The Contemporary Australia - Essay Example

1. Felton Emma, Maintaining connections overseas. http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=13236 (accessed on 15 February 2012) This article discusses the challenges expats face by being connected with their families and friends at home. Felton argues that although digital communication has led to collapse of boundaries, space and time, the quality and satisfaction provided by digital networks is questionable. Felton observes that the psychological and emotional support through digital connection for the Australians working abroad to their loved ones is very essential but she really doubts if this is achieved. Her argument is based on two points. First she challenges the effectiveness of communication technologies in eliminating the long term feelings of discomfort and isolation. She states that these communications tend only to provide instant support during emergency situations but not the daily life experiences. Second, she says states that although communications such as Facebook may maintain relations at home, the tendency of sparing hours on these social networks neglect one an opportunity to interact with the local community. I agree with Felton that digital communications may not necessarily provide the emotional and psychological support on the basis of the age group of the Australians using the social media to get in touch with friends and families back home. This can be explained using the frequently used Facebook as a social media. Results show that 52% of expats use internet technologies as a means of communication. Out of these, 39% of Australians use facebook to connect with their families back at home at least twice a week. Facebook can be analysed in terms of age related and financial factors. Those who earn higher incomes of more than $250 are said to be less frequenting Facebook. In age related factors majority of people using Facebook are young where 52% of them are under the age of 34 and 71% of users are under the age of 44. This shows that most of expats using facebook as a means of communication to their friends at home earn lower income and are young mostly under the age of 44. From the results it is clear that those expats earning higher income and are above the age of 44 are less likely obtain emotional and psychological support using the mostly used Facebook as a means of communication. This is also evidenced in some countries such as United States and France. In France, 49% of Facebook users are below the age of 25 and more percentage also falls under the age of 40. This shows that the younger population uses Facebook as a means of communication to their friends and loved ones. This is also the case in the United States where around 62% of the users fall under the age of 35. This means that only around 38% of users are above the age of 35 who are on my opinion the most stable economically with higher earnings (Maudau, 2010). From this statistical data, in is evident that the younger and lower earning population employ this social media as a means of communication to their loved ones while the elder and the higher earning population do not necessarily communicate to their loved ones using this social media. Thus, digital communications do not necessarily provide emotional and psychological support for all to get in touch with their friends and families. 2. Benjamin Law. Sex education: far from decent. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3831984.html (accessed on 15 February 2012) Benjamin argues that sex education will require adults who are innovative and brave and also it must involve participation of kids in decent education. He realized this when he was a sex education teacher in Burma where upon teaching the basics to children, they raised questions based on their experience in pornographic materials. Although pornography is illegal, the teens usually access it from the internet and black market. He points out situations in Queensland schools where it will become hard to give the right sex education. He states that due to non-uniform, unmonitored education materials it becomes hard to provide a decent education. I think most of sex educators assume that children do not know anything about issues such as pornography since they are burned. In his class experience, Benjamin points out that children have experience on pornographic materials and the issue of pornography should be addressed with adequate skills instead of running away from the fact. He also states that it would be advisable to reinforce to children that having sex is not okay without insisting of abstaining as the only exiting moral option. This should be on the grounds that if a child is old enough to ask a question about sex, then the child is also old enough to contain the answer. This is because if an issue about sex most likely an awkward stuff such as pornography is not addressed openly, it will eventually hurt the kinds. I agree with this argument on having a decent sex education on the grounds of research on teenagers and their pornographic relationship. The results show more than 70% of teens watched pornographic videos themselves through porn internet. It also showed that teenagers consume abusive, violent and coercive treatment of women from their experience in pornographic materials. Since getting rid of pornography is not a solution, skilled teachers should emphasise that sex is not only a process of recreation but also a form of pleasure and should be safe for man and women. This means that we cannot shield ourselves by assuming that pornographic material is banned but we need to react by using skills in teaching on the intended consumers of the materials. I think the extent of coverage of sex education needs to be revised with integration of discussions on issues such as pornography. This idea will not be adopted with ease and most concerns will be raised especially form parents side who will opt to resist this idea. To many, this idea may seem to be radical but if we consider the statistics of the teens that have secretly engaged into accessing of pornographic material, this should end up being a sensible idea. The idea will be base on the decision to make sex education to be robust and also being relevant to the teens. This is also evidenced in a survey conducted by a centre for exploited and missing children where more than 60% of teenagers seek pornography mostly through internet where very small percentage seek it on purpose. However, the research states that teens acquire detrimental effects in a gradual manner which may lead to isolation, loneliness and compulsion. Teens that are most exposed to addiction are those who in any way cannot rely with someone who can assist them in regulating their emotional state. These children are at great risks if they are exposed to these images more and more. The surest ways of addressing this harm is helping them and collaborating with them by opening up this issue through provision decent sex education from skilled personnel (Margolies, 2010). 3. Gibson Josie, The importance of being innovative. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/the-importance-of-being-innovative-20120209-1rnd0.html (accessed on 15 February 2012) Gibson argues that the key to innovation is taking risk. He states that if Australia is not yet willing to abandon the culture of unwilling to take risk there will be no innovation. Lack of taking risk has led to heavily protected and narrowly defined efforts on innovation. Gibson’s argument is based on the leadership where courageous leaders with a sense of purpose and willing to take risk will be able to foster innovation in Australia. This can be achieved if the government will enable the businesses to generate wealth, create jobs, tap new markets and explore every possibility with the urge of taking risk. Innovation will also be boosted by linking employment engagement with innovation. Through adoption of these processes, Australia will be able to overcome the unwillingness to take risk and become innovative. I agree with Gibson’s argument on the bases of the research on the organisations which are regarded innovative in Australia. The research shows that the organisations which are high-performing have strong leadership which actively encourage the behaviours within the management that leads to innovation. I think leadership is very essential in innovation where strategies will be clear and also communicated widely. This will be followed by pushing accountability and responsibilities to the ones directly performing duties within the organizations leaving the top leaders with a clear way of surveying the organisation’s horizon. If the leadership allows questioning and experimentation, then any reasonable failure will not be an offence. With high calibre executives who are competitive globally, political stability and skilled workforce, what is remaining is acknowledgement of these dualities since they are sources of innovation. This is evidenced in New York where experts on a Mather and Ogilvy board on organisational management stated that most of organisations are aimed at reducing risks but the ability to stretch the organisational boundaries and taking the risks are considered to be the key to innovation. The experts stated that when the organisational priority is not making a mistake, there will never be innovation. The process for innovation is creation of an environment where is states that ‘failing is safe’ and also stating that ‘failing will be okay’. This will be enhanced through good leadership, skilled workforce and executives that are competitive. The importance of innovation is provision of a condition where people become reflective and question themselves and the environment about the assumptions that needs to be challenged (Babcock, 2010). By acceptance of the responsibility in leadership and considering failure as an alternative, a country will achieve its economic goals by being innovative. References Babcock, P. 2010, Culture, Risk-Taking Key to Innovation. Retrieved on 15 February 2012 from: http://www.shrm.org/Publications/HRNews/Pages/CultureRiskTaking.aspx Margolies, L. 2010, Teens and Internet Pornography. Retrieved on 15 February 2012 from: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2010/teens-and-internet-pornography/all/1/ Maudau 2010, Who’s Using Facebook around the World? The Demographics of Facebook’s Top 15 Country Markets. Retrieved on 15 February 2012 from: http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2010/06/09/whos-using-facebook-around-the-world-the-demographics-of-facebooks-top-15-country-markets/ Read More