Watch Out! We've Got A Perfectionist Over Here!

"Do You Bite Your Nails? It Might Mean You're A Perfectionist"

By: Carolyn Gregoire

Source: The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/13/nail-biting-nervous-habits_n_6854152.html?utm_hp_ref=health-news&ir=Health+News

            New research from the University of Montreal suggests that compulsive behaviors such as twisting hair and biting nails might say more about people's personality. People who are usually peevish and restless are more likely to take part in behaviors such as skin-picking, nail-biting, or eyelash-pulling. A study points to perfectionism, a trait that can be a lot more hurtful than many people realize. Individuals with these repetitive behaviors may be perfectionists - people who refuse to accept any standard short of perfection. Therefore, they are prone to frustration, irritation, restlessness, and discontent when they do not achieve their goals. For the study, researchers worked with forty-eight participants, half of them being those to engage in these types of behaviors and the other half being those to not engage in these types of behaviors, making themselves the control group. These participants were asked questions about the degree to which they experience emotions like weariness, rage, peevishness, and anxiety. Afterwards, each participant was put into a particular situation that was designed to provoke such feelings. The one half of the participants that engaged in body-focused behaviors reported a strong urge to do so when they were feeling stressed and frustrated. Often times it is okay to bite nails because it serves as a temporary solution when individuals are not able to channel their energy more efficiently, but when these habits are difficult to overcome, they can interfere with daily life.

            This article is significant as it raises awareness about bad habits and how they can interfere with people's lives. Currently, there are two ways to treat these behaviors -- "a behavioral treatment that involves replacing the habit with a competing action, and a separate approach that focuses on the underlying factors that create tension" (Gregoire).

Beautiful Little Fools

            Due to society's view on gender, each and every individual unconsciously holds a stereotype of what each sex is supposed to be, to do, or to become of. People of either sex are extremely affected by the continuing issues of gender inequality and are held accountable to face such unfair expectations. Gender roles are extremely ecumenical in today's society. They are society's ideas of how men and women are expected to behave and are usually shaped by cultural norms. Men and women are both victims of gender inequality, but men's issues, however, are sometimes gone unnoticed. As we grow up, we are taught how to behave from those around us. We are introduced to the certain roles that are linked to our biological sex. Gender roles determine how males and females should think, speak, dress, and interact within the context of society. While men are to be seen as strong, brave, careless, tough, aggressive, superior, and dominant; women are to be seen as frail, sensitive, emotional, passive, subordinate, and homely. We are given our roles whilst in the womb. We are taught our roles at the age of birth. Society is quick to dress the boys in blue and the girls in pink. As we grow older parents supply us with the appropriate toys. Boys are given trucks, toy guns, and superhero figurines, whist girls are given dolls and cooking sets. This promotes aggression in boys and nurturing in girls. This continues on later in life as males become more prone to choose professions in law enforcement, politics, and military, whilst women are more prone to choose professions such as child or health care and social work. Our society allows a degree of flexibility when it comes to acting out our gender roles. To a certain degree, men can acquire some feminine roles and women can acquire some masculine roles, however, if they choose to step outside of what society considers acceptable, they will begin to face consequences. Once an individual steps outside of their gender role in an obvious way, he or she will face the aftermath. 

Let Me Give You a Hand

"College kids make robotic arms for children without real ones"

By: Daphne Sashin

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/health/ucf-3d-printed-arms-for-kids/index.html   

            Cynthia Falardeau's son, Wyatt was born with his right arm matted in amniotic bands. The doctors were afraid Wyatt's body would become infected leading him towards death, so they amputated Wyatt's dead forearm and hand when he was just a week old. Cynthia mourned her son's missing arm for years, but she later embraced who her son was - a survivor. Wyatt learned to adjust. He tried a couple of prosthetics when he was a kid, but each time he abandoned them. A friend of Falardeau's, with Wyatt in mind, suggested a story from the "Today Show," about a team of University of Central Florida (UCF) students and graduates that created an electronic arm for six-year-old Alex Pring, using a three-dimensional printer on campus. Hearing this, Falardeau became defensive and rejected the suggestion, but her son had a different reaction. He said he wanted one of those robot arms so he could finally do things like ride a bike, do a proper somersault, clap, etc. Understanding this, Falardeau got in touch with the Orlando students through E-Nable, an online organization that was made to help children in need of hands and arms. The UCF team is special because it is the only 3-D volunteer network producing electronic arms. "The UCF project started when Albert Manero, an engineering doctoral student, heard a story on the radio about one of the inventors of the 3-D printed hand. He got involved with E-Nable and met Alex, a local boy teased because of his missing arm, and set about designing a robotic replacement. They gave it to Alex for free" (Sashin, 1). After this story was featured in national news, families in more than twenty-five countries contacted the UCF students to provide aid for their children. Petresky got included with the design of Pring's hand because Manero knew he was great with electronics. Eventually Manero moved to Germany for a Fulbright scholarship, leaving Petresky in charge. Petresky asked every family about their child's interests, so they can make the new limb "not just be a piece of plastic ... but be a part of them" (Sashin, 1). Cynthia was happy to see her child being admired for who he was. Her son told her that he could now wait for her to see what he could achieve with his new arm. He also mentioned that someday, he wants to go to UCF, to help kids that are in a similar situation.

            This article is important as it shows what changing the world for the better looks like. These UCF students and graduates use technology to change the world. They believe that they are supposed to make the world better and by believing that, they do.