.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 Dec. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/13/social-media-addiction_n_6302814.html. Accessed 24 July 2017.

Griffiths, Mark D., and Daria J. Kuss. “Chapter 6: Social Networking Addiction: An Overview of Preliminary Findings.” Internet Addiction in Psychotherapy, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd., 2014, p. 137.

Jones, Steven. “Internet Relay Chat.” Encyclopedia of New Media: An Essential Reference to Communication and Technology (1st Ed.), Sage Publications, p. 256.

Jung, Brian. “The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals.” Chron.com, smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html. Accessed 20 July 2017.

“New Rule: Social Media Is the New Nicotine”. Performance by Bill Maher, 12 May 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDqoTDM7tio.

Waller, Phoebe. “7 Ways To Stop Your Social Media Addiction.” Bustle, Bustle, 3 Mar. 2016, www.bustle.com/articles/144893-7-ways-to-stop-your-social-media-addiction. Accessed 26 July 2017.

Williams, Ray. "8 Reasons Why We Need Human Touch More Than Ever." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 28 Mar. 2015. Web. 31 July 2017.

Young, Kimberly S. “Internet Addiction: A Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment.” Internet Addiction: a Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2011, p. 271.

Hope Leyva Binge Drinking on College Campuses

                                         Binge Drinking on College Campuses

            Am I stressed? Am I under the impression to be cool like my peers? Will I not be the awesome person my roommate thinks I am if I don’t attend this party? These are some questions college students ask themselves before they make their decision to binge drink. Binge drinking is starting to become a big problem on college campuses but do the students or families or staff members realize this type of behavior is bad. The drinking starts to begin when student feel high levels of stress, or the need to be the “cool kid”. Students feel as if they can’t take the pain of the stress unless they have some type of alcohol in their system to help them better function or they won’t have the social life they intend to have. The students don’t realize how bad this can be from taking one drink to loving the feeling of stress free to drinking multiples of drinks and how it may or may not affect their lives today but can take a bad turn later on in the future.  Every day we ae seeing more and more cases of binge drinking and how young people’s lives are taken away.

History  

            Binge drinking is when a person drinks more than five drinks in a short period of time. In some cases, it predicts that binge drinking in students sometimes can start in high school and carry its way to college. Binge drinking is starting to increase over time and we don’t even realize what kind of harm or problems come along with binge drinking.  The drinking has been around for a long time now, but the binge drinking in college campuses starting occurring in the 1990’s. In 1993, surveys and questionaries’ were being completed by college students at universities and results come out to be that overall 44% of the students binged (Weschleretal). In many other articles, it sums up the same time frame as 1993 and has the same conception. Once there were drunk driving and rape cases that started to develop, the higher people tried to prevent these events. In 2001, the cases got more serious and the families of binge drinking and staff members started having interventions. (1).

             Binge Drinking is more likely to occur when a student is feeling either stress or trying to keep up with he’s/her peers. Some of the three biggest stressors is including academic, interpersonal, and developmental (e.g., making decisions about the future, taking responsibility

for time allocation, balancing priorities) (Pedersen). When the student might feel the most stress is when the student is failing behind in certain classes or has a big project or exam due and they wait until last minute to complete. The levels of stress start developing for the student because they are starting to over think about what their parents might say or their teachers. Students also start thinking what happens to me if I don’t pass these courses, and making them feel as like what’s the point of college anyways. Among college students, drinking to cope is a fairly common behavioral response, emerging as both a short-term reaction to situational stress and a long-term coping style that remains a strong predictor of heavy alcohol use even when other influences on drinking are controlled for (1). In that statement, it provides some evidence that students tend to cope with binge drinking to get a better feeling about their self.  

Another problem with binge drinking is students feel the need to “keep up” or “live the college lifestyle”. Many freshman students that attend college their first year don’t really go to college for the  academics but to feel the vibe of the “college life”. Some universities give off an image of social life and not really focus on the real college life of the studying and how serious the work load really is being a college student. The image could send off different signals to someone so new to college as like advertising or commercials that show a group of students hanging at the coffee shop down the road chatting it up or how it’s important to have a social life outside of the academics. Colleges advertise what the town has to offer such as the scenery or social events that are going on while you’re not in class. The thing they are not advertising a lot is the hard part of college. Colleges are not advertising the work load that is expected from professors or the participation of being in class every day.  For example, universities don’t put Betty studying and going over flashcards in her dorm room or Peter on the computer majority of the day after class. This is the real lives of college students and what college really brings to the table and how much of an extra mile you might have to take to get that diploma. Some students may think it’s fairly easy but don’t know the real outcome and that problem could put the stress levels high and that’s when the binge drinking begins.

            Binge drinking increases at college parties on campuses. Where do these parties come from? These kinds of all year-round parties mostly come from fraternities and sororities.  To even begin or be a part of a sonorities your most likely task is to throw a party, where the binge drinking begins. In the  article” Correlates of College Student binge drinking”, it states that a former Harvard student  gave questionaries’ to 140  college campuses and most of  the students that binge drink were fraternity or sorority (Weschleretal). Fraternities and sororities are one of the biggest problems with binge drinking because every party that they throw are senior students that pressure the younger ones or the new ones into taking over excessive drinks or shots to prove that they can “hang” with the older ones. What these college students don’t realize is that these habits can lead to dangerous consequences as to affecting their college academic or drunk driving, alcohol poisoning.

             College students don’t understand when they binge drink who it might affect;they are thinking oh yeah, I’m feeling cool now or my stress relieve is gone. Students don’t realize the precautious of their actions from binge drinking until it’s too late. For an example, if the student binge drinks all night long and has a big test in the morning, do you think that student will wake up refreshed and ready for the test? No. That could lead to serious problems in universities because some colleges don’t let students finish out if they show lack of wellness or poor effort in class. Any college student  that is going to college and has plans for himself shouldn’t waste his whole future on a night of fun. Small but interesting effects link binging with having a b average or lower in grades (Weschleretal). What students fail to realize as well is that binge drinking affects the lives of the students at the school as well, if you’re out parting every night and drinking way more then you should, you’re not really getting the work done that is needed to complete on time. Binge drinking also comes along with poor wellness and health, which could still have an effect on participation in college courses. Students that were asked “how important is it for you to participate in the following activities in college?” answered “very important “or “important” regards to parties (Weschlertal). This is an epidemic that needs to be changed or solved.

            Another big issue that binge drinking effects is that  students might not think so much about how it effects the community. We don’t hear much about the stories that lay along the college campuses but when a school loses a student over something alcohol relative that effects the families, the friends and students, the town and the community as one. Losing someone could be hard on anyone and losing someone that you knew had him whole life ahead of them is sad when the family and friends and community and town could have prevented it. 

Examples

            Some students who go out and binge drink sometimes drink at the most popular college spots or vacations and for spring break. Some of the college cities and towns love throwing parties for spring break week.  It’s a week of fun and a week of no school and college students take opportunity of that and believe it’s the time to party hard. Some students don’t know that they could lose people they care about that week as well.

            Twenty-year-old Kyle Lamb a college student was found dead and unresponsive in Panama City Beach, Florida, of alcohol poisoning. Lamb and his friends were camping at a popular site for spring breakers in that area. “They went out to the beach, and lamb wasn’t in the shape where he could go out” said Whitman. Whitman is one of Kyle’s friends that attended spring break with him and he said in the interview “I came back to check on him a few times and taking care of him before we went out”. When Lamb’s friends returned to the campsite around 8:30 p.m., Lamb wasn’t breathing and they called 9-1-1. The paramedics performed CPR, but Lamb died at the hospital around 1:00 a.m. The close-knit community is in shock.” We’re just really going to miss this kid,” Brunk said. Brunk is one of the coaches at Lamb’s school. “He’s such a big part of our school family and our family here in Potterville (Kantner). It can be difficult to read this article about this young intelligent college student who had his whole life ahead of him still and his life is gone.

            In 2011 my classmate Castillo was a young and brave high school student. She was the high light of high school; she was in every program or social event that was there. She had a lot of friends and a lot of support. She was a senior and the top of her class. One night she decided to go out with some of her friends and at 3:00 A.M. she crashed her vehicle and it rolled off the highway and caught on fire. The next morning, we all got the devastating news that one of our classmates had passed away. The next morning at school it wasn’t the same; everyone was walking the halls with tears in their eyes and walking very slow. Not a single person wanted to be at school that day. The next few weeks wasn’t so much better with the school putting on memorials and attending the funeral and giving our respects to the family as a class. I still can remember the day I walked up and hugged Castillo’s mom; it was like the whole world crumbled in my arms that day. I will never forget that day because no mother should have to feel that feeling of losing a child so young. More weeks passed on, and our classroom just wasn’t the same with her pretty smile or goofy personality. Later on, the police cases came back and the accident occurred because of alcohol use.  No one knows what it means or feels like to lose a friend over something that could have been prevented. Maybe if Castillo didn’t drink as much or got a ride home with someone sober, she could still be here now.

Solutions

            Binge Drinking is being taking so lightly in college campuses that college students don’t realize that binge drinking can lead to serious problems for the future. For a better college experience and outcome, binge drinking needs to stop, and students who have a drinking problem need to get helped. Understanding the motivations for binge drinking can be argued as being

the first of several steps towards changing the culture of binge drinking(Coleman,Cater). Some things campuses should try out for binge drinkers is maybe a school group that has activities for the students on the weekends that doesn’t involve partying or drinking. During the time being with the group, maybe the students can have group talks and during those talks that can express what actually motivates them to binge drink, and once those issues are out they can minimize the issues. In the article “Changing Culture of Young People’s binge drinking: from motivation to practical solutions,” it gives information for how students can achieve help and get started on a healthier college life style. Colleges across Caperphilly were getting questionaries’ with three to five questions to see which students have similarities in binge drinking.  In total, the 40 young people were recruited from nine different sites and locations across Caerphilly County, all young people participating were of White ethnicity, reflecting the 99.1% White ethnic composition of the study area and all were regular (on average weekly) binge drinkers (Office for National Statistics, 2001) (Coleman, Cater). Binge drinking is increasing all over the U.S. at different campuses, and by students taking these questionnaires are making them realize that binge drinking is becoming a problem in their lives.

Some other solutions are to help students get part time not heavy job load, to decrease the changes of binge drinking. Taking out those extra hours on the weekends could maybe minimize the possible of binge drinking. The methods above have shown that 25% of students are affected by binge drinking and trying to change their drinking ways for healthy life’s and a better future for college.

Camus and Absurdity

Albert Camus had a little rebellion in himself.  In 1949, Camus wrote the novel The Rebel, and in that novel he expresses how he differences revolt and revolution. During this time, Camus would probably best believe that binge drinking was student’s ways to express themselves and didn’t seem it harmful in Camus’s eyes. He would have thought binge drinking as a challenge someone would get over and could get over; he always thought of the bigger picture. Camus would have not thought that binge drinking was an epidemic in time because he rebelled against certain things, and he would most likely rebelled against this topic and would think it’s not a big deal. Camus said about the book The Rebel that he saw “revolt as a peaceful evolution process of leadership but not violence.”( Camus,Albert) Camus would rebel and go ahead with binge drinking and believe the outcome comes from the person who decided to binge drink. He would hope not for the worst but that individual is upon himself.

Conclusion

            Binge drinking is an epidemic that is a big problem for college students. College students go to college to get a better future for themselves and to get a diploma to get a good paying job. Is taking that one drink or few drinks worth it all? Was it worth your time? Or, was it worth your career or life? Binge drinking shouldn’t be the reason you’re not allowed back at a college campus Don’t let one night of binge drinking take that away from you.

 

Work Cited

“A Text Message Program as a Booster to in-Person Brief Interventions for Mandated College Students to Prevent Weekend Binge Drinking.” Taylor & Francis, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07448481.2016.1185107

Camus, Albert. The Rebel. Penguin Books, 2013

Coleman, Lester, and Suzanne Cater. “Changing the Culture of Young People's Binge Drinking: From Motivations to Practical Solutions.” Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, vol. 14, no. 4, 2007, pp. 305–317., doi:10.1080/09687630601070878.

Kantner, Shannon. “LCC Student Dies On Spring Break Vacation.” Headlines, www.wilx.com/home/headlines/LCC-Student-Dies-On-Spring-Break-Vacation--196212771.html. Accessed 26 July 2017.Work Cited

Pedersen , Daphne E. “Which stressors increase the odds of college binge drinking?” College student journal , vol. 51, no. 1, 2017, pp. 129–141.

“The Rebel Quotes by Albert Camus.” By Albert Camus, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/486408-l-homme-r-volt.

Wechsler, Henry, et al. “Trends in College Binge Drinking During a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts: Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1993–2001.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 50, no. 5, 2002, pp. 203–217., doi:10.1080/07448480209595713.

.Wechsler, H., et al. “Correlates of college student binge drinking .” American Public Health Assocaition , vol. 85, no. 7, 1995.

Wechsler, Henry, et al. “What Colleges Are Doing About Student Binge Drinking A Survey of College Administrators.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 48, no. 5, 2000, pp. 219–226., doi:10.1080/07448480009599308.

           

            

A Concussion Crisis: The Sports Concussion Epidemic by Michelle Nguyen

This is the night of all nights. You have been excitedly anticipating this night throughout the entire season. As the star quarterback of your high school varsity football team, it is your responsibility to lead your teammates to victory. You hear the whistle blow, a few seconds go by, you are scanning the field looking for an open receiver. Before you know it, you are waking up on your back. It is all a blur; the only thing you remember is seeing some blinding bright lights then everything went black. Above you now stands the trainer, asking you what your name is and what is the score of the game. You feel fine; you are not in much pain and you must be alright to continue playing, right? The answer to that question is, most likely, no.

When it comes to football, it is not all fun and games; there exists a troubling epidemic behind America’s favorite pastime. Sports concussions have been a topic of interest in medicine, as well as a public health concern over the past couple decades. It is an epidemic that affects athletes of all ages, however it does cause heightened concern within a certain demographic – the youth population. According to Moser, “[f]rom 1997 to 2007, visits to emergency departments for sports concussion doubled in the 8–13 year old group; in 14–19 year olds, the incidence had increased by more than 200%” (Moser 1). Concussions cause disturbances in “normal neurological functions of the brain,” but can have even worse consequences on the developing brains of young athletes (Hunsucker 805). As a society, we must protect and preserve the minds of the upcoming generations; one portion of this task is to find a solution to the sports concussion epidemic.

History

            The sports concussion epidemic, also known as the “concussion crisis,” emerged in the early 21th century (Harrison 823). It was first referred to as a “‘silent epidemic’ in a 2003 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’ (823). It was called a “silent epidemic,” because the long-term effects had only begun to gain interest from medical professionals (Abrams 1). The epidemic was caused by a variety of factors, including an increased participation in youth sports and recreation activities, an aggressive sports culture, a better understanding of concussions and their diagnosis, and an outdated set of rules and regulations. While a relatively new epidemic, its roots date back to the early 20^th century and the death of 18 college football players in 1905 (Abrams 1). Most of the deaths were caused by traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions or skull fractures (1). These tragic deaths sparked the realization that changes needed to be made in terms of safety rules. A summit was held at the White House and led to the creation of the NCAA (1). This was the first of many preventative measures to reduce the likeliness of injuries among athletes. However, even though these measures are in place, the epidemic continues to

persist.

Effects on Society and Examples

Concussions are “a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) defined as a ‘complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by biomechanical forces’” (Russell et al. 2). For mild cases, they can negatively affect an individual’s cognitive, emotional, and social functioning, which in the broader scope of things, can have long-term implications. Among high school athletes, concussions have been “associated with short-term cognitive impairment [and] altered neurochemistry” (Sprouse 544). This could hinder the athlete’s academic performance and interaction with others within their society. Each individual within a society is tied to many others, in a way that is similar to a network or web. When one individual is no longer able to operate and contribute to society the way they were meant to, it affects the lives of those they are connected to.

The repercussions of a concussion can also vary vastly; in most cases, the symptoms are mild and are resolved within a short time frame, but they can also result in tragedies. In 2006, Zachary Lystedt suffered a concussion during a high school football game, but was returned to play twice during the reminder of the game (Mukand 16). After the supposedly mild injury, Zachary couldn’t speak for nine months (16). Four months later, he could move his left arm a little, and after two years he was finally able to remove his feeding tube (16). Tragedies like Zachary’s are examples of the severity of the epidemic and serve as reminders that concussions shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The human brain is not fully developed until around the age of 25, therefore brain injuries can deter normal development. A new study presented at the American Academy of Neurology 2016 Sports Concussion Conference, has shown significant alterations in the white matter of the brains of high school and college football players six months post-injury (Sprouse 544). The developing brains of the youth population is more susceptible to severe brain injuries and the recovery process is more complex, therefore putting them at risk for severe symptoms and cognitive decline (Mukand 17). Lastly, there are also long-term medical complications, such as “chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and chronic neurocognitive impairment (CNI)” (Sprouse 544). Sport-related concussions can have a cumulative effect that can affect those on a world-wide level. They can cause impairments to the athlete which can alter their future roles and ability to contribute to society. As the saying goes, the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow, therefore if their minds are negatively affected, that affects all our futures.

Solutions

The sports concussion epidemic is not one with a clear path of resolution. The obvious solution would be to eliminate the means by which sports concussions occur – participation in sports. However, this solution is not viable nor realistic. Sports and recreational activities have become a staple among the American population with over “44 million young people participating in sports activities” annually (Sprouse 538). Currently, a couple solutions have already been implemented, however there is still room for improvement. The first solution brings a legal perspective to the concussion crisis, by introducing return-to-play (RTP) legislations which have been incorporated into many state laws (Bachynski 324). The first RTP guideline, Washington State’s Lystedt Law, was legally mandated in 2009 following the tragic TBI endured by Zachary Lystedt (325). These guidelines usually require that any athlete with symptoms of a mTBI (minor traumatic brain injury) be withheld from play and examined (324-325). Often in accompaniment with these laws is the requirement to educate athletes, parents, and coaches about the detection of mTBIs (324). This solution is not one that eliminates the occurrence of concussions, but can reduce the risk of further damage.

The second solution is the use of protective equipment, in particular, helmets. Helmets have been readily associated with contact sports such as football and ice hockey for years. Although they provide some protection to the athlete, the practice is severely flawed. Helmets have been proven to only protect the upper part of the skull, therefore providing the athlete with very limited protection (325). They have been proven effective in preventing head injuries like skull fractures and intercranial hemorrhaging, however are ultimately not designed to protect against mTBIs (326). According to Kevin Walker of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, “[a]t this time, no protective equipment can prevent concussion[s]” (326). This is troubling since helmets are marketed as one of the most prominent strategies to avoid head injuries. Furthermore, the regulatory bodies of both football and ice hockey have yet to implement standards on helmet design (325). Thus, leaving the responsibility on the shoulders of the corporations who manufacture and sell them. To this day, there is insufficient research in terms of helmet design. In order for helmets to prove an effective solution, further research must be done to develop helmets that can and will protect against concussions (Erdtmann 124).

A third solution would be to change the sports culture surrounding contact sports. The current culture “negatively influences athletes’ self-reporting of concussion symptoms and their adherence to return-to-play guidance,” putting themselves at risk (124). According to Sprouse, four out of ten concussions incurred by high school athletes were never reported to medical professionals (Sprouse 538). This mindset poses an increased health threat to athletes and has the potential to be improved. Through education and repetitive emphasis of the harmful effects of concussions, the health threat can be drilled into the sport culture exhibited by athletes, parents, and coaches. To resolve this epidemic there is no one solution, rather a number of different solutions that if implemented and adhered to can provide a resolution.

Camus and Absurdity

            Camus believed that life was full of absurdities and had no meaning, leading him to ponder on whether or not physical suicide was a plausible response to the absurdities of life (Maguire 1). Ultimately, he argued that even though our endeavors and efforts in life are futile, “the task of living should not merely be accepted, it must be embraced” (Simpson 1). With this perspective in mind, Camus would’ve seen the sports concussion crisis as an epidemic. If we are supposed to persevere and continue living life, then we must take preventative measures to ensure we are able to do so.

In addition, Camus was known to be an outstanding athlete. At one point in his sports career, he played the position of goaltender “for the junior team of Racing Universitaire d'Alger (RUA), a national soccer organization” (Silver 1). However, his career was cut short at the age of eighteen due to a bout of tuberculosis, which left him with damaged lungs (1). Nonetheless, he attributed sport as a factor in his way of thinking, “[e]verything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football (soccer)” (“A Quote by Albert Camus”). Due to his interest in sports, this epidemic would definitely have been one that caught his attention.

Lastly, the adherence and acceptance of the culture surrounding contact sports would have intrigued him as it can be viewed as a branch of philosophical suicide. Camus argued that the worst kind of suicide, is when one ceases to think for themselves and just accepts a predetermined set of beliefs. The current sport culture has resulted in an alarming percentage of non-reported concussions, thus posing a health threat to many athletes. There is a troubling mindset that being put into play is the most important thing, even if that means putting yourself at risk. The thought process really isn’t the most logical, by making this decision you could be sacrificing your future for a few more minutes in play, yet it is readily followed by many.

Conclusion

Sport concussions are a modern-day epidemic that has existed for over a century, yet has only begun to gain interest. Although contact sports such as football and ice hockey are usually attributed as concussion risks, they can occur while participating in a variety of sport and recreational activities. Concussions may not seem very malicious at the time of infliction, but have the potential to become tragic. Although this epidemic affects athletes of all ages, there is increased concern among the youth population as they are at the greatest risk. Their brains are still developing; therefore, head injuries are more likely to cause devastating long-term effects. As a society, it is our responsibility to push for solutions to this epidemic and protect the minds of the future.

             

Works Cited

"A Quote by Albert Camus." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug.

Abrams, Douglas E. "Confronting the Youth Sports Concussion Crisis: A Central Role for Responsible Local Enforcement of Playing Rules." By Douglas E. Abrams :: SSRN. University of Missouri Law School, 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 July 2017.

Bachynski, Kathleen E. and Daniel S. Goldberg. "Youth Sports & Public Health: Framing Risks of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in American Football and Ice Hockey." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, vol. 42, no. 3, Fall2014, pp. 323-333. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/jlme.12149.

Erdtmann, Frederick. "Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture." Military Medicine, vol. 180, no. 2, Feb. 2015, pp. 123-125. EBSCOhost, doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00516.

Harrison, Emily A. "The First Concussion Crisis." American Journal of Public Health, vol. 104, no. 5, May 2014, pp. 822-834. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301840.

Hunsucker, Josh. "Buckle Your Chinstrap: Why Youth, High School, and College Football Should Adopt the NFL's Concussion Management Policies and Procedures." Mcgeorge Law Review, vol. 45, no. 4, Dec. 2014, pp. 801-833. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.com.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=109093428&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Maguire, Laura. "Camus and Absurdity." Philosophy Talk. Stanford University, 27 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 Aug. 2017.  

Moser, Rosemarie Scolaro, and Philip Schatz. “A Case for Mental and Physical Rest in Youth Sports Concussion: It’s Never Too Late.” Frontiers in Neurology 3 (2012): 171. PMC. Web. 19 July 2017.

Mukand, Jon A. and Marilyn F. Serra. "Concussions and Brain Injuries in Youth Sports." Rhode Island Medical Journal, vol. 98, no. 12, Dec. 2015, pp. 16-19. EBSCOhost,ezproxy.com.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=111425754&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Russell, Kelly, et al. "Academic Outcomes in High-School Students After a Concussion: A Retrospective Population-Based Analysis." Plos ONE, vol. 11, no. 10, 20 Oct. 2016, pp. 1-12. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165116.

Silver, Carly. "Albert Camus Almost Became a Star Soccer Player." History Buff. Disqus, 26 Sept. 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2017.

Simpson, David. "Albert Camus (1913—1960)." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2017.

Sprouse, Ryan A., et al. "Sport-Related Concussion: How Best to Help Young Athletes." Journal of Family Practice, vol. 65, no. 8, Aug. 2016, pp. 538-546. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.com.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cin20&AN=117399455&site=ehost-live&scope=site.