If people can’t use you like they used to they’ll say you’ve changed.

Autumn Arrived 

You arrived like a heavy whisper on the shoulder, 

laden with glass boxes where you keep the sun’s last sighs. 

The air is now a fabric of worn silk, 

unraveling in hands that still seek the warmth of the shade. 

The trees are old men shedding their golden garments, 

leaving their wooden bones exposed to the wind. 

Each falling leaf is a letter without a destination, 

written in amber ink on the paper of life. 

The sky has become a frozen lake from above, 

where stone clouds swim in profound silence. 

And the earth opens its arms like a weary mother, 

embracing what time decided to leave behind. 

In the city’s corners, the cold is a solitary musician, 

playing vaporous melodies on the fogged windows. 

You arrived without knocking, 

to turn each breath into a white cloud that vanishes into infinity.

GRACIELA NOEMI VILLAVERDE is a writer and poet from Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Rios) Argentina, based in Buenos Aires She graduated in letters and is the author of seven books of poetry, awarded several times worldwide. She works as the World Manager of Educational and Social Projects of the Hispanic World Union of Writers and is the UHE World Honorary President of the same institution’s Activa de la Sade, Argentine Society of Writers. She is the Commissioner of Honor in the executive cabinet in the Educational and Social Relations Division of the UNACCC South America – Argentina Chapter.

REGRET

Why do you test me so much in these trials,

Your dark nights crush me every moment.

Why do you make me suffer this way,

Tell me, will my bright days ever come?

My fate is written in the verses of my life,

I do not know what else you have written there.

While I was walking embraced by dreams,

You handed me a mirage and called it happiness.

Was the life I was meant to see in your world only sorrow?

At your feet my tears were shed without mercy.

Were the pains you gave me still not enough,

Look — my back has bent from misfortune.

Though grief pulled at my hair through the years,

I endured it with courage and left it behind.

Whatever passed over my head until this day,

I lived with patience and hope.

But now for those whose hearts have burned,

When will the torment and pain disappear?

With every frost that falls upon my brows,

I do not know how long my patience will last.

Every time wandering through the city of my heart,

Did you hear my regrets, O God?

Did you cast me mercilessly into these flames,

Or did you love me this much, O God?

Or did you love me this much, O God?

Uzbekistan

The Impact of Social Media on Youth: Problems, Analysis, and Solutions

Xayitova Mehribon

Introduction

The 21st century is the era of information technologies and digital communication. The Internet and social media have rapidly become an integral part of human life. Nowadays, young people spend a significant part of their day in the virtual space. This has a substantial impact on their thinking, worldview, and behavior. Therefore, the influence of social media on youth is not only a pedagogical and psychological issue but also a socially significant problem.

Main Part

1. Positive Effects of Social Media

Modern social platforms create vast opportunities for young people. Primarily, they serve as a rapid source of information. Youth can stay informed about global events, learn scientific and popular knowledge, and broaden their intellectual horizons.

Moreover, social media:

expands access to distance learning;

helps learn foreign languages;

provides a platform for creative expression;

offers exposure to different professional fields.

Especially during the pandemic, social media and online platforms became a crucial component of the education system, demonstrating their positive potential.

2. Negative Effects and Risk Factors

At the same time, social media has negative aspects that significantly affect youth consciousness. One major problem is time mismanagement — many young people spend hours consuming unproductive content.

Another critical issue is exposure to false or harmful information. Not all online content is reliable, and the inability to differentiate can lead to poor decision-making.

Additionally:

excessive immersion in virtual life;

mental stress from comparing oneself with others;

cyberbullying;

weakening real-life communication skills

are widely observed.

Psychological studies show that social media addiction can lead to decreased attention span, disrupted sleep patterns, and increased stress levels.

3. The Role of Social Environment in Shaping Youth

From a scientific perspective, adolescence is a crucial stage in personality formation. At this age, values, attitudes, and social positions are established. Social media plays a strong external influence in this process.

If young people engage with useful, educational, and informative content, it positively affects their development. Conversely, shallow or harmful content negatively impacts their mindset. Therefore, social media can be considered a double-edged sword.

4. Solutions and Recommendations

Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach. First, it is essential to develop information literacy among youth. Every young person must be able to critically evaluate the information encountered online.

The following measures can be effective:

parental guidance and proper supervision;

incorporating media literacy education in schools and universities;

promoting quality and beneficial content;

organizing meaningful leisure activities for youth.

Additionally, involving young people in sports, reading, and creative activities can reduce social media over-dependence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, social media is a vital component of modern society that strongly influences youth. Using its positive potential wisely while minimizing its negative effects is a pressing contemporary task.

The key points are:

 fostering independent thinking in youth;

 developing the ability to distinguish reliable information;

 maintaining a balance between virtual and real-life activities.

Addressing these challenges is the responsibility of each member of society.

Thirst


A frisson while the night passes
A maw to be filled with bloated stars

The frugalness of neon haunts your suffering
The moon frightens a stranger’s trees

Am I a ghost hiding in plain sight?
Am I a night tremor where the longboats pass?

& If I tremble, it’s only for my love of gillyflowers
That sing, in the wicked breeze of my thirst

Where I am lost, like a cataloguer in a storage room
Of pent-up desires. O cool fountains, interiority—

When do I go to sleep? & In what din
Of a grinning force, how far away is night?


Sometimes it rains here, in the penitentiary of my age
& I am baffled by goslings who have no care for frivolity

Then winter really rubs off on children’s red jackets
& I muffle my knees like a mud cowhand & stutter

In the brackish, sheet metal music of days’ slow death
Shimmering under a wreath of seas

A lost homeland. 

O, Iran!

The land of ancient beauty, 

now the land of deep sorrow

alongside the longing for freedom. 

Your sun is veiled by a shadow’s weight,

and tears have washed over the city gate.

The mothers’ heart in quiet sorrow wait,

while smoke obscures the old, historic places.

In the streets, a quiet fire still burns

for freedom’s song.

Unveiled hair are a high banner,

and the women’s voice turns darkness into light. 

O, Iran!

O, land of poets, wine of the primordial covenant, and the reed!

Your streets are now a fading map,

and the voices are a whisper in the wind.

O, Iran! The land of Hafez, Ferdowsi and Rumi!

Will from your ruins grow a stronger seed?

I carry my home in my fractured soul,

a suitcase filled with your pain 

and your collective grief.

Will the sun rise from your sky again?

Will the long night flee, my cherished land?

©® Farzaneh Dorri

Iran

2026 International Women’s Day Special

Dear Goddess May You Bloom All Your Life

Poem by Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)

My dearest

Born a woman

you are meant to bloom like a flower

Live up to the grace of being a woman—

flowers are tender and glowing

flowers are graceful and elegant

flowers are bright and enchanting

My dearest

You belong to yourself

Your life is in your own hands

Let no one control or manipulate you

You are the master of your fate

and you may choose the life you desire

My dearest

Whether you are a daughter

a wife

a mother

a daughter-in-law

any other role

never forget—

you are first yourself

then everything else

In every role you fulfill

always remember to be true to yourself

My dearest

I hope you will never

take care of everyone else

yet forget to care for yourself

Be kind to everyone

but never be unkind to your own heart

My dearest

No matter how deeply you love

your children

your husband

your parents

anyone else

never forget—

you must love yourself

Only when you love yourself fully

can you love them better

and attract more love into your life

My dearest

You were born to live in love

When you meet someone you want to love

love bravely

Do not question if it is fate or hardship

do not fear being hurt

do not fear loss

Enjoy the journey of love

do not cling only to the result

Just as flowers bloom and fade

they do not refuse to blossom

for fear of withering one day

So it is with love

Love while you can

My dearest

May your heart be filled with love and warmth

nurturing your soul

When no one loves you

love yourself as a beloved would

You owe this to yourself

When no one warms you

warm your own heart

When no one holds you

embrace the child within you

Whether you have support or not

always remember to rely on yourself first

My dearest

May you cherish

this flower-like life you have been given

Treasure every moment

savor every present

Strive when you need to strive

enjoy when you can enjoy

pursue bravely when you must fight

and seize every opportunity with all your heart

My dearest

May you be as beautiful as you can be

Do not wait to wear lipstick

until your lips can no longer hold color

Do not wait to learn makeup

until your face loses its radiance

Do not wait to care for your skin

until time has left its deep marks

Do not wait to buy that beautiful dress

until you can no longer wear it

You were born to live beautifully—

beautiful for yourself

and beautiful for those who love you

My dearest

May your heart be gentle and compassionate

yet strong as diamond

May your wisdom bloom as beautifully as your grace

and may your beauty last as long as your wisdom

My dearest

You are more than a woman of this world—

you are a daughter of the universe

a mother of the earth

the original source of life

an embodiment of love and light

My dearest

Your awakening

is not only the fulfillment of yourself

but also the tenderness of the world

the hope of civilization

the path for the human soul to return home

My dearest

Every woman can be her own goddess

May you bloom freely

through the cycles of time

and let the world admire your grace

May your entire life

a season of constant blooming

From Lan Xin

To Women All Over the World

On the occasion of 2026 International Women’s Day

I send my most sincere wishes

to every extraordinary woman across the globe

May you be treated gently by the world

and cherished tenderly by the years

May your heart hold light

your eyes hold joy

your feet walk a clear path

May you be loved all your life

bloom with confidence

live with ease and grace

May you love yourself deeply

and be your most beautiful self in every role you play

To all women around the world

Happy Women’s Day!

May your grace last forever

and your life be full of fragrance!