Celebrities are more prone to certain mental illnesses because of the nature of their work and the pressure to be perfect in the eye of the public. With large amounts of time and money at their dispense, they often turn to drug abuse to relieve the stress of fame. Drug addiction has such a strong correlation to fame because for some, finding any way to release some of that stress is better than just wallowing in it.
It’s a deadly combination; mix money, free time and boredom, and those artists are more likely to give into their impulses and temptations. People who have stable jobs with set schedules and routines are less likely to give in to those impulses.
Why do we relish in watching people, like celebrities, fail? Somewhere, humility was struck, and instead of treating these celebrities as human beings who struggle with the same issues and insecurities we do, they became fair game to mock. We as the public should be more cautious and understanding of people with large reputations.
—Bronwyn Reed
Orem, Utah
The first nation to adopt daylight savings time was Germany during WWI. Other nations followed in an effort to conserve energy for the war. When the war ended, daylight savings time (DST) was retired; however, it was again adopted in North America and Europe in response to the energy crisis in the 1970s.
Given that DST was introduced at times of energy shortages, the question arises of its relevance today. While not currently in an oil embargo or global war, conserving energy is still a noble cause. However, according to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, this benefit of saving energy may no longer exist. Their study found that Indiana households spent about $9 million more on electric bills per year due to DST. In addition, the costs of increased pollution emissions each year summed to about $1.7 to $5.5 million. So, if DST was implemented to save energy, a purpose it is not actually fulfilling, why are we still doing it?
Millions of Americans have fixed work and school schedules, and they develop a body clock that is used to waking them up at specific times. When the time changes by an hour, it can result in illness and increased injury in the workplace, decreasing productivity. And even if this adjustment were simply a minor inconvenience, why make it at all if there are no major benefits?
We, as voters, should consider abolishing DST and enjoying more stable lifestyles.
—Jana Vermeeren Lindley
Morgan, Utah
Britton Bunn
Boise, Idaho
Rebecca Rowley
Redlands, California
