The realm of the online environment provides its users with an unprecedented opportunity to create a new persona that would represent them in the digital setting. As a result, a lot of people tend to change their communication manner and demeanor when participating in online discussions. I agree with the first student about the lack of fear in the online setting and, therefore, the creation of opportunities for a more honest and open conversation. However, I also believe that the specified lack of repercussions creates the breeding ground for negative types of behavior, such as trolling and cyberbullying. As a result, the person who has been known as having a highly positive attitude or, on the contrary, being very quiet in the offline setting may succumb to cyberbullying in the online setting due to the protective screen of online anonymity.
The comparison between the behaviors of online users and those of robots that the second respondent has provided has given me a lot of food for thought. Due to the specifics of the online environment, people tend to perceive their online interlocutors not as empathetically as they would in a physical conversation (Lee & Kim, 2020). Therefore, the threat of losing ones empathy in an online discussion, especially when addressing a controversial issue, becomes rather tangible. Personally, I do my best to use the online communication style that aligns with the ethics and etiquette of a real-life conversation, yet it is quite difficult to remain on the specified track when participating in an emotionally charged conversation. Therefore, it is critical to keep reminding oneself that the respondent is a living human being with their emotions and issues. Thus, one will avoid hurting the respondents feelings and remain supportive.
Asians have started coming to the United States in the 1800s, and since then, the media portrayal of Asians has struggled to deliver accuracy and objectivity. Much of the Asian appearance in American films and television can be labeled as a product of racism and discrimination. A rich and diverse culture of Asian nationalities cannot be accumulated in a single character or a single movie.
However, the American cinematographers have been incorporating the image of Asians into their films for decades. They are usually not given lead roles, and even if a protagonist character is Asian, it is often played by a white actor using yellowface. There are many reasons why stereotypes have been dominating Asian American portrayal in media. Some of them are hostile relationships between the US and Asian countries in the past. Asians should promote their cultures to build public awareness of their diverse nature.
Media Stereotypes
Media has a significant influence on how the public perceives certain nationalities. Therefore, many of the stereotypes the Americans have had about Asians are due to the impact of television and cinematography. Asian actors and moviemakers are underrepresented in the United States cinema. Less than 1% of Academy Awards nominations have included Asian Americans since the awards inception in 1929 (Yang 1). Besides, the voters that decide the outcome of the Awards are 94% comprised of whites (Yang 7). These statistics tell us that white culture dominates the American media, and minorities like Asians have no influence over whether or not their portrayals are accurate and realistic.
One common stereotype against Asians, both male and female, is the notion of yellow peril, which originated because of the fear that Asian immigrants will undermine the American culture. This stereotype suggests that Asians are intellectually and physically weak, violent, and uncivilized (Cheung 6). For instance, Chinese American fictional characters like Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan have these characteristics (Cheung 6).
The contrasting attitude toward Asian Americans is the stereotype of the model minority. According to this belief, Asian Americans are intelligent, prosperous, and rational and effective in their economic choices. Despite this positive image, many scholars believe that this stereotype is also deceptive and may result in unfavorable outcomes (Cheung 7). The reason is that Americans still see Asians as a threat, not because of their inferiority but economic competitiveness (Cheung 7). There are also stereotypes that are unique to Asians gender.
Other representations include the depiction of Asians as if all of them are masters at martial arts, the image of a store-owner, and a nerd child in the classroom. Among the most common stereotypes is the belief that all Asians look the same, and all of them have similar cultures and languages (Shrake and Chen 185). This image is inaccurate because Asian nationalities differ significantly in their way of living and communication (Shrake and Chen 186). For instance, Chinese and Japanese are fundamentally different and have no similarities.
There are several characteristics that are attributed to Asian men. Often, Asian male characters are portrayed as asexual, tactless, and as a person who is not able to attract an American woman (Yang 8). For instance, the same Charlie Chan possesses these inferior qualities (Yang 8). Women, on the other hand, have two stereotypes the image of a Lady Dragon and a Lotus Blossom. The former stereotype portrays Asian women as people who are not worthy of trust, are deceitful, violent, and use their sexuality to seduce and manipulate men (Shrake and Chen 187). Lotus Blossom, on the contrary, suggests that Asian women are characterless, obedient, have no ambitions and desires (Shrake and Chen 187). Wisdom and intelligence are seldom attributed to Asian women, although such a depiction would often be correct.
Ways for Improvement
In order to lessen the influence of stereotypes on the public perception of Asian Americans, there should be a collective approach to action. Asians in schools may conduct presentations about their cultures and explain how their customs differ from other Asian nationalities. For instance, Chinese and Japanese students may come together and present how Chinese culture differs from the Japanese. There is an organization called Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) that promotes the interests of Asian Americans in the United States. The primary goal of AAJC is to represent Asian Americans in political conversations that make decisions on public policies. To change how Asians are portrayed in media, AAJC should also get involved in related events.
Conclusion
Television, news, and other forms of media are the primary way of how people receive information and build their opinions today. Therefore, media is vital, and it should try to provide the audience with accurate information. However, for many decades, American cinematography and television have annihilated the image of Asians. Stereotypes about inferior culture have dominated the minds of American viewers. The collective approach should be taken to lessen the influence of such inaccurate representations. Support of organizations such as AAJC is also necessary to mend the portrayal of Asian Americans.
Works Cited
Cheung, Pricilla. Asian American Representation and Stereotypes on Mainstream American Television: A Case Study of Fresh off the Boat. ResearchGate, 2019. Web.
Shrake, Eunai Kim, and Edith Wen-Chu Chen, editors. Asian Pacific American Experiences: Past, Present, and Future. Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2012.
Yang, Hellen. White Washed out: Asian American Representation in Media. Duke University, 2017. Duke University. Web.
Surveys and polls are invaluable tools for gauging public opinion on the critical issues of the day. As such, it is unsurprising that the mass media often rely on those tools for information. Unfortunately, surveys are inherently prone to mathematical errors that may distort the public opinion realities that they are trying to measure (Cox 1998). Stories that rely on them risk exacerbating this distortion by accepting such results uncritically. One common flaw in surveys is self-selection bias, which skews their results regarding demographics that are more likely to respond to them.
Since every survey can only reflect its respondents opinions, self-selection is a universal feature of surveys. It may be more useful to speak of self-selection bias as an incorrect assumption that a surveys sample is truly random and representative (Cox 1998). In truth, the willingness to engage with a survey can depend on multiple factors, such as political beliefs or cultural taboos. Depending on how the survey is conducted, a lack of free time or Internet access can exclude potential respondents. Surveyors attempt to balance such factors through weighting based on demographical data, but this does not guarantee accurate representation.
A recent attempt to disprove the stereotype that the rural U.S. population is less concerned about the Covid-19 pandemic illustrates the possibility of self-selection bias. The article states that almost 9 out of 10 rural respondents plan to maintain social distancing, and only 5% believe the government mitigation measures are excessive (Marema 2020). The results have been obtained through an online poll conducted by Civis Analytics. The author acknowledges that the poll was based on self-selecting web panels, which inevitably excluded people with no Internet access (Marema 2020). What goes unmentioned is that this demographic is likely to be less informed about mitigation measures, affecting the results. Moreover, people with Internet access who take the pandemic less seriously would probably be less likely to respond. While Civis Analytics employed demographical weighting, it could not eliminate the problem.
The media often relies on surveys to illuminate the state of public opinion on various important issues. However, survey results are inevitably skewed by the self-selection of their participants. While weighting based on demographical data can help make surveys more representative of the population, it is a limited solution. Care must be taken to remember this likely source of distortion when examining the results of surveys and stories based on them.
YouTube being a popular social media platform, the question of comments regulation is controversial. On the one hand, freedom of speech is essential on the Web, and on the other hand, millions of users who have the right not to be exposed to hate speech comments visit YouTube daily. The issue is problematized as YouTube is a highly estimated website, and contents posted there are likely to be seen and shared by many visitors. The impact of potentially adverse comments on this website is higher than that of less popular ones, which may require more restrictive policies.
The possibility to comment on YouTube videos in a virtually anonymous way is the essential problem of the policies. One can post mean, harsh, harmful, and offensive reactions without revealing their identity, which creates with users an impression of the total lack of authority. This problem becomes especially challenging when it comes to politically, ethnically, religiously, or ethically loaded global topics, such as Islam. The issue of religion and online media is being studied, and specifically, Ahmed Al-Rawi has addressed the problem of the YouTube users reaction to Islam representation. In his book Islam on YouTube: Online Debates, Protests, and Extremism, he claims, YouTube enhances deliberative democracy and sustains the public sphere because it offers a venue for the powerful and those who are powerless (Al-Rawi 9). When any user can leave a comment below the video, it can incarnate the idea of democracy. Free unlimited right to comment is a chance for many minorities (religious, ethnic, or social ones) to be empowered in addressing the audience.
Simultaneously, relatively permissive YouTube policies, when it comes to the comments, are a powerful tool for user engagements. For the platform, it is essential to provide ways of active participation, which attracts the users and makes them spend more time on the website. The study of YouTube users shows that commenting is strongly influenced by the motive of social interaction, with the tendency of males to be more actively engaged than females (Khan 240). For the platform, all forms of engagements (likes, comments, sharing, etc.) are more profitable than passive consumption of the content. The website is currently not particularly restrictive, and the goal to engage users may be one of the reasons, while unrestricted comments serve as socialization tools for users. The visitors always might choose whether to read the comments or not, and they may have a better user experience making these decisions without additional external regulations.
To sum up, both the platform and the majority of users are interested in free, non-restrictive policies when it comes to posting reactions. Comments on YouTube videos may serve as a tool of empowerment, socialization, and meaningful interaction for millions of users worldwide. Additional regulation might reduce not only the potentially upsetting comments but also the overall users activity on this social media platform. Comments might work not only for the empowerment of previously unheard voices but also for intimidation, aggression, and biased practices. On the other hand, it is to accept that these challenges are inevitable in any communication process, and it might not be profitable for the platform to introduce restrictive regulations of the comments. Thus, it requires additional users goodwill and personal responsibility when it comes to the choices related to the YouTube comments.
Works Cited
Al-Rawi, Ahmed. Islam on YouTube: Online Debates, Protests, and Extremism. Springer, 2017.
Khan, Laeeq. Social Media Engagement: What Motivates User Participation and Consumption on YouTube. Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 3, 2017, pp. 236-247.
The paper revolves around the dramatized real story of Erin Brockovich. The story is retrieved from a film entitled Brockovich that was written by Susannah Grant. The story concentrates more on the health complications that the residents of Hinkley were facing as a result of consumption of contaminated water. It is of great necessity to note that despite the fact that, many residents were suffering from similar health complications they thought that it was mere coincidence.
They thought that their complications had nothing to do with the activities of Pacific Gas and Electric Company. However, under the intervention of Erin Brockovich who was the films protagonist, the residents became enlightened and they ended up being resettled without any delays.
Introduction
Erin Brockovich can be termed as a biographical film that was written by Susannah Grant and directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film dramatizes a real story of Erin Brockovich, who is the films protagonist. In the film, Erins story revolves around her fight against PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric Company) that was an energy corporation. Her fight against this company started soon after she received some documents that revealed some health complications of the residents of Hinkley. Erin in her survey research in the case against Pacific Gas and Electric Company conducted several interviews that played a vital role in understanding the cause of the problem the Hinkleys residents were facing. The film eventually portrays Erin successful in having justice served to the victims (Donnelly, 2003).
Discussion
Question one
The survey research of Erin Brockovich entailed several stages. After she had received the file that entailed the case of the real-estate where Pacific Gas and Electric Company had an intention of purchasing a home, she discovered surprising medical records in that file. Erin started her survey by analyzing the information that was contained in that file. She managed to detect peculiar medical information that required her to advance her survey to another level. She then decided to visit Donna Jensen, Hinkleys resident. Erin interrogated Donna and managed to acquire her feelings, as well as opinions concerning the whole issue. Donna explained to her that she was having a number of tumors while her husband was suffering from Hodgkins disease (Miller, 2007).
Donna also noted that she was appreciative of Pacific Gas and Electric Companys support of supplying a doctor who would attend to them at the companys expense. Erin enquired from her why the company was doing so. Donna replied that the company was doing so as a result of chromium. On acquiring that information Erin went a step further to investigate more about the chromium Donna mentioned. After an investigation, she found evidence that Hinkleys groundwater had a serious contamination from carcinogenic hexavalent chromium. However, Pacific Gas and Electric Company had been telling the residents of Hinkley that the chromium they were using was safe (Kauffman, 2011).
Question 2
The characters of the film used several methods of gathering data. Interviewing is one of the widely used methods of gathering data in the film. Erin is revealed in the film interviewing Donna, who was one of the victims. She also visited other residents of Hinkley and after interviewing them, she learnt that most of them were having tumors, and doctors from PG&E treated all. Survey is another technique that was used by the characters to gain information. Erin who is the films protagonist carried out a survey that indicated that most residents of Hinkley were having tumors and were all treated by doctors from PG&E. According to the survey, all the victims were made to believe that their condition was a coincidence and was not related to chromium (Willoquet-Maricondi, 2010).
Question three
The needs assessment in this scenario entailed improvement of the lifestyle of Hinkleys residents. This assessment aimed at enlightening the residents of Hinkley of the risk they were subjected to as a result of consuming contaminated water. It would also help them understand that PG&E was not using safe chromium. The needs assessment also had an obligation of ensuring that all the victims of PG&Es activities were compensated. The researcher interacted with the residents of Hinkley eventually earning much trust from them. They came to realize what had been going through and with the help of the researcher they benefited from the resettlement package under the courts ruling (Miller, 2007).
Question four
The needs assessment played a vital role in obtaining information that entailed distribution, prevalence as well as interrelations of the variables within the residents that were affected. The assessment helped the researcher to understand that most residents of Hinkley were suffering from various diseases. All these diseases were as a result of consumption of water with carcinogenic hexavalent chromium contaminant. However, the residents lacked knowledge of the cause of their problem. It also helped the researcher to understand that resettlement of these people was essential and pushed for it until justice was served (Donnelly, 2003).
Question five
The actions of the researcher presented a number of ethical implications among the residents of Hinkley. One of the implications is that, the victims became enlightened of living a safe life. They realized that their rights to consume clean water free from contaminants had been infringed which had resulted to the chronic diseases they were suffering from. The researchers action also created an implication that PG&E had been acting illegally. This eventually led to the researcher ensuring that PG&E resettled the victims without any delay (Kauffman, 2011).
Conclusion
Health is a very essential component of every human being. There is, therefore, a great necessity of all governments to formulate laws that will ensure that the rights pertaining the health of their citizens are not infringed. These laws should impose heavy charges to every person or company violating the rights of their people. Members of the society should also be enlightened so that they may live aware of their rights.
References
Donnelly, P. (2003). Julia Roberts confidential: The unauthorised biography. London: Virgin.
Kauffman, K. D. (2011). Movie guide for legal studies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education/Prentice Hall.
Miller, J. M. (2007). English in films: Exercises for the classroom and study-at-home. Morrisville, NC: Lulu.
Willoquet-Maricondi, P. (2010). Framing the world: Explorations in ecocriticism and film. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.
Primary sources are invaluable when it comes to exploring the socio-cultural phenomena of the past. The collection of essays devoted to the new cultural groups of the 1960s compiled by Bloom and Breines sheds light on the historical periods countercultures and allows keeping track of their evolution. Particularly, the collection provides comprehensive descriptions of three prominent movements, such as the Hippies, the Diggers, and the Yippies.
A hippie is a term that refers to a member of a popular youth movement of the same name. In his essay dated 1967, Guy Strait defines the Hippies as a wrongly vilified group that uses colorful clothing and accessories with floral motifs (Bloom and Breines 280). Strait views this choice as a symbol of the Hippies protest against conventional thinking and peoples fear of standing out from the crowd (Bloom and Breines 280). Another aspect of his definition is the Hippies denial of the ubiquitous culture of competition in the U.S. and the philosophies of materialism and excessive consumption.
The book also provides critical information about the Diggers the members of the radical movement comprised of street actors and activists in California. Based on The Digger Papers, the Diggers can be defined as young social activists who strive to incorporate the hippies values into the Bay Areas political life through coercion (Bloom and Breines 284). The central points of their program are extensive cooperation and the use of organized gangs to manage the areas life and provide free access to basic and entertainment services (Bloom and Breines 284). These services include hospitals, meals, housing, financial operations, banks, stores, schools, concerts, cultural festivals, and so on.
Finally, the collection sheds light on the Yippie movements distinctive traits and goals. Using The Yippie Manifesto and Jerry Rubins Do It, it is possible to define the Yippies as radical and anti-authoritarian members of the Youth International Party (Bloom and Breines 289). The Yippies strive to challenge the electoral system and the U.S. political priorities by rather theatrical protests, the mockery of political processes, and pranks to hinder poll places operation.
Work Cited
Bloom, Alexander, and Wini Breines, editors. Takin It to the Streets : A Sixties Reader. Oxford University Press, 1995.
In the recent years, the conversation surrounding the impact video games have on the mental health and behavioral patterns of those who play them has been a heated and frequent one. So far, there seem to contradict two distinct and largely opposite positions on the topic. Some people believe, that video games have the potential to enhance the brain development, aid in learning more about the world and exploring creativity, and spend time in an engaging harmless manner. Others, however, argue that video games negatively affect the mental health of its users, causing aggression whiplashes and increased isolation tendencies. This paper sides with the first of the aforementioned positions and utilizes deduction and induction to strengthen the point. It also attempts to counter the prevalent arguments of the opposition by pointing out the fallacies in those.
Before engaging in deductive and inductive reasoning, it is necessary to outline the specifics of the chosen position in greater detail. As any other advancement in the modern digital technology, video games are an improvement of life for many reasons. Despite not having the easily perceived or tangible value, video games greatly enrich the daily experiences of those who play them. Such games exist in many genres and types, but no matter the way facilitate human interaction with the digital world in an engaging form. Its game developers, devoted players, certain psychologists and many among general public view this form of technological entertainment favourably. They focus on the learning opportunities the games provide, its potential for facilitating collaboration or even observations regarding gamers superior manual dexterity. Many of the modern games touch on relevant social topics via their mechanics, with some of them letting a player avoid any violence in their actions.
After establishing the chosen position in detail it is appropriate to use deductive reasoning to argue for it. Deductive reasoning assumes that the general premise is true, consecutively perceiving its particulars to be true a well. Scientific development and digital advancements are generally beneficial, since these things enhance the daily life, making it more comfortable, interesting and productive. The video games are a particular example of digital advancement, and continue to improve in line with technological progress. Consecutively, in accordance to the statement A on scientific development, video games are making life more comfortable, interesting and productive. In this way, the principles of deductive reasoning are followed, since the argument goes from the general, the notion of scientific advancement, to the particular, video games. The statements on digital advancement being beneficial for the society, and video games being part of digital advancement process, are the first and the second premise respectively. Finally, the conclusion of video games being therefore beneficial for the society is an inference.
Second, one might apply an inductive argument to support the same statement. Inductive reasoning, as opposed to the deductive reasoning, follows from the particular to the general. An overall conclusion is reached based on the analysis of a piece of data that a researcher has access to. Say, a particular video game was widely and successfully implemented at schools for middle grade students. The tasks and quests of the game allowed the students to enhance their mathematical skills and perform better, as measured by school assignments. Thus, from this piece of evidence through inductive reasoning one can arrive to the conclusion, that video games have the capacity to be implemented in schools as learning tools. Furthermore, from this intermediate conclusion one might state that video games are beneficial to the intellectual and personal development of its player base.
As stated in the introduction, however, this position is far from being a universal agreement on the topic. Counterarguments on the matter can be separated into two broad categories, with the first actively assigning harmful consequences to playing video games, and the latter describing those as meaningless. The following counter argumentative section is aiming to address both of the categories. The first group of arguments usually include notions on the supposed links between playing video games and violent behavior. The second group trivializes the cultural potential of video games and the connection those have as a part of media landscape with the rest of modern arts.
One of the potential counterarguments against the position in question is the recurring belief of video games potentially stumbling the players emotional development. Those who support this point of view argue that frequently violent content of video games desensitizes the players to the violence conducted against real people. Certain instances of fear mongering have come so far as to link the interest in video games to mass shooting incidents in the American high schools. Furthermore, when taken to a logical extreme, this argument connects preference for video games with fictional violence to higher potential of lashing out in socially unacceptable or even dangerous ways. Such belief is largely outdated and easy to dismantle by discussing the established links between video games and emotional intelligence.
This argument can be dismantled on two levels. First, it operates under the false assumption that a player cannot separate the real life from the virtual world they engage with for their entertainment. Particularly the most extreme cases of this opposition argument do not hold the test of logic, as these cases insist that in the mind of a gamer there is no difference between a real person and a target character in the game. Due to the recent advancements in the study of virtual reality in general and video games in particular, such extreme opinions are admittedly becoming rare. Yet the idea of video games sometimes negatively impacting ones personal qualities and ability to sympathize with others is still a popular concern.
Modern video games rely heavily on the simulation component, introducing extended dialogue scenes with in-game characters to enrich the overall experience. Namely, narrative elements in games contribute to the development of empathy and understanding by simulating dialogue scenes between a player character and various NPCs (Halbrock et al., 1100). For many socially isolated teenagers or even adults these virtual interactions provide a safe space for experimenting with various dialogue lines without the risk of hurting a real human being. Despite this opportunity, many players report re-starting a route or the entire game after accidently upsetting one of the characters in it (Halbrock et al., 1099). Such findings on the links between video game narratives and empathy development effectively disprove the idea of this media form negatively affecting its players emotional intelligence.
Furthermore, an entirely different lens can be applied to the undeniable fact of wide popularity of often graphic violent content in gaming industry. With games acting as an escapism tool that allows players to distract themselves from perils of their daily lives, the conditional participation in animated violence allows a player to relax. Negative emotions can be sublimated into in-game shootings and explosions without any harm being done to real people. From this point of view, even the undeniable parts of the oppositions argument are turned to further the idea of the beneficial impact of video games.
Another common argument utilized against the idea of positive potential in video games concerns its supposed shallowness and lack of substance. This reasoning relies on a superficial idea, that as a commercial and technological product, video games cannot be real art, and are therefore not worth respect and recognition. Furthermore, it creates a false dichotomy between an idealized image of refined high art and something entertaining, and, therefore, useless and meaningless. In game-critical media in particular, the time spent in game is often depicted as wasted, even if it was a part of a persons spare time to begin with. Most of the time, such claims are factually false, as video games of today contain an impressive amount of effective and interactive social commentary. Yet, it is the argument itself that deserves greater attention in this paper, as it is a faulty and invalid one. An example of logical fallacy can be extrapolated from such argumentation, which is discussed in greater detail in the following paragraph.
The line of argument mentioned above is an example of creating a false dichotomy and making an opponent choose between two concepts that do not contradict each other. Art and entertainment are not and have never been at odds; in fact, these two areas of culture often intertwine (Williams, 2). The idea of putting the two in opposition is nothing new, and has been around as a tool of implementing classist prejudices into the perspective on popular entertainment. Upper classes have positioned their entertaining activities, always more expensive and sometimes more demanding in terms of educational background, as exclusive and refined. Naturally, the widely available types of entertainment were by contrast classified as low-level, uncultured and shallow. Similar fallacies of a falsely created difference, that does not need to be in place, are clearly visible in the video games bashing narratives of this kind.
In conclusion, video games have the potential to positively influence both the educational and developmental processes of its players, and the level of societal comfort on a grander scale. As any other tool it has the capacity to be misused or implemented in toxic environments, which can be easily observed via the instances of the gaming addiction. Due to the sheer size of the gaming community, the presence of the extremes and the associated toxicity is unavoidable. Yet when these instances are brought up, they are most frequently misused and turned into fallacies, namely appeals to emotions and prioritizations of specific cases over the general subject. Whereas in general and as a tool video games are inherently beneficial to the society and to its players due to the educational, communicational and somewhat therapeutic potential conveyed in its mechanics.
Works Cited
Halbrook, Yemaya J. et al. When And How Video Games Can Be Good: A Review Of The Positive Effects Of Video Games On Well-Being . Perspectives On Psychological Science, vol 14, no. 6, 2019, pp. 1096-1104. SAGE Publications.
Williams, Allissa. The Dawn of a New Era in Entertainment History, Global Tides: vol. 14 , no 7. Web.
The critical examination of popular social trends is an essential component of analytical social science research. It makes it possible to qualitatively identify and measure not only sentiments peculiar to individual groups and communities but also for the population as a whole. The best medium for the contemporary and relevant study is virtual platforms hosted on the Internet, as digitalization becomes increasingly integrated into the social life of humanity (Highfield 315). The key demands, needs, and forms of the new ethics can be found when observing communities on social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, or other platforms. In this context, an excellent academic strategy is to observe the microcultures that are fandoms of famous artworks. Among others, Bronies fan culture is a telling example of the observed social mismatch between the object of inspiration and interest and the demographics of the community. For instance, the initial expectations for the target audience of the cartoon My Little Pony were not fully met since the animated TV picture about the friendship and travels of the horses had a focus on children and girls in particular. Nevertheless, the cartoon has developed and deeply rooted a fan community representing men between the ages of 14 and 35. Thus, it can be postulated that the characters, animation style, and story ideology became a broad historical sensation for the Internet community.
An even greater social sensation was the actual emergence of the Bronies, which were an apparent contradiction to the original expectations of the series authors. Initially perceived as new humor, the sheer number of fan pages created by adult men with a passion for My Little Pony soon became the subject of serious debate. In this sense, the key research question was to determine the nature of this fascination: whether it was an expression of New Sincerity or an erotic manifestation of pedophilic tendencies in a wide swath of individuals. In any case, the Bronies have received ample academic oversight, so an in-depth study of social trends and the driving forces behind the creation of the fandom seems possible.
Although the fandom of people into My Little Pony culture is not generally limited to men, it is historically represented by members of that particular gender. This fact is fundamental in raising the moral question of the ethics and legitimacy of such interests. Obviously, for a modern developed society, there can be no prohibitions on interests, topics, and hobbies (Dunne 1296). Any man can be inspired by and committed to those materials that resonate in his mind: even if these works have initially been regarded as genuinely childish or feminine. In general, it should be noted that gendered attachments and expectations are gradually no longer relevant to society, but on the contrary, active integration and diversity are encouraged. In this regard, the Bronies phenomenon is of high interest because it essentially shows one of the surprising social trends. The present research paper raises already mentioned and new questions in an attempt to explain the origins of this fandom. As a consequence, the purpose of this paper is to broadly summarize the available information in order to understand the ideals and philosophy of what is called the Bronies.
Background Information
Since the advent of the Internet, the interaction between individuals has increased markedly. Whereas previously, the formation of new microcultural groups and communities was complicated primarily by the geographical remoteness of people and the impossibility of online communication, with the development of digital technology, these barriers have collapsed (Highfield 334). As a consequence, a large number of virtual communities of interest began to appear, uniting people from all over the world with different socio-economic and cultural statuses but nevertheless having a common commitment to the object of inspiration. The phenomenon of fandoms is an illustrative example of this change. As is academic, this paper views fandom primarily as a subculture consisting of fans and adherents of a fictional work of fiction (Hills 857). The principal features of such associations are common interests, symbolic manifestations, and active participation of participants in online forums and social networks.
My Little Pony fandom has a fascinating history, beginning, as usual, with denial and defense. More specifically, the appearance on television of Hasbro Studios animated series about the nature of friendship initiated the development of controversy. For nine years of the shows existence, viewers watched the journey of an anthropomorphic pink unicorn trying to learn what friendship is (Peralta). This focus of the TV work expectantly creates a sense that the filmmakers and screenwriters are targeting a generally childrens audience. However, My Little Pony differs from purely childrens works, which do not raise fundamental problems of life but fulfill only an entertainment function by the depth of character development and ambiguity of the plot development. All of this eventually led to a broader fan community than expected initially.
The Bronies phenomenon is of heightened academic interest because it possesses the necessary and sufficient traits of a typical fandom. Not only is it a virtual community of people of interest, but its sphere of influence extends beyond the Internet. In fact, activists hold annual festivals, forums, and other events dedicated to expressing their love for My Little Pony. At such events, individuals, including men, often dress up as characters from the cartoon, not only to show their affection for the fictional universe but also to express themselves creatively. By now, the Bronies have an extensive network of platforms and mediums through which individuals can communicate as part of script discussions and personal theories. In addition to the official website, Bronies communication is also carried out on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or forum-type platforms such as 4chan or Reddit. In addition, at the peak of the fan communitys popularity, a documentary was released telling the story of the oddities in the target audience of the animated series (John de Lancie). As a result, the Bronies should be seen as a classic example of fandom with, in contrast, a paradoxical demographic. Actually, the post-irony and inconsistency of the fan community were embedded in the name: the Bronies are a symbiosis of brothers and ponies. Consequently, the Bronies should be seen as a strictly masculine association that is into the My Little Pony series.
For the purposes of this discussion, it will be interesting to clarify what exactly is the driving force behind the formation of such a controversial community. The best strategy is to consult academic sources that have studied the phenomenality of this fandom. Figure 1 clearly illustrates the dynamic nature of the research devoted to this problem. It is clear, however, that overall the number of citations has had an increase over the past seven years, meaning that the effects of the paradox between expectation and practical realization in the context of My Little Pony are intriguing to academics. At the same time, it is clear from Figure 1 that the total number of topical papers is not that high, which may be due to the narrow focus of research and the seemingly unseriousness of the subject of study.
Figure 1. Dynamics of citations for Bronies (Clarivate Analytics).
On the contrary, to consider a critical examination of the phenomenality of the Bronies as unhelpful or unscientific is not a good strategy of sociological research. As it is known, the measurement of popular social metrics should be based on a wide variety of methods that qualitatively describe patterns. As a consequence, neglecting an agenda as relevant as mens fascination with childrens cartoons seems strategically flawed. At the same time, the study of the Bronies effect is also gender-associated. In addition to identifying the source of the male attachment to a story about little pink unicorns and horses, of great interest is the potential inclusion of women in the fandom. It is crucial to determine whether women can become full participants in this fandom if they show a genuine interest in My Little Pony or whether their participation is stifled by the sexism and misogyny of the fans. In addition, the nature of this interest needs to be established: it is very likely that women do not have such a passion for My Little Pony, and therefore the Bronies are an aggregation of a purely male population.
Analysis and Discussion
Of primary interest in this study is the identification of the primary mechanism that triggered the formation of gendered attachment to artwork. It is likely that the context of My Little Pony was initially geared toward little girls and young girls who might be attracted to pink and shiny things (Jones 123). Figure 2 shows the broad gamut of typical colors: the excess of bright and pink hues most likely only justifies the initial focus on a female audience. In this case, it is relevant to note that with the development of television programs, the significant effect of viewer segregation has been paired with the commercialization of projects. In the face of increased competition for viewers attention, authors try to create the most convenient and engaging show format possible. This solution can be implemented through the plot, storyline, protagonists, and even picture colors (Flückiger 210). As a consequence, the niche division of television programs has an economic engine (Burdfield 128). To put it another way, the focus of the My Little Pony universe on girls was initially justified by the authors desire to create a commercially successful project. It was expected that young girls watching the series would be able to associate themselves with the characters and get involved in the story.
Figure 2. Screenshot from the My Little Pony series (My Little Pony Official).
The authors initial expectations were not known to have been met, as it became apparent with the advent of the Bronies that men were no less interested in the animated series. It is possible to assume the main reasons for this increased enthusiasm, illustrating the apparent mismatch between gender roles and objects of interest (Hunting and Hains 3). Thus, it is very likely that men are driven by masculine self-deficiency, overt or latent homosexuality, or a sense of self through humiliation. On the contrary, it is just as likely that Bronies show casual interest in the film because they are fascinated by the complex plot and the general themes raised by the narrative. Since no unequivocal answer has yet been found and is unlikely to be established, given the diversity of causes and community opinions it is appropriate to consider the range of fundamental ideas regarding the driving forces behind the Bronies effect.
In the context under consideration, it is interesting to pay immediate attention to the possible manifestation of male insecurity. Every time society is confronted with an apparent mismatch of gender roles, this triggers a legitimate conflict of perception of reality. Although such ideas are not relevant to todays changing agenda, men in the guise of unicorns can still provoke doubt and criticism from society. It is sufficient to refer to Figure 3 for this assertion to be confirmed. An ordinary man dressed up in colorful hair and ears like the shows protagonist can cause ridicule and mockery from non-fans or anti-fandom.
Figure 3. Photo from Bronycon, a festival dedicated to the My Little Pony universe (Fallon).
Consequently, the discrepancy between the traditional role of the Western male breadwinner and his fascination with colorful cartoons can cause a wave of hatred and rejection in society. In turn, this generates obvious conclusions which are not necessarily true about the sexual inadequacy of such men. In other words, such fans may be suspected of homosexuality or even pedophilia, and thus it is appropriate to speak of a sexualized context of infatuation. There has been a study that has shown that, in reality, the masculinity of such individuals is degraded, and therefore the Bronies community is represented mainly by abused and unsuccessful men (Bailey and Harvey 340). Although the results of this study may raise doubts about the bias and low effectiveness of the methodology more specifically, participants comments on the form were observed this view should be taken into account.
Overall, these views find development through another equally intriguing hypothesis. Fascination with the plot is likely the main driving force behind men watching the series. In this context, it is appropriate to highlight Robertsons research showing that the anthropomorphism of protagonists is a serious motivator for viewing (Robertson 35). Since it is often a difficult task to create complexly developed human characters, endowing animals even mythical ones with human traits has not only comparable ease but also greater appeal. The prototype of a little pink unicorn may seem to a male fan to be a reflection of a naive and frivolous girl. Consequently, the Bronies representative may manifest his latent masculinity through character love, especially in the case of love failures in the real world (Robertson 21). This brings to mind the general failure of Bronies fans as men in the traditional image.
The possible pedophilic tendencies of male My Little Pony fans have also been the subject of much discussion, including among journalists. In more detail, Schlichter wrote about the terrible trend of modern society encouraging such hobbies (Schlichter). In this statement, it was evident that for the journalist, the mechanism of internal conflict between his ideas about masculinity and the hobbies of other men for such series was triggered. Generally speaking, it must be recognized that the suspicion of sexual dysfunction forms the basis of the criticism directed at the Bronies. While the nature of such criticism is self-evident, it is essential to recognize that it is neither confirmation of natural disorders in men nor is it consistent with the current agenda.
The best term to describe the effect of the emergence of the Bronies phenomenon is the New Sincerity. Whereas society was formerly governed by mechanisms calculated to conform strictly to traditional gender roles and general expectations from outside, by the current moment, such ideals are no longer relevant. The philosophy of the new sincerity is built on the humanistic assumption that every individuals life must be built on sincerity and a new social ethic (Dunne 1300). Thus, according to the ideals, there is nothing shameful or demeaning about mens fascination with My Little Pony. On the contrary, an open declaration of ones interests even those that do not correspond to traditional views is encouraged and welcomed by the public. In turn, such virtual communities allow people to show support and concern for one another and form applicable social bonds (Horovitz). In this regard, it is appropriate to conclude that the Bronies fan community can be seen as a progressive and neoliberal association that possesses the features of new sincerity.
Finally, the final question of this study was an attempt to determine the possibility of womens participation in the Bronies community. It is important to note that this question cannot have an unequivocal answer, as it involves a purely personal relationship between Bronies representatives and the female audience of My Little Pony. On the one hand, the Bronies are built on the ideals of tolerance and sincerity, and therefore it is reasonable to expect full recognition of women as full members of the fandom. Any girl or woman who has an interest in the story should not feel pressured or prejudiced by the male audience of the animated series. Women who are already part of the community identify with the Bronies, not the children. This is crucial, given ones desire to belong to a particular social grouping (Vella et al. 600; Horovitz). On the other hand, the term Bronies itself refers to a male fan fraternity, and therefore womens participation in it seems inappropriate. However, this view does not deny that women can be interested in My Little Pony, but it prevents them from belonging to the Bronies. Thus, approximately 80% of the entire community is represented by men with an average age of 21, according to statistics (Hooves). Thus, the answer to the question of female fan participation in the fandom is ambiguous and should hardly be subjected to severe research.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be noted that works of fiction often form virtual communities of interest called fandoms. My Little Pony fandom is inconsistently represented by male adult audiences, which raises doubts about the reason for this fascination. The paper argues that potential sources of interest could be sexual frustration, male self-deficiency, or simple fascination with the story. In addition, a unique role is given to shaping the agenda through ideals of new sincerity. In this way, the Bronies form a unique social phenomenon, illustrating the practical failure of ideas of traditional gender segregation. Given the nature of the community and the cartoon series, as well as the public mood, it can be expected such effects to increase for the foreseeable future. True, the number of fans of existing tolerant communities and the number of works without gender identity will continue to increase.
References
Bailey, John, and Brenna Harvey. That Pony is Real Sexy: My Little Pony Fans, Sexual Abjection, and the Politics of Masculinity Online. Sexualities, vol. 22, no. 3, 2019, pp. 325-342.
Burdfield, Claire. Finding Bronies the Accidental Audience of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The Journal of Popular Television, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 127-134.
Clarivate Analytics. Web of Science, 2021. Web.
Dunne, Stephen. Murketing and the Rhetoric of the New Sincerity. Journal of Marketing Management, vol. 34, no. 15-16, 2018, pp. 1296-1318.
Fluckiger, Barbara. Color and Subjectivity in Film. Subjectivity across Media: Interdisciplinary and Transmedial Perspectives, edited by Maike Sarah Reinerth and Jan-Noel Thon, Routledge, 2017, pp. 145-161.
Highfield, Tim, Stephen Harrington, and Axel Bruns. Twitter as a Technology for Audiencing and Fandom: The# Eurovision Phenomenon. Information, Communication & Society, vol. 16, no. 3, 2013, pp. 315-339.
Hills, Matt. From Fan Culture/Community to the Fan World: Possible Pathways and Ways of Having Done Fandom. Palabra Clave, vol. 20, no. 4, 2017, pp. 856-883.
Hunting, Kyra, and Rebecca C. Hains. Im Just Here to Enjoy the Ponies : My Little Pony, Bronies and the Limits of Feminist Intent. Popular Communication, 2021, pp. 1-14.
Jones, Bethan. My Little Pony, Tolerance is Magic: Gender Policing and Brony Anti- Fandom. The Journal of Popular Television, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 119-125.
Robertson, Venetia Laura Delano. Of Ponies and Men: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and the Brony Fandom. International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 17, no. 1, 2014, pp. 21-37.
Misinformation is one of the main issues resulting from social media platforms. Even though various sites have their policies intended to curb such vices, users continue to pass messages, which any credible source has not verified. Most trolls happen online in the accounts of renowned bloggers, who may have pseudo names (Acker & Donovan, 2019). This means that a user hides behind another persons name and uses such public names to provide contents, which have not been verified. However, other users choose to be identified with spreading rumors regarding any issue in society. Red flags and user information verification from different platform accounts are considered methods for identifying accounts associated with rumors (Acker & Donovan, 2019). This paper explores how misinformation occurs on various social platforms and how such a trend can be reduced by identifying the accounts associated with such activities.
Spotting disinformation campaigns in different sites is crucial as it can help in mitigating this vice. Acker and Donovan (2019) suggest a step-by-step method for detecting data craft across other sites used to connect people. According to Acker and Donovan (2019), seeing metadata associated with a given post can help track such posts origin, hence identifying the primary source of the misleading campaign. By tracing various metadata signals available in these sites, one can investigate the data trails, thus identifying the pseudo accounts. Mapping media handling between different platforms can be done by reading the various categories of the metadata identified in a given post and building an information study based on such data (Acker & Donovan, 2019). This study considers metadata such as account names, biodata, content tag, followers, and authentic interactions to determine pseudo accounts. A close examination of the frequency of account activity, the number of followers, the types of user contents shared, and location information are also some of the vital details needed to identify spammers or suspicious accounts.
Data
Facebook is one of the most viewed social media platforms in the world, allowing people to interact in a large scale, thus providing a vast platform for propagate. The following are some of the most widely spread fake news accounts in different social media sites.
LifeNews
LifeNews is one of the most super-spreaders of fake news on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The account has over 219,300 followers and follows above 180,000 users on Twitter, 20,900 followers and 817 followings on Instagram, and 938,600 followers on Facebook. These numbers provide the account with a wide range of audiences, which quickly consume the fake news it spreads. However, it cannot identify that the account is mainly associated with posts, which target the US democrats. The screenshots in the appendix taken from the three sites show the biasness of the account, which was remoted by Facebook, to spread rumors.
Figure 1. Fake news spread by LifeNews.
Reene Smith
Reene Smith is one of the big names in social media fake news spreaders. The user has several accounts on all three platforms; most of them have the same face but different pictures. According to Acker and Donovan (2019), such strategies are often used by fake accounts to increase social media presence. For instance, the following Twitter search of the name reveals several pseudo accounts, with usernames changes slightly to fit the platforms internal settings. The account is known mainly for its fake news, such as linking the Clinton Foundation to the NYC coroner who said that Jeffrey Epsteins death was a result of suicide.
Figure 2. Renee Smith possible accounts in Twitter.
Conservative Tribune by WJ
Conservative Tribune by WJ is described as the platform, which mainly posts political and cultural opinions and commentaries written in The Western Journal. However, the platform is considered one of the spreaders of unsubstantiated information circulating the Internet. The page has 3,725,797 on Facebook, 94,800 on Instagram, and but does not exist on Twitter due to restrictions. In its post on Facebook, it indicated that the Democrats voted to increase Medicare access among the illegal and claimed that the veterans had to wait for a decade to get the same service. The site publishes several posts per day, most of which are inaccurate reports. Thus, even though it claims to provide posts from the Western Journal, it does not take its information from such a source.
Figure 3. Conservative Tribune by WJs fake news regarding the democrats and their stance on Medicare for veterans.
ACT for America
ACT for America is another fake new account and pages on different platforms that spread fake news regarding various social issues. For instance, in one of its Facebook posts in 2019, the page posted that Ilhan Omar Holding held secretive fundraisers for terrorist groups. However, this information was reported as fake news as the page was mainly spreading wrong information to taint the democrats regarding the American social issues. Being a proponent of the MAGA campaign, the page used unverified contents to ensure maximum destruction on their opponents who were not supporting the Trump presidency. Figure 4 below shows one of the posts reported by Facebook regarding misleading information on the issue. However, ACT for America choose the topic to continue the false narrative that Democrats support terrorist activities in America.
Figure 4. ACT for America disinformation on Omar linked to terrorist activity funding.
D.L Hungley
Although the account is not directly identifiable in other social media, several variants on the name are in Twitter and Instagram and are seen to spread fake news, which attacks the republicans. Figure 5, below, shows a Facebook post, where the owner of the account posted that President Trump was calculating the moves to have his vice, Mike Pence, impeached. Such a piece of news was likely to stir the political cohesion in the Republican Party so that the voters would be divided based on their support for both senior officials. However, this post and others from the same account were flagged and removed by the platforms.
Figure 5. D.L Hungleys fake news regarding Trumps calculated motive to have Mike Pence impeached.
Several other fake news accounts and pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram continue to spread rumors regarding various social, political, and economic issues. Some of these pages and pseudo accounts include V.A Shiva, ChaimanSizer, Southern War Cry, Nor Voom, and ImpeachTrump. These mentioned accounts and pages have some of their fake reports added to the appendix for further understanding of how social media is used to spread unverified information and how such accounts and pages can be traced and blocked to reduce such vices.
Analysis and Discussion of Findings
Based on the above data and the supplement provided in the appendix, it is essential to understand to use the metadata provided to understand the information flow. First, some of the most information used to trace such users include account names such as Reene Smith, double consonants as D.L, V.A, and having profiles pictures with default averters or non-identifying logos. Moreover, some of the accounts above, which were closed, were a result of failure to verify the creators details. These findings agree with the red flags, which according to Acker and Donovan (2019), are crucial in determining an account is spreading fake news. Most of these accounts could not be located in other social media platforms, and those that existed were either manipulated or were numerous pseudo accounts. Severalty of such accounts is due to closures, flagging, or need to increase the reach of the fake information.
The contents obtained and collected for use in this research reveal that some of the information gathered is posted on different social media platforms. For example, LifeNews publishes the same information on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, at the same time. This strategy is used to ensure the maximum possible reach of the data. For example, assuming that LifeNewss half audience is on another platform shows that the fake news will reach more people than it can reach via one platform. Moreover, some of the contents of LifeNews were reposted on Twitter. D.L. Hughleys report seemed to have lots of information, most of which were fabricated or lifted from various archives to fit the narrative of impeaching Mike Pence. These findings also agree with those fronted by Acker and Donovan (2019) to identify fake accounts. Thus, it is confirmed that fake accounts can be detected based on the various trends in posts.
The current investigation has also established that most fake accounts have massive followings due to the nature of the contents they share. While the current research has not confirmed the real users following these pseudo accounts, Acker and Donovan (2019) indicate that such accounts are also fake most of the time. This is true since most genuine users do not tend to comment on unconfirmed information, especially when such rumors are sensitive and can impact national security or incite violence.
Conclusion
Fake news is one of the issues affecting social media use. Different platforms have specific policies and terms and conditions, most of which guide social interactions, making sure that users abuse their platforms. However, due to using details such as email addresses, which any non-personal identifying information can create, the target platforms suffer infiltration with ghost users. This makes it easier for users to develop pseudo accounts, which cannot be traced back to them whenever they post fake news or inciting information. This makes it possible for the content creators to post any texts, images, or videos on any of the platforms they are registered with fake details. However, since these accounts metadata are available and can be seen by other users and platform controllers, most of them are closed whenever there are red flags such as rapid growth in followers, multiple posts within a specific time, or due to reports from other users. Such strategies which help to identify fake accounts make it possible for the platforms to deactivate them, thus controlling the spread of misinformation. Thus, even though users continue to infiltrate various social media sites to increase the spread of fake news, they can be eliminated by using the methods identified in this research.
Gone Baby Gone is a movie about kidnapping a girl Amanda and investigating this crime by the young detective Patrick. At the end of the story, the man realizes that the police officer Doyle kidnapped the girl to save her from her neglectful mother involved in the drug business. This main final action represents the moral issue of choosing between the socially appropriate behavior of informing the police and leaving the girl with Doyle without revealing her whereabouts to her mother. The application of Kants philosophy might help to understand whether man acts morally correct. According to Kants maxims and contrasting concepts, Patrick behaves morally appropriately, making the right choice, respecting Amanda, reacting according to the universal laws, choosing duty, autonomy, and categorical reasoning in his main final action.
According to the first Kants premise, the detectives decision can be regarded as morally correct because he decides to make the right choice rather than beneficial to someone. Kant believes that peoples morality is associated with their preferences (Sandel 65). These choices are based on the general interpretation of the actions rather than the analysis of the consequences of such solutions. This perception of morality explains that Patricks intention is not based on the analysis of a girls living conditions and well-being. On the contrary, he prefers to act according to the general concept of right. In this case, calling the police is the right choice because it is what people are supposed to do in such situations.
The man also behaves morally correctly when he informs the police about the girls whereabouts because he considers her dignity. The second Kants maxim states that humans act morally appropriately when they regard individuals as the main concept in the situations rather than a means (Sandel 65). This idea implies the necessity to focus on the value of a human being in ethical decisions. Considering this philosophers idea, Patrick behaves morally suitable since he respects the girls life. In particular, he does not allow the police officer to manipulate Amandas life, even though she might feel good staying with him.
The third Kants premise supports the morality of Patricks act because the man calls the police, understanding that this is morally acceptable behavior of any citizen. The philosopher explains that people should follow the universality of the opinions of the society regarding the specific issues (Sandel 65). They should understand how the other individuals evaluate this situation and how they are expected to behave according to the general law. In addition, an individual might analyze whether most citizens would accept this decision considering it morally appropriate. Since Patrick realizes that the universal solution for this dilemma would be to follow the law, he acts according to the instructions of the police.
Applying the contrast of duty and inclination demonstrates that Patrick acts ethically suitable because he chooses duty over inclination. Sandel explains that Kant opposes such motives as acting according to ones duty, interests, and preferences (69). The analysis of the mans behavior displays that he hesitates about the correctness of his decision, assuming that Amandas staying with the police officer might benefit her future. However, his understanding of his duty as a responsible citizen makes him choose to return the girl to her mother. This decision is associated with his intention to follow the rules and ignore the doubts and feelings that might distract any person from the objective situations examination and perception.
Patrick behaves freely because he disregards Doyles attempts to convince him of the necessity to leave the girl with the man. Sandels contrast between acting autonomously and heteronomously concerns identifying the source of peoples actions (61). Mainly, when people behave according to their reasoning, they are autonomous. On the other hand, when their actions result from the decisions of others, their conduct is heteronomous. Dayle explains to the detective that Amanda feels better staying with him than with the mother involved in the drug business. He introduces his reasons and justifications for this decision. Nevertheless, Patrick decides to call the police, choosing his reasons over the explanations and ideas of the police officer.
The detective reasons categorically rather than hypothetically because he does not apply any explanation to justify his solution. Sandel describes the contrast between categorical versus hypothetical imperatives, explaining that while the first implies that the action is good in itself, the second presents the specific reference to something else (64). Dayles attempts to persuade the man can be regarded as hypothetical reasoning because they include particular causes and justifications. Patrick ignores them, preferring to focus on the rightness of calling the police because it is morally acceptable and correct.
Thus, according to Kants moral philosophy, Patricks behavior is ethical because he acts according to the philosophers premises and chooses duty, autonomy, and categorical imperatives in deciding to report about the girls location. The young detectives decision to choose right over the good, focus on Amandas personality, and follow the universal laws proves the moral correctness of his intention. Moreover, he prefers duty to interests, autonomy to heteronomy in his decision, and categorical concepts to hypothetical in his reasoning. All these facts prove that his behavior is morally justified, and he makes the right choice.
Reference
Sandel, Michael J. Justice: Whats The Right Thing To Do?. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.
