Internet Addiction

Internet Addiction The use of the Internet on school campuses and in society has increased dramatically in recent years. Whereas the academic use of the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research, the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research. However, from time to time, cases of over involvement with the Internet have been observed on different campuses. The internet is not a habit. It’s an indelible feature of modern life. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by Ivan Goldberg, M. D. , in 1995. He took pathological gambling as diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- IV) as his model for the description of IAD. It is not however included in the current DSM as of 2009. IAD receives coverage in the press and possible future classification as a psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched. Online Activities which, if done in person, would normally be considered troublesome, such as compulsive gambling or shopping, are sometimes called net compulsions. Others, such as reading or playing computer games, are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life. Supporters of disorder classification often divide IAD into subtypes by activity, such as excessive viewing of pornography, overwhelming and excessive gaming, inappropriate involvement in online social networking sites or blogging, and internet shopping addiction. One counter argument is that compulsive behaviors may not themselves be addictive (http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Internet_addiction_disorder). In some respects, addictive use of the Internet resembles other so-called â€Å"process† addictions, in which a person is addicted to an activity or behavior rather than a substance (mood-altering drugs, tobacco, food, etc). People who develop problems with their Internet use may start off using the Internet on a casual basis and then progress to using the technology in dysfunctional ways. Many people believe that spending large amounts of time on the Internet is a core feature of the disorder. The amount of time by itself, however, is not as important a factor as the ways in which the person’s Internet use is interfering with their daily functioning. Use of the Internet may interfere with the person’s social life, school work, or job-related tasks at work. In addition, cases have been reported of persons entering to be a patient with that disorder in order to get attention or sympathy. Treatment options often mirror those for other addictions. Although only a limited amount of research has been done on this disorder, the treatments that have been used appear to be effective (http://www. inddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Dr. Goldberg pointed out two main characteristics of IA: using the Internet leads to constant distress; and damages physical, interpersonal, social status. People believe IA is just like the drug or cigarette addiction, but the psychiatrists believe it’s just like the gaming addiction. About 83 million Americ ans were connected to Internet in August 1999, by the year 2000 the number of those increased by 12 million. As the number of internet users’ increase, the number of internet addicts increases, and problems it causes. It is a disaster, because we only know a very few about the true nature of the internet addiction and treatment methods. According to statistic research every second internet user is an internet addict, they spend their lives at chats, forums, online games and other internet services. They cut their words and sentences to a couple of letters like AFK, BB, and MU, to save the time for internet searching. The majority of internet addicts are teenagers; people that are just have started their life, which need to stay outdoors as long as it is possible to grow up strong, smart and intelligent. But they spent their time sitting in front of the gleaming monitor, talking to virtual friends about the virtual problems of virtual people whom they have never even seen with their own eyes, and probably never will. They recognize the world through Internet information, written by faceless someone for faceless anyone. When they need a book they never go to library, instead they go to Yandex or Google, write the name of the author and the novel they need and here you go, the digital copy of eternal Dostoevsky’s â€Å"Idiot† minimized from a hundreds of pages to a couple of kilobytes. The glimmer of the monitor leads to the visual impairment, anorexia. Coffee, that helps internet users to keep their selves vigil, causes the stomach upset. It’s an irreversible process that changes the whole nature of human psychic and physic. As you can see the internet addiction is an extremely dangerous disease, and it’s very important to know how to recognize it, in order to help and save those you care about (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/index. html). According to Grohol (1999), si ce the aspects of the Internet where people are spending the greatest amount of time online has to do with social interactions, it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so â€Å"addicting†. That’s right—plain old hanging out with other people and talking with them. Whether it’s via e-mail, a discussion form, chat, or a game online (such as MUD), people are spending this time exchanging information, support, and chit-chat with other pe ople just like themselves. Would we ever characterize any time spent in the real world with friends as â€Å"addicting†? Of course not, teenagers talk on the phone for hours on end, with other people they see every day! Do we say they are addicted to the telephone? Of course not, people lose hours at a time, immersed in a book, ignoring friends and family, and often not even picking up the phone when it rings. Do we say they are addicted to the book? Of course not, if some clinicians and researchers are now going to start defining addiction as social interactions, then every real-world social relationship we have is an addictive one. Also, in potential explanations for pathological use, Young (1996) initiated telephone surveys to formally study pathological Internet use (PIU) based upon modified criteria of Pathological Gambling defined in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1995). Case studies showed that Dependents classified used the Internet an average of thirty-eight hours per week for non-academic or non-employment related purposes which caused detrimental effects such as poor grade performance among students, discord among couples, and reduce work performance among employees. This is compared to non-addicts in this study who used the Internet an average of eight hours per week with no significant consequences reported. Subsequent research on PIU based upon a self report determination of addiction was conducted utilizing online survey methods. Brenner (1996) received 185 responses in one month to his online survey regarding behavior patterns associated with the Internet. His survey showed that 17% used the Internet more than 40 hours per week, 58% said that others had complained about their excessive net usage, and 46% indicated getting less than 4 hours of sleep per night due to late night log ins. Egger (1996) received 450 responses to his online survey. Self-professed addicts in this study often looked forward their next net session, felt nervous when offline, lied about their online use, easily lost track of time, and felt the Internet caused problems on their jobs, finances, and socially. Steve Thompson (1996) developed the â€Å"McSurvey† which yielded 104 valid responses. Among respondents to his online survey, 72% felt addicted and 33% felt their internet usage had a negative effect on their lives. Surveys conducted on college campuses (Morhan-Martin, 1997; Scherer, 1997) also supported that students suffered significant academic and relationships impairment due to excessive and uncontrolled Internet usage. Formal Computer/Internet addiction treatment centers have been established at such clinical setting as Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Illinois and Harvard affiliate McLean Hospital in response to the serious impairment caused by PIU. The Internet itself is a term which represents different types of functions that are accessible online. Therefore, before discussing addictive nature of the Internet, one must examine the types of applications being used. When dependents were asked â€Å"What applications do you most utilize on the Internet? †, 35% indicated chat rooms, 28% MUDs, 15% News groups, 13% E-mail, 7% WWW, and 2% Information Protocols (e. g. gopher, ftp, etc. ). Upon examination, traditional information protocols and Web pages were the least utilized among Dependents compared to over 90% of respondents who became addicted to the two way communication functions: chat rooms, MUDs, news groups. Or e-mail. This makes the case that the database searches, while interesting and often times time-consuming are not actual reasons Dependents become addicted to the Internet. Chat rooms and MUDs were the two most utilized mediums which both allow multiple online users to simultaneously communicate in real time; similar to having a telephone conversation except in the form of typed messages. Over 1,000 users can occupy a single virtual area. Text scrolls quickly up the screen with answers, questions, or comments to one another. Privatized messages are another available option which allows only a single user to read message sent. Multi-user Dungeons, more commonly known as MUDs, differ from chat rooms as these are an electronic spin off the old Dungeon and Dragons games where players take on character roles. There are literally hundreds of different MUDs ranging in themes from space battles to medieval duels. In order to log into a MUD, a user maidens or buys weapons in a make believe role playing game (http://www. healthyplace. com/addictions/center-for-internet-addiction-recovery/what-makes-the-internet-addictive/menu-id-1105/page-2/). The initial idea behind the internet started in 1961. However, in 1993 the Internet experienced one of its largest growths and today is accessible and used by people everywhere in the world (http://www. teen-beauty-tips. com/internet-addiction. html). 21st century is distinguished with the high rate of business person. High rate of technical progress demands from us quick reaction on external changes of the world, economy and the way of life. Things that are urgent today become totally unnecessary tomorrow, so it takes much time and powers to keep in line. This constant wild race for new information, new welfare, and for being first leaves us no time for normal life, for going out with our friends, visiting the libraries, visiting our relatives, reading books, news papers, watching films, not only news. We have no time for all that, but we still have a desire to get it, so we’re looking for ways to get it with the minimal loss of time and maximal grant of pleasure. Modern science made it possible. Our dreams became true, we can buy books, films, cloth, visit different countries and our relatives, and reach our friend from the far away without leaving our flats, even without leaving our chairs. We have an Internet. With the help of internet we fill the emptiness inside us, we compensate the lack of communication and attention we need. Internet saves us from the loneliness we feel. We spend too much time working hardly so we have no strength for our pleasures. But we always have time and strength for internet, because it’s fun, informative and easy, it relaxes us. Therefore, it’s just a one side of the medal. With the lapse of time it becomes integral part of our life, you keep thinking about persons you met there, and you have no other connection with, and you’re dying to chat with them again. That’s how it starts. You may say its okay to care about someone, about your friends, and there’s nothing terrible they are just words at the contact list if behind them are real people, people you care about. Of course there’s nothing terrible, if it’s just like you say, but just for a minute try to think over, try to remember lust 6 months of your life. First you used internet to communicate with your friends because you were too exhausted to go out and had no time, but now, I bet, you missed a number of opportunities to go out with your friends in a favor of internet communication, don’t you? I also bet that first there were only those you know in real life at your contact list, and now the number of those hardly reaches 20%. Psychiatrists says that those who are not addict use internet only in order to find necessary information and keep in touch with their friends they knew before, but the addicts constantly surfing internet, without any important reason and multiplies the number of virtual friends they’ve never met in the real life, and never will. Thus, internet is very attractive for person as a way of escaping from the reality through the anonymous interactions, which gives an opportunity to express oneself without risk of being ridicule or misunderstood. It’s an opportunity to bring to life some fantasies and desires with a feedback, and, of course, unlimited access to the information, so called informational necrosadism (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/the_origin_of_internet_addiction. html). The term â€Å"addiction† is borrowed from psychologist’s lexicon, to stress that internet attachment is a problem; it’s not just a hobby or the way to spend time and communicate, and it’s a serious disorder of mind and psychic. Internet is very attractive for teenagers as it’s totally anonymous. Teenagers often have an inferiority complex because of their appearance or other criteria’s, and internet gives them an opportunity to find soul mates, someone to share their feelings and pain with. First it helps them not to feel lonely, but in time it turns them to hermit, and they lose their connection with real world, and may even become maniacs. Some scientists distinguish 5 types of Internet Addiction: Pornography Online games Online Gambling Online Shopping Chat rooms/Virtual dating addiction (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of the VCR, the DVD, and the Internet, as well as the emergence of social attitudes more tolerant of sexual portrayals. Performers in pornography are referred to as pornographic actors (or actresses), or the more commonly known title â€Å"porn star† and are generally seen as qualitatively different from their mainstream counterparts. Amateur pornography has become widely popular and generally distributed via the Internet for free (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pornography). The second addiction is online games. Online games is defined as a common cause if computer addiction. It is consist of multi-player games via the internet. This is where the player assumes a character in the game and plays against other people from all around the world. There are many internet games on the market and some of them have millions upon millions of players worldwide. The majority of the players involved enjoy just a casual game after school, work, or at weekends. A minority, however, have become so addicted, and alarmingly so, that they are spending upwards of 12 hours per day playing the game they are addicted to. Reports have come in that some people have been playing around the clock and not eating or sleeping for days and days because they do not want to leave the computer and the character they are pretending to be (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Moreover, the rising of Flash and Java led to an Internet revolution where websites could utilize streaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user interactivity. When Microsoft began packaging Flash as a pre-installed component of IE, the Internet began to shift from data/information spectrum to also offer on-demand entertainment. This revolution paved by the way for sites to offer games to web surfers. Some online multiplayer games like World of War craft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge a monthly fee to subscribe to their services, while games such as Guild Wars offer an alternative no monthly fee scheme. Many other sites relied on advertising revenues from on site sponsors, while others, like RuneScape, let people play for free while leaving the players the option of paying, unlocking new content for the members. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, many sites solely relying on advertising revenue dollars faced extreme adversity. Despite the decreasing profitability of online gaming websites, some sites have survived the fluctuating and market by offsetting the advertising revenue loss by using the content as a cross-promotion tool for driving web visitors to other websites that the company owns. The term online gaming in many circles is being strictly defined to describe games that do not involve wagering, although many still use the term online gaming synonymously with online gambling (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_game). The third one is, online Gambling. These are possibly the most damaging of all computer addictions. These millions of dollar a year businesses make their money by sucking addicts of their money. The thrill of possible winning by gambling is very real and has never been easier since the onset of online casinos and other forms of online gambling. Serious debts have been incurred by these computer addicts. Some have even lost everything, their family, homes, possessions, and even more extreme, their lives. There are organizations that specifically deal with this kind of computer addiction and they have helped many thousands of people to get rid of this damaging addiction and have been able to give advice on helping to pull their lives back together again (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). There are 4 types of Online gambling, these are, online casinos, online sports betting, online bingo and mobile gambling. There are a large number of online casinos, in which people can play casino games such as roulette, blackjack, pachinko, baccarat and many others. These games are played against the â€Å"house†, which makes money due to the fact that the odds are in its favor. Online Sports Betting, bookmakers, spread betting firms and betting exchanges offer a variety of ways to wager over the Internet on the results of sporting events, the most popular being fixed-odds gambling. Online bingo is the game of bingo played on the Internet. Global betting and Gaming consultants estimates the global gross gaming yield of bingo was $0. billion USD in 2006; they forecast it will grow to $1. 0 billion USD by 2010. Unlike balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a random number generator. The online bingo play works almost exactly like playing online poker or online casino games with everything being virtual. Most bingo halls also offer links to online poker and casino offerings. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality. Successful online bingo sites foster a sense of community and interaction between players. And lastly, mobile gambling, it refers to gambling done on a remote wirelessly connected device. These devices can include wireless tablet PC’s, mobile phones and other non traditional mid-level networked computing devices. Some online casinos and online poker card rooms offer mobile options. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_gambling). The Fourth internet addiction is online shopping, in this kind of addiction comes in the form of many kinds. There is the person who is addicted to buying items from the many online shops. Then there is the person who is addicted to auction type buying. Either one could put a person in debt in a matter of seconds. Just one click the mouse could take money from their credit card and rack up enormous debts. This type of addiction usually starts with small purchases and paying with their credit card. Many small purchases of this kind then add up to many thousands of dollars. The thrill of bidding on an item in an online auction and then overbidding just to win the item (which they may not really want anyway) does cause addiction. Once the item has been bid on and won, a contract has been entered into. A very easy addiction to get into but very hard to get out once the debt has set in (http://ezinearticles. om/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Furthermore, online shopping is the process of buying goods and services from merchants who sell on the Internet. Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, merchants have sought to sell their products to people who surf the Internet. Shoppers can visit web stores from the comfort of their homes and shop as they sit in front of the computer. Consumer s buy a variety of items from online stores. In fact, people can purchase just about anything from companies that provide their products online. Books, clothing, household appliances, toys, hardware, software, and health insurance are just some of the hundreds of products consumers can buy from an online store (http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-online-shopping. htm). (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Also, Virtual Dating Addiction is a disease of outsiders. One can’t find person with the same interests, passions or views in real life, among schoolmates, so he is looking for them at chats, forums, ICQ. On the one hand it’s normal, it helps not to become a self-contain hermit, but on the other hand person lose connection with the real life. He or she has no need in it anymore, one already have a true friends, who cares they’re just a letters and symbols if they are soul-mates, but in a few month we have the same problem – teenager becomes a hermit (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). One symptom of Internet addiction is excessive time devoted to Internet use. A person might have difficulty cutting down on his or her online time when they are threatened with poor grades or loss of a job. There have been cases reported of college students failing courses because they would not take time off from Internet use to attend classes. Other symptoms of addiction may include lack of sleep, fatigue, declining grades or poor job performance, apathy, and racing thought. There may also be a decreased investment in social relationships and activities. A person may lie about how much time was spent online or deny that they have a problem. They may be irritable when offline, or angry toward anyone who questions their time on the Internet (http://www. minddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Skipping meals. When you skip a meal just because you’re enjoying what you are doing in front of the computer, your body reacts with what I like to call â€Å"famine mode†. What I mean by that is that our internal workings tell us that we need food to survive, and if we don’t have it we must find it quickly. Even though we, ourselves, know that we can go at anytime of the day to get nutrients. Human nature hasn’t evolved in such a way that we don’t have primal human instincts and going too long without food makes us eat way too much at the next opportunity. Any food that we do eat, after skipping a meal, will be stored as fats so that in the even of another skipped meal (famine) we will be able to fall back on that stored fat for survival. The problem with this stored fat is that we never reach the point that we can burn it off, so it translates on the scales in excess weight. There are three major consequences of skipping a meal: Poor Performance, Foggy Head and Binging (calorie loading). However, stress is another contributor to people skipping meals. Stress hormones can actually stop the feeling of â€Å"hunger†. This doesn’t mean that your body isn’t starving for nutrients (http://www. inchesweightloss. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=85:skipping-meals-is-never-a-good-idea&catid=12:blog&Itemid=82). Working with computers can sometimes be stressful. And dealing with computer stress is really no different than dealing with any other type of stress in life. The more you understand and focus upon the underlying causes computer stress, the better you will fare in trying to cope with it. There are ten (10) common causes of computer related stress: Failing to Anticipate Problems Trying to Get by on the Cheap Failing to Ask for Help Failing to Relate to Stress as Feedback Trying to Cut Corners Unrealistic Expectations Beating Up On Yourself Unnecessarily Conflicts with Other People Failing to Do Your Homework and Compromising Your Own or Other’s Integrity http://stresscure. com/hrn/common. html). Stress symptoms commonly include a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion, as well as irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physiological reactions such as headache and elevated heart rate (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stress_(biology))) ). Backache is one of the most common ailments prevalent today. Sedentary living habits, hazardous work patterns and psychological conditions associated with emotional stress, which bring about spasm of the muscles, cause backaches. As the back bears the weight of the entire body, overweight persons feel the strain on the back when they have to carry an extra load. In most cases of backache, the pain is usually felt either in the middle of the back or lower down. It may spread to both sides of the waist and the hips. In a condition of acute pain, the patient is unable to move and is bedridden. About 90% of backache patients suffer from what is called cervical and lumbar spondylosis. It is a degenerative disorder in which the different vertebrae adhere to each other through bony unions. As a result of this, the spine loses its flexibility (http://www. ome-remedies-for-you. com/remedy/Backache. html). On the other hand, Internet Dependency is also one of the signs or symptoms of being an internet addict. Internet Dependency is a term for excessive use of the Internet to the detriment of one’s physical, psychological, social, or vocational well- being. The majority of Americans and virtually all college stud ents now use the Internet as a source of information and entertainment on at least an occasional basis. Most use it on a regular basis without becoming dependent upon it. However, for some, involvement on the internet begins to have serious, negative consequences. When such consequences are minimized or ignored while Internet use increases, Internet dependency is occurring. Excessive Internet use may revolve around chat rooms, pornography; database searches; blogging; gambling; gaming; shopping; or any number of other online activities. As of 2005, it is estimated that 6% of users are Internet dependent. Being too dependent on the internet may also lead us to Tolerance, Withdrawal and Compulsive Use of Internet that may harm ourselves (http://www. villanova. edu/studentlife/counselingcenter/infosheets/psych_topics. htm? page=internet_depend. tm). Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and/or alcohol or not in front of the computer. The individual feels very uncomfortable, obnoxious or irritable if not engaged in the behavior after sometime. Compulsi ve Use or Craving. The individual feels a strong compelling need or urge to engage in the behavior, and thereafter plans for the next opportunity to perform the behavior. About 25% of the people in the world are active Internet users. More than 100 million Facebook users log on at least once per day. Nine blogs are created each minute. As advancements in Internet technology continue to make the world smaller and smaller, new users are plugging into the Net at an unbelievable pace. But what happens when these users are logging too often? Where do you draw the line between harmless and harmful? Many experts today are asking these questions about Internet usage. The internet can be a valuable tool for accessing information, making connections, and maintaining relationships. People all over the world use their cell phones, laptops, and home computers to access the Internet and branch out in all directions on the information superhighway. But for some, one wrong turn changes the Internet from a mode of communication to a medium of compulsion. Of course, this process seems a little extreme for the everyday Internet user. But think about it: have you ever felt that nagging urge to check your email or Facebook on your iPhone right after you checked it on your laptop? Does receiving a new e-mail or stumbling upon a new website put a smile on your face? Sometimes simple daily pleasure like hese can slowly lead to serious compulsive behaviors (http://neuroanthropology. net/2009/05/28/caught-in-the-net-the-internet-compulsion/). Along with all the positive influence of the Internet, there will always be some negative effects on it. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or median neuropathy is a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist. It occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms usually start gradually, with pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. As symptoms worsen, people might feel tingling during the day, decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. In some cases no direct cause of the syndrome can be identified. Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition – the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. However, the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome especially, common in those performing assembly line work (http://www. ninds. nih. gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/carpal_tunnel. htm). Dry Eyes Syndrome is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye. Its consequences range from subtle but constant irritation to ocular inflammation of the anterior (front) tissues of the eye. Dry eyes also are described by the medical term, keratitis sicca, which generally means decreased quality or quantity of tears. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca refers to eye dryness affecting the cornea and conjunctiva (http://www. allaboutvision. com/conditions/dryeye. htm). Migraine Headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain. Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nervous system in the body. The sympathetic nervous system is often thought of as the part of the nervous system that controls primitive responses to stress and pain, the so-called â€Å"fight or flight† response, and this activation causes many of the symptoms Internet Addiction Internet Addiction The use of the Internet on school campuses and in society has increased dramatically in recent years. Whereas the academic use of the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research, the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research. However, from time to time, cases of over involvement with the Internet have been observed on different campuses. The internet is not a habit. It’s an indelible feature of modern life. Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by Ivan Goldberg, M. D. , in 1995. He took pathological gambling as diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- IV) as his model for the description of IAD. It is not however included in the current DSM as of 2009. IAD receives coverage in the press and possible future classification as a psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched. Online Activities which, if done in person, would normally be considered troublesome, such as compulsive gambling or shopping, are sometimes called net compulsions. Others, such as reading or playing computer games, are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life. Supporters of disorder classification often divide IAD into subtypes by activity, such as excessive viewing of pornography, overwhelming and excessive gaming, inappropriate involvement in online social networking sites or blogging, and internet shopping addiction. One counter argument is that compulsive behaviors may not themselves be addictive (http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Internet_addiction_disorder). In some respects, addictive use of the Internet resembles other so-called â€Å"process† addictions, in which a person is addicted to an activity or behavior rather than a substance (mood-altering drugs, tobacco, food, etc). People who develop problems with their Internet use may start off using the Internet on a casual basis and then progress to using the technology in dysfunctional ways. Many people believe that spending large amounts of time on the Internet is a core feature of the disorder. The amount of time by itself, however, is not as important a factor as the ways in which the person’s Internet use is interfering with their daily functioning. Use of the Internet may interfere with the person’s social life, school work, or job-related tasks at work. In addition, cases have been reported of persons entering to be a patient with that disorder in order to get attention or sympathy. Treatment options often mirror those for other addictions. Although only a limited amount of research has been done on this disorder, the treatments that have been used appear to be effective (http://www. inddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Dr. Goldberg pointed out two main characteristics of IA: using the Internet leads to constant distress; and damages physical, interpersonal, social status. People believe IA is just like the drug or cigarette addiction, but the psychiatrists believe it’s just like the gaming addiction. About 83 million Americ ans were connected to Internet in August 1999, by the year 2000 the number of those increased by 12 million. As the number of internet users’ increase, the number of internet addicts increases, and problems it causes. It is a disaster, because we only know a very few about the true nature of the internet addiction and treatment methods. According to statistic research every second internet user is an internet addict, they spend their lives at chats, forums, online games and other internet services. They cut their words and sentences to a couple of letters like AFK, BB, and MU, to save the time for internet searching. The majority of internet addicts are teenagers; people that are just have started their life, which need to stay outdoors as long as it is possible to grow up strong, smart and intelligent. But they spent their time sitting in front of the gleaming monitor, talking to virtual friends about the virtual problems of virtual people whom they have never even seen with their own eyes, and probably never will. They recognize the world through Internet information, written by faceless someone for faceless anyone. When they need a book they never go to library, instead they go to Yandex or Google, write the name of the author and the novel they need and here you go, the digital copy of eternal Dostoevsky’s â€Å"Idiot† minimized from a hundreds of pages to a couple of kilobytes. The glimmer of the monitor leads to the visual impairment, anorexia. Coffee, that helps internet users to keep their selves vigil, causes the stomach upset. It’s an irreversible process that changes the whole nature of human psychic and physic. As you can see the internet addiction is an extremely dangerous disease, and it’s very important to know how to recognize it, in order to help and save those you care about (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/index. html). According to Grohol (1999), si ce the aspects of the Internet where people are spending the greatest amount of time online has to do with social interactions, it would appear that socialization is what makes the Internet so â€Å"addicting†. That’s right—plain old hanging out with other people and talking with them. Whether it’s via e-mail, a discussion form, chat, or a game online (such as MUD), people are spending this time exchanging information, support, and chit-chat with other pe ople just like themselves. Would we ever characterize any time spent in the real world with friends as â€Å"addicting†? Of course not, teenagers talk on the phone for hours on end, with other people they see every day! Do we say they are addicted to the telephone? Of course not, people lose hours at a time, immersed in a book, ignoring friends and family, and often not even picking up the phone when it rings. Do we say they are addicted to the book? Of course not, if some clinicians and researchers are now going to start defining addiction as social interactions, then every real-world social relationship we have is an addictive one. Also, in potential explanations for pathological use, Young (1996) initiated telephone surveys to formally study pathological Internet use (PIU) based upon modified criteria of Pathological Gambling defined in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1995). Case studies showed that Dependents classified used the Internet an average of thirty-eight hours per week for non-academic or non-employment related purposes which caused detrimental effects such as poor grade performance among students, discord among couples, and reduce work performance among employees. This is compared to non-addicts in this study who used the Internet an average of eight hours per week with no significant consequences reported. Subsequent research on PIU based upon a self report determination of addiction was conducted utilizing online survey methods. Brenner (1996) received 185 responses in one month to his online survey regarding behavior patterns associated with the Internet. His survey showed that 17% used the Internet more than 40 hours per week, 58% said that others had complained about their excessive net usage, and 46% indicated getting less than 4 hours of sleep per night due to late night log ins. Egger (1996) received 450 responses to his online survey. Self-professed addicts in this study often looked forward their next net session, felt nervous when offline, lied about their online use, easily lost track of time, and felt the Internet caused problems on their jobs, finances, and socially. Steve Thompson (1996) developed the â€Å"McSurvey† which yielded 104 valid responses. Among respondents to his online survey, 72% felt addicted and 33% felt their internet usage had a negative effect on their lives. Surveys conducted on college campuses (Morhan-Martin, 1997; Scherer, 1997) also supported that students suffered significant academic and relationships impairment due to excessive and uncontrolled Internet usage. Formal Computer/Internet addiction treatment centers have been established at such clinical setting as Proctor Hospital in Peoria, Illinois and Harvard affiliate McLean Hospital in response to the serious impairment caused by PIU. The Internet itself is a term which represents different types of functions that are accessible online. Therefore, before discussing addictive nature of the Internet, one must examine the types of applications being used. When dependents were asked â€Å"What applications do you most utilize on the Internet? †, 35% indicated chat rooms, 28% MUDs, 15% News groups, 13% E-mail, 7% WWW, and 2% Information Protocols (e. g. gopher, ftp, etc. ). Upon examination, traditional information protocols and Web pages were the least utilized among Dependents compared to over 90% of respondents who became addicted to the two way communication functions: chat rooms, MUDs, news groups. Or e-mail. This makes the case that the database searches, while interesting and often times time-consuming are not actual reasons Dependents become addicted to the Internet. Chat rooms and MUDs were the two most utilized mediums which both allow multiple online users to simultaneously communicate in real time; similar to having a telephone conversation except in the form of typed messages. Over 1,000 users can occupy a single virtual area. Text scrolls quickly up the screen with answers, questions, or comments to one another. Privatized messages are another available option which allows only a single user to read message sent. Multi-user Dungeons, more commonly known as MUDs, differ from chat rooms as these are an electronic spin off the old Dungeon and Dragons games where players take on character roles. There are literally hundreds of different MUDs ranging in themes from space battles to medieval duels. In order to log into a MUD, a user maidens or buys weapons in a make believe role playing game (http://www. healthyplace. com/addictions/center-for-internet-addiction-recovery/what-makes-the-internet-addictive/menu-id-1105/page-2/). The initial idea behind the internet started in 1961. However, in 1993 the Internet experienced one of its largest growths and today is accessible and used by people everywhere in the world (http://www. teen-beauty-tips. com/internet-addiction. html). 21st century is distinguished with the high rate of business person. High rate of technical progress demands from us quick reaction on external changes of the world, economy and the way of life. Things that are urgent today become totally unnecessary tomorrow, so it takes much time and powers to keep in line. This constant wild race for new information, new welfare, and for being first leaves us no time for normal life, for going out with our friends, visiting the libraries, visiting our relatives, reading books, news papers, watching films, not only news. We have no time for all that, but we still have a desire to get it, so we’re looking for ways to get it with the minimal loss of time and maximal grant of pleasure. Modern science made it possible. Our dreams became true, we can buy books, films, cloth, visit different countries and our relatives, and reach our friend from the far away without leaving our flats, even without leaving our chairs. We have an Internet. With the help of internet we fill the emptiness inside us, we compensate the lack of communication and attention we need. Internet saves us from the loneliness we feel. We spend too much time working hardly so we have no strength for our pleasures. But we always have time and strength for internet, because it’s fun, informative and easy, it relaxes us. Therefore, it’s just a one side of the medal. With the lapse of time it becomes integral part of our life, you keep thinking about persons you met there, and you have no other connection with, and you’re dying to chat with them again. That’s how it starts. You may say its okay to care about someone, about your friends, and there’s nothing terrible they are just words at the contact list if behind them are real people, people you care about. Of course there’s nothing terrible, if it’s just like you say, but just for a minute try to think over, try to remember lust 6 months of your life. First you used internet to communicate with your friends because you were too exhausted to go out and had no time, but now, I bet, you missed a number of opportunities to go out with your friends in a favor of internet communication, don’t you? I also bet that first there were only those you know in real life at your contact list, and now the number of those hardly reaches 20%. Psychiatrists says that those who are not addict use internet only in order to find necessary information and keep in touch with their friends they knew before, but the addicts constantly surfing internet, without any important reason and multiplies the number of virtual friends they’ve never met in the real life, and never will. Thus, internet is very attractive for person as a way of escaping from the reality through the anonymous interactions, which gives an opportunity to express oneself without risk of being ridicule or misunderstood. It’s an opportunity to bring to life some fantasies and desires with a feedback, and, of course, unlimited access to the information, so called informational necrosadism (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/the_origin_of_internet_addiction. html). The term â€Å"addiction† is borrowed from psychologist’s lexicon, to stress that internet attachment is a problem; it’s not just a hobby or the way to spend time and communicate, and it’s a serious disorder of mind and psychic. Internet is very attractive for teenagers as it’s totally anonymous. Teenagers often have an inferiority complex because of their appearance or other criteria’s, and internet gives them an opportunity to find soul mates, someone to share their feelings and pain with. First it helps them not to feel lonely, but in time it turns them to hermit, and they lose their connection with real world, and may even become maniacs. Some scientists distinguish 5 types of Internet Addiction: Pornography Online games Online Gambling Online Shopping Chat rooms/Virtual dating addiction (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). Over the past few decades, an immense industry for the production and consumption of pornography has grown, with the increasing use of the VCR, the DVD, and the Internet, as well as the emergence of social attitudes more tolerant of sexual portrayals. Performers in pornography are referred to as pornographic actors (or actresses), or the more commonly known title â€Å"porn star† and are generally seen as qualitatively different from their mainstream counterparts. Amateur pornography has become widely popular and generally distributed via the Internet for free (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pornography). The second addiction is online games. Online games is defined as a common cause if computer addiction. It is consist of multi-player games via the internet. This is where the player assumes a character in the game and plays against other people from all around the world. There are many internet games on the market and some of them have millions upon millions of players worldwide. The majority of the players involved enjoy just a casual game after school, work, or at weekends. A minority, however, have become so addicted, and alarmingly so, that they are spending upwards of 12 hours per day playing the game they are addicted to. Reports have come in that some people have been playing around the clock and not eating or sleeping for days and days because they do not want to leave the computer and the character they are pretending to be (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Moreover, the rising of Flash and Java led to an Internet revolution where websites could utilize streaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user interactivity. When Microsoft began packaging Flash as a pre-installed component of IE, the Internet began to shift from data/information spectrum to also offer on-demand entertainment. This revolution paved by the way for sites to offer games to web surfers. Some online multiplayer games like World of War craft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge a monthly fee to subscribe to their services, while games such as Guild Wars offer an alternative no monthly fee scheme. Many other sites relied on advertising revenues from on site sponsors, while others, like RuneScape, let people play for free while leaving the players the option of paying, unlocking new content for the members. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, many sites solely relying on advertising revenue dollars faced extreme adversity. Despite the decreasing profitability of online gaming websites, some sites have survived the fluctuating and market by offsetting the advertising revenue loss by using the content as a cross-promotion tool for driving web visitors to other websites that the company owns. The term online gaming in many circles is being strictly defined to describe games that do not involve wagering, although many still use the term online gaming synonymously with online gambling (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_game). The third one is, online Gambling. These are possibly the most damaging of all computer addictions. These millions of dollar a year businesses make their money by sucking addicts of their money. The thrill of possible winning by gambling is very real and has never been easier since the onset of online casinos and other forms of online gambling. Serious debts have been incurred by these computer addicts. Some have even lost everything, their family, homes, possessions, and even more extreme, their lives. There are organizations that specifically deal with this kind of computer addiction and they have helped many thousands of people to get rid of this damaging addiction and have been able to give advice on helping to pull their lives back together again (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). There are 4 types of Online gambling, these are, online casinos, online sports betting, online bingo and mobile gambling. There are a large number of online casinos, in which people can play casino games such as roulette, blackjack, pachinko, baccarat and many others. These games are played against the â€Å"house†, which makes money due to the fact that the odds are in its favor. Online Sports Betting, bookmakers, spread betting firms and betting exchanges offer a variety of ways to wager over the Internet on the results of sporting events, the most popular being fixed-odds gambling. Online bingo is the game of bingo played on the Internet. Global betting and Gaming consultants estimates the global gross gaming yield of bingo was $0. billion USD in 2006; they forecast it will grow to $1. 0 billion USD by 2010. Unlike balls used in regular bingo halls, online bingo sites use a random number generator. The online bingo play works almost exactly like playing online poker or online casino games with everything being virtual. Most bingo halls also offer links to online poker and casino offerings. One notable feature of online bingo is the chat functionality. Successful online bingo sites foster a sense of community and interaction between players. And lastly, mobile gambling, it refers to gambling done on a remote wirelessly connected device. These devices can include wireless tablet PC’s, mobile phones and other non traditional mid-level networked computing devices. Some online casinos and online poker card rooms offer mobile options. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Online_gambling). The Fourth internet addiction is online shopping, in this kind of addiction comes in the form of many kinds. There is the person who is addicted to buying items from the many online shops. Then there is the person who is addicted to auction type buying. Either one could put a person in debt in a matter of seconds. Just one click the mouse could take money from their credit card and rack up enormous debts. This type of addiction usually starts with small purchases and paying with their credit card. Many small purchases of this kind then add up to many thousands of dollars. The thrill of bidding on an item in an online auction and then overbidding just to win the item (which they may not really want anyway) does cause addiction. Once the item has been bid on and won, a contract has been entered into. A very easy addiction to get into but very hard to get out once the debt has set in (http://ezinearticles. om/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Furthermore, online shopping is the process of buying goods and services from merchants who sell on the Internet. Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, merchants have sought to sell their products to people who surf the Internet. Shoppers can visit web stores from the comfort of their homes and shop as they sit in front of the computer. Consumer s buy a variety of items from online stores. In fact, people can purchase just about anything from companies that provide their products online. Books, clothing, household appliances, toys, hardware, software, and health insurance are just some of the hundreds of products consumers can buy from an online store (http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-online-shopping. htm). (http://ezinearticles. com/? Types-of-Computer-Addiction&id=551846). Also, Virtual Dating Addiction is a disease of outsiders. One can’t find person with the same interests, passions or views in real life, among schoolmates, so he is looking for them at chats, forums, ICQ. On the one hand it’s normal, it helps not to become a self-contain hermit, but on the other hand person lose connection with the real life. He or she has no need in it anymore, one already have a true friends, who cares they’re just a letters and symbols if they are soul-mates, but in a few month we have the same problem – teenager becomes a hermit (http://www. thelanaddiction. com/types_of_internet_addiction. html). One symptom of Internet addiction is excessive time devoted to Internet use. A person might have difficulty cutting down on his or her online time when they are threatened with poor grades or loss of a job. There have been cases reported of college students failing courses because they would not take time off from Internet use to attend classes. Other symptoms of addiction may include lack of sleep, fatigue, declining grades or poor job performance, apathy, and racing thought. There may also be a decreased investment in social relationships and activities. A person may lie about how much time was spent online or deny that they have a problem. They may be irritable when offline, or angry toward anyone who questions their time on the Internet (http://www. minddisorders. com/Flu-Inv/Internet-addiction-disorder. html). Skipping meals. When you skip a meal just because you’re enjoying what you are doing in front of the computer, your body reacts with what I like to call â€Å"famine mode†. What I mean by that is that our internal workings tell us that we need food to survive, and if we don’t have it we must find it quickly. Even though we, ourselves, know that we can go at anytime of the day to get nutrients. Human nature hasn’t evolved in such a way that we don’t have primal human instincts and going too long without food makes us eat way too much at the next opportunity. Any food that we do eat, after skipping a meal, will be stored as fats so that in the even of another skipped meal (famine) we will be able to fall back on that stored fat for survival. The problem with this stored fat is that we never reach the point that we can burn it off, so it translates on the scales in excess weight. There are three major consequences of skipping a meal: Poor Performance, Foggy Head and Binging (calorie loading). However, stress is another contributor to people skipping meals. Stress hormones can actually stop the feeling of â€Å"hunger†. This doesn’t mean that your body isn’t starving for nutrients (http://www. inchesweightloss. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=85:skipping-meals-is-never-a-good-idea&catid=12:blog&Itemid=82). Working with computers can sometimes be stressful. And dealing with computer stress is really no different than dealing with any other type of stress in life. The more you understand and focus upon the underlying causes computer stress, the better you will fare in trying to cope with it. There are ten (10) common causes of computer related stress: Failing to Anticipate Problems Trying to Get by on the Cheap Failing to Ask for Help Failing to Relate to Stress as Feedback Trying to Cut Corners Unrealistic Expectations Beating Up On Yourself Unnecessarily Conflicts with Other People Failing to Do Your Homework and Compromising Your Own or Other’s Integrity http://stresscure. com/hrn/common. html). Stress symptoms commonly include a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion, as well as irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physiological reactions such as headache and elevated heart rate (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Stress_(biology))) ). Backache is one of the most common ailments prevalent today. Sedentary living habits, hazardous work patterns and psychological conditions associated with emotional stress, which bring about spasm of the muscles, cause backaches. As the back bears the weight of the entire body, overweight persons feel the strain on the back when they have to carry an extra load. In most cases of backache, the pain is usually felt either in the middle of the back or lower down. It may spread to both sides of the waist and the hips. In a condition of acute pain, the patient is unable to move and is bedridden. About 90% of backache patients suffer from what is called cervical and lumbar spondylosis. It is a degenerative disorder in which the different vertebrae adhere to each other through bony unions. As a result of this, the spine loses its flexibility (http://www. ome-remedies-for-you. com/remedy/Backache. html). On the other hand, Internet Dependency is also one of the signs or symptoms of being an internet addict. Internet Dependency is a term for excessive use of the Internet to the detriment of one’s physical, psychological, social, or vocational well- being. The majority of Americans and virtually all college stud ents now use the Internet as a source of information and entertainment on at least an occasional basis. Most use it on a regular basis without becoming dependent upon it. However, for some, involvement on the internet begins to have serious, negative consequences. When such consequences are minimized or ignored while Internet use increases, Internet dependency is occurring. Excessive Internet use may revolve around chat rooms, pornography; database searches; blogging; gambling; gaming; shopping; or any number of other online activities. As of 2005, it is estimated that 6% of users are Internet dependent. Being too dependent on the internet may also lead us to Tolerance, Withdrawal and Compulsive Use of Internet that may harm ourselves (http://www. villanova. edu/studentlife/counselingcenter/infosheets/psych_topics. htm? page=internet_depend. tm). Withdrawal can refer to any sort of separation, but is most commonly used to describe the group of symptoms that occurs upon the abrupt discontinuation/separation or a decrease in dosage of the intake of medications, recreational drugs, and/or alcohol or not in front of the computer. The individual feels very uncomfortable, obnoxious or irritable if not engaged in the behavior after sometime. Compulsi ve Use or Craving. The individual feels a strong compelling need or urge to engage in the behavior, and thereafter plans for the next opportunity to perform the behavior. About 25% of the people in the world are active Internet users. More than 100 million Facebook users log on at least once per day. Nine blogs are created each minute. As advancements in Internet technology continue to make the world smaller and smaller, new users are plugging into the Net at an unbelievable pace. But what happens when these users are logging too often? Where do you draw the line between harmless and harmful? Many experts today are asking these questions about Internet usage. The internet can be a valuable tool for accessing information, making connections, and maintaining relationships. People all over the world use their cell phones, laptops, and home computers to access the Internet and branch out in all directions on the information superhighway. But for some, one wrong turn changes the Internet from a mode of communication to a medium of compulsion. Of course, this process seems a little extreme for the everyday Internet user. But think about it: have you ever felt that nagging urge to check your email or Facebook on your iPhone right after you checked it on your laptop? Does receiving a new e-mail or stumbling upon a new website put a smile on your face? Sometimes simple daily pleasure like hese can slowly lead to serious compulsive behaviors (http://neuroanthropology. net/2009/05/28/caught-in-the-net-the-internet-compulsion/). Along with all the positive influence of the Internet, there will always be some negative effects on it. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or median neuropathy is a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist. It occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms usually start gradually, with pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm. As symptoms worsen, people might feel tingling during the day, decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. In some cases no direct cause of the syndrome can be identified. Most likely the disorder is due to a congenital predisposition – the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others. However, the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome especially, common in those performing assembly line work (http://www. ninds. nih. gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/carpal_tunnel. htm). Dry Eyes Syndrome is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication and moisture in the eye. Its consequences range from subtle but constant irritation to ocular inflammation of the anterior (front) tissues of the eye. Dry eyes also are described by the medical term, keratitis sicca, which generally means decreased quality or quantity of tears. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca refers to eye dryness affecting the cornea and conjunctiva (http://www. allaboutvision. com/conditions/dryeye. htm). Migraine Headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain. Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nervous system in the body. The sympathetic nervous system is often thought of as the part of the nervous system that controls primitive responses to stress and pain, the so-called â€Å"fight or flight† response, and this activation causes many of the symptoms

For rich and poor in Russia Essay

I leaned my back on my big black chair. The cushion, now deep and saggy, still feels comfortable. It has been ten long years of sitting on the same chair yet I can still feel its soft leather and now dilapidated covers. This high-back chair has been with me since day one. It surely has witnessed countless heated arguments with my staff, serious conversations with directors, even termination scenes with employees. Today, as I am about to make the biggest decision for the company, the chair will once more bear witness to my decision-making. So I reached for the topmost document from a pile of white papers on my desk. This was from yesterday’s presentation. It read, â€Å"Strategy for Expansion,† with bold letters that seemed to be screaming at me. Yes, after ten long years of doing business, we have finally decided to widen our horizons and look for other markets to tap into. I stretched my feet under the table, putting back the document I sighed and asked myself, â€Å"Are we ready to do this? † â€Å"Sir, everyone is waiting for you in the boardroom,† my secretary interrupted. This is just one of the vivid scenes recurring to me whenever I think about my future career. Indeed I aspire to sit on the manager’s chair of a successful company in my home country of Russia. Yet the road towards that aspiration is long and bumpy, not to mention competitive and challenging especially in today’s business world. As this is the case, I deem that I need top-notch and excellent education and rigid practical training from a prestigious educational institution. Hence, I have chosen the European School of Economics to major in International Business. Primarily, I regard that an international learning environment offered by ESE is crucial in today’s competitive business world so as to prepare and train me in building a career in business especially in this time of globalization. Since ESE is home to students of different nationalities and allows free movement between the centers in London, New York, Rome, Milan, and Florence, I am certain to experience a dynamic, interesting, and challenging academic environment necessary in today’s competitive atmosphere of business. ESE will further hone my skills and strengthen my knowledge in preparation for my entry into the global marketplace by providing practical training or real-life application of business theories and perspectives through exposure and involvement in creating strategic plans, managing international projects, and addressing various challenges in today’s global business environment. Evidence of ESE’s capacity to do this is the myriad of graduates who are the movers and shakers in the business field occupying positions in management, organizational operations, marketing, and customer care, among others. Another testament to ESE’s ability to educate me excellently are the recognitions it has received. In fact, ESE programs have been validated by the highest ranked university by British students and the only independent university in the United Kingdom, the University of Buckingham. It is also accredited by the British Accreditation Council. Furthermore, I have been drawn to ESE’s philosophy of not just assisting students in choosing a career that suits them but more so encouraging them to fulfill their goals by chasing their dreams and doing what they love. This kind of encouraging environment will definitely ease the stress and pressures attached with higher education, not to mention bring fun and active spirit amidst academic requirements. Moreover, another significant factor in choosing ESE is its revered internship program. Since the school has established relationships with successful global companies, I am guaranteed to gain the needed exposure and adequate training necessary before entering the real business world. Particularly in my chosen major where I will be exposed to three internship placements, I will have the opportunity to explore which field I may be good at, to assess my own skills for future practice, and to earn the trust and confidence of employers for future employment options. Above all, I have chosen ESE, particularly the Bachelor’s Degree in International Business because of the quality of education that I will receive should I be accepted in the said program. Included in this quality education are the analytical and critical thinking skills that I will acquire, which will aid me in future organizational decisions. Furthermore, the kind of learning I will gain in the said program will give me a deep comprehension of the global business environment and the different factors that influence investment, trade, and the economy, thereby allowing me to come up with strategic business plans in the future. In addition, an ESE education will further strengthen my communication skills crucial in local and international business transactions and dealings as well as develop my creativity and flexibility in responding to various challenges that face the business environment. Because of all these qualities, I aspire to be one of the students to be educated with an ESE education. However, this education will not just be for me but for my country as well. As a Russian native, I have seen the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Though everyone seems to be climbing up the ladder of economic progress, the rich people continue to become richer very quickly and as a result, the gap continues to expand (Arvedlund, 2005). Hence, as someone with business and economic knowledge, I dream of working in an area where I can help bridge this gap – the supermarket industry. In 2001, it was only forecasted that supermarkets will gain momentum in Russia as the demand for food caused by the increasing purchasing power of Russians skyrocketed. In the past though, supermarkets were known to be exclusively high-income shopping places while outside markets are pictures of low and middle class shopping (Kozlov, 2001). While supermarkets provide all the conveniences of shopping, the prices of goods are high; while local stores’ prices are low, the quality of products is poor. Moreover, it was reported in 2008 that foreign supermarkets are beginning to expand their markets by establishing outlets in Russia, particularly in Moscow. Majority of these supermarket giants have been household names in developed nations. Their goal is to target consumers with a growing dispensable income by combining high quality products and low prices (Bentley, 2008). However, what I am aiming for is an all original Russian supermarket merging the features of a supermarket and a local store. My long-term professional dream is to establish a chain of supermarkets characterized by high standard goods, convenient shopping, low prices, and authentically Russian ambiance, where everyone regardless of income can enjoy shopping. After some time when the company has been established and have enough profits to sustain the business and even to venture out in other endeavors, we will expand to include charity work in our goals. This social responsibility is one aspect that many Russian companies seem to neglect. Hence, this dream will somehow decrease the gap between the rich and the poor and in a way support the less-fortunate to climb up the economic ladder quickly. Moreover, it is this very dream that inspired me to pursue a career in business; majoring in International Business in ESE is the first step towards this. Indeed the primary role of businesses, whether small, medium, or large, and local or international, is to create products and services and sell these to communities to gain profit for wealth creation in society (International Organization of Employers, 2005). How to effectively and efficiently achieve this purpose is what aspiring businessmen like me wish to study and master. The principles of marketing, various business methods, economics, business law and ethical practice, management and organization, and finance – these are just few elements that businesses need to take into consideration on their way to making profit. Yet beyond money matters, businesses have ventured out to include social responsibility and accountability to community as part of their strategy. For instance, businesses have sought to advance the quality of life like McDonald’s advocating for animal welfare, education of youth, clean environment, and charitable efforts (McDonalds, 2010). Moreover, businesses have also used their resources to embed social responsibility in their goods and services as in Vodafone’s Mpesa program in Kenya that enables people to do mobile banking and the content-filtering system the company incorporated for parents and children’s protection (Demos, 2006). If these companies successfully accomplished these endeavors, then it will not be impossible for the others to follow suit. Hence, I aim to do just that in my future business. To do this, I will apply my experience in interacting with different types of culture that I gained from living in several countries. Likewise, I will use my skills in developing relationships and working in groups to expand my business, develop ethical approaches in doing business, and incorporate charitable programs that will foster a symbiotic relationship between my business and the community or society. Since there are problems ahead, the analytical knowledge that business education will equip will come in handy. Nonetheless, this analytical approach will not only be applicable within the bounds of business but outside the business world as well. For instance, the lessons learned from economics, finance, and marketing will enable me to become an intelligent consumer. Moreover, the values taught by management and organization will help me manage my time and organize my schedule. In addition, the values acquired from business law and ethics will support my personal judgment and decisions in life and at work. Needless to say, I am fit to achieve all these through an ESE education because I am a hard worker and a leader. Testament to this is my experience working in the marketing department of a shoe company. Though a greenhorn, I was immediately tasked to handle the marketing plan for the newest line of rubber shoes. Together with the team, I looked into previous plans from the department and examined the core values of the company. I then gathered them and brainstormed on what marketing strategy would be best for the new shoe line. I assigned each member a task that includes researching the marketing environment, reviewing past marketing activities, studying the company’s marketing system, and devising methods to analyze marketing plan’s effectiveness. With all our inputs, we were able to come up with a solid strategy, which the company used to introduce the new product to the market. From this work experience, I showcased my leadership and management abilities to produce good results. I was also able to display responsibility, meticulousness, organization, and ability to work well with others to ensure that the task assigned to me was smooth sailing from beginning to end. All these qualities will come in handy in the real global competitive business world. Nonetheless, my life is not all work and business. I also use my time doing fun activities such as swimming and yoga, both of which ease my mind from the pressures of school, work, and personal life. In my spare time, I read books and newspapers. I find current events, politics, history, and business the most interesting topics to read about as they give me awareness of past and present events that shape people and ultimately influence their decisions and actions. Furthermore, I also devote my time in volunteer work. In fact, I was recently in Tijuana, Mexico to help build houses for homeless families in the said area and also in the reservation in Taos, New Mexico to immerse myself in the Pueblo culture together with Pueblo school children. I have likewise participated in the Walk to Cure Diabetes in San Francisco, CA for a number of times. The said experiences deepened my understanding of different kinds of people and made me appreciate life more. They also inspired me to do more for the community and society as there are many people who need help, care, and attention. Therefore, in the future, I wish to extend my hand to the underprivileged and unnoticed sectors of society. Before doing this though, I wish to earn my master’s degree to strengthen the undergraduate education I will acquire. This way, my dream of establishing and managing a solely Russian-based company will be easier to achieve. Additionally, earning a master’s degree will make me a more effective leader and manager bringing a Western style of conducting business, which I believe is more efficient when applied in the Russian environment. The higher degree will also strengthen the knowledge and skills I gained from studying in various parts of the world and from interacting with different cultures in bringing a global and efficient approach to the company and in promoting charity and community work as an integral component in today’s business world. So I stared at my secretary for a couple of minutes and then she said, â€Å"Sir, is there something wrong? Everyone is waiting.. † I did not let her finish and instead I asked, â€Å"Do you think it is time for me to buy a new chair? † â€Å"I most certainly think so, Sir. † With that, I already know what decision to deliver in the boardroom. References Arvedlund, E. E. (2005). For rich and poor in Russia, gap widens. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2005/04/26/business/worldbusiness/26iht-ruble. html? _r=2 Bentley, E. (2008). Supermarket giants check out Russia. The Moscow News. Retrieved from http://www. mn. ru/business/20080904/55345070. html Demos, T. (2006). Beyond the bottom line: Our second annual ranking of Global 500 companies. CNN. Retrieved from http://money. cnn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391850/index. htm International Organization of Employers. (2005). The role of business within society: Position paper. Geneva: International Organization of Employers. 1-10. Kozlov, V. (2001). Supermarkets gain momentum in Moscow. The Russia Journal. Retrieved from http://www. russiajournal. com/node/5018 McDonalds. (2010). Values in action. Retrieved from http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/our_story/values_in_action. html

Explanation of the Multistep Synthesis of Benzilic Acid Essay

The synthesis of several complex organic compounds follows a multistep synthesis. â€Å"Multistep synthesis† refers to the procedure in which the product of one reaction serves as the starting material in the subsequent reaction. The multistep synthesis of benzilic acid begins with a conversion benzaldehyde to benzoin through a condensation reaction. The benzoin then oxidizes into benzil, which undergoes rearrangement to give benzilic acid. Benzoin Synthesis * When two benzaldehyde molecules condense in the presence of thiamine, it leads to the formation of a molecule of benzoin. The thiamine behaves as a coenzyme catalyst. This step of the reaction involves the addition of ethanol and sodium hydroxide into an aqueous solution of thiamine hydrochloride and creating a reaction with pure benzaldehyde. When you heat this mixture to a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius for about 90 minutes and then cool it in an ice bath, the benzoin crystallizes out. Recrystallization of these crystals from hot ethanol yields pure benzoin as a colorless powder. Benzil Synthesis * Benzoin undergoes oxidation in the presence of a mild oxidizing agent such as nitric acid to produce the alpha diketone known as benzil. When you heat benzoin with concentrated nitric acid using a reflux condenser, evolution of reddish brown nitrogen dioxide occurs and then stops. When you add cold water to the cooled reaction mixture, benzil precipitates out as a yellow solid. You can then recrystallize this substance from hot ethanol. 1. Benzilic Acid Synthesis * When you reflux a solution of benzil in ethyl alcohol with potassium hydroxide for 15 minutes and then cool it, it forms the carboxylate salt potassium benzilate. When you dissolve this salt in hot water in an Erlenmeyer flask and add hydrochloric acid to bring the pH down to 2, the salt becomes acidified to yield benzilic acid. Precautions * During the conversion of benzaldehyde to benzoin, you must maintain temperatures below 65 degrees Celsius to obtain benzoin. Take care when refluxing benzoin with nitric acid; the nitrogen dioxide fumes are extremely toxic and can cause lung damage. During the conversion of benzoin to benzil, some benzoin may remain unoxidized. Prevent this scenario by creating a reaction of an ethanolic solution of the benzil with 10 percent sodium hydroxide solution; if benzoin is present, a purple color develops.

Argument Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Argument Analysis - Essay Example She further stated that pornography should not be displayed openly in streets and supermarkets. Her intended audiences are all the women in the world who are too terrified to take up any action against pornography and its purveyors. The audience also includes all people of good moral background who see pornography as exploitation of women by men. Her main argument in her essay â€Å"Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet† is the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and cannot be used as a defense to promote pornography. Her sole purpose is to influence the justice system through indignant public opinion that First Amendment rights have been abused by those promoting and selling pornography. The rhetorical strategy used by author Brownmiller is to appeal to her audiences by using emotion (pathos) and logos (her knowledge of the legal system). The author evokes ethos (credibility) also, as she is a well-known feminist who has written a volume of works on varied feminist issues and is a well-established author, journalist and activist. Hermeneutical arguments were made against pornography because it proliferated during the heady 1960s. My thesis statement is that good writers can influence their readers by using the three factors of ethos, logos and pathos. Many writers employ character primarily because credence can produce a powerful reaction or response that is required for taking action. Then it can be supplemented by using knowledge and emotions that can serve as support to main arguments being put forward by the author. Brownmiller was perhaps rightly concerned that the heady and liberating 1960s also led to the abuse of the First Amendment rights by the purveyors of pornographic materials by using it as a defense to conduct nefarious activities. Being a renowned feminist writer, Susan Brownmiller argues through strong emotions that pornography is actually not

America 1945 1960 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America 1945 1960 - Essay Example It was a time of victorious jubilation for everyone, except those who came back â€Å"home† to segregation and discrimination. The returning African American soldier returned home to find that his most dreaded unwanted guest â€Å"Jim Crow†, had not packed up and moved to other shores. With the non-extinguishing of Jim Crow, they were still mandated to separate facilities for travel, lodging, eating, and drinking, schooling, worship, housing, and in all other aspects of social and economic life .Moreover, though they had fought and many died, the armed forces was not anymore accommodating of the African American civil rights, as was society-at-large. African American veterans returning to the south after military service in World War II were often unwilling to be subjected to the humiliation and degradation of segregation and discrimination in the land which they served to shed their blood. Some white, especially in the south, felt that these veterans needed to be terro rized into submission, whether they were wore the nation’s uniform or not.

Green Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Green - Case Study Example Green Case Jain suggest that politics is an art of governance where, the involved persons formulate rules or regulations and principles that would help them run or deliver well to the public or community at large. Politics involves matters or affairs of public interest. Politics relates most with power and resource distribution. Here political ideas used to create chances or persuade people or individuals for personal gain. However, politics has both the good and the bad side in every involvement that touches on politics. Politics may play a major role in influencing certain actions or behaviors to suit personal gain. In an organization, politics may influence the decisions the management make at certain points concerning certain critical issues in the organization. Issues about promotion and performance at work may involve politics. Politics plays an important role in creating regulations and principles governing the public affairs with an aim of maintaining law and order. With thes e points at hand, in agreement with statement that politics is not inherently bad there are several instances or reasons in favor of this statement. To support the statement, it is good to consider the case of Michelle Jones, used her political tactics to shape up her region’s strategy and the support she gave to their selling efforts. To this end, this political move translated to her performance and for her organization’s benefit at the end of the day.... Politics has power to institute changes in an organization (Sasser and Beckham 9; Jain 151). From Sasser and Beckham (8) suggestions, it is true also that, politics is a fact in an organization. Here, Thomas used his political and his power of creativity to influence or convince the company’s vice president so as to get into the ob position he so wished to be in. In normal circumstances, this would not have occurred in this order, positions some times go with experience and the right procedure to select qualifying candidates within the department or organization may seem okay. In addition, because of politics some decisions that would have been impossible to make, influencing may be in a matter of hours of a few days when a politically activated channel of decision-making is used (Jain 156). Decisions in a big organization may at one point need the application of politics to effect good and reliable solutions as this may call on all company employees and representatives to par ticipate in some kind of voting for the best principles for an organization to adapt. This points out to Michelle’s efforts that involved all the sells representatives at one point or the other. A number of organizational factors that lead to or contribute to some political behaviors in an organization range form; self-serving seniors, unclear evaluation systems in an organization, this may be in terms of promotions and critical decision making, lack of such systems leads to the individuals like Thomas seeking there own way to address there needs or ways of promotion. High performance pressures, this case an assumption concerning Michelle’s political involvement that created an impression to her seniors and a move

Taxation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taxation - Coursework Example There are many reasons why taxation is practiced by the government in any country. One of the main reasons is to pay expenditures for the government. The expenditures includes, paying for the public expenditures that happen in the daily life like cleaning the environment and maintenance of the cities. All this is managed by the government and catered for by the revenues the citizens are taxed. The country may lack enough revenues and decide to borrow which is not a secure act. It is good for the country to maintain its economy by using more of the taxation money for such expenses in order to avoid dangers like inflation. By doing so, the public goods produced in the country and the merits can be well be provided from the taxation fee than borrowing the fee from outside country which may affect the country very heavily. The current UK budget can clearly show how the taxation is utilized by introducing austerity measures which raise the VAT and cut the costs of the public services. Rec ently, billions of cash was cut from the budget of the new coalition government of the UK. All the departments except the health and oversee aid cut their spending to over 25 percent where by it created a chance of making 750, 000 new jobs (Finney 2005). This looks because the government has created new job opportunities in the country. Another reason for taxation is for the government to correct the market failure. The government has the right to intervene into the individual markets in the country to govern them and correct them by lowering or raising their taxes. This is majorly to increase or decrease the demand of the goods and services. The demand of demerits goods such as cigarette can be reduced by increasing its taxes. This is for the better of the country by discouraging the citizens not to be taking the cigarettes and polluting the environment. On the other hand, products like books and educational goods can be exempted from raising the taxes and

American Foriegn Relations 1964-1968 with China Research Paper

American Foriegn Relations 1964-1968 with China - Research Paper Example restrictions on travel to and trade with the China mainland; 6) the U.S. response to French recognition of the People's Republic of China; and 7) U.S. policy concerning Tibet.1 Lyndon B. Johnson was the president of the United States during the above-stated period and the official policy towards the Peoples Republic of China was a continuation of the policies of the previous governments. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 The US had not yet recognized the Communist government in China and it was instead supporting the Nationalist government run by Chiang Kai-shek which was stationed in Taiwan. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 A ban was imposed by the US on its citizen from travelling to and trading with the Peoples Republic of China. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 America was also giving support to the Chiang kai-shek government to retain its seat in the United Nations. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 But at this juncture, it was becoming evident that the US will have to recognize the new communist government in China in the near future as the communists had been consolidating their influence over the country. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 On October 16, 1964, when China carried out its first nuclear explosion, it was a great matter of concern for the US. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 The US did not see China yet militarily as a nuclear threat but the very fact that China had entered the nuclear group of nations was quite alarming for the US. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 The US went on a busy mission to convince its public as well as its allies that Chinese nuclear tests were not a potential threat. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 The then US Secretary of State, Dean Rusk had even recommended prior to Chinese nuclear test that â€Å"should China test, the United States should consider providing India and Japan with nuclear weapons.† BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Meanwhile, in the US diplomatic circles, a demand for change was felt regarding the US opposition to the UN recognition of Peoples Republic of China. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 In 1964, the US General Assembly concluded with a tie vote regarding the issue and a resolution stating that China’s inclusion into the UN needs to be a decision with two-thirds majority was passed only with a very nominal margin of votes. BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Giving recognition to both the Peoples Republic

The impact of family on child development Research Paper

The impact of family on child development - Research Paper Example This is because the infants get attached to those people around them who are responsive and provide them comfort. According to Evans and Erikson (12), in the first stage of cognitive development in infants, trust versus mistrust, infants get close to and develop trust on their parents and the family members from whom they find reassurance. How the family interacts with an infant or a young child defines how he is going to make a schema of the world inside his mind. If the family is going to offer him warmth and dependable fondness, the child is going to develop a trustworthy relationship not only with the family but with everyone he will meet in his life; whereas, if the family provides him with insecurities and the child does not feel that his basic needs are being fulfilled, he will develop a sense of mistrust. Thus, the active participation of family and how they meet the basic needs of the infant define if the child is going to trust others, or is going to mistrust others and fee l them unreliable and undependable. If the family has been abusive toward the child, he will grow up to be abusive toward the world and will perceive the world as a dangerous place to live in. The form of relationship the parents develop with their children is a very important indicator of what type of early education the children are receiving at their homes when they are in their infancy. Parents tend to be authoritative, authoritarian or permissive, and each kind tends to educate the child in a totally different way. Very strict standards, that leave no room for communication with children, will make the child obey but will not enable him to learn the logic and reasoning. Permissive parents have very lenient rules which results in the child getting disobedient and even violent at times. Hence, for infants and young children, early education which starts at their homes, is

Political Islam in Indonesia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Political Islam in Indonesia - Research Paper Example the confrontational way of establishing Majlis Mujahedeen Indonesia (MMI) in Jakarta in August 2000. The establishment of MMI was basically a move forward assistance between ideologically ?likeminded groups of Indonesia such as front Pembela Islam and Hizb Ut Tahrir. The basic ?reason to take a step toward MMI was to help the people faced earthquake and then it worked to ?save Afghanistan from American attacks (Hilmy 131).? Majlis e Mujahedeen worked to stop American attacks in Afghanistan. This organization ?in coordination with other groups working for Islamic front including PAS and FPI, carried out ?manifestations against America and its associates who attacked Afghanistan in 2001( Krastev & ?McPherson, 2007). For future attacks they started proceeding for more explosive materials. â€Å"In ?the Indonesian mujahedeen group there also exists a group of fundamentalist campaigners that ?basically uses to serve as brainwave for the activities of religious militias and also works for the ?party as a JI recruiting agency. Various Mujahedeen’s and their leaders started finding new ways ?of attacking, and started doing research to use biological weapons for better results (Haseman 43). ? 2.? Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) Jemmah Islamiyah or Al-Jamat ul Islamia was established by Southeast Asian militia. It was ?founded on 1st January, 1993 and mostly called as JI. The Jemaah followed the teachings of ?Islamic Jihad as a fundamental approach to attain its goals (Barton 32). This Jemmah was ?formed for the protection of Muslims in Indonesia from American attacks. Militant groups of ?Indonesia even carried and used arms to protect its right to institute an Islamic state split from ?the new nation. There have been many struggles between Muslims and other religions, the ethnic ?groups during the development of Indonesia; however, not until the rise of Qaeda network and ?its global Islam ideology in the 1990’s, the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998 and the United ?States’ War on terror which began in 2001 (Rashwan 77). Basically campaigners belonging from Al-Qaeda and terrorist groups joined this Jemmah, ?resultantly, JI was pulled on several world terrorists lists .JI, however, may not actually be ?International terrorists organization (Surrette, 2009) but later it started bomb attacks in Indonesia ?in which a huge number of general population was killed. Jemmah Islamiyah serves as vital ?manuscript for understanding Southeast Asia’s most lethal terrorist groups. JI mostly trained ?young people for suicide bombing and target killing of the important dignitaries’ ?as well as vital ?assets of the country?. Another point of contention among the ranks of JI was the increasing ?numbers of Muslim civilians killed as the terrorist campaign of the Hambali-Azhari-Noordin top ?splinter outfit unfolded more and more JI members became uncomfortable with this faction’s ?chosen methods and their unintended consequences (Surre tte 13). ?3.? Laskar Jihad Thalib, an Indonesian who fought with Mujahedeens in Afghanistan, set up a group in 2000, ?named Laskar jihad. He was trained in Pakistan when he went there in 1980 to pursue further ?studies in an Islamic Mawdudi Institute situated in Lahore (Hasan 18). In 1999 clashes broke ?out in Malaku and north Malaku between Christians and Muslims of Indonesia. Thalib created ?this Jamat to control these movements. During this muddled changeover number of Muslim ?paramilitary groups like

No need for a topic Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No need for a topic - Case Study Example Chipotle has a strong advantage over Qdoba Mexican Grill and Moe’s Southwest Grill as these two scored lowly on the weighted competitive strength assessment. It compares even better to the Qdoba Mexican Grill that scored the lowest in the weighted strength assessment. However, it scored the same as the Taco Bell. There is a need for Chipotle to look at its financial stability in order that this financial stability does not affect the other strategic advantages that it has. Its access to financing is more restricted than that of Qdoba Mexican Grill and Moe’s Southwest Grill. Chipotle has a market reach that extends beyond national boarders and operates in USA, Canada and a number of European nations. However, there is a need to secure its place in these markets and address changing global issues in order to ensure that its competitors will not push it out of the market. In this case, the main issue for Chipotle is to make sure that it is able to access the other markets such as the USA in order to secure its future. It is also necessary to note that in the weighted strength assessment, market Economic environment is one of the factors with the highest weight. As a result, because Chipotle scored very lowly in this area, it may have a bigger risk that the other firms even Taco Bell with whom it scored the same for the total

Evolution of Affirmative Action in America Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Affirmative Action in America Essay Affirmative action in America refers to policies that take ethnicity, race, and gender into consideration in an effort to encourage equal opportunity. It started as a device to deal with the enduring discriminations among African-Americans in the 1960s. Focusing particularly on jobs and education, affirmative action policies mandated that active measures should be taken to make sure that blacks and other minorities benefited from equal opportunities for financial aid, scholarships, school admissions, career advancement, salary increase, and promotions that had been practically the whites’ exclusive province. The thrust towards affirmative action is twofold; including the rectification as a result of involuntary, institutional, or blatant discrimination, and the maximization of the advantages of diversity in every levels of society. In 1964, the landmark legislation of Civil Rights Act was signed into law, which prohibited employment discrimination by large employers, regardless of their previous contracts with the government. President Johnson developed and enforced for the first time the country’s affirmative action through the Executive Order 11246 of 1965 and amended it in 1967 through Executive Order 11246 requiring every government contractors and subcontractors to observe affirmative action so as to expand employment opportunities for ethnic minorities and women. However, the 1978 decision of the United States Supreme Court in the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U. S. 912 ruled illegal the practice of the University Medical School of setting aside 18 seats for minority students in every incoming class of 100, but upheld the use of race as one aspect in selecting qualified applicants for admission. Opposition to affirmative action has resulted to numerous legal challenges, which required local and states governments to draw on more comprehensive evidence of inequalities to validate the need for the programs. In 1998, both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives prevented efforts to abolish particular programs of affirmative action. Amendments to eliminate the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program sponsored through the Transportation Bill were rejected by both houses, and the upper house rejected an endeavor to abolish the use of affirmative action in higher education admissions programs supported through the Higher Education Act. Throughout these periods, affirmative action has been both ridiculed and praised as a response to racial inequalities. The opinions of the Supreme Court justices in affirmative action cases have been generally divided partly because of conflicting political beliefs but moreover because the issue is basically so complicated. But in 2003, the landmark case involving the affirmative action policies of University of Michigan, which became one of the most imperative rulings on the issue in 25 years, the Supreme Court finally and positively supported higher education’s right of affirmative action. The Court held as constitutional the use of race, among other aspects, of the University of Michigan in its law school admissions program given that the program advanced a compelling interest in achieving an educational advantage that flows from the diversity of student body. At present, statistics proved that affirmative action has helped strengthen the black professionals’ ranks, yet African-American in general has been left behind. Notwithstanding all the discussions of the establishment of a black middle class, the position of the black community to white American has relatively remained the same. As such, affirmative action must be continually asserted to put in place mandatory and voluntary efforts by local, state, and federal governments, schools, and private employers to combat inequalities and encourage fair hiring and promotions of qualified individuals.