- Do the fortunate know how truly fortunate they are?
- Are those who do not need to struggle for basic needs, aware that their peers are facing unimaginable hardships?
- Will this awareness build empathy?
I'm not sure. But I'd like to post a few items here which I'm labeling somewhat arbitrarily, "things every teen should see". Why? Because I believe they are the future. They get to inherit our mess. And with every day that passes, we seem to shrink the room for delay and errors heading towards a global resource crisis.
Please click on the following links:
- Education for the poor in US All the back and forth notwithstanding about "good" teachers "bad" teachers and re-hauling the education system, the fact remains that there are many kids in US who simply cannot go to school. Any school. Even terrible ones. Imagine what your life would be if you couldn't go to school. What would your future look like?
- Garbage island in the Pacific larger than the state of Texas There is a "garbage island" of floating plastic in the pacific ocean which has been measured to be greater than the state of Texas. Imagine this floating non biodegradable island and the damage it can do to the surrounding life & water. If you start counting all the items we routinely buy that are packaged in plastic. All that plastic has to go somewhere. If it gets recycled hopefully it gets reused. If not, it ends up somewhere on our planet negatively affecting the surrounding environment. And remember, even recycled plastic does not bio degrade. Ever. It will outlast us. And it is growing.
- Student and other loans amortization & payments This is one of many sites which would estimate the amount per payment, the number of payments and the schedule (the total time it would take while paying at those rates to close out on a loan) of payment. Students heading to college need to see this for multiple reasons. Not everyone's parents can afford college tuition fees without taking out a student loan nor can everyone receive a scholarship. Bear in mind the student loans are typically charged at lower interest rates than the usual ones. Regardless, a 4 year college education costs a pretty chunk of change. This may be one of the most important decisions of your and your parent's lives.
- Credit cards & college students: If as a student you sign up for credit cards you *really* need to understand how the loan payment system works. Credit card interest rates are typically the highest of all forms of loans, and the most punitive. For a student (and their cosigning parents) who is not financially able to begin with, this is going to cause additional squeeze on already thin resources. How can you make sure that you use your money wisely?
- Our world: What we do impacts everyone. Not just our near neighbors and dear ones, it impacts everyone on this planet sooner or later in some shape or form. Personal responsibility and accountability will help us drive change. I have only one child. But could I ensure I only buy food we actually consume and never waste any of our precious resources? Yes. I have room to improve. Who knows. Every time I reduce the flow of water in my sink as I brush my teeth, I may have made that portion of clean water available to someone who doesn't have as much access to clean water as I do. Ditto for the food.
These are just a few of my favorite things to bring to my own teenager's attention. But there are plenty more. My point however is simple. I believe in you. I believe in the future. But it can only be achieved through action now. What can you - one individual - do to make a difference? There are plenty of things one person can do. I listed some of them in my blog in the paragraphs above. I am constantly learning and changing along with many others. Come join us.
Any teenagers reading this blog may roll their eyes at the following. But the cliches are cliches for a reason: Remember, prevention is always better than a cure. And there for the grace of god go I.
Empathize. Please begin.
Please feel free to comment and add additional ideas on what an individual can do to be a change agent.
Gigi a.k.a Gitanjali
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Written by: Ms. Gitanjali GulveSehgal AKA Ms. Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal AKA Ms. Gigi Sehgal Copyright © 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Gigi Sehgal a.k.a G G Sehgal a.k.a Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal All rights reserved.
