How to Write a Reflective Essay on Communication

How to Write a Reflective Essay on Communication Reflective Essay on Communication How to start off How to write the introduction How to compose body paragraphs How to finish the essay: Conclusion writing Essay revision Outline sample A reflective essay on communication (Sample) A reflective essay on communication revolves around the writer’s reflection on communication per se, how they perceive it with regard to their personal experience and viewpoint. Hence, its main purpose is to inform the audience about perspectives, attitude, and impression towards the topic at hand. One important objective behind such an essay is to shed light on the widely-varied angles of communication and how they all contribute to shape our life and harmonize it in a way that makes understandability and intelligibility omnipresent. How to start off What do I know about this topic? Before you start writing a perfect essay, it would be useful to ask yourself about your knowledge about the topic. In this context, I might ask myself: â€Å"What is communication? How can I define it? Does it have only one definition? How does it relate to my personal experience? In few words, I should ask myself the following question: Does this concept apply to my life experience and skills? Does it have anything to do with my actual behaviors? Be mindful not to ignore those instant answers that come to your mind once your ask the very simple questions because they will be needed later on. What could the educational purpose behind this topic be? One could think about the communicative skills they have acquired from different social contexts so as to help the reader benefit from valuable and authentic tips. How to write introduction and thesis statement The following are useful tips on how to master the writing of a full introduction on communication: Relevance It’s true that we should start from the general to the specific, yet this does not mean that we should start with how delicious Italian ice-cream is without showing any relevance to our topic- communication. Thus, start from the relevant general to reach the relevant specific. Respect the commitment Writing a thesis statement is a sort of engagement or commitment. Upon writing it, the essay writer should be committed to the explanation and illustration of the focal points mentioned at a later stage. Mention your focal points In the thesis statement, I should announce that I am going to tackle the means of communication in the first part, communication from a social perspective in the second, and insight into the optimal ways for the acquisition of communicative skills useful for various life tasks in the third. How to compose body paragraphs Body paragraphs in a reflective essay on communication should be based on the following tips: Format When the reader skims the essay before reading, they have to notice that the paragraphs are well-balanced, no one should be too long or too short than the other. Coherent content All body paragraphs should be explained equally; ideas have to be illustrated thoroughly. That is to say, no paragraph should be given more focus than the others. Congruity and applicability Make sure not to leave out information about how the topic applies to your experience. The balance in the reflection on the topic using personal experience would add to the congruity of the essay. How to finish the essay: Conclusion writing In order to finish a reflective essay in a correct way, one has to observe these three rules: Look back . Have a look at what you have already written in each body paragraph to make sure that nothing important is missing. Summarize . The writer should provide a brief summary that puts together all the main points dealt with in the body without having to fall into details and examples. Link the topic to your personal development. In the conclusion, you should mention how the communication means you have used have honed your communicative skills and shaped your personal development. Essay revision Another pair of eyes is useful to have a look at your work. Thus, it could be a good idea to ask one of your classmates to verify if it contains any spelling or grammar mistakes. Re-read the whole essay so that you make sure that you did not miss the crux of the matter. Give yourself a break, and read the essay a second time with a fresh pair of eyes; you might want to edit some structures consequently. Outline sample I.Introduction General introduction Thesis statement II. Body Paragraph 1: means of communication Paragraph 2: communication from a social perspective Paragraph 3: insight into the optimal ways for acquiring communicative skills III. Conclusion Brief summary that links all three body elements. A reflective essay on communication (Sample) Communication is the transmission of messages. It could manifest itself in various fashions; it could be verbal, non-verbal, or written. That said, the present essay is going to focus on the means of communication, communication from a social perspective, as it will give insight into the optimal ways for the acquisition of communicative skills. The means of communication have evolved to a great extent recently. In this line of thought, one could not turn a blind eye to language as a body of complex linguistic systems wired in the human brain or in database management systems enabling comprehensible interaction. Languages could be natural or constructed; they all allow the transmission of ideas for different purposes. The development of technology and the dying out of some natural languages have given rise to many technological devices that corroborated the human-human interaction and the human-machine interface. Nowadays, computers, smartphones, and tablets have reached their zenith, as the flow of communication has become smoother and easier. The modern means of communication, mainly the wide array of applications such as Facebook and Skype have grown into most useful tools that help us keep up with the pace of the 21st century. Communication is the means by which interactants manage to voice their ideas and articulate their concerns within a social context. Once socialization is brought to the scene, language seems to be called into play, eventually. People, as social members, tend to communicate face-to-face, verbally, non-verbally, or through writing. Thus, in a real social context, ideas could also be shared through paralinguistic cues such as silence, pitch, tone, gestures, postures, and facial expressions. I have once told my friend that her brother’s fiancà ©e is beautiful. Her response was as follows: â€Å"Yeah, she is!†; once you read this answer, it might seem like a confirmation on her part. But, digging down into the social, linguistic, and human mechanisms of communication, with the consideration of the context, one could understand that it was a sarcastic answer thanks to the paralinguistic features used. So, communication as a social instrument helps us uncover the real meaning intended. Communication skills could be acquired. Personally, I have learned a lot from classroom presentations. When the teacher used to ask us who would like to take the next Powerpoint presentation, I have always had the courage to accept. I noticed that many of my classmates avoided those presentations because they did not possess conversational skills that would allow them to communicate their ideas in an informative way. What I am driving at is the idea that if you do not communicate more often in different social contexts, you will never sharpen your communicative skills. If you do not train yourself to adapt to different conversational situations, you will not overcome your shyness and embarrassment. I also used to ask questions in international conferences, which fortified my self-esteem and made me improve my academic communicative abilities. To wrap up, today’s world has brought to life numerous means of communication that are all related to language as the backbone of communication. It is also worth mentioning that communication as a social tool could be performed differently in various contexts. However, honing one’s social communication skills could only be done through continuous practice in various speech events, such as conferences and workshops.

12 Effective Ways To Expand Your Facebook Engagement - CoSchedule Blog

12 Effective Ways To Expand Your Facebook Engagement Blog In the social media world, every tiny detail matters for the overall big picture. Social media engagement is one of those things that cant be overlooked, especially on Facebook. Facebook is the highest used social media platform, so its no brainer that you want engagement there. Plus, with organic reach declining, you want to make sure every post counts. There are some commonly known tactics for  increasing Facebook engagement: Using  visuals Curating content Posting at the best times But what about the tactics we dont think about? The ones that arent so obvious? Lets take a look at some unique ways to boost your Facebook engagement. 12 Effective Ways To Expand Your Facebook EngagementThe Facebook Engagement Tactics You Need To Try 1. Share videos for 135% more reach Visuals are eye-catching when your audience is  scrolling through their news feed. It's been proven time and time again that visuals help improve engagement, but what about videos? Research shows that videos have a 135% greater organic reach compared to photos. That's a crazy high number. Not only does adding videos into your social media strategy increase engagement, but it's also SUPER easy to upload videos. No really...it's as simple as 1, 2, 3: Click  Photo/Video at the top of your News Feed or Timeline Choose a video Click Post Facebook will process your video for you and let you know when it's ready to view. While it's processing, you can click Edit  to add a title and add tags. We've  also launched our new Social Video feature. You can schedule, share, and manage all of your social media videos directly in . Let us do all the work for you! 2. Post standalone graphics to share quick tips Most of the images you're posting on Facebook have a link relating to the image. At , we do this on our own Facebook page. We post a graphic and then add a link to a blog post. But then we had to stop and ask ourselves, "Are all these links benefitting our audience?"  We tested this theory by posting standalone graphics. We wanted test whether posts without links received better reach than posts with links and to mix up the kind of content we're creating and sharing. The results were impeccable. A standalone graphic is an image that gives useful information on its own without needing a link back to something. For our standalone graphics, we give tidbits of information and quotes from well-known marketers. We found that these graphics resonated higher with our audience and had an increased engagement rate compared to our link posts. Create standalone graphic using these awesome tools: Canva  (free, paid) Photoshop (paid subscription) Piktochart  (free, paid) Visage  (free, paid) 3. Show your brand's personality Every piece of content you post on Facebook should portray your company's personality. The best way to showcase this is by sharing  team pictures of your office shenanigans. Let your audience know that you aren't a social media robot you're a real person. We've tried this on our own Facebook and the results were outstanding. Wishpond's data  showed that  photo posts get 120% more engagement than the average post, so imagine the potential of personality photos. Don't spam your audience with information about your product or service all the time. Believe it or not, your audience wants to get to know the faces behind the logo. Share photos of all the awesome things that happen in your office. Update your header photo to display your team. Ask your audience to help you settle an office debate. When responding to comments, use names and include yours. Recommended Reading: 10 Fundamental Ways To Boost Your Facebook Organic Reach 4. Use  Facebook Live for 3x longer viewing As we know now, posting videos on Facebook does in fact increase engagement. Something even more powerful than Facebook videos is *drum roll please* Facebook Live. Studies show that people spend 3x longer watching video which is live compared to video that's been pre-recorded. Use Facebook Live to share tips, give demos, or just to thank your audience. To get started with Facebook Live get out your mobile phone and: Go to your Facebook business profile and open up the status bar. Tap the Live icon, which is a red button shaped like a person. Allow  Facebook to access your camera and microphone. Describe your live video (optional) Press the blue Go Live icon. There is a way to use Facebook Live on your laptop or desktop. Although this is not for creating live videos from your computer's webcam. This will create a live video, streamed directly from your professional video equipment or encoding software. Here's a walkthrough from Mashable: If you want to shoot Facebook Live from your laptop or desktop: Click on Publishing Tools at the top of your Facebook page. Then click on Videos on the left menu. Then click on the +Live  button on the top right. Then copy the stream key from your video software into the window that appears. (Most of the time it will already be filled in.) Click the blue Go Live icon. Facebook Live videos get 3x longer views than pre-shot video.Recommended Reading: How To Do Facebook Video Marketing The Right Way 5. Create a Facebook User group for maximum engagement Does your audience have questions often? Do you have super fans? If so, creating a Facebook user group for your business might be beneficial. Let your audience know that you've created a Facebook user group. This way your most dedicated fans can join and discuss your product with other users. Make sure you are checking this group page on a regular basis. You can even treat the user group like a VIP club, where members get exclusive info on  features before they launch. Some ways you can connect with these users are: Get feedback on new features.  With Facebook groups, you can create polls directly within the group. Ask these users how they feel about a new product or what they would like to see next. Share your company's  achievements.  Remember, these are your super fans, and they care about the progress you're company has made. If your business wins an award, share a quick post in the user group. Answer questions. One of the main reasons for a Facebook user group is so these members can interact and ask questions about your product. Don't let your fans do all the talking. Jump in and share your insights. Join our user group! 6. Pin posts for higher visibility According to SumoMe, pinning content onto Twitter brings 5x more engagement. The same goes for Facebook. Wait, what? Yes, you can pin on Facebook! Pinning posts on Facebook will bring that post to the top of your page for however long you want it there. This way, that specific post will receive high visibility when viewers visit your Facebook page. To pin on Facebook, simply: Select the post you want pinned on your Facebook page. Click the drop down arrow at the top right corner of the post. Select Pin To Top. Tada! You have a pinned post. To unpin a post from your profile page, follow the same steps except this time you will select Unpin From Top. Try it out! Recommended Reading: How To Increase Visibility With Social Media Optimization 7. Create Facebook Ads for quick engagement Here are some shocking stats to take away from Zephoria. At 1.49 billion, Facebook has more monthly active users than WhatsApp (500 million), Twitter (284 million) and Instagram (200 million)- combined. That's a lot of users to keep track of. The best way to target the right audience for your business, is through Facebook ads. You have to spend money in order to make money. Facebook ads are a guaranteed way to reach more people and bring engagement to your page. To create Facebook ads: Decide which type of ad you want.  Choose from promoting your page, promoting a post, or promoting your sign up button. Choose your audience.  You can select your audience by location, age, gender, interests and more. Set your budget and schedule. Set a daily or lifetime budget and schedule how long you want it to run. Set your ad live.  Once you've narrowed down what type of ad, your target audience, and your budget. For more info, Kissmetrics has an awesome guide on Facebook ads to help get you started. Recommended Reading: Facebook Marketing Strategy: Why You Need One (And How To Build It) 8. Drive traffic from other social media sites Is your business on Twitter? How about LinkedIn? Maybe even Instagram? Chances are, your business is on more than one social channel. Use these sites as a gateway to bring your audience to your Facebook company page. For example, when your Twitter followers mention your company, you can occasionally respond back by encouraging them to check out your Facebook page. Remember not to respond to every mention this way so you don't come across as spammy. Only encourage your followers to check out your Facebook page if you truly think they would. 9. Add a CTA button to boost promotion Want to promote your website? Or a new video? Facebook provides several different Call-to-Action buttons you can add directly into your cover photo including: Book Now Contact Us Use App Play Game Shop Now Sign Up Watch Video Bring your audience a step further by promoting your business in a different way; with the click of a button.  You'll also need an an awesome Facebook cover photo  for  your Call-to-Action button to  be  successful. To add a CTA button to your Facebook page: Go to your Page's cover photo and click + Add a Button. Choose your call-to-action, and enter the URL for your website. Click Create. Customizing a CTA button is a simple method to bring more traffic to where ever you need it. It also makes your Facebook page look more professional. Consider adding one to your business page. 10.  Create graphics for your profile that are branded + clear Your Facebook profile picture and cover photo show your audience what your company is all about. In order for you audience to engage with you, your Facebook page must be inviting. This means that you need to have a SUPER, AWESOME, FANTASTIC profile and cover photo. Okay...maybe not that extreme, but you should create graphics for your profile that are clearly unique to your brand. Post Planner  noticed your profile picture appears in: The news feed of your followers. Posts on your page's Timeline. Replies in comments. Comments posts you make on other pages while using your page. It's seen in many different places! So be sure to use your logo as your profile picture that is clear and sized correctly. For your cover photo choose a photo that: Showcases your personality. Promotes a new feature or product. Describes your product, like how the Kissmetrics cover photo does. Highlight upcoming events. Above all, have fun with your profile profile picture and cover photo! Be unique and stand out. On Facebook, be unique and stand out.11.  Participate in Facebook groups within your industry We've talked about creating a Facebook user group page for your own company, but what about participating in other groups? Participating in Facebook groups allows you provide helpful and informative advice or to start relevant discussions that can help generate interest in your brand. Search for other brands within your industry and see if they have a group page, then simply join it. Your primary reason to be in a group is to participate in other people’s discussions, not to start them. So answer, chime in and let the community guide the discussion. When participating, don’t shamelessly promote your content. Don’t just  share, but participate! Join several different groups that are relevant to your company or brand that you can participate in regularly. This will help get the word out about you from other members. 12. Create  an event via your Facebook page Creating and hosting events on Facebook is something that often gets forgotten about, but is great for engagement. Rather than just updating a post about an upcoming event, create a Facebook event for it. It's like being invited to an exclusive party, except everyone gets invited. Consider creating events that are hosted by your page, such as: A sale. An ongoing promotion. A special event. A new feature launch. Then, invite people who have liked your page to the event. The great thing about Facebook events is that, whether they are attending or just interested in the event, they will continue to receive information whenever you update the event page. BONUS: Their friends will be able to see if they are attending and may also be drawn to your page. Sprout Social  found  the 13 best ways to plan and organize a Facebook event:

Polish Costumes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Polish Costumes - Essay Example This paper will look at the different Polish costumes which emerged in different regions of the country. The first part will look at most popular Polish costume, the Krakow costume which became the representation of Polish traditional dress in the world. As Poland is generally subdivided in two regions namely, Eastern and Western Krakowians, this paper will also explore the similarities and differences of the costumes wore in these geographic areas. Each country is often identified with its own national costume, which is also true with Poland. Among the regions, the strj krakowski (Krakw costume) is the favourite among the various regional costumes of Poland and has come to symbolize the traditional costume of Poland in general, especially abroad. From the time of their late nineteenth and early twentieth century boom, the Krakow costumes have gained wide popularity and acceptance among the Polish. With this, the Krakow costumes have been commonly worn among all the levels of social strata. They were described by folklorists, portrayed in paintings, prints and photographs. In the Krakow costumes, the women wear white shirts with broad sleeves and collars decorated with lace and paired with colorful vests with sequins and rich embroidery. Women's necks are adorned with strings of coral beads. The Krakow costume is also recognized with its flowery skirts in bold patterns which partly covered with white lace aprons plus multiple petticoats underneath. Girls wear wreaths of flowers with multi-colored ribbons in their braided hair while matured women prefer colorful, flowery kerchiefs. Matching these colorful costumes are high-laced red boots have heels with metal tips to emphasize each stamp, click, or jump. On the other hand, the men wear long, dark and embroidered coats over white shirts and embroidered vests. These are complemented with striped pants which are often in red and white in color and are tucked in high-laced boots. Their characteristic accessories include a special belt with decorative strings of small, jingling metal plates, as well as a square hat, topped with peacock feathers. The Krakow costumes, worn by both men and women, can be seen to be lavishly ornamented. The effect of multicolored skirts, together with the elaborate designs of vests, and exquisite embroidery, can be compared to the extravagant colorfulness of the peacock. As time progresses, the basic form of the Krakow costumes have been modified to take into account the different traditions and culture which emerged. During the peak of their development, the Krakow costumes can be widely grouped into two variations-the Western and Eastern Krakowians. Western Krakowians is the region from the rural farmland and industrial areas of the western part of the genre's range while the Eastern Krakowians is the area from the farmlands to the eastern part. Even though the boundary between the two could not be clearly determined, it is said to run approximately along a line marked out by the villages of Jdrzew, Miechw, Proszowice, Koszyce, and further out, between Bochnia and Brzesko. It is very crucial to identify the various differences between the two costumes as they often tell the village or region that a person came from. Costumes of the Western Krakowians

How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight Article

How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight - Article Example In particular, they studied the interplay of conflict, politics, and pace of strategic decision making by top-management teams (273-274). According to Kathleen, Jean, and Bourgeois, top executives are aware that conflict over issues is natural and honest disagreement lead the company towards best decision. Team members who challenge each other's ideas have more understanding of the issue at hand; they have more alternatives that clear the path towards effective decision. On the other hand, an honest disagreement can turn to be unproductive or even more conflicting. Here, the challenge is to keep the conflict constructive. Kathleen, Jean, and Bourgeois studied 12 companies for their research project. Four of these companies were suffering due to top executives' intense animosity. Top management was failed to cooperate with each other, and they rarely had conversation with each other. They socialize in specific cliques rather than having good relation with most of the individuals. More over, they only displayed frustration and anger about their competing executive. These companies failed to avoid interpersonal conflicts. On the other hand, companies with minimal interpersonal conflict not only managed a healthy conflict but also kept it professional (274). Kathleen, Jean, and Bourgeois observed that these companies maintained constructive conflict by six tactics which include: focus on facts; multiple alternatives; common goals; enlightened environment by using humor; balance in power structure; and to seek consensus by qualification. First tactic, focus on fact refers to maximum data collection in order to make informed decision. When executives are equipped with more facts and figures, the decisions will be based on facts rather than opinions. Extensive knowledge of happenings in the corporation, such as, in Star Electronics, gives strong controls. It is evident that there is a direct relation between reliance on updated facts and lesser interpersonal conflicts. Facts let the management to reach the core issues rather than arguing and guessing the facts (Kathleen, Jean, and Bourgeois 275). Contrary to common belief, companies with less interpersonal conflicts deliberately generate multiple alternatives. Research evidence proves that multiple alternatives lower the probability of interpersonal conflict. It is because ambiguity of multiple options divides the conflict and its solution into more than just black and white. This approach provides people with varying options and avoids rival group formation. In the process of generating alternatives, managers involve in a shared and stimulating task. Managers don't stop on just one solution; rather they keep on finding more creative and original options. The benefit is twofold: the process creates an overall substantive instead of conflicting tone, and company gets the original solution (Kathleen, Jean, and Bourgeois 275-276). Third tactic is to create strategic alternatives in an environment th at fosters collaborative rather than competitive spirit in the team. It leads to the best possible solution for collective gain, rather than anyone's personal ambitions. Research on group decision making and intergroup conflict reveals that common goals foster coherence by emphasizing common interests. In the absence of common goals, executives didn't share a vision. They were

A Correlation between Unequal Power Relations and the Way Language is Assignment

A Correlation between Unequal Power Relations and the Way Language is Used - Assignment Example The second of the three stages is all the more important because it has a lot to do with one’s spontaneity and judgment which ultimately become the major deciding factors in making the communication successful and effective. That is how the world draws the line of distinction between ‘great orators/authors’ and the mediocre and the bad. The choice of words, however, is a function of one’s instincts, emotions, and needs. The desire to dominate, to control, to feel powerful is a universal instinct that defies the boundaries of time and space. It is, therefore, not at all surprising that this basic instinct, or rather a base instinct, successfully manages to creep into all human transactions and manifests itself, more noticeably in the process of verbal communication. But, at the same time, the need to ‘get things done’ is also a matter of uppermost concern, and its importance cannot be understated. It is this factor that has the power to suppress the urge to dominate; it makes one willing to subordinate himself in a transaction. In any given instance, it is either the urge to dominate or the need to subordinate that finally stays, and it is decided by the prevailing equation of power in the given context. It boils down to the conclusion that â€Å"our words are never neutral; they carry the power that reflects the interests of those who speak or write.† (John Fiske, 1994; Fowler, et. al., 1979) An interesting quality of dominant discourse is that it usually represents and reinforces the interests of the elite section of the society. Professor Sue L. T. McGregor, in Critical Discourse Analysis – A Primer, says, â€Å"One of the central attributes of dominant discourse is its power to interpret conditions, issues, and events in favor of the elite.†   

Lowering the Drinking Age in America Essay Example for Free

Lowering the Drinking Age in America Essay Being eighteen in the United States of America gives each citizen a newborn freedom. However when it comes to the consumption of alcohol, being eighteen restricts one from being allowed to legally buy, or consume alcohol. The most debatable topic a supporter of changing the drinking age would argue, is that if citizens are old enough to fight for our country, they should be able to purchase an alcoholic beverage. The consumption of alcohol age should be lowered to eighteen for economic purposes to benefit the nation, and the number of drunk driving accidents could decrease. Due to just some of these reasons, the legal drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. If one is recognized as a legal adult, with the ability to make decisions independently, the consumption of alcohol should be held to ones discretion. When one turns eighteen, there are many decisions that can be made, but alcohol is not one of them. The ingestion of alcoholic beverages should be at ones own pleasure. With every decision made in life there is a cause and effect; both can be either good or bad. Some privileges given to an eighteen year old American with the ability to encounter decisions to make independently include: the ability to vote, marry, smoke a cigarette (in most states), enlist in the military, give sexual consent, apply for a credit card, and buy a home. The same way the consent is given to engage in sexual intercourse, there is risk of getting pregnant. Every time cigarette is lit, the number of chances of getting lung cancer increase. Without self-control, a newly obtained credit card can instantly become maxed out (pros and cons. 2014, July 18). Although, if one practices moderation the consequences listed above can be preventable. Thus being the case, then why would it not be substantial to consume alcohol? The drinking age should not be postponed to the age of twenty-one solely because if an individual can make accountable decisions based on their own body, they should have the right to do so. From the early stages of our mental development, we are taught what is right and what is wrong. Being eighteen or twenty-one does not change the logic of drinking until the point of intoxication is not what is best for you. Whether you are eighteen or twenty-one, understanding that operating a vehicle, while intoxicated, is both a hazard to yourself and others on the road, the individual just needs to be responsible. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act, was enforced during FDRs presidency, is initiated by MADD, (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to eliminate less mature eighteen year olds, from having alcohol in their possession. (Pros and cons. 2014, July 18). However, what many fail to realize is that before the MDAA was enacted, the number of drunk driving fatalities decreased among all age groups and demographics, leaving this Act irresponsible for the positive shift in society, in 1980. There were fewer drinking and driving fatalities worldwide in countries that do not prohibit eighteen year olds from consuming alcohol. In 1980, America had less drunk driving related fatalities than any other European country with legal drinking ages under twenty-one. (Pros and cons. 2014, July 18). If the United States lowers the drinking age to eighteen, the number of drunk driving fatalities could decrease just like Europe. Movements have been set forth to help politicians realize how beneficial changing the legal age would be. In 2008, college presidents launched the Amethyst initiative, which supports the idea of lowering the drinking age to promote moderation and reduce risks common for drinkers at a younger age. This initiative recognized drunk driving as a serious problem; however it is not the only danger targeting underage drinkers. They contend that by allowing colleges and universities to have alcohol openly available to all inhabitants of its campus, risk factors such as drinking-fueled violence, alcohol poisoning, and drunken injuries would be eliminated on campuses. Essentially, because the college and/or university would be able to educate their students on the dangers of consuming alcohol, now they could take part in the activity effectively. (Cary, Mary Kate.7 May 2014) Psychologically, lowering the drinking age would eliminate many rebellious individuals from seeking the consumption of illegal alcohol. Many people set  out to do things they know are not allowed, just for the fun of it. If eighteen year olds were allowed to drink, they would not be more likely to engage in the act or be able to put themselves in harms way. In todays society, underage drinking is understood as the norm; however, it is still frowned upon. Accidents caused by drinking, is what causes the downfall of a teens drinking experience, mainly due to the fact it is looked down upon. Whether the teen was sneaking around so the cops, or their parents, would not scold them for drinking, or their friend gets sick but does not want to get in trouble for having alcohol and let their friend die. More related incidents come because of avoiding the consequences of the law. If this law of the legal drinking age did not exist, then things would turn around for the better. For example, the first time a teen gets to experience their first drink, they are less inclined to practice moderation because they understand that it is not something they are allowed to do or can easily do often, causing the teen to risk alcohol poisoning. If the consequences of underage drinking could potentially lead to jail, human nature would trigger the individual to leave the scene of the accident before they are jeopardized too. If drinking were allowed and an eighteen year old just had too much to drink that night, then calling an ambulance and seeking medical attention would not be the last thing in that individuals mind because they would not fear their livelihood. Relating back to understanding what is right or wrong, self-preservation usually overrides doing what is better for someone else, rather than themselves. More harm has come from having the drinking age at twenty-one because alcohol is still going to be consumed whether it is legally or illegally. Raising the age of alcohol consumption has not eliminated underage drinking completely; in fact a majority of alcohol is consumed by underage drinkers. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that 17.5% of underage drinking accounts revenue was from underage buyers. Another study, completed in 2006 acknowledged that about 72.2% of twelfth graders in America admitted to having drunk alcohol. Since a large amount of alcohol is illegally obtained, the number of citizens complying with government regulations has declined. If anything, underage drinking has promoted the use of creating, selling and buying false identification. In todays society  where identity theft is a common concern and national security concerns are always in high alert due to illegal circulation of documents, in lieu of fraud, immigrations and terrorism, having fewer false identifications circulating throughout the United States would be safer for our nation and would show more respect for the law from its citizens (public health spot, 23,May 2014). Haste makes waste and what the government fails to realize is that aside from the perk of the well being of an eighteen year old drinker being increased, the economy can then benefit too. By changing the minimum legal drinking age to eighteen, more people would have access to legal alcohol, which would raise sales across the board. This would benefit small businesses, bars, restaurants, clubs and any other licensed establishment in the country. Also, more job opportunities will expand due to the increase in consumers, and the overall increase in demand. If alcohol sales increased, then the government would be able to collect larger amounts of tax revenue and greatly reduce spending on anti-alcohol campaigns. If so many positive outcomes could come from changing the legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen then why are the states not arguing to keep their legal drinking age at eighteen fighting back to regain their once acquired right? While it is indefinitely argued that state governments should have the right to establish their own legal drinking age, the federal government puts a hold on the states economy by allowing the age to be changed. The federal government threatened to withhold 10% of highway funding from any state that resisted complying with the act. Yet again, the federal government took a step forward and pressured their choice on states decisions regarding monetary affairs, forcing the states to choose from losing millions in annual highway funds or keeping their minimum legal drinking age at eighteen (Pros and cons, 2014. July18). We see there are many legal, psychological, economic and moral prospective points that benefit the drinking age to be lowered to eighteen. Changing the national drinking age to 18 will secure safety among teens across the nation, assist the economy, and act on promoting alcohol moderation by  having it obtainable by those who choose to drink. References ProCon.org. (2014, July 18). _Minimum Legal Drinking Age_ http://drinkingage.procon.org/ Cary, Mary Kate. Lower the U.S. Drinking Age. _US News_. U.S.News World Report, 7 May 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. Public Health Spotlight. _Vermont Department of Health_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. Selective Service System: Welcome. _Selective Service System: Welcome_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. U.S. Office of Personnel Management Www.OPM.gov. _U.S. Office of Personnel Management_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. 2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources. _2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. Protecting Youth. _Protecting Youth_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. 2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources. _2014 Stop Underage Drinking: Portal of Federal Resources_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. Accessibility Information. _Programs_. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.

Grandpas Mind :: Dialogue Essays

Grandpa's Mind As I pulled into my parents' driveway, I realized how loud the radio was. I turned it down, peeled my legs off the blue vinyl seat, and lugged my pile of laundry up to the front door. The doorknob wouldn't turn and I still hadn't gotten around to making myself a duplicate key. I rang the bell and waited. Nothing. Leaving my basket of dirty clothes on the steps, I tramped through the bushes in front of the living room window. Pep was across the room sitting in his usual chair and reading the paper. He was a familiar sight in his plaid flannel shirt, striped clip-on bow tie, and tweed cabby hat. I knocked on the window. He turned around, startled, and focused his eyes on me. I smiled and waved at him, but he just stared at me. I gestured toward the front door. His face had that hollow look, but something made him get up and let me in. "Hi, Pep." I kissed him on the cheek. He made way for me and my laundry. "Hello, how are you?" I headed for the washing machine. Pep trailed closely behind. "Kevin and Clare aren't home, but they should be here soon. Do you want to wait for them?" "Yah, I'll be here." I began separating whites from darks. "Do you want anything to eat? There's meat and bread in the ice box and some cookies in there." "No thanks." "I don't know where Kevin and Clare are. They took Katie out somewhere. Do you know Katie?" I paused. Here we go. This was going to be one of those conversations. I should just say, "Why, yes, I know Katie." But perhaps if I venture a bit further, something might jog his memory and we wouldn't have to go through the whole routine. Dad says that Pep has a tape recorder in his brain, and bits and pieces keep getting erased. I decided to give it a shot.