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Is it time you went on a social media detox?

In today's world, social media is central to our lives. It helps us to stay in touch with our friends, promote our work, and follow the latest news. How do these networks impact our mental and physical health?

A number of studies have linked social media use with increased levels of depression, anxiety, and isolation.

Social media lovers have twice the risk of depression, compared with their less enthusiastic peers.

Research has revealed that younger and older users alike are in danger of breaking under the pressure of unachievable standards of beauty and success.

Among young adult users, social media notably increases the incidence of anxiety and depression, according to the results of a sizeable study conducted in 2016.

In fact, the researchers saw that users who frequently checked their accounts had a more than twice as high a risk of depression than their less social media-oriented peers.

This may partly be due to the fact that social networks create an artificial need to be available 24/7, to respond to messages and emoji reactions instantly. But this attitude creates an unnecessary amount of low-key stress that takes its toll on our emotional well-being.

And, despite the fact that such platforms are supposed to enhance our sense of connectedness with other people, research has found that they actually have the opposite effect: they render dedicated users lonelier and more isolated.

However, this shouldn't really surprise us. The hyperconnectedness takes place at a superficial level, eliminating all of the extra elements that make communication more valuable and psychologically constructive.

Such elements include eye contact, body language, the possibility of listening for changes in our interlocutor's tone of voice, or the possibility of physical touch.

An over-active social media presence can leave its mark not just on our mental health, but also on our physical health — particularly by altering our sleep patterns.

Lastly, researchers have proven that our commitment to social media platforms can negatively affect our commitment to our own creative and professional lives in complex ways.

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High-flying ideas?

A camera-equipped drone flies around the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea, hovering near an industrial plant and capturing video of pollutants. Below, on the crowded, litter-covered streets, residents wear white and black masks that cover their noses and mouths. A gray haze hangs in the sky.

The unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, is part of a pilot program by South Korea’s Ministry of Environment. Tasked with inspecting factory emissions in the capital’s greater metropolitan area, it’s the latest in a series of tech solutions aimed at solving Seoul’s dust dilemma. In fact, the fine dust has South Koreans so concerned they’ve cited it as their No. 1 stressor in life – more distressing than the country’s economic stagnation, its rapidly aging population and even North Korea’s erratic dictator and nuclear weapons program.

Their worries are well-founded. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises exposure to fine dust, or PM10, of no more than a daily average of 50 micrograms per cubic meter, and to ultra-fine dust, or PM2.5, of no more than 25. At one point in 2017, Seoul’s PM10 hit 179. In late March 2018, Seoul’s PM2.5 soared to over 100. PM2.5 is of greatest concern. So small it can get lodged into the lungs and penetrate the lining to enter the bloodstream, PM2.5 is comprised of black carbon, nitrates, ammonia and other harmful compounds linked to respiratory diseases and cancer. The WHO has classified fine and ultra-fine dust as carcinogenic since 2013.

Developed by the government-run National Institute of Environmental Research, the drone is the first of what the environment ministry intends to be a fleet deployed nationwide. Some South Korean tech companies, too, are stepping in with their own innovations. Although much of the new tech appears promising, Greenpeace’s Seoul office stresses the importance of addressing the root of the problem. Part of the solution is getting residents to recognize their own role in curbing carbon output. So, even though the new fixes may do a good job of measuring dust, what about actually busting it? That’s where the technology hasn’t quite caught up yet.

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America is one of 6 countries that make up more than half of gun deaths worldwide (Part II)

A new study puts the US’s gun problem in a global perspective. It’s really bad.

America was also the odd country out among wealthier nations when it comes to gun deaths. For comparison, the US’s rate of 10.6 gun deaths per 100,000 people was much higher than Switzerland’s rate of 2.8, Canada’s 2.1, Germany’s 0.9, the United Kingdom’s 0.3, and Japan’s 0.2.

It is expected that as countries become wealthier and build stronger government institutions, they will see fewer gun deaths (since systemic poverty and weak criminal justice systems, for example, can contribute to more violence). While the rate of US gun deaths is lower than that of many less developed countries, America is still an outlier when compared to nations in similar socioeconomic circumstances.

The study’s estimates are not perfect, as some countries do a poor job tracking gun deaths and proxy measures that are used to gauge gun deaths. But the study gives us the best look yet into gun deaths worldwide — and it’s not good for America.

A major reason is the US’s tremendous number of guns and weak gun laws. Time and time again, researchers have linked these factors to America’s high rates of gun violence, making it the most violent developed country in the world when it comes to guns.

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Why Study Philosophy? What is Philosophy, and Why Should I Study It?

“Philosophy” comes from Greek words meaning “love of wisdom.” Philosophy uses the tools of logic and reason to analyze the ways in which humans experience the world. It teaches critical thinking, close reading, clear writing, and logical analysis; it uses these to understand the language we use to describe the world, and our place within it. Different areas of philosophy are distinguished by the questions they ask. Do our senses accurately describe reality? What makes wrong actions wrong? How should we live? These are philosophical questions, and philosophy teaches the ways in which we might begin to answer them.

Students who learn philosophy get a great many benefits from doing so. The tools taught by philosophy are of great use in further education, and in employment. Despite the seemingly abstract nature of the questions philosophers ask, the tools philosophy teaches tend to be highly sought-after by employers. Philosophy students learn how to write clearly, and to read closely, with a critical eye; they are taught to spot bad reasoning, and how to avoid it in their writing and in their work. It is therefore not surprising that philosophy students have historically scored more highly on tests like the LSAT and GRE, on average, than almost any other discipline. Many of our students combine studying philosophy with studying other disciplines.

The most important reason to study philosophy is that it is of enormous and enduring interest. All of us have to answer, for ourselves, the questions asked by philosophers. In this department, students can learn how to ask the questions well, and how we might begin to develop responses. Philosophy is important, but it is also enormously enjoyable, and our faculty contains many award-winning teachers who make the process of learning about philosophy fun. Our faculty are committed to a participatory style of teaching, in which students are provided with the tools and the opportunity to develop and express their own philosophical views.

Use the comic strip bellow to answer question:

FoxTrot

Leia o poema a seguir e responda à questão.

CAGED BIRD
Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

Nota sobre a autora: Maya Angelou (1924-2014) foi uma poeta norte-americana que explorou em suas obras temas como a segregação racial, a desigualdade de gêneros e a opressão social entre outros.

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Human like me? Avoid looking too perfect to those you hope to aid

While people in helping professions, such as doctors, might understandably try to lead by example and model a healthy lifestyle, research suggests this approach could have drawbacks.

In a recent study, both healthy-weight individuals and overweight people with concerns about their fitness reviewed the written profiles of several physicians, some of whom explicitly mentioned having personal habits like biking or maintaining a healthy diet. Overweight subjects tended to think such doctors would be more disapproving and were less inclined to see them, researchers found.

"I think we often have a false assumption that projecting as perfect an image as possible is the best way to fill the role of expert," says lead author Lauren C. Howe, a psychologist at Stanford University. "This fails to take into account the concerns people may bring into the mix, like worrying that an expert will look down on them for some quality they possess." She suspects this expert/novice dynamic plays out in other domains, such as in teacher/student relationships and mental health care.

Encouragingly, participants anticipated less disapproval from fitness-conscious physicians who also conveyed a nonjudgmental sentiment such as, "Everyone has their own definition of a healthy life" – and acknowledged that different people have diverse but worthy goals.

Text: Bonfire of the Fleas

Here's a guaranteed surefire method to completely eliminate a flea infestation on your dog or around its doghouse. First, late in the evening, chain your dog to its doghouse. Then, at a safe distance, build a small bonfire and let it bum ovemight near the dog's house. Fleas are insatiably attracted to heat and will soon become enamored of the fire, leave your dog and its environs, jump into the flames, and die. The next day you will find that all of the fleas are gone.

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At Hwaban, Mihyun Han with her husband, Key Kim, will present their take on Korean fare, traditional and personalized with modern touches. The serene, neutral-toned dining room with pale brick walls, accented by dark furniture, is the setting for their varied menu. Some of the small plates to start are shrimp or scallop, an organic egg with king crab in a pine nut sauce, and pan-seared zucchini with shrimp in a soy sauce. More substantial dishes include poached lemon sole with vegetables, chicken with root vegetables, and grilled New York strip steak with Korean mountain greens and mustard dressing. Classics like bibimbap, kimchi stew with pork belly, and galbi (short ribs) are also served, and there is a set array of dishes called Hwaban Table. The name of the restaurant means “as beautiful as a flower,” and there are floral elements in the dining room and on some plates.