February 23, 2012

Lifestyle Changes Affecting Health

There was a time many decades back when people were expected to rise early in the morning, do some work during the daylight hours, and retire to bed early in the night, so that they can get up early again the next morning. This lifestyle allowed people to enjoy a reasonably good state of health, since they were more aligned with the forces of nature. With increasing industrialization and globalization, the barriers to global businesses have been either removed or greatly reduced. With the advent of computers and the internet, the lifestyle of humans has perhaps changed for ever. The internet allows people to work in any time-zone. Demands of business and work are no more linked to sunrise, and the focus has now shifted to working 24×7. People work for longer hours each day, or work in shifts at all times of day or night.

More stringent work requirements have also created an increased dependence on all imaginable items of comfort in all environments of office, home, or while in transit. These comforts have created a sedentary lifestyle where people are not expected to physically exert themselves while they focus on meeting their work targets.
All this has adversely affected the biological cycles of most people. A new breed of lifestyle diseases have emerged, like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, obesity, and many others. Even people of younger ages are being increasingly afflicted with such diseases. Very few people exercise regularly or have proper meals. In addition, easy availability of liquor in many regions, even to younger people, has further aggravated the problem.

Traditions Bind A Society

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Image by frankartculinary via Flickr

Each region in the world has its own society. Each society has its own traditions, customs, and beliefs. People in each society identify themselves with their own communities through several aspects like language, color, clothing, food and eating habits, attitude, behavior, and all other factors of their existence. Traditions are passed down through generations. It can be seen that the older a society, the stronger are its traditions.

People of all societies take pride in their traditions. They feel a sense of belonging while in the midst of their own kind, where a common set of traditions are followed by all. This ensures a high level of comfort in the daily lives of people, as well as provides a sense of security where all people in the society live by a common set of rules. Law and order is thus also ensured through this process.

When members of one society interfaces or interacts with another society, it becomes necessary for members of both societies to understand the traditions of the other society. With a good deal of understanding of each other’s traditions, values and beliefs, it becomes easy to deal with each other in a peaceful manner. The outcome of such dealings can generally be expected to be beneficial to both societies.

However, if the societies do not understand the traditions of each other, and thoughtlessly interact, it can often result in conflicts, which might take long to resolve, and also result in losses to both sides. Traditions have thus an important role to play in the peaceful existence of people in any region.

Lower Class Enjoys All Benefits

WATERBURY, CT - MARCH 26:  Aeirel Saroza, 2, w...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

With an eye on the next elections, the entire political system works on overdrive to woo the lower class, which is typically at the bottom of the economic pyramid. This assumes more significance since each member has a vote, and the total population of the lower class is fairly large, particularly in the poorer regions of the world. When such huge populations belong to the lower class in any region, it gives enough scope to the political machinery to keep themselves busy for their cause.

All kinds of promises are made to woo the lower class. These could include providing free electricity for houses or farm activity, free or highly subsidized food grains through the public distribution system, employment to eligible members in each household, free land for housing, free education in government schools, free books to students, free meals in schools, free transport in government buses and trains, free medical treatment, subsidized fuel for cooking, free night shelters for homeless, free old age pension, extra benefits to the girl child, low interest loans, free training for skills. The list does not end here. As elections approach, the lower class may also be seen to be coerced by offers of cash, or even popular household goods like television sets etc.

These measures provide great relief to the members of the lower class, since their financial conditions would otherwise not allow them to survive in the harsh economic environment where prices of all basics goods have risen beyond their reach, and they do not have any hope of ever earning enough to meet their own needs.

Reputations and Relationships Altered by Social Networking

Relationships can be forever changed by information available on social networking sites. This applies to both personal and professional associations. Information about people that can be found on the internet can affect their chances of landing a job or getting a first or second date with their special someone.

The amount of personal information available for free on the internet can be staggering. With one or two pieces of information most people can access an address, approximate age and even credit history of almost anyone. Many people are not aware of the information about them that can be found on the internet. An acquaintance may look at personal websites or profiles maintained on social networking sites to learn more about another person. There is a potential for damaging information to exist from a third party placing it on the internet with no basis or foundation.  Combatting false information planted in this manner can be very difficult if not impossible.

Employers actively search the internet for information on their employees and prospective employees. If an employee uses the employer’s e-mail system for personal gain or non-work related purposes, the employer, generally, has a right to review anything that was sent or received on their e-mail system. Some employers feel that they have a duty to protect their company and their brand by monitoring behavior of their employees.

There are many instances when one wants to make a good impression on others. This could be in a dating relationship or a when someone is looking for a promotion or new position. It is very important to be aware of how one looks to others on the internet when building new affilitiations.