Writing Workshop is over (let´s cry)

Letter to the editor (By Mati Bolaños)

Sir, I got very improsionated when I read an article about how children use computers (‘Links between children and computers’, August 22). A deep investigation seemed to be caried out in order to write the article, however, I would affirm some cifres are far from being real, or unless, do not represent children from different social classes.
This article marks that the fact that children have their own computer in their bedrooms is one of the reasons why children become addictive to them. However, as a middle-class house-wife, mother of twins (12 yeras-old) I can see them quarrel over the computer almost everyday. We only have a computer in the livingroom, and in spite of that fact, I can assure my children are becoming addictive. Parents allowing their children using the computer whenever they feel like is another important factor that is pointed out by the article. Nevertheless, the use of the computer is scheduled at home, but, to be honest, I must confess that they always want to keep on using the computer more time than stablished. You can ask them to turn off the computer a hundred time and they will not even hear you.

Anyway, the article states that parents that allow their children to use computers and play computer-games do not know how to bring them up properly. But, I want to add a date: I am living in 2008, and so my children do, and because of that fact, I cannot keep my children away of computers because they are in touch with them in everywhere (specially, at school, where they spend much of their time).
I would like to say that, no matter what experts say, I still want my children to use the computer, since life will be easier for them if they can use a computer decently. Of course, for me, it is more important that they maintain close relationships with their class-mates and friends and to be in contact with nature, but the key factor is that a good use of computers will be required in every job. And, moreover, nowadays many teachers usually find homework and essays in their inbox, it is easier to correct and less heavy to carry on with them.

Technology is here to make our lifes easier and more comfortable. And of course, I would never affirm that parents ought to allow their children to use the computer freely, with not restrictions. On the contrary, parents should stay with their children while the surf on the web or chat with their friends through the internet. In my opinion, parents are not here to ban the use of a particular gadget or to prohibit a children from going to particular place. Parents are here to teach their children how to use that particular gadget and the reason why they should not go to that particular place.


Matilde BolanosLondo, W3

ARE THE CONSUMERS OF DOPING SUBSTANCES TAKING A RISK? (by Mati Bolaños)

At first sight, doping is an efective and external way of improving an athlete’s performance. Particular substances provoque better results in a competition when consumed, but are the consumers of doping substances taking a risk?

First of all, the ingestion of doping substances is conflicting the original idea of the Internacional Olympic Comittee, founded in 1894 in order to promote ethic and pedagogical values in sportsmen and sportswomen. The aim was clear: stimulating the practise of sports and maintaining close links between the different countries.

In 1866, people could see how a cyclist, Linton, from Wales, died during a competition in France due to a overdose of cafeine. In the 50’s the use of dooping substances increased suddenly. And that’s why, timidly, federations started to make anti-doping tests in the 60’s. Sportmen must be concious that the benefits of doping substances do not exceed their negative effects.

Anabolic asteroids ar the most famous substances use in this field. Men create them naturally, since they make the difference between a man and a women during the teen’s. In fact, the anabolic asteroids are used in some fertility treatments. But there are secondary dangerous effects:

In women, they have virilizations and hirsutism effects, change of voice, and menstraul disorders.
In teenagers, they interrupt the growth of bones (this is the main reason why most gymnasts-girls, specially from the former URSS, are so short).
In men, they increase the size of the prostate, cause libido alterions and change the consumer into an agressive man. And, in a long term, anabolic asteroids may force the male body to create female glands and provoque the growth of breasts.
In general, other well-known are high blood pressure (hypertension), heart attacks, hemorrgafe cerebral or sudden death. Moreover, injures in the liver are huge most times.

Anyway, most times, when proffesional sportmen take doping substances, they are more or less concious of what they are doing. However, there are lots of amateurs training in gyms that are exposed to these substances. As one of them (I actually am a Spinning Instructor) I can assure that, in gyms, there are magazines that mainly offer different substances to increase the size of the muscle and guides about the use of them. Once, I stopped to read one of them out of curiosity, and, when I wanted to read about the secondary effects, the explanations were vage and imprecise. In fact, it is extremely easy to get these ‘magical’ pills, most gyms offer them, and most times the gym-owners do not even advise about the using of them. Actually, I have met some gym-owners that are staunch consumers of doping substances. Fortunately, just some of them are!

As a conclussion of this essay, I just want to pint out all the records-breaking sportmen and sportwomen that are nowadays in Beijing (just like Michael Phelps, Federica Pellegrini or Isinbayeva). We can all turn on television and watch how a new world-record is broken everyday! I feel specially delighted, but not for the record itself, but because it has been broken without the use of doping substances.

Agressivness (by Mati Bolaños)

Agressivness. Are we bringing up future criminals? Why do children and teenagers commit crimes? A terrible problem that must be focused soon.

From time to time, we watch awfull crimes committed by children on television. We all remember those two English boys (10 and 12 years old) that raped and murdered a 2-year-old baby. Why did they do it? What is the reason of their behaviour? Another horrofying example took place in Finald some years ago: a 6-year-old boy took his father’s gun and shot at her female partner during a class. Why? They had an argued the day before. Is he guilty? I would never affirm that. He just did what he used to see at home. And, finally, I cannot avoid mentioning José Rabadán, from Murcia, who killed his parents and little sister when he was 16.

Unfortunately, there are not lots of polls or research about this topis. But amizingly, only a 48% of these “criminals” suffer some kind of personality disorder. Then, what happened to the rest of them?
Latest research point out one huge problem: some parents do not know how to bring up their children.
All the babies have a tendency to hit when they want to get something. However, most parents correct this habit, and as a result of it, children learn that Hitting or kicking is not the best way to reach an aim. The problem arrives when parents allow their children use violence to satisfy their wishes.

In Spain, the legislation about the criminal responsability of under-18s was enforced in 2001. This law states that under-14s will never be responsable of their acts and, moreover, describes a wide range of punishments for those teenagers (from 14 to 18) that have committed crimes.
Since 2001, this law has been developped a lot. The evolution has reached a point in which the original law does not have anything to do with the current one. The original law have attach importance to education and courses to provide a proper future for under-18s. One the contrary, nowadays, detention centres and punishments take precedence over education. Nevertheless, There has never been a adequate budget to invest on this centres.

This is an extremely polemic subject, but whatever your opinion is, you must never forget that, when lights are out during the night, the only noise you can hear is a boy crying.
And, before finishing, I want you to think about these young men future. In most cases, when they leave the detention centre, their attitude is worst that before since their mind have been contaminated by other dangeroues partners.