Grew up in Germany. Moved to the US. Studied International Affairs. Worked for a manufacturing company as project manager. Received an MBA in Global Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Worked for a non-profit in India. Moved back to Germany. Developed sustainability strategies in Hamburg. Working in the food industry at the moment.
Traveling. Music. The environment. People. Food. Laughing.
Anything!
This member doesn't have any favorite talks yet.
TEDCred score: +4.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.
A reply on Conversation: What's the Point of Facebook?
Do I keep in touch with some people I wouldn't have otherwise? Yes, but I don't think that's a bad thing. In fact, when I now meet up with people, even after not seeing them for a while, I feel like I still know what's going on in their life - I've seen pics of their babies, weddings, birthday parties. Also, it's a great networking tool. I can't count the fun times I've had on my travels b/c someone read on FB that I'll be in XYZ and connected me with their brother/friend/cousin there.
I don't think FB replaces real-life relationships or the value of talking personally (or even on the phone). But it can, if you use it right, keep you closer to the people you care about. Finally, I have a couple 'rules' about FB:
1. I don't 'collect' as many friends as possible. I stick to a 200 friends limit and from time to time I delete those people i haven't talked to in a long time.
2. I don't accept friend requests from people in my past, just to 'catch up'. If I haven't been in contact with them for the last 10 years, there's probably a reason for that!
3. I closely keep professional and personal life separate and I don't post things I wouldn't want my Grandma to read.
4. I make a point of maintaining contact with my FB friends outside of FB. I still write Christmas and birthday cards.
And lastly: I do understand peoples' reservation against Facebook - not least because of the data/privacy issues. But I just wonder if people who are disgusted by 'friend collecting' on FB have their Outlook address book so cleaned up that there isn't a single 'contact body' in sight... ;-)
A comment on Conversation: Humanity has made today the happiest, healthiest, most productive time in human existence, despite the enormous problems humanity faces.
True, but I think we've also not been so dissatisfied, envious of others, uprooted and .... lost before.
A reply on Conversation: Should High Schools implement condom availability programs?
1. The definition of 'marriageable ground', as you call it, is probably something we will never agree on and each person has to define for himself. I'm sure if you ask two teenagers madly in love, they will both tell you that they can imagine marrying the other person. What are the critera for 'marriageable ground'? How do you define it?
2. Despite the noble idea of 'waiting' for the right person, statistics show: People DON'T wait. No matter how much parents and teachers want them to. So while I do think it's important that parents, teachers and spiritual leaders explain to kids the importance of waiting for the right person, it's equally important to provide the means of safe sex, should they decide they are ready.
I grew up in Germany and starting in 8th grade, we had condoms readily available (for free) at school following a one-week seminar on 'Love'. Yes, love, not sex. It covered the classic 'birds and bees' issues, biological aspects and all. But it also dealt with the emotional side, relationships, trust, dealing with disappointment, etc. I thought the combination of the two was so important!
And btw, for a country that quite freely deals with sex and all that goes with it (condom vending machines!), you might find it interesting that despite all of that, German kids are having their first sex at 17,6 years. In the US, scores more conservative in that department, it's 18 years. And in the UK it's 18,3.
A bit more food for thought:
The US leads the western world in teenage pregnancy incidents and 1 in 4 teenage girls who participated in abstinence programs have or have had an STD in their life. If that doesn't make a decent case for encouraging condom use, I don't know what does.