Do We Live in Orwell’s World?
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, “1984” by George Orwell, and “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker. Books read and loved by many. Yet thousands of people wouldn’t recognize their titles: these books are banned in various countries.
The banning of books has been recorded since 1637, according to Harvard University, but The Economist suggests that banishing books has been going on since around 600 B.C. Today, books censorship happens over the entire world, threatening the freedom of being able to obtain any information we like. Governments or other stakeholders use this tool to control others, but what are governments and people in power trying to control, and what is the danger of this?
USA in banning books
The United States of America is the leading country in banning books, most often in public libraries or public schools. India, China, and Singapore are also prominent countries in book censorship (University of Sheffield). Books have been censored for a long time, but in the U.S., book censorship boomed in 2021 when more than 16,000 books were banned, of which half were written for young readers. PEN, a non-government organization working with uniting authors, publishers, and readers, reported these statistics, and among them, they reported that 10,000 of those were made in the 23-24 school year. The book bans were most prominent in the states of Florida and Iowa (PEN). In these states, 57% of the books banned had sexual content, and also included content confronting grief, death, substance abuse, and mental health (PEN). This shows a pattern in the cause for book bans; they’re made so young children don’t read explicit or vulgar content. But why?
Why are books banned?
Ironically, some of the content of banned books is about the issue of censorship. For example, 1984 by George Orwell is one of the most banned books in history due to its radical political content. In Florida 1981, “it was banned for being ‘pro-communist’ by parents in Jackson Country, Florida” (Broward College). In the USSR, it was banned for the opposite reason; it was anti-communist. How can the book be about two contradictory things? 1984 is about the government limiting the people’s access to language so that they are unable to think rebelling thoughts, thereby giving the government all-around power. The book was written to showcase the problem with censoring language, books, and other information, and the harm it brings. Banning this book means we are doing what the book is warning us not to do (National English Honor Society).
According to St. Clairs Country Community College, “Books are usually challenged with the best intentions – to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information” and “Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from ‘inappropriate’ sexual content or ‘offensive’ language.” Books banned with these motivations include “The Color Purple”. The Color Purple has been controversial since its publication in 1982. Parents especially have protested at it being available in school curriculums and libraries, even today. The reasoning is usually the use of profanity and the portrayal of sexual violence (National Geographic). However, The Common Wealth Beacon says that “books targeted for challenges or bans center the stories of individuals representing already-marginalized communities, like LGBTQ+, Black, and Jewish characters.” This suggests such books are censored for that representation, even if they don’t contain explicit or vulgar content.
On the other side, there are often political reasons causing a ban, aiming to control people, apart from protecting children. In the USSR, adding on to the ban of 1984, the government banned books that contained rebelling thoughts or critiques of the state. This was to control public opinion and make sure the USSR wasn’t threatened. This is an example of a political ban, and had nothing to do with protecting young readers.
The harm of book censorship
According to Nuave Health, “Reading enhances your critical thinking skills and creativity. It also broadens your vocabulary, boosts your knowledge and stimulates your imagination”. In short, reading is important and when certain books are banned, we are stripped from the knowledge it brings. For example, reading about sexual encounters or mental illnesses can create an understanding of the topics. If 15-year-olds learn about love or sex, they understand they have the right to refuse sex or sexual interactions. They also learn consent the other way; if their partner says no, they should have an understanding that they need to stop.
Similarly, when they read about characters different from the norm, like LGBTQ characters or about indigenous communities, they can learn to accept themselves. Additionally, it also creates empathy, as people who do not belong in these communities can understand those that are. When books with this content are banned, people can get hurt.
The act of banning books is challenging democratic principles and human rights to an extent, as the government is censoring particular information they don’t agree with. Democratically, people shouldn’t be restricted from accessing information and shouldn’t be controlled by the government’s interest, and according to the United Nations, “Human rights include the right to life and liberty”. Currently, in the U.S., public schools are exposed to book censorship more than ever, during times when every human is given their human rights, and while the U.S. especially is considered a democratic country, as well as other democratic countries implementing book bans. Are we entering a world George Orwell warned us against?
By Elsa
Craving, Comfort or Compulsion – Is fast food an addiction?
The cunning aisle of comfort food
As you stroll through the aisles, you notice the bright, eye-catching crisps packet or the bag of Sour Patch Kids that seems to glow from afar. Ever wonder if that snack is designed to create an addiction so bad that you are not even aware. Let’s explore fast food addiction and the game companies are playing behind the scenes. Symptoms of “ultra-processed food use disorder” or “highly-processed food use disorder” are strong cravings and difficulty cutting back on intake. People may also experience withdrawal symptoms like irritability and agitation when they try to cut back. This information comes from Ashley Gearhardt, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan and a leading researcher in food addiction.
Just add it to the basket
Big companies like Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Cargill spend millions to create the ideal mix of sugar, salt, and fat. This combination triggers the highest release of dopamine. The fat creates a more creamy and rich texture that makes the foot feel nice to eat. It is not as simple as hunger, it becomes an addictive habit. This mix is designed to release the highest amounts of Dopamine or the “ feel-good” hormone. It is what keeps your brain craving more food as it associated it with being happy. “When we taste something and when those nutrients hit our gut, there are signals in the brain — pleasurable signals — that make us think, ‘This is really delicious! I like this a lot!'” explains Dr. Alexandra DiFeliceantonio from Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carillon. Decades of research show that processed foods harm our health. So why do we still enjoy them? Our taste buds get overstimulated, that guarantees that we will be back for more, which is why the companies continue to manufacture these products, fueling the greatest addiction of them all: FOOD.
By Anonymous
Modern Slavery: Not Legal But Still Ignored
Would you still buy some clothes or some jewellery if you knew it was made with the suffering of people forced into slavery? Article 4 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.” Yet an estimated 40.3 million people are said to be enslaved worldwide, and that number is growing. Of all these people, 1 in 4 are children, and all are ignored or overlooked for convenience.
Slavery is the exploitation of people who cannot refuse or leave because of force, coercion or even lack of a viable alternative. There are many forms that modern slavery takes shape, for example, debt bondage, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation and forced marriage. However, the majority of the industry is seen in back-breaking labour like mining, manufacturing, tobacco, agriculture, tobacco, and coffee. Slavery generates $150 billion for traffickers annually, and that fuels this industry.
Many everyday goods that people have in their homes have probably been made with slave labour at some point during the production cycle. However, this use of slave labour is overlooked or even sometimes ignored. From child labour, when children are forced to produce low-cost garments that we wear, to women being forced to marry someone and they have no way of leaving. Vulnerable people often have no choice in how they earn money. This group includes the poor, those affected by war, children, and others trapped in tough situations. They are the ones most likely to be forced into slavery. This is a global issue that does not have much awareness, so to learn more about modern slavery, look at: https://www.cfr.org/modern-slavery/#!/section6/item-38
By Jia
Elements Magazine 