Life is Full of Choices

The other day at work I asked an older gentleman how he was doing. I was quite shocked by his response. He said, "Well young lady, I'm somewhere between excellent and superb." I told him that it's too bad more people don't have a positive outlook like that. He proceeded to tell me the importance of making choices in life. Everyone has control over their attitude and the choice to be happy or not. The choices we make now create the journey to our future. He told me to keep in mind that our choices also affect the people around us. This makes me wonder if people actually think about the choices they make on a regular basis. Do high school and college students who are texting and driving or drinking and driving realize that their individual choices could affect the communities in which they live? Many schools and organizations have programs that focus on making the right choices. The Right Choice program is/was one of the many that provides steps to making the right choices. Do you think these programs would be effective in a college environment? If this were a college program would you participate?

The older gentleman advised me to not worry about the things I have no control over, but to make the best of what I can control. The advice was passed down to him from his father and now he goes around spreading the advice to random strangers. What an inspiration? A lesson learned. We should all be more conscious of the choices we make, because after all, almost everything we do is a choice that we often take for granted.

'non-verbal' communication, online

As we just read, 'communication is key'. We just talked about 'non-verbal' communication, but what about communication via internet?

Everyone (okay, most everyone) has a Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace. Is the way that you are presenting yourself in these forums ways that you can be proud of? Is that picture that Tammy, your roommate's partying friend, posted of you flattering? Is the fact that there are 99 bottles of beer on the.... table... right besides you incriminating in any way?

Do you think that it could affect your career in any way? How can we use these forums for good instead of the information coming back and biting us in the proverbial bum?

Communication is Key!

Photo Credit  Non-verbal Signs

What I have learned during college and continue to carry with me is the importance of communication and keeping in touch with the people around us. This is a topic that I believe everyone has room to improve.

Do you ever think about how you are communicating with others? Think about all the signs and signals you send each day - the head nods, eye contact, posture, and gestures. An important part of communication is learning how to read people's behavior and nonverbal cues. This could potentially save you from a difficult situation, such as deciding whether or not to get in a car with certain people. Nonverbal communication also helps to develop intent and clarity in conversations.

In relation to traffic safety, communication allows us to move from place to place and keeps the world going. How would we navigate without visual cues like road signs and traffic signals?

In the Art of Communication Prerna Salla offers the following suggestions for making a positive impression:
- be confident and practice being able to "gel" in any environment
- be a good listener
- take time to put your thoughts together before you speak
- be aware of current events and the world around you
- embrace opportunities to learn something new
- stay away from gossip
- be yourself

_________ while driving

Eating while driving, texting while driving... and we all know drinking and driving.

What do these things have in common?

All together now! They are _________ (insert-correct-adjective-here).

I would say dangerous. What would your word be?

AND

What other things can you add to this list?

Some food for thought

An experiment at the University of New York-Albany watched 39,042 drivers at 200 sites throughout New York State in the spring of 2002 to study cellphone use and other behaviors that distract drivers. The results posted in the New York Times found that 3 percent of the drivers, or 1,160 people, were using a cellphone, and 15 percent, or 5,733, were engaged in other distracting behavior. The biggest offender was eating or drinking which occurred 1490 times.

Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research - Cell Phones and Distracted Driving (2006 update)
Caution: Drivers Eating

Cell phones and eating behind the wheel are not the the only forms of distractions behind the wheel, according the Motor Vehicle Department. The list of distractions include

• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a PDA or navigation system
• Watching a video
• Changing the radio station, CD, or Mp3 player

Statistics and Facts About Distracted Driving

Consider the Brain

Photo credit: Two 20 year old females. Top view of brain, two inches above ears. Colored areas show active brain areas during memory task.

You don't want your brain to coagulate.

Okay, okay, so your brain might not suffer those extremes, but it can literally shrink over time when exposed to too much alcohol, as well as literally make the brain less active in areas of memory.

Now, don't misunderstand. It is not the alcohol itself that is the culprit-- it is the pure amount consumed over a period of time (in the linked study, this is around 5 years). Sometimes, we get fooled. "Meh, I just had one or two drinks last night, my brain is safe!" But realllly, let's be honest. Honey, that Long Island Ice Tea is not one drink... it is around 4.

Take a look at these 'portions'-- what constitutes one drink really? Your body can metabolize around one drink an hour (which is like four hours for the Long Island). The thing that can throw us off is that all drinks are not created equal!

Photo credit: Standard Drinks Guide

So next time you're out and about on the town, consider the brain! Or at least be aware of how much you are really drinking.

Be kind to your mind!

The Misleading Mix

Photo Credit
Western Daily Student Newspaper

Red Bull, Monster, Rock Star. More than likely, one of these energy drinks have helped you pull off an all nighter to study for that big test or to finish twenty pages due the next day. Another use of these drinks that has turned the energy drink business into a $5 billion a year market, is the mixing of these drinks with alcohol, such as the well known "Jager Bomb". This has lead to a misconception that alcohol and caffeine block each other out.

To debunk this misconception, we must look at the basic function of alcohol and caffeine on the brain.

Caffeine keeps a person alert and awake. But why? Normally, when we get sleepy, the neurotransmitter adenosine is at work. Adenosine inhibits the release of two other neurotransmitters (dopamine and acetylelcholine) that play a role in keeping us awake and alert. Caffeine prevents adenosine from activating, allowing one to fight off that drowsy feeling.

Alcohol on the other hand, affects a different set of neurotransmitters. Alcohol elongates the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA, which decreases brain activity. Alcohol also affects the neurotransmitter glutamate, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter that increases brain activity. This combination produces the sleepy feeling or drowsiness from drinking alcohol. Alcohol causes these effects in the parts of the brain responsible for inhibiting risky behavior.

So what is the overall effect of these drinks? The effect can best be described by Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, who says that mixing the caffeine of energy drinks with alcohol is like "getting into a car and stepping on the gas pedal and the brake at the same time. " It tricks the brain into thinking that you're not as drunk as you are because the stimulant (caffeine) overcomes the sedating effects of the depressant (alcohol). This leads to a wide awake drunk state.

The effects of this can be seen in a study done at the University of Florida. Researchers went to popular bars and clubs and randomly interviewed 800 college-age patrons as they left. The results:

- those who had been drinking energy drinks mixed with alcohol were three times more likely to leave highly intoxicated and four times more likely to intend to drive than bar patrons who had been drinking only alcohol.

- the respondents that ingested caffeine with their alcohol were also less likely to notice that their motor skills and vision were impaired.

University of Florida Study: energy drinks, liquor are a bad mix

What do you think about this new technology?

Photo Credit Electronic Gadgets

I’ve come across this new technology called Key2SafeDriving that prohibits drivers to send or receive calls or text messages while driving. Predetermined and emergency numbers are the only numbers that can be dialed while the car is in motion. Is this something you would agree to? What do you think?

Mildly Morbid Humor?

Comic: Texting while Driving

Incoming Text

First of all, I am guilty.

I am telling you this, because I know what you are thinking. It is just texting. I am not one of those kids that drinks and then decides to drive around for the next 35 minutes dropping people off, I am obeying the speed limit, and I have one eye on the road. No. I am probably just texting my Mom to let her know that Grandma and I are having lunch and then hitting Reiman Gardens to tour the butterfly house. I am texting my brother to see if he needs a ride back from basketball practice, to my sister to see if she wants to see 'The Last Song' at the doller theatre.

The thing is, I don't care if you are texting the president of Amnesty International-- that doesn't magically lower the risk.

And I know, I know-- you are at the stopsign or red stop light, and your fancy phone vibrates and glows and starts spitting rainbows, practically begging you to pick up and stay connected. Oh and then, you start to drive while just finishing up that text-- ten more characters-- because oh man the light turned green, and your best friend NEEDS to know when you are going to be there. 5 minutes? 10 minutes? When?

And I am guilty. Previously, this decision was up to me, to make the risk for myself and for others on the road. The decision was up to me, even if 40 percent of surveyed teens say that they have been in a car with a driver where someone felt in danger due to cell phone usage. Graphic service announcements aside, the fact is that now in Iowa the transition to it being illegal to text and drive is starting. In July of 2010, police will start to give warnings and in July 2011, the full law will come in to effect. This is detailed in House File 2456, and you might want to read about it. This is explained a little better in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Despite this, the decision will still be up to you. There will be officers to enforce the law, but it is still your choice whether or not to obey it. So...

What motivates you? The statistics? The risk? The law?

What works?

TTYL ... empathy and texting connection?

Remember our discussion on empathy the other day? I am interested in seeing if you think it relates to something considered the opposite: impersonal.

What could I be talking about? Well, lack of expressions (other than emoticons of course) and 'LOL's; TTYL's; and I <3 u!'s'... what is it? Texting!

Which, is debatable of course. Whether or not texting is impersonal.

But the real question is... can we have enough empathy for each other to not text if it could cause us danger? Mmmm... Think on it, and we will discuss soon.

Lack of Empathy? Really?

Photo courtesy Rainbow120

So, we are trying to figure out this generation. First of all, what is expected of us? What do people think that we are capable of? Because, I know we are capable of great things, but does everyone else agree?

According to a study at *University of Michigan, 'College students don't have as much empathy as they used to.' In this study, researchers looked at data of 14,000 college students. Apparently, empathy is down 40 percent in our age group. It's a dreary forecast.

What is empathy, exactly? The technical definition is: 'Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives.'

Here are more web definitions of empathy.

What do you think about this... shall we spy on our group and see what they had to say? I vote yes ...

Current college students are said to be less empathetic, are they desensitized? Do you find this to be true, and would it affect the safety of college students?

Katie:
I think that this could affect college students—I see girls walking alone at night after drinking, and I worry about them. Who is looking out for these people?

Nicole:
If you are with your friends, they are going to be more empathetic.

Neal:
I think based on the society we live in, we focus on the individual and we expect the individual to take care of themselves. We don’t like being lectured. I feel like discussion is more effective.

Nicole:
I agree, I feel like if you are actually talking with someone you
are more likely to listen and think about it than if it is just information.

So what is the take-away? What is the point? The point is that you reader, do not have to be a statistic. 40 perecent of college students are less empathetic-- you can be the 60 percent. Something as simple as they way we relate to people can keep each other safe. Let's prove them wrong! Great things people, let's do it. I say we can make our own forecast, and I am a fan of the sun, aren't you?

*Check out the discussed link! University of Michigan Empathy Study

A picture is worth a thousand words

One of the reasons we are doing this blog is as a model to all you future groups. Hopefully through our toil, incredibly fascinating discussions, and earth-shattering discoveries-- you will become inspired to make tangents of your own in your eight-week focus group.

An important part of blog posts are the graphics. They are eye-catching, fun, and focusing the point of the blog. The famous idiom, 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' may have quite a bit of truth to it (as a writer, I will have you know I admit this with a fair amount of grumbling).

As a model for future groups, I want to talk about using graphics from other websites. How do you know if it is legit to use photos? Well, first of all, always link back to the place you got the picture from. It is respectful, and it is a good precaution to take.

Also, there is something called 'fair use' policy. The fair use policy is derived from the Electronic Frontiers Foundation, and are the general guidelines to be used when you find a cool image to use.

1. If you use the image in a way that is 'transformative,' as in making the image valuable to your own purpose instead of just copying completely, this is looked on as more favorable.
2. If you are using an image that was meant to demonstrate a fact versus fiction, this is also more favorable.
3. Using a part of the image from a website, instead of copying a whole document.
4. How the market is supposed to be affected. This is the most important aspect-- if you are marketing a different audience or purpose is more fair. Similarly, linking to the original website definitely makes using the image more fair.

Keep these four major principles in mind as you use your graphic, and you should be good to go!

Who to Trust?

The internet is a vast wilderness of information. The daunting task is to decide what information is accurate and updated. According to John Hopkins University library website, you should consider the following.

1. Author- is the author an expert in his/her field, if not does he/she have references that are reliable?
2. The Publishing Body- Is the newspaper or journal the writer is working for credible and unbaised?
3. Be aware of Bias- For example- If you are looking at a corporate Web site, assume that the information on the corporation will present it in the most positive light.
4. The Article itself- Does the writer sound educated, does he/she sound unbiased, does she use reliable references?
5. Accuracy- Is the methodology outlined in the document is appropriate to the topic and allows the study to be duplicated for purposes of verification?
6. Currency- Is the information accurate and relevant to the current time period. Ask yourself if the information you are researching updated every year or time sensitive.

For more details, consult the John Hopkins Library Guide to Internet Research

Long walks on the .... path to change?

How would you describe yourself? Strong, passionate, artistic...? Laid back, wickedly intelligent, with a tendency to procrastinate....? Romantic, sporty, likes long walks on the insert-correct-place-here...?

Each individual has a personality, obviously, unique to them. However, can the same be said of a whole generation?

How about 'Confident, connected, open to change'? Is this us? And more importantly, what can we do with these personal-ad worthy characteristics?

The best is yet to come! Welcome, readers.

The time: Summer 2010. The purpose? To get a bunch of students together with different backgrounds and different future goals, and put our heads together. All majors, all educational backgrounds, all experiences. We hope to use our mad skills to delve into the minds of this generation—what makes us tick? We want to bring a fresh approach to ‘old issues’ that are still relevant now. So help us. Come along, and tell us the truth on these issues. How can we initiate change in the issues affecting us? Here we go!