October-Noveniber 2016
ANALYSIS & OPINION
The Stentorian I NCSSM
A Eobot Takeover? Possibly.
By JULIA WANG
Will robots end up taking
over all manpower? How
will undereducated citizens
find jobs? Derek Thompson,
journalist for The Atlantic,
provides thorough analysis of
this issue:
What does the “end of
work” mean, exactly? It does
not mean the imminence of
total unemployment... After
300 years of people crying
wolf there are now three broad
reasons to take seriously the
argument that the beast is at
the door: the ongoing triumph
of capital over labor, the quiet
demise of the working man,
and the impressive dexterity of
information technology.
Accordingly, 1 examine the
causes and effects of decreasing
labor demand, struggle for
young and unskilled workers,
and expert tips for avoiding
unemployment.
Recently, corporations have
replaced much of human labor
with technology. This turnover
toward advanced labor is
heightening productivity and
raising the income of qualified
workers. Statistics accentuate
the difference in employment
between AT&T and Google,
according to Thompson:
In 1964, the nation’s most
valuable company, AT&T,
was worth $267 billion in
today’s dollars and employed
758,611 people. Today’s
telecommunications giant,
Google, is worth $370 billion
but has only about 55,000
employees—less than a tenth
the size of AT&T’s worlrforce
in its heyday.
Thus, advanced technology
has significantly decreased
the number of employees
needed to operate a massive
corporation. This upgrades
companies’ efficiency, but
means less opportunities
for job-seekers with limited
education or experience.
The Bureau of Labor
Statistics addresses challenges
for certain demographics:
MICHAEL MULVEY FOR USA TODAY
Google, a media giant, employs a worlrforce of only 55,000.
The disquieting news is
that tomorrow’s workers will
have to be perpetual students
to keep up, while lesser skilled
workers will find themselves
increasingly marginalized
and sometimes, ultimately,
replaced by technology in
some form or fashion.
This statement addresses
the challenges for college-
age students and blue collar
workers. Those who are hired
receive minimal starting
salaries. The battle between
robots and humans over spots
in the labor force continues.
A proposed solution to
poverty is the universal base
income, or UBI. This policy
ensures every adult with at
least $10,000 in yearly income
for the remainder of their lives.
Countries such as Finland
and Switzerland are planning
to implement it. However,
scholars from Wall Street
Journal observe a problem:
As of 2015, the Current
Popidation Survey tells us
that 18% of unmarried males
and 23% of unmarried women
ages 25 through 54—people of
prime working age—weren't
even in the labor force.
This statistic indicates that
many able-bodied citizens
are living on someone else’s
money. This utopian resolution
would discourage people from
joining the workforce.
The current situation
contrasts sharply with
the Industrial Revolution
centuries ago. Following the
advent of new machinery,
millions of jobs were created
in factories. Now Americans
fear that machines will turn
around and confiscate jobs in
transportation, warehouse, and
fast food industries. Experts
consider this as a stimulus for
modification that was as vital
as the movement from the
agricultural to industrial age.
Thus, cultural adjustment
is just as important to cure
the paranoia that machines
are taking over the workforce.
Should we work in tandem
with automation or preserve
human spirit as John Henry
did?
Consequences of Lack of Education on the
Female Reproductive System
- ByAiAlSUNAVl
SIRIPURAPU
Although the female repro
ductive system can seem like a
taboo topic, it is essential to the
understanding of the human
body. Attitudes about anatomi
cal education have changed
very little over the years, and
many cultures discourage
speaking openly about one’s
reproductive health.
Although discussion sur
rounding reproductive health
may still be considered off-lim
its, irt today’s changing world,
computers and the internet are
making information more ac
cessible than ever, and people
are spending an increasing
amount of time online, making
the internet a valuable teaching
tool.
Although the reproductive
system is one of the most ta
boo topics to talk about openly,
it might be the most important.
Due to the fact that reproduc
ing is the biological function
of all life on the planet, the
reproductive system is impor
tant. However, there are many
more reasons than just biologi
cal necessity that make talking
openly about the female repro
ductive system so vital.
Many harmful diseases
of the reproductive system
that have seemingly harmless
symptoms are often ignored.
According to the U.S. National
Library of Medicine, diseases
of the female reproductive
system include but are not lim
ited to: Endometriosis, cervical
cancer, ovarian cancer, ectopic
pregnancy, yeast infections,
vaginal and vulvar cancer,
ovarian cysts, polycystic ovary
syndrome, uterine cancer, and
uterine polyps according to
Medline "Plus’ article on the
Female Reproductive System.
Keep in mind that these are
only a small number of the
host of diseases that affect the
female reproductive system,
not to mention sexually trans
mitted diseases.
Because the symptoms of
these diseases appear as harm
less as bloat, cramps, or fatigue,
many people ignore them until
it is too late according to Med
line Plus’ article on the Female
Reproductive System. On the
other hand, some people might
experience symptoms such as
vaginal itching or burning, but
keep quiet because of the huge
and unnecessary taboo placed
on the female reproductive
system.
A study published in the
Journal of Pediatric and Ado
lescent Gynecology in Sep
tember of2006 found that only
60.6% of urban adolescent
females surveyed had correct
knowledge of the length of
the average menstrual cycle
according to a study done by
Lawrence D’Angelo and Ani-
sha Abraham published in the
Journal of pediatric and ado
lescent gynecology in 2006.
The same study found that only
2% of these girls asked a doc
tor/nurse or information about
their menstrual cycles, and 6%
had nobody to ask for informa
tion. More distressingly, it was
found that only 37% of those
surveyed reported talking to
their healthcare provider about
dysmenorrhea, and only 14.5%
sought help for their symp
toms.
This is disturbing because
many serious reproductive
diseases such as pelvic in
flammatory disease mimic
the symptoms of dysmenor
rhea. Because dysmenorrhea
is thought to be normal, and
because of the social restric
tion of talk of the reproduc
tive system, many teenagers
ductive system, especially the
female reproductive system,
have changed very little. The
founder of Samaritan’s, Chad
Varah, started his organiza
tion because the first funeral he
had conducted as a priest was
Uterine vessels
Ovary
iVagin
Fallopian
tube
Pelvis
n
DR. TOMMASO FALCONE, CLEVELAND CLINIC: BIODIGITAL/TIIF. NEW YORK TIMES
A diagram depicting the uterus, a female reproductive organ.
do not discuss their concerns
with a medical professional.
Although the reproductive sys
tem is considered inappropri
ate, it is a very important part
of the body, and must be dis
cussed openly.
Although the reproductive
system is a crucial aspect of
the human body, certain cul
tural attitudes about the repro
that of a 14 year old girl who
had killed herself because she
thought her first period was a
sexually transmitted disease.
She is not alone, a study
done by UNICEF in 2013 re
vealed that 10% of girls in
India and 43% in Iran believe
that menstruation is a disease.
In fact, the same study also
revealed that one out of three
girls in South Asia knew noth
ing about menstruation before
getting their periods. This most
likely comes from miscon
ceptions about the menstrual
cycle, and lack of education
about the female reproductive
system. For this reason, edu
cation about the female repro
ductive system is important to
people around the world.
Another study by the Wa
ter Supply & Sanitation Col
laborative Council found that
73% of the women surveyed
referred to menstrual blood as
“dirty blood”. This shows that
not only do girls have miscon
ceptions about menstruation,
but also that it can negatively
impact the way that they see
themselves. Oftentimes, peo
ple do not have access to pu
berty education within their
schools, if they are lucky
enough to go to school.
The 2010 report Strength
ening Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene in Schools states that
schools do not typically cover
the topics of puberty and men
struation in a girl-friendly way.
By not providing adequate pu
berty and reproductive educa
tion, schools do not help girls
understand their own bodies,
further pushing the stigma and
silence surrounding menstrua
tion and the female reproduc
tive system. The reproductive
system is still very strongly
stigmatized - especially in de
veloping countries - and this
hurts girls both physically and
socially in society. It is our re
sponsibility as global citizens
to destigmatize and normalize
the reproductive system.