Current Events – Page 2 – The Big Words Blog Site

My Experience Taking One Of The Covid-19 Vaccines

Openly Discussing Getting Vaccinated

As many of my readers and YouTube subscribers know, here on the Big Words Blog Site, most of the content published is now coming from collaborators and customers in the form of shorter informational pieces. With multiple YouTube channels and now another blog for more literary writing, I only have time to write and publish a few pieces of my own here. While others opted for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, I took the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine within the last month and as a scientist, I wanted to write something about it.

As described in my initial submission on the new ScoonTV publication, one of the videos on my science and technology YouTube channel was taken down for ‘violating community guidelines’. I have since been hesitant to talk about the vaccines in any way, but with this platform belonging to me, I can discuss whatever I want to. Whether or not the social media platforms allow it to be shared, remains to be seen.

As you know there was a lot of controversy surrounding the Covid-19 vaccines, in addition to the pandemic itself. When talking with a good friend, I pondered that the pandemic may have been the younger generations’ World War 2 or Vietnam, in addition to maybe the 911 attacks. That is no disrespect to anyone who lived through those wars and tragedies or participated in them, but none of the younger generations have lived through a crisis like this.

My Reasons For Getting Vaccinated

I decided to take one of the Covid-19 vaccines for a number for reasons. As described, for a period I uploaded several videos on the pandemic on my science and technology YouTube channel. In short, I honestly was not one of the individuals who was in a rush to get vaccinated. In my opinion there were some very peculiar circumstances surrounding the pandemic which I will not go into here, but to some degree, the need to vaccinate everyone did raise my antennae along with those of other people. In short, I wasn’t going to be one of the first to get vaccinated and took a “wait and see approach”.

In that regard, seeing my relatives get vaccinated with no adverse reactions helped allay some of my concerns. Other individuals who were close to me received their vaccinations was also another line of evidence for me. Ultimately, like most everyone else, I wanted to be able to move about freely without concern and get back to a level of normalcy.

Returning To Normalcy

On that same vein, the featured image for this story is from my trip to the Albany area for Father’s Day 2021. Prior to the pandemic, I made two to three trips a year to New York State’s Capital Region to visit my father via train. During the pandemic, I defaulted to making the five-hour drive to the Albany area and the eight-hour drive to Buffalo to see family. Needless to say, that driving is more work than simply closing one’s eyes, or looking out of the window and daydreaming on a train or an airplane.

Going back to the featured image, it was taken trackside next to my Northeast Regional Train in Alexandria, VA. Amtrak did not mandate its passengers to be vaccinated, though we did have to wear masks once boarded, a rule that was respected by some and not by others. The first leg of my trip from Washington, DC to the New York City area got a little more crowded than I was comfortable with. The second leg from New York City to Albany was relatively empty though. The same was true for the return trip.

What’s In The Three Vaccines?

Now in terms of the vaccines themselves, having backgrounds in Pharmacology and Toxicology, my focus was always on what was in the vaccines in terms of ingredients (active and inert). I wanted to get a feel for their “pharmacodynamics” and potential side effects. In today’s information age, there were lots and lots of rumors and theories floating around about nanotubes and microchips being injected into us. My mother told me that someone in her circle believed that the vaccines would ‘magnetize’ our bodies. It was like the hysteria surrounding 5G technology when people attempted to make it the cause of the pandemic.

While many people are skeptical about the work done of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), their mission from the regulatory context is to protect the health of the nation and to make sure that the foods and medications we take are safe. The vaccines thus had to go through the FDA for approval for “emergency” usage. To determine the safety of the vaccines, I pulled the memoranda for each of the three vaccines approved in the United States from the FDA’s website to ascertain what was in the vaccines.

The following are the ingredients contained in the vaccines. The verbiage and characterization were lifted directly from the FDA memoranda which are hyperlinked in case readers want to go and look for themselves. The “efficacy” and side effects are also characterized in each memorandum.

The Moderna Vaccine

The Moderna vaccine is an off-white, sterile, preservative-free frozen suspension for intramuscular injection. The vaccine contains a synthetic messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) encoding the pre-fusion stabilized spike glycoprotein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine also contains the following ingredients: lipids (SM-102, 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycero- 3-methoxypolyethylene glycol-2000 [PEG2000-DMG], cholesterol, and 1, 2-distearoyl-sn-hocholine [DSPC]), tromethamine, tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate, and sucrose.

The Pfizer Vaccine

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is a white to off-white, sterile, preservative-free, frozen suspension for intramuscular injection. The vaccine contains a nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) encoding the viral spike glycoprotein (S) of SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine also includes the following ingredients: lipids ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2- hexyldecanoate), 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide, 1,2-distearoyl-sn- glycero-3-phosphocholine, and cholesterol), potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose.

The Johnson And Johnson Vaccine

The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is a colorless to slightly yellow, clear to very opalescent sterile suspension for intramuscular injection. The vaccine consists of a replication-incompetent recombinant adenovirus type 26 (Ad26) vector expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein in a stabilized conformation. The vaccine also contains the following inactive ingredients: citric acid monohydrate, trisodium citrate dihydrate, ethanol, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HBCD), polysorbate 80, sodium chloride.

Getting My Shot

Assuming none of the ingredients were intentionally omitted, nothing I read personally in any of the vaccines alarmed me. I chose the Johnson and Johnson vaccine because I liked the mechanism of action more (a DNA Adenovirus vs micro RNA), and I just wanted to take one shot and be done with it. I was discouraged, though, after the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was initially pulled for a rare side effect, blood clots, I believe. When I decided to get vaccinated, I could not find it initially and then one day when doing a random search online, I saw that the CVS pharmacy that I frequent at Pentagon City was, in fact, offering it. After making a reservation, I went and got it on a Friday around noon.

I was cautioned from the nurse or pharmacist that I might experience symptoms of some sort over the next 48 hours. There was the inevitable pinch/sting from the needle and then I felt a sensation in my shoulder which radiated up towards my neck. That went away quickly. I hung around in the pharmacy area for the next 15-20 minutes as instructed. I then took my complimentary 20% off coupon, purchased something and left the store. I did not expect any adverse reaction(s) as I keep myself healthy and have faithfully taken vitamins C, D, E and Magnesium since the pandemic started.

Abandoning Our Masks?

And that was my vaccine experience. I did not write this to sway anyone. Again, as a member of the science community, I just wanted to share my story. I am happy that I got the vaccine I wanted, though I saw an article on Yahoo that said that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine has not rebounded from the initial pulling in terms of popularity. I do not know if this means that it will be abandoned altogether, but I hope not, especially if it has efficacy against the new “Delta Variant”.

I have not completely abandoned my masks. I honestly will have to get used to not using them again. As described earlier, Amtrak insisted on its passengers using them and at least initially and when I fly, I am certain the airlines will also err on the side of caution. For the type of mask I had, it was not that bad for the seven hour ride.

Some stores and proprietorships are still mandating mask. Interestingly, before making my Father’s Day trip, New York State, one of the most vigilant of all the states during the pandemic, lifted all its restrictions. I met up with some old friends at Latin Dance Night in Albany, and no one wore masks as they danced up a storm, respired all over the place and socialized that night.

Do you have a vaccine story? Please feel to leave some comments below this piece. Also please subscribe to my science and technology YouTube channel to hear more science-related discussions like this. I am about 225 subscribers away from the holy number of 1,000.

Broaden Your Political Knowledge With These Vital Steps

Two focuses of my blog is Current Events and Political Discussions. Politics can be a very, very divisive topic and some would argue that it’s not safe to talk openly about it today. The more you know, the easier it may be to understand and discuss ideas with others. The following contributed post is entitled, Broaden Your Political Knowledge With These Vital Steps.

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You have a lot to think about when it comes to improving and broadening your political knowledge, and this is something that plays a massive part in this. Try to focus on doing as much as possible to enhance and improve your political knowledge so you are more aware of what is going on in the world and how global events are going to affect you.

Make sure you focus on doing as much as possible to improve your knowledge and keep yourself informed as much as you can. Try to focus on being able to come up with the best ways of achieving this, and you need to come up with the best ways of doing this. Here are some of the best ways of being able to broaden your political knowledge this year.

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Read up on Global News

Reading up on global news is vital because you need to know what is going on in the world, and not just where you live. Global events impact the entire planet in some way, so you should educate yourself as to what is happening in the world. There are also important global publications covering news and current affairs in particular countries, such as The Times Kuwait, which covers Kuwait news and events. This is particularly useful for Kuwaitis living abroad and wanting to stay in touch with developments back home.

Study Manifestos

Another great way of broadening your political knowledge is to read the manifesto and policies of the parties or candidates in your country. Familiarise yourself with what these policies are, and try to do your best to make sure you understand them and what they are about. Having knowledge of the political stance these people or parties are taking is important for helping you to make informed decisions when it comes to voting. Most party or candidate manifestos are going to be available online to read at your leisure, and this is something that you have to try to do as best you can.

Listen to the Other Side

One of the biggest problems with modern politics is how tribal it can be, and this can so often create a toxic environment. So it is imperative that you take the time to listen to other opinions and motivations that people have for their political viewpoints. There are a lot of benefits to this, and it is really important to make sure you listen to other people and debate with them. Ignoring or shutting down conflicting opinions only causes them to fester, and this can often make the whole situation worse. Debating people and showing them the merits of your beliefs is the best way to encourage them to come around to your way of thinking, and this is something you should be looking to do.

Try to do the best you can to improve your political knowledge, and these are a few of the best ways of being able to achieve this. Politics affects our lives in almost every way, and due to the growth of social media, politics has become a wider issue than ever before. So you need to brush up and know your stuff so that you are able to improve upon the best ways of being able to approach political topics, as well as chatting about this with other people.

Effective Ways To Boost Employees Productivity Levels In 2020

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and Organizational/Management Discussions. The Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected the landscape of most workplaces. A continual consideration for managers is how to maximize employee productivity. The following contributed post is entitled, Effective Ways To Boost Employees Productivity Levels In 2020.

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2020 has been a strange and scary year for everyone thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. Out of what seemed like nowhere, the entire world was hit hard by the virus, causing many countries to go into complete lockdown and forcing businesses to adapt around these rules. Whether your team worked from home, or you were able to stay open due to being key workers, if your business has made it this far then congratulations! It’s likely that your team has worked hard during these strange months, and you may be beginning to notice a little lackluster in their efforts – and that’s totally understandable given the year we’ve had! However, to ensure your business continues to thrive, it’s your job to keep productivity levels high, and here are some effective ways to boost your employees productivity in 2020.

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Give them incentives

As a boss, you expect your staff to work hard but sometimes, motivation can drop and a great way to boost their productivity is by giving incentives to your staff. Your employees may already have the advantages of using your Health Reimbursement Account, so you may want to look for more creative incentives! You could offer a day off completely paid if targets are met, or vouchers for money off their favourite brands. Having something exciting to work towards is an extremely effective way of boosting productivity levels, and it’s a great way of saying thank you to your staff for working so hard!

Reevaluate your office layout

Sometimes motivation and productivity levels can drop because of your surroundings. Rooms with little to no natural light, boring and dull decor, and even an office layout can affect this, so shake things up! Provided you’re complying with COVID-19 office regulations, you could experiment with different seating plans, the direction desks are facing, or even treat your staff to brand new office chairs to maximise their comfort while working. A great way of achieving this is by speaking directly to your staff so they can voice their opinions and ideas. Creating an environment where everyone works well will help your business thrive.

Switch up roles

Job roles can become mundane when you do them day in and day out for months or years on end, so why not switch up your employees job roles a little? If possible, allow your team to switch roles for a day or two each week to keep things interesting. Not only that, more ideas and opinions for each job role could lead to bigger things for your business. Obviously, this might not be applicable for specialist job roles, but generic roles such as answering the phone or data entry could be switched up to keep things interesting for your staff.

Millions of businesses have been forced to close thanks to the pandemic, and if yours is still going but your staff are struggling with motivation or productivity, then use this guide to help bring those levels back to where they should be. Remember that showing gratitude for all of your employees hard work will make the world of difference.

Making The Most Of A Locked Down Christmas

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and Health/Wellness. In addition to impacting everything else in our society, Covid-19 has impacted our holiday celebrations. After impacting Thanksgiving, it will impact Christmas as well for those who celebrate it. There are still ways to enjoy you holiday though. The following contributed post is entitled, Making The Most Of A Locked Down Christmas.

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Many people around the world are likely to be caught in the middle of some kind of lockdown during Christmas – or at the very least, having some kind of restriction on what they can do during this period. Indeed, these are very challenging times. Even if things are looking to improve slightly, there is no doubt that Christmas is going to be very different this year. With that in mind, let’s take a look on how you might be able to make the most of Christmas this year, even if things are in lockdown where you are, or something very much like it.

Pic Source – CCO Licence

Plan It Early

Now that you might have some idea about what you are allowed to do during Christmas, you might want to start planning for it in some way or another. As long as you do that, you are going to be much more likely to make the most of it, and you should be able to mitigate against any unwanted or unforeseen incidents as well that might crop up. You can’t plan for every eventuality, but if you start thinking now you should be able to find out what you can do. The more you plan, the more you will be able to make of this strange Christmas.

See Some Family

If you are able to and it is within the rules where you are, you should aim to try and see some family at the very least. However, make sure that you only do this if you feel okay about it – and try to keep everyone as safe as possible while you are doing it. That means not going too overboard and ensuring that you are always keeping up with the latest restrictions. But there should be nothing wrong with seeing some family at least, even if it is not always going to be simple to do this.

Take A Short Holiday

If you would normally take some kind of a holiday during the Christmas winter period, you might want to try and do this still this year. Of course, your options are bound to be limited compared to most years, but even so you should still find that it is perfectly possible to have some kind of holiday with at least a couple of family members or friends. For instance, you might want to go on a winter road trip with your 4×4 wheels and see some of your home country that way. Or you could find an indoor ski centre that is open and try to replicate a skiing holiday that way. However you do it, taking some kind of holiday is going to really make it easier to feel like you are having a normal Christmas.

Pic Source – CCO Licence

Get Gifts Early

There is a good chance that you are going to struggle to get all your Christmas presents in the same way as normal, and in all likelihood you are going to have to think about doing this earlier than usual. You will probably need to do much more of it online than you would normally have to too. It’s therefore wise to start thinking about this now – and over time you should find that you are going to have a lot more in the way of appropriate gifts by the time Christmas comes around. This is one year when it might be worthwhile thinking outside of the box a little, so that you can find some gifts for people easily and without causing yourself too much stress. If you can do that, you are going to be helping everyone to make the most of Christmas this year.

Pic Source – CCO Licence

Buy Christmas Cards Online

Different families and friend groups tend to have a variety of different ideas around the concept of Christmas cards. But if you are keen to make sure that you are still buying people cards, you should consider the easy option of going online to buy them. Although you could buy Christmas cards the traditional way and simply post them, using an online service is going to mean that you can have them delivered straight to the person as part of the process. You can often customise these cards more than you could normally too, so that makes them much nicer to receive on the whole.

Host An Outdoor Christmas

If there are some people you are not going to be able to see on Christmas day itself, you could try and organise an outdoor Christmas event on a different day earlier in December – or just after Christmas – and in that way, be able to have a socially distanced Christmas with those people. This could be as simple as having a decorated Christmas tree in your garden and sharing gifts around it with some hot drinks, or it could be more along the lines of a night-time fire. However you do it, you might find that this is a fair compromise, and a great way to see your friends safely without breaking rules, while still having a wonderful Christmas.

Pic Source – CCO Licence

Be Certain Of Your Priorities

If you are wondering just how seriously you should take the restrictions for this year’s Christmas, you might want to spend a little time thinking about where your priorities lie. Truly, nobody else can tell you what you should be doing or what is right and wrong. It’s up to you to decide. But you should make sure that you are clear on your priorities. For most people, this will probably mean that the obvious step is to have a slightly less active Christmas than usual, and therefore keep everyone safer on the whole. It’s all down to you, but make sure that you spend some time before Christmas itself comes around deciding what you want to do. The sooner you get clear on this, the less of a shock it will be when Christmsa time comes and you find it is not quite the same event as usual.

Delay Celebrations

One option, and one that quite a lot of people are thinking about, is to simply delay certain Christmas celebrations until next year. There is every chance that things could have massively improved by February or March, at which time you could decide to have a Christmas celebration then instead. This is a great way of having the best of both worlds. You can simply have a quiet Christmas at home this year, and then see friends and family in the new year once it is perfectly safe to do so. Although this might seem like a bit of a sacrifice, it’s actually a great way to get the best of both worlds, and it will mean that everybody can keep as safe as possible along the way too. It’s certainly something you might want to consider.

Keep It Quiet

Finally, why not make use of this year’s strangeness to simply have a quiet Christmas at home? If you are someone who generally gets a little overwhelmed by Christmas at the best of times, you might even be secretly looking forward to this one. There are certainly benefits to keeping it quiet, and you might find that you are able to save up some energy for next year instead. If this appeals to you, give it a go and see whether it improves your experience of Christmas this year.

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider this year for Christmas. The most important thing is that you think logically, plan ahead, and don’t let the stress get to you.

How To Prepare For A Future Working From Home

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and Career Discussions. The year of 2020 has forced a lot of changes on everyone and one of the biggest changes has been working from home. Even after Covid-19 subsides, working from home may become more permanent. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Prepare For A Future Working From Home.

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Image by Rajesh Balouria from Pixabay

While you might have enjoyed working from home temporarily this year, are you prepared for a future of working from home? Who knows if life will ever go back to normal, and even if it is safe to return to work, your company may decide that it is going to be more beneficial to them financially to have everyone working from home for good now. If this is the case, are you prepared for this, and do you have everything you need?

A Decent Office Space
Working from the kitchen table may have been acceptable as a temporary measure when you didn’t know how long it would last, and everything was out of sync. But as life gets back to normal, then it’s time to look for a more permanent place to set up your office. You don’t even need a whole room to do this as you can create a great office space in the corner of a room or under the stairs if you have enough space. All you really need is a desk for your laptop and papers, some storage and some peace and quiet. Also, check there are enough electric outlets.

Technology
If it’s going to be a permanent way of working, your company is responsible for making sure that you have the right technology to do your job as best you can. You’ll need a good internet connection and access to everything you would have in your office. Having 5G would make working a lot easier too, and according to Vertical Consultants, telecommunication companies have not quite delivered as promised when it comes to 5G, so that doesn’t make it an easy option right now; however, is something that will be important in the future.

Security
Cybersecurity will need to be up to date, and again this will really be your company’s responsibility to make sure the equipment you’re using is safe. But when it comes to your home, you may need to make it even more secure than you would have done before. For example, if your job requires you to handle confidential documents, then you’ll need a safe place to keep them. It might even be worth looking at video door entry systems for your home too, which will not only reduce your distractions but also keep your information extra secure.

A good routine
Many people struggle with a good routine and motivation when working from home, but once you get used to it, it becomes the norm. It’s essential to have a structure to your day and treat it still as if you were going into work, so make sure you get up, shower, and get dressed (even if it’s into something comfy), have your breakfast, and then get to work. Also, make sure that you separate your work from your home life and home admin, and when it’s time to finish work, you switch off completely and enjoy your evening.

Business Marketing Tips in Challenging Times

Three focuses of my blog are Current Events, Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship. Covid-19 has changed the way business is conducted in many instances. Those businesses that have been able to survive will need to think about how to adapt and survive in this new environment. The following contributed post is entitled, Business Marketing Tips in Challenging Times.

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This year has been a rollercoaster year for most businesses. With many businesses forced to limit hours and cut staff because of Covid-19 closures, many must evaluate what’s next? Maybe the way you used to do business won’t be viable moving forward. When your customers’ needs shift, your business must do too. Challenging times mean tweaking your marketing techniques as well.

Communicate with Your Customers

The number one rule in business is keeping the communication going. Your sales funnel may be a process of months for some products or even years for others. A normal newsletter and social media updates are great ways to keep your business in front of your customers. Everybody loves a good story. So, make your customer outreach like storytime: what’s new, what’s aligned with pop culture, and what’s funny. You can find memorable, free images online that connect with popular hashtags like #MotivationalMonday, #ThankfulThursday, and #FridayFeeling. Marketing doesn’t have to be salesy. The new buzz phrase is content marketing. These are some marketing do’s and don’ts during a pandemic. Don’t just stick with social media, though – you can make the most of the number of time people spend on their mobile phones. Put your data to good use, start sending more regular newsletters, chat groups and use a mass texting service to stay engaged.

Focus Your Strategy on Solutions to Current Challenges

Whatever you are doing, whether email marketing, print marketing, or social media marketing, present solutions to current challenges. You may need to unschedule previously planned campaigns to shift to the “new” normal. Just a few topics that may resonate with your customers this year are how to work from home without losing your job, how to design the best interior layout for home-schooling, or how to make homemade masks easily and with things you have around the house. In particular, topics that help with the boredom of staying at home are ideal, including new technology, virtual activities, and online courses. Remind your customers that can help them overcome the obstacles of 2020.

One method that can help you to identify the unique needs of your customers is to use an AI advertising company. AI advertising uses machine learning tools to identify complicated patterns in data. These patterns can point to all kinds of conclusions, including the current challenges of your customer base. It can also be used to predict and build advertising strategies that are far more likely to succeed in the current market, as well as to provide the solutions that your customers are looking for.

Find Niche Experts for Your Industry

Although you know your business niche well, how well do you know how to reach your customers. There are specialists in marketing to very niche industries such as HVAC marketing as well as in healthcare and childcare service marketing. Well-targeted design, marketing copy, and even tight slogans can make all the difference. It is important to find niche experts for your industry so that you can get the most bang for your marketing buck and stand out from your competition.

2020 is winding down, but that doesn’t mean your business marketing does. In fact, the end of the year is where you need to finish strong. It is a great time to outreach to share your thanks, spread holiday cheer, and offer limited-time offers before the holidays or New Year. Maybe it is time to add a small business Saturday sale to your roster. Perhaps a virtual Q&A or roundtable to answer the most common questions of your customers could be added to your marketing calendar. By continuing to tell your business’ story with fun and helpful tips, tricks, and tools pays off. Sometimes you need a bit of encouragement, so reach out to the business marketing experts for niche advice as well as some fresh marketing trends to try.

Social Media Secure: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and Technology. In our new digital world, social media and reached into pretty much every aspect of life. On top of that, pretty much every generation is now using social media. It’s fun for young kids but it poses numerous dangers as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Social Media Secure: Keeping Your Kids Safe Online.

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Social networking platforms are incredibly popular and the number of users every day is growing more and more. The general feeling is about safety and security as more and more individuals flood to use them. When millions of people use social media, they have to be secure, don’t they?

In reality, just like any other website, Facebook, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Kik have their fair share of security problems, many of which have been addressed in the media. Some of the problems are due to technological issues, and others are due to the individuals using them.

This is a problem for everyone, but it needs to be tackled because children and adolescents, who are especially vulnerable, make up such a large percentage of users. Fortunately, with a few simple steps, you can protect your identity and account, as well as those belonging to your teenager.

Image Via Pexels CC0

Put limits on social media use

A UNICEF study notes that ‘some time on social media is actually good‘ and that it can be positive for the social relationships of children. Given the present conditions that we find ourselves in with COVID-19, this is even more plausible. Social media gives us the chance to stay in touch with families and friends around the globe and to keep up-to – date with global events.

With the average teenager, however, spending about nine hours a day on a laptop-how much is too much screen time? The general guideline is about two or three hours in total, although it naturally varies from person to person. According to Monitoring the Future, anything more than that and social media can lead to feelings of anxiety and unhappiness.

Keep an eye on their online behaviour

There are different apps that you can use to keep an eye on what your child is doing on different social media platforms, as we mentioned above. It is a way to make sure that any would-be predators, who are very good at fooling kids and teenagers into thinking they are someone they are not, and are not grooming them. It also helps to give you an idea of whether there is any cyberbullying or other unpleasant behaviour going on. In more extreme circumstances, you can hire a hacker for cell phone to watch everything that is happening.

Talk about privacy settings

The privacy settings on many social media networks can be so nuanced that even the most tech-savvy of adults fail to get their heads around it, let alone kids. It is important, however, to do your research and check everything. The fewer details that strangers will see, the better. Discuss the data they post on social media and discourage images that reveal where they go to school or where they live from being posted.

Unfortunately, teens and kids can almost always get around using social media and get into trouble with them, so by putting these tips into effect, you will reduce the chance of this happening and keep them safer for longer.

The Not So Secret Life of Your Voting Record

A key focus of my blog is Current Events. The United States is on the precipice of potentially the most pivotal election in history at potentially the most tumultuous time in its history. We’re in an environment where it isn’t necessarily safe to say who your voting preference is. Even if you don’t disclose it yourself, is your voting record still confidential? The following contributed post is entitled, The Not So Secret Life of Your Voting Record.

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How you vote in the next election is confidential. But whether you are a democrat or republican is not the only piece of information that is recorded when you send in your ballot. Many citizens make the mistake of thinking that all the information associated with their vote remains private, but the reality is very different.

What details are recorded?

When you register to vote, your data is stored in your state’s voting records. Identifying details such as your;

-Name
-Date and place of birth
-Gender
-Social security number
-Passport and/or license number
-Family names and maiden names
-Address (including previous addresses), and
-Contact information such as email and phone numbers

Who can access my record?

Not all of this information is publicly available, however, your name, address, and party affiliation is available, regardless of state. Apps such as OutVote and VoteWithMe make these records easily accessible by the general public. Additional information may be accessed by law enforcement or purchased from the registry by political parties.

State law dictates who can access records, and how the information can be used. It is generally the case that third parties can view your voting history online. The intent of this publicly available information is not generally for commercial purposes; however, it is rare that there are specific safeguards in place to prevent this being the case.

Whilst there are strict state and federal laws surrounding voter records and the safety of voter information, there have been incidents where this information has been unlawfully offered up for sale in the public domain.

How can I privatise my record?

You may be exempt from being required to have your information on the public voter registry. Status as a protected voter is given on a case by case basis, and can include:

-Law enforcement officers and their spouses
-Victims and witnesses of crime (including domestic violence)
-Healthcare professionals, including volunteers
-Some healthcare patients
-Foster parents

4 Financial Issues Today’s Youth

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Current Events. Even before Covid-19, the younger generations faced new challenges and a vastly different economic landscape in comparison to those the Baby Boomers and their predecessors. Many of the challenges involve finding work, and being competitive in today’s and tomorrow’s workforce. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Financial Issues Today’s Youth.

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Young people are facing numerous financial challenges today. Let’s explore some of the biggest issues that they will need to overcome.

Buying Property

The first major problem facing young people today is the challenge of buying property. It’s fair to say that buying your first home used to be a lot easier. Today, homes are more expensive and lenders are less likely to take a chance on someone that doesn’t have a healthy record when it comes to borrowing. Buyers are also going to have to spend some time exploring the market to find the right home for them. However, there are still some great opportunities out there including the houses from Cami Jones & Company.

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Saving A Pension

If it’s difficult for young people to buy property, it’s virtually impossible for them to save a pension. The only real way to do this is to ensure that you are building up your savings as much as possible each month. One of the options here would be to set up a second or third income. You can also think about focusing less on things that you enjoy such as holidays and meals out. However, many young individuals are left wondering about the point of this if they are constantly saving for tomorrow and not enjoying today. Ultimately, it’s going to be a balancing act and young people will constantly need to try and keep their finances healthy while also ensure that they are actually able to enjoy their life.

Gaining Job Security

A key issue for the next generation will be finding a job that provides security and stability. This is due to the fact that a lot of businesses are now establishing a model where they use freelancers. The benefit for businesses is obvious. With freelancers, business owners don’t have to worry about offering employees with expensive incentives. They can also dodge the issue of needing to provide redundancy settlement packages. Instead, employers are free to cut and hire employees as they like. By 2021, it’s expected that more than half of the American workforce will be freelancers. Hopefully, new laws and regulations will come in to protect these individuals. For now, though, young workers will need to learn how to survive on an income that is constantly in flux.

Paying Off Debts

Finally, one of the biggest challenges that are certainly impacting the youth of today is the issue of attempting to clear debts. Specifically, we need to think about the issue of student loans. Student loans can be hundreds of thousands of dollars, plummeting young individuals into high levels of debt before they ever have a chance to build up a solid career. If you are worried about this, then you can think about the support offered by the government. You should also be working to pay off your debt little by little each month. One of the ways you can do this is by setting up a direct debit to repay your debt and save as much money as you can, even as you are going through college.

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Resurrect Your Business Post-Pandemic Using These 4 Ways

Three of the focuses of my blog are Current Events, Business/Entrepreneurship and Organizational and Management Discussions. Many businesses were levelled by the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Crisis/Pandemic while others were able to hang on, albeit by a thread. For this who have survived and in position to rebound, it’s important to have a plan of attack. The following contributed post is entitled, Resurrect Your Business Post-Pandemic Using These 4 Ways.

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Nobody knows when the COVID-19 pandemic will end. As a result, researchers and medical experts have suggested that we exist together with the virus for the time being since it could take several months or possibly years to develop an effective vaccine. This means adherence to social distancing protocol is expected to remain a part of the new normal. But what does this mean for businesses?

A recent report has proposed that close to 7.5 million small enterprises in the United States risk closing down in the next few months as COVID-19 continues to impose enormous business challenges. However, this could be considered as one of the many setbacks faced by businesses, and you may need to gear up for a comeback. Are you wondering how? These four tips should help your business to work its way back from the crisis.

1. Create a plan for the comeback

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Lack of proper planning can only compound your challenges further, therefore, you must develop a clear strategy that will guide you towards your targeted business goals. The list must be explicit on what must be done today to achieve the results you want tomorrow. Per the current situation, businesses are more focused on survival than growth. To develop a good plan, find answers to questions such as the following; what parts of the business are collapsing rapidly due to the crisis? What part of the company can I change to adapt to the times? In answering them, think deeply and broadly, and into the future.

2. Understand the impact of Covid-19 on business culture and identity

Just as the pandemic has affected different aspects of our lifestyle, it is very likely to impact business cultures and identity. Challenges can bring people together or likewise set them apart depending on their level of trust. This moment presents an excellent opportunity to view your business perspective and how it might evolve. How prepared is your business to handle this crisis? Will the pandemic unite people or set them apart? How different will they see your business post-pandemic? Your answers to these questions will inform what you can achieve after the pandemic.

3. Do you need to launch new products?

Like “Black Swan” events, the current pandemic has increased innovation and more resilient start-up businesses than before. What opportunities does the COVID-19 pandemic present? Growing challenges present businesses with ideas worth exploring, but in doing so, you need to set priorities to avoid starting multiple projects which will depend on the same limited resources. For example, COVID-19 has led to the increasing demand for protective equipment like face masks, hand sanitizers, and HDPE gloves. Several manufacturers have therefore shifted to PPE production for health workers and the general population, to combat the virus and keep their company afloat.

4. Are you ready to execute your plans and projects?

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Finally, it would be best if you considered the readiness of your business to start projects. Is your business prepared to take on and finish up new projects? You would have to consider the significant contrasts in preparedness at the individual, group, company, and public levels. Current available resources, coupled with the speed and dynamic processes required differ significantly, and these variations play a considerable role in determining whether or not you will succeed. Training is one thing that would prove helpful as a way of upgrading your business’ human resources.