Death, Redesigned
Death, Redesigned is an article that revolves around Paul Bennett, a worker at Ideo Company. Among some of the popular projects by Ideo Company include coming up with the toilets for the poor idea incorporated in Ghana market and a device for maintaining eye contact between the patients and physicians (Mooallem, 2015). The eye contact project uses mirror reflection, which allows the patient keep an eye contact with the physician and observe all the operations conducted on his or her body while being whisked to the subsequent operation center in the health care center. Ideo works for companies by marketing the idea to the people and increasing the possible market in case the idea is actualized. The article explains an idea by Paul Gaffney, the CEO of a company intending to build an app called After I Go (Mooallem, 2015). This app helps create memories and leave necessary information to the deceased rather than relying only on the will that has limited information. After I Go app aims at giving forms where one can fill their personal information in such as their likes, passwords, and other secrets. Upon their death, the relatives and friends left behind can keep the memories and still have the attachment rather than having generic memories in remembrance of the dead. Launching the app and explaining it to the consumers’ turns to be one of the challenges hence Paul Gaffney approaches Ideo for ideas. Paul Bennett receives this idea cordially and with his colleagues’ think of many ways that they can redesign death to ensure people take death as they take life. The idea is to make death a common stage in life that everyone has to go through.
A key positive achievement of the article is that it clearly shows the grand mission of After I Go app by Paul Gaffney, which is to help the consumers prepare for their end and safeguard the life of their loved ones after they die. Paul Bennett’s idea of convincing the consumers that the app helps reintegrate the dead back into our lives seems an appropriate strategy of motivating the consumers to purchase the app (Mooallem, 2015). Based on Bennett’s argument, the app would be vital for the consumers to make peace with death and not fear this inevitable stage in life. Besides, it would help consumers make plans in advance. Such benefits attribute the main reason as to why people should purchase the app. However, one of the setbacks encountered in the thinking perspective of Ideo surrounds Bennett’s team hope to sell After I Go in the form of physical object in stores. As such, the consumers are not in a position of embracing this idea since no one would like to ‘purchase their death’. The whole idea of the app seems to embrace death and a loss of the will to live, hence, a loss of the previous happiness withheld in the family. It would be better to sell the app as an opportunity to also help the bereaved remember their loved ones.
Reversing Long-Term Trend, Death Rate for Americans Ticks Upward
The report explains that the early deaths of Americans are mainly attributed to their way of life rather than diseases. The causes of death in the past days cannot be compared to the death rates in today’s world. This can be attributed to the many remedies to most of the complications that cause death. According to the causes of deaths as compiled by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, factors implied to cause a change in mortality rate as compared to the past centuries include; strokes, hypertension, suicides, Alzheimer’s disease, firearms, and drug overdose (Achenbach, 2016). Such factors reflect on the lifestyle people live in; hence, by changing the lifestyle positively, people can prolong their lives. The article reports that the decrease in the overall mortality rate has declined since change is experienced in the major killers over time. As it would be expected, lack of or inadequate necessary medical attention would be the main cause of the deaths. However, the medical progress is overtaken by other factors as evidenced by the statistics given by the article asserting that the deaths caused by lethal drug overdoses rose in 2014 from 14 deaths per 100,000 people to 15.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2015 (Achenbach, 2016). The overall mortality rate has decreased due to the change from the major killer diseases.
A key positive aspect from the article is that it vividly explains the changes in death rates for Americans. The arguments are backed up with statistics from credible organizations. For instance, the number of deaths recorded has decreased from 1950 statistics as compared to the 2014 statistics (Achenbach, 2016). However, the numbers increased in 2015 show no consistency. The American Mortality graph gives a clear picture of the changes in mortality rate. However, the article does not provide a definite conclusion, which is a major negative aspect. The changes in mortality rate from 1950, 2014, and 2015 do not show consistency hence one cannot come up with a distinct forecast of the deaths in future. Contrarily, the American Mortality: 2000- 2015 shows a consistent change of mortality after a decade hence one can project the number of deaths in future. Therefore, the article has no particular stand on its assertions and leaves most claims unsupported.
A Funeral May Cost You Thousands Less
This article summarizes different cases of deceased people who were left in a dilemma of picking the best funeral home and choose the required services since most funeral homes are not straight-forward about their prices. A case of Bethea, whose husband died of liver disease, explains the poor operations strategy of funeral homes that negatively affects the consumers (Benincasa, 2017). Her husband funeral expenses was more than even the insurance provided; hence, she spent more than she would expect. Similarly, Howard, a lawyer whose father died of cancer, launched similar complaints. The family could find the appropriate funeral home since no prices were posted anywhere for reference, making the consumers have a hard time making such a decision during this time of distress. The cost of services may vary as per the client such as the cremation cost even though the service occurs at the same place and provided at the same quality (Benincasa, 2017). The article evidences the situation where funeral homes reap from the bereaved.
One positive aspect is that the article enlightens readers by giving real life instances. Through an analysis of the problem faced by most people while making funeral arrangements for their loved ones, the article gives possible effective remedies. Such remedies include personal planning of one’s funeral and upon realizing the imminent death of a loved one as well as immediate planning while under no pressure of the situation. Nevertheless, the article gives a long implication on the perspective of living, which is a negative aspect. Preparing your own funeral while alive may cause discomfort in the family where the death anticipation may overweigh the hopes of living. Benincasa (2017) explains that prior funeral preparation may lead the funeral homes’ sales persons to even help cause a person’s death since their main aim is to make a profit.
U.S. Suicide Rate Surges to a 30-Year High
This article reviews the suicide statistics all over the US from 1999. The statistics exhibit a general increase in the number of suicidal cases. There are changes on the age groups that commit suicide as the years pass by such as the increase in the suicide cases of girls between the ages of 10 to 14, which tripled the number from 50 in 1999 to 150 in 2015 (Tavernise, 2016). The article reflects on the cases of suicide as the life changes the people experience; hence, the changes in the age group that are prone to have increased suicide cases. The number of suicidal cases among women has increased as compared to men. Such changes are attributed to factors such as depression over the economy difficulties. Some of the suicidal cases caused by lifestyle factors such as alcohol poisoning have contributed to the increase in the number of the suicidal case. The article further explains that the government should come up with a better strategy for dealing with the high suicide rates since immediate prevention in impossible. Tavernise (2016) asserts that unlike the past where suicides were through guns that later became confiscated by the government, most of the suicides nowadays happen through strangulation. Therefore, it is impossible to control people from suffocating themselves hence the need for the government to enact projects in hospitals that help the healthcare services providers tackle the patients’ depression cases.
One positive aspect is that the life changes explained in the article such as economic changes and many cases of depression account for the increase in the number of suicide cases. Besides, the article explains the possible ways of overcoming the many cases of suicide. However, the article does not give adequate information on why there is varying data among the suicide cases of different age groups or particular gender. By giving well-researched information of the reasons why the girls between ages 10 to 14 have an increased number of suicide cases as compared to the males, the article would be more knowledgeable to read. Therefore, the article fails to give more details to support the claims made by the author.
References
Achenbach, J. (2016). Reversing the long-term trend, death rate for Americans ticks upward. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/06/01/reversing-long-term-trend-death-rate-for-americans-ticks-upward/?utm_term=.eac911048d85
Benincasa, R. (2017). You Could Pay Thousands Less For A Funeral Just By Crossing The Street. NPR.org. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2017/02/07/504020003/a-funeral-may-cost-you-thousands-less-just-by-crossing-the-street
Mooallem, J. (2015). The death, Redesigned Carlifornia Sunday Magazine. Retrieved from https://stories.californiasunday.com/2015-04-05/death-redesigned
Tavernise, S. (2016). U.S. Suicide Rate Surges to a 30-Year High. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/health/us-suicide-rate-surges-to-a-30-year-high.html?_r=0
