Social problems are quite ubiquitous in society today. They span from problems involving childhood obesity to gang violence to poverty. As one can see, the spectrum that social problems take up is quite diverse. But what makes a social problem a true social problem and not a phenomenon?
Sometimes what people see on the outside is not what is true on the inside. It is merely a mask of one’s true emotions, shielding away foreigners from what really lies with in. Why does it have to be like this? Why is it so hard to just say what you mean instead of tip toeing around the subject in hopes no one brings it up or even worse, that someone does. Many times you just want to say things so that it could be done with and out into the open. Other times, you just want to bury the truth into the eternal mind to be lost forever in a never ending vortex that is your memory. These masks that we put on can be unhealthy especially when there are too many to keep up with. By the time you know it, it is taking over your true identity, that same identity that so madly wanted to get out. The struggle has ended with a loss on its part, a loss that brings confusion and uncertainty into your life forever for you don’t know who you truly are. The masks that people wear are like Halloween costumes that you can never take off. At first you’re excited that you can be someone else, but instead of taking it off when you get tired of it, you have to keep it on forever and that initial love for it far from exists anymore. That’s when you realize that these masks aren’t worth it and that you want to be you. But that’s not possible anymore because you lost that truthful you!
As I stared at the blinking icon on my blank word document on my computer, I felt lost for ideas in which to create a paper that is informative with facts yet personal with stories and thoughts about a certain topic. It felt like my mind was lacking imaginative ideas which would not only interest me but also the reader as well. As I sat wondering, I just stared blankly at the computer screen hoping that something would eventually come to me. Within moments my attention is quickly shifted to my iPod. I listened to it for a moment, in hopes of a topic to come to mind faster. While I listened to music, the bottom on my computer screen began to flash. It was an instant message from a friend who I had not spoken to for almost a year. I begin to chat with her for a few minutes. At the end of our conversation I sat there, in front of the once again blank word document and just wondered what to write about. But I could not quite concentrate for I kept listening to my iPod and thinking about my old friend and how she contacted me after all this time. Then something popped into my mind.
Imagine yourself driving on the freeway at the posted speed limit. All of a sudden you see the car in front of you slowing down for no real apparent reason. You look around and notice that that car is the only one who is braking. So impatiently you speed up, change lanes and cut the driver off as you stare that person down angrily. What you just imagined is what you see on the road oh so often, ROAD RAGE. Road rage has been a growing problem for many years. As young drivers of the road, we must resist the temptation of really aggressive driving and realize that people on not out to make you mad; after all, they are just trying to get from point A to point B just like you are. Driving angrily on the road can only lead to unnecessary stress brought unto yourself. People must learn how to resist the rage and how to deal with those who can’t. Sometimes just by letting the stress go, you can save a life, maybe your own. But what exactly classifies as aggressive driving or road rage?
Television watching is a popular pastime for many people of this generation. It is said that more and more people are glued to the television with each passing day. Hours upon hours can be spent mesmerized in front of the set. But later, when one has had enough, he or she leaves the television and wonders what he or she has just done productively for the past few hours. Many times the result will be a few hours doing nothing that beneficial. The person may have enjoyed his or her favorite program but there is something else. Watching TV does not only mean watching one’s favorite program, it also means watching commercials. Commercials are things that people put together to get consumers to purchase a certain product. In our society today, commercials are full of various tricks and techniques that lure in potential buyers in any way possible, even though things are not as they seem in real life.
Bigger is better. This is the common theme for many things in America. People are buying bigger cars, televisions, and products from bigger stores. Small places and things seem to not be out of the norm. An increasingly number of people are shopping at places where they can buy bigger, not necessarily better, products for low prices. This is especially true for those who have a low income but still want that bigger lifestyle. Having this bigger lifestyle comes at a cost. That is why places known for low prices and a wide variety of products are so popular. This popularity started something called the “Big-Box” phenomenon. The rise of the new “Big-Box” phenomenon stems from not only the corporations themselves but also largely for the consumers who invest in it.
