Diversity and Human Capital and Indias Workforce

Diversity and Human Capital and Indias Workforce A diverse ethos like India not only showcases unity in diversity but also the potential to create waves in innovative thinking. India, largely an agro-based economy has undergone a massive facelift in the recent decade due to the dotcom boom, giving the economy a phenomenal push. Statistics reveal that India will be a youth country in the coming decades. Given the immense knowledge pool, diversity and youth population at the countrys disposal, it is only natural to predict that India will be the global leader. At the same time, amendments are required to manage these great resources effectively to deliver what we dream to achieve. Challenges faced by India Inc. are not only population burst, corruption, terrorism, etc but also management of youth the immense knowledge base available along with attitude refinement to facilitate retention of knowledge. The country which boasts of a plethora of natural resources should reinforce ways to utilize these depleting resources and the talent pool available to the best of its potential. This paper looks into few of these issues and suggests methodologies for managing the diversity. INTRODUCTION A country like India is a perfect example of unity among diversity with a mix of cultures, languages, religions, age groups, etc offering a tremendous opportunity to learn and garner knowledge. The country has evolved over centuries into a multi-dimensional ethos, learning and assimilating a vast pool of knowledge. But have we succeeded in managing and utilizing this talent pool to its full potential? This provoking question leads us to the topic, Managing Diversity: The Challenges Faced By India Inc. A key distinguisher and common asset, knowledge is of importance. The healthy diversity along with a huge population does India an opportunity to grow fast. New ideas and fresh perspectives are natural offshoots of diversity and should be seen as blessings in disguise, rather than a challenging hurdle towards growth. But in this age of information technology and speed, application of knowledge, will majorly contribute to the countrys growth story. Diversity in India and its implicationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Between 2003 and 2050, India will add about 250 million people to its labour pool à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ By 2020, 61% of Indians will be under 35, i.e. about 780 million Indians will be in this age group. The statistics indicate that future India will be home to more young minds, thus increasing the average disposable income, and facilitating greater youth participation in decision making activities with fresh outlook. The youth and baby-boomer generations together can contribute a lot in adding value to the knowledge chain. The acquired knowledge should be practiced or else the country cannot thrive on the potential knowledge leaders diverse knowledge pool available. The concept of Knowledge Learnt, Used Thrown, entrenched in the young minds will have to be given up to produce innovators and thought leaders, and stress on practical application of knowledge is quintessential. Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice. -Anton Chekhov LITERATURE REVIEW A knowledge economy and its attributed index primarily depend upon 4 key pillars listed by The World Bank as Innovation, Education, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Economical Incentive Regime (EIR) under the Knowledge Assessment Methodology (KAM) and Knowledge Economy Index (KEI). This index ranked India at 101 indicating a large scope for improvement on the knowledge front. As per our analysis, innovation has the highest weightage in the methodology used. Sample data shown below Innovation or the pioneering application of knowledge has a great impact on the countrys overall knowledge economy index. The contribution towards patents is closely related. Patent data largely by the US (KEI Rank 10). In context with the categories of knowledge-based assets, two broad classifications have been made explicit or tacit. Included among the former are patents, trademarks, etc i.e. things that can be archived and codified. Much harder to grasp and record is tacit knowledge, which leads to knowledge creation. The challenge inherent with tacit knowledge is figuring out how to recognize, generate, and share it. The basic framework that employs knowledge creation as a black box driving economic growth is usually called the endogenous growth model. The literature using this black box includes Shell (1966), Romer (1986, 1990), Lucas (1988), Jones and Manuelli (1990), etc. The basic variable of study is a knowledge worker (or K-worker). Every time a K-worker researches with their best partner(s); the new knowledge jointly created becomes shared knowledge, thus dynamically builds up knowledge in common. Heterogeneity in K-workers provides an opportunity to cooperate and is endogenous to the model. In this way, the heterogeneity or diversity of all K-workers changes endogenously over time. Thus, a partnership in knowledge creation is most productive when common and differential knowledge are in balance. From a birds eye view, the ability of a nation to use, synergize and create knowledge capital determines its capacity to empower its citizens. Aptly in the words of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, The time has come to create a second wave of institution building, and of excellence in the fields of education, research and capability building so that we are better prepared for the 21st century. India today needs a well defined knowledge-oriented paradigm of development to provide a competitive advantage in all the fields. The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) in India has been entrusted to study the parameters and suggest corrective measures to give India the competitive knowledge edge in the coming decades. The KEI model of World Bank has been re-visited from the Indian context introducing various parameters which make plausible sense in the country. The model: METHODOLOGY The paper explores both tangible and intangible parameters for enhancing the knowledge capital in India. The world in future will be driven by a knowledge-base economy and this notion is not foreign to India. Indias history is marked with events that reinforce the countrys potential to learn and showcase unity through diversity. Think about the Indian War of Independence and it will make sense. India is and will remain for some time one of the youngest countries in the world. This demographic dividend is seen as an opportunity to accelerate the countrys rate of growth. We have a critical mass of skilled, English-speaking knowledge workers. The knowledge economy of the twenty-first century demands competencies not only in the area of ICT but also in group learning, risk-taking ability, tolerance to multicultural views, learning from nature and synergizing to innovate. The gathered knowledge needs to be effectively channelized, applied and disseminated to the people of this country. This eventually increases the common knowledge pool and benefits the economy as large. The scriptures, traditional knowledge and the baby boomer generation help us to think in a holistic manner for applying the knowledge. The attitude of young minds, if nurtured in the right way, can produce a positive impact. Like Victoria Abril puts ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Keep your ears open, your eyes open, grab everything you can, react, and learn The countrys youth should be encouraged to research and get an insight on various subjects to tackle real life challenges through innovative methodologies. Traditional scriptures like the Vedas are treasure chests of knowledge and teach us how to deal with state problems, how to teach and grow, etc. They should be shared with the common man, to enable him to think and utilize age old wisdom in an age of intense competition. In Sanskrit, the importance of knowledge is quoted as Nahi Jnanena Sadrsham Nothing is equivalent to knowledge FINDINGS ANALYSIS A burgeoning young human capital is bound to have positive implications on the economy. If not tended well, this boon can turn into a bane. The age distribution of India is projected to change by 2020. The population in the age group 15 -59 years (currently 58 percent) is projected to increase to nearly 64 percent. This shift is shown below India would then have a handsome mix of youth and grey-haired wise men to share different views and synergize to suggest solutions by application of their acquired knowledge. But, this upcoming bulge will also have its own set of ideologies thoughts and would thus have to develop a tolerance level and attitude to learn from their older generations about the vanities and gyan of life. The baby boomers have retained knowledge imparted to them about 80 years back and continue to apply them in real life problems. The youth needs to appreciate this and concentrate on application of gathered knowledge rather than garner degrees. The flip side is that the countrys education system forces one to memorize more and remember the same till exams. The classroom learning limits the students perception. The lessons are merely learnt, used thrown today. More nature and environment based learning would give students a fresh perspective. QUALCOMM has pioneered and introduced solutions inspired from nature like Low-friction ship hulls inspired by shark skin, etc. If all the young minds of India can be guided to think this way, imagine what wonders can be created. The knowledge imparted and discussed should be taught along with examples from diverse backgrounds. At graduation level, students should be encouraged to pursue research work apply knowledge creatively, and indulge in good communication. These are imperative for attitude refinement of individuals which needs tendering to keep them receptive to ideas. This could proactively nurture entrepreneurs at an early stage. Today with a demand driven economy, there is a tendency of people to learn, use throw (forget) the acquired knowledge and comment it doesnt matter well start afresh and learn fast. For facilitating retention, reframing teaching patterns is equally important along with grooming of students. This grooming would include exercise based teaching, vocational training and soft skills training. The habit of reading gaining perspective about varied issues is dwindling and should be emphasized at an early age. We need to strike a healthy balance between self made efforts outsourced tasks to help develop a rational outlook on activities around us. This is imperative for creating a sustained cadre of knowledge workers. It is clear that workers with equal unequal skill sets create better synergy and lead to value addition in knowledge pool. The overall literacy rate in India is highly unsatisfactory. There are areas in India where the abundance of knowledge gets eclipsed by the inability to communicate. Due to this disparity, thoughts and ideas are stalled without getting discussed. Such barriers need to be removed, to educate and tap the knowledge base available. Socrates subtly quotes, The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance. Illiteracy is one of the acclaimed evils in society. The initiative to educate is not with the Government alone but requires active support from every citizen. Empowering minds and sharing knowledge will corroborate the Indian growth story and make it flourish. Management of gargantuan diversities like India will be effective only when citizens rightfully learn, teach apply acquired knowledge for betterment of the country at large. Diversity in population provides an excellent opportunity to explore and learn. A clichà ©d process might be holistically applied for a different cause to apply, learn and grow. If, like the IT companies the concept of collating ideas can be practiced at the national level it would keep the minds of people busy and help everyone learn more from the surroundings and contribute more. Heterogeneity plays a major role in this context. The quote below from Mahatma Gandhi states how important it is to share knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If you give me rice, Ill eat today; if you teach me how to grow rice, Ill eat every day. Innovation in a developing nation requires a favorable climate, one that is free from bureaucratic regulatory obstacles and fosters interactions across boundaries. The sources of knowledge might be universities, research institutes, think tanks, etc but the right to information is the prerogative of every individual. With this, we conclude our paper and hope to ignite thoughts through an insightful Sanskrit shloka about knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ CONCLUSION India has showcased unity integrity for umpteen causes. Now she is faced with the new challenges of growing population and managing knowledge. For the nation to become a leader in knowledge based economies, the same commitment and unity needs to be shown by each citizen. Today in an intense global market, few variables will give India a competitive advantage. Lifelong learning, youth population and synergy between diverse cultures and attitude to learn, to name a few. In the next few decades, India will have a large youth base. Given this demographic advantage over other countries, we are optimally positioned to establish a knowledge-oriented paradigm of development. An economy that creates, acquires, manages, adapts, and uses knowledge effectively for its economic development, can overcome many challenges while its individuals learn, retain and re-use the knowledge base to innovate and grow perpetually. In the words of our Prime Minister, to leapfrog in the race for social and economic development. The attitude towards learning would also differentiate a country as a trend-setter. Inventive education patterns, fighting illiteracy, and application of knowledge are important tasks for India Inc. amidst exiting challenges. The proactive involvement of elder generations in designing learning programs for students and future managers, to incorporate their traditional wisdom and insights on real life challenges is important. In short, the message is to learn, share, apply and manage through diversity and adversity. Hope and inspiration along with dedication to the task are equally important to the success of a vision. This thought has been beautifully quoted by the former Indian President and visionary Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam in his book Wings of Fire, For all your days prepare, And treat them ever alike, When you are the anvil bear, When you are the hammer strike

Everyone’s Opinion

Opinion refers to someone’s point of view which cannot be proved to be true. Opinion also refers to judgments that are made by professionals regarding their belief. In law the word is used to refer to the various reasons that persuade judges to reach certain conclusions and make judgmental decisions. It is usually difficult to verify whether an opinion is true or false because there is no certainty about it and for this reason, opinions are not factual. (dictionary. reference. com). Everyone has his own opinion regarding various issues that affect everyday life, such as politics, the economy, social life, the world and unknown phenomena such as the existence of supernatural beings and life after death. Some of the opinions are based on cultural values, how an individual is socialized and how these factors affect the personal life of someone. Due to the diverse nature of opinions, some deserve respect from others while others do not deserve any attention mainly because they are baseless and hold no water. Some of the opinions that deserve to be respected include public opinion, opinion polls, and normative opinions. Idle opinions and personal baseless opinions do not necessarily merit respect but can sometimes be respected when they refer to important issues. Public opinion can be defined as the consensus of adult citizens pertaining to an issue or an agenda that touches their day to day lives. Opinion polls are usually conducted to get public opinion on important matters of the state that affect the economy, market trends and policies that determine governance. Such opinion polls deserve a lot of attention because they determine the kind of decisions that development stakeholders make in order to make progress economically and socially. Feedback from public opinion polls is a way of measuring the success or failure of the relevant institution. A good illustration is the opinion poll which was conducted in America on why nuclear energy should be supported. This poll was conducted on 2nd – 4th May 2003. The results showed that the majority of the citizens supported the usage of nuclear energy by two thirds. More than 70% agreed that nuclear energy licenses be renewed and more plants should be erected to increase energy supply. These numbers were even higher when the same poll was conducted in 2001 after some areas like California experienced power shortages. Such feedback offers the nuclear industry the necessary support from the general public to carry out its projects. Such kind of projects plays an important role in promoting development and boosting the economy. The opinion of the 30% who were against this development also cannot be ignored because their views could be of much benefit to the nuclear industry if considered as constructive criticism to improve the industry’s performance. Scontia: Why Americans Support Nuclear Energy: Development and Characteristics of Public Opinion in the U. S) Opinions that are not constructive in nature should not be given much attention because they are not beneficial. They are comprised of views that people don’t really believe in. Idle talk that happens during work or in the evening after work in blogs, and chatrooms quickly vanishes away. It is just that people want to engage in idle discussions. Idle opinion was first observed by Robert Webb when he went to the United Kingdom to feature some advertisement of Apple Mac He faced considerable criticism from people who should have been doing better things. These opinions were also not sought from them and they did not really believe in them (http://www. idleopinion. com/). The illustration above is a good example of opinions that should not be respected since they do not add any significant value to the matter at hand. Ignoring it is what is required and concentrating on work or matters of importance and general public interest should be the way forward.

The Host Chapter 6: Followed

The light was finally fading outside the windows. The day, hot for March, had lingered on and on, as if reluctant to end and set me free. I sniffled and twisted the wet handkerchief into another knot. â€Å"Kathy, you must have other obligations. Curt will be wondering where you are.† â€Å"He'll understand.† â€Å"I can't stay here forever. And we're no closer to an answer than before.† â€Å"Quick fixes aren't my specialty. You are decided against a new host -â€Å" â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So dealing with this will probably take some time.† I clenched my teeth in frustration. â€Å"And it will go faster and more smoothly if you have some help.† â€Å"I'll be better with making my appointments, I promise.† â€Å"That's not exactly what I mean, though I hope you will.† â€Å"You mean help†¦ other than you?† I cringed at the thought of having to relive today's misery with a stranger. â€Å"I'm sure you're just as qualified as any Comforter-more so.† â€Å"I didn't mean another Comforter.† She shifted her weight in the chair and stretched stiffly. â€Å"How many friends do you have, Wanderer?† â€Å"You mean people at work? I see a few other teachers almost every day. There are several students I speak to in the halls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Outside of the school?† I stared at her blankly. â€Å"Human hosts need interaction. You're not used to solitude, dear. You shared an entire planet's thoughts -â€Å" â€Å"We didn't go out much.† My attempt at humor fell flat. She smiled slightly and went on. â€Å"You're struggling so hard with your problem that it's all you can concentrate on. Maybe one answer is to not concentrate quite so hard. You said Melanie grows bored during your working hours†¦ that she is more dormant. Perhaps if you developed some peer relationships, those would bore her also.† I pursed my lips thoughtfully. Melanie, sluggish from the long day of attempted comfort, did seem rather unenthused by the idea. Kathy nodded. â€Å"Get involved with life rather than with her.† â€Å"That makes sense.† â€Å"And then there are the physical drives these bodies have. I've never seen or heard of their equal. One of the most difficult things we of the first wave had to conquer was the mating instinct. Believe me, the humans noticed when you didn't.† She grinned and rolled her eyes at some memory. When I didn't react as she'd expected, she sighed and crossed her arms impatiently. â€Å"Oh, come now, Wanderer. You must have noticed.† â€Å"Well, of course,† I mumbled. Melanie stirred restlessly. â€Å"Obviously. I've told you about the dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, I didn't mean just memories. Haven't you come across anyone that your body has responded to in the present-on strictly a chemical level?† I thought her question through carefully. â€Å"I don't think so. Not so I've noticed.† â€Å"Trust me,† Kathy said dryly. â€Å"You'd notice.† She shook her head. â€Å"Perhaps you should open your eyes and look around for that specifically. It might do you a lot of good.† My body recoiled from the thought. I registered Melanie's disgust, mirrored by my own. Kathy read my expression. â€Å"Don't let her control how you interact with your kind, Wanderer. Don't let her control you.† My nostrils flared. I waited a moment to answer, reining in the anger that I'd never quite gotten used to. â€Å"She does not control me.† Kathy raised an eyebrow. The anger tightened my throat. â€Å"You did not look too far afield for your current partner. Was that choice controlled?† She ignored my anger and considered the question thoughtfully. â€Å"Perhaps,† she finally said. â€Å"It's hard to know. But you've made your point.† She picked at a string in the hem of her shirt, and then, as if realizing that she was avoiding my gaze, folded her hands resolutely and squared her shoulders. â€Å"Who knows how much comes from any given host on any given planet? As I said before, I think time is probably your answer. Whether she grows apathetic and silent gradually, allowing you to make another choice besides this Jared, or†¦ well, the Seekers are very good. They're already looking for him, and maybe you'll remember something that helps.† I didn't move as her meaning sank in. She didn't seem to notice that I was frozen in place. â€Å"Perhaps they'll find Melanie's love, and then you can be together. If his feelings are as fervent as hers, the new soul will probably be amenable.† â€Å"No!† I wasn't sure who had shouted. It could have been me. I was full of horror, too. I was on my feet, shaking. The tears that came so easily were, for once, absent, and my hands trembled in tight fists. â€Å"Wanderer?† But I turned and ran for the door, fighting the words that could not come out of my mouth. Words that could not be my words. Words that made no sense unless they were hers, but they felt like mine. They couldn't be mine. They couldn't be spoken. That's killing him! That's making him cease to be! I don't want someone else. I want Jared, not a stranger in his body! The body means nothing without him. I heard Kathy calling my name behind me as I ran into the road. I didn't live far from the Comforter's office, but the darkness in the street disoriented me. I'd gone two blocks before I realized I was running in the wrong direction. People were looking at me. I wasn't dressed for exercise, and I wasn't jogging, I was fleeing. But no one bothered me; they politely averted their eyes. They would guess that I was new to this host. Acting out the way a child would. I slowed to a walk, turning north so that I could loop around without passing Kathy's office again. My walk was only slightly slower than a run. I heard my feet hitting the sidewalk too quickly, as though they were trying to match the tempo of a dance song. Slap, slap, slap against the concrete. No, it wasn't like a drumbeat, it was too angry. Like violence. Slap, slap, slap. Someone hitting someone else. I shuddered away from the horrible image. I could see the lamp on over my apartment door. It hadn't taken me long to cover the distance. I didn't cross the road, though. I felt sick. I remembered what it felt like to vomit, though I never had. The cold wetness dewed on my forehead, the hollow sound rang in my ears. I was pretty sure I was about to have that experience for my own. There was a bank of grass beside the walk. Around a streetlamp there was a well-trimmed hedge. I had no time to look for a better place. I stumbled to the light and caught the post to hold myself up. The nausea was making me dizzy. Yes, I was definitely going to experience throwing up. â€Å"Wanderer, is that you? Wanderer, are you ill?† The vaguely familiar voice was impossible to concentrate on. But it made things worse, knowing I had an audience as I leaned my face close to the bush and violently choked up my most recent meal. â€Å"Who's your Healer here?† the voice asked. It sounded far away through the buzzing in my ears. A hand touched my arched back. â€Å"Do you need an ambulance?† I coughed twice and shook my head. I was sure it was over; my stomach was empty. â€Å"I'm not ill,† I said I as pulled myself upright using the lamppost for support. I looked over to see who was watching my moment of disgrace. The Seeker from Chicago had her cell phone in her hand, trying to decide which authority to call. I took one good look at her and bent over the leaves again. Empty stomach or no, she was the last person I needed to see right now. But, as my stomach heaved uselessly, I realized that there would be a reason for her presence. Oh, no! Oh, no no no no no no! â€Å"Why?† I gasped, panic and sickness stealing the volume from my voice. â€Å"Why are you here? What's happened?† The Comforter's very uncomforting words pounded in my head. I stared at the hands gripping the collar of the Seeker's black suit for two seconds before I realized they were mine. â€Å"Stop!† she said, and there was outrage on her face. Her voice rattled. I was shaking her. My hands jerked open and landed against my face. â€Å"Excuse me!† I huffed. â€Å"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was doing.† The Seeker scowled at me and smoothed the front of her outfit. â€Å"You're not well, and I suppose I startled you.† â€Å"I wasn't expecting to see you,† I whispered. â€Å"Why are you here?† â€Å"Let's get you to a Healing facility before we speak. If you have a flu, you should get it healed. There's no point in letting it wear your body down.† â€Å"I don't have a flu. I'm not ill.† â€Å"Did you eat bad food? You must report where you got it.† Her prying was very annoying. â€Å"I did not eat bad food, either. I'm healthy.† â€Å"Why don't you have a Healer check? A quick scan-you shouldn't neglect your host. That's irresponsible. Especially when health care is so easy and effective.† I took a deep breath and resisted the urge to shake her again. She was a full head shorter than I was. It was a fight I would win. A fight? I turned away from her and walked swiftly toward my home. I was dangerously emotional. I needed to calm down before I did something inexcusable. â€Å"Wanderer? Wait! The Healer -â€Å" â€Å"I need no Healer,† I said without turning. â€Å"That was just†¦ an emotional imbalance. I'm fine now.† The Seeker didn't answer. I wondered what she made of my response. I could hear her shoes-high heels-tapping after me, so I left the door open, knowing she would follow me in. I went to the sink and filled a glass with water. She waited silently while I rinsed my mouth and spat. When I was through, I leaned against the counter, staring into the basin. She was soon bored. â€Å"So, Wanderer†¦ or do you still go by that name? I don't mean to be rude in calling you that.† I didn't look at her. â€Å"I still go by Wanderer.† â€Å"Interesting. I pegged you for one that would choose her own.† â€Å"I did choose. I chose Wanderer.† It had long been clear to me that the mild spat I'd overheard the first day I woke in the Healing facility was the Seeker's fault. The Seeker was the most confrontational soul I'd come across in nine lives. My first Healer, Fords Deep Waters, had been calm, kind, and wise, even for a soul. Yet he had not been able to help reacting to her. That made me feel better about my own response. I turned around to face her. She was on my small couch, nestled in comfortably as if for a long visit. Her expression was self-satisfied, the bulging eyes amused. I controlled the desire to scowl. â€Å"Why are you here?† I asked again. My voice was a monotone. Restrained. I would not lose control again in front of this woman. â€Å"It's been a while since I heard anything from you, so I thought I would check in personally. We've still made no headway in your case.† My hands clamped down on the edge of the counter behind me, but I kept the wild relief from my voice. â€Å"That seems†¦ overzealous. Besides, I sent you a message last night.† Her eyebrows came together in that way she had, a way that made her look angry and annoyed at the same time, as if you, not she, were responsible for her anger. She pulled out her palm computer and touched the screen a few times. â€Å"Oh,† she said stiffly. â€Å"I haven't checked my mail today.† She was quiet as she scanned through what I had written. â€Å"I sent it very early in the morning,† I said. â€Å"I was half asleep at the time. I'm not sure how much of what I wrote was memory or dream, or sleep-typing, maybe.† I went along with the words-Melanie's words-as they flowed easily from my mouth; I even added my own lighthearted laugh at the end. It was dishonest of me. Shameful behavior. But I would not let the Seeker know that I was weaker than my host. For once, Melanie was not smug at having bested me. She was too relieved, too grateful that I had not, for my own petty reasons, given her away. â€Å"Interesting,† the Seeker murmured. â€Å"Another one on the loose.† She shook her head. â€Å"Peace continues to elude us.† She did not seem dismayed by the idea of a fragile peace-rather, it seemed to please her. I bit my lip hard. Melanie wanted so badly to make another denial, to claim the boy was just part of a dream. Don't be stupid, I told her. That would be so obvious. It said much for the repellent nature of the Seeker that she could put Melanie and me on the same side of an argument. I hate her. Melanie's whisper was sharp, painful like a cut. I know, I know. I wished I could deny that I felt†¦ similarly. Hate was an unforgivable emotion. But the Seeker was†¦ very difficult to like. Impossible. The Seeker interrupted my internal conversation. â€Å"So, other than the new location to review, you have no more help for me on the road maps?† I felt my body react to her critical tone. â€Å"I never said they were lines on a road map. That's your assumption. And no, I have nothing else.† She clicked her tongue quickly three times. â€Å"But you said they were directions.† â€Å"That's what I think they are. I'm not getting anything more.† â€Å"Why not? Haven't you subdued the human yet?† She laughed loudly. Laughing at me. I turned my back to her and concentrated on calming myself. I tried to pretend that she wasn't there. That I was all alone in my austere kitchen, staring out the window into the little patch of night sky, at the three bright stars I could see through it. Well, as alone as I ever was. While I stared at the tiny points of light in the blackness, the lines that I'd seen over and over again-in my dreams and in my broken memories, cropping up at strange, unrelated moments-flashed through my head. The first: a slow, rough curve, then a sharp turn north, another sharp turn back the other way, twisting back to the north for a longer stretch, and then the abrupt southern decline that flattened out into another shallow curve. The second: a ragged zigzag, four tight switchbacks, the fifth point strangely blunt, like it was broken†¦ The third: a smooth wave, interrupted by a sudden spur that swung a thin, long finger out to the north and back. Incomprehensible, seemingly meaningless. But I knew this was important to Melanie. From the very beginning I'd known that. She protected this secret more fiercely than any other, next to the boy, her brother. I'd had no idea of his existence before the dream last night. I wondered what it was that had broken her. Maybe as she grew louder in my head, she would lose more of her secrets to me. Maybe she would slip up, and I would see what these strange lines meant. I knew they meant something. That they led somewhere. And at that moment, with the echo of the Seeker's laugh still hanging in the air, I suddenly realized why they were so important. They led back to Jared, of course. Back to both of them, Jared and Jamie. Where else? What other location could possibly hold any meaning for her? Only now I saw that it was not back, because none of them had ever followed these lines before. Lines that had been as much of a mystery to her as they were to me, until†¦ The wall was slow to block me. She was distracted, paying more attention to the Seeker than I was. She fluttered in my head at a sound behind me, and that was the first I was aware of the Seeker's approach. The Seeker sighed. â€Å"I expected more of you. Your track record seemed so promising.† â€Å"It's a pity you weren't free for the assignment yourself. I'm sure if you'd had to deal with a resistant host, it would have been child's play.† I didn't turn to look at her. My voice stayed level. She sniffed. â€Å"The early waves were challenging enough even without a resistant host.† â€Å"Yes. I've experienced a few settlings myself.† The Seeker snorted. â€Å"Were the See Weeds very difficult to tame? Did they flee?† I kept my voice calm. â€Å"We had no trouble in the South Pole. Of course, the North was another matter. It was badly mishandled. We lost the entire forest.† The sadness of that time echoed behind my words. A thousand sentient beings, closing their eyes forever rather than accept us. They'd curled their leaves from the suns and starved. Good for them, Melanie whispered. There was no venom attached to the thought, only approval as she saluted the tragedy in my memory. It was such a waste. I let the agony of the knowledge, the feel of the dying thoughts that had racked us with our sister forest's pain, wash through my head. It was death either way. The Seeker spoke, and I tried to concentrate on just one conversation. â€Å"Yes.† Her voice was uncomfortable. â€Å"That was poorly executed.† â€Å"You can never be too careful when it comes to doling out power. Some aren't as careful as they should be.† She didn't answer, and I heard her move a few steps back. Everyone knew that the misstep behind the mass suicide belonged to the Seekers, who, because the See Weeds couldn't flee, had underestimated their ability to escape. They'd proceeded recklessly, beginning the first settlement before we had adequate numbers in place for a full-scale assimilation. By the time they realized what the See Weeds were capable of, were willing to do, it was too late. The next shipment of hibernating souls was too far away, and before they'd arrived, the northern forest was lost. I faced the Seeker now, curious to judge the impact of my words. She was impassive, staring at the white nothingness of the bare wall across the room. â€Å"I'm sorry I can't help you further.† I said the words firmly, trying to make the dismissal clear. I was ready to have my house to myself again. To ourselves, Melanie inserted spitefully. I sighed. She was so full of herself now. â€Å"You really shouldn't have troubled yourself to come so far.† â€Å"It's the job,† the Seeker said, shrugging. â€Å"You're my only assignment. Until I find the rest of them, I may as well stick close to you and hope I get lucky.†

The Political Power Of Social Media - 1171 Words

From hieroglyphics to the printing press, the concept of communication has been an integral part of society in order to express and spread ideas. However, through technological advancements and the prevalence of social media, communication has become faster and easier than before, allowing for greater involvement in activities globally. This has allowed for social media to become a method of political action because of its accessibility and speed. With the advancing processes of social media as a political force, there have been arguments on the effectiveness and different ways to take advantage of it. Clay Shirky, in â€Å"The Political Power of Social Media: Technology, the Public Sphere, and Political Change,† has addressed the various ways in which countries, especially the United States, has attempted to utilize social media to incite freedom of speech and build a broader public sphere. He listed the instrumental approach, where anti-censorship and â€Å"western† websites are encouraged, and the environmental, where local conversations among the residents of the country are encouraged. Shirky argues that inciting local conversations within people is far more effective in the long run in order to make true change and create a public sphere. However, there have been criticism against the use of social media as a way of creating political activism, especially from Malcom Gladwell in his article â€Å"Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted.† Gladwell argues that socialShow MoreRelatedThe Political Power Of Social Media923 Words   |  4 Pagestotal of 1.49 billion and 304 million active users respectively. This rapid rise and popularity of social media has allowed for the dispersion of ideas quickly and effectively on a global scale; in such a way that is unparalleled to any time in history. 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It is these impacts that both limit media products, and allow media products of a particular nature exist. A political economic approach in the production of media is in contrary to the nature of media itself; accuracy, integrity and authenticity