Do you really know?

What are loot boxes ? Creating video games doesn’t come cheap, and neither does it bring in a whole lot of revenue. At least that’s what game publishers would have you believe. They’re constantly looking for new ways to increase their profits in the long run. Loot boxes are just one example of that. They are virtual items which have been causing a lot of debate in recent years. The controversy really started when Star Wars Battlefront 2 came out in late 2017. There were a lot of disappointed gamers out there, so much so that they called for a full boycott of the game. Having already purchased the game itself, they realised they would have to spend over $2,000 more to unlock its full content. The idea behind loot boxes is simple. You buy a virtual box without knowing what’s inside it. You always get some kind of virtual item in return, you just don’t know how much it will be worth. Gamers are getting fed up with loot boxes. More generally, they’re fed up with the idea of “pay to win”, whereby they are incited to pay in order to have something in the game. Some think loot boxes should be considered a form of gambling and therefore made illegal for minors. It’s true that young people are twice as likely as adults to become addicted to games of chance. There are many risks, such as psychoactive substance use, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, financial losses or a drop in academic performance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are GMOs ? The acronym GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Basically, a GMO is any living thing which has had its genetic material altered by humans. The term is most commonly used talking about crops which are genetically modified in order to be more resistant to pesticides or to improve food quality. Practically speaking, it does increase yield and prevent pests from damaging crops. Maize and soybean are among the plants most commonly linked with GM crops. Of course, genetic engineering techniques can also be used on other kinds of organisms, such as yeasts, for example. The main way of creating GMOs is through gene delivery, whereby foreign DNA material is introduced into host cells. At the end of the process, you get what we call transgenic products. The debate around GMOs is raging among scientists and the general public. Some cite the benefits they offer, like creating new medicines like insulin, being able to harvest land which had previously been unusable, and helping to reduce world hunger. On the other hand, counter-arguments include warnings against overuse of herbicides, the impact on plant life and wildlife, potential health risks for humans and the increase in production costs for farmers. In the United States, there is no particular federal legislation relating to GMOs. Instead, GMOs are regulated according to existing legislation on products. This is pretty favourable compared to other countries. The US is actually the world’s leading producer of genetically modified crops. And 75% of processed foods in the country contain GMO ingredients. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are e-cigarettes ? An e-cigarette is a vaporizer that simulates smoking without tobacco consumption. A product like this could therefore help smokers to quit. The use of electronic cigarettes is on the rise, while tobacco sales are dropping. But before we get carried away about wiping out tobacco, we should remember that e-cigarettes are not totally risk-free. Smoking an e-cigarette is also known as vaping, as you inhale a vapor instead of cigarette smoke. This lukewarm liquid is made up of water, glycerol, propylene glycol, flavorings and the desired amount of nicotine. As no combustion takes place, e-cigarettes are considered less dangerous than tobacco. For example, the presence of nitrosamines, which are known to be carcinogenic, is reduced by 97% compared to traditional cigarettes. Invented in the early 2000s, e-cigarettes really took off from 2010 onwards. Smokers are attracted by their lack of smell and lower cost. But especially the lower health risks, due to there being no tar or carbon monoxide in the product. Many doctors advise smokers to try e-cigarettes in order to reduce tobacco consumption or completely stop smoking. But e-cigarettes have also come in for criticism. With a wide range of models on sale, and some users creating their own vaping liquid, you can easily end up with a bad-quality product. And most vaping liquids continue to contain nicotine, which is one of the most addictive legal substances out there. There have at least been some studies across the world over the last ten years. A lot of scientists have backed the e-cigarette. Actually, 35% of vapers have successfully quit smoking, so we’re talking about millions of deaths potentially prevented. On the other hand, there has been proof that inhaling vaping liquids can damage immune system cells. Experts have pointed out that flavorings contain chemical substances and ultrafine particles. You’ve got diacetyl for example, which is deemed as toxic when inhaled. You’ve also got the coil that heats the vaping liquid, right. Some devices allegedly give off heavy metals when that happens, like lead, chromium or nickel. So for a while some health organisations had been recommending e-cigarettes to help quit smoking. But then the World Health Organisation comes along and really throws the cat among the pigeons in July 2019. The WHO basically came out advising against using e-cigarettes, saying they are “undoubtedly harmful”. What’s more, they also warned that the tobacco industry has been misinforming the general public on the subject. In the WHO’s opinion, the use e-cigarettes should be regulated around the world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is body positivity ? Body positivity has taken over social media in the last few years. The movement is based on the relationship we have with our bodies, encouraging us to achieve self-acceptance. The drive took off in 1996 thanks to two American women. Elizabeth Scott, a psychotherapist, was contacted by Connie Sobczak, who was victim to an eating disorder at the time. In honour of her dead sister, Sobczak created the Body Positive movement along with Scott. The organisation encourages individuals to change the world, rather than feeling the need to change their bodies . The two founders continue to offer seminars and other group training sessions to this day. Body positivity posts can be found all over Instagram, with hashtags alongside photos of people of all body types and morphologies. Body positivity is first and foremost an ideology, rather than just a collection of photos. The movement helps those with self-image challenges to love their bodies. Getting started is really simple. Stand in front of a mirror and say out loud the things you notice most about your body. Most people mention their supposed flaws before anything positive. A body positive attitude will help you see these “flaws” as qualities and therefore actually appreciate them. The idea is that you say what you like about yourself and show off your flaws, rather than hiding them. This helps us to feel beautiful and love ourselves. Which in turn allows us to overcome fears and break down taboos. Check out the story of breast cancer survivor Ericka Hart for example. She became a body positive symbol by posing topless following breast reconstruction surgery. It turned out that prior to the surgery, she hadn’t been able to find a single photo of a black woman having undergone the same procedure. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is begpacking ? Begpacking is a portmanteau word, combining the words ‘begging’ and ‘backpacking’. It essentially means begging in order to fund a journey, and the practice has come in for criticism from many quarters. Begpackers are mainly young Westerners travelling around the world, particularly in Asia. Some offer hugs or play music in exchange for money. Others simply sit in the street behind a sign reading “Help us to travel around the world”. Each begpacker has their own personal situation. Some may be broke, others simply craving further adventures. This somewhat hippy attitude might simply cause a few raised eyebrows in the Western world. But in Asia, it’s really not appreciated by local communities. In New Zealand, Wellington city councillor Brian Dawson spoke out against begpackers eating in local soup kitchens. Dawson said: “It does annoy me that people think it's a way to get around the country on the cheap...There's a huge difference between doing this for a cheap holiday, knowing that afterwards you can return to another lifestyle." Begpackers are seen as ignorant when it comes to cultural differences. In Asian countries, begging is a sign of social failure and only justifiable for people in extreme poverty. For a visitor to beg in order to fund their travel is therefore disrespectful to the country’s own population. Some in South-East Asia take their criticism of the tourism industry even further. They see white tourists as neocolonialists, seeing Asia as an exotic place for their own spiritual awakening. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is accelerationism ? Accelerationism is a radical school of thought, seeking to bring about a postcapitalist society. Accelerationists believe that this aim can be achieved by pushing capitalism past its limits, mainly through technological advances. Contemporary accelerationists include Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams, who created their accelerationist manifesto in 2013. This publication generated a lot of attention and debate in political spheres. In 2015, Srnicek and Williams expanded their manifesto into a monograph entitled “Inventing the Future”. So what makes this new theory any different from other leftist philosophies? Accelerationists believe that traditional left-wing parties are going down the wrong path, continuing to advocate increases to the welfare state. They say the economy is not able to sustain such a policy in the long term. Accelerationists also oppose the ideas of the degrowth movement, which is all about downscaling production and consumption. As the name suggests, accelerationism is about accelerating. Accelerating and going faster than capitalism, in order to overtake it. The theory puts technological advances a t the heart of its political project. We’re talking about artificial intelligence which can limit pollution, robots enabling humans to reduce their time spent working and therefore become emancipated. Technology should therefore not be left in the hands of capitalists, but appropriated and used to increase social justice. Accelerationists therefore don’t see new technologies as being inherently bad. Big data, algorithms and robots can all be adapted to create a new postcapitalist society. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices