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Word of the Day: zoonotic

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Word of the Day: zoonotic

The word zoonotic has appeared in 18 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Aug. 22 in “‘Don’t Kiss or Snuggle Your Turtle,’ C.D.C. Warns Amid Salmonella Outbreak” by Eduardo Medina:

In 2002, an Oklahoma man who caught a salmonella infection from his pet snake passed the illness to two people through transfusions of his blood platelets. Both recipients became ill, and one died, according to an article in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Even dog owners are not spared of the dangers of cuddling. Some bacteria in dogs’ mouths are zoonotic, meaning the animals can pass them to humans and cause disease, including salmonella.

Can you correctly use the word zoonotic in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how zoonotic can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

Coursera offers new entry-level Cloud Technology Consultant certificate from AWS designed to help learners prepare for in-demand cloud jobs

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Coursera offers new entry-level Cloud Technology Consultant certificate from AWS designed to help learners prepare for in-demand cloud jobs

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera

Today, we’re excited to announce the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate, the first entry-level certificate from Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Coursera. The new program is designed to help learners of all backgrounds – no college degree or prior industry experience required – develop the skills needed to kickstart their cloud consulting careers in just a few months. 

Demand for technology consultants is projected to grow 13 percent over the coming decade, with over 100,000 job openings in the US in the last year alone¹. Within this field, cloud technology consultants are emerging as a particularly in-demand role, as the global cloud computing market is expected to reach nearly $600 billion by the end of 2023. 

The new, nine-course Professional Certificate helps learners prepare for an AWS Cloud Consultant role. Taught by AWS experts, the certificate has no prerequisites, can be completed in about four months with 10 hours of learning per week, and costs $49 per month. Throughout the program, learners will explore the foundations of cloud and data management as well as key soft skills, with hands-on labs and a final capstone project to demonstrate their new skill set. 

Entry-level Professional Certificates on Coursera have proven to be a particularly impactful way for learners to prepare for and secure new roles. According to the 2023 Coursera Learner Outcomes Report, one in four certificate completers reported they got a new job. Learners enrolled in the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate on Coursera may visit AWS Educate to access self-paced professional skills courses on topics such as resume creation, networking, and communication, and boost their prospects by visiting the AWS Job Board, which connects employers with skilled talent. 

“Increasing access to AWS cloud skills training is critical to closing the tech skills gap and helping organizations transform their business,” said Valerie Singer, leader of Worldwide Public Sector Global Education at AWS. “With the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance and through relationships with companies like Coursera, AWS is bringing together education, government, and industry to reach more learners and improve skills training. In partnership with AWS Training & Certification, AWS Global Education is pleased to work with Coursera to bring job-aligned, flexible, and accessible curriculum to learners around the world seeking to launch and grow careers in tech.”

The entry-level Cloud Technology Consultant certificate joins the AWS catalog of intermediate and advanced learning content already available on Coursera. Now, AWS programs on Coursera serve learners across their entire career journey, from true beginner to seasoned professional. We’re proud to expand our relationship with a global cloud leader like AWS to help learners launch and advance their cloud careers. 

Enroll in the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant certificate and start your career today. 

¹ Lightcast™ (2023), Job Postings Report (July 2022 – June 2023). Retrieved July 2023. 

AWS launches entry-level Cloud Technology Consultant certificate on Coursera, helps connect learners with in-demand cloud jobs 

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AWS launches entry-level Cloud Technology Consultant certificate on Coursera, helps connect learners with in-demand cloud jobs 

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera

Today, we’re excited to announce the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate, the first entry-level certificate from Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Coursera. The new program is designed to help learners of all backgrounds – no college degree or prior industry experience required – develop the skills needed to kickstart their cloud consulting careers in just a few months. 

Demand for technology consultants is projected to grow 13 percent over the coming decade, with over 100,000 job openings in the US in the last year alone¹. Within this field, cloud technology consultants are emerging as a particularly in-demand role, as the global cloud computing market is expected to reach nearly $600 billion by the end of 2023. 

The new, nine-course Professional Certificate helps learners prepare for an AWS Cloud Consultant role. Taught by AWS experts, the certificate has no prerequisites, can be completed in about four months with 10 hours of learning per week, and costs $49 per month. Throughout the program, learners will explore the foundations of cloud and data management as well as key soft skills, with hands-on labs and a final capstone project to demonstrate their new skill set. 

Entry-level Professional Certificates on Coursera have proven to be a particularly impactful way for learners to prepare for and secure new roles. According to the 2023 Coursera Learner Outcomes Report, one in four certificate completers reported they got a new job. Learners enrolled in the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate on Coursera may visit AWS Educate to access self-paced professional skills courses on topics such as resume creation, networking, and communication, and boost their prospects by visiting the AWS Job Board, which connects employers with skilled talent. 

“Increasing access to AWS cloud skills training is critical to closing the tech skills gap and helping organizations transform their business,” said Valerie Singer, leader of Worldwide Public Sector Global Education at AWS. “With the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance and through relationships with companies like Coursera, AWS is bringing together education, government, and industry to reach more learners and improve skills training. In partnership with AWS Training & Certification, AWS Global Education is pleased to work with Coursera to bring job-aligned, flexible, and accessible curriculum to learners around the world seeking to launch and grow careers in tech.”

The entry-level Cloud Technology Consultant certificate joins the AWS catalog of intermediate and advanced learning content already available on Coursera. Now, AWS programs on Coursera serve learners across their entire career journey, from true beginner to seasoned professional. We’re proud to expand our relationship with a global cloud leader like AWS to help learners launch and advance their cloud careers. 

Enroll in the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant certificate and start your career today. 

¹ Lightcast™ (2023), Job Postings Report (July 2022 – June 2023). Retrieved July 2023. 

What’s Going On in This Picture? | Oct. 16, 2023

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What’s Going On in This Picture? | Oct. 16, 2023

Note: Comments are open for student responses. A live moderated discussion of this photo will take place on Oct. 16.

1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:

2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)

3. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

Each Monday, our collaborator, Visual Thinking Strategies, will facilitate a discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time by paraphrasing comments and linking to responses to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.

4. On Thursday afternoons, we will reveal at the bottom of this post more information about the photo. How does reading the caption and learning its back story help you see the image differently?

We’ll post more information here on the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 19. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all images in this series or slide shows of 40 of our favorite images — or 40 more.

• Learn more about this feature in this video, and discover how and why other teachers are using it in their classrooms in our on-demand webinar.

• Find out how teachers can be trained in the Visual Thinking Strategies facilitation method.

Students 13 and older in the United States and the Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

How Much Faith Do You Have in the U.S. Political System?

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How Much Faith Do You Have in the U.S. Political System?

Imagine if you were a foreign leader surveying the political chaos in the United States:

For the first time in history, a party has just fired its own speaker of the House in the middle of a term.

In the Senate, one of the two party leaders, who’s 81 years old, has twice recently frozen in public, unable to speak.

A Supreme Court justice has allowed wealthy political donors to finance a lavish lifestyle for him and his wife (and that same justice’s wife urged officials to overturn the 2020 presidential election result based on lies).

A likely nominee in the upcoming presidential election is facing four criminal trials and regularly speaks in apocalyptic terms about the country’s future.

That nominee is essentially tied in the polls with an 80-year-old president whom many voters worry is too old to serve a second term.

If you were an ally of the U.S., you would have to be worried. If you were an enemy, you would have to be pleased.

That’s how David Leonhardt begins Thursday’s The Morning newsletter.

In a news analysis published this week, Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent at The Times, writes about how, amid upheaval on Capitol Hill and the undermining of democratic norms, the country’s institutions are under profound stress:

There was a time, not that long ago, when the United States presumed to teach the world how it was done. When it held itself up as a model of a stable, predictable democracy. When it sent idealistic young avatars to distant parts of the globe to impart the American way.

These days, to many watching at home and abroad, the American way no longer seems to offer a case study in effective representative democracy. Instead, it has become an example of disarray and discord, one that rewards extremism, challenges norms and threatens to divide a polarized country even further.

Do you feel that the government in the United States has become an “example of disarray and discord”? Do you think it is no longer a model of effective representative democracy? Or do you think this view is wrong and these fears are overblown, or even unjustified?

How much faith do you have in the U.S. political system?

In a recent essay, Charles Blow writes about how young Americans are particularly frustrated with the current political climate — and that was before the drama on Capitol Hill this week:

A Pew Research Center report released this week called Americans’ views of our politics “dismal.”

That might be too kind a word.

On metric after metric, the report ticked through markers of our persistent pessimism. In 1994, it says, “just 6 percent” of Americans viewed both political parties negatively. That number has now more than quadrupled to 28 percent. The percentage who believe our political system is working “extremely or very well”: just 4 percent.

And on many measures, younger people are the most frustrated, and supportive of disruptive change as a remedy.

Younger voters recognize that our political system is broken, and they have little nostalgia about a less broken time. They have almost no memory of an era when government was less partisan and less gridlocked. Their instincts are to fix the system they’ve inherited, not to wind back the clock to a yesteryear.

According to Pew, among American adults under 30, 70 percent favor having a national popular vote for president, 58 percent favor expansion of the Supreme Court, 44 percent favor expansion of the House of Representatives, and 45 percent favor amending the Constitution to change the way representation in the Senate is apportioned — numbers higher than their older counterparts, particularly those over 50.

But the American political system wasn’t built to make radical change easy. Yes, our political system needs a major overhaul, but such an overhaul is almost inconceivable given current political constraints.

This can be a bracing reality when youthful idealism crashes into it.

Students, read these articles, then tell us:

  • Do you agree with Mr. Blow that young people view the political system as broken? Why or why not? If you agree, what seems “broken” about it to you?

  • Is there anything in the news that specifically worries you? If so, what and why?

  • The Times and other news sources regularly report on the deep political divisions among us. Do you see those divisions playing out in your own life? How much do they concern you?

  • According to the Pew Research Center, 28 percent of Americans view both major political parties negatively. Where do you stand? Do you ally yourself with one party or the other?

  • Do you have faith in American democracy in general? Do you believe that our system of representative government works as it should? Why, or why not?

  • America has been through other periods of deep division, as Mr. Baker outlines, including the civil rights era, Vietnam and the Civil War. But what is different now, he writes, is that “Republicans under Mr. Trump have directly attacked the foundation of the democratic system by refusing to accept an election that they lost and by tolerating, if not encouraging, political violence, most notably the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol.” Do you think our democracy is under more pressure — or a different kind of pressure — than in the past? Can it withstand today’s challenges?

  • Can people your age strengthen our democracy? How? What examples of positive change do you see around you, if any?

Burnout and How to Beat It

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Burnout and How to Beat It

We’re in the last stretch of the year, and by now, most of us are feeling exhausted, drained, and ready for the year to be over with. In the worst cases, many have reached and exceeded their limit and are feeling burned out. In our fast-paced world, burnout has become an all-too-common phenomenon. Whether you’re a student, a working professional, a parent, or anyone navigating the demands of modern life, the risk of burnout is always there. Burnout is more than just feeling tired or stressed. It’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and extended periods of chronic stress and overwork. In this article, we will explore what burnout is, its causes, symptoms, and, most importantly, how to beat it and regain control of your life.

Understanding Burnout

The first thing to remember is that burnout is not a sign of weakness. It’s a state of dissatisfaction with one’s circumstances that results in emotional, physical, and mental manifestations. Burnout is understood as the result of continuous exposure to chronic stressors and not having or implementing effective coping mechanisms. 

Reduced productivity, feeling disconnected and demotivated from one’s work, and even physical symptoms like headaches or sleep problems can all be signs of burnout. To prevent burnout, you need to be able to identify its symptoms, which include cynicism or persistent exhaustion. This can help us better protect our mental and physical health and eventually promote a healthier and more sustainable way of living by recognising its existence and dealing with its causes. The key components of burnout include:

  • Emotional exhaustion: You are overwhelmed by everything and feel emotionally drained. What could be little things that were previously manageable are now triggers that send you further down a spiral and make it difficult to cope with minor stressors.
  • Depersonalisation: This involves having a cynical and detached attitude towards your personal goals, work, every responsibility, and life in general. You have ‘checked out’ and moving through life on autopilot.
  • Reduced personal accomplishment: You feel like your efforts are futile and that you are not achieving your goals, leading to decreased self-esteem and self-efficacy. This can also be caused by not having the energy to invest in pursuing your goals and piles on the other negative feelings that weigh you down.

We are human, but we react differently to varying situations and scenarios. Burnout can have deep, far-reaching, and lasting effects on an individual’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It’s important to know what burnout can look like so that you can recognise the signs in yourself and your loved ones.

  • Physically: It can manifest as chronic fatigue, insomnia, lack of appetite, headaches, and increased susceptibility to illnesses.
  • Emotionally: Burnout leads to feelings of hopelessness, irritability, no motivation, short temper, or interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can strain relationships due to increased cynicism and detachment.
  • Mentally: From a mental aspect, burnout can impair cognitive functions such as poor concentration and forgetfulness, thus making it difficult to perform tasks effectively.

In the long run, if burnout is faced and dealt with, it can contribute to more serious conditions such as depression, heart problems, heightened anxiety, and more. Recognising and addressing the effects of burnout is crucial to maintaining overall health and well-being.

Causes of Burnout

We live in demanding times and are pulled in different directions daily. At home, work, and at play, somebody wants something from us, and we can make the mistake of saying “yes” to everything, even when our bodies tell us otherwise. To effectively beat burnout, you need to understand its root causes and triggers. Below, we will explore the various factors that contribute to feeling burnt out and discouraged and then learn ways to mitigate these effects and recover.

  • Work overload: One of the most common causes of burnout is excessive workload and long working hours. Working excessively without rest leaves you with little time to rest and recharge.
  • Lack of control: We are bombarded with information, changes, and instability every day, and the constant barrage of this can make you feel powerless or like you have no say in your work or personal life. Over time this can contribute to burnout.
  • Lack of work-life balance: When work takes over your personal life, you often have little time to spend on your hobbies, pursue your passions, or spend time with family and friends. This imbalance leaves little time for relaxation and self-care, and as a result, burnout can occur.
  • Unclear expectations: As workplaces change their way of working, economic turns force changes and other uncertainties can have you feeling some ambiguity in your job role or personal goals. As time progresses and no clear path comes through, this can lead to confusion and frustration.
  • Lack of social support: Isolation and a lack of supportive relationships can exacerbate feelings of burnout.

These are the everyday realities for many of us and can’t always be avoided. What we need are ways to manage these in a healthy way.

How to Beat Burnout

The good news is that a burnout diagnosis is not the end. There is help available and proactive steps you can take to reclaim a sense of balance and vitality. Here are a few strategies to help you overcome burnout and bring the light and joy back into your life.

  • Self-care: Intentionally prioritise self-care activities like exercise, meditation, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones. These simple activities can help heal your mind and body.
  • Self-knowledge: You know yourself better than anyone else. The first step in keeping burnout at bay is to check in with yourself. How are you coping at work? Are you feeling stressed out? Are you getting enough sleep? How are your anxiety levels? If just the mere thought of these questions gets your heart racing, it might be worth taking a closer look at your mental well-being.
  • Set boundaries: Boundaries are important for others to adhere to, but we must respect ourselves enough to maintain these for ourselves. Establish clear boundaries for people and set a distinct line between work and personal life. Learn to say “no” when necessary and communicate your limits to others.
  • Time management: Make time to organise your tasks and prioritise them. Time management techniques can help you work more efficiently, reducing stress. If you know what’s coming, you can prepare for it and manage other tasks well.
  • Get help: The biggest disservice is thinking that we can and should do it alone. There is no shame in asking for help. Talk to friends, family, or a mental health professional about your feelings. Sharing your experiences can provide emotional relief and support.
  • Take breaks: Take that coffee break and have lunch away from your desk. Go on short vacations or a staycation if needed but do this to help you recharge and prevent burnout.
  • Re-evaluate goals: Reflect on your personal and professional goals and adjust them if necessary. Setting achievable and meaningful goals can rekindle your motivation.
  • Delegate: Don’t hesitate to delegate tasks when possible. Delegation empowers others and lightens your workload.

Beating burnout requires a combination of self-awareness, self-care, and lifestyle adjustments. Recognising the signs of burnout early on and taking proactive steps to address it is essential for your well-being and long-term success. Remember that it’s okay to ask for help when needed, and seeking support is a sign of strength, not weakness. By implementing these strategies, you can regain control of your life, improve your mental and physical health, and enjoy a more fulfilling and balanced existence.

If you feel that your mental health is under strain, you need to reach out and ask for help. Our Mental Health Assessment is a free and convenient way to assess your well-being and take the necessary steps to recovery.

 

A Wave Goodbye

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A Wave Goodbye

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration or, describe a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

Word of the Day: estimable

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Word of the Day: estimable

The word estimable has appeared in 16 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 6 in “‘Paint’ Review: Watch It Dry” by Jeannette Catsoulis:

Written and directed by Brit McAdams, “Paint” is a comedically inert parody of male privilege that’s all sight gags and very little substance. Wrapped in a fuzzy blanket of easy-listening oldies — John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Gordon Lightfoot — the screenplay asks us to believe that Carl is so out of touch he has no idea what an Uber is or how to use his cellphone. And that the warm, talented woman he loved and left (Michaela Watkins) has hung around for two decades hoping for a second chance to rinse his brushes.

As a result, “Paint” feels not just dated, but oddly sad. Inspired by the popular public-television host Bob Ross (who died in 1995), the movie seems caught in a time warp, its attitudes as antiquated as Carl’s wardrobe. Only the estimable Stephen Root, playing Carl’s station chief, and the vivacious Broadway performer Ciara Renée as Ambrosia, Carl’s younger, more talented rival, manage to nudge scenes from a saunter to a brisk walk …

Can you correctly use the word estimable in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how estimable can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

The Learning Scientists are in Portland this Week!

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The Learning Scientists are in Portland this Week!

All four of us are in Portland, Oregon! We are here for the Society for the Teaching of Psychology annual conference. If you’re attending on location, please check out our talk on Friday (Oct 6) at 11:25 Pacific time in the Grand Ballroom. Our session is one of the ones being recorded, and will be offered in the online format in February 2024!

This is the first time in over 4.5 years that we have all been together in the same physical location. So, we’re taking this week off (from the blog, at least) to focus on our talk, hear others talk about teaching and learning, and spend time together.

In the meantime, check out the Psych Sessions Podcast! They are recording an episode here at the conference.

A Concert, an Ancient Arrow and a Mysterious Library: Creative Writing By Teens

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A Concert, an Ancient Arrow and a Mysterious Library: Creative Writing By Teens

James Bartholomew the 50th, an adventurous young lad whose one dream was to climb the most dangerous mountain in the world, neared the top of Mount Squiggly, a mountain so dangerous and squiggly, that no one dared to climb. After two whole years of climbing the mountain, James reached out his arm to claim victory, finally arriving at the top. All of a sudden, a flock of hawks attacked him. In a desperate attempt to scare them off, he uses his backpack but it was ineffective. One of the hawks swoops in and grabs the backpack. As it flew off, James could see his laptop falling out. In a last-ditch effort, he tries to reach for his laptop, but another hawk swoops in and hits him, throwing him off balance. James rolls down the mountain hard and fast. He tries to catch a grip, but the mountain’s smooth squiggles won’t allow it. About to accept defeat, something grabs his hand. He quickly looks up to find a being made of coding and light coming out of his computer holding on to him. James was at a loss for words. Before he could say anything, the being tells him, “Your story does not end here.”

— Rohail, Glenbard West High School

Mary awoke at 6 a.m., as usual. She had neglected to complete both her homework and her duties since she had been napping. She had been worrying about the two tasks, and when she awoke, her homework and chores were completed. The floor was polished, she noticed a robot vacuum there, and instead of the settings on the top, there was a smile on the screen. Instead of being delighted, Mary felt terrified. She had told her mother the story and had been told she was insane … until it began to happen to everyone. Nobody was studying anymore because they had gotten the answers by asking the question aloud. Machines are 3-D printing houses, creating clothes, and even educating as a result, the human race becomes more lazy. Technology is giving a hand, but for how long? Until they have had enough and betray mankind.

— Zahraa, Glenbard West High School

It was a dark day for me, my best friend just got into a car accident, and she was in the ICU. I had no idea what I was going to do. She was my ray of sunshine in life. I had nowhere to go, my family was away on vacation. Nobody else knew but me and her family. I was there, I saw it happen. I kept on blaming myself, it was my fault she got into the mess, I was the one who wanted ice cream, she just wanted to stay home. I opened my laptop and soon the pain weighing down on me eased up. I got lost in the world of stories of incidents just like hers. As I was getting lost in the world of the internet, the phone rang. It was the hospital, she was gone. As I bawled my eyes out I opened my laptop up again. I found comfort now in the internet, it gave me a sense of hope. I felt like I could communicate openly without being judged and slowly the weight of her death lessened.

— Gowri, San Jose, CA

When I was 15, I was struggling with a friend relationship issue in school. I didn’t have any friends so I always ate my lunch alone, hung out alone, and slept during all of the break times. I wanted to make some friends but for some reason, everyone in the school was avoiding me so I was so gloomy. One day, while I was doing SNS at my home, someone texted me. I didn’t know her but she was different from other students in my school. She kept talking to me and was kind to me. She was my first friend in my school life, also my first online friend. I was so happy to make a friend so I always chatted to her in school too. She is still my best friend now, and I’m thankful to her. Because of her, I was able to overcome my friend conflict and didn’t have a gloomy school life.

— Elva, South Korea

I was climbing a mountain.
Every day I would fall back down only to get up and do it again.
By the end of the week I would be exhausted. Yet still I had to keep climbing this mountain, being tired wasn’t an excuse. I was told I needed to stop complaining.
So I did.
But then something amazing happened. I got a friend. His name, Social, Social Media
Now every day I would climb this mountain with my friend.
Climbing became easier, My friend would share our experiences.
I got more “friends.” I felt loved by others.
Others who used to make this mountain.
I didn’t care. It felt good to have a boost up.
One more friend, another step.
Everyday I was excited to know who was listening to my friend.
Not that I cared who.
But, secretly, this friend was building that mountain.
Now every step I took had to be flawless, or I would trip.
All that time being “perfect” I began leaving my true self behind.
But then, one day, I did trip. I turned to my friend for help.
But my friend betrayed me.
I fell …
I plummeted past the base into a deep pit.
I looked up to see my “friends” looking down on me.
Laughing …
I spent weeks trying to get out of that pit.
Then one day I decided to put my friend behind me. Slowly I was raised up, higher and higher. Till finally, I had reached the top.
Today, I have new friends.
But these ones were real, not online.
I still see my old friend from time to time. But I make sure to take breaks to ensure I can reach the summit every day.

— Claire, Glenbard West

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