Amanda Spradlin

The world has become a place of such conflict and controversy throughout politics and technology recently, producing a fear of what will come of it all in the future. Could it be painstakingly detrimental to our kind? What makes us human—our free will, individual traits, personality characteristics, behaviors, and how we communicate or interact with one another—all of these things are being collected as data by social media giant Facebook. The data is then used to offer ad space to companies for marketing purposes for a fee.

The headlines across the nation have been absurdly screaming and I can’t help but wonder, “What is going on in my U.S.A.?” Apparently, protesters have been holding rallies at many sculptures all across the country that have long stood as symbols of our nation’s heritage. A heritage that is not pretty and is still controversial yet it has made our country what it is today. Through tribulations, we have triumphed. The truth of tragedy, the humility of loss and the progress derived from victory are important aspects of our history that we should respect and take pride in.

Once considered a “gateway drug”, the truth about marijuana is clearly starting to overcome the stigmatism that has long been associated with its use. The truth is that marijuana is 100 times safer than many medications with severe side effects that are prescribed in its place every day. It has several medical benefits which could hinder the profitability of one of America’s biggest money making industries: pharmaceuticals. As found in a study conducted by W. David Bradford and his daughter, Ashley Bradford, researchers at the University of Georgia (washingtonpost), there is concrete evidence found in the significant decrease in numbers of pharmaceuticals being prescribed to Medicare D patients in states which have legalized the use of medical marijuana (healthaffairs). Suggestively, elderly patients who receive Medicare are the least likely to engage in medical marijuana activities. So, it can then be concluded that on a larger scale if the population of young adults who are more open to treatment with cannabis were considered, the number of prescriptions would drop even more. Therefore, if/when marijuana becomes legal country wide, the effect it could have on the pharmaceutical industry overall would weigh in around $4 billion per year. On the other hand, as seen in Colorado throughout 2016, marijuana sales could bring in over $1 billion per state, totaling in excess of an estimated $50 billion annually from the new market. That means that the country would see a loss of $4 billion from a harmful business in exchange for a $50 billion profit from a safer alternative. It seems like common sense. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple.

The range of electronic devices that can be used for teaching and learning has blossomed dramatically since the start of the twenty-first century. Touchscreen machines such as smartphones and tablet computers can fulfill a wide variety of educational functions. For example, a science student can physically manipulate a 3-D model of an atom or molecule displayed on their tablet with a series of gestures, learning about the structure of each. A student in a music class can play the notes of a classical composition on his or her tablet by using it as a full piano, with visuals and sound to match.