man's best friend?

If you've ever seen the popular A&E show Hoarders, then you're aware of people's alarming tendency to take it to extremes when it comes to their material possessions. Well, a show with a similar premise on Animal Planet, Confessions: Animal Hoarding, explores a different type of excess. The show focuses on people who have upwards of 50 pets..all at the same time.

One woman in particular had admitted to having over 250 pets come into her home throughout the period of the last 5 years, an average of 50 pets each year. She had good intentions and felt that it was her duty to help these animals in need by adopting them into her home. However, her compulsion had taken a toll on her entire family, as well as their living conditions. Things had gotten so out of control that the environment she was able to provide the animals was no longer any more desirable than their current situation.

With so many animals, she became unable to adequately feed and properly care for them, and she struggled to do the same for her family and herself. As a result, familial relationships were strained and the living conditions for all involved were less than sanitary. I understand that her desire to help came from a good place and that she had the animals' best interest at heart, but there came a point when she was doing more harm than good by taking on more than she could reasonably handle.

Below is a clip from an episode centered around a couple and their 65 cats.

'terrible teens'

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Discovery Health channel recently premiered a new television show "My Teen's a Nightmare: I'm Moving Out." The premise of the show involves parents who are frustrated with their teens' behavior. So frustrated that they are willing to move out and allow expert counselors to come into their home and take over. The new show has appropriately been referred to as "Supernanny for Teens" but instead of coping with the 'terrible twos', the focus is on dealing with teenagers and their unruly behavior.

The behavior on the show was so shocking to me that I couldn't continue to watch the entire sixty minutes. The swearing, shouting, physical and verbal abuse, and general disrespect that these teens had for their parents was unbelievable. However, the teens weren't the only ones at fault. As parents, I can't imagine that they ever let their children and family get so out of control that such measures would need to be taken. Many of the teens had absolutely no boundaries or consequences for their actions, so it's no wonder the parents feel taken advantage of and not in control. I firmly believe that often times the parents are just as much to blame by not enforcing rules and setting guidelines for expected behavior from the beginning. As the saying goes, Give somebody an inch and they'll take a mile.

facebook blues

Researchers have recently discovered a correlation between the popular social media outlet and feelings of depression. However, an agreement hasn’t been reached on the subject of whether this is merely an extension of depression or a different condition entirely. Those already suffering problems concerning low self-esteem and a lack of self-worth are at an increased risk of developing these feelings. Many obsess over the site and compare their lives with those of their friends, from friend counts to the status updates and photos that present a glamorized version of their day-to-day lives. Not only that, but Facebook has become a forum for rude comments and harassing messages which worsen these feelings of inferiority.

I can totally understand how someone might feel inadequate if their life doesn’t seem as fun-filled or exciting as others around them, but I also think it’s important for them to realize that Facebook gives a distorted perception of reality. The truth of the matter is that each person is in control of exactly what information is shared and often the minute details and mundane occurrences of everyday life don’t make the cut. It’s important to remember that you’re not getting the full picture and that appearances can be deceiving.

For years the internet has changed our way of life as we know it. But online shopping and electronic banking are one thing and social media depression is quite another. There are always going to be people better off and worse off than you, but as long as you constantly compare yourself to others you’ll never find your own sense of happiness. If there’s an aspect of your life that you’re unhappy with, only you can make the change. Once it gets to that point where one obsesses about keeping up appearances and allows the content on Facebook to affect them negatively, it’s time to get off the computer and get back into reality.