Society

Brit teens prefer reading to chatting online with friends

Brit teens prefer reading to chatting online with friendsLondon, Mar 5: Reading a book is what appeals to UK teens more than speaking to their friends on social networks or other online sites, according to a new survey.

The survey has revealed that almost 50 percent of UK''s under-16s would rather read books than log on to websites to chat with their friends.

On the eve of World Book Day, the survey revealed an increased appetite for literature across all ages.

Genuine regret?

In commenting on the ghastly attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers, the media in Pakistan has followed two broad trends. Either there are disgust and remorse at the whole thing, especially because friendly foreigners are involved or there is finger-pointing at India for being behind the dastardly incident. "Is this the way we treat our esteemed guests," is the general theme of an editorial in Dawn, the country's leading English newspaper. A noble thought, but one that does not ring true.

Brain gain

The controversy and confusion over H1B visas has exercised both India and the United States for much of last year. The focus so far has mainly been on the US trying to protect its own citizens' jobs and thereby foiling the hopes of many Indians. But a new study on immigration from the universities of Duke, Harvard and Berkeley, led by Indian-American technology entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa and released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, has given the issue of immigrants a whole new spin. The study says that over 100,000 Indians and as many Chinese will leave the US in the next three to five years and go back home because of better job opportunities and quality of life, but primarily because of the US's arrogant immigration policies.

End of the world? Been there!

Sometimes you get a better sense of the road ahead by looking into the rear-view mirror. Imagine for a minute that you could be transported to the America of the early 1930s. It was a period of extreme economic grimness in the US and around the world; the economies of most big industrialised countries contracted sharply, banks collapsed in a heap, stock markets tanked, factories shut down en masse, and unemployment lines and soup-kitchen queues grew long.

Kuch na hoga to tajurba hoga...

The forecasts are getting scarier.Every bull run has its share of optimistic forecasts. And every bear run has its share of pessimistic forecasts. Here is one pessimistic forecast that I came across a couple of days back:

...if we're right, this bear market won't end until the Dow trades under 5,000...and possibly under 2,000. And it won't end until the price of gold and the Dow are about the same number. -Bill Bonner (Bonner is Editor of The Daily Reckoning, a widely followed investment newsletter. I and my colleague Sundar happened to interview him sometime back. You can read the complete interview here)

Invert negativity

When was the last time you got drowned in negative emotions? Chances are that it was very recently. Don’t get derailed.

We all have our low moments. When a low tide hits you, don’t wallow in it. Instead, quickly move on. Just tell yourself that it is not the time to be caught in the whirlpool of negativity but an opportunity to figure out new ways of thinking and doing things.

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