type here...
Home Blog Page 89

Giving Blood isn’t All in Vein

Common Sense Contributors
-
0

By Uzma Chaudhry

Before you close the tab on this article, because you’ve seen a picture of a needle and have an adverse physical reaction/outer body experience to the sight, talk and mention of needles, hear me out.

In England alone, the NHS need over 6000 donations of blood a day to treat patients across the country, with one unit of blood-saving the life of up to three adults or seven infants. That’s not an insignificant number.

Every year, there is a shortfall of volunteers coming forward to donate blood, with figures plummeting for donors between the age of 17 to 34. NHS Blood and Transplant have claimed that around 200,000 blood donors are dropping off the register every year, and more vitally, donors from Black and Asian backgrounds.

You may have considered donating blood, and even recognise the importance of doing it, but for one reason or another, put it off. Here are some myth busters to motivate you to make your appointment!

1) I’m too busy..Netflix doesn’t watch itself you know.

I get it. An increasingly busier lifestyle, longer commutes, longer hours of work and a more hectic social life lend themselves to you to putting off a donation in favour of taking a well-deserved break. From experience, a donation (done with an appointment) can take around 30 minutes in total. That’s from stepping foot into the building to leaving with your free biscuit and cup of tea. There’s a really handy booking system that will allow you to pick from a number of locations near you, and a time that’s convenient for you from a morning session through to 7 pm! I’ve comfortably been able to walk to my closest donation centre in my hour lunch break, and be back in time for work with (did I mention) my free biscuit and cup of tea! And you can only donate once every 3 months which is 4 times a year. At half an hour each, 2 hours in a year is trade-able over your incessant scrolling on the Instagram explore page.

2) If a family member needs blood, I’ll whip my arm out then and they can take all that they need. Right?

Alright Thomas Beckket, calm your socks. Whilst I’m sure your family or friend entirely appreciates the sentiment in your offer, there are a number of reasons this can’t be done. Unless the recipient has an extremely rare blood type, and you happen to match it, it’s not logistically feasible to solely rely on grabbing the closest nurse and begging them to stab you with a needle. Hospitals have a blood bank, yes, just like the ones in Vampire Diaries…but without the Vampires (apparently), where they closely monitor the stock and replenish/put out calls for donations of specific types based on this. There are thorough medical checks to be done before they use the blood in another patient which can’t be facilitated on the spot.

 

3) Can’t they just uh….make some in a lab? Like in…True Blood?

Oddly, this is the second vampire reference I’m making, and the short answer is still no. We’ve not quite evolved medicine and technology in such a way where synthetic blood can be created to meet demand, which is odd considering it’s 2018 now and stranger things have happened like…Donald Trump.

4) Is it not *whispers* racist to say Black and Asian blood is more needed over others?

Though it’s no secret that BME donors are made of something special – capable of withstanding all the institutional racism and hate crime we’re subjected to in a world built for white men – giving blood isn’t defined by the outward semantics of where we live. Blood has the same functionality for everyone of any colour. Where it differs however, is the blood types from person to person. And, with there being more than 30 different blood types, you cannot ignore that some types are more common over others, and some are also in greater demand. Some blood types are simply more common in different ethnic groups, and that’s not racist to say!

According to the NHS, “Black people are more likely to have a rare subgroup called Ro. Ten times more likely than a white person. Many people with sickle cell disease need regular blood transfusions of healthy blood to stay alive. That means we need more Ro blood to help the growing number of patients with sickle cell disease.” and therefore more black donors. Its simple science.

If none of those facts resonate with you, nor are you motivated by the ability to quite literally save a life (without that medical degree your mum wanted you to do at the age of 13), then rest assured, I have one final reason for you rooted in self-absorption and personal gain:

Free biscuits and a free cup of tea.*

Need I say more?**

*also on offer is orange squash, lemonade, coffee, crisps, raisins(who even takes those?), and shortbread.
**Snacks vary from donation centre to centre. Don’t @ me when they’ve run out of Clubs ok?

 

Uzma works full time in business sales at Telefonica. She is studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics part-time with Open University as a means to make sense of the world in which we exist! She is a v·inspired ambassador whose work revolves around empowering young people into volunteering and leadership. In her spare time, she enjoys musing in her blog and has writing pieces on faith and race, offering a more holistic perspective on current affairs. If she has any juice left by the end of the week, she creates Youtube videos for her channel Caruzmatic as well as run a small venture in selling her bespoke art for ucdesigns.co.uk

Twitter: @Uzzywuzzy

Orrin Hatch’s Retirement Teases 2018 GOP Showdown

Alex Davenport
-
0
Orrin Hatch’s Retirement Teases 2018 GOP Showdown

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch has announced that he will not be standing for an eighth term of office when his seat is contested later this year. This would potentially pave the way for former presidential candidate Mitt Romney to return to front-line politics. Despite his age – Hatch will turn 84 in March – he had been considering re-running, having been strongly encouraged by Donald Trump to do so. Hatch has been a political ally to Trump since the latter was elected president. He’s contributed to Trump’s tax reforms in his role as chairman of the Senate finance committee, as well as suggesting that Trump could go on to become the greatest US president in history.

President Trump with the retiring Orrin Hatch (source: Michael Reynolds/EPA)

While losing a generally favourable figure in the Senate, Trump would most certainly be gaining an adversary were Romney to run and be ultimately successful. Romney was a vociferous critic of Trump throughout the 2016 election campaign, describing him as a “phony” and notably implying in an interview that he had an obligation to his grandchildren to stop Trump becoming president. Trump fired back accusing Romney of “choking like a dog” during his unsuccessful presidential run in 2012. Even a potential thawing of their relationship after Trump won the presidential election, with the two meeting for dinner and even discussing Romney’s possible suitability for the Secretary of State position has not led to constant reconciliation; Romney has since denounced Trump’s response to the racial tensions in Charlottesville and his endorsement of Judge Roy Moore despite his alleged sexual misconduct.

Indeed, if he is elected, Romney may not have to downplay his distaste for the president in the same way that many other congressional Republicans have felt is necessary for their own electoral interests. For one, Romney is already a leading political figure within the GOP. An up-and-coming member of Congress may risk losing out on a long and illustrious career by antagonising a president hailing from their own party. This is particularly true with Trump in power, whose Twitter tirades against even mild critics have become infamous, often inundating them with unwanted publicity. Romney, however, has a high enough profile, having previously served as governor of Massachusetts as well as being a presidential nominee, to survive being persona non grata at the White House without fear of his political reputation being ruined.

 Romney and Trump’s infamous dinner after the latter was elected president (source: Getty images)

Arguably a more important reason why Romney may be emboldened to challenge Trump’s actions, however, is the Utah seat he would be running for. Despite being almost as comfortably Republican as you can get (the state hasn’t voted for a Democrat for president since 1964), Utah voters do not necessarily espouse a Trump-type Republicanism. Instead their politics is generally defined more by an evangelical conservatism than Trump’s aggressive nationalism. This makes them perhaps less likely to forgive Trump’s past transgressions such as his comments about women or his support for Moore, which may not be consistent with their own religious values. In fact, remarkably for a Republican president, Trump’s approval ratings in the state only remain positive by the finest margins. Romney, in comparison, is likely to be popular among Utahns given that he, like approximately 60% of the state’s population, is of the Mormon faith and will likely share similar values with them. This means Romney would probably have little to fear from voting against or criticising Trump in the Senate, given that he would likely be more in tune with the views of his electorate in Utah than Trump would be, and would thus not risk losing his seat.

If Romney does decide to stand for Hatch’s vacated seat, which he is rumoured to have expressed a private interest in, the stage could be set for internal strife within the Republican party.

Coutinho to Barcelona

Common Sense Contributors
-
0
Coutinho to Barcelona

by Jireh Antwi

The first day of January signifies the first day of the winter transfer window and with that comes speculations and transfer rumours surrounding several players who either couldn’t force a move in the summer, or their transfer talks broke down. For most players, especially players of champions league or Europa league clubs, moving in January seems like a bit of a silly idea because the individual would be cup tied. For Liverpool, the ongoing saga of Philippe Coutinho continues as Barcelona are once again making their interest known.

Coutinho the 25-year-old Brazilian attacking mid-fielder dubbed the little magician, has played 152 games for Liverpool and scored 41, this season alone he’s scored 15 goals and made 8 assists. He’s very influential with his style of play having amazing technical ability using his close control dribbling, agility and pace to hurt defences, whilst also being able to provide for his teammates. In the Premier League, he has really stood out and because of this he’s a very exciting prospect.

Coutinho and Klopp

Barcelona have taken notice and are soon to put a bid of what is to be rumoured around £130 million, all this would be wild speculation if there wasn’t so many credible accounts that were reporting on this. Even Nike on their website had already started advertising Barcelona shirts with Coutinho shirt prints on the back, of course this was quickly taken down; someone must have had a nightmare at the office that day. Nike and Barcelona have yet to comment on this. With this kind of transfer offer Liverpool will surely have to react, especially with the recent buy of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk who cost them approximately £70 million. They may use the money to cover that cost and possibly buy another player like Thomas Lemar from Monaco who also has interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

There is also speculation that Coutinho doesn’t want to play for Liverpool again which is supposedly what is forcing the move. He played in their victory against Leicester but didn’t play against Burnley as Jürgen Klopp cited that he had suffered a thigh injury which seems coincidental.

For Liverpool, the ideal situation would be for Coutinho to sign a pre-contract to Barcelona and allow him to leave in the summer so that their chances of finishing in the top 4 and progressing in the Champions league would be better with him in the team. With the addition of Naby Keita coming from RB Leipzig next season this looks like the best solution.  Although I personally believe Liverpool will be fine without him with the amount of quality they have in their team with the likes of Mo Salah, Firminho and Mane at their disposal. Right now, their biggest worry should be sorting out their defence.

Hopefully by the end of next week there will be a final conclusion.

Piers Morgan And His Issues With Gender Fluidity

Common Sense Contributors
-
0
Piers Morgan And His Issues With Gender Fluidity

by Hannah Bamgbala

In October last year, Piers Morgan, Good Morning Britain’s current presenter, was called out for “slandering” and “lashing out” on a guest who identifies them self as gender fluid. According to the Collins dictionary, gender fluidity is “not identifying exclusively with one sex rather than another”. A person who identifies them self as gender fluid trusts that they can wake up one day and are ‘man’ and wake up another day a ‘woman’. They don’t believe that being born one sex limits them to being one gender.

Gender Identity can be different from biological sex. Often people are assigned a gender identity at birth because of their biological sex.

Gender neutral clothing is something that had been commercially introduced in 2017. John Lewis, one example of a shop selling gender neutral clothing, decided that they would no longer be selling clothes targeted and labelled only at and for ‘boys’ and ‘girls’, but clothes for both i.e. gender neutral clothing. This change caused an uproar. Many were shocked and disgusted at the shop’s decision. Some struggle to understand why their young child should be allowed to pick out clothing that goes against societies norm. For example, a little boy picking a dress or a little girl picking a blue top with a race car on it. John Lewis wanted to allow freedom of choice in their children’s clothing collection and that’s exactly what they did. They believe that children should be allowed to pick their gender and not have gender forced onto them. Someone commented on twitter, “Jesus gender neutral clothing isn’t the end of the world it’s just literally allowing children to express themselves freely. OUT OF CHOICE”.

Piers Morgan was one of the many who commented on the shop’s brave change. On twitter he wrote, “Britain is officially going bonkers”. People who supported the change commented on Piers Morgan’s “lack of an open mind”.

Piers Morgan made it clear that he doesn’t agree with the idea of people being both male and female. He stated to his guest on Good Morning Britain, “My problem with this is you can’t be male or female… You’re born one or the other. If you want to have an operation fine… I just don’t get this gender fluid stuff.”

Twitter went crazy. There were many different opinions being thrown out and some people put forth some really strong arguments. It’s clear that a huge amount of people support Morgan’s opinion of gender fluidity being ‘absurd’. On twitter, someone asked, “Why is gender fluidity so alien to you Piers, are you actually closed minded or is this just for column inches?”, Piers didn’t respond to this but someone else commented, “I agree with Piers. The world’s going mad! We’re born male or female unless medical reasons determine differently.”

Interestingly, Piers made it known on social media that he didn’t support gender fluidity but he has no issue with people having sex changes, right after he announced that Caitlyn Jenner would be coming on his show.

Piers managed to find a way to “rile up” Caitlyn Jenner through his question “How does your physique compare now to what it was then? Obviously certain areas we know…”

The real question is, why does Piers Morgan not support people’s decision to identify themselves as whatever they want to be? Is it a crime to want to be free? The world is changing every day and does being this closed-minded not limit people’s freedom of expression?

 

Hannah Bamgbala was born in London and is of Nigerian descent. She is passionate about freedom of expression in both Africa and photography. Hannah is currently a Fashion Media and Promotion student at The University For The Creative Arts Rochester and is looking to pursue journalism, photography and styling once she graduates.

Tamil Politics And The Action Man Shaking It Up

Alex Davenport
-
0
Tamil Politics And The Action Man Shaking It Up

An already complex drama adds a new player

The remarkable political situation in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with enough intrigue, manipulation and scandal to make a Game of Thrones scriptwriter raise their eyebrows, has taken its latest twist. It comes through the intervention of Rajinikanth, a film star who can perhaps be best described as a kind of South Indian Chuck Norris. The 67 year-old confirmed his much-teased entry into the political world by announcing the first steps towards the formation of a new political party, one which will contest every seat in the Tamil Nadu legislative elections scheduled to be held in 2021.

The battle to replace a political heavyweight

The state is currently in the throes of a power vacuum, with uncertainty reigning ever since the death of J Jayalalitha, the then-Chief Minister, in December 2016. Herself a famed actor in Tamil cinema before turning to politics, Jayalalitha had risen to become the dominant political force in the region, having served a total of 14 years as Chief Minister, over six terms of office. Earlier in 2016, she had become the first Chief Minister in over 30 years to win direct re-election, exemplifying her popular influence in a state defined by the almost constant alternation of political power.

Jayalalitha, until her death the leading political figure in Tamil Nadu

The year since Jayalalitha’s death has seen her party, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) riven with infighting and controversy. V K Sasikala, Jayalalitha’s former aide and protegee, had been one of the frontrunners to succeed her in the long term. Yet amidst swirling tabloid rumours about the nature of her relationship with Jayalalitha and the role her family may have played in the Chief Minister’s death, Sasikala was jailed on charges of corruption, ruling out perhaps the most natural successor to Jayalalithaa.

This twist left the race for succession contested by two senior AIADMK officials: Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam (helpfully known as EPS and OPS respectively). After a lengthy power struggle that saw EPS wrest the mantle of Chief Minister away from OPS, the two eventually agreed to (at least temporarily) bury the hatchet with an uneasy power sharing arrangement, with OPS settling for the position of Deputy Chief Minister. However, as is often the case with reluctant alliances, voters have not welcomed this new-look AIADMK, with the party suffering a high-profile by-election defeat to party rebel TTV Dinakaran in the seat vacated by Jayalalitha.

Rivals turned allies: OPS (left) and EPS

Meanwhile, the main opposition party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has similarly failed to capture the voters’ imagination. Its leader, the 93 year-old M. Karunanidhi, is also a five-time Chief Minister, having first served in the role as early as 1969. It appears the he and his son, the interestingly named Stalin, are suffering from their inability to offer any substantial deviation from the status quo, given their candidate at the recent by-election performed so poorly that he forfeited his deposit. Overall, Tamil voters’ confidence in the two main parties appears to be nearing rock bottom.

 

The movie star makes his big entrance

At this stage, you’d be forgiven for struggling to keep up with the runners and riders in the race for power in Tamil Nadu. In a sense, though, this is the whole point. Tamil voters are seeing a range of figures vying for the upper hand in the political free-for-all since Jayalalitha’s death, but amidst the chaos no one name stands out as an obvious and convincing successor ahead of all the rest. This may be precisely why Rajinikanth has chosen this particular moment to make his intervention.

Often the recipient of Chuck Norris-esque jokes such as this, Rajinikanth boats a massive popular following

 

In a cinema-loving state such as this, the much-beloved action hero offers name recognition and a familiar face to voters in search of a strong and effective leader. Announcing his intention to join the political scene now enables Rajinikanth to best capitalise on the present power vacuum, capturing the attention of the Tamil electorate ahead of the other, less charismatic political figures. Equally, this still provides plenty of time for him and his party to develop their political platform and demonstrate their credibility in running for office before the elections in three years’ time.

 

What does his announcement mean for politics in the state?

The statement in which Rajinikanth declared his political intentions was as vague as it was dramatic. He described the events since Jayalalithaa’s death as having turned the state into a national “laughing stock”, and suggested he was only entering politics now out of a sense of duty rather than any personal ambition. His scathing attack on the status quo of course went down well among the adoring supporters present at the speech, but it was not matched by much in the way of policy detail or ideological stances.

The closest Rajinikanth came to offering any substantial indication of a specific outlook came through his assertion that “we need a spiritual politics”. While this may not seem like much, the term ‘spiritual’ can be seen to have significant connotations in traditionally secular South India. Combined with a quotation his speech took from the Hindu religious text Bhagavad Gita, this has led many to suggest that Rajinikanth will offer something of a break from Tamil Nadu’s secular consensus and instead place an emphasis on Hinduism in policy-making, in line with the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a national level. If this is indeed the case, the BJP would surely attempt to take advantage of such a popular figure espousing consistent views with theirs by forming a political alliance with him, to make inroads in a state where they have previously had little success. A move towards a more pro-Hindu outlook may also provoke increasing sectional tensions with Tamil Nadu’s substantial Muslim population, as has been visible since the BJP rose to power in many other states, but which Tamil Nadu itself has largely avoided.

Rajinikanth (left) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

However, Rajinikanth’s political career is of course in its infancy. Until he and his new party are able to articulate a coherent policy platform we can rely only on speculation as to what his entry will mean for politics in the state and perhaps beyond it. However it plays out, the situation in Tamil Nadu is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Time’s Up: Campaign launched to fight sexual harrassment

Emmabelle Nwadikwa
-
0
Time’s Up: Campaign launched to fight sexual harrassment

New York Times announced that over 300 actresses, female agents, writers, directors, producers and executives have created an initiative called Time’s Up to fight sexual harassment in Hollywood and worldwide.

The initiative was announced with a pledge to support working class women. The open letter was signed by hundreds of popular celebrities and it ran as a full ad page in both the New York Times and in the La Opinion – a Spanish newspaper.

The initiative includes a legal defence fund with recieved $13 million in donations to help women in all positions to report sexual misconduct without fallout, legislation to penalise companies that allow harassment, and to discourage the use of non-disclosure agreements to silence victims. There has already been headway made in a drive to have equal male and female numbers in studios. A request was also made that women attending the Golden Globes who were walking down the red carpet wear black and speak out against harassment.

After an open letter was signed by 700,000 female farmworkers declaring their support for the women in Hollywood who were fighting against the abuse they’d received, the #MeToo campaign was criticised for not being inclusive of women anywhere. It was seen as a campaign that only cared about the abuse within Hollywood. With the Hollywood executives being targeted, it looked as though even though women all around the world stood with those attacked, those attacked only stood with Hollywood. The Time’s Up initiative allows for women around the world in all positions to feel the same unity.

Shonda Rhimes, executive producer and creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to get away with Murder said “It’s very hard for us to speak righteously about the rest of anything if we haven’t cleaned our own house…If this group of women can’t fight for a model for other women who don’t have as much power and privilege, then who can?”

Some of the women included in the Time’s Up initiative are Shonda Rhimes, America Ferrera, Eva Longoria, Rheese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Nina L. Shaw.

Logan Paul: Is filming a dead body too far?

Emmabelle Nwadikwa
-
7
Logan Paul: Is filming a dead body too far?

American youtuber Logan Paul shared an intense video with his fanbase of over 15 million subscribers. The video showed him going into Aokigahara, known to some as “suicide forest” in Japan. He walks through the forest looking for ‘scary’ and ‘haunted’ things and he happens to come across a body. Paul proceeds to show closeups of the body where he only blurs out the face and when someone off camera mentions that they don’t feel good, Paul is heard saying “What, you never stand next to a dead guy?” and laughs.

Logan Paul posted an apology on twitter apologising for his actions saying that “I’m often reminded of how big of a reach I truly have & with great power comes with great responsibility… for the first time in my life I’m regretful to say that I handled that power incorrectly. It won’t happen again”. He has had an out pouring of support from some of his fans but for the most part we have seen plenty of people criticising him for not having the foresight to edit that part out of the vlog or to even have been less crass with the way he dealt with the situation.

Mr Paul has stated in the video that he has opted to turn off the money making option for that video. He said that his intention was to raise awareness of suicide and “make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity.”

https://twitter.com/AnnaAkana/status/948080312159895552

Whilst some people have called on the YouTube community to take action against the video, others have been more worried about the fact that Mr Paul’s fan base consists mainly of young children who have now watched a man they admire make jokes about suicide and death.

It begs the question, how far is too far? What will people do for money, for fame, for views? Most importantly, when do we as the pubic decide that enough is enough. Should stop allowing people to monetize off of people’s pain, or is it just another facet of human nature?

Elections in 2017: Slowing The Right’s Charge?

Alex Davenport
-
0
Elections in 2017: Slowing The Right’s Charge?

Following 2016’s shocking electoral twists and turns often ending up favouring the so-called ‘populist’ right, the past year can be seen to have heralded some semblance of business as usual. Some suggested at the start of 2017 that the various European elections represented mere ‘dominoes to fall’ to insurgent far-right parties in the wake of victories for Donald Trump and the ‘Leave’ campaign in the USA and the UK respectively. However, in many cases those in the centre and on the left have rallied to hold back the nationalist tide.

A French election poll suggesting Le Pen was less convincing than Macron (source: Vox)

At the start of the year, elections taking place in France, Germany and the Netherlands were seen to be the key battlegrounds contested in Europe. In addition, UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s surprise decision to call a snap general election provided another opportunity for the political right to gain ground. In the Dutch and French elections, however, positive early polling for radical right parties soon gave way to disappointing electoral results at the hands of centrist parties. Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) lost out to the liberal-conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in the case of the former, while the latter concluded with Marine Le Pen of the National Front (FN) being comfortably beaten by Emmanuel Macron in the second round of voting. In the UK, meanwhile, the Conservative Party’s overall embrace of Brexit encouraged by May did not yield success at the ballot box, as the party failed to secure an overall majority despite expecting to win comfortably. In Germany there was solace to be found for the Far-right, with Alternative for Germany (AfD) winning a substantial proportion of legislative seats despite a traditional lack of success for such parties in the country’s recent history.

Taken together, these results suggest that the populist right’s battle for political supremacy is likely to rage on for the foreseeable future. The electoral events unfolding over the past year in Europe suggest that the right’s ascendancy is far from assured. Many such parties experienced what can only be described as failures given the high expectations set by the previous year’s breakthroughs. Indeed, many members and supporters of centre and left-leaning parties may rightly feel more assured of their continued political longevity than they would have a year or so previously, in the face of Trump, Brexit, and the ominous-looking polling figures for their own national elections.

Dutch voters protest against the far right PVV  (Source: Getty Images)

Yet nor does this right-wing phenomenon show any signs of letting up. The rise of the AfD at the expense of both of Germany’s major parties represents a remarkable breakthrough, while even disappointments for Le Pen and Wilders can only be considered as such in the context of a far-right surge; they still mark much stronger performances than were the norm for far-right parties a few years previously. The presence of these parties is also reflected in the shifting rhetoric of apparently ‘mainstream’ parties. While May’s Conservatives position themselves as unashamedly pro-Brexit, the VVD announced its support for a burka ban, thereby legitimising ideas which were once excluded from the political agenda. Looking back at 2017 can therefore tell us that despite not always having the rub of the green, the  populist right will not back down without a serious fight.

How To Survive Social Media In The New Year

Common Sense Contributors
-
0
How To Survive Social Media In The New Year

by Uzma Chaudhry

Social Media is a fantastic platform with a mindboggling myriad of functionality. In the past year alone, we’ve seen social media bring criminals to justice, provide ordinary people with extraordinary job opportunities, been a means of free chicken nuggets for a whole year as well as my personal favourite, given us the meme calendar(!) with monthly updates telling us the meme of the month. For the majority of us, social media is mostly a means of expression from voicing disdain at South Western Railways, to solidarity with grassroots political movements like #BlackLivesMatter. You simply cannot fault the overwhelming positive impact sites like Twitter, Instagram and (sometimes) even Facebook have had socially, economically and politically especially for POC (people of colour).

Somewhere along the way, within the lines of coding, the creators, developers and engineers, forgot to add that algorithm that helps us navigate through social media when things get a bit too much. The constant scrolling, continuous absorption, endless streams of information (good and bad), fruitless comparisons is surely having effects on us in ways that we perhaps never prepared for. The digital world, and the technology in it, is still relatively new and one of our oversights as a species is underestimating the potency with which social media taints our wellbeing. Consumption of information feels to have dramatically shifted our attention span limiting our availability to ten second videos (fifteen if you’re on Instagram). It’s so easy for us to go from one tweet informing us of the meme of the month, to the next showing graphic images of a bomb blast in Kabul. This constant feed of information combined with our own outrage through our tweets, statuses and ‘grams’ has led to a somewhat unhealthy addiction to the euphoric high of instant gratification coupled with downward spiralling self-worth. The more you absorb, the more you compare, the more you soberly look to your own life, searching for the perfect angle, striving for the hottest take, building up to a perfectly curated version of yourself, and the more frustrated and hopeless you begin to feel. Does it ring a bell?

According to a study done earlier this year, British millennials have the “second worst mental wellbeing in the world”, following Japan by levels of stress and anxiety. I’m not by any means reducing the research to a direct result of social media because I don’t believe correlation is causation. I simply recognise that there’s an added layer of difficulty and coupled with my own experiences of falling victim to the cycle of narcissism in pockets of social media, I offer a few pieces of advice to successfully steer murky waters.

 

Don’t compete with anyone online

As tempting as it is to compare yourself with peers that are buying their first house, publishing a book, or being quoted in Forbes – don’t! I can almost guarantee that you’ll wake up feeling more satisfied if you’re able to take a step away from the urgency of knowing what everyone else is doing and focus on how you want to improve on the person you were yesterday. That’s how you make waves.

 

Measure your own success by the process, not the results

In a relentless rush towards the finish line, you lose sight very quickly of the importance of the journey. You may never even arrive at the finish line, and that’s okay! Take comfort in the warmth of the process, celebrate the small successes and appreciate that you’re human with limited capabilities on rainy days as well as the oomph you radiate on the sunny ones.

 

Take a break from social media every 3 months!

Perhaps you’ve a personality that remains bulletproof from the narcissism projected online, but for everyone else, a couple of days away from the chaos of internet personalities shouting for your attention allows you an opportunity to recuperate and reenergise. This is wholly important for activists who feel like their purpose online revolves around correcting, advising, and re-claiming their narratives, because it’s more tiring than you may ever allow yourself credit for.

Adopting subtle changes in your day-to-day existence online will allow you to feel liberated and allow you the room to breathe in an increasingly suffocating and connected world and importantly give you the strength to fight your battles with enough vigour and resolve because Lord knows we’re relying on you!

 

Uzma works full time in business sales at Telefonica. She is studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics part –time with Open University as a means to make sense of the world in which we exist! She is a v·inspired ambassador whose work revolves around empowering young people into volunteering and leadership. In her spare time she enjoys musing in her blog and has writing pieces on faith and race, offering a more holistic perspective on current affairs. If she has any juice left by the end of the week, she creates Youtube videos for her channel Caruzmatic as well as run a small venture in selling her bespoke art for ucdesigns.co.uk

Starting The New Year With May

Alex Davenport
-
0
Starting The New Year With May

Theresa May’s continued survival can only be good for the Conservatives.

Too many ill-advised early morning sessions watching England’s cricketers get roundly beaten by their Australian counterparts has helped me realise something: Theresa May would make a brilliant ‘nightwatchman’. For the uninitiated, in cricket a nightwatchman is an ostensibly worse player than his/her team-mates, who comes out to bat at the times when it is hardest to do so (usually in the evening just before they finish for the day). This player’s lack of ability actually works to the team’s advantage by shielding the better players from the threat of getting bowled out by the opposition when conditions are at their most difficult. At the moment, May seems to serve as a political nightwatchman, frustrating her party’s opponents by remaining in power during an extremely trying passage of government, depriving them of the chance to have a crack at the prominent Conservatives worthy of having a crack at.

Every day that May remains in the top job is another day through the term of a very difficult government, conducting the contentious Brexit talks and the enhanced scrutiny that goes with it, while simultaneously trying to deal with scandals of sexual misconduct or rogue diplomacy plaguing her cabinet, with strong opposition being provided by a resurgent Jeremy Corbyn. Every day she puts up with all of this is another day a hypothetical successor doesn’t have to.

 

May with European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker (Source: AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Had she stepped down at some point earlier this year following her disastrous election result, the Conservative Party would likely find itself in an even more difficult position than it already does; whomever it would have chosen to succeed her would likely have enjoyed the briefest of honeymoons before being thrust into the instability and unpredictability currently facing the country while holding on to the most precarious of working majorities in parliament – a situation which any leader would struggle to come out of in a positive light. If this successor lived on to contest the next general election, they would likely do so from a position of unpopularity, while if they were forced out in favour of another leader, the party may very well suffer from accusations of instability from Labour. This perception certainly does not play well with voters.

By remaining in her post, despite her general lack of popular appeal, May prevents either of these scenarios from taking place. Instead, she offers the possibility of seeing out these fractious years, before allowing a new leader (be it Boris Johnson, Ruth Davidson or one of the many other prominent Tories with their eyes on the top prize) to step in and offer a clean break with the past. This would be just in time to lead the party into the next general election against an opposition whose attacks would be far less effective than if they were taking on a leader whose record in office included presiding over the crisis-ridden years we currently find ourselves in.

 

Three potential successors to May (left to right: Ruth Davidson, Boris Johnson and Andrea Leadsom) (Source: The Spectator)

That May’s political credibility is irrevocably damaged is almost certainly true, having been reduced to rubble almost overnight by the British electorate on that remarkable night in June. Yet her turn as the Conservatives’ ‘nightwatchman’ may allow a future leader the electoral success she herself has missed out on.

Winter’s Cold Advances: Who Feels It The Most?

Fidelis Olaniran
-
0

There’s always one thing that crosses my mind when winter slides back into my dms. Her persistence is uncanny, giving me the good old flu, runny nose and cold fingers. When I’m walking home from work, gym or even a day out, she stays in my dms for a good 3 months. It takes 3 months before she decides I’m not going to entertain her. But there are people who receive the full force of her beauty per say. I wish I never experience this side of her beauty. I only want to experience it when I am trying to send a message out to the world and my local community.

There is a word that I want to put a lot of emphasis on in my previous paragraph. That word is ‘home’. So many people can handle the persistent winters because they have a home, that stops her advances. Many totally forget she’s there because you are in the comfort of your warm and cosy houses. When you are outside, this comfort leave you, as increasingly feel her presence. Then and only then, will you feel it.

Many people in Manchester and around the world they don’t have such luxury. I say luxury because having a house or roof over your head is a massive luxury. No matter how big or small your house is. You are still protected from winters gaze and constant cold-hearted advances. The people who don’t have these luxuries are ‘the homeless’. And they feel the brute of winter’s advances every single day and night. They are more prone to getting illnesses and worse case freezing to death. The thought of that saddens me when I know I will be entering the warmth of my house.

According to the charity Shelter, homelessness has increased by 33% in certain regions of Manchester. People are either living on the streets or in temporary accommodation.  However, the newly elected mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham has decided to launch a mayoral fund that aims to end rough sleeping in Manchester by 2020. The fund is going to focus on specialised accommodation for those in need, focusing on making use of the city’s empty properties. Something that crosses my mind is why the various city councils don’t turn derelict buildings and homes into a more livable space for homeless people.

Going into the New Year, remember that many individuals are in extremely desperate circumstances. Try and help homeless people in whatever way you can this coming year. Be a significant difference in someone’s life, no matter how small or big.

2017’s Tech Champions & Losers

Common Sense Contributors
-
0

This article was written by TCS Contributor Takudzwa Gezi

2017 was a very interesting year for the Tech industry. It was indeed a mixture of “the good, the bad, and the ugly”. Below is a review of some of 2017’s top tech champions and losers.

UBER’S DOWNWARD SPIRAL

One might perceive Uber as an innovative global taxi firm. Having started out as a tech driven startup, it is now valued at nearly $70bn. However, this successful story of rags to riches has recently been overshadowed by Uber’s downfall which has unfortunately been linked to the firm compromising its own cultural values.

For most of the year, the tech taxi firm has been steering down the wrong lane.

Early February this year, the company’s employees made a series of allegations about the unethical culture at Uber. Some employees even aired complaints about sexual harassment which saw over 20 employees fired after an internal investigation. To make matters worse, despite being a company that prides itself in ‘diversity’, after the release of its first diversity report in March 2017, Uber was found to have employed an overwhelmingly white male workforce. Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, an Iranian-American businessman, is now tasked with the challenge of repairing the company’s damaged position.

THE RISE OF FAKE NEWS (FACEBOOK & TWITTER)

Facebook and Twitter have been in the centre of the ‘fake news’ propaganda after deliberate misinformation was spread across social media throughout 2017. The highlight of this case has been the Russian interference in the EU referendum and US presidential election where Facebook and Twitter were used as vehicles to spread false information.

Facebook and Twitter have been accused of being vehicles of the ‘fake news’ propaganda.

“Facebeook identified 470 accounts and pages run by the Russian Internet Research Agency, while Twitter provided Congress with a list of 2,752 accounts that it believed were linked to the organisation.”

Facebook has pointed out that by 2018, it will be using its ‘Related Articles’ tool to monitor misinformation in the ‘News feed’ section, thus reducing the frequency in which an article with deceptive information is shared.

THE RISE OF SMART HOME TECHNOLOGIES

Smart home technologies are one aspect of the Tech industry that have been booming throughout 2017. With the market growing rapidly, Smart homes are no longer limited to tech geeks.

With features such as smart security cameras, residents can monitor their homes whilst they are away or on vacation.

The NPD Group, an American market research company, have claimed that “15% of American households with an internet connection now own a home automation device” which is up from 10% in April 2016.

January 2017 saw various Smart home startups such as Flo Technologies showcase their technologies at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Some of this cutting-edge technology included internet home accessories such as; light bulbs, thermostats, and security cameras, which are now integrated with voice-powered assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa.

NINTENDO HITS BACK WITH THE NEW SWITCH CONSOLE

After the failure of the Wii U game console, the Japanese game company has hit the nail on the head with the new Nintendo Switch which debuted this year. With this new gadget, you don’t have to adjust your lifestyle to play games, instead, the console adjusts to fit around your lifestyle. This is illustrated by its inherent flexibility, with the gadget having 3 play modes; TV mode, Tablet Mode, and Handheld mode.

The Nintendo Switch is the seventh major video game console developed by the Japanese giant.

The Nintendo Switch has been a hit, to the extend that the Japanese giant has sold over 10 million Switch consoles since March, whereas the Wii U only sold 4 million units in its first 10 months.

It has certainly been an interesting year for technology. But with Technology companies continually considering unconventional and innovative ways to meet the demands of the savvy consumer, who will be 2018’s biggest champions and losers?

Takudzwa Gezi is a BA Business and Economics graduate from The University of Manchester. His strong interest in Economics and Politics, coupled with a passion for Technology, has left him with a desire to make a positive impact to the world around him. The TCS Network’s vision has given way to the start of his journey. Outside of work, he enjoys challenging himself by learning new programming languages such as JavaScript, as well as constantly improving his skills in music production.

Email: gezitakudza@hotmail.com
LinkedIn: Takudzwa Gezi

Flying While Muslim: Tips To Stop ‘Random’ Security Checks

Common Sense Contributors
-
3
Flying While Muslim: Tips To Stop ‘Random’ Security Checks

by Uzma Chaudhry

 

It’s not a total secret that there’s a muted hostility towards Muslim passengers on any flight that isn’t the PK710 7pm flight to Lahore every Wednesday and Friday. Whether consciously, or unconsciously, there is a very visible, extremely clumsy change in facial expression when they spot your un-ironed hijab among the sea of budget airline passengers travelling to Dublin. Perhaps it’s important to add that they could, very reasonably, be mortified at the sheer number of creases you’ve had the audacity to leave the house with. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not proud of my total inept-ness in the hijab ironing department (sorry Mum) but in the instance it’s not that, I’ve created a handy list of tips on how to minimise that terroristy vibe that visibly Muslim passengers seem to unknowingly emulate. Fear not brothers and sisters, I’ve got your back. Unless you insist on travelling in crocs. In which case, I can’t (read won’t) help you.

 

  1. Paint a smile on your face DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT’S 4AM.

(Very real, and definitely legitimate) Studies have shown that 78% of Muslims that smile whilst flying will have a more comfortable flight. If you can’t lift those cheek muscles at 5am, Fenty Beauty do a damn good liquid lipstick. I advise you beg your friend to help you draw on a Joker-esqe grin to appease the masses and put those non-Muslims at ease because trust me, someone who spends £19.00 on a lip paint, isn’t about to blow anything up any time soon.

Fenty Beauty lipstick from Rihanna’s new collection of make-up.

 

  1. Don’t read. Anything. In any language. Out loud. Or in your head.

This one is fairly self-explanatory. Our timelines and newsfeeds in the past year have been bombarded with stories from Muslims being kicked off their flight for merely speaking in languages that aren’t English through to professors being escorted off the plane for working on differential equations. The safest way of minimising suspicion is to adopt a vow of silence for the entirety of the flight except if asked what flavour peanuts you’d like or to comment on how mild the air is.

Comic by Khalil Bendib

  1. Don’t be too friendly with other passengers. But also don’t be distant. A little bit of friendly but not totally creepy.

There’s an undeniable urge to want to prove to those around you that you’re approachable, conversational and very accepting. You’re allowed to make conversation in the lounge but limit your topics to the weather, X Factor, and at a stretch, the rising cost of Freddos. There is a risk of course of appearing too interested though. So avoid asking intrusive questions such as what prompted their decision to pair green shoes with a purple pair of jeans.

 

  1. Exclusively wear British Flag Merchandise

In one final attempt to break down an imagined barrier, failing your painted smile, and enlightened conversation on whether the X Factor is fixed, you can emulate Britishness in the most overt way possible. Use a British Flag to adorn your head, face, arms, legs and even socks where possible. Sing the national anthem before take-off, drink Yorkshire tea exclusively out of your Queens Golden Jubilee mug and on landing exclaim how excited you are to establish British sovereignty in the country you’ve just arrived in.

I feel it’s also important to say that this fear is deeply rooted in disillusionment post 9/11 and amplified beyond any kind of rational, objective sentiment. This unattainable quest to integrate and dissolve an us versus them barrier is not only exhausting but impossible. I’m not claiming by any means that appropriate safety measures shouldn’t be taken. I’m all for sellotaping up windows before take-off having not (yet) bought into Ryanair’s organic air conditioning in the way of gaping holes in the aircraft. Just, where you’re statistically still more likely to be struck by lightning despite boarding 20 flights a year, tone down the unfair animosity towards people with creased and uncreased hijabs. But not crocs. Never crocs.

 

Uzma Chaudhry works full time in business sales at Telefonica. She is studying Politics, Philosophy and Economics part –time with Open University as a means to make sense of the world in which we exist! She is a v·inspired ambassador whose work revolves around empowering young people into volunteering and leadership. In her spare time she enjoys musing in her blog and has writing pieces on faith and race, offering a more holistic perspective on current affairs. If she has any juice left by the end of the week, she creates Youtube videos for her channel Caruzmatic as well as run a small venture in selling her bespoke art for ucdesigns.co.uk

Black Women On British Reality TV, What’s The Big Deal?

Common Sense Contributors
-
4
Black Women On British Reality TV, What’s The Big Deal?

by Ife Sarumi

In the past ten years reality TV has been on demand for our viewing pleasure thanks to the likes of shows such as; Big Brother, Geordie Shore and Jersey Shore. Viewers can switch on their TV to watch the inconceivable shocking displays of debauchery on these shows. You would think we would at some point stop watching, except people became more and more addicted with each new episode as if they’re living vicariously through their favourite characters. It is then no surprise that these shows are still very much relevant and sought after. They’ve shaped our ‘pop culture’ today. As each protagonist finds new ways to keep us entertained, producers satisfy our thirst for entertainment with new creations of exciting British reality TV shows. Shows such as Made in Chelsea and Love Island, popular shows amongst the British public, are created. Why? Because they achieve their purpose. They remove us from our own daily (perhaps) mundane realities of life and offer us a new dimension to focus on (even if it’s just for one hour on a Sunday evening).

Geordie Shore cast members

However, there seems to be a reoccurring theme with these shows: the low representation of ethnic minorities, specifically black women is glaringly obvious. Some editors have assumed that perhaps the British public do not recognise ethnic minorities in their daily lives, and so would not be able to relate to them on screen. This based on the idea that audiences are drawn to characters they can relate to. It does feel true that ethnic minorities would not seek the option to be on reality TV due to the current lack of representation. Its a vicious circle. Either way, Black women are still misrepresented even when they are finally given a platform.

Amir Khan in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (ITV)

Here is the most recent case study: Joanna Jarjue, a contestant who made the final round on the Apprentice 2017. If you are an avid social media user, you will have observed the typical negative adjectives that she was branded with throughout her time on the show. Words such as “aggressive” and “uncooperative” where in overflow. Contrastingly, other viewers held the opinion that she was simply “passionate” and “frustrated” because she was not being listened to and so her exasperated nature was justified. Compared to her colleague on the show, Elizabeth McKenna who Lord Sugar himself described as “overbearing” and “bossy” and was still defined by him as “hard working”, Jarjue seems to have caught a rough deal. An onlooker would have assumed Jarjue was the weakest candidate on the show when compared to other contestants. Weekly she was subject to negative comments by her colleagues and even on social media. Yet, despite obstacles such as her age (23) hindering her business experience and maturity, or her race, which she cannot erase, she had the “best record to date” observed by Karen Brady (a judge on the show). This forces us to beg the question, was their intention to force Jarjue to play the “angry black woman” narrative this season?

Joanna Jarjue in The Apprentice

After the Guardian article on the portrayal of Alexandra Burke on Strictly come Dancing had been circulating, Jarjue decided to defend her stance on the social media platform, Twitter. She wrote;

But Jarjue would not be the only Black woman on British reality TV to ‘suffer in silence’ to avoid ‘playing the race card’. Although ‘Big Brother’ contestants are cast to be controversial and argumentative, when Black contestants do not play up to this they are perceived as that regardless, due to racial stereotyping. Aware of this unwritten fact is Deborah Agboola, a 2017 Big Brother contestant who was pegged by betting companies as a favourite to win, but still could not shake off that racial stereotype. She landed in third place, despite her popularity both at the betting shops and on social media because she had to combat the preconceived stereotype of her ethnicity before she could be deemed as tolerable by her housemates and Big Brother fans. Despite her efforts, she was labelled as aggressive by housemates during arguments. To which Agboola responded, “If I took away my skin colour…no one would say I’m aggressive.”

Deborah Agboola in Big Brother

Whenever you see a black woman playing herself on TV, she must first ascribe to the consequence of being presented as ‘angry’, even if that is not in her nature. Only then would she have satisfied the intention of the producers – to put one token black woman who plays up to the perceived stereotype of the ‘angry black woman’ in society on the show. While black women are shown disdain for displaying a natural human reaction, their white counterparts are rewarded for it, because their reaction is warranted and stereotyped as being gentle and harmless. McKenna for example, on ‘The Apprentice’ was praised for being passionate about the success of her team and so was justified for being overbearing and treating her colleagues as though they were sub-servient to her. However, Jarjue was vilified for being argumentative and uncooperative when she expressed her thoughts – even when she was calm.

Kehinde Andrews, a Sociology professor and co-editor of Blackness in Britain had similar observations, stating that “Every time you see these reality shows, you see they get ethically cleansed very quickly. These shows speak to how black and ethnic minority people are viewed with suspicion across Britain.”

This means no matter how much a Black woman tries to run away from the stereotypical perception of the ‘angry black woman’, due to conscious and unconscious bias in the British public they will always be labelled as the aggressor. Now the discourse we should be having is demystifying stereotypes and propelling a range of representations on our screens to enhance inclusion and decrease racial prejudice.

 

Ife Sarumi was born in Nigeria but her formative years were spent in the UK. She is passionate about female empowerment and how politics can serve in aiding this cause. This is her main reason for studying BA Politics and Philosophy at the University of Hull and is currently involved in numerous social initiatives advancing the progression of her passion. Keep up with her progress on Twitter: @ifesarumi1

1...88899091Page 89 of 91

Editor Picks

Must Read

Hot Topics

About Us

Our mission is to make democracy healthier by creating spaces for people who disagree to have fruitful dialogue.

Contact us: hello@tcsnetwork.co.uk

Follow Us

© Copyright - Newspaper theme by tagDiv