Watching the World
“Nearly half of cancers diagnosed in the [United Kingdom] each year—over 130,000 in total—are caused by avoidable life choices including smoking, drinking and eating the wrong things.”—BBC NEWS, BRITAIN.
“An immense, increasingly sophisticated illegal trade in wildlife parts conducted by organized crime [is] decimating the world’s most beloved species . . . on a scale never before seen.”—WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY, U.S.A.
People who on average spend six hours each day watching TV can expect to live 4.8 years less than those who watch no TV. Put another way, every hour of TV reduces a sedentary adult’s life expectancy by about 22 minutes.—BRITISH JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE, BRITAIN.
In Germany, over 90 percent of women whose unborn child is diagnosed with Down syndrome opt for an abortion.—DER TAGESSPIEGEL, GERMANY.
The Stresses of City Life
Research indicates that “city dwellers respond more violently to stress than do people from small towns,” says the Polish magazine Przekrój. “Cities are places of exposure to an excessive number of stimuli,” explains psychotherapist Mieczysław Jaskulski of Warsaw’s Psychoeducation Laboratory. “For city dwellers, the risk of anxiety attacks is 21 percent higher than for those living in the countryside, and for mood disorders, 39 percent higher.” How can city dwellers cope? “Do not get upset about things that are beyond your control,” “leave work at work,” “go out for a walk,” and “do not be afraid to take a vacation,” suggests Przekrój.
How Much Does Facebook Retain?
An Austrian law student wanted to know how much data about him had been stored by the world’s largest social network during his three-year membership, so he requested a copy. Facebook sent him a CD containing 1,222 pages of data. As reported by the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, the student said: “Everything had been stored—every message, every chat, including sensitive information about friends.” Included was information that he was sure he had deleted!
