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By Mel The UK government has proposed significant reforms to disability benefits, aiming to reduce welfare expenditure and encourage employment among individuals with disabilities.
These measures have sparked considerable debate regarding their potential impact on the disabled community. At first, when you read that, you think this could be a good thing, that it might encourage more young people who don't claim benefits. They might think it's encouraging rather than claiming benefits. But, what about the other side of it? People who have disabilities that stop them from working? Did they ask to have these struggles? I think not! I can understand that the possible purpose of this could be to stop people who are not disabled from claiming benefits. But why should the people who are disabled have to suffer anymore? There are many other ways to go about doing this, such as having a more structured program to determine who needs these benefits to help them live. To understand more about why the government is making this decision, I decided to read some articles about it. The more I read, the more it pushed me to stick to my opinion that it was a bad idea. One of those reasons is a statement I read from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, “The necessity of overhauling the sickness benefit system to prevent a wasted generation of young people”. When I read that, my first thought was, do they think that the current generation is a waste? If that’s true, then why don’t they provide more support for people and then we can resolve two issues in one. Charities and backbenchers express concerns about the potential adverse effects on disabled individuals. Sixteen disability and poverty charities have warned that cutting disability benefits could have "catastrophic" consequences, urging the government to prioritise meaningful reforms over arbitrary spending cuts. - Source from The Times. This is where I wanted to add in how I will be affected, just to give some insight into one of the millions of people’s lives that are going to be affected by this choice if it goes ahead. I suffer from non-epileptic seizures, also known as functional seizures or dissociative seizures. This is NOT epilepsy as many would think or assume it to be. And because of that, they assume that because it’s not epilepsy, it isn’t a disability and won’t stop you from working. In my eyes and many others, it is a disability, and yes, it can stop you from working. For example, I cannot drive as my seizures cannot be helped by medication like they can help people with epilepsy. My brother was diagnosed with epilepsy a few years before my seizures started, and he went forward to get the medication, and now he is out living his life, has a job and can drive and travel. That’s what I long to have, just to be able to go out for a drive and get away from reality for a bit. Going to unique places that you can’t get to with a bus or train, or having to rely on family and friends to give you lifts. One of the many reasons people with functional seizures cannot work is that the seizures occur suddenly and without warning, making it difficult to maintain a stable work routine. Jobs that involve driving, operating machinery, or working at heights become especially dangerous. As the government moves forward with these reforms, it faces the critical challenge of ensuring that efforts to reduce welfare expenditures do not disproportionately harm some of society's most vulnerable members. To help this, we can write to our local MPs to help open up a conversation about the current problems we face as a nation. We can engage with community organizations, advocacy groups, and representatives of vulnerable populations to gather their input and insights. This can help in designing reforms that are more inclusive and less likely to cause harm.
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What is affirmative action? For some people, it is seen as a potential equalizer that can help minorities. For others, affirmative action is seen as something that hinders certain minorities. According to the Oxford Dictionary, affirmative action is “(in the context of the allocation of resources or employment) the practice or policy of favoring individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against previously.” For many Asian households, affirmative action is a terrible thing for their children. How could something that is seen as an equalizer for minorities, be something viewed negatively? Many Asian parents believe that affirmative action will prevent their children from getting into college. College admissions are already very difficult for many high-schoolers, since they have to focus on extracurriculars, while balancing out difficult classes, challenging sports and teenage drama. For many Asian parents, affirmative action will harm their children’s chances of getting into college. Not only are parents concerned; Asian students are also frustrated by affirmative action. In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, a group of Asian-American students argued that Harvard had discriminated against Asian-American students. The plaintiffs, (the Asian-American students,) argued that Harvard had imposed a racial quota, preventing a large Asian-American population at Harvard. The plaintiffs argued that the percentage of Asian-American applicants had grown, but the percentage of Asian-Americans admitted still remained the same. Additionally, Asian-Americans received lower ‘personality’ ratings, with applicants being rated as poorer leaders, unkind, meek (not brave), and unlikeable, compared to other applicants. However, Asian-American applicants received much higher scores when it came to test scores, grades, and extracurriculars. Because of their lower personality ratings, many Asian-American applicants were rejected from Harvard, despite scoring the highest in most categories. An economist from Duke argued that an Asian-American applicant who had the same score as a non-Asian applicant, would be least likely to be accepted, having an acceptance rate of 25%. However, if a black applicant had the same score, the chance of acceptance would be 95%. A Latinx applicant would have an acceptance rate of 77%, while a white applicant would have an acceptance rate of 36%. However, Harvard argued that the percentage of admitted Asian-Americans has grown 4%, from 17% to 21%, despite the fact that Asian-Americans make up 6% of the American population. Although Harvard ended up winning the lawsuit, this group of brave Asian-American students has filed an appeal. Meanwhile, in California, to the relief of many Asian parents, Proposition 16 (which proposed to allow affirmative action in higher education) didn’t pass. For those who are in favor of affirmative action, many people were upset that Proposition 16 didn’t pass, believing that Latinx and African-American communities would continue to face hardships when being accepted into colleges. However, I firmly believe that affirmative action is unfair to Asian-Americans. As an Asian-American, it’s common knowledge that the Asian-American population has always had a hard time getting into college. As a member of an “overrepresented” minority when it comes to college, I’ve accepted the fact that I would have to work harder to achieve my dreams. I’m thankful that Proposition 16 hadn’t passed; if Proposition 16 had passed, it would’ve made it much more difficult for all Asian-Americans to get into college. For those who argue that affirmative action would help underrepresented minorities, affirmative action is not the correct solution. Affirmative action allows reverse discrimination to occur. Instead of allowing affirmative action, we must focus on improving the education of underrepresented minorities in college. Many Latinx and black communities face inequality in education; as teenagers, we can work together to help solve these problems. Many organizations, such as CovEd and Engage STEM are working to decrease the inequality in education, to help these underrepresented minorities. The issue of affirmative action is that it requires logical thinking. Affirmative action has allowed the Asian-American community to bond. For the first time, many Asian-Americans voted, in hopes of keeping equality and fairness for their children. They bonded together and protested against affirmative action, fighting back against the stereotype that Asian-Americans don’t fight for what is right. I hope this article helped you understand affirmative action better. I’ve attached a few articles to help you navigate affirmative action. -Jade http://care.gseis.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/care-brief-raceblind.pdf https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-sad-irony-of-affirmative-action https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/10/the-painful-truth-about-affirmative-action/263122/ https://stopprop16.org https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/17/proposition-16-why-some-asian-americans-are-on-the-front-lines-of-the-campaign-against-affirmative-action/ https://studentsforfairadmissions.org JadeActivism is something that affects our day to day lives, as well as our entire existence. Whether you partake in it or watch it go by, it will always affect you in some way. It’s important to understand what it is, what each movement represents, what the end goal is for those movements, and what you can do to help.
Activism is the action or policy of using vigorous campaigning to implement either political or societal change. The changes can be issues that have been around for centuries, and although change can be scary, it’s time we do something and fix these issues. Sometimes we become so used to our lives now that we don’t notice the inequalities we may have in either a societal or political climate, which can be one of the saddest things about it. We can be so used to inequality that we don’t notice it. It’s time for that to change. Some major movements can represent racial inequality, LGBTQ+ issues, sexism, misogyny and environmental issues. Some movements include black lives matter, LGBTQ+ rights movement, feminism, me too and the environmental movement. A lot of misinformation goes out about these movements, as well as people who try to stop them from implementing change. It’s important that you do your own research about these movements and derive your own opinion. There’s a lot of misinformation spread, especially amongst the political climate, so please be careful. These movements can bring to light a lot of upsetting realities, so please be kind to yourself when you look into them. Activism is exhausting. It’s physically and mentally draining. It’s important that you look after yourself, that you take a break when you need to, and that you know when to stop. I’m petty, I like having the last word, but through this I’ve learnt when I need to stop and do things for my own safety and sanity, such as private my social media accounts and block everyone I’ve seen either mention me or interact with me in a hostile way. If people threaten to leak private information about you, find your location, threaten you, or send people to your accounts to leave hostile or harmful comments, block them and private your accounts. Your safety is the most important part of this. Look after yourself. There are many ways you can get involved in movements, both on social media and in real life. With social media, know how to block someone and how to private your accounts. In real life, make sure that you’re safe. In any kind of activism, things can get heated fast, so make sure you’re safe. Make sure you look after yourself. Your safety is important. On social media, share useful posts, share links to charities, challenge harmful opinions and posts, and report harmful content. Call out misinformation when you see it. While doing this, make sure you’re safe. If your well-being is affected, take a break. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break. If you get into a debate, don’t get emotionally attached to it. Don’t get hostile. Don’t call people names, don’t get personal. Challenge the opinion, not the person. Treat people with kindness, even if they don’t seem to deserve it. Being nice during a debate will make you the better person. In real life, write to local political officers, volunteer with organisations that help make changes, engage in conversations and go to protests. If you go to protests, please make sure that you’re safe. With certain ones that are taking place now, law enforcements and people against movements are making it hostile and quite often violent. Your safety is the priority. Look after yourself. You can search online who your local political elect is and write to them, but make sure to be polite. Again, be nice. Don’t get emotionally engaged because that’s when the hostility can peak. Don’t get personal. Don’t get violent. Challenge the opinion, not the person. Above all, your safety is the priority. Stay safe. Activism isn’t easy. I don’t think it ever will be, but it’s worth it if we can help change the world for the better. Chances are, the change we’re striving for won’t come around for a long time, and that can be a hard thing to accept, and sometimes it feels pointless even trying, but it’s worth it. If our actions can make the world a safer place for others in the future, I’m happy to do whatever I can to make that happen. The key thing with this is your safety, and I know I’ve repeated that a lot, but it’s important. As I said, it isn’t easy, it’s exhausting, it’s both mentally and physically taxing, so please look after yourself. Know when to take a break. Know when you need to take a step back and recoup. Listen to your mind and body and be safe. ~ En Link to global helplines- https://checkpointorg.com/global/ Over the summer I read the wonderful ‘This Is Not Propaganda’. As you might have guessed by the title, the book was all about controlling the media and political messages. In part one, ‘Cities of Trolls’, the author talks about freedom of speech, and how powerful people can use masses of information to hide messages posted by people disagreeing with them. In this part, a particular section called ‘#ArrestMariaRessa!’ really stuck with me. Maria was the head of a news website in the Philippines during President Duterte’s rise to power. Maria and her online news website would report about Duterte’s vulgar language and eventually his unauthorised killings. Despite producing factually correct articles, Maria was facing online threats. However, after some time she started to notice some patterns and found fake online accounts that would repeat the same messages - eventually, she could even predict when fake stories were about to be posted and created an alarm system for readers of the Rappler. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and what do I see on the news? Maria Ressa won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. After looking into it even further I found that she’s also won the Golden Pen of Freedom in 2018, and the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize in 2021 - all for her work on democracy and freedom of speech. This got me thinking about freedom of speech, and just how important it is. So, if you’re still with me after this ridiculously long introduction, I’m going to tell you all about freedom of speech, what it is, and why you should care about it! Freedom of speech is any one person's right to put across their ideas and opinions without having to worry about retaliation, punishment or censorship. Let's unpack this a little bit more. Retaliation can come from anywhere, whether that be other ‘normal’ people or the government. Punishment could also come from other people or the government, in the form of abuse or fines and imprisonment. Finally, censorship happens when what you’ve said has been suppressed. So in essence, if you can say what you want when you want and not be worried about receiving serious consequences from this, you have the luxury of freedom of speech! But you might be thinking, ‘surely there are some cases where suppressing opinions is a good thing, right?’ - for example, anti-LGBTQ or racist viewpoints that are being spread to intentionally spread hate. Whilst I agree that nobody should be expressing such thoughts, if you were to take away that person’s right to do so you would be taking away the opportunity for them to learn and educate themselves, not to mention challenging democracy itself. From my own experiences, these people should be able to express their views so that I can challenge them and help them see things from a different perspective. If they’re forced to keep such ideas to themselves, how will they learn that it’s not okay? There’s also the idea that if someone can’t say harmful things, they’re more likely to do harmful things. You might also be thinking, ‘what’s a teenager like me going to be able to do about freedom of speech?’. If that is what you’re thinking, you might be surprised to find out that Gen Z (people born after 1996) is the most progressive age group within society and see things like racial and ethnic diversity as a good thing. And it’s true. Since moving to university I’ve been involved in Climate Protests (Greta Thunberg visited my university city!), something I never would’ve considered at home. Concerning freedom of speech, the majority of students do not support free speech restrictions . So there you have it, young people have the power, if we stand up for the things that we believe in, we really can create a better future for everyone! So that’s just about everything I wanted to say! If you’ve stuck with me this whole time, thank you! This is such an important topic, especially when you look at cheating claims against Putin after he was reelected this year, or in less economically developed countries where the government has much more control of the media than in richer democratic countries. I hope you understand what freedom of speech is and why it’s so important. I also hope you understand that, whilst hate speech is wrong, so is taking away someone’s right to be educated. Think about it - if we couldn’t learn from our mistakes we’d spend our whole lives doing something the wrong way, whereas if we’re told we’re wrong we can change for the better! Now that you know your rights - I hope you’re inspired! Be who you want to be, challenge people, even challenge yourself! Protest, make change, be a leader! You have a voice, use it! If there’s something you’re passionate about, let everyone know about it, you only get one life. Be the change you want to see. Keeley. 1: Pomerantsev, P. (2019). This Is Not Propaganda. Faber & Faber Limited, London. https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Not-Propaganda-Adventures-Against/dp/0571338631 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Ressa#Awards_and_recognition KeeleyAs our current year approaches its end we often find ourselves thinking about the upcoming new year. People tend to hope that the new year will bring about positive experiences, success, and change. These thoughts often lead people to create New Year's resolutions. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a New Year’s resolution is defined as “ a promise to do something differently in the new year”. More often than not these resolutions include changing something in your life that you may not like or accomplishing a goal or set of goals. The idea of setting a new year resolution can be productive and may aid you in finally doing what you always wanted to, or in other words, help you become the 'new and improved you' in the new year. Looking back on everything that has happened this past year, it's normal that we hope that the upcoming new year will bring positivity and improvement into our lives. Some of us may begin to think of New Year's resolutions such as eating healthier, exercising more often, reading that book that has been sitting on your shelf for some time, and more. Usually, we are eager to act upon these goals that we have set for ourselves, and even feel proud when we do so. However, many of us may forget or drop these initial thoughts of future improvement as the new year progresses. Others may feel a sense of failure because they were not able to go through with their resolution. Before the start of 2020, I had come up with a few resolutions for the year. Some of these resolutions include eating healthier, drinking more water, and reading more. For the most part, I have been eating healthier and making sure to drink more water, but I have not read more this year than I had last year. Initially, I was upset that I was unable to meet all my goals for the current year, but then I realized that I was able to improve on two of the three goals that I had set for myself. We as people won’t always be able to follow through on every plan or goal that we have set for ourselves in the future. Very often we become focused on the big goal and don’t realize the small things that we have accomplished on our way to achieving the larger goal. Although the start of a new year may symbolize a fresh start and an opportunity to work towards bettering oneself, it is important to remember that we can always work on ourselves no matter the time of year. Although some may not want to take part in the idea of making a New Year's resolution, it can be fun. If you are trying to think of a New Year’s resolution for yourself, you can start by thinking about what aspects of your life you would like to improve on or change. These changes and improvements do not have to be drastic, they can be as simple as going on more walks or learning a new word every day. Many resolutions typically revolve around one's health, such as eating better or maybe quitting an unfavourable habit, but resolutions can take on many forms. Some unique resolutions can include learning a new language, reading a certain number of books that you always wanted to, doing some exploring near your home (you may discover something new), and more. You may not achieve every resolution that you set, however, it is important to pat yourself on the back for trying. The new year is approaching fast and some of us may be setting goals/new year resolutions for ourselves as we enter into the upcoming year. You should not feel pressured to come up with a New Year resolution if you don’t want to. If you do set a resolution for the upcoming year I hope that you accomplish them. If you are unable to, remember that you tried your best and when you are ready you can always try again. Here are a few new years resolution ideas in case you are looking for some:
I would like to wish a happy new year to all of the readers and members of Teenagers With Experience, may this year bring us all health, happiness, and success. Sincerely, Diana DianaBeing introduced to another type of religion was incredibly interesting. I've never really done any research into the many other types that are out in the world. My friend Marina introduced me to the one she has followed for many years as in her own words, "saved her and changed her life". So, I wanted to see what she meant by that. The first thing she explained to me was that becoming a Buddhist means you open your mind to new worlds, to new people and to new opportunities. At this point, I was intrigued to learn more about how being a Buddhist affects her daily life. Marina had many books on other people's perspectives of Buddhism which I thought was very informative as it shows she accepts other people’s opinions about her religion. She then introduced me to different types of podcasts and Youtubers that have inspired her. She introduced me to her religion because she knows about how I suffer from my mental health daily: she believed if I were to try the ways of Buddhism and explore it, then I could free my mind to hopefully get better. How did I feel about this? Well, don't get me wrong, I was scared at first but then once I explored the ins and outs of the beautiful religion it opened my mind. My favourite part about learning about the religion was through tarot cards. These cards are a healing tool to help us explore the light but also dark parts of our lives. They are also used to help you find guidance and your inner strengths. What I found so interesting about these cards was how they used nature to find self-healing. I've never been one to believe that nature has a cure for everything but I do not doubt it either. I'm very open to listening and learning about how nature can heal us naturally and it's quite magical! Marina also explained how she uses these cards every time she has to make an important decision or if she questions something in her life, she turns to the tarot cards. They help her to justify what to do and how to deal with the current situation. To continue the research into Buddhism, Marina is taking me to her local temple to discover what it's like to be inside one and to meet with the people who look after the temple. I'll get to ask them questions that I've been wanting to find the answer to for a while like; - What inspires them every day to look up to Budda for guidance? - How did they discover the religion? - What would they recommend I look into for guidance? Just by exploring the inner depths of a different religion has been beautiful and it has opened my eyes to the inner beauty of our world. Reading the tarot cards that were picked out and put in front of me tells me how my mind and body need healing. How I should not focus on the past anymore but here and now. As you cannot change the past so what's the point in stressing about it? But what you can work on is your future but most importantly right now, work on your happiness, your inner being and your mind and soul! Healing is a process that takes time but it is possible! So, from here I will take the next step to find more help. For my mental health and well-being, I have a strong belief in how these tarot cards and the religion can help me guide myself through recovery and hopefully, one day be able to live my life again with happiness. - Mel MELNow that the U.K. is going into its second lockdown, and the chances of us being out on December 3rd are bleak, It is time to get drawing rainbows again. Or is it? The rainbow has been a sign of hope in our time of need. As the saying goes ‘after every storm comes a rainbow’. This is why many of us have come together (metaphorically) by making, colouring or painting rainbows to add colour and a sense of unity to our neighbourhoods. As we are all going through this pandemic together. But back before lockdown, the rainbow was instantly synonymous with the LGBTQ+ community. It represented the diversity of the community and throughout the years many queer people have fought hard for that flag. So, it is understandable as to why they're upset that it has been taken away from them. But, now people see rainbows as a symbol of hope and as a way to celebrate the NHS. My suggestion is to bring back Wenlock and Mandeville, from the 2012 London Olympics mascots. Personally as an 11 year old (back then) I loved them because they looked like weird little alien people and because they brought the whole country together in excitement. This is why I think we should bring them back because we all need to be united. There are many qualities about their design which make them perfect for this role. But most notably the fact that they were "born from a rainbow". I mean how symbolic could we get? In the mini trailer, called “Out of the Rainbow” we see an elderly gentleman finishing up work building the Olympic stadium. He then takes home two bits of the stadium's scrap metal making them into “dolls” (the Olympic mascots) for his grandchildren. The rainbow then floods into the room bringing Wenlock and Maneville to life. Although it doesn’t make complete sense, it's a heartwarming tale and during these lockdown restrictions, the grandparents are in the at-risk category. Maybe that could be why Wenlock and Mandeville return. Many other qualities about Wenlock and Mandeville make them a good mascot of hope during these trying times. Such as Wenlock wearing the 5 Olympic rings as friendship bracelets. Which could act as a reminder to be kind to everyone as we are all going through the hardships of this pandemic together. - Josh JoshLet’s start off with the childhood dream; Once upon a time, I was fascinated with vampires, and that intrigued me and I wanted to become one. So, the adventure started there, and that’s when I researched Vlad The Impaler ( Dracula ). From that, I've always had a love for vampires whilst growing up, and to now actually visit Vlad’s castle where he lived was beyond a childhood dream coming true. The emotions that I was experiencing whilst walking up to the castle were running through my head it was kind of hard to walk. But I managed to get to the top and in we went. Exploring the rooms of the castle, seeing the artwork there that was once Vlad’s. Next, we got to my favourite part of the castle, the courtyard. It was beyond beautiful and it even had a well for people to throw their money into! But the thing I liked about this area was when you stood on the pebbled stone and looked up at the castle roof. It was a sight I’ll never forget. Now, onto the second bit of this article. The reason I’ve included two subjects in this article is that it was experienced on the same day so I thought it would just be suitable. So, how is love “just a dream?” Well, for me it was happening over several years I just didn’t realize it. See, the person I travelled with to Dracula’s castle was a good friend of mine that I used to work with, but due to circumstances, they had to move back to their hometown. This meant that I couldn’t see them, but also we lost contact for a while. Within the time period, we worked together we both grew close and didn’t realize we actually liked each other. Sucks right? So, after 4-5 years we got back in touch and decided to meet up and make a trip out of it and from there we just became closer and closer. Actually realizing what we had both been missing over the years. After having two trips together, we both came to the terms of, yes we do like each other but we didn’t want to ask each other as we were both anxious about the outcome. So, that’s when we went on our trip to Dracula’s castle. The week of the trip I had been giving a few hints to my friend about how I really liked him and how I would love for him to ask me out. But, it just wasn’t getting through to them. The day finally came, we talked and they explained the reasons for waiting for so long to ask me and it seemed reasonable and I understood where they were coming from. So, when they finally asked me, I was like “Is this too good to be true?” I hesitated due to the reasons they gave me but overall, I knew that this was what I’d been wanting for, those 4-5 years of being clueless. I just wanted to say to them, FINALLY! But, deep down it was like my heart stopped and everything paused for a few minutes. I was happy that all this happened within one day, who would believe it? Was it all just a dream?
MelMy faith has been something that I have had a very complex journey with. It is a journey filled with lots of suffering, tribulation, confusion, immeasurable joy, great peace, pursuit of truth and answers, and a journey that I’m still taking to this day. Honestly, this feels very big for me because, for the first time ever, I am going to do what the church calls bearing witness which means talking about how Jesus changed my life. My journey starts all the way back to when I was a baby. During that time period, my mom and dad were with the Catholic Church and baptized me in it when I was one. However, due to numerous ideological differences, my parents chose to leave the Catholic Church and set off to enter a relatively new church called Buckhead Church. My parents really liked and connected with this church and as a small child, so did I. I continued to attend Buckhead Church for many years enjoying the way it related the Bible to the modern day. I believe a lot of this enjoyment came from the fact that during that period of time, my religious views were not challenged at all. Doubts started to arise however when I was in 7th grade, since some of my friends were atheists who were very open about their lack of belief. This was the first time ever that I felt like I had my beliefs challenged and not knowing how to react, the first seeds of doubt were planted. Entering a Catholic high school didn’t help either. There I was taught things that seemed directly opposed to my middle school and church. Where my middle school and church taught me to love and accept all people regardless of background, my High School was more conservative and some of their views felt like they contradicted and nullified what I had learned previously. Also, I had a huge falling out with all of my friends during my freshman year. These events ended up causing me to lose my faith in God at the time because in my mind, “How could it be possible that God is an all-loving being but at the same time be homophobic and religionist as well as allow me to lose everyone that I thought was close to me at school?”. For about two years of my life, I became pretty atheistic, untrusting, insecure, and very resentful toward myself. In fact, I began to hate myself so much that I ended up doing something that I really really regret now: I started to sink pretty deep into a porn addiction. I didn’t care how evil it was at the time but I just wanted pleasure, happiness and anything that could get me to forget how horrible and depressed I felt. As expected, it brought no joy whatsoever. On my 11th-grade retreat, however, I heard a testimony from one of my school missionaries about his journey to Christ and his battle with his own porn addiction to get there. I related to his story so much that I decided to cut it off once and for all. Little did I know that this was the first step to my journey back into the arms of the Lord. It wasn’t until I read the Divine Comedy at school that I felt that I wanted to reconnect with my faith. The book had a lot to say about the spiritual life and I ended up finding that very interesting. While reading the book, I decided to communicate with God again through prayer. It started out as kind of scary at first but after a while, it became pretty comforting actually. It was at a retreat that my small group from Church and I went to that things really started heating up. It was right there that I had what I’d call an ‘Aha!’ Moment. I really bonded with my small group and really felt the presence of God radiating all over during that experience. But still, there was a long journey ahead of me. It was the end of my spring break and there was a lot of talk about this “COVID” thing escalating quickly. Little did I know, however,that my entire world would be turned totally upside down. When the lockdown began and everything went online, I was completely hurt, scared, and lost because I had always been one to try to look into the future in order to find a likely outcome based on everything going on and this time around, I couldn’t find a likely foreseeable thing that I could be certain will happen. I scoured everywhere for answers but all around me were nothing but clueless experts, scientists, and politicians. All of this eventually led me to seek the answers that I craved from the only person who I knew wasn’t clueless at all: Jesus Christ. It was during the pandemic that I felt that I truly accepted Jesus as my lord and savior. -Alejandro P.S: To be honest, my choosing to finally say yes to Christ was only the beginning since before me was a road that involved much more struggle and confusion after that. This is a road that I haven’t finished crossing yet but I continue to walk vigilantly. I hope this article may provide you with comfort and hope after reading it. AlejandroDuring the coronavirus global pandemic, a lot of families were affected physically, emotionally and financially. It was a lonely period for many and some were separated from family. So many plans were affected, leaving people to pick up what seemed like what is left of their life. All these factors, along with the need to self-isolate led to loneliness being a global issue also. Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, spread rapidly in 2020, causing schools, businesses, cinemas, beaches and public events to be shut down. It was a lonely time for many with everyone dealing with their own problems. On top of these issues, it was even harder to talk about and share problems in such an unprecedented time as that, knowing that everyone was going through their own problems. Even in our everyday life, talking about your problems can make you feel guilty or even selfish. I’ve even had my feelings of loneliness, where I felt useless. Having friends with online businesses or as influencers, going on social media to see the positive parts of their lives, because, face it… whoever shows the negatives? Constantly seeing quotes such as ‘’if you don’t make money or acquire a new skill during this lockdown, then you have failed.’’ During the lockdown, many people including me have often felt alone, especially with the constant negativity and bad news on social media. Advice: However, through it all, I have learnt that while everyone is going through their own problems, it is not selfish to talk about yours or even to share them and you should not feel guilty for doing that. Life is a rollercoaster and people will generally only share their ups but not their downs, so while it can feel like you are going through this alone, don’t hesitate to seek help about it. It can often feel like life is passing by, while you are stagnant but the fact that we get up every day and smile as if nothing is happening is enough. If you don’t make money in lockdown, that’s okay. If you don’t acquire a new skill, that’s also okay, because for some, every single day that they wake up is a battle and they want it to end. The fact that despite everything you are going through, you wake up, you get up, you carry on with your day, and the next, and the next… That’s everything! Don’t let people set certain standards as to what determines success because at the end of the day, it’s all ‘fake it ‘til you make it’! In conclusion, loneliness is an ongoing universal issue that is prevalent in our everyday world and not just linked to global pandemics so in order to cope with it, as well as the lockdown, just remind yourself that you are doing just fine by the fact that you are alive. Count your blessings! Think of all the good things in your life. Write down your problems and talk to somebody you trust. If you can’t talk to someone you trust, talk to an anonymous person as they don’t know your identity. Surround yourself with positivity and loved ones. Remember: it is okay to take breaks from social media and read a book or do something you love. If you need to discuss your problems with someone, please consult: Mental Health Ireland - https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/ Jigsaw - https://www.jigsaw.ie/ SpunOut.ie - https://spunout.ie/ Samaritans – call 116 123; www.samaritans.org ElizabethCOVID-19 - the virus that has changed life for every single person - is slowly coming to an end. It has been around since late 2019. Schools were forced to shut down, many people had to work from home, no social gatherings were permitted, and the whole world was shutting down. Many places were going into endless cycles of lockdown. As fast as they lifted, they closed again even quicker. Since 2019, four COVID vaccines have been approved: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca, with Pfizer being the only vaccine approved for those who are 12-17 years old. As a 15 year old, I have been waiting to be vaccinated so that I could return to my “normal” life. Fortunately, in May 2021, the Pfizer vaccine was approved for 12-15 year olds in California. I was so excited to finally be vaccinated. I got my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on May 14th and my second dose on June 7th. It is a huge relief knowing that I am finally safe and immune against most strains of COVID.
Due to the mass number of people being vaccinated, restrictions that were set in place to reduce the spread of COVID have slowly been lifted due to the increasing probability of achieving herd immunity in many areas. In California, the mask mandate was lifted on June 15th. Moreover, most shops are now open for in-store shopping and social distancing is not mandatory. Personally, although I am vaccinated, I still feel the need to wear a mask and be cautious of my surroundings. Some people may not be vaccinated, some might have a strain of the virus I am not immune to, and I am so used to wearing a mask that it feels weird not to do so. It also honestly feels like I’m breaking the rules when I’m not wearing one, even though they are not required in my state anymore. Essentially, masks give me a sense of protection and safety, so not wearing one, will take time for me. Furthermore, I did online school for the entirety of my sophomore year of high school, and even a quarter of my freshman year of high school. Although my district did give us the option to take part in the hybrid model - two days in school and two days online - back in late September of 2020, I stuck solely with online school because I felt safer and was already used to it. However, schools will open back up in the fall and I will be going to school everyday, just like the olden days. I am quite nervous about this, because I haven’t been surrounded by and/or in places with so many people at once since March of 2020. Moreover, getting used to in-person schooling will also take time to adjust to due to the amount of online learning I have been doing. As the world starts to open back up, you have every right to take your time and ease back into “normal” life. Try starting with smaller social gatherings, and then gradually move your way up to larger gatherings. Furthermore, never feel like you need to take your mask off or you need to do something that you are uncomfortable doing. Although life going back to normal can be scary, it can also be extremely exciting! And I honestly can’t wait until COVID is just an event of the past. Stay safe, Ever since December 1st, 2019, I had been counting down the days to December 1st, 2020. My birthday has always been important to me and I usually spend the entire year planning my birthday to make sure that the 1st of December is always the best day of the year for me. Birthdays are such a beautiful time for self-reflection on how much we have grown over the years and for me, is the one day in the year that my busy family and friends all find a way to come together to have fun and celebrate. Through all the chaos of my life, I really enjoyed having that one day to sit down, look around me, and see just how many people are happy and excited to celebrate my life with me. Therefore, as the end of November started to roll around and I found myself still stuck at home, I was definitely not happy. Hanging out at the pool with my friends during the day and then going around the city, eating cake and hotpot with them at night was no longer a possibility and this made me a lot more upset than I expected. Looking back, I now realize that it was more than just not being able to celebrate my birthday as usual that bothered me. Instead, it was my inability to control the situation and not have things go according to my plan that I was finding hard to deal with. Throughout this whole experience with COVID-19, so many things have been out of our hands and as a huge control freak, this lack of control really got to my head. I became frustrated that there was nothing I could do and started lashing out at my friends and family, yelling at them for absolutely no reason at all. The fact that I have been stuck at home for almost ten months also really hit me. I would get really anxious as I started feeling like I’m going to be stuck at home for the rest of my life and as if this situation was never going to end, which led to me breaking down and crying at random moments during the day. However, one day, while on a call with my friends, they helped me calm down and realize that while I may have less control than I normally do, I still have the ability to make the best out of what I have. They helped me realize that during these unfortunate circumstances, it is so important to accept not being able to control or micromanage everything and allow plans to change. Therefore, with the help of my friends, I was able to finally let go of my previous plans for my birthday and make a new one that was more corona friendly. Here are some of the things that I did during my birthday that you can hopefully do for yours too The most simple but enjoyable thing I did was video-call my friends. At the end of the day, a birthday is a time for loved ones to come together and this doesn’t have to be in real life. With technology developing every day it has never been easier to talk to anyone, anytime, over the internet. Whether it is through zoom, discord, Instagram, Facebook, etc., with one click of a button, you could be talking to your friends as if you guys were right next to each other. Just being able to hear and see all my friends’ faces made the day already perfect for me. You and your friends can also watch movies together over Teleparty or even by screen-sharing over Zoom or Discord. You can play online games together, listen to music, sing happy birthday, gossip, laugh, and basically do anything you do in real life with your friends over video-call, making it the most simple but fun thing to do on your birthday. You could also send some food or cake to your friends with a food delivery service. Eating is almost one of the most fun parts of a birthday and even without seeing your friends, sending them food is still possible. You guys could even eat together over video-call and it would almost feel like you’re eating together right next to each other. Although this is a little bit more complicated, if you and your friends are able to drive and use a car, you can all bring some food, drive to an empty parking lot, park six feet away from each other, sit in the trunk of your cars and enjoy each other’s companies while socially distancing. You could eat, talk, sing, play games, or do whatever you want as long as you are taking all the necessary precautions against COVID-19. Seeing your friends in real life like this and just getting outside and getting some fresh air can be so good for your mental health. As social creatures, seeing other people is such an important thing to us and can be so therapeutic, as well as help you regain a sense of normalcy, which is why this was one of my favorite things to do during my birthday. This birthday also helped me realize all that I have to be grateful for: a family and friends to celebrate my birthday with, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in at night, and so much more. COVID-19 has been a tough situation for all of us and there are so many people that have lost something because of it. Therefore, as our birthdays roll around, it is a great time to reflect on our year, both the good and the bad, and be grateful for all that we still have with us and will bring into the next year of our lives. If you ever feel like this whole COVID-19 situation has been overwhelming and need a little more help, please feel free to reach out to us through the advice section on the TWE website or use these helplines: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US): 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for English, 1-888-628-9454 for Spanish Suicide Prevention Hotline (UK): +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90, call 116123 Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 SAMHSA’s National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and TTY 1-800-487-4889 Suicide hotlines of every country EricaFor those who don't know, Freshers is a manic, crash-start week for students who are beginning university. The main goal is to make new friends, experience more independence and to have fun before uni deadlines and lectures officially begin. However, in 2020 Freshers will look a little different to previous years: many changes will have to be made to accommodate social distancing and reducing the spread of Coronavirus. Generally, Freshers consists of partying with new friends, going clubbing, staying up into the early hours of the morning and, of course, getting very drunk. Obviously due to the Coronavirus pandemic, not all of these things are still possible and you may worry that your Freshers will not live up to expectations. There are still many different ways to meet new people, experience things you haven't before and to enjoy yourself. As your flatmates are now your 'bubble', most of these activities can be done from the comfort of your own flat / house, but you can still find ways to meet other people too, whether that be online or in person socially distancing. Here are some ideas that you could try out during your Fresher's : - Having a movie night with your flatmates - Going to a local coffee shop / restaurant - Having a flat 'party', making sure to stick to your bubble - Joining societies (this year many universities have moved this online to reduce the risk of spreading the virus) - Exploring your new city - Having a picnic outside with course mates - Going to socially distanced events / nights out (many clubs now have themed nights with seated tables) - Having a 'cook off' or 'Come Dine With Me' inspired night with your flat These are just a handful of the many activities that you can still do and won't be impacted by Covid-19, so there is no need to worry that you will be missing out and have nothing to do! Keep in mind that moving away from home, meeting new people and becoming independent is exhausting, so don't feel like you have to be doing something every second of the day. It's okay to take some time to yourself, whether that be chilling in your room, watching your favourite TV show, or even just heading to bed early to relax. I hope everyone enjoys their Freshers as much as I have been and makes the most out of their uni experience. Remember, have fun and be safe! NadiaOver the last three months, while the global Coronavirus outbreak has dominated the media, journalists rarely take time to step back and report the good things which are happening during the pandemic. After living with COVID-19 for 3 months, the virus seems like a part of everyday life, bringing our normal routines to a halt and changing the world completely. However, this month brought a number of positive news with it. So, what good news has come this month? Here’s a short compilation of positive stories you might have missed so far: 1. Huge drop in carbon emissions In the beginning of March when the coronavirus began to arrive in different countries, the use of cars, planes and other public transport were brought down to the bare minimum as governments around the world advised against travelling. Even though this action was needed to keep us safe, it has also allowed the Earth to take a breather from human pollution from other factors like industrial pollution, leading to a 17% fall in carbon emissions. 2. Ozone layer repairing Due to the fall in carbon emissions, low pollution levels has allowed the ozone layer to begin to repair itself, demonstrating how the Earth is beginning to recover from human activity and how climate change can be brought to a halt. 3. A second case of HIV has been cured in the UK 4. Australian forests are beginning to repair themselves In the beginning of the Australian Summer, the world watched as Australian forest fires tore through the country, causing huge losses to plant and animal wildlife nationwide. However, this month as of May 28th, it has been 85 days with no new reports of fires, allowing the forests and bushes to repair themselves. This has been seen where koalas, which are a known natural species to Australia, have begun to populate the forests yet again, along with plants and other species of animals too. 5. Virginia becomes the first U.S State to publish a clean energy future plan As climate change starts to be seen as a much more worrying and serious issue in modern life, Virginia has become the first American state to plan their clean energy future in an effort to combat climate change. Labelled ‘Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020’, the plan sets out that all coal plants will have to close by 2024 and that all electricity used in the state will come from clean, renewable sources by 2045. This sets an example to other U.S states as climate change becomes a more pressing issue and raises more awareness about the issue in an aid to stop it. 6. Scientists have discovered a way to reverse blindness in mice In a recent study from the University of California, researchers came up with a treatment in an effort to cure blind mice. A month later, the mice were navigating around as easily as mice with no vision problems. They were able to see motion, brightness change, and fine detail allowing them to see alphabetical letters. This could possibly pave the way to curing blindness in humans, sparking a similar scientific breakthrough to the curing of HIV and could possibly have the potential to change the world. 7. Lockdown lifting On an even bigger positive note, governments across the world are starting to see the number of coronavirus cases and deaths start to decrease, allowing some easing of lockdown restrictions to go ahead. For example in Spain and Italy, both countries are beginning to open back up to the point where bars and restaurants are beginning to reopen with strict restrictions to prevent a second wave, and countries like France are beginning to reopen schools. This paves the path to the end of the coronavirus panic and distress, finally allowing families and friends to see each other after over 2 months.
Fin‘You are not like other girls.’ This statement may be controversial, but it is important to discuss everything that is wrong with the so-called compliment. Time and time again, many people have used this sentence in an attempt to compliment girls - but it means quite the opposite. Compliments are supposed to make you feel better about yourself without putting others down. Let us start by analyzing the statement. Firstly, it is setting up a negative picture for the woman by telling her that her gender is bad, but she is different. In addition, it might set up ideas about gender norms when there are actually no such things. Not only is this statement and its intent both sexist and misogynistic, but it also can lead to internalized hate. Anything you or a woman does should always be your/their choice for your/their benefit - not to satisfy gender stereotypes. It might not seem like a huge deal, but it is small things like these that have a great impact as a whole. It may also give a wrong idea of what feminism actually means. Every girl - I repeat every girl - is beautiful and unique in her own way. So the next time you want to compliment her/them, rather than saying this back-handed statement, tell her that she is smart, funny, pretty or fun to be with. Let us know if you have ever been told this so-called compliment! TishaAutism differs from one autistic person to the next. Assuming that all autistic people require the same amount of attention and support is absurd. I have often found myself unsure about how to act or be helpful towards my autistic friends and I know for many others starting to gain more awareness about autism; you may be in the same situation. Autism is a disability that affects how people communicate and interact with the world. Despite this, autistic people still have ways of interacting with the world as best they can. People often think those with autism lack empathy. That is simply not true. In fact, they are highly concerned about the feelings of others, more often than not. Other misconceptions include autism being a disease, vaccinations and bad parenting causing autism, and autism becoming an epidemic. These myths come about by those who aren't properly educated about autism. Therefore, as more awareness is being created around autism, it is important to understand how to support your autistic friends. I often considered myself as someone who struggled to be a good autistic ally. With my first autistic friend, I wasn't sure how to support them and it felt like I was being constantly unhelpful. I didn't know how to help them in high-stress situations or situations that cause sensory overload. over sensory situations. I didn't know what stimming mechanisms they used. I didn't know how to understand them. This was all before I learnt to be patient and listen. I was listening to my friend explain themselves as well as watching their actions to understand how they overcome a situation. This way I could replicate the same support to make it easier for them. I currently have many autistic friends which experience their autism differently. are all on different parts of the spectrum. They are what led me to write this article. If they're comfortable with answering, I like to ask how their autism affects them and what I can do to support them so that I can make sure I do my best at being an ally. Here are some words of advice and suggestions that I have gathered along the way of asking them: 1. Treat them like they're a normal person. Being autistic doesn't mean that they are a freak or distinct from the rest of humanity. They just want to be treated as normal. This can happen through acceptance, love and inclusion. Accept them for who they are and love them all the same. Don't leave them out from activities or events you have with your other friends. 2. Everyone on the autism spectrum is different and for someone to ask an autistic person to make noises is a horrible thing to do. Not everyone on the spectrum is like that and no one should assume that they are. Respect them for who they are. 3. Allow them to stim if they need to. Stimming is a repeated action using body parts or objects to help reduce stress or anxiety levels. It could include the tapping of fingers, jumping, spinning, rocking, flicking of objects, or even twirling a piece of string. Some autistic people do it for fun, others do it as an attempt to gain or reduce sensory input. Some situations can cause a high amount of stress and stimming can help that. Please do not treat them as if they are weird for stimming. They are not freaky, weird or embarrassing for their stimming and for just being themselves. If their stimming mannerisms bother you, please let them know in a polite way. 4. Have patience. A lot of it. Autistic people process things differently and as a result, may come across to you as strange and weird. You must remember to have patience, tolerance and understanding in these cases. For example, understanding why they may leave a situation where it is loud as it could be a result of sensory overload. Patience can make an autistic person feel more comfortable, especially when voicing their feelings as they can be really hard to articulate at times. 5. Which is why this point is very important: refrain from talking over them. Most times autistic people don't need someone to speak for them and if they did, they would request that. It is extremely frustrating for them to be babied or interrupted just because they're autistic. For example, not calling out their deficiencies in social skills unless they've told you. They're trying extremely hard to mask that so they would feel uncomfortable if they were called out in it without their consent. They do not need an advocate for their voice, they just need time and patience to express their own. 6. Even the littlest things are seen as support, for example- putting subtitles on when watching something to support their audio processing. Remember, being autistic is a part of them and the spectrum is so big that it affects every autistic person differently. You need to ensure you have patience and understanding so you can start your journey to being a good ally. Be kind and love each other. TabithaReligion is a very passionate concept. Many people base their lifestyle on their beliefs and spend their whole lives worshiping or aiming to please/idolise one, or many, or nothing. Meanwhile, others will have beliefs but only follow the basic codes/morals of said religion and not throw themselves towards it. Religion has a huge variety of cultures and beliefs. There are many religions in the world, some examples being Judaism, Hinduism, Wicca, and Asatru. All these religions, and many more, come with a variety of passionate and part believers/followers, plus a huge amount of ‘rules’, rituals and services. Sometimes there can be clashes between religions and sometimes there can be harmony. Nevertheless, there is an abundance of faiths to choose from. However, a huge problem can lie when you want to officially convert to a religion when you are already considered part of another. I was a Catholic child by my own decision. Admittedly, I went to a Christian school, but when I was seven I decided to be Baptised at my Church. I became a server, made friends (old and young) from the Parish and really enjoyed myself. But years later, I discovered Wicca, a modern Pagan religion, which I clicked with right away. I read books and researched its holidays, traditions, morals etc. and fell in love! Then it hit me: I was still a Catholic who was meant to pretty much go against a lot of the Pagan traditions and follow the word of God. I was on two different sides of the spectrum and had NO idea what to do. I still had an attachment to Christianity but Wicca was the way forward for me. I kept it from my family as I knew they would, unfortunately, laugh at the idea of Wicca, but spoke to some friends about my conundrum. It was a mixed reaction and by the end of it, I still didn’t know what to do. Did I still believe in God? Did He know I was considering becoming Wicca? What if the Wiccans laughed at me? What if I’m judged by anyone and everyone? What does it all mean? I was convinced that I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. This lasted until I followed a witch on TikTok who posted a video preaching about validation for Christian witches. CHRISTIAN WITCHES!! I was elated and had never felt more at peace with myself. Through this one amazing women’s ability to share love and peace, I found myself very unexpectedly. I learned from this experience how hard a conflict in beliefs can be. Luckily for me, no ceremonial conversion was needed, but I know in many cases it can lead to arguments between friends and family (for example, a Jew wanting to convert to Islam would be rather difficult to do, depending on the family of course). I think the best thing to do is to always trust your gut instinct. If you are stuck in a religion that you do not believe in, it can lead to difficulties in the future and sometimes make you quite miserable and drained. Don’t forget that if people don't think your beliefs are valid or do not support you in your endeavours, then they are not worth the friendship! Here are some simple things you can do if you are unsure about your beliefs:
I hope that this advice helped you in your struggles, and may you have a wonderful life being comfortable and at peace with your beliefs. Inge‘She sat still and waited for the sign of approval from her husband.’ Oddly, I haven’t taken this sentence straight out of a novel but the level of familiarity accompanying it is honestly unnerving. You’d expect that in the 21st century, hearing something like that would be eccentric; yet here we are. The ideology of a woman as a trophy for display originated in the past when the sole purpose of a woman was to be the wife. She was to stay at home and take care of her family in exchange for the security of the breadwinner i.e. the husband. Times have changed, nonetheless, people still continue to leave careless remarks, not knowing the imprint they leave behind. ‘May I speak to the man of the house?’ ‘ You run like a girl.’ ‘Is that what you’re wearing?’ The issue here is that our society still struggles to accept those who don’t fit into their standardised avatars, and this causes unwanted distress. For example, as a woman should not feel as if it is a necessity for her to be with her child from day till night. No, her husband is not babysitting today. It is his child too. Sadly, women always find themselves playing this coerced role. I was getting ready to go downstairs for my 17th birthday party. It was a small get-together consisting of only close family. I looked at my reflection in the mirror opposite me. I felt pretty. It was an outfit inspired by a series of aesthetic images on Pinterest. But as I walked downstairs, I could feel the heavy stares targeting me as my mum pulled me to the side. I was confused as I listened to her words. The criterion for a woman was not met. And this was the moment, ladies and gentlemen, where the tower of confidence, which took years to build, collapsed within a split second. Often, we forget that we don’t need validation from others to live as we please. It is essential that we work to break the images that society has crafted of women/females playing a similar role to the women in a Shakespearean play. Even the number of children’s fairy tales I’ve read with the woman waiting for a strong man to save her is just boundless. She is not a computer programmed to conduct domestic chores and she is not a damsel in distress. She is her own person. This leads me to wonder “How can we shatter these conceptions?” Next time, confront the perpetrator instead of staying quiet. It is important that we voice our opinions in the moment rather than dwell on what we could have done in the past. However derogatory you think they may sound, maintain a calm and composed posture as you respond with ‘Why is that?’. The intention here is not to completely undermine another individual but to allow them to reflect upon the absurdity of their words. Perhaps, they’ll be able to understand and educate themselves; thus you are taking the first step into the reformation of how our society perceives women. A woman does not need approval from anyone but herself. We are all our own people; no two people in this universe are the same. Equality is not only part of our rights but also part of human decency, so don’t hesitate to respond to critical remarks however harmless they may seem! DivaaniI feel like I need to preface this article with a disclaimer. I have nothing against Christians; these are just my experiences and not many of them are positive. I’ve grown up with two moms and being queer myself, in the Midwestern United States. I have religious trauma that I work every day to recover from. I’ll also be talking about my experience in a cult, which will remain nameless for the sake of the people still trapped in it. There is a trigger warning for talking about religion and mild mentions of abuse. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into this. I’m extremely pleased with where I am spiritually, but it hasn’t always been that way. I hopped from church to church to try and be satisfied in a faith that hated my very existence. Growing up in a religiously saturated midwestern town gave me a fair bit of religious trauma that I won't go into detail about because I have just come to terms with it myself. I started in a small nondenominational church in Nebraska. I stayed here for five years until I moved to Oklahoma. While at the surface level it seemed to be a very positive environment, I only saw it that way because I was a small child. One day in Sunday school we were forced to walk around the basement carrying multiple chairs on our backs, with the justification that this is what our sins were like. Please remember that the majority of us were four to eight years old. This was one of the many times I've realized something that happened was wrong, but this is the one I've chosen to share. Then I joined a cult. Well, it was more my Grandma joined and I got dragged along. It was disguised as a small family church run out of an abandoned gas station. It seemed innocent at first, though that was due to the way it was run. The leaders would slowly phase you up until you were either brainwashed or realized it was a cult. I was in their youth program considering the fact I was 7-10 years old. When we misbehaved or questioned what they told us, we were sent to our “spiritual guide”, who would most of the time punish us physically. That is as far as I’m willing to go into my experience there. I’m still trying to reconnect with the child I was before that experience. I left after I was told to wear a skirt and “boycott” pants or go to Hell. My grandma is extremely spiritual and was desperate to find another church, so after a while, we found ourselves in a Catholic Mass. I was ushered into the youth group, where I started crying asking to not be taken to the guide because I was in pants. The youth pastor then looked at me with a puzzled expression, whispered something to her assistant, and I was ushered off as sobs racked my body and I had my first ever panic attack. I was dragged to a separate room where I was told to step into the small pool, and I was forcefully baptized to “get rid of my demons”. We went to that church for about a year where I was baptized a total of ten times because my mental illness and trauma were seen as demons trying to possess me. I was 11. After the constant torment, I was done with religion. I was an atheist for a good two years, with pent up anger and trauma. But then one of my friends invited me to her church, and I sucked in a breath as I saw a gas station up ahead and we turned into it. It was the cult. Her mom parked the car and I tried to say something, but nothing came out. What was said to me that night was unforgettable and traumatic. I cut her out of my life and I never went back there; in fact, I moved right after that happened and was dragged to another church. This was a megachurch, and I’m sure anyone from Oklahoma can guess which one it was. I went for a year until I broke down to my mom, who is agnostic, unlike my grandmother who is ultra-Christian. I was told I was a sin for existing because my mom had me out of wedlock, and their homophobia and transphobia had become apparent. That was the last time I stepped into a church or looked towards the Christian faith. I’m happily a Pagan witch and I’m healing from what organized religion has done to me. So here’s a list of signs I’ve compiled of when a church/religion is becoming toxic:
As for leaving your parent’s religion, there are a few things to consider. If your safety will be in danger, don’t do it until you are independent. By independent, I mean financially withdrawn from them, moved out into a place you rent or own, and fully prepared to cut them out of your life. If you won’t be in danger, start with excuses to miss religious services and break them in slowly. If you are accepted then feel free to practice your new religion freely. Please remember that these are just my experiences. If you are happy in any of these religions, please don’t take offense to this, it’s just my experience. Religion means a lot to many groups of people, which means it is one of the easiest ways to be manipulated. Be safe and love yourself no matter what and you’ll be fine.
Islam has been wide-spreaded religion for centuries. One of the countries with the majority of muslims is Indonesia. In islam, there is a month called Ramadan, where Muslims around the world must refrain from eating and drinking from morning before sunrise to falls at sunset for 30 days. Muslims also must refrain from doing bad habits, because this is a holy month. Instead they are encouraged to do considerable good deeds, because of the huge rewards will be given. While it may seem ordinary, Ramadan is a most awaited month. It is common for nonmuslims join to enliven the month. Every Muslim around the world has unique habits or traditions only during Ramadan. Here, I’ll explain several traditions that make Ramadan very meaningful to its people.
Those are several traditions or habits during Ramadan. There are still plenty of traditions Indonesians do that aren't enough to write. Also, during pandemic, there are several traditions restricted to avoid any burst covids’ cases in certain places, such as visiting extended family.
In the last few weeks, the UK lockdown measures have eased in ways that a lot of us did not think were ever going to happen. Pubs have opened back up, we can eat inside restaurants, and the queues to get inside a clothes shop are the longest that I have seen for a long time. Living in a small town means that it is nice to see local, small businesses opening up again and serving members of the public. However, the anxiety that some of us are feeling makes the idea of going out to casually eat a meal again difficult to deal with. As someone who has definitely felt this stress and anxiety, I thought I’d collate a short list of things that have helped me in return to normality and might help some of you. A couple of ways to help ease the anxiety you might be feeling:
For more information about how to combat feelings of stress and anxiety about the easing of lockdown I thought I would provide some links to further reading that some of you might find helpful. These are websites that I’ve personally visited time and time again whilst looking for advice, therefore having no association or sponsorship with Teenagers with Experience. I think the Mind charity does a really good job of explaining a plethora of feelings that individuals may be experiencing, not only stress and anxiety. In addition to Mind, is Rethink Mental Illness. Their website takes you through a series of scenario-based questions about returning to work, the ever-changing rules and the fear of catching or transmitting to vulnerable friends or family members. It’s easy to think that you are the only person struggling with lockdown easing, especially when scrolling through social media and every other photo is of a person in a bar or with their friends they haven’t seen for months. Remember that social media is not an accurate representation of people’s lives, it’s a highlight reel of their personal best bits. The person who went out the night before may have extreme anxiety about going out in three days time. Here’s hoping that some of this advice helped, don’t forget to share your opinions or advice. Helping each other is how we’ve made it this far over the pandemic.
During the coronavirus global pandemic, a lot of families were affected physically, emotionally and financially. It was a lonely period for many and some were separated from family. So many plans were affected, leaving people to pick up what seemed like what is left of their life. All these factors, along with the need to self-isolate led to loneliness being a global issue also. Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, spread rapidly in 2020, causing schools, businesses, cinemas, beaches and public events to be shut down. It was a lonely time for many with everyone dealing with their own problems. On top of these issues, it was even harder to talk about and share problems in such an unprecedented time as that, knowing that everyone was going through their own problems. Even in our everyday life, talking about your problems can make you feel guilty or even selfish. I’ve even had my feelings of loneliness, where I felt useless. Having friends with online businesses or as influencers, going on social media to see the positive parts of their lives, because, face it… whoever shows the negatives? Constantly seeing quotes such as ‘’if you don’t make money or acquire a new skill during this lockdown, then you have failed.’’ During the lockdown, many people including me have often felt alone, especially with the constant negativity and bad news on social media. Advice: However, through it all, I have learnt that while everyone is going through their own problems, it is not selfish to talk about yours or even to share them and you should not feel guilty for doing that. Life is a rollercoaster and people will generally only share their ups but not their downs, so while it can feel like you are going through this alone, don’t hesitate to seek help about it. It can often feel like life is passing by, while you are stagnant but the fact that we get up every day and smile as if nothing is happening is enough. If you don’t make money in lockdown, that’s okay. If you don’t acquire a new skill, that’s also okay, because for some, every single day that they wake up is a battle and they want it to end. The fact that despite everything you are going through, you wake up, you get up, you carry on with your day, and the next, and the next… That’s everything! Don’t let people set certain standards as to what determines success because at the end of the day, it’s all ‘fake it ‘til you make it’! In conclusion, loneliness is an ongoing universal issue that is prevalent in our everyday world and not just linked to global pandemics so in order to cope with it, as well as the lockdown, just remind yourself that you are doing just fine by the fact that you are alive. Count your blessings! Think of all the good things in your life. Write down your problems and talk to somebody you trust. If you can’t talk to someone you trust, talk to an anonymous person as they don’t know your identity. Surround yourself with positivity and loved ones. Remember: it is okay to take breaks from social media and read a book or do something you love. If you need to discuss your problems with someone, please consult: Mental Health Ireland - https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/ Jigsaw - https://www.jigsaw.ie/ SpunOut.ie - https://spunout.ie/ Samaritans – call 116 123; www.samaritans.org
A girl asked me the other day “how can you be a girl and not be a feminist?” Simple, I am a girl and I am a egalitarian. According to Urban Dictionary, an egalitarian is someone who believes in equal rights for all humans no matter the race, gender, sexuality or religion. This is also known as humanist. In the news recently I have seen multiple stories about companies changing names of some of their products because its too “manly” or its “sexist”. For example, Kleenex (the tissue company) recently decided to change the name because it was seen as ‘sexist’. In my opinion I believe that there are much larger issues involving lack of equal rights which are a lot bigger than the name of some tissue company that has been going on since 1924. I want equal pay for men and women in all jobs. I want men to be able to talk about their emotions openly without them feeling like they’ll be made fun of and for them to have a voice for males in abusive relationships. I want women to be able to feel safe walking down street and to be able to have a voice against the rapists and paedophiles in the world. I want the LGBTQ to feel safe in this community and be able to express themselves comfortably. The list goes on. I believe that being a ‘feminist’ is way more than wanting a company to change their name because its ‘sexist’. The definition of sexism is “attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of gender roles” and ‘discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex or gender, as in restricted job opportunities, especially such discrimination directed against women.’ I personally believe that the box of tissues being labelled “man-sized” isn’t that sexist or as a big deal as most of the other issues going on in the world today. I believe that the whole renaming situation was blown out of proportion and I believe that there are bigger issues that need dealing with today. I also believe that just because you’re a female, it does not mean that you have to be a feminist. I think that everyone should have their own opinion and they have every right to believe in what they think is right and what they believe. For example I believe in equal rights for not only females but males as well. Not everyone has to believe in the same as I do and just because you're a girl it doesn’t mean you have to be a feminist. Each person is their own individual and they have a right to their own individuality. The comment that girl made about how girls should be feminists, I found quite distasteful. Not only because girls can believe in what they want to, but because not only girls can be feminist. There are so many males in the feminist environment. For example Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a famous American actor, considers himself to be a feminist. Joseph filmed a video, almost 2 years ago, explaining what he believes feminism is and the background of feminism in general. He then talks about when he was on ‘The Ellen Show’ and how Ellen DeGeneres asked him if he considered himself as a feminist and he responded with “Absolutely!” Also, when he was in an interview with another journalist , Marlo Stern,he was asked “What does it mean to you to be a feminist?” His response was; “To me a feminist means that your gender doesn’t have to define who you are. You can be whoever and whatever you want to be regardless of your gender.” Then throughout the video he talks about the sort of feedback he got from fans, both positive and negative, and was clearing up confusion about the term. There are so many famous men out there who consider themselves feminists and are proud, for example; Harry Styles (Singer from famous boy band, One Direction), Mark Ruffalo (famous American actor, plays the Hulk in the Avengers series), Ian Somerhalder (Famous actor in the TV show, Vampire Diaries) There are so many more too. In answer to the question “how can you be a girl and not be a feminist?”, This is how I am more than a feminist. You have a right in life to choose what/who you want to be and what you want to believe in. My gender shouldn’t have to define my beliefs. For more information on feminism, visit ‘feminism.com’ , their website has plenty of information and explains in detail what feminist is and what they do.
COVID-19 - the virus that has changed life for every single person - is slowly coming to an end. It has been around since late 2019. Schools were forced to shut down, many people had to work from home, no social gatherings were permitted, and the whole world was shutting down. Many places were going into endless cycles of lockdown. As fast as they lifted, they closed again even quicker. Since 2019, four COVID vaccines have been approved: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca, with Pfizer being the only vaccine approved for those who are 12-17 years old. As a 15 year old, I have been waiting to be vaccinated so that I could return to my “normal” life. Fortunately, in May 2021, the Pfizer vaccine was approved for 12-15 year olds in California. I was so excited to finally be vaccinated. I got my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on May 14th and my second dose on June 7th. It is a huge relief knowing that I am finally safe and immune against most strains of COVID. Due to the mass number of people being vaccinated, restrictions that were set in place to reduce the spread of COVID have slowly been lifted due to the increasing probability of achieving herd immunity in many areas. In California, the mask mandate was lifted on June 15th. Moreover, most shops are now open for in-store shopping and social distancing is not mandatory. Personally, although I am vaccinated, I still feel the need to wear a mask and be cautious of my surroundings. Some people may not be vaccinated, some might have a strain of the virus I am not immune to, and I am so used to wearing a mask that it feels weird not to do so. It also honestly feels like I’m breaking the rules when I’m not wearing one, even though they are not required in my state anymore. Essentially, masks give me a sense of protection and safety, so not wearing one, will take time for me. Furthermore, I did online school for the entirety of my sophomore year of high school, and even a quarter of my freshman year of high school. Although my district did give us the option to take part in the hybrid model - two days in school and two days online - back in late September of 2020, I stuck solely with online school because I felt safer and was already used to it. However, schools will open back up in the fall and I will be going to school everyday, just like the olden days. I am quite nervous about this, because I haven’t been surrounded by and/or in places with so many people at once since March of 2020. Moreover, getting used to in-person schooling will also take time to adjust to due to the amount of online learning I have been doing. As the world starts to open back up, you have every right to take your time and ease back into “normal” life. Try starting with smaller social gatherings, and then gradually move your way up to larger gatherings. Furthermore, never feel like you need to take your mask off or you need to do something that you are uncomfortable doing. Although life going back to normal can be scary, it can also be extremely exciting! And I honestly can’t wait until COVID is just an event of the past.
COVID-19 has affected everyone in many different ways and has essentially changed all of our lives. Throughout this time, I learned a lot about my friends and our relationships. I became extremely close with some friends, lost and drifted from some friends, and also learned how toxic some people were. In school, I had a close group of friends, which included me and three other girls, but I also had an extended group of friends which probably ranged between 15 and 20 people, as well as others. During school, I was with these people every day and it was really easy to communicate and stay in touch. However, this changed when we went into lockdown in March of 2020. I felt extremely isolated and was not able to see anyone for two months. I kept in touch with my close group of friends and a couple of other friends during COVID, however, I also drifted with many of my friends. I realized who my true friends were. Furthermore, I became aware of the effort I was putting into many relationships that weren't being reciprocated. Through this time I was able to realize how much effort friendships really took, and I also realized how valuable my closest friends are. Unfortunately, I did have some toxic friends through this time that were not treating me or some of my other friends right. Toxic people, in general, are tricky to deal with, but my advice for them is to talk to them, tell them how you feel, and what you feel they could do to make you feel better and more comfortable. Then, give them a chance to change, but if you realize they continue to be toxic, cut your losses. There is no need for anyone to be involved with people who bring you down or treat you badly. You deserve the best!
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Teenagers With Experience is an online organisation created to provide teenagers worldwide with an online platform to share their own experiences to be able to help, inform and educate others on a variety of different topics. We aim to provide a safe space to all young people. You can contact us via email, social media or our contact form.
Please note that the content on this website is created by teenagers. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, it is important to remember that we are not professional experts. If you are experiencing a crisis or need professional advice, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or a helpline. |