Research – chickennugget246

Posted on April 19, 2023 by chickennugget246

Seat Belts are Deadly

Seat belts are deadly pieces of equipment. A healthy 49-year-old man instantly died in a car accident. The cause of death was from a seat belt. He suffered deadly compressions where the seat belt injured his neck, chest and torso. In addition, abrasions and lacerations were found from his upper left shoulder to the front, right side of his body. There were also hematomas of clotted blood found around the muscles of his throat and larynx. According to Fares Najari from “An Immediate Death by Seat Belt Compression; A Forensic Medicine Report – PMC,” the cause of death was the “compression of neck critical elements such as carotid sinus by a three-point safety belt.” A seat belt can indeed be a dangerous piece of equipment and it can even threaten one’s human life. The seat belt industry is proud of its claim that seat belts save lives. However, according to “Seat Belt Statistics,” of all the 37,133 highway deaths in 2017, more than half of those victims, 19,681, were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident and died anyway. Clearly, the effectiveness of the seat belt does not seem to be saving the lives of even half of the fatalities reported. Meanwhile, wearing a seat belt increases the likelihood of suffering a severe seat belt injury by 100%. Seat belts cannot injure the driver if one is not being worn. Currently, according to the Washington Post article “Here’s how good (or awful) your hometown drivers are at wearing a seatbelt,” there are about 14% of people nationwide who do not wear seat belts. Eliminating seat belts would produce more alert drivers, avoiding accidents and thereby saving lives.

The most common injuries caused by seat belts are abrasions, bruises, and cuts. The more severe injuries are fractures, internal organ damage, and various soft tissue injuries. In addition, seat belts also can cause damage to the rib cage and chest areas, and they can even burn the occupants’ skin if the seat belts are made of flammable material.

The more serious injuries are due to the drivers and passengers being impinged and/or crushed inside the vehicles, unable to escape the impact due to the seatbelt literally locking them in place. Consider, for example, a severe impact on the driver’s side door of a vehicle with a driver wearing a seat belt. The seat belt could prevent the driver from moving to the passenger side of the vehicle. This could cause the driver to be harmed since the driver would be locked into position on the driver’s side. The driver could be killed when the interior of the driving area gets completely demolished, leaving no means of escape for the driver. Without a seat belt, that same driver would be able to maneuver to the passenger seat and have a stronger chance of surviving the accident. Drivers should not take the chance of putting on a seat belt, when knowing it could potentially harm them. Instead, they should take control of the vehicles, understand the vehicles they are operating, and be aware of the surroundings, all factors that contribute to the safety on any road or highway. Eliminating the seat belt avoids this trauma altogether.

The proponents of seat belts strongly suggest statistics that promote the use of seat belts. This group undoubtedly believes seat belt use is 100% effective. However, if seat belts are devices that are supposed to save lives and spare drivers from serious injuries, then they should completely reduce the risk of dying in a car crash and reduce the risk of serious injury. But, they do not. According to “Seat Belt Statistics,” they reduce the risk of serious injury by only 50% and the risk of death by even less, 45%. The people who believe in seat belt use seem to suggest that it is imperative to wear seat belts for protection and in order to save lives, but all lives are not being saved by seat belts. Their reasoning is if a driver gets into an accident, the purpose of the safety belt is to hold the person in place and keep the person secured in the seat. In addition, the belief is that fastening a seat belt will supposedly keep the occupant from being ejected through a window or thrown into a windshield. While all of these claims appear to be valid on the surface, these promises are not full-proof. In fact, they are far from the truth.

Seat belts fail. They malfunction and because of that, they will not protect the occupants. Included in the report “Seat Belt Injuries,” seat belts can cause serious injuries. According to the article “Common Seat Belt Issues: Why You Should Get Them Checked,” there are defects that could include locking issues, a torn or worn belt, belt slack, belt failure, and even retractor failure. Furthermore, these accident-related injuries, while wearing a seat belt, are commonly referred to as “seatbelt syndrome,” as stated in an article called “Seat Belt Injuries.” This is one of the most severe types of seat belt injury. It occurs when the seat belt restricts the body of the passenger during a collision, causing damage to the internal organs. Even though the seat belt is carefully designed to restrain the upper body of the driver to prevent injury in the event of an accident, the force of that very same seat belt severely injures the chest area of the individual. In addition to this area, the most common internal organs affected by seatbelt syndrome are the spleen, liver, and bowel. A seat belt tears the colon or diaphragm and even fractures or dislocates the lumbar vertebrae. This type of spinal cord injury, causes the spine to compress causing paralysis or even death. Moreover, according to information on “Seat Belt Injury Statistics,” “thousands of people suffer severe injuries or lose their lives every year due to a defective or malfunctioning seat belt.” Such injuries occur during the pressure of extreme force upon impact with the restraint from the seat belt. This article discusses injuries that include skin abrasions and bruising, as well as, internal injuries, such as liver or spleen lacerations. Other symptoms could encompass severe soreness when breathing, laying down, or moving one’s arms. These victims could suffer in pain which could last for days or even up to weeks after an accident. Wearing a seat belt in an automobile, being the driver or a passenger, is quite harmful. Instead, eliminate the culprit and empower the driver to have the presence, confidence, and diligence to operate the vehicle more safely and cautiously.

As indicated by “A Seat Belt History Timeline,” safety restraints in a vehicle can be traced back to about two centuries. This article explains how the use of seat belts was not strictly enforced and only about 10% of Americans wore seat belts in their vehicles in the 1980s. Seat belts have been available to use in motor vehicles, but not all states immediately mandated the use of them. Even today, as mentioned on “Seat Belt Law,” the state of New Hampshire does not have a seat belt law requiring people over the age of eighteen to wear a seat belt. There are no significant amounts of accidents in New Hampshire as compared to other states that are wearing seat belts. In fact, the article also points out that “even in the absence of a seat belt law, New Hampshire’s roads are among the safest in the country.” Furthermore, New Hampshire is not among the top five states that have the most car accidents. According to “Car Accidents by State,” the top five states are California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Some groups are strongly against seat belt legislation. These individuals believe that the laws requiring the wearing of seat belts are an infringement on one’s individual liberty. Also, they believe that the number of lives saved by wearing seat belts are overstated. According to “Risk Homeostasis: Reducing risk does not necessarily reduce accidents,” Dr. Gerald Wilde, a professor of psychology at Queen’s University, proposed a theory in 1982, called the Risk Homeostasis Theory. It states that “every person has an acceptable level of risk that they find tolerable.” There is a subjective level of risk, and the theory suggests that rather than more controls and restrictions, sometimes fewer controls and more motivation could be much more effective. It also states that when people make their own decisions about reducing risk to an appropriate level, they will then behave accordingly.

Similarly, the Peltzman Effect, as stated in the article “The Peltzman Effect,” is a theory which states, “when safety measures are implemented, people’s perception of risk decreases, and so people may feel that they can now afford to make riskier decisions. As a result, the phenomenon predicts that mandatory safety measures actually experience a lower benefit than we would expect, because the safety benefits brought about by these measures are offset to some extent by increases in risky behavior.” The article pointed out that drivers were more prone to drive recklessly due to the lower perceived risk when safety equipment was installed. Any benefit from placing safety equipment on vehicles was offset by the increase in the number of accidents due to the greater occurrence of reckless driving. Consequently, the mandatory safety measures failed to decrease the level of fatalities. According to “Car Safety Physics – Limitations vs Benefits,” “seat belt use tends to increase risk-taking in drivers. This could lead to an increase in more severe accidents, which, in turn, reduces or mitigates the effectiveness of seat belts.” Therefore, safety in a vehicle is primarily determined by the state of mind of its driver, not by the type of equipment used in the motor vehicle. Safety in a vehicle is primarily determined by the state of mind by its drivers, not by the type of equipment used in the motor vehicle.

The more protection and security that drivers feel, the more likely they will engage in distracted driving. According to “Car Accident Statistics: Fatalities, Injuries and Top Risk Factors,” “nearly 1 in 10 fatal accidents are caused by distracted drivers.” As seen in the statistics by Studinski Law, it is estimated that about 33% of all deaths involved in car accidents are caused by reckless driving. There are about 1,000 people injured and nine people killed every day because of distracted driving. Distracted driving takes the attention of the driver away from the task of driving. Such distractions include eating, drinking, and texting. While 30% of all auto accidents are credited to the speed of reckless drivers, distracted driving alone causes 20% of car accident injuries. Information from “Car Accident Statistics: Fatalities, Injuries and Top Risk Factors,” states “These accidents are a direct result of negligence.” Examples of poor driving include speeding, failure to yield the right of way, running through stop lights, tailgating, erratic driving and racing, and texting or talking on the cell phone. Not only are these examples of reckless driving and the cause of accidents, they are illegal. In short, drivers need to respect the road. 

Consider a rider on a motorcycle. There are no seat belts, doors, windows, steel, or any air bags. According to “While riding a motorcycle, reflective clothing should be worn,” motorcyclists stay safe by using hand signals, wearing reflective or bright clothing, and driving in the daylight with activated headlights. Motorcyclists do not have any protection surrounding them while driving and therefore, must possess a lot more highway alertness to remain safe. While driving they must have clutch control, use two separate brakes, and keep the cycle steady and upright. Motorcycle riders must frequently check their blind spot before merging into a lane. This fear of the rider ensures an enhanced dedication to safety such as the check of their blindspot most, if not, all of the time. All of these factors are performed to prevent a rider from having an accident with another vehicle. According to “7 Reasons Motorcycle Riders Make Better Car Drivers,” motorcycle riders are in tune to their ride, making them a better driver overall. The motorcyclist’s philosophy is to ride “like everyone is trying to kill you.” This motto allows the rider to anticipate and look for the most dangerous situations. As a rider, from the same source, states, “You learn never to trust another driver with your own safety and this makes you a better, more defensive driver.” This same philosophy needs to be accepted and implemented in the world of motor vehicle drivers. Comparing motorcycles to cars, cars have seat belts, airbags, and steel cages surrounding their occupants. While all of this equipment is installed with the intention of protecting the occupants from any impact, it gives the driver a heightened sense of security than that of the motorcycle riders, unfortunately resulting in a much lower level of attention on the roadway. 

Moving on to the automobile, according to “Distracted Driving Statistics & Facts in 2023,” it is estimated that 3,000 deaths occur every year due to distracted driving and nine people are killed every day because of it. Distracted driving takes the attention of the driver away from the task of driving. Such distractions include eating, drinking, and texting. These accidents are a direct result of recklessness and poor driving caused by these distractions. Examples of poor driving include speeding, failure to yield the right of way, running through stop lights, tailgating, erratic driving and racing, and texting or talking on the cell phone. Not only are these examples of reckless driving and the cause of accidents, they are illegal. 

When we consider young drivers, it is even more evident that the method to make driving safer is by having safer drivers and not by the use of seat belts. According to “Car Accident Statistics: Fatalities, Injuries and Top Risk Factors,” “if we could change the manners and mentality of drivers, mostly young ones, there would be a significant reduction in reckless driving accidents.” Moreover, from the same source, it reports drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers over 20. In fact, teenage drivers cause significantly more accidents than senior drivers. In another study from yet the same source, “the US Census Bureau estimates that 12.2% of auto wrecks in the United States are caused by teenage drivers while elderly drivers over the age of 65 are responsible for 7.5% of crashes.” The reason is because young drivers are more likely to be distracted and to be less cautious on the roadways than older drivers. Consequently, there needs to be more driving practice and stricter regulations on the roadways so there are less accidents and less injuries. With more education and better training for young drivers, the amount of accidents will greatly decline. Likewise, lessons need to be taught early on and better driving practices need to be implemented, similar to the ones held by motorcyclists.

Seat belts are lethal. They can cause severe injuries during car accidents. Not wearing seat belts can reduce these risks of getting extremely hurt in a car accident. Not wearing seat belts can even reduce the risks of accidents overall since the driver will drive with more caution and be a lot more aware of their surroundings. When you consider that drivers have an enormous responsibility while operating a motor vehicle, the remedy is clear and it does not involve the use of seat belts. Drivers simply need to incorporate better driving practices to reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by the false reliance on seat belts. In short, drivers need to respect the road. Even if you do wear a seat belt, it could be defective and still cause you to suffer a serious injury. We must not risk the mechanical failure of seat belts. The answer is simple. Be smart, be proactive, and take responsibility on the road, so that every time you put your foot on the gas pedal, you know you are coming home safely. 

References

Al-Ozaibi, L., Adnan, J., Hassan, B., Al-Mazroui, A., Al-Badri, F. (2016). “Seat belt syndrome: Delayed or missed intestinal injuries, a case report and review of literature.” International Journal of Surgery Case Reports. Volume 20. Pages 74-76.

Azam, T. (2022, March 16). “Do Motorcycles Have Seat Belts.” 

Bieber, C. “Distracted Driving Statistics & Facts in 2023.” February 23, 2023.

Bishop, L. “Car Accident Statistics: Fatalities, Injuries and Top Risk Factors.” March 28, 2023.

Chandler, R. (2018, April 3). “7 Reasons Motorcycle Riders Make Better Car Drivers.” 

“Common Seat Belt Issues: Why You Should Get Them Checked.” September 8, 2021.

Huecker, MR, Chapman, J. (2022, September 9). “Seat Belt Injuries.” 

Ingraham, C. “Here’s how good (or awful) your hometown drivers are at wearing a seatbelt.” April 4, 2017.

Lubitz, K. (2020, July 21). “Risk Homeostasis: Reducing risk does not necessarily reduce accidents.” 

McGinley, K., Brennan, R. (2022, December). “Car Accidents by State.” 

Najari, F. (2015, October). “An Immediate Death by Seat Belt Compression; A Forensic Medicine Report – PMC.” Retrieved March 6, 2023.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Seat Belts.” (2022, August). 

“Seat Belt Injury Statistics.” Retrieved April 17, 2023.

“Seat Belt Law.” Retrieved April 17, 2023.

“Seat Belt Statistics.” The Zebra. (2023, January 31). 

Sheldon, A. “A Seat Belt History Timeline.” March 2, 2023.

“The Peltzman Effect.” Retrieved April 17, 2023. 

Vigodski, V. “Car Safety Physics – Limitations vs Benefits.” 

“While riding a motorcycle, reflective clothing should be worn.” Retrieved April 17, 2023.

“Why Should I Wear a Seat Belt?” (2022, May 6). 

Posted in ChickenNugget, Portfolio ChickenNugget, Research | 4 Comments

Research Argument- pink monkey

Posted on April 19, 2023 by pinkmonkey32

Give Addicts Drugs

Let’s give drugs to drug addicts. This idea is one that has become more prevalent in today’s age. As drugs become increasingly more common we are faced with the issues that everyday drug addicts bring: Stealing and pawning items, violence, trash on our streets, and begging. These acts happen the majority of the time when an addict is looking for their next fix and will do anything to get it, so what if we just gave it to them.

The drug overdose epidemic is one that is sweeping over our country and many others. Over the past few years overdose rates in some cases have tripled. Many countries have resorted to punishment and forced rehab to try and clean up their streets and reduce crime and death rates, but the outcomes don’t seem to be working. We need to try something new. Canada has taken a different approach, Through a thoroughly selected program 26 people have been receiving drugs from the government as a way to help them. This program (called Insite) lets addicts go to special medical popups that will provide them with clean and sterilized needles as well as, to some, the heroin dose they crave. This program has decreased the overdoses in the Vancouver area as well as crime rates.

In Vancoover canada they have already started implementing these programs to make getting drugs more safe and accessible for addicts. Vancoover is a port which makes it a place where addicts know drugs are coming in and out. This became a big problem in Vancouver and they named this place the “downtown eastside”. In hopes to cut back on the people dead with needles in their arms they opened up “insites’ ‘. Insights are, “where addicts could shoot up under the supervision of a nurse and without the fear of being arrested by police. Staff at the Insite center provide the addicts with clean syringes, antiseptic wipes and other instruments.”(taken from “Vancouver Combats Heroin” by Bradly Campbell) Having these safe zones created “healthier” and cleaner drug usage.

At this center a program was started based off of ones seen in European countries. Giving the drug addicts that “had no chance of recovery” heroin as needed that way they wouldnt result to doing things to get drugs. This program was only offered to around 26 people who had tried multiple heroin treatments as well as recovery multiple times and could not kick the habit. One of these addicts in the article “Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world” speaks about how he is able to hold a job now because he no longer needs to search for where his next high is going to come from.

Along with this program there is this idea of aging out of drugs. We mostly think that the more years a drug addict does drugs the harder it is to kick the drug, when in fact evidence shows the opposite. According to “Matters of Substance” by Maia Szalavitz, “if addiction were truly a progressive disease, the data should show that the odds of quitting get worse over time. In fact, they remain the same on an annual basis, which means that, as people get older, a higher and higher percentage wind up in recovery.” With this idea that as you get older more and more addicts recover this article also states that, ”Heroin addictions tend to last as long as alcoholism” (which is around 15 years). Most but not all addicts in fact quit on their own without any facility or outside help. 

If addicts are likely to quit a drug on their own after a certain amount of years, why don’t we put them in these insite facilities and give them their drugs and keep them out of danger and criminal activity until they eventually get bored and quit the drug on their own. Why instead do we pressure addicts into multi step programs and rehab facilities when they are not ready or don’t want to quit the drug?

Along with many other points made in the “Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving its Addicts the Best Smack in the World”, they also mention, “It could lead some to believe the city is giving into an unspoken form of blackmail.” Blackmail is a completely wrong term to describe this program. Blackmail is something used to force unwilling people to do something they don’t want to do. These addicts have expressed their gratitude for this program and how it has helped them sustain themselves. One addict mentions in the article, “a long-term drug addict named Kevin Thompson, says he is able to hold down a job thanks to the program”.  That doesn’t seem to fit the definition of blackmail at all. In Fact these addicts are continuously bettering themselves because of the program and are able to finally start cleaning themselves up because they aren’t so worried about where their next fix is going to come from. It’s not blackmail if the city and the addict win.

Some specialists also believe that this is just a way of killing our addicts in a kind way.

Taken from “Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving its Addicts the Best Smack in the World”, they say, “ put it in stark terms, saying the city is killing addicts with kindness. “We might as well put a bullet in their head,” O’Rourke told him. “We’re killing them. We are just doing it in a much nicer way.” This argument can be completely shut down because of the fact that if we are administering the drugs we decide how much they get. Not only do we make sure they are getting a dose their body can handle but we would also be injecting them with sterilized tools and by a medical professional. What made this article even better is that they completely contradicted themselves later on by interviewing addicts who said, “ that he needs free heroin or else he’ll break into a car. Take your pick.” The addicts are all for this new program, they are blatantly saying that they are going to resort to crime. 

Often people try to help addicts with what they think is right for them, but not taking into consideration what is actually helpful. “The Truth About Enabling”, states, “trying to help often leads to more harm than good.” When loved ones try to force rehab, multi step programs, or even by cutting off the resources they have, more often than not just leads the addict down an even worse path because now you have turned on them. Why force addicts to live lives they don’t desire at all, let’s just make the life they live comfortable.

Enabling addicts is a big discussion as well. What a lot of people don’t know though is that most addicts that are being enabled are functioning addicts who have homes and jobs. Enabling often comes from loved ones who are covering for them at their job or lying to other family about their situation, not often does it happen to addicts on the street which is who this program would solely be for. “The Truth About Enabling” by Family First Intervention says, “When a person with a substance use disorder is enabled it lessens the likelihood they will see the need for change.” But addicts on the street are using drugs because they need change. These street addicts want to get out of their situation, so they use drugs to do that. But while constantly worrying about affording and getting the drugs, they lose sight of the change they are craving. By creating security with the drug they will have more time to pick up their pieces and create some change for themself.

The Insight program is not meant to enable addicts but instead hopefully stop them from resorting to street drugs and street crimes just to get a high. “Street drugs” are drugs that are sold illegally on the streets. Street drugs often are laced with other synthetic opioids or chemicals such as fentanyl.“When you use street or club drugs, you’re taking a lot of risks. The drugs are dangerous, and usually there’s no way to know how strong they are or what else may be in them”, As WebMD states in, “Street Drugs: Know the Facts and Risks”. In that article as well they speak about how “It’s even more unsafe to use them along with other substances like alcohol and marijuana.”  A lot of addicts resort to “getting crossed” which is the use of 2 drugs at once in order to gain the satisfaction that they first got when starting their drug of choice. This increases the risks of overdose as well as many other health issues.

The safety of the drugs that addicts are using is also a questionable topic. Drugs today are often laced with chemicals and other unhealthy substances. Addicts are now shooting these laced drugs into themselves 2-3 times a day. Most overdoses are not caused by the drug itself but by the chemicals added to it. In figure 5 of the article,” Drug Overdose Death Rates” by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, you can see that heroin overdose rates have increased dramatically when including opioids such as fentanyl. If the safety of the addict is what matters most we should be offering them an alternative to their street drugs and giving them clean and pure drugs that can be administered through sterilized needles and with a medical professional present.

If the safety of our people is our biggest concern then that includes addicts. Although we do not want to promote drugs it’s important we offer as many sources for help as we possibly can. By giving addicts their drugs they were keeping them calm and in a state where they don’t feel the need to harm or steal. By giving them the opportunity to use sterilized equipment and clean drugs we are helping ensure they are receiving these drugs in the best way possible for their health, and by not forcing programs and rehab upon these addicts we are giving them the opportunity to want it themselves and work for it when they are ready too.

Addicts when coming down from a high or are going through withdrawal they crave the need for more. In the article “Drug use changes the brain over time” by the Genetic Science Learning Center, “ after the user has “come down,” they will need more of the drug next time they want to get high.” Addicts will result in stealing from family or pickpocketing on the street, they also will buy drugs that are less pure just because it’s cheaper and what they can afford. This is the behavior that Vancouver is trying to prevent, and succeeding in doing and the rest of us should follow in their footsteps.

From a Neurological standpoint of the brain when doing a drug your brain is getting an immediate release of high dopamine. Over time your dopamine receptors in your synapse begin to accommodate for the drug and start altering around it to compensate for the amount of dopamine it creates leaving you with even less dopamine when you’re not high then your originally started with. The Pathways connected to the synapse also get rewired during this period. According to, “Drug Use Changes The Brain Over Time” by the Genetic Science Learning center, “Over time, brain regions responsible for judgment, decision-making, learning, and memory begin to physically change, making certain behaviors “hard-wired.”.” These addicts can no longer make clear judgments and justify their crimes. These addicts aren’t hard criminals, they just don’t know the basis of reality anymore. By sustaining these addicts with their choice drug we can help redirect their focus from finding their next fix to perhaps finding a job.

Rehab is often the most pushed upon treatment for addicts. Forced rehab along with voluntary do not have the best rates when it comes to staying sober. In a study conducted called, ”Factors associated with relapse into drug use among male and female attendees of a three-month drug detoxification–rehabilitation programme” by The Harm Reduction Journal, they found that the, “Median times to relapse were 45 days for men and 20 days for women. Most of the relapses occurred during the first 30 days after discharge in both sexes.” This study also found that 71.9% of women relapsed versus 54.5% males. More than half of both men and women found that this program was unhelpful, yet it’s the first thing we offer to addicts.

When you force addicts into mandatory rehab their odds of relapse unfortunately suffer. According to “Is rehab inevitable with forced sobriety?” by Kerry Nenn she states,”They found that almost 50 percent of the mandated patients relapsed within a month of their release, while only 10 percent of voluntary graduates relapsed.” By forcing people who aren’t ready to get help to get help they don’t have the drive or the want to get clean so when given the opportunity they go back to the drug they were on. This causes a waste of resources and time for the facility and the addict. An example of this I find helpful to understand this would be if a man ate a cookie everyday for a few years and suddenly you took that cookie out of stores only for that cookie to return a few months later, that man will buy those cookies that he missed, but if you let that man eat that cookie for a few more years suddenly the man will get sick of that cookie and stop buying it. 

Rehabs promote themselves as the best possible option for addicts when in reality they aren’t. Rehabs say that it is a unique journey for all addicts and that every addict is on their own path, but yet they expect the same program they offer to work on every addict. Unfortunately as much as I would love for that to work it does not. According to “Rehab Rates and Statistics” by Wendy Manwarren,  “a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that as many as 90 percent of people who need drug rehab do not receive it.” How are we supposed to trust our rehabs to help our addicts when they are only helping 10%. Even if we counted that 10%, a percentage of those addicts relapse and dropout as well as go back several times to try different treatment options. Rehab centers believe that relapse isnt failure and that they just need to start rehab again, but after a certain amount of relapses something needs to be done. 

Rehab is not just a few months, it is the rest of an addict’s life if they want decent odds of staying in recovery. Also taken from “Rehab Rates and Statistics”, “There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to treatment, but it’s most successful when individuals complete the entire course of their treatment and continue with the aftercare programs.” It does not end with rehab; they have to continue in programs for years if not the rest of their lives to actually stay clean, but they don’t tell you that.

Not only is rehab not effective for most but it becomes even less effective when we take addicts off the streets, get them clean, and then stick them right back on the street. Addicts who are admitted to rehabs from loving families or homes have a much higher success rate. Addicts who live on the street more often than not are on drugs because of their living conditions. From the same study done by The Harm Reduction Journal they found, ”For both male and female subjects the findings highlight the importance of stable living conditions. Additionally, female PWUDs need gender-sensitive services and active efforts to refer them for opioid substitution therapy.” Drugs are the only way that addicts know how to cope and once they are put back out on the street they are going to need to cope again and we have the opportunity to help them cope.

Helping addicts does not have to be a one solution problem, some addicts can benefit from rehab and that may be the best choice for them but others need the drugs, they are completely dependent, and it makes their lifestyle more bearable. Unless we can get every homeless addict off the street and into a home then we should be using our medical resources to give them pure safe and medically administered drugs.

Giving addicts drugs is the best option we have in front of us. Obviously the options we are giving them now are not helping them at all and something new needs to be tried. The benefits this program offers will lower crime, provide safe drugs and safe tools, while also making the lives of our homeless addicts more bearable. This program isn’t creating addicts, it’s saving them.

References

Bradly Campbell, Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world(2015)https://theworld.org/stories/2015-02-04/vancouver-combats-heroin-giving-its-addicts-best-smack-world

 Maia Szalavitz, Matters of Substance(2014) https://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/matters-of-substance/archive/matters-of-substance-november-2014/ageing-out-of-addiction/

Kerry Nenn, Is Relapse Inevitable With Forced Sobriety?(2023) https://recovery.org/is-relapse-inevitable-with-forced-sobriety/

National Institute of Drug Abuse, Drug Overdose Death Rates(2023)

https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

The truth about enabling(April 10, 2019) Family First Intervention

The Truth About Enabling

Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world (February 4, 2015)Bradley Campbell

https://theworld.org/stories/2015-02-04/vancouver-combats-heroin-giving-its-addicts-best-smack-world

Drug Success Rates and Statistics(October 1,2022) Wendy Manwarren

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/success-rates-and-statistics

Maehira, Y., Chowdhury, E.I., Reza, M. et al. Factors associated with relapse into drug use among male and female attendees of a three-month drug detoxification–rehabilitation programme in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a prospective cohort study. Harm Reduct J 10, 14 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7517-10-14

Genetic Science Learning Center. (2013, August 30) Drug Use Changes the Brain Over Time. Retrieved April 02, 2023, from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/brainchange

Science Direct (Volume 16, Issue 4, April 2016, Pages 1323-1327) R.A. Rudd, N. Aleshire, J.E. Zibbell, R. Matthew Gladden https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1600613522008991

Street Drugs: Know the Facts and Risks, WebMD Editorial Contributors (March 13 2023)https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/street-drugs-risks

Posted in PinkMonkey, Portfolio PinkMonkey | 1 Comment

Research-rowanstudent6

Posted on April 19, 2023 by rowanstudent6

A Surfer’s State of Mind

Seagulls are squawking for food, the ocean smells like a salty tuna sandwich from two weeks ago, and the hoards of people flocking to the beach make the search for a parking spot feel impossible. These are all indicators of a harsh truth: you are at a beach in New Jersey. While New Jersey is rarely a sought after surf destination, it should be. It is the home of the best surf break in the world; the Jersey Shore.

Since I began surfing in 2016, I have been searching for the best wave and while many professional surfers look to the North Shore of Oahu, Southern California, or Western Australia for the world’s best wave, I plan to set my sights on the garbage and needle-ridden shores of New Jersey. I believe that the Northeast of the United States does not receive the attention it deserves as it provides a unique set of difficulties that provide the surfer with an opportunity to grow and overcome the obstacles that they face. New Jersey is the best surf destination in the world due the ever-changing breaks, summer crowds, and the challenges of seasonal surfing which provide the surfer an overwhelming sense of satisfaction when they overcome these obstacles.

While the “best” wave is often subjective based on the preferences of the critic, I am going to clear the water. The best wave is the wave that pushes the surfer to their limits, mentally and physically. The best wave allows for the surfer to improve their technique through overcoming adversity whether that be avoiding other surfers on a crowded day or by paddling into double over-head conditions.

New Jersey provides the conditions for a surfer’s growth due to the adversity that is present in the water and on the beaches. Many look to the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu as the best wave in the world due to its difficulty. However, I disagree because the Banzai Pipeline is too easy. The waves may exceed twenty feet and break onto a solid reef while also creating some of the hollowest barrels on the planet, but it does not provide the challenges that the Jersey Shore produces.

The first obstacle of New Jersey surf is dredging. Each winter, the breaks change which means that a surfer must relearn his home break each summer. That means that the ideal paddle out spot, the perfect place to sit in the lineup, and the place to smash an end-section turn have all changed between seasons leaving the surfer clueless during his first session of the summer. A recent study was conducted by DanaRose Brown and the US Army Corps of Engineering which examined how dredging and beach nourishment affected surfability in the area. DanaRose Brown states, “Short-term results indicate that surfability was reduced within the nourishment area for at least one month post-nourishment with smaller surf zone widths and less sandbars than before the nourishment.” While many think of this as reason to avoid the Jersey Shore, many locals see this as an opportunity to thrive. Surfing requires the mind to remain fluid and adaptable as situations in the water can change on a dime. A surfer in New Jersey will already be in this headspace as they must be prepared to adapt to a new break each season. The mastery a new break each season gives the New Jersey surfer a sense of well-deserved accomplishment.

Another challenge of New Jersey surf is the crowds. Summer surfing in New Jersey draws crowd from all around the Northeast which leads to packed lineups. Surfline, the world’s leading surf forecast site, stated, “New Jersey spots can be very crowded — just try to get a set wave at Manasquan Inlet or off the jetty at Broadway Beach in Cape May during the peak of a hurricane swell.” As someone who frequently surfs Manasquan during the summer I can attest that not even a hurricane is needed for lineups to become cramped. On a sunny day in August, the lineup can attract upwards of twenty people even if conditions are mild or subpar. The crowds add another layer of difficulty because you have be aware of the hierarchy in the water as well as aware of those paddling out while you are on a wave. A priority mistake can lead to a physical confrontation in the water and on the beach while a collision with a fellow surfer while on the wave can lead to physical injury and damage of equipment. This added challenge creates a necessity for surfers to be clear minded and ready for any obstacle that is put before them. However, this contributes the courage and triumph of the New Jersey surfer. Despite the risk of physical injury and destruction of an expensive surfboard, surfers will paddle out nonetheless in hopes of succeeding in these hazardous conditions. The reward for navigating these treacherous lineups is a clean face (of the wave that is) and a fun ride.

While surfing in the summer may have its challenges, the oncoming winter provides challenges of its own. The beaches and lineups clear up while the waves improve, but the water temperature becomes bone chilling as winter sets in. Surfline’s guide to New Jersey surf also stated that, “Water temperatures can reach as high as seventy-five degrees in the summer, but can drop to low thirties in the peak of winter.” This requires the purchase of wetsuits which help prolong time spent in the water, but regardless the cold pierces through the five millimeters of protection. The cold creates a mental battle as surfers struggle to stay warm and loose in the water as larger sets roll through. However, it is this battle with mother nature that makes New Jersey surf so special as it creates a sense of triumph after the session is over.

Surfing is hard. It requires mental and physical perseverance in order to improve which is why New Jersey is the best surf location. The best surf allow for a new set of obstacles each time a surfer enters the water which will provide them an opportunity to overcome adversity and improve. Whether it be changing breaks, crowds, or the cold; New Jersey surf provides obstacles that only allow for physically stronger surfers, but mentally as well.

The Jersey Shore is home to the best surf break in the world because of the adversity that surfers face during each session and the elation that results from overcoming these setbacks to have an enjoyable experience. While some waves such as the Banzai Pipeline, Lower Trestles, or the Box may provide more satisfying rides or may provide the rider with better footage, the Jersey Shore provides an enjoyable experience because of the obstacles that are present each and every session. The true triumph of a New Jersey surfer is being able to manage less than stellar conditions, an ever-changing surf break, crowds in the water, and the varying temperatures throughout the year to have a year of pleasant memories while surfing as well as to see improvement in surfing technique. It is emerging victorious over obstacles that makes the Jersey Shore the best surf spot.

Adversity breeds improvement and the Jersey shore is full of adversity. New Jersey is in between three major US cities; Philadelphia, Washington DC, and New York City which draws hoards of tourists to the area. On top of the locations adjacent to these major metropolitan hubs, is the fact that New Jersey is a beautiful summer destination for many in the Northeast. This results in beaches and lineups becoming cramped and overcrowded during the summer. As Memorial Day approaches, beach towns prepare for the arrivals of thousands of tourists from the Northeast United States and beyond. An article from The Economist was written in 2015 which analyzed the effect of tourists on New Jersey. The article stated, ” Last year tourism accounted for $36.4 billion of its [New Jersey] GDP, or about 6.6% of the state’s entire economy…about 508,000 jobs, nearly 10% of New Jersey’s total, are in the tourism industry.” 

With so much financial and economic gain being tied to tourism, New Jersey beaches are often cramped during the summer which leads to too many novice surfers in the water. Novice surfers can pose a danger to themselves and others in the water as surfers on a wave weave through bodies paddling out while on their ride. I can recall several instances in which I have bailed from a wave or narrowly missed someone due to the number of people in the lineup. However, this should not discourage surfers from visiting our shores. If anything it should motivate them.

The Jersey Shore provides the unique opportunity for surfers to better their awareness, anticipation, and knowledge of the wave by forcing them to avoid kooks on nearly every wave in order to have an enjoyable ride. Overcoming this challenge adds to the enjoyment of surfing by increasing the risk of surfing and while also allowing for a surfer to better their skills in the water.

However, tourism to New Jersey beaches does not occur year round as many visitors have departed by the time the leaves change color. As hurricane season, and some of the best surf approaches, so does colder water. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, or NOAA, stated that “In summer throughout New Jersey, water temperatures average 73.4 degrees fahrenheit, yet in winter the average water temperature is 40.2 degrees fahrenheit.” While summer surf normally requires only a pair of boardshorts; winter surf requires a five millimeter wetsuit. 

This added layer of clothing not only adds weight to the surfer which increases difficulty of paddling, but also represents another challenge that New Jersey’s surfers face. In winter, surfers are constantly at odds with nature as they struggle to stay warm and loose during a session. However, despite the bone chilling cold of nearly below freezing water temperatures, surfing in the winter is often rewarding as it allows for a surfer to overcome the mental adversity of the cold while also catching some of the best waves of the year. Surfing requires perseverance to improve as mistakes are common. This ability to endure the cold allows surfers to learn to endure hardships to improve in and out of the water. It also provides surfers with a sense of accomplishment as they have gone toe to toe with not only the ocean, but the cold as well and have emerged from the frigid waters, victorious.

Another challenge of New Jersey surfing is the constantly changing breaks. As a result of the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy, beaches along the shore replenish the sand by dredging from the sea. This creates a new break each year as sand is pulled from the ocean to the beach which results in a different location and different quality of the surf break. A study conducted in 2018 by the Coastal Education and Research Foundation Inc. found that dredging had significant impacts on surf breaks. The researchers, William R. Dally and Daniel A. Osiecki, stated, “Any rides that are obtained are therefore notably shorter and less enjoyable. Associated with this compression, the number of breaking waves in the surf zone is reduced from as many as three to as few as one” (Dally/Osiecki). This change after the nourishment results in surfers learning the new functions of their home break each year.

This allows for surfers to become more skilled at adapting to changing circumstances in the water which is crucial as a surfer. Dally and Osiecki also stated that, “As dredging occurs longshore along beaches, closeouts become more common which necessitates more improvisation from surfers in the water.” Surfers have to either improve their read of incoming sets or make a split second decision on whether or not they will take off on waves. If they decide to take off on waves, the ability to pump around a closed out section or a closing tube become integral for success. This furthers the need for surfers to become quick on their feet as New Jersey surfers become more accustomed to new breaks and closeouts, only for the break to change the following year. This keeps New Jersey in the mindset of change and adaptation as no aspect of their favorite break remains the same from the previous summer. 

Surfing in New Jersey is difficult. Whether it be the crowds in the summer, the cold winter paddle outs, or the annually changing break; New Jersey surfers must be tough mentally and physically in order to overcome the obstacles set before them. As New Jersey relied further on tourism for economic gain, these issues may only worse, but that will only invigorate New Jersey surfers as it is not an easy session that New Jersey surfers want, but one that pushes us to our limit. Whether it be mentally and physically overcoming the cold or staying mentally and physically loose enough to evade reckless novices and closeouts. The New Jersey surfer feels fulfilled by facing a season of obstacles in and out of the water, but emerging from each session better than the last.

Despite, the satisfaction that New Jersey surfers feel, there are still those who cite other notorious waves as being the best on the planet. The most common being the Banzai Pipeline.

The Banzai Pipeline, located on the North Shore of Oahu, is considered by many to be the best wave in the world. It hosts multiple contests annually, including the Billabong Pro Pipe which pits the best surfers in the world against each other in a competition each January. Some surfers have made a career by simply mastering this wave, such as Jamie O’Brien and John John Florence, while others have clinched world titles at this location, such as Kelly Slater and Italo Ferreira. However, despite the massive conditions and global attention that this reef break attracts, it is not the best wave in the world. It is simply too easy.

Despite claiming the lives of countless surfers and sending many to the hospital every year, the Banzai Pipeline is too easy a wave to be the best surf break in the world. However, it is not easy in the traditional sense. The beauty of New Jersey surfing is that it pushes surfers by placing them in situations that are uncomfortable, but not those that will risk their lives. The triumph that New Jersey surfers feel is that of facing a new and challenging obstacle upon entering the water for every surf session, but conquering these challenges nonetheless.

The challenges at the Banzai Pipeline are different. Jonathan Warren, a journalist for Surfline, wrote that, “The conditions reach may reach up to twenty feet, but the wave also provides a channel for surfers to paddle out easily.” The conditions at the Banzai Pipeline are treacherous in their own manner, but it does not provide the same challenges or satisfaction that many New Jersey surfers must face. New Jersey surfers can face waves up to about twelve feet, but there is never a channel. Due to dredging in the winter, waves are prone to breaking often and everywhere which leads to a difficult paddle out. While the waves are not bigger, the satisfaction of finally making it into the lineup after taking set after set on the head is a feeling that only a New Jersey surfer will feel.

The Banzai Pipeline is a proving ground for up and coming surfers and as a result, it has a way of dealing with crowds that New Jersey surf does not. Massive sets and a dangerous, shallow reef prevent surfers from taking on this wave despite the crowd it attracts. However, this is not new as Pipeline has been a challenge since its inception as Warren wrote, “For nearly 60 years, this frightening gift of nature has stood out as one of the most challenging and perfect waves on the planet. While first believed to be unconquerable, Pipeline soon became the wave by which all others would be judged.” However, despite this legendary reputation, it does not provide the same challenges that New Jersey surfing provides. The waves in New Jersey are smaller and break on a soft beach break which means that most tourists and kooks will paddle out regardless of their lack of skill. This results in a dangerous situation for all surfers in New Jersey as a ride consists of weaving through many first time surfers before reaching a clean face to do any maneuvers. However, this is a challenge that many New Jersey surfers enjoy as it tests their ability to react quickly and adapt to new and difficult circumstances.

This further adds to the challenges that make New Jersey surf the best because every aspect of surfing is challenging here. From the crowded lineups to the small, mushy surf which breaks in different places every year. Pipeline has been breaking on the same reef since its creation which allows surfers like Jamie O’Brien and Eli Hanneman to make a career of surfing just one wave. New Jersey surfers must find where their favorite break has moved to each year and adapt to the changes that dredging brings.

Pipeline is also located in paradise. NOAA recorded that, “The average water temperatures in Hawaii range between 73 degrees Fahrenheit and 81 degrees Fahrenheit while many New Jersey surfers often battle with temperatures just above freezing.” This means that while surfers at Pipeline are sitting out in an empty lineup in board shorts, Jersey shore surfers are in five millimeter wetsuits with frozen beards. New Jersey surfers struggle to stay warm out in the lineup while Hawaiians enjoy balmy ocean temperatures.

Another aspect of the Jersey Shore that makes it the best surf break in the world is its accessibility. New Jersey beaches are open to everyone and all surfers while Pipeline has had a history of denying women from surfing and competing in contests there. It was not until 2022 that women could officially compete at the Banzai Pipeline in competition. A New York Times article from 2022, written by Talya Minsberg, discussed the issue of women at Pipeline throughout history after this revolutionary breakthrough had been made, “women surfing Pipeline, a reef break producing huge waves, stuck out like sore thumbs.” While women are now able to compete in contests and in free surfs, their inability to do in the past has hindered their proficiency in surfing this wave which takes time to understand. Unlike Pipeline, the Jersey Shore has always welcomed women in the water and in contests which highlight how the surf breaks in the Jersey Shore are a place for everyone to feel challenged and subsequently satisfied in the water

The fact remains that New Jersey surfers deal with more difficult conditions than those of their Hawaiian counterparts. The Banzai Pipeline is a dangerous wave, but is manageable by the number of professional contests that occur annually. Jersey Shore surf tests every aspect of a surfer from their mental toughness in order to paddle out in frigid water to their quick thinking in order to handle crowds in the water to their adaptability to ever-changing lineup conditions. The New Jersey surfer embraces adversity and paddles out regardless of the struggles that lie ahead.

References

Minsberg, T. “Finding Gender Equality in the World’s Most Dangerous Waves” New York Times. New York Times. 22 December 2022. 2023.

“An Evaluation of the Short Term Impacts of Beach Nourishment on Surfability in Long Branch, New Jersey” Stevens Institute of Technology. 2020. 4 March 2023.

“New Jersey Travel and Surf Guide” Surfline. 2023. 4 March 2023

“A Shore thing; Tourism in New Jersey” The Economist. 30 May 2015. 6 March 2023.

“Coastal Water Temperature Guide” National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. 6 March 2023.

“Evaluating the Impact of Beach Nourishment on Surfing: Surf City, Long Beach Island, New Jersey, U.S.A.” Coastal Education and Research Foundation Inc. July 2018. 6 March 2023

“Mechanics of Surfing Pipeline and Backdoor” Surfline. 6 January 2022. 19 April 2023.

Posted in Portfolio RowanStudent6, Research, rowanstudent6 | 1 Comment

Rebuttal Rewrite-rowanstudent6

Posted on April 19, 2023 by rowanstudent6

The Problem with Pipe

The Banzai Pipeline, located on the North Shore of Oahu, is considered by many to be the best wave in the world. It hosts multiple contests annually, including the Billabong Pro Pipe which pits the best surfers in the world against each other in a competition each January. Some surfers have made a career by simply mastering this wave, such as Jamie O’Brien and John John Florence, while others have clinched world titles at this location, such as Kelly Slater and Italo Ferreira. However, despite the massive conditions and global attention that this reef break attracts, it is not the best wave in the world. It is simply too easy.

Despite claiming the lives of countless surfers and sending many to the hospital every year, the Banzai Pipeline is too easy a wave to be the best surf break in the world. However, it is not easy in the traditional sense. The beauty of New Jersey surfing is that it pushes surfers by placing them in situations that are uncomfortable, but not those that will risk their lives. The triumph that New Jersey surfers feel is that of facing a new and challenging obstacle upon entering the water for every surf session, but conquering these challenges nonetheless.

The challenges at the Banzai Pipeline are different. Jonathan Warren, a journalist for Surfline, stated that, “The conditions reach may reach up to twenty feet, but the wave also provides a channel for surfers to paddle out easily.” The conditions at the Banzai Pipeline are treacherous in their own manner, but it does not provide the same challenges or satisfaction that many New Jersey surfers must face. New Jersey surfers can face waves up to about twelve feet, but there is never a channel. Due to dredging in the winter, waves are prone to breaking often and everywhere which leads to a difficult paddle out. While the waves are not bigger, the satisfaction of finally making it into the lineup after taking set after set on the head is a feeling that only a New Jersey surfer will feel.

The Banzai Pipeline is a proving ground for up and coming surfers and as a result, it has a way of dealing with crowds that New Jersey surf does not. Massive sets and a dangerous, shallow reef prevent surfers from taking on this wave despite the crowd it attracts. However, this is not new as Pipeline has been a challenge since its inception as Warren states, “For nearly 60 years, this frightening gift of nature has stood out as one of the most challenging and perfect waves on the planet. While first believed to be unconquerable, Pipeline soon became the wave by which all others would be judged.” However, despite this legendary reputation, it does not provide the same challenges that New Jersey surfing provides. The waves in New Jersey are smaller and break on a soft beach break which means that most tourists and kooks will paddle out regardless of their lack of skill. This results in a dangerous situation for all surfers in New Jersey as a ride consists of weaving through many first time surfers before reaching a clean face to do any maneuvers. However, this is a challenge that many New Jersey surfers enjoy as it tests their ability to react quickly and adapt to new and difficult circumstances.

This further adds to the challenges that make New Jersey surf the best because every aspect of surfing is challenging here. From the crowded lineups to the small, mushy surf which breaks in different places every year. Pipeline has been breaking on the same reef since its creation which allows surfers like Jamie O’Brien and Eli Hanneman to make a career of surfing just one wave. New Jersey surfers must find where their favorite break has moved to each year and adapt to the changes that dredging brings.

Pipeline is also located in paradise. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association stated that, “The average water temperatures in Hawaii range between 73 degrees Fahrenheit and 81 degrees Fahrenheit while many New Jersey surfers often battle with temperatures just above freezing.” This means that while surfers at Pipeline are sitting out in an empty lineup in board shorts, Jersey shore surfers are in five millimeter wetsuits with frozen beards. New Jersey surfers struggle to stay warm out in the lineup while Hawaiians enjoy balmy ocean temperatures.

Another aspect of the Jersey Shore that makes it the best surf break in the world is its accessibility. New Jersey beaches are open to everyone and all surfers while Pipeline has had a history of denying women from surfing and competing in contests there. It was not until 2022 that women could officially compete at the Banzai Pipeline in competition. A New York Times article from 2022, written by Talya Minsberg, discussed the issue of women at Pipeline throughout history after this revolutionary breakthrough had been made, “women surfing Pipeline, a reef break producing huge waves, stuck out like sore thumbs.” While women are now able to compete in contests and in free surfs, their inability to do in the past has hindered their proficiency in surfing this wave which takes time to understand. Unlike Pipeline, the Jersey Shore has always welcomed women in the water and in contests which highlight how the surf breaks in the Jersey Shore are a place for everyone to feel challenged and subsequently satisfied in the water

The fact remains that New Jersey surfers deal with more difficult conditions than those of their Hawaiian counterparts. The Banzai Pipeline is a dangerous wave, but is manageable by the number of professional contests that occur annually. Jersey Shore surf tests every aspect of a surfer from their mental toughness in order to paddle out in frigid water to their quick thinking in order to handle crowds in the water to their adaptability to ever-changing lineup conditions. The New Jersey surfer embraces adversity and paddles out regardless of the struggles that lie ahead.

References

Warren, J. “Mechanics of Surfing Pipeline and Backdoor” Surfline. 6 January 2022. 19 April 2023.

“”Coastal Water Temperature Guide” National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. 19 April 2023.

Minsberg, T. “Finding Gender Equality in the World’s Most Dangerous Waves” New York Times. New York Times. 22 December 2022. 2023.

Posted in Rebuttal Rewrite, rowanstudent6 | 2 Comments

Rebuttal Argument-rowanstudent6

Posted on April 19, 2023 by rowanstudent6

The Problem with Pipe

The Banzai Pipeline, located on the North Shore of Oahu, is considered by many to be the best wave in the world. It hosts multiple contests annually, including the Billabong Pro Pipe which pits the best surfers in the world against each other in a competition each January. Kelly Slater, an eleven time world champion and the greatest surfer of all time, has claimed to have caught the best wave of his life at Pipeline and the wave has been called the deadliest wave in the world due its amazing yet dangerous conditions. However, Pipeline is not the best wave in the world. It is too easy.

Pipe is what? You heard me. Despite claiming the lives of countless surfers and sending many to the hospital every year, the Banzai Pipeline is too easy a wave to be the best surf break in the world. The conditions reach can range from eight to twenty feet and the wave provides a channel for surfers to paddle out easily (Warren, 2022). However, this provides easy rides for those in the lineup. The large conditions and difficult paddle out allow for surfers to have an easy ride towards the beach. New Jersey surfers have to weave their way through groms and novice surfers to even have a chance at an enjoyable ride.

The Banzai Pipeline is a proving ground for up and coming surfers and as a result, it has a way of dealing with crowds that New Jersey surf does not. Massive sets and a dangerous, shallow reef prevent surfers from getting out into the lineup which allows only the very best to make it out. However, this is not new as Pipeline has been a challenge since its inception, “For nearly 60 years, this frightening gift of nature has stood out as one of the most challenging and perfect waves on the planet. While first believed to be unconquerable, Pipeline soon became the wave by which all others would be judged (Warren, 2022). However, this does not make it the best ride as it ensures that those who make it to the lineup have clean ride in which they only need to focus on the wave. New Jersey lineups are crowded and spread throughout the water as there is not one particular break. As a result of dredging, New Jersey surf breaks can break anywhere and everywhere, so lineups can become packed between jetties.

This further adds to the challenges that make New Jersey surf the best because every aspect of surfing is challenging here. From the crowded lineups to the small, mushy surf which breaks in different places every year. Pipeline has been breaking on the same reef since its creation which allows surfers like Jamie O’Brien and Eli Hanneman to make a career of surfing just one wave. New Jersey surfers must find where their favorite break has moved to each year and adapt to the changes that dredging brings.

Pipeline is also located in paradise. The average water temperatures in Hawaii range between 73 degrees Fahrenheit and 81 degrees Fahrenheit while many New Jersey surfers often battle with temperatures just above freezing (NOAA). This means that while surfers at Pipeline are sitting out in an empty lineup in board shorts, Jersey shore surfers are in five millimeter wetsuits with frozen beards. New Jersey surfers struggle to stay warm out in the lineup while Hawaiians enjoy balmy ocean temperatures.

The fact remains that New Jersey surfers deal with more difficult conditions than those of their Hawaiian counterparts. The Banzai Pipeline is a dangerous wave, but is manageable by the number of professional contests that occur annually. Jersey Shore surf tests every aspect of a surfer from their mental toughness in order to paddle out in frigid water to their quick thinking in order to handle crowds in the water to their adaptability to ever-changing lineup conditions. The New Jersey surfer embraces adversity and paddles out regardless of the struggles that lie ahead.

References

“Mechanics of Surfing Pipeline and Backdoor” Surfline. 6 January 2022. 19 April 2023.

“”Coastal Water Temperature Guide” National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. 19 April 2023.

Posted in Rebuttal Argument, rowanstudent6 | Leave a comment

Research – Water

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Water

What went wrong

Ever watch a movie or show where robbers had pulled off one of the biggest heists in history and they’re on the run, then we get a transition to the command centre where the operation is taking place and the officers are on the computers scrambling/mashing the keyboard trying to pinpoint the locations of where they could be hiding out. They usually go through a “deep” scan using their state-of-the-art facial recognition software. We all know that for entertainment purposes, that would be too easy for the program to actually work. Or so we think, I strongly believe that even the latest up-to-date facial recognition software still fails to do the job it was assigned.

A facial recognition program aims to track or attain information about a person to keep track of minorities or groups for advertising, creating laws, or helping the police force. Facial recognition serves multiple purposes depending on the holder’s motives and who they work for. For something like this to fully function it has to have enormous amounts of data stored in its servers/database. The more data it has, the stronger the results come out, but for the data to be reliable it must have data from all aspects/categories that would describe a person. With these external data sets to achieve maximum results you have to include internal factors such as gender, sexuality, and race.

Programs rely on the data they are given but they don’t, they should add. The study conducted by Wenying Wu, Pavlos Patropapas, Zheng Yang, and Panagiotis Michalatos titled “Gender Classification and Bias Mitigation in Facial Recognition” was the testing of an existing database for gender classifications and facial recognition. The purpose of the testing was to determine whether facial recognition programs can determine these kinds of factors so that officials would not offend any of these minority groups’ other parties. The solution to this was to simply add more information to the data set such as adding more people of color and other groups that were represented poorly, they even had their own category for those of other genders, these included gender fluid people, non-binary and gender queer. To no surprise the results showed that the program with more information had sharper accuracy to what a person’s respected group would have them fall under.

Why is this a problem? The problem is that government forces rely on these kinds of programs and for it to be a liability at the same time is a thing that could endanger one’s life. Let’s say that a killer is on the loose and the FBI is using facial recognition to find the person, so they use the person’s picture to try to scan all over the city for anyone that resembles them. They find a match but then they come to the realization of them getting the wrong person, now they had not only ruined or scared someone but they had also misidentified a person who had nothing to do with the crime. Lack of data that goes into these servers are for the most part the same pictures, they rarely have diversity and when they are included it is by a small percent.

You would think an invention that could find you just by having your face on the database would protect you. When in reality it could do more harm than protect. Especially if you are someone of the lgbtq+ community where you are being misidentified or misgendered. An error like this can be an offence/insult to one respected group, that could start a revolt for gender equality or equal rights for one’s identity. It’s the little errors that could start an entire domino effect of people being treated like they are either inferior or looked at as trash.

Say we add more information about every kind of person from different races, sexualities or gender, will this solve the lack of data? Perhaps, but this won’t stop other factors such as bias to a race or gender, there’s always that one person who thinks whatever they are is superior when compared to others. This is a big problem in facial recognition because one’s personal opinions could slip into programming if someone goes based on what they believe and not what’s right then they could contradict results when used.

Daniel C Wood’s article “Facial Recognition, Racial Recognition, and Clear and Present Issues With AI Bias” claims that “if society works together to work on race and equality then the steps towards AI bias could be changed”. The author opens up the topic of how apps such as Twitter reveal some form of bias towards race. In one case an African American was noticing that he and a coworker were getting their faces cropped out of the picture and when they took it to Twitter, they tried to talk their way out of it along with providing no evidence of there being no racial bias. A power company that runs twitter has these data sets and they allow these kinds of problems to occur and provide no response where they own up to their mistakes, and to also provide a solution that would satisfy both parties. Some said the best route to take around facial/race bias would be to take better pictures where the lighting confuses these softwares when it’s time to record what the persons information may be. This would be a decent idea except for the fact that if the lighting is too bright then their true skin color would not be revealed, except it would be someone of a brighter tone. Can there truly be a solution to end AI bias or is it something that will always remain.

Programs that provide high expectations usually fail to do what it’s meant to do, so we usually have to deal with it hoping that one day there will be a solution. With this conclusion, it only means that we have to deal with the conflicts of being misidentified or misgendered due to the lack of data feed in these programs’ databases making these programs less reliable by the second.

It’s the year 2023 and the idea of people coming out or wanting to be identified as something else other than a man or woman to even transition has increased. It is said that about 5 percent of young adults ages ranging from 18-29 are either transgender or of a different sexual orientation. This means that with changes being made around society, different parties are being created and communities continue to grow in the sex/gender party, but with these changes you have to be careful when identifying one. You don’t want to offend someone by getting either gender wrong or sexual orientation, that’s why facial recognition and the advancement of this tool can not only be threatening towards one identity but it could change a life for the worse.

In Wenying Wu, Pavlos Protopapas and Zheng Yang’s “Gender Classification and Bias Mitigation in Facial Images” study, they thoroughly explain the experiment conducted in 2017 where deep neural networks would be used to detect white male sexuality.This controversial research implied that the facial images of the LGBTQ population had distinct characteristics when compared to the heterosexual groups. They pushed the idea that by misgendering/misidentifying one can increase one’s perception of being socially marginalized. To be misidentified by something like facial recognition or programs of AGRS (Automated Gender Recognition System) not only follows the stigma of there only being two genders, overall reinforcing the gender/sexuality standards.

They saw the programs were faulty and having issues they decided to train a biased binary gender classifier baseline doing so they used sets of different datasets along with ensembling a transfer learning model using logistic regressions and adaboost. The results were shocking, the algorithm has mitigated algorithmic biases from the baseline and the ensemble model achieved a selection rate of 98.46%. The program proved that facial recognition can’t be 100% accurate and will have limitations when trying to guess one’s orientation but it could be worked on and if more can be fed into the database then they would be able to get stronger results.

The most common scenario where facial recognition can be tested to see whether it can be accurate and find someone based on their face/photo would be at a crime scene. Cops use the software and go through surveillance cameras and scan their database of mugshots to pinpoint a prime suspect. Even though that’s an option that could cut down hours of going through evidence it can create more problems by matching the wrong person just because of the lighting of the crime scene or the quality of the picture captured by the surveillance camera. Something like this can put one through trauma when police officers show up at their doorstep and they were innocent the whole time. Misidentification can cause trauma just because the robot assumed the facial features of the suspect.

When you look at facial recognition you have two common errors, false positive and false negative. according to Brian E. Finch’s “Addressing Legitimate ConcernsAbout Government Use of FacialRecognition Technologies” stating “A false negative occurs when an algorithm fails to return a matching image despite being in the defined set…. The rate of false negatives varies greatly among proprietary algorithms.” imagine this happening where officials rely on programs as such and make terrible calls based on what the computer said, this not only opens windows to miscarriages of justice. The other error is known as a false positive, “A “false positive” occurs when the image of one individual is matched to the biometric characteristics of an entirely different person, resulting in a misidentification. The consequences of a false positive in a one-to-many system can be especially serious, including leading to the mistaken arrest of an innocent person based largely, if not entirely, on the misidentification.” What needs to be done so we cant have the same problems when using advanced technology ?

Could the errors of faulty facial recognition softwares be all technological issues or is there a deeper meaning? Halley Sutton did a background check on Police officers in NYC that would tamper with facial recognition to get their criminal. In the paper Halley explains, “The report found that the department was editing photographs and uploading photographs of celebrity look-alikes into the software in order to find suspects.” The case further revealed that “The report also found that police officers edited photographs to make them appear more like a mugshot by replacing facial features with those of a model found during a Google search.” Not only is this unethical but it’s also unlawful to do something like this. imagine being photoshopped to look like a criminal and to also find out the officers used unreliable references to make the search more accurate. The worst part is yet to come, even if you get misidentified by facial recognition and you get in trouble, there is no possible way to be helped.

In a text from Kaitlin Jackson from the NACDL it is said, “The police could rely on a psychic, take tips from unreliable informants, or pull photos out of mug shot books at random. All of those methods would pass constitutional muster because a defendant has no legal right to keep his likeness out of an identification procedure.” If you were to go to court due to a misidentification then you would simply start off. with a disadvantage because according to the law anything the officers conclude are weighed more than your word.

The procedure to testify against this is would be much of a hassle for not only the person’s sake but for the case of the crime. The procedure goes along the lines of, “the court would need to test the scientific validity of FRS at a hearing. At the end of the hearing, if the court found FRS to be scientifically reliable, then the eyewitness identification should be admitted…. the outcome of the hearing might be that FRS is unreliable. If FRS frequently selects look-alikes instead of the true perpetrator, then a real danger of misidentification exists in presenting those look-alikes to human eyewitnesses for identification. In that scenario, the remedy the defense should seek is suppression of the eyewitness identification because the risk of misidentification is so great.” there’s so many thing to follow up when put in this situation, first you get misidentified by faulty technology with lack of data, then you get wrongful put in jail, get sent to court to appeal and regain innocence, but doing so you have to comply with all the procedures to prove you weren’t there at the crime scene. We should not rely on technology that’s recently been introduced to the fields, and if they are being added then they should be filled with information and not just pictures of the same people with similar features and to have a category identifying different orientations. 

What if facial recognition actually worked and could properly record or relay information without it being able to misidentify what’s in front of the camera. Would this be beneficial or would nothing change? Facial recognition has a constant problem of not being able to make out what it’s looking at, so when it tries to give an answer it tends to give a response that is not accurate to what the person may go by. One could make the claim that facial recognition in fact is pretty stable and could be reliable and safe, famous companies such as Amazon support this idea.

Amazon has a subsection dedicated to facial recognition. It talks about how it works, and the use of the programs or devices, on its website they state “Facial recognition algorithms have near-perfect accuracy in ideal conditions. There is a higher success rate in controlled settings but generally a lower performance rate in the real world. It is difficult to accurately predict the success rate of this technology, as no single measure provides a complete picture.” There’s a flaw with this statement, not only did they make the claim facial recognition has near-perfect accuracy they then disprove their claim by saying it has a low-performance rate in the real world. Does this imply that it only works in certain locations and could be a liability if used in the real world. For example if used on security cameras and they were used to find anyone who either went past the speed limit or involved in a crime would it just be a blur due to the lighting and resolutions being bad or will it be able to have a clear picture of the person. A flaw like this really defeats the purpose of having facial recognition, I mean it could really be something incredible for the future but if a simple problem such as poor lighting or understanding facial features can be detrimental for safety or data collecting.

Developers say that they have made changes and improvements to these kinds of programs, but could they be lying or just simply trying to impress those companies who use the program. According to an article from Innovatrics titled “How the accuracy of facial recognition technology has improved over time” in this article they claim, “The first is “education” – the better the dataset that the neural network is trained on, the better are the results. To help the machine learn better, the datasets have to be labeled correctly and checked for mistakes. The other avenue is to rely on improving computing power. Neural networks can be more precise and their outputs can be tested repeatedly to find and repair their blind spots.” This makes sense to a certain degree. If you add more diverse pictures about people from all parts of the world and store them in a dataset, they mention education but they didn’t include what groups or other forms of information they would add to strengthen the accuracy. One main problem of facial recognition and trying to identify a person is they don’t have groups that involve societal changes such as people part of the LGBTQ or other respected groups. To be accurate must mean you have to include everything, inclusion presents external problems such as gender or racial bias, which have been proven to be an issue for these datasets as some had pictures with those of similar features and no diversity. It has even brought up the talk of either banning these kinds of programs.

Activists have been demanding lawmakers put a ban on facial recognition. The reason why they feel like Facial recognition should be removed is that they claim that photo-matching technology is inaccurate with respect to photos of women and minorities. The argumentative article by the security industry association titled “What Science Really Says About Facial Recognition Accuracy and Bias Concerns” tried to disprove a paper published by a grad student researcher at MIT Media Lab in 2018 who would disprove the function of facial recognition and misidentifies mainly people of color. The article tries to disprove their claim by saying, “the paper is frequently cited as showing that facial recognition software “misidentifies’ ‘ dark-skinned women nearly 35% of the time. But there’s a problem: Gender Shades evaluated demographic-labeling algorithms, not facial recognition.” Race has as much to do with facial recognition, facial recognition can’t go off facial features they have to base them off skin color because people could have similar shades of skin color but they could be from any part of the world, information such as region is crucial when determining one’s identity. Identity isn’t just gender or height, it’s everything used to categorize one, this includes sex, race, orientation and more.

Furthermore, in the article, the author tries to provide more information regarding facial recognition improvement as a whole and how the research paper had flaws regarding the experiment run on the accuracy of the software program.The American Civil Liberties Union conducted a test on amazon’s recognition program on the people of congress back in 2018 it was stated, “it created a database of 25,000 publicly available images and ran a search against official photos of the 535 members of Congress, returning “false matches” for 28 of them. The ACLU claimed that since 11 of these matches, or 40%, were people of color, and only 20% of Congress overall are people of color, this is evidence of racial bias in facial recognition systems” this proves facial recognition is unreliable in some instance but after the publishment of the experiment amazon reran the test but this time they had 850,000 images to run for matches and they found zero “false matches”. This simply means that with more images they could be able to pinpoint an accurate match.

Finally, in the year 2019, statistics regarding facial recognition came out and the stats were different compared to before. In the statistics, it declared that “According to data from the most recent evaluation from June 28, each of the top 150 algorithms are over 99% accurate across Black male, white male, Black female and white female demographics. For the top 20 algorithms, the accuracy of the highest performing demographic versus the lowest varies only between 99.7% and 99.8%” This would be interesting to see but if you think about it, they never included or mentioned other groups. They failed to mention how people from Asia or South America compare when out into these facial recognition programs. Overall leaving with the idea that facial recognition could be something if they either had more information or it could just be that facial recognition isn’t trusting and has too many flaws to correct.  

References

Wu W, Protopapas P, Yang Z, Michalatos P. | Gender Classification and Bias Mitigation in Facial Recognition | Published online July 06, 2020

Daniel C. Wood | Facial Recognition, Racial Recognition, and Clear and Present Issues With AI Bias Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law | May–June 2021, Vol. 4, No. 3

Brian E.Finch | Addressing Legitimate ConcernsAbout Government Use of FacialRecognition Technologies | Published October 30, 2020 | Via The Heritage Foundation

Halley Sutton | Report finds department abused facial recognition software | published 2019 | Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company

Kaitlin Jackson | Challenging Facial Recognition Software in Criminal Court | July 2019 | provided by NACDL

Amazon | What is Facial Recognition? | published online | Amazon

Innovatrics | How the accuracy of facial recognition technology has improved over time | Author: Barbara Rusnáková | Published online

Jake P., Senior Director, Government Relations, SIA, and David R., Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel, Rank One Computing| What Science Really Says About Facial Recognition Accuracy and Bias Concerns | July 23, 2022 | Security Industry Association

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Research-G00dSoup

Posted on April 19, 2023 by g00dsoup

Animal Crossing Promotes Healthy Social Skills

We need social interaction. Even the introverts who can go days without it. We’ve found ways to entertain ourselves during lockdown by finding something creative to do, but perhaps we all felt the need to socialize with someone…ANYone. But the fact most of us have most likely gone weeks, possibly months without socializing with the outside world might be a little terrifying. Beyond the creative aspect, Animal Crossing: New Horizons also offers a sense of community. The game allows players to visit other players’ islands, trade items, and interact with each other’s villagers. This social aspect has been particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, as players are able to connect with others and form friendships in a safe and virtual environment. The one thing we craved the most during the lockdown was most likely social interaction, and this video game – a video game! – gave us the chance to have the feeling of being with friends all over the world. Birthdays, graduations, proms, and even weddings were celebrated within the world of Animal Crossing.

Within many players, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has given them a sense of autonomy. In Andrew Z.H. Yee and Jeremy R.H. Sng’s article, “Animal Crossing and COVID-19: A Qualitative Study Examining How Video Games Satisfy Basic Psychological Needs During the Pandemic,” they claim, “Participants recounted that ACNH offered a feeling of escape and distraction from the restrictions and stresses of the pandemic and day-to-day life, provided a platform with the freedom to artistically express oneself, and enabled them to set and fulfill their own goals.” During the pandemic, many people have experienced significant changes in their daily routines and lifestyles. With the sudden shift to remote work and social distancing, many individuals found themselves struggling to adapt to the new normal. Especially so suddenly!

One of the main appeals of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is its ability to offer some sense of normalcy during a time that is anything but normal. The game allows players to create their own virtual, fantasy world and escape from the stress and anxiety of what we experienced the pandemic at its beginning.

In the midst of this interesting time, Animal Crossing: New Horizons provided players with a much-needed sense of escape from the stresses of the world we were all experiencing. Whether it was through exploring a virtual world or engaging in a lively multiplayer battle by making a make-shift wrestling ring and shoving the other players out of the “ring.” The game allowed players to forget their worries and immerse themselves in a new and exciting environment. In short, the game offered a valuable source of entertainment and connection during a challenging period in human history.

The game is almost like starting a new life. You’re on a desert island—that you can make your own!—with new faces. Though these “new faces” might be anthropomorphic animals, they still add some sense of socialization to the game. Everything in the game is ultimately up to you. If you want to get to know your new in-game neighbors, you can. Much like real life, the more you talk to these villagers, the more you know about them. The relationship between you, the player, and these villagers may not seem like much. Yes, because they are fictional characters, but when it felt like we were trapped indoors…these villagers were probably our only means of social interaction. I personally loved getting to know my villagers. I’ve met a ninja rabbit who is obsessed with working out and always brags about how he’ll be the first animal to get a 12-pack. I’ve met a friendly dog who loves sharing book recommendations and who always gives me fruit in the mail. The relationships with these villagers ( much like the relationships you make with those in real life) will only increase with your effort put in to them.

If I were to tell you I’ve had a pleasant conversation with an anthropomorphic cat about the weather and how my outfit choice is completely vile…you’d think I am insane. Maybe so, but we all felt some sense of…insanity almost when we’re trapped in doors due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. While texting your best friend about the shows you’ve watched is interesting and all…it just isn’t the same. I, personally would much rather go out with friends getting food and exploring the town. Not being trapped indoors for a long period of time and having only technology be the way to communicate. It isn’t even fun either. Texting and FaceTiming is convenient for the lockdown…but it wasn’t entirely fun. Communicating with people through FaceTime or Zoom is getting boring.

A lot of us, myself included, felt the need to communicate with new people. To be extreme with the case…our old friends became “boring.”

Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn’t just known for its “online play platform”. It can certainly provide much needed social interaction, but there are so many other mechanics that have this benefit!

When not communicating with other players, the game has hundreds of villagers that can live on your island. Each of these villagers come in different species and are divided among eight personality types. One day, you might have a conversation with a bodybuilder cat about working out. The other could be an anteater discussing her latest read.

As the Animal Crossing series grew, players began to notice the dialogue of these villagers became…friendly. Animal Crossing players prefer the almost realness of the villagers from the earlier games (Animal Crossing: Population Growing, Animal Crossing: Wild World). From several of the older games, villagers will judge the player cold hearted-ly for anything they did unusual if they were not friends yet. Villagers would become so harsh…it added a sense of realness to the game as there are people in real life who also behave similarly. In these older Animal Crossing games, you had to gain friendship points with the villagers and their dialogue will become nicer. The number of points is not shown in games, it’s truly based on who the villager is and how you interact with them. Much like real life.

Lin Zhu, author of the case study, “The psychology behind video games during COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” explains the relationship more in-depth between the social interactions that can happen within the game. For starters, even though you are starting off the game “alone,” there are villagers there waiting to become your friend in-game.

Now, talking to a non-playable video game character is nice…it isn’t the same as talking to an actual person. Animal Crossing: New Horizons allows players to play online with each other to experience the game more. There are many benefits to the players playing the game by playing online. This includes collecting items for your island and having villagers move to your islands. But when it comes to Animal Crossing players, they are finding more ways to utilize playing online.

The creators of the game allowed the online feature to be used to visit friends’ islands and trade items. With the players trying to crawl out of the boredom they are facing, they took the ability to interact with users online to a whole new level.

New Horizons offers are large variety of items that players can use to decorate their islands however they’d like. Obtaining these items, however may be harder than others due to the rotation the game automatically sets for when items will be available for purchase in the in-game store. Nookazon is an online platform where Animal Crossing players can purchase any in-game item using the in-game currencies (Bells or Nook Miles Tickets) to purchase these items. Communication among other players is crucial for these transactions to be successful and this allows other players to have the opportunity to visit other player’s islands and possibly become online friends.

Zhu discusses in detail the benefits of playing online. In Animal Crossing: New Horizon, players have the option to create events that bring people together through their creativity. “The gamers not only can invite others to their islands to trade items but also talk and hang out virtually. There are even real stories of people having weddings on the game after their ceremonies had been canceled in real life. It is a thoughtful way to make memories and have some laughs during the time they cannot in person.” For many people, Zhu stated, many meaningful events were canceled. High school proms and graduations were also held in this game. It was through these events that many people came together to plan the events, to decorate a part of the island, and to get together — just as if it were a real-life social gathering.

During this time I wanted nothing more than to see my friends and spend time with them. I’m sure a lot of other people thought the same during the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. Animal Crossing: New Horizons created a “safe space” for a lot of players. Myself personally, I put so many hours in the game because there was simply nothing I wanted to do more than play a game where I didn’t have to worry about what was going on in 2020. Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides players with a “safe space” from the troubles going on in the world. Sometimes, all we need is to be with people to get our minds off of certain topics and the online mode mechanic in New Horizons does just that. Clinician Andrew Fishman, writer of Video Games are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect, explains, “There is also evidence to suggest that video games can be a safe place to experiment with social interactions for vulnerable people.”

The beginning of the pandemic, I personally felt more “vulnerable” than I ever felt before. I wasn’t ready to accept this fast and quite so sudden change we as a world faced. With the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I felt so excited to feel “relaxed” as the rest of the world felt when they played the game. I did everything the game had to offer and more. Socially interacting with other players around the world was strangely rejuvenating. Trading items was simple, efficient, and fun. Playing made up games on different people’s islands were relaxing to me. I felt there was some sense of normalcy again after a long time without it.

Writers Jonathon N. Cummings, Brian Butler, and Robert Kraut of the article, The Quality of Online Social Relationships explain that after many surveys among people, “Even in the age of the Web and e-commerce, online social interaction is still the most important use of the Internet.”

Before the epidemic we faced enabled us to actively use the Internet for social interaction. A fairly large sum of individuals before the pandemic utilized any form of the internet—including online games—to interact with people online. During the pandemic, these survey results changed with more people becoming more dependent on online social interaction.

People might argue that video games are in no ways a substitute for real social interaction. Sure, video games do not have that real, true feeling of interacting with a person face-to-face. But in situations where we are in need of communicating with someone…anyone…doing so online is really our only solution. Not to mention that we now have the technology to do so (it’s in our lives inevitably at this point).

We have FaceTime, Google Meets, Zoom, and the other applications for video chatting with family and friends…but there’s no “fun” in that. If people can make a simple Zoom call amusing, then they must have planned for such an elaborate call.

Video games, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, enable players to not only play the game, but to also be able to communicate and play the game with their loved ones when they are physically unable to do so in real life.

Think about social media: Within the many applications available, they provide us some form of enjoyment and the ability to interact with people all over the world. Animal Crossing can be seen as social media. A different type of social media, yes, but the game does provide the same benefits as Instagram does plus more.

An article from Cornell University, “Animal Crossing – A New Social Media?”, dives deeper into the idea that Animal Crossing is, in fact, a “new social media.”

“You can also add a player as either a friend or best friend, and send messages or mail whenever you want. These relationships can be seen as building a social network, perhaps with strong ties between your friends or best friends, and weak ties between those whose island you just visit casually through codes or the cloud storage. These relationships are unique in the pandemic times, where you can now virtually interact with someone, visit their home, share gifts, and explore together, which can retain current relationships and foster new ones.”

There are so many mechanics to explore in the (digital) world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The best part about this is you do not have to do it alone. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has so many in-game features to explore.

The recent release of the franchise, New Horizons excited many seemingly lifelong fans. Each Animal Crossing game in the series had the same format: You move into a new town and you explore your newfound life the way you want to. However, each game advances in their special features.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons adds more abilities to communicate with those online to make new friendships and connections including the option to now allow seven other people online to be in one digital island (whereas previous games, the limit was three additional players), the addition of new events to celebrate with friends, new in-game furniture items to decorate islands however the player sees fit, and the players of Animal Crossing have created online mechanics of their own.

Nookazon is an online platform where Animal Crossing players can purchase in-game items with in-game currency. The only thing required to get the desired copy of Van Gogh’s Starry Night is to interact with people online…much like most online transactions. The joy with this method of getting in-game items is the ability to visit the seller’s island, or have the seller visit you. It is ultimately the player’s choice whether they want to become online friends with this stranger.

Furthermore, Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides more in-game mechanics that promote social interaction exceptionally. Though there are hardly any people who do this, New Horizons allows players to write letters to both, their anthropomorphic animal villagers and to the friends they make online. Players can mail them a heartfelt letter expressing their appreciation, send packages and emergency fruit to sell, or they can right an angry, hate-filled letter expressing how their newfound online friend is the bane of their existence. Quite like real life, except people express their opinions of each other on social platforms like Instagram and/or Twitter.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (and other video games can be seen as this, too) can be used as a “safe place” for most players. People have their methods for escaping the worries and stressors of real life, but investing that method into purchasing this game will make such a huge impact. The relaxing, atmospheric nature of the game and the ability to not only interact online with strangers, but also with your animal neighbors is very relaxing to most.

In regards to video games in general being “safe spaces”, writer Andrew Fishman, of the article, “Video Games Are Social Space: How Video Games Help People Connect”, explains: “Video games and other online spaces are “safe” for these individuals because they allow people to communicate when they want to, with little or no pressure to respond immediately and without requiring them to be in the same physical space with others.”

The joy of being in an awkward situation with a stranger online is the glorious ability to shut the WiFi connect off your Nintendo Switch, kicking everyone on your island off and immediately returning them back to where they came from (if only we had that luxury in real life). Communicating with people online can often put us in uncomfortable situation, much like communicating with people in real life. The only benefit of communicating with people online versus in person is the ability to remove yourself from the situation.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is safer than other social media platforms, like Twitter and Instagram. If a user is causing another distress, the “block” button is effective, however the user can simply make another account and keeping harassing others online. Animal Crossing keeps their players safe while using their online features. Animal Crossing: New Horizons also allows the player to select who they want on their islands to spend time with and who they’d rather not interact with again.

“Real social interaction” truly comes in many forms. Communicating verbally is just one way of social interaction, much like texting and using social media. Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides another outlet to communicate with those and to feel relaxed whilst doing so. New Horizons also enables players to do so much more than play online to effectively communicate with their friends and families, they also have the ability to sell their items online and to write letters to other players of the game. The game provides many resources to have real and meaningful social interactions. The special thing about this kind of social interaction is that it is through a video game and it is done safely.

References

Guenther, K. (2020, October 31). Can Animal Crossing make you happier? ScIU. https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2020/10/31/can-acnh-make-you-happier/

‌Yee, A. (2022, April 1). Animal Crossing and COVID-19: A Qualitative Study Examining How Video Games Satisfy Basic Psychological Needs During the Pandemic (J. Sng, Ed.) [Review of Animal Crossing and COVID-19: A Qualitative Study Examining How Video Games Satisfy Basic Psychological Needs During the Pandemic]. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.800683/full

Cummings, J. N., Butler, B., & Kraut, R. (2002). The quality of online social relationships. Communications of the ACM, 45(7), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.1145/514236.514242

Fishman, A. (2012). Video Games Are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect | ResponseCenter. Jcfs.org. https://www.jcfs.org/response/blog/video-games-are-social-spaces-how-video-games-help-people-connect

Zhu, L. (2020). The psychology behind video games during COVID ‐19 pandemic: A case study of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.221

Animal Crossing – A New Social Media? : Networks Course blog for INFO 2040/CS 2850/Econ 2040/SOC 2090. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://blogs.cornell.edu/info2040/2020/09/29/animal-crossing-a-new-social-media/

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Enough About You — Shazammm

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Samantha Szumloz
  1. Taxpayers wonder whether the amount spent on students makes a difference. If you really think about it, yes it does. Ask any parent whose child goes to an expensive school.
  2. There are different types of injuries that happen in each sport.  Would you object if you knew that a surgery performed before any injury occurs could make an athlete stronger?
  3. Imagine your body being consumed by a drug. You would do anything to get this drug and you don’t worry about the consequences that come with it.
  4. By inviting Syrians in, you’re causing more problems than you’re solving.
  5. Does the idea of not actually having your money on-hand sound trivial?
  6. That little green piece of paper in your pocket holds no actual value other than the cost it took to produce it, and yet you will work your whole life just to acquire more of those little green pieces of paper just so you can take them and stick them in a bank.
  7. So just remember the next time you read a bank statement or look at dollar bill that you’re holding an made up value that someone decided to make up. Without it, you might still be having to trade with goods like livestock and produce.
  8. I now understand that a dollar is only worth what you can receive in exchange for it.
  9. Being able to walk around with money without holding the money in your hand brings me back around to the idea of the stone because, just like stone currency, you don’t need to be in physical possession of these Bitcoins to own them.
  10. We hear people talk about the American Dream, which requires that you have enough of these pieces of paper to be financially stable. If you think about it deeply you will realize, that you receive these pieces of paper called money and base your whole life on them.
  11. Money is an adroit concept and its pursuit lasts a lifetime. Your goal from the moment you start school is to join the game of making enough of these pieces of paper to make your life more fun and acceptable.

Taxpayers wonder whether the amount spent on students makes a difference. If we really think about it, yes it does. Ask any parent whose child goes to an expensive school.

There are different types of injuries that happen in each sport. Would someone object if he or she knew that a surgery performed before any injury occurs could make an athlete stronger?

Imagine a body being consumed by a drug. The person in that body would do anything to get this drug and wouldn’t worry about the consequences that come with it.

By inviting Syrians in, we’re causing more problems than we’re solving.

Does the idea of not actually having our money on-hand sound trivial?

That little green piece of paper in our pocket holds no actual value other than the cost it took to produce it, and yet we will work our whole lives just to acquire more of those little green pieces of paper just so we can take them and stick them in the bank.

So just remember the next time we’re reading a bank statement or looking at a dollar bill that we’re holding a made up value that someone decided to make up. Without it, we might still be having to trade with goods like livestock and produce.

I now understand that a dollar is only worth what we can receive in exchange for it.

Being able to walk around with money without holding the money in our hand brings me back around to the idea of the stone because, just like stone currency, we don’t need to be in physical possession of these Bitcoins to own them.

We hear people talk about the American Dream, which requires that an American citizen has enough of these pieces of paper to be financially stable. If a person were to think about it deeply he or she will realize, that they receive these pieces of paper called money and base their whole life on them.

Money is an adroit concept and its pursuits last a lifetime. A student’s goal from the moment he or she starts school is to join the game of making enough of these pieces of paper to make their life more fun and acceptable.

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Grammar Exercise — Shazammm

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Samantha Szumloz

If a primary caretaker has a negative attitude {is abusive} toward their child{,} it increases the risk that {of} they’re {their} child {young one} will grow up {growing up} hostile towards others. And its not just aggression toward others that results from child abuse {aggression is not the only thing that results from child abuse}; a large amount {group} of children raised by abusive parents also harm themselves {or practice self-harm}. The reason for this negative behavior is because the children don’t learn appropriate techniques for handling lifes disappointments. {They do this because they have low self-esteem and poor coping skills.}If you aren’t raised with coping skills, {If they are not taught how to emotionally deal with complex situations when they are young,}your much to likely to act {they are much likely to act}‘inappropriately’ then if you have developed more reasonable approaches. {toward their peers}. The affect {effect} of poor parenting, as reported by Dr. Geoffrey Dahmer in “The Bully Papers”, {Papers,”} is that everyone gets the child they deserve.

If a primary caretaker is abusive toward their child, it increases the risk of their young one growing up hostile toward others. And aggression is not the only thing that results from child abuse; a large group of children raised by abusive parents also practice self-harm. They do this because they have low self-esteem and poor coping skills. If they are not taught how to emotionally deal with complex situations when they are young, they are much likely to act ‘inappropriately’ toward their peers. The effect of poor parenting, as reported by Dr. Geoffrey Dahmer in “The Bully Papers,” is that everyone gets the child they deserve.

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Research- MellowTacos

Posted on April 19, 2023 by mellowtacos

Pandemic puppies deserted 
after serving their short-term purpose

Although COVID-19 negatively impacted humans, dogs benefited tremendously. Shelters were being whipped clean due to the sudden increase in families and home owners wanting a furry companion during this time. In the article “Human–dog relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic: booming dog adoption during social isolation” by Liat Morgan she discussed how COVID-19 disturbed our lives and how dogs have helped. During COVID-19 there were many who suffered from any and all types of health issues while being locked away in their house. Dogs have shown to positively increase mental health. In stress-full positions such as the pandemic these pets have shown tremendous help, specifically with anxiety and depressions. Those who also deal with social anxiety whether the pandemic caused it or not will show lots of progress with a therapy animal. Studies have shown that humans and dogs are more alike due to the fact that we are both “social animals” where we can both benefit from one another. However the relationship between the two is bidirectional because we have shown to have negative effects on animals. There is a strong correlation between negative health and well being of the owner and the negative health and well being of the pet.

It’s extremely common for people to find comfort in dogs, in fact this has been deeply researched by Gabrielle Marie McKeon who works with therapy dogs. In her article “Health and Happiness: Dogs and Their Therapeutic Value” she shares with us all the benefits that therapy dogs provide us with. Sigmon Freud, a credible psychotherapist, believed that dogs had the ability to sense tension, which they then respond to. During the pandemic households were flooded with tensions and could benefit from a dog according to Freud’s study. Therapy dogs work in many different places such as homes, schools, and hospitals. Liz Cleaves, owner and operator of Auntie Dog Training Studio, says she feels that training these dogs gives her “ a deeper and better relationship”. These dogs can range from all different types of sizes and breeds. A member from a TDI Certified Therapy Team said that one of the dogs was able to connect to a patient who was very self abusive and got her to stop hitting herself. Kathryn Kircher and her dog who is TDI certified stopped by a hospital and visited an older gentleman who was not commutative and depressed for a week. That man’s daughter thanked Kircher for bringing her dog to visit because they connected so much it made him “alert and upbeat”. Dr. Stuart Markowitz, the president of Hartford hospital says that ‘“the companionship that animals bring is vital to all of us”‘.

The connection between your pet and your mental health is proven to positively affect the large population of those with poor mental health which shot up 25% during COVID-19 according to The World Health Organization. An online survey was conducted on Amazon Mechanical Turk, where they found that those who have pets are more satisfied in life than those who do not. They broke the data down and found that dog owners scored higher showing that they have better overall wellbeing. This would explain why millions of dogs were adopted. Research also showed that there has yet to be many studies proving that there’s a positive impact on those with good mental health. This could explain why many people returned their dogs to the shelter after the pandemic because they no longer felt they needed that comfort they once needed.

With all the information we have found throughout the years that prove therapy animals are beneficial, people can’t resist and end up adopting in an attempt to help themselves during the pandemic. It’s a win-win situation, until it wasn’t. The pandemic left some people desperately struggling with depression, anxiety or high stress levels. In hopes to find comfort in a scary time these people coped by adopting dogs. Millions of dogs were adopted and taken in with open arms. However, people did not take into consideration everything that comes with the responsibility of owning a dog, especially puppies. Dogs require an abundance of energy and responsibility, they are not at our dispense for when we are down. Dogs were given back to the shelters at an alarming rate because of poor planning. Some pandemic adopters who could afford the cost of the dogs ended up not being able to provide the care needed when returning to work after.

The further Morgan looked into this, she noted that there was an obvious difference between an “individual’s quality of life and their perceptions of their dog’s quality of life.” 312 people were asked why they had decided to get a dog in the beginning of the pandemic. 38.5% said they had been thinking about it for a while and thought this was the perfect opportunity. 37.8% said they were going to get a dog no matter what. 8.0% adopted in an effort to not feel lonely and 9.3% said they felt obligated after hearing about how others were returning their dogs.

The shelters were severely impacted by COVID-19 because of the amount of dogs going in and not as many going out. These shelters were ending up without supplies and room to house all the animals new and old. What happens with shelters that don’t have enough room is that they will have to refuse people who bring them in and those dogs end up on the street, in the wrong hands, or euthanized. Shelters are still recovering from the pandemic till this day. Unfortunately, way too many dogs weren’t able to find room in the shelter.

What was known as “a man’s best friend” quickly became a “ temporary companion.” The unbearable loneliness that COVID-19 brought upon us caused people who normally wouldn’t adopt to bring home that adorable puppy. 

Before COVID-19 had even been discovered there was no pet demand whatsoever. Shelters and fosters were just as sad and packed as ever. People went on with their lives without a single desire to adopt a dog, despite their need for a home. These same people didn’t need to because they were already emotionally complete. They had an abundance of social interactions and weekend plans after a long week of work. They spent their hard earned leisure income on vacations, fine dining, and hobbies . Their jobs kept them well enough engaged where they didn’t need to be more active.

Within two years the world has flipped upside down. Those same people are now out of a job or barely working from home surviving off aid from the government. Everyone became totally afraid and isolated from society. No one had a single idea what to do, they were no longer engaged or socially active. Leisure money now had no use and quickly became extra money they weren’t spending on socializing. Humans require companionship, they need something.

The University of Alabama’s experts discussed how it has drastically changed society. A better alternative for adopting pets would have been an app called “B Well” created by hospitals that is now up and running(UBA, para1) . This app has a self-care feature to monitor your healthy habits like sleep, movemeet, nutrition, routine as well as habits that you can create yourself. These apps are crucial to helping battle loneliness and depression during COVID-19. People were stripped of their everyday routine and their hobbies have become limited. They have all this new free time now that they didn’t before. This is the reason for the new demand for dogs. 

No matter what it is, spending time on an activity you enjoy can improve mental health. Research proves that it is less likely to suffer from mental illnesses like depression, when you have a hobby. Participating in group activities and gatherings is also extremely crucial for mental well being (head to health, para 2). It helps improve communication skills and build connections with others which COVID-19 has taken away. Socializing is something so little that affects us so much. It’s so important that it “has been considered an important factor for preventing Dementia and Alzheimer’s”, according to Bella Vista Health Center Blog. We took it for granted and now not only did we suffer ourselves but many dogs were abandoned on the way. That dog may have missed its opportunity to find someone who actually cares for them in the long run. 

Nearly 1 in 5 households got a pet, out of that 1 in 5, “was a total of 78 million dogs” according to Givens. The main concern as to why they are now returning their dogs is because of financial security. The issue here isn’t the dogs, it’s the owners.  People went from being a bad Adoption Candidate to all the sudden a Good Adoption Candidate and unfortunately right back to back to a bad, if not, a worse adoption candidate.

Finally nearing the end of COVID-19 people started to hop right back into their old schedules, the ones that didn’t fit a dog. They returned right back to the office full time. Their social lives sparked back up again, but with all that leisure money now going to a dog they can’t go out as much. Poor adopters returning to their old lives where they were emotionally complete, realized there was no need for a furry companion anymore. 

The unbearable loneliness caused by COVID-19 drove many to adopt dogs they are incapable of attending to after their lives pick back up again. However, Matthew Solois, the director of veterinary economics, chooses to ignore that many dogs remain homeless after COVID-19. Solois argues that 2020, the year COVID-19 began, had the lowest pet adoptions from shelters in 5 years. This information is poorly backed up by statistics that show only a percentage of all the dogs brought home that year. The Bar Graph he presents his readers with shows a large incline in pets adopted from 2016 to 2017. Since 2017 the number of adoptions has slowly gone down to about the same number of adoptions in 2016. What Solois fails to tell his audience is that dogs don’t only come from shelters, they also come from stores, pregnant pets, backyard breeders, foreign countries, and kennels. Solois acknowledges that there are other means of adoption when he states “Although shelters aren’t the only source of new pet adoptions, they’re the primary source.” yet chooses to hide the amount of other options from his audience.  It is true that the biggest form of purchasing a pet is adoption, but that doesn’t mean all of the other options combined don’t make up for a large percent. Solois knows what he is talking about but uses the correct information and twists it to fit a false narrative. No Matter where you got your pet from, the only place you can return it to is a shelter. 

Solois shares that there were 32% fewer dogs adopted but fails to tell us what year this is in comparison to. This is because fewer people gave up their pets, in the beginning of the pandemic. All major adoptions happened after the effects of COVID-19 settled in.

Jobs that cater towards animals were affected during COVID-19 and that created a large chain reaction. Solois informs us that right before this time, programs were doing good with spaying and neutering to keep breeding down, however once they were no longer keeping up with that because of COVID-19, the dog population skyrocketed. Breeders also play a big role in this because they have been a huge reason for reproducing. They will never spay or neuter dogs because this inhumane job is to breed dogs as much as they can before the dog is unable to carry any more puppies. This cruel job was unfortunately not drastically affected by COVID-19. Fortunately these puppies were in very high demand and were being snatched up immediately. Solois completely ignored how big of a part breeders played in the pandemic by giving no statistical evidence about breeders. Dutch Pet says that according to ASPCA a whopping 34% of animals are adopted from breeders alone. 

 It’s not that there weren’t dogs to adopt, it’s that they weren’t being counted for. Rescue teams who rely on purely donations, were stuck dealing with an overwhelming amount of dogs because of Animal control not being able to work.  Solois claims that it was harder to adopt because the physical process of adopting dogs became limited to virtual meetings or fewer visitors in the shelter at a time.  This however limits how thorough home checks can be making the process of adopting that much easier. Fewer people will get denied from adoption when background checks are less intense. When it was this easy to get a dog, the population that is not fit to care for an animal is able to pass all the qualifications needed and these poor dogs ended up in the wrong hands and  would soon see the shelter again. 

Solois admits later in his lousy argument that “ some shelters may have observed individual adoption numbers increase and veterinary practices did see an uptick in visits from new pet owners in 2020.” He then completely discredits that information by saying “on a national level, there doesn’t appear to have been a dramatic increase in pet adoptions.” Solois again fails to recognize that in order to find a nationwide average you have to take into account all the low dog population areas, like major cities. New York City has a population of around 8 million people and according to Kaelee Nelson, a content manager at Pawlicy Advisor, there’s a ratio of 71.97 dogs per 1,000 residents but yet there’s a shocking 104 animal shelters. This will lower the statistics tremendously leading to false reports made by ignorant people. There is no reason to take nationwide data when the main focus should be the shelters and communities that are struggling.

References

Aine Givens. ManyPets “5 Statistics about the COVID-19 Pet Adoption Surge.” ManyPets, ManyPets (US)

Bella Vista Health Center. “How Socialization Affects Your Overall Mental Health: Bella Vista San Diego, CA.” Bella Vista Health Center, Bella Vista Health Center, 14 Sept. 2016.

Coston, D. (2022, May 23). “Pet adoptions statistics: Facts & Faqs.” Retrieved April 19, 2023.

“How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Society.” UAB News

Matthew Salois, PhD, and PhD Gail Golab DVM. “The Covid-19 Pet Adoption Boom: Did It Really Happen?” DVM 360, DVM 360, 23 Sept. 2021

Morgan, L., Protopopova, A., Birkler, R. I. D., Itin-Shwartz, B., Sutton, G. A., Gamliel, A., Yakobson, B., & Raz, T. (2020, November 24). “Human–dog relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic: Booming dog adoption during social isolation.” Nature News. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from 

Nelson, K. (2021, December 28). “Best U.S. cities for dogs: Pet-friendliest places in 2023.” Retrieved April 19, 2023

Pets and happiness: Examining the association between pet ownership and Wellbeing. Taylor & Francis. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2023, from 

“Purposeful Activity – Hobbies.” Head to Health,

World Health Organization. (n.d.). “Covid-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide.” World Health Organization. Retrieved March 6, 2023.

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