Category: Speak Up

The curse of social media

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There aren’t many students who can admit to not being involved in some form of social media.

For most, it’s become part of the daily routine; you wake up, check Facebook, shower, write a tweet about how you’re ‘not a morning person’ or how you ‘totally don’t want to go to this lecture’ and the day goes on.

I’m a victim of this myself. I wouldn’t say I’m addicted; but of course that’s what all addicts say!

It’s now estimated that there are almost 850 million active users on Facebook and over 200 million on Twitter. Since Twitter began, there has been over 163 billion tweets sent out by its’ users. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why education can sometimes take a backseat.

You write 100 words, check Facebook, write another 100 words, write a status about how much you hate your essay and then get hooked on Candy Crush.

It doesn’t really register how much of an affect this has on your education until it’s three o’clock in the afternoon, you have an hour to complete your essay and you have 300 words written.

The only solution I’ve found to work is having someone sat beside me; shouting at me as soon as I type the ‘F’ word into Google.

Technologies are evolving, and the results are amazing; but at what cost is this having on students’ education?

When a cure for avoiding social networking is made, sign me up! Until then…”ooo a tweet…”

The F Word

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Every woman has been there you’re in a club with your friends and turn around thinking your friend has given you a cheeky squeeze when you realize, your friend, is in fact some creepy drunk guy. Not so recently this happened to me.  Instead of ignoring it I gave said guy a piece of my mind, we won’t go into the details what was said exactly but, my point is that at one point did men believe it’s acceptable to randomly grope a woman ?

Over the years I have been appalled to hear males of my age  believe that if a woman dresses a certain way she’s inviting herself as ‘fair game’.  This is absolutely ridiculous and makes me question how they come to believe this. It goes back to the old quote. “A woman brought you into this world, so you have no right to disrespect one.”I love fashion and I’ve always said that my favorite part of going out is the ‘getting ready’ phase, being with your friends listening to music, doing your hair and make up and putting on a dress and heels.

Many guys will say that when they’re groping a woman in a club then it’s just ‘banter’. No it’s not, it’s actually assault.

Do we have ourselves to blame for men believing they can get away with this? If guys knew it was un-acceptable would resist clawing at a woman for attention?

I spoke to 21 year old, civil engineering Brunel University student Elise Nolan who said: “Men think if a woman is dressing and acting provocatively then she’s ‘fair game’. for a fact their excuse will be that if a woman doesn’t want that kind of a attention then she shouldn’t be putting it out there in that way.

“Of course I completely disagree, it’s a woman’s prerogative to dress and act how she wants, we don’t have to be suppressed by male expectations and ideals. I agree with men as far as if a woman obviously all over a man and he gets the wrong idea, but when it comes to unexpected groping there is no excuse.

Men, whether they like it or not, like to still believe its a man’s world, and as such think they can act how they like towards a woman and not expect consequences. Most men in a club, groping random women having had a few too many drinks will probably think nothing of it ,they won’t consider that it’s technically assault and would never think that a woman would go as far as to have them removed from a club or arrested.

I think girls have to be wary, purely because whilst some girls may love this attention, its not fair for others to be subjected to the same behavior when it is unwanted.”

Ultimately, awareness of the issue will ensure that men know what is appropriate and what isn’t and us girls need to stick together and take a stance.

SPEAK UP.

 

Gay marriage; a step in the right direction

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Gay marriage; two words I seem to be hearing a lot lately. I have no problem with this; in fact I applaud the government for finally attempting to enforce equality in such a sensitive area.

However, the issue I do have is the constant need for the word ‘gay’ to be used in front of marriage. If members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) community decided to purchase a car would we call it a ‘gay car?’ Would a gay person go for ‘gay lunch?’

A change is being made, I can see that, but is it enough? Equality represents the state of being equal, in status, rights and opportunities. Of course, we each are individuals, but surely we all have the same basic functions as one another. We all love, feel heartbreak, have crushes, fantasies and attractions; why should it matter who they’re aimed at?

To me it feels natural, like a number of people I fell in love, the only difference is that I fell in love with a girl. This certainly doesn’t make me feel any differently, this is simply who I am.

When people finally stop discriminating and drawing attention to the differences between straight and gay people, maybe then real equality can be achieved.