Advantages and Disadvantages of the Boarding School

A boarding school is a school which provides living accommodation –meals and lodging- for some or all of its students. However, a Moroccan boarding school has its pros and cons.
On the one hand, a boarding school can be a great place to meet new people and make new close friends. Also, it is a great solution for people who cannot afford to rent a suitable home in big cities for their kids. Besides, living in a boarding school teaches discipline, adaptation, and academic excellence as well as the values of social adjustment, leadership, initiative, and sharing. In addition, student can learn to be independent and gain a sense of autonomy, which will help them in the long run. Last but not least, a boarding school provides students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of extra-curricular activities that they may otherwise miss out on.
On the other hand, the life of a boarder is a bit too regimented: meals, rising, and going to bed at specific hours. Also, some boarders feel homesick, lonely, and unhappy about being away from parents and loved ones. Besides, a boarding school may be a place to pick up a bad habit like smoking, drugs and other practices if the boarder gets into bad company. Ultimately, a boarding school is sometimes a breeding ground for students’ inappropriate behavior like bullying, petty theft, fighting and the like.
All in all, a boarding school has great facilities for boarders. So students should keep a positive attitude towards it and try to get the maximum benefit possible.

By M.O.

Is TV Good or Bad?

TV has become part of our everyday life. It is an indispensable living room accessory which has many advantages and disadvantages.

One point in favor of TV is that it is informative. People may get a wealth of information from documentaries and similar other programs as well as world news and events sitting on a coach at home. Advertisement , also, provides TV viewers with information and news about new products and innovations. Besides, TV is entertaining and fills in time. It provides its viewers with a wide range of game shows, comedy shows, movies, songs, sports events and so on to amuse, relax, and excite. In addition, TV is educational and helps widen people's knowledge. People can learn languages, history and geography of the world from some TV channels. Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, for example, are a window into other cultures and into the life of other creatures.

On the other hand, TV has many disadvantages. To begin with, TV can steal people's time. Imagine kids who watch TV four hours a day: these children do a minimum of homework, read less and do not concentrate. Also, TV makes people lazy as it is extremely addictive. TV addicts play less sport and are reluctant to do house chores or help around the house. These coach potatoes are unlikely to develop social skills or learn good manners. Last but not least, TV exposes people, especially kids, to negative influences. These influences include violence, alcohol, drug abuse and pornography.

To conclude, TV is not good or bad; it's all about how we use it. To get the best of it, we need to budget our time and choose what to watch as well as monitor children's TV experience and set viewing limits for them.

BY N.L.

The Benefits of Humor

The pace and demands of modern life has made us stressed out, unhappy, impatient and frustrated; hence the importance of humor in our lives. Homor has both health and social benefits whose aggregate make up a happy life.

The health benefits of humor are numerous. Scientists have found that humor boosts the immune system and improves resistance to diseases. It, also, protects people's hearts because laughter increases blood flow and, thus, improves the function of blood vessels. In addition, humor decreases tension, relaxes muscles, lowers stress and helps release pent-up feelings.

As for the social benefits of humor, they are so evident and obvious. First, humor helps us make friends easily, unites us and reduces our hostility. As Victor Borge said, “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” Jokey people are magnets with many friends and never feel lonely. Also, Humor helps us succeed in life. Cheerful people look at life with a positive eye, "play" with problems and know how to talk to people. In Henry Ward Beecher's words, "A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs--jolted by every pebble in the road."

To sum up, humor is an antidote to stress and conflicts. So one needs to create and find opportunities to laugh. These include watching comedy films, playing with kids and pets, reading funny pages and websites, seeking out funny people and avoiding sour ones.

By S.O.

Is Technology Good or Bad?

Technology is an important part of our life. It gives us knowledge, saves labor, and entertains us. However, there are some negative aspects about technology. It can ruin people's lives and health in different ways.

On the one hand, technology has benefited us in many ways. First, it has facilitated communication because it has turned the world into a global village. Also, technology has improved our lives a lot. Vacuum cleaners, washing machines, computers etc all save us time, money and resources and do complex tasks. In addition, technology helps improve education. Students can access more information and a lot easier than before. Today, with the Internet, the sky is the limit for accessing all kinds of information and broaden our knowledge.

On the other hand, technology has a dark side too. It creates unemployent because machines take the place of people and a small tool can do the work of many workers. Also, technology can create addiction. This dependency on the machine can make people lose many social skills, as is the case with computers, as well as cause or worsen diseases. Moreover, machines create a digital divide between the North and South and within the same society. So, many people are left out and behind.

In a nutshell, technology is both good and bad like anything else in life. It all depends on the intention of the user who should approach it in a more rational way.

By M.E.

Smoking Teens

Although smoking is harmful and dangerous, many young people take it up. There are many social and psychological reasons why young people start smoking.

First, smoking parents and family problems cause young people to smoke. These problems include, among others, divorce and violence at home. Children also take smoking parents as a model. As the proverb says “like father, like son”.

Second, the stress of other social problems like poverty and unemployment may lead young people to smoke. They think that smoking relaxes them and eases their anxiety.

Third, there is illiteracy and ignorance which play a major role in getting people to smoke. Many young people do not know the risks of nicotine and take up smoking.

Fourth, advertising and smoking stars play a key role in encouraging young people to smoke. Young people smoke because of commercials influence and favorite actors.

Fifth, young people may smoke because they have friends who smoke. As the proverb says, “Birds of a feather flock together”.

Last, there are psychological reasons why young people smoke. They may smoke to show off, to look grown-up, or cool or rich. They may also smoke because they feel bored and need to keep their hands and mouths busy.

In short, smoking is costly to both health and pocket. So, parents, educators and health officials should all work together to help young people avoid and quit smoking.

By Z. A.