The Quarter-Life Crisis Quiz

While I was at home for Thanksgiving, I explained my research paper on the quarter-life crisis to my friends and family. One of my family friends suggested that I check out the "quarter-life crisis" quiz on the Huffington Post website.

The quiz is composed of 25 questions, and answering yes to 12 out of the 25 qualifies you as having a quarter-life crisis. Many of the questions are repetitive and some seem slightly ridiculous, like "Do you feel entitled to a life much grander than the one you are living?" and "Do you overanalyze yourself?"

The columnist, who created the quiz, suggests that the only way to combat the quarter-life crisis is to engage in a process of self-discovery, no matter how long that might take. This column, along with the other books I've read on today's quarter-life crisis have jaded the phenomenon in my mind. In my opinion, the only way to make your life grander is to work hard. Things don't automatically fall into place upon graduating from college, instead it takes time and long hours to reach your dream job. Compared to generations past, we have little to complain about and would do better to start looking for jobs rather than "overanalyzing ourselves."

How Old is Too Old To Hit the Road?

I came across this article in the New York Times's New Old Age Blog on the debate over senior citizens and whether or not they should be allowed to drive. While many people know that senior citizens are responsible for a good portion of vehicle accidents in America, I was unaware of the benefits that driving offers to elders. Driving not only acts as a form of transportation for them; it allows them to socialize, can lengthen life span, and prevent depression and institutionalization.

The author offered some interesting suggestions on how to prevent senior citizens from causing accidents by looking to British Columbia's prevention policies. In British Columbia, people over 80 have to present medical proof that they are fit to drive and are not allowed to drive at night.

I don't really know where I stand on this issue, because at 90 my grandmother still seemed alert and safe on the road. However, it is interesting to consider whether their should be an age limit for driving as there is one for obtaining your license.

Coing Home for Thanksgiving

It's tradition for college kids, particularly freshmen, to head on home for the Thanksgiving Holidays. After months of being away from home for the first time, who wouldn't want to be back? A parent-writer in the New York Times Parenting Section talks about how being home can show just how much one has changed since the college adventure began. Leaving for college meant independence, but does coming home for Thanksgiving mean we're not all that independent just yet? Or does it allow for a gradual reduction of our dependence on our parents? Maybe parents have loosened up on "rules" since, after all, we've been on our own for the past two months. Maybe they're overbearing and just want to know about everything that's happened at college. The parent-writer ponders about how she should approach her own college freshman who is making his way home this weekend.

"What most parents want during visits home is a chance to take their child’s emotional temperature in ways that can’t happen in text messages or even video chats."

She does not want to be the interrogator, yet still wants to get a sense of her son's "emotional temperature." Inevitably, the relationship between her and her son will have changed from the time they last saw each other -- hopefully in a positive way. She claims that parents may feel conflicted in how to deal with the young adult that has come home for a temporary stay. The goal would be to find that perfect balance between giving space and catching up.

So I guess we can ask ourselves related questions at this time of our college career, as we can see the contrast between our college home and 'actual' home. Are your parents treating you differently? How much have you changed or grown?

Teaching Millennials Financial Know-How

Today, many teenagers and young adults are less-than-stellar at managing their finances. The ever-present use of credit cards especially has clouded many young people's understanding of the value of money--after all, with a quick swipe of plastic that brand new dress or video game is all yours. A recent competition/summit in Chicago, detailed here , challenged its teen participants to address this very issue; it yielded some very impressive results. From organizing easy-to-use online "wealth diaries" for different expenses (cell phone, etc.) to setting up computer programs that allow young people to keep track of any and all debt with the click of a button, the winners of the competition certainly created some practical solutions.

Nonetheless, while reading this article I began to wonder: shouldn't parents be teaching their kids how to balance a checkbook? Why do most Millennials have trouble understanding how student loans should be managed? Does, and if so why, does this generation of young people have less financial know-how than their predecessors? In other words, I want to explore the roots of this issue after reading its possible solutions.

Social networks and kids: How young is too young?

This article really made me think about the impact technology has on growing up. Socialization is vital to development in childhood. Children have playgroups, participate in sports teams, and join different activities, making a multitude of friends throughout the process. But in today’s tech-crazed world, how about online socialization? The question researchers seem to be asking today is: How much can an online social network actually affect a child? Many parents believe their 7-year-old should not be allowed access to sites such as Facebook or MySpace. They leave children vulnerable to an inappropriate environment. But perhaps these sites have become our social world and it is only right for children to be a part of it. The simple network sites intended for children are no longer sufficient; they do not provide enough ‘networking’ and are basically not “social” enough. Toby Clark, creator of KidSwirl (a kiddy version of Facebook) sums it up by saying, "The reality is that we're a technology-driven generation […] That’s not going to change.” So the next step would be to determine the best way to integrate the youngsters of our generation into social networking. Researchers are stumped now because they cannot determine the long term impact of internet use on children today, as technology is continuously evolving. Where are they to find their control group of non-users for their studies when everybody is on the web?

No More Food-coma on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming up, so I thought in the spirit of health and aging...here are some key ingredients and tips to eat like a centenarian even for a Thanksgiving feast.

Eat foods with rich vitamins, exercise a bit after eating, and a sip of wine!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Centenarians of Azerbaijan

Somewhere over the green, fertile, rolling hills of Western Asia, the mystic, foggy, ice capped mountains of Northern Russia, and beyond the deep, hidden valleys of Eastern Europe lives the centenarians of Azerbaijan.

The following link will direct you to a documentary trailer called "The Centenarians of Azerbaijan." Out of the 3 minute long trailer, about 2 minutes of the trailer consists of shots and frames that pan pastoral imagery described above. The connection between nature and extreme old age is apparent in many of the documentary videos, advertisement photos of centenarians, and centenarian interviews. This common theme overused by directors, photographers, and other artists, romanticizes the centenarians. They are placed on the same level as the unparalleled powers and vitality of nature (ie rolling hills, grass, mountains, waterfalls, etc). These frames of landscape represent beauty and a sense of grounded youth and life.

Although the juxtaposition of landscape and centenarians over-idealize longevity, it is a persuasive tactic to encourage commoners like us to learn from their "rooted" lifestyle and live healthier. Enjoy the trailer! the dramatic music complimented with scenes of nature will definitely put you at ease and calmness whether you are interested in longevity or not.

Support Groups without the "Support"

Family caregiving for individuals with Alzheimer's disease instigates numerous changes within the family dynamic that often lead to the prolonged tension, stress, and depression of caregivers. Although many intervention programs have been established to ease these tensions, often times family members do not decide to use them. Andersen, Cairl, and Cohen state in Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease that only about 10% to 25% of caregivers use formal support programs (353). Why so few? What alternative methods can we enhance or establish to relieve tension within the family?

I'm brainstorming the possibilities of the internet. The importance of friends and family. The denial that weighs down on patients and family caregivers alike. I'm certain that there is a better system for addressing both patient's and family caregivers' needs. This system not only has the potential to better the quality of patient care, but improve entire families' quality of life. It's definitely time for the public to seek answers.

Can Anthing Be Done?

After interviewing Robert Sapolsky, a professor of biology, neurosciences, neurology and neurobiological sciences, and neurosurgery at Stanford University, I've been looking into medications that are currently on the market for treating Alzheimer's disease. Today the most commonly used drugs (that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration) for treating the illness are: Razadyne, Exelon, and Aricept, Cognex. Cognex, however, is rarely proscribed today for safety reasons.

I still can't believe how few drugs are available for the millions with Alzheimer's disease!

Furthermore, although such medications may delay an eventual worsening of the disease, we still haven't found a cure. Where are the drugs that actually reverse or prevent the illness's onset?

Perhaps the public will have to turn to other options of facing this deadly illness. Sapolsky concurs that denial is a common reaction to the current lack of treatment. He believes that "denial could be [beneficial] because there are just a handful of drugs" with minimal effects on the market. I definitely believe he has a valid point.

Centenarian marries a 17 year old

"Married life is about love and passion rather than age and beauty" says the Somali centenarian. The centenarian claims he is 112 years old and is marrying his 6th wife. His most recent wife who is still alive is 90 years old but "ailing."

Although in Somalia, marriage traditions are quite different from that of Western culture, I don't know how I feel about a 112 year old man marrying a teenager. My western views I'm sure is playing a role in my concern and discomfort of this news; however I wonder on what level can these two individuals truly connect. The man has lived over a century, gone through various wars, cultural changes, and life experiences in general. The girl or woman is roughly 1/6 of her husbands age. To what extent does age gaps account to true, authentic love? Is there an age where a man or woman crosses the line marrying someone over 80 or 90 years younger than them?

A Dying Man's Anxiety

They come in, individuals to a group, to write about themselves. They are different - and the same; men with their own stories, men with a terminal illness. AIDS. Their stories are their truths.

This is New York City's Gay Men's Health Crisis in action. Professor Rachel Hadas organized a poetry workshop for its members, and published an anthology of their work soon after: Unending Dialogue. Wayne, one of its voices, spoke of "the anger and sadness of the man / there in the mirror."

Poetry is emotion cordoned behind words. What literary form is more expressive? The emotions of a terminally ill man seem to be found mostly in the work of terminally ill (HIV-infected), gay men. Perhaps, society keeps the terminally ill, straight man locked behind the strength and independence of macho-masculinity... a cage the gay man broke merely with his presence.

Sex: +3-5 years to your life

Quick Fixes: some easy ways to add 2-6 years to your life (all but one is about what you do, not your genes which is GOOD NEWS!)

Several scientists believe that people's genetic code is the key secret to one's longevity; however, based on the Danish Twin Studies "less than 20% of how long the average person lives is dictated by genes." In other words, we control how long we live. Some of the "quick fix" tips to add a couple years to your life include:

getting a hobby equals 2+ years
taking a vacation equals 1-2+ years
flossing your teeth equals 6.4+ years
having sex equals 3-5+ years

As random and peculiar some of these "quick fixes" sound (especially flossing teeth) they are all scientifically proven and tested to be beneficial to our lives. It would be interesting to see a list of potential "quick breaks" are, or behaviors that take years off your life. I wonder how many of those are natural things or man-made/artificial things that harm us because I believe a lot of health problems that arise in elderly people are society's fault rather than a natural cause. Longevity has to do with re-evaluating one's life in a positive way. Perhaps examining human creations that harm our health will allow us to re-evaluate society, foods, technology, medicine and so forth.

Jaded Generation [X]

Thanks to the recession, I sure GenX has so much more reason to support their stereotype as the cynical generation. What else does this world have to throw at them? Entering the workforce in a recession, clawing through the dot-com fiasco... it's no surprise that there's significant work discontent during today's recession.

SURPRISE! Generational thinking does make it into the popular news. Front-page-Yahoo! status even!

But wow. What a way to be portrayed. Why must all these generations be seen in such a negative light? It does nothing for the generation's morale, I'm sure. I, for one, would not be happy to be labeled a jaded curmudgeon (even if it is only a label). I wonder: does this generational labelling inspire rebellion in the ranks or do its members resign themselves to their labels through action and thought?

How We Sabotage Young Girls

Girls are encouraged to be nice, quiet, perfect, polite -- at the expense of their authenticity and sense of self.

Is this possible? Today, this force called 'Girl Power' is ripping through cultures, schools, and families, pushing girls towards academic and social success. Traditionally, the males took all the leadership and power roles, but today, we transcend that. Girls currently have higher high school graduation rates than boys, and represent the larger percentage of college and graduate students. Girl Power seems to demand perfection in all aspects of a girl's life. However, this force inherently demands selflessness and prevents self-expression. This modesty is said to carry on as a girl ages, which will allow her to continue her success, but cost her her authenticity. The author refers to this as "The Curse of the Good Girl."

The Curse of the Good Girl erects a psychological glass ceiling that begins its destructive sprawl in girlhood and extends across the female life span, stunting the growth of skills and habits essential to becoming a strong woman.

So is the author suggesting that being a strong woman is different from being a leader? She suggests that this issue stems from a culture that seems to desire gender equality, but is still confused about the true meaning of balancing gender roles.

A Clear Explanation of the Quarter-Life Crisis

While I was talking to a few of my friends this weekend about my research paper, I realized that not many young people know what the quarter-life crisis is. My own sister, whose move to New York and subsequent difficulty finding a job, inspired my research project and she didn't even know what it was.

I can't remember the first time I heard the phrase mentioned--it seems ingrained in my mind right now. But I was thinking back to this movie I really enjoyed over the summer, called Post Grad, which I think offers the best explanation of the crisis in a film-friendly format.

The movie stars Alexis Bledel (of Gilmore Girls and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants fame) and focuses on her trials and tribulations post-graduation (hence the title Post Grad). Moving back home with her parents, trying to define relationships with guys, searching for jobs constantly, this movie explains all the elements of the quarter-life crisis.

So for those of you who are still confused about what the quarter-life crisis entails, watch the trailer and I'm sure you'll understand.