Our world and planet earth is deteriorating. Global warming and climate change are the processes causing us to heat up our earth due to human activities, we are the main contributor of this environmental catastrophe. Humans are increasingly influencing climate change by burning fossil fuels, cutting down rainforests and farming livestock are few of the hundreds of activities humans have created which in turn fuels the process of global warming. Global warming affects our oceans, our atmosphere, and our daily lives. Not only are we negatively affected by the effects today, but we fail to understand the significance our actions will have in 20 years.
So what are we doing? The main cause of this threat known as global warming is greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). We release these emissions in countless ways, driving cars, turning on our lights, as well as using our heaters. The usages of microplastics are another harmful human activity because the using of this product most often ends up in our oceans if not recycled properly. Even so the amount of Co2 emissions caused to create a single micro plastic is astounding. Microplastics include but are not limited to microbeads found in personal care products, plastic pellets, and sythethetic plastic fibers used in textiles. Micro plastics are any form of plastic less than 5 mm in length. One of the most common microplastics used by humans are; plastic straws.
Plastic straws, the product that kills. Every year 100 million marine animals die from plastic waste alone. 80% of the plastic we humans use end up in our oceans. 267 species are affected by this selfish manner. One in three leatherback turtles are found with plastic in themselves. The United states alone discards 500 million plastic straws a day, that’s 1.4 million plastic straws sent into our landfills and oceans everyday! Not only that but the production ratio of carbon emissions to plastic is a whopping 5:1.
Knowing this information you may feel inflicted, do you enjoy your beverage comfortably with a straw or let your teeth become numb from the lack of one.
“The alternative I represent with you today are metal straws. “
Metal straws are an alternative to this life threatening product. Like the product name they are straws made from metal, meaning they are reusable and eco friendly! A few benefits of using metal straws include their durability, safety, portability, reusability, and cost. Metal straws are an easy thing the average person can switch to and use, you don’t have to be a full time activist to help. You can simply carry around a stainless steel and aesthetically pleasing straw when you wish to enjoy your cool beverage of choice. Help save our ocean friends and be a part of the change. At the end of the day We need to change, We need you.
How have technological advancements affected Gen-Z?
You find yourself sitting in front of your TV after a long day at the office, your eyes staring at the screen set in front of you as you wait for the VCR to begin to ‘’time shift’’ the last episode of your favorite show you just happened to miss, by a mere hour. This is a scenario the majority of Baby boomers and 43% of the millennial generation would be able to reconcile. Cable Television and VCRs, these forms of entertainment/news may have been the platforms used for more than 50 years by mature generations, but a high number of generationZ have no knowledge of these terms.
DIGITAL NATIVES
Generation Z are known as the ‘’digital Natives’’ Because they grew up shaped by technology, and the internet is an integral aspect of their daily life. Generation Z didn’t grow up sitting at the kitchen table listening to a band playing on the radio, they grew up with a smart phone in their hands as they spent their days scrolling through social media such as Instagram. What does this mean and how has this shaped our young generation of humans and future adults to our society. Before we begin to discuss that why don’t we first explain to those who may not be aware what a VCR is, and what cable Tv is. (what’s even funnier is I have never even seen a VCR prior to my research. ha-ha. But the internet verified the info so …. lets just go with it!)
WHAT IS A VCR?
Cable Television, commonly abbreviated as CATV. The system of delivering TV programming through Via Radio frequencies. The more recent cable systems opted for light pulses and fiber optic cables. Cable TV broadcasts television, (otherwise known as terrestrial television) through over-the-air signal transmission with radio waves and communication satellites. This was the standard analog television seen in the 20th century. In 1968 6.4% of Americans had CATV. There was a 7.5% increase(0.48%) in 1978. By 1994 62.4% of Americans had CATV. Near the year 2000s cable systems had begun to upgrade into digital cables. These digital cables have higher HD videos, more channels, and have provided more services. Examples of what these cable/satellite, channels/cable advanced into, are some we see today including; HBO, cartoon net, nickelodeon, PBS, and fox sports television… you get the point? Verify this from the wikipedia article we linked earlier.
Some Questions To Note
How have these technological advancements affected our younger generation, more specifically generation Z. And What does this mean for our society as a whole and its future?
As we know Generation Z is the generation of digital natives that have grown up with the world revolving around technology which has ultimately shaped these young beings and their minds.
and here i go:
Technology has increased connectivity with the outer world as well as increased the rates for suicide and depression, and the way people (gen-z) view themselves. A few of the core characteristics we see in generation Z include political progressivism, a normalization in diversity, and as well as being pragmatic and financially minded. These technological developments have affected the amount of affection kids need from their parents, family mealtimes are being shared and spent over a screen rather than being talked to one another.
Generation Z is also known to be the generation with the most reported mental health problems. (will add quote later) All of this is connected to being born into the digital world. Growing up with the normalization that everyone has an iPhone, this advancement witnessed first hand for this is the first time in history . While the biggest issue generation Z has come into contact with is a global pandemic, this has only sequentially forced them deeper into the ocean of the internet.
To summarize all that has been discussed, The technological advancement of Cable TV and VCRs has impacted our youth both positively and negatively, it is still yet to be confirmed whether or not one side outweighs the other, the only way we will be able to see this plan through is to live it out. One day at a time lets keep learning and lets keep moving forward. 🙂
