All articles of

Diana Birjac

Writer

January 16, 2023

Love, Sex & Robots: Is AI the New Way of Coping With Loneliness?

‍Have you seen the movie “HER”, a romantic science fiction from 2013 which depicts the love between a regular fellow Theodore and his AI personal assistant? The love between them begins with him upgrading his Operation System containing a virtual assistant with Artificial Intelligence. Shortly after several conversations with AI, Theodore falls in love with it. The film introduces us to a world of different ways to cope with loneliness, and new ways to love. I cannot help but wonder if this is actually fiction or if we are already at a point where this can become our reality. Have we reached a point along human evolution where we can also seek attention and love from a system, rather than a human? The following article aims to explore these questions and understand the implications of using AI to cope with loneliness.

December 12, 2022

Holiday Edition Part 1 - Checking in with Yourself During the Winter Holidays

Cold weather, warm feelings, mulled wine and cinnamon buns are ways to describe the winter holidays. For most people, this period is the perfect time to surround themselves with loved ones but for others can be unsettling. Some people can perceive the winter holidays as overwhelming and cause anxiety. To gain a better understanding of why these feelings might arise and how to deal with them you can read the following article.

November 7, 2022

"Movember": No Shave November and Men's Mental Health

The time of the year when men can grow their badass beards for a cause has arrived. The movement No Shave November or as Australians call it, “Movember”, aims to raise awareness on cancers specifically affecting males, and to prevent suicide among men. It is a more creative way to tell and remind people to contribute to cancer prevention, by supporting organizations’ research for treatment. It’s also a way to encourage males to talk about both physical and mental issues, something they often don’t do. This month, financial donations to organizations in charge of these causes are being promoted. What should you do? The money you would typically spend at the barbershop you can now donate for this purpose - and let your beard grow!!!

October 17, 2022

Panic Disorder

Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear followed by cognitive and somatic symptoms such as losing breath, increased heart rate, and having a numb feeling in your hands. Panic disorder is a mental disorder defined by recurring panic attacks that become chronic, and a constant fear that the attack might occur again. People experiencing this disorder have the tendency to adopt maladaptive behaviors such as avoidance of certain places, people, or situations to prevent the attacks to occur.

June 6, 2022

Selective mutism in children and young adults

Selective Mutism (SM) is defined by the inability to speak in certain situations, and the ability to do so in other more familiar circumstances. Selective mutism should not be confused with a physical disability to speak, as it is merely a failure to speak due to anxiety rather than brain-dysfunction-related. The disorder is mostly present in children, teenagers, and young adults. Because of its selective nature, most parents are oblivious to their child’s impediment and as a consequence, SM is often detected only when the child enters school. It is diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 8 years old and it has a very high probability to disappear as the child becomes an adult. Although Selective Mutism Disorder has the potential to fade in time it might still constitute a sign of underlying psychopathology. SM is associated in over 70 % of the cases with anxiety, but also with obsessive-compulsive symptoms and phobias. When the young adult becomes an adult, mutism dims but the anxiety persists throughout adulthood. Fortunately, a wide range of non-medication and medication-based interventions have shown to be effective in treating Selective Mutism.

May 9, 2022

Life Quality in Arranged Marriages

‍Uncommon to the Western cultures, arranged marriages are very predominant in Eastern Asian cultures such as Nepal, China and India. Arranged marriages are met mostly in cultures that adhere to Hinduism and adopt the lifestyle that comes with the doctrine. Due to high caste Hindu privileges and power a lot of people even the non-Hindu ones aspire to the same lifestyles. This manner of living revolves around family respect, values and reputation. Thus, arranged marriages are not the mere bond between two souls but a bond between families. The spouses are chosen based on common values and thus a happy healthy bond is predicted. The quality of marriage is very important as it determines factors of stress, mental and physical illness and longevity. An unhappy marriage shows more detrimental effects on health than divorce. Therefore choosing wisely is a must. But are arranged marriages the response to a healthy lifestyle, or the problem? To dive into the nuances of arranged marriage I invite you to read the following article.

The Pygmalion Effect On Work Productivity

‍This article focuses on the Pygmalion effec, aka the Rosendahl effect. The Pygmalion effect dictates that high expectations can lead to better performance in a given area. The article will examine the effect that the phenomenon has on people, but it will also take into consideration the critique it faces. The effect is discussed in the context of school and work performance as the article seeks to provide information about the importance of high expectancy on enhanced performance.

February 7, 2022

Children in Institutions

While growing up, orphan children tend to lack social and emotional support. This often results in both mental and physical issues. Amongst the mental health issues, it can be enumerated: atypical behavior, difficulties in cognitive development, and unhealthy attachment style (which leads to later problems of creating a long-term bond with other people). Physically, due to environmental deficiency and growth hormones, in times of stress the children tend to grow less compared to their non-orphan peers. Several interventions, such as psychological therapy and community-based support, already exist. If you would like to know more about this subject, I invite you to read the following article.

December 10, 2021

Honour Crimes: a peak into criminology

For those of you who studied Criminology, or opened any British newspaper on January 25th 2006, this might be a familiar subject, but for the rest it will give you goosebumps.

Group Hazing: a perspective on social cohesion

"Baffled and enraged, I woke up in the middle of the night to a choir of loud ambiguous songs that later turned out to be the incantation of initiation. I was living on the campus at that time, it was my first week, and I have not yet been properly introduced to the concept of a fraternity."

October 25, 2021

Cultural appropriation

"My Culture is not the latest trend”. Wearing braids is “cool, even exotic”, but where do we draw the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? Some individuals whose culture has been appropriated think that it is beautiful for other cultures to wear their garments or borrow their music, whereas others individuals believe that is disrespectful.

ADHD: How does it affect an individual's everyday life?

You all know that one person who is always late, loses their keys, is constantly agitated and lazy or procrastinating at the same time. It can be inferred that it is a character flaw, but “what if is not?”. What if this person might have ADHD? Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder and one of the most researched areas in mental health. It is characterized by impaired concentration, impulsivity, and, in specific cases, hyperactivity. It is often diagnosed early, around the age of 7, as the attention issues become more clear when children enter primary school. The disorder persists into adulthood and affects social, academic, and occupational functioning.