English Class

The Pros of Volunteerism, is Volunteerism for You?

Introduction:

Volunteerism encompasses the contribution of a person’s talents and time for educational, social, charitable, political or other valuable initiatives. This is conducted on a community level without regards to any form of compensation. Volunteerism aids in the promotion or improvement of human quality of life as well as self-serving initiatives. Volunteerism is an act that assumes different forms with the first form taking up volunteerism based on specific training in a certain field. The other form of volunteerism is where people volunteer on as-needed basis especially in cases of natural disaster. Volunteerism is ridden with both pros and cons but the pros outride the cons rendering it a good practice to engage in. This paper examines the pros of volunteering as well as providing answers to the question of whether volunteering is for you.

With the advent in technology, many people can access volunteering opportunities over the internet increasing the number of people involved in volunteerism. The highest percentage of those people seeking volunteerism opportunities are people between the ages of 13-25 with 61 percent, being interested with making a difference in the world. This interest has culminated into a number of pros that are linked directly to volunteerism. The first pro is personal fulfillment. This is likened to the building of self-esteem as every good deed conducted by a volunteer culminates into the building of his confidence and self-esteem. Self-esteem is fundamental for the growth and development of the young people in high schools as well as colleges. As per Jayson’s article, “sixty one percent of 13-25 year olds feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world.” People are vulnerable to self-esteem issues at this age. Volunteerism aids in augmenting their self-esteem and confidence, making them a better generation of people whose interest is to help other people. Personal fulfillment also encompasses the assumption of responsibility by volunteers. Young people have been identified with irresponsibility for many decades but with the advent in volunteerism, responsibility has been etched into the minds and lives of the young people. When the young people experience gratitude from those they have helped through volunteerism, a sense of responsibility is born in their lives.

Social networking is another pro linked to volunteerism. Volunteerism is regarded as a social activity that leads to the meeting of like-minded people who are united for a greater course. The social networks forged through volunteerism lead to the acquisition of better job opportunities during the process of career growth. This is because the like-minded people involved in volunteerism do not only share volunteering ideas but also career growth ideas, which could culminate into the acquisition of better job opportunities. Social networking can also lead into the improvement of neglected areas. This is because different people in the social network are aware of areas in the community that have been neglected. During their volunteering work, they make the others aware of other areas in which they can venture into therefore ensuring that the areas that the government cannot manage to improve are improved through volunteerism. Social networking can aid in the selection of a profession. Many youths identify the profession they want to engage in through the social networking forged by volunteerism. The youths believe that the profession they select should be engaged in helping the society. This is in accordance to Jayson’s article, which states, “of the 28 percent of ages 13-2, who are employed full time, 79 percent said they want to work for a company that cares about how it affects and contributes to society.”

Volunteerism is for everyone because the pros linked to it override the cons. Volunteerism is known to be an enhancer of self-esteem and in this world, there is no person who wants to live with a low self-esteem and confidence. All people are willing to engage in activities that can culminate to the building of their confidence and self-esteem. Making a world a better place to live in should be the goal of all the people. Volunteerism is one factor that contributes to the making of a better world and hence this provides a good reason why volunteerism is for all people. Volunteerism aids the youth in the reduction of pathological narcissistic personality disorder in which self-centeredness is elevated. Most studies have shown that for this disorder to be eliminated, psychiatric treatment is required. This is indicated clearly in the article by Gordon and Sahagun, which states, “More students today have a pathological narcissistic personality disorder that needs psychiatric treatment.” This however can be remedied by volunteerism as instances of self-centeredness are eliminated by the good feeling acquired from helping other people. Social networking as acquired from volunteerism aids in career development and for this reason the people whose careers have been stagnant or those who are not aware of the career path they should take can get the direction they need from social networking, which is part of volunteerism.

Conclusion:

Volunteerism is an act that has gained popularity in the world due to the advent in technology. The many pros that people acquire from it have culminated into the increase in the percentage of people who volunteer. The first pro of volunteerism encompasses personal fulfillment through the building of self-esteem and confidence as well as the assumption of responsibility by the young people. The second pro of volunteerism includes social networking that aids in identifying areas that need improving as well as forging better career paths. Volunteerism is an act that all people should be involved in because the benefits acquired from it override the cons exhibited by it. No person is restricted from volunteerism so in making the world a better place to live in, all people should be involved in volunteerism. In conclusion, the pros of volunteerism override the cons hence all people should engage in volunteerism for the elevation of human quality life.