Recently, I watched an interview on CNN.com about a website that’s similar to Craigslist in its effort to provide people, internationally, with a place to sell various items. Sounds innocent enough, right? Well, that’s until you get to the “Adult” section of the page and more specifically, the “Escort” categories.

Backpage.com is a website that’s currently catching a lot of heat for allowing escort ads that some say are nothing more than avenues for people to partake in sexual activities with people underage; that it’s a haven for human sex trafficking. Those ads, ones that the company says they don’t support but believe they are providing a platform for such advertisements to be policed by the government, have earned Backpage.com over $27 million just in 2010 alone.

According to the CNN interview, the sex ad sales on their website made the company $3 million just in the month of March. That’s over 30% more than it made last March. While Backpage.com does claim that they monitor the ads, there have been numerous parents to come forward about their daughters being seduced into prostitution through the website; that pimps are posting ads for escorts on the page.

In “fairness”, there is a disclaimer on the website that encourages people to report any signs of sex trafficking or exploitation of minors before entering the escort section; however, the ads featured in that section would lead anyone to question just how serious the website is in taking steps to protect children. There are pictures of scantily-clad (and that’s putting it lightly) young women that are “available for services”, and while their ages usually say at least 18 or 19 on their profiles, it’s pretty obvious that many of them are not.

Although Backpage.com claims that they are not doing anything “wrong” and that they have the right to post sex advertisements so long as disclaimers are in view, I can’t help but to wonder, “If you know for a fact that children all over the world that have been brought into prostitution by your escort section, why not just pull that section from the site?” It’s hard to believe that they’re “doing all that they can” when the solution appears so simple. Of course, that’s rarely the case when millions of dollars are a part of the bottom line.

What do you think about Backpage.com’s right to have an escort page when it’s been linked to human trafficking and underage prostitution?

Until next time…

Traci

This website is all about inspiring you to be your absolute best so that you can encourage someone else to do the same! For more information on the services that we provide, visit www.thechampinyou.com, www.champcommunityproject.org, or www.beautyinbeautyouttour.com.

It’s Tuesday evening. Do you know where your teen is?

The thing is that, thanks to the power and presence of technology, they’re probably easier to find than they’ve ever been. If they’re not texting on their phones, they’re updating their status on Facebook or retweeting something that a celebrity said on Twitter. (Yes, sometimes, unfortunately, even while they’re sitting in class!)

However, after reading a recent article entitled, “Is Too Much Tech Bad for the Modern Teenager?” and seeing the stats that supported this question, I couldn’t help but to wonder the exact same thing.

According to a recent Pew Study Research study, people ages 18-34 have an average of 319 online connections. Individuals between the ages of 35-46 have online 198. 63% of teenagers text to their friends on a daily basis; however, they only talk to them on the phone about half as much. These same kids that “text only” interact face-to-face with people at school 35% of the time. And when they’re in the midst of all of that “LOL” and “SMH” exchanging, Face-to-face interaction is even less. It’s kind of amazing that teens make the time to send, on average, about 100 texts per day!

We may be living in the age of technology, but that’s not necessarily the best thing for our youth. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study cited that currently 21% of teens consume at least 16 hours of media per day (remember, there are only 24 total) and 47% of heavy media users are receiving grades that are C or below.

The statics show us that our kids are definitely “plugged in”, but in the wise words of Albert Einstein, “Information is not knowledge.” So, the next time your child asks you for the latest iPhone, starts  downloading a new app, or begins texting one of their friends over dinner, take a moment and ask yourself, “Is this what their life is supposed to be like?” Because if they’re not learning to engage others (face-to-face), if their grades are suffering, or if they’re being entertained more than they’re being educated, that $300 phone is not a “toy” anymore; it’s an enemy of their future success.

Until next time…

Traci

Here’s a bit of a pop quiz: Did you know that the CEO of Kraft Foods is a woman? Her name is Irene Rosenfeld. Did you know that the vice chairman of Johnson & Johnson is a woman? Her name is Sherilyn McCoy. Or how about the Chairman and CEO of Avon? Her name is Andrea Jung. The Vice president of Google (and she’s only 37 years old!)? Her name is Marissa Mayer. The Chairman and CEO of Xerox? It’s a woman by the name of Ursula Burns. The President of McDonald’s is a woman as well. Her name is Jan Fields.

There are also women who are making headlines for businesses that they’ve started on their own including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, cooking show favorites Paula Deen and Ree Drummond and Natalie McNeil, the co-founder of Young Entrepreneur Council, an organization that promotes youth entrepreneurship.

We’ve always known it, but if there was ever a time in our history were corporate America is supporting the fact that women can be anything that they want to be in the business world, it would be now. There are also plenty of stats to support this fact.

What’s interesting is that while women are strong competitors in business, studies cite that their motives are a bit different from men. While men start (and run) businesses for money, women do it for social value. According to Science Daily, women are 1.17 times more likely to start a social venture rather than an economic one. They’re also 1.23 times more like to pursue a venture that has an environmental focus that a business that is economically based.

The reasons why this is the case is definitely something to think about. Maybe it’s simply due to a statement that a Forbes article made about women and entrepreneurship: “Women are CEOs in their homes every day”. We all know that it takes more heart than money to keep a happy home running smoothly.

I’m curious. When you think about the fact that a lot of women are doing so well in business, even though money is not their top objective, why do you think that is the case?

Until next time…

Traci

Earlier this year, there was a feature in the New York Times entitled, “Advice From Life’s Graying Edge on Finishing With No Regrets”. It was filled with lots of great advice from seniors on everything from careers and aging to regrets and happiness.

One quote that caught my attention was, “Each decade, each age, has opportunities that weren’t actually there in the previous time.” There is a lot of wisdom in that statement because so many of us waste time simply by not embracing each moment that we have. We’re always so busy trying to get more and do more that we oftentimes don’t realize that everything really does come in its due time.

This would include being in a long-term relationship.

Did you know that if you marry before 25, you increase your chance of divorce by as much as 24 percent? Researchers say that a big part of this is due to the fact that in our 20s, we’re still figuring out a large part of who we are as an individual; that it’s hard to commit to someone else without first understanding our wants and needs, goals and aspirations…the things that make us tick.

Other things that play a factor in having a successful marriage include having a college education, a strong religious background, a stable financial income (all of which take time to obtain) and something else that the article stated: “A satisfying marriage that lasts a lifetime is more likely to result when partners are fundamentally similar and share the same basic values and goals. Although romantic love initially brings most couples together, what keeps them together is an abiding friendship, an ability to communicate, a willingness to give and take, and a commitment to the institution of marriage as well as to each other.”

Did you notice that on this list, there was something that was missing? Even though a lot of movies, television programs and songs tell our young people that sex is what gets a person’s attention, statistics and our seniors reveal that it’s definitely not what keeps them there—it may be the icing, but it’s certainly not the cake!

Our teens oftentimes receive mixed messages about what it takes to make a healthy and satisfying relationship work. It’s no wonder why so many of them are pregnant, heartbroken or disillusioned at such an early age—a time in their lives when they should be enjoying it. We can’t afford to continue to allow the media to teach them about values like love and marriage. It’s like building on a shaky foundation, at best.

What advice would you give your child on how to have a fulfilling, long-term relationship?

Until next time…

Traci

Sometimes we read statistics and think that if we’re not officially a part of the number, then it doesn’t directly affect us. There are moments when that may be the case, but this is definitely not one of them.

This week, it was announced that by 2030, over 42% of the American population will be obese; not 10 lbs. from their goal weight, not a little overweight…downright obese!

So, how does this affect us at large? Well, people with an extremely large accumulation of fat are at high risk for many ailments and diseases including high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea and even Alzheimer’s. This means that the cost for health care is on the rise. Sadly, , there is data to support the fact that if something drastic is not done, it could cost us as much as $550 billion dollars over the next 20 years.

Thankfully, there are steps being taken to remedy the situation. Washington D.C. is hosting Weight of the Nation, a conference that will address some of the issues and concerns surrounding this topic. The Center for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, and Institute of Medicine, and HBO have all partnered to present a documentary with the same title. The four-part series will air starting May 14.

Currently one-third of Americans are obese. As someone who is passionate about the importance of caring for one’s “temple” –  mind, body and spirit-  I am curious to know what will be shared at the conference and on the documentary. But, I also know that our culture has played a big part in our current condition. Television and video games encourage a sedentary lifestyle, the organic approach to eating is not advertised nearly as much as junk food is and exercise is oftentimes seen as something only fitness buffs do. If we’re going to be serious about getting healthy, we all have to be committed to promoting the things that make for a healthy lifestyle.

What are some things that you think should be done to tackle to obesity problem in our country?

Until next time…

Traci

Sexual abuse comes in many forms and affects people all over the world. As I was reading a story about Jasvinder Sanghera, a South Asian immigrant and Fauziya Kassindja, a woman from Togo, Africa, I was heartbroken and angered  by the suffering that the women in their culture have to endure. At the same time, I was also amazed by the determination these two women mustered up to escape their torturous conditions.

Kassindja, 35, is one of the countless women that are expected to undergo a ritualistic female circumcision known as “kakia”. It is the belief in her country that female genital mutilation (FMG) is a procedure that young women must go through prior to marriage to both reduce the chances of them having sexual pleasure, therefore preventing them from committing adultery. Reportedly, this is an act that is done in more than 24 countries to Muslim girls.

Sanghera, 46, a daughter of an Indian Sikh immigrant, was raised in England. However, according to her family’s customs, she was to be married to an older Indian man; not by choice, by force. Following the wedding, she ran away but was apprehended by police. When she called her mother, she was told that she was dead to them unless she returned home. She decided  not.

Today, Kassindja is happily married (with triplets) and running a grocery store in Staten Island, New York. Sanghera is an author that is touring the world speaking against forced marriages. She has also lobbied against this kind of legislation as it relates to minors in Britain—the home of many South Asian and African immigrants.

“My own family deemed it more honorable for my sister to kill herself than to leave her husband,” Sangerha said in an interview. “They protect the perpetrators in the name of cultural sensitivity.”

“People say I did something brave, but the girls who go through this ordeal are the ones with real courage,” Kassindja said at a fundraiser for the Tahirih Justice Center.

Fear is the catalyst that causes many people to endure self humiliating and self destructive situations. These two women are a testament to the fact that running isn’t always a sign of weakness. There are times when it’s an example of miraculous strength. If you are in a situation where you are in danger, don’t feel like you have to stay just because it’s expected of you. Don’t let fear of what the future holds keep you in emotional or physical bondage.

Every person has a right to liberty, freedom, and to feel protected and safe—mind, body and spirit.

Let Sanghera and Kassindja serve as absolutely amazing examples of this fact.

Until next time…

Traci

This website is all about inspiring you to be your absolute best so that you can encourage someone else to do the same! For more information on the services that we provide, visit www.thechampinyou.com, www.champcommunityproject.org, or www.beautyinbeautyouttour.com.

Did you know that Facebook currently has over 500 million users? This means that 1 in 13 people in the world has a Facebook account and over half of them login every single day. That may be good for Mark Zuckerberg, but according to a research study that was published in Psychological Science earlier this year, it may not be so good for people who battle with low self-esteem.

A lot of people would probably assume that Facebook would be great for people who may not feel good about themselves because it provides them with not just a place to connect with their friends, but also the opportunity to receive encouragement and support. However, the data revealed that people with low self-esteem were far more negative in their status updates and comments than those with a healthier sense of self. As a direct result, the “coders” that were used within the study (strangers or acquaintances who could unbiasedly share their thoughts about the comments) reported that they liked the people with the low self-esteem far less. The study also revealed that when people with low self-esteem made positive comments, they received more comments from their Facebook friends while those with high self-esteem received about the same amount of responses either way (mostly due to the fact that they said negative things far less often).

This brought the people conducting the study to the conclusion that while people with low self-esteem may feel more secure when it comes to sharing what’s going on in their lives on the social network platform, due to how people react to their postings, it’s probably doing them more harm than good; people are less likely to want to engage a negative person, even those who are reaching out for some kind of positive support.

The reason why I’m mentioning this goes beyond just sharing some interesting trivia. While low self-esteem statistics can be challenging to predict, there are several case studies that cite that over 40% of teenage girls battle with issue and many of our young ladies that we love have Facebook accounts. This study shows us that we can’t assume that just because our children are engaging their “friends” online that it’s productive for them. Talking on the Internet is no substitute for intimate communication.

Spend a week checking out your child’s Facebook page and if you notice a negativity trend, don’t ignore it. Get off line and spend some real quality time with them.

The cries for help and the need for attention come in many forms. Sometimes, it can be heard through a status update on a Facebook wall.

Until next time…

Traci

This website is all about inspiring you to be your absolute best so that you can encourage someone else to do the same! For more information on the services that we provide, visit www.thechampinyou.com, www.champcommunityproject.org, or www.beautyinbeautyouttour.com.

In light of the ongoing Trayvon Martin case, the issue of racism is a topic that has reared its ugly head again and has reached national media focus once more. About a month ago, the Herald Sun published an article entitled, “Blacks Say Racial Profiling a Fact of Life”. The piece featured black men who  shared that they felt racial profiling was something that they had to deal with on a daily basis, regardless of their age, social or educational status.

Joseph Jordan, the director of the Stone Center in UNC said that “We tend to live with it….We can get upset, but we’d be getting upset every hour of our lives.”

This issue, however, is not something that just affects black men within our country. Many Muslims and Asians also feel like they are a target of racial profiling; especially when it comes to airport security.

Today, the Sikh Coalition, a civil rights community group, is hoping to change all of that—at least when it comes to how people are treated while checking their bags. They have invented a racial profiling app called FlyRights and it is being called “a novel marriage between technology and civil rights activism”. What the app does is report, in real time, any instance in which a user of the app feels like they are being racially profiled. The report goes to the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security as well.

Some people may wonder how this is going to help matters, but if there is one thing that the Trayvon Martin case has shown us, it’s that there is power in unity.  And, as the spokesperson for the Sikh Coalition so poignantly said, when it comes to how people are unfairly treated at airports, “The Policy will not change unless you make your voice heard.”

You can download the app starting today at the Apple Store and within the Android marketplace as well.

Have you ever been a target of racial profiling? And if so, are you going to download the app? Why or why not?

Until next time…

Traci

When a doctor prescribes a prescription drug, it’s usually to heal an ailment or relieve some kind of physical or even emotional pain. So, what does it mean when our children are actually stealing prescriptions from other people?

That’s what I thought about after reading an article in the Los Angeles Times last week citing that while the death rates in children (ages 0-19) due to unintentional injuries (in part due to increased car safety) have dropped more than 30% over the past decade, what is on the rise are the amount of deaths that are directly related to child drug abuse; prescription drugs, specifically. Over the same amount of time, that has risen over 91%.

A couple of days ago, I read in the same newspaper about another form of drug abuse that’s becoming a popular trend among teens. Recently, in the San Fernando Valley, six teens showed up in two different emergency rooms with alcohol poisoning due to the consumption of hand-sanitizer. Teenagers have discovered a way to apply salt to the sanitizer to separate the alcohol from the other ingredients that results in a cocktail that is similar to hard liquor. Apparently just a couple of swallows of it will cause  intoxication. Health officials are becoming increasingly concerned that it’s a growing pastime that’s sweeping the country. And a potentially lethal  one, at that.

The liquid hand sanitizer is 62% ethyl alcohol and makes a 120-proof liquid. Only a few drinks can cause a person’s speech to slur, their stomach to burn, and make people so drunk that they have to be monitored in the emergency room.

Doctors have noted this as the latest over-the-counter product that teenagers have adapted for a quick high. Teenagers have previously done the same with mouthwash, cough syrup and even vanilla extract.

There’s nothing new under the sun. Kids have been coming up with things like this for decades. But what  do we conclude  when the amount of children that die accidentally has dropped while the amount of young people that are leaving us way to soon are doing so based on drug use?

Some may be using it for “amusement”, but there’s a greater chance that even more are abusing it as a way of coping with their own emotional discomfort.

This news is letting us know that our Generation Y is  crying out in pain. We’ve got to find a way to provide them with a better remedy, a solution that will keep them out of emergency rooms and ultimately out of funeral homes.

Until next time…

Traci

Last week, the New York Times posted a blog entitled, “Elderly, No More”. It was about people over the age of 65. In times past, it was “acceptable” to refer to this age group as “senior”, “elderly”, “older adults”. But those days are quickly ending!  “For heavens’ sake, don’t call them anything,” said Ms. Fishman. “Let’s talk about their interests and values.” Marketers, she noted, make it point to address potential customers’ “stage of life” and “lifestyle,” but never talk about their age. However, the issue was raised for more reasons than simply finding a polite word to use. How are doctors supposed to refer to them? Or when they’re being cited for other studies, what is the appropriate title that should be referenced?

Harry Moody, the director of academic affairs for AARP is 67. He said, “Personally, I tend to use the term ‘older people’ because it’s the least problematic. Everyone is older than someone else.”

Jane Glen Haas, a 74-year-old syndicated newspaper columnist had this to say on the matter: “Don’t call anyone ‘elderly.’ I associate that with people with physical disabilities who need constant care.”

Thomas Cole, the director of the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston commented, “We’ve tried ‘elder,’ but people don’t like that because it reminds them of patriarchy and the church…The culture’s problem is that we split aging into good and bad….We’re unable to sustain images of growing older that handle the tension between spiritual growth, the good, and physical decline, the bad. In the Hebrew Bible, aging is both a blessing and a curse. But our culture can’t achieve this kind of synthesis.”

I found the article to be especially relevant because it reminded me of how important it is to actually listen to the opinions of those who are older than we are, especially when it comes to how they desire to live their own lives.

So often people reach a certain age and then family members find themselves having discussions like, “Where should they live?” without considering what their personal wishes are, or “What should we do about their retirement?” while not respecting the plans that their loved ones may have already put in place.

Sadly and far too often, we see older adults as “old” rather than “wiser” and “more self-aware” as a direct result of the extra years they have spent on this earth. At the very least, they have earned the right to live as they’d like and be called whatever they wish.  And maybe the lesson for the rest of us is to be courteous and caring enough to ask them what they would like to be called…first.

Until next time…

Traci

This website is all about inspiring you to be your absolute best so that you can encourage someone else to do the same! For more information on the services that we provide, visit www.thechampinyou.com, www.champcommunityproject.org, or www.beautyinbeautyouttour.com.