Voting Age, by Maria

Nowadays, a matter of public interest is the appropriate age at which an individual is legally permitted to cast a ballot in elections. Given that this age differs from country to country, this issue has given rise to a great deal of controversy in many societies.

In my view, the ideal age at which someone is probably mentally capable of voting responsibly is that of 21 years old and above. It seems clear to me that a person under the aforementioned age has not developed their critical skills yet. In some countries, including ours - Greece, youngsters at the age of 18 are permitted to vote. To my mind, this section of the population mainly consists of individuals who are impressionable, careless, and impulsive owning to their youth, and this is why it is unacceptable to let them determine the future of a country, as their ultimate decision may be affected by their immaturity. On the other hand, a person at the age of 21 and above, who studies in a university or has a job, is much more likely to keep abreast of current affairs and hence more suited to forming an impartial, sound judgement while selecting the politicians who will represent not only himself but the entire nation. By having knowledge of the job market, he is obviously more efficient to make a wise choice in elections.

As far as I am concerned, the factors that may affect the age limit of voting include: completion of the secondary education, awareness of public affairs and intellectual maturity. As I have already mentioned earlier, acquiring education is vital for all member of the electorate in order to be self-conscious while opting for a party in elections. The intellectual maturity stemming from introspection is an essential factor for a voter. It is quite clear to me that if one does not have these qualities, he will never be able to make a responsible choice in the elections.

All things considered, the population of a country is highly affected by the outcome of the elections. It is crucial for the members of the electorate to vote without illiberality but according to the economic and social issues of their country combined with circumspection of our welfare. To the end, it is my firm belief that the voting age threshold should be raised from 18 to 21 years old.
 

My Favorite Gadget, by Ernesto

For all the people I think gadgets have changed our lives for the better. Nowadays, technology is advancing rapidly and now you can find gadgets for almost all uses. My favorite gadget is my mobile phone and it's very important to me.

My mobile phone is important to me because I use it every day for my school work. For example, I use it to find information for projects and to get more exercises so as to practice for school subjects I'm having trouble with, like Maths.

In addition, I use my mobile phone to call my friends - for example, to plan a hangout. I also listen to music on it, I play games, and I surf the net.

All in all, I am of the opinion that the mobile phone is very useful in my everyday life.

Ernesto, 13, Greece

 

A Letter about a Scary Adventure, by Ernesto

Dear George,

I hope you're well and that everything is OK at home and at school. You won't believe what happened to me last Monday.

My friends and I decided to go to an old sanatorium in Athens because we wanted to scare ourselves. The weather was terrible; it was pouring rain and there was lots of thunder and lightning. We walked along the gravelly road; it was cold and dark and the dogs were barking. We heard an eerie music coming from the sanatorium.

We knocked on the door of the sanatorium, but no one opened the door at first. We tried to get in and eventually succeeded, but the door was creaky and so someone heard us. Suddenly, we heard a scary voice saying "New patients at last", we got so scared we fled. While we were running out of the building, we heard an evil laugh!

Well, that's my story. I feel very lucky I survived such a scary adventure and the same goes for my friends! Thank goodness we ran so fast! Otherwise, our story might not have had a happy ending. Have you ever had an adventure like this? Please write and tell me about it.

Take care,
Mad Max

My Shopping Routine, by Ernesto

Shopping has always been fun for me. I usually go shopping once a month and I always go with my friends. We find the shops we like most and we always start from there when we go on a shopping spree.

I like pc games and I have a huge collection of them; that's why I like to buy pc games time and time again and as a result I have a bookcase full of games. I also love buying jackets and jeans because there is a great variety for me to choose from. 

Sometimes I pay for the items I buy with my pocket money, but my parents give me some extra money if it's something that I really need. We always look around for bargains and we buy items with reasonable prices and we don't buy anything too expensive.

Shopping is too tiring, so after the whole shopping spree we always find a nice place to stay and relax for a while; we usually have lunch and talk about our interests. What I like most of the shopping experience is hanging out with my friends!

Ernesto, 14, Iraklio