A society needs a balanced amount of likeness and difference for it to survive.

There is no all-alike society as it is impossible for all people to think, act, and
behave the same. Likewise, cooperation and conflict are also needed for us to
function in society. This is where check and balance and critiques come into play.
We need to be able to practice critical thinking in our dealings in society.

Society’s Prevailing Challenges

In this next topic of discussion, we shall look into some of society’s prevailing
challenges. Google dictionary (2020) offers the definition of each.

You need to ask yourself, “Why are these considered societal problems? What
constitutes the problem? And how do you think can we solve these?”

o Abortion
The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed
during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. In medicine, this is the expulsion
of a fetus from the uterus by natural causes before it is able to survive
independently.

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Discrimination
This refers to the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of
people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex and
gender.

o Animal Testing
Cruelty Free International (n.d.) defines animal testing as any scientific
experiment or test in which a live animal is forced to undergo something
that is likely to cause them pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm.

Animal experiments are not the same as taking your companion animal to
the vet. Animals used in laboratories are deliberately harmed, not for
their own good, and are usually killed at the end of the experiment.

Animal experiments include:

 injecting or force feeding animals with potentially harmful
substances  exposing animals to radiation
 surgically removing animals’ organs or tissues to deliberately cause
damage
 forcing animals to inhale toxic gases
 subjecting animals to frightening situations to create anxiety and
depression.

o Bullying
This is to seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as
vulnerable).

o Bureaucracy
A system of government in which most of the important decisions are
made by state officials rather than by elected representatives. A state
or organization governed or managed as a bureaucracy or considered
as a group or hierarchy. An excessively complicated administrative
procedure, seen as characteristic of bureaucracy.

o Climate change
A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change
apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed
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largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced
by the use of fossil fuels.

Child abuse
The physical maltreatment or sexual molestation of a child.

o Cyberbullying
The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by
sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.
The social media has become a leeway for hackers to bully people leading
them into suicidal thoughts. The stalkers often take advantage of the
weaknesses of the users to drive them into harming themselves or
harming others through blackmail.

o Death Penalty
The punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted
of a capital crime.

o Drugs and alcohol abuse

The use of drugs and alcohol has been rampant among the youth and
adult, who end up abusing them. Consequently, drug and alcohol abuse
leads to changed emotional and mental health, which culminates in
antisocial behavior.

o Education disparity
In the education setting, social classes have been set up based on one’s
race or economic position. People from rich backgrounds attend good
schools that have proper amenities. Those from poor backgrounds attend
schools that lack proper facilities.

o Euthanasia
The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful
disease or in an irreversible coma. The practice is illegal in most countries.

o Family and single parenthood

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There are cases of parenting that affects the lives of youth. Some have
been separated from their parents who are either dead or in jail, leading
them to be subjected to foster homes or government institutions.

o Gender Workplace Diversity

This may be linked with gender discrimination. An example is when males
are favored more than females in certain leadership roles.

Government and social life

The government is known to be tracking the activities of people in social
media to prevent any unwarranted posts. Thus, governments around the
world have engaged in creation and enforcement of legislation to control
the activities on social media.

o Gun Violence
Gun-related violence is violence committed with the use of a gun (firearm
or small arm).

o Homelessness
A person without a home, and therefore typically living on the streets.

o Hunger
A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with
the desire to eat.

o LGBT-related
Discrimination which relates to LGBT rights. These may include marriages
and the right to adopt a child.

o Rape/Marital Rape
The unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out
forcibly or under threat of injury against a person's will or with a person
who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of
mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or
deception.

o Materialism
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Fashion has greatly affected the interactions among teenagers who gauge
social class based on adherence to emerging trends. As such, they are
least likely to engage with peers who come out as untrendy in the fashion
sense.

o Mental Health
The condition of being sound mentally and emotionally that is
characterized by the absence of mental illness and by adequate
adjustment especially as reflected in feeling comfortable about oneself,
positive feelings about others, and the ability to meet the demands of
daily life. The health care dealing with the promotion and improvement
of mental health and the treatment of mental illness.
Norms and Traditions
Practices which may inflict harm and damage rather than promote
wellness and form relationships. These may include negative Filipino
behaviors such as crab mentality, Filipino time, gossiping, blaming others,
inconsideration, lazy, onion-skinned, undisciplined, and narcissistic.

o Poverty and social life

A trend has been observed in the modern generation where a person’s
social status is defined by their economic power. Thus, the poor are
often perceived lowly in the society whereas those who are reached are
regarded highly.

o Procrastination
Students have a tendency of postponing their assignments due to the
distractions brought about by their fun life. While it may improve their
social life, it is highly detrimental to their academic life and most of them
may end up failing.

o Racism
This is a form of categorization where people from the same race identify
with their own and in so doing they appear to discriminate others. It is
responsible for increased prevalence of social tension.

o Social media propagating bad vices

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Some of the comments or posts in social media often lead to behavioral
changes among youth who glamorize immoral values such as drug and
alcohol abuse, teenage sex, and even radicalization of youth.

o Unemployment
The state of being unemployed due to lack of jobs available, lack of
education, skills mismatch, nepotism or the ‘palakasan system’.

o War
Following the 9/11 attacks, Syrian unrest, and other global wars, tensions
have been reported in social interactions. For example, Arabs that live in
America have a high possibility of being trolled or even abused on social
media. This necessitates the government to enforce responsibility in
social networking sites.
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