Category: Entertainment & Media 1830

Today, most people take Internet search as an everyday task, without paying much attention to the process. However, this is not a sufficiently conscious approach, especially for people who plan to work in the field of media or information provision. A more quality-oriented approach requires information seekers to apply information censorship to viewed pages, because many site owners try to distribute information that corresponds to their specific goals and interests. Therefore, it is necessary to check web messages for false information of various categories: biased news, disinformation, fake news, hoax, malinformation, misinformation, parody/satire news, and propaganda. A responsible approach also requires journalists to adhere to journalistic ethics regarding non-distribution of false and offensive information.

Importantly, news like hoax, malinformation or parody/satire may look innocent because they do not spread false information, but the information they spread can be offensive, spoil the mood, and stop the seeker from continuing to study a certain topic, for example, socio-political truth that can be disadvantageous to certain circles. Sources that spread such information can also spread fake news and disinformation, although they rarely resort to overt propaganda on the web, more often spreading it on social media.

The requirement for fact checking becomes even more urgent in the light of the online filter bubbles phenomena. Eli Pariser argues that this phenomenon is bad for users and for democracy, saying that the Internet initially was meant to be the place that will connect people, and not isolate them (Beware online filter bubbles, 2011). However, today most users find themselves in a situation where algorithms remove less relevant news from their search feeds and newsfeeds in social media. This situation is dangerous, because modern society must continue to overcome certainties, which in the past were successful thanks to the free circulation of opposing opinions. Importantly, the phenomenon of online filter bubbles creates obstacles for Googles ambition of becoming a worlds library, as it limits users in their search.

Reference

Beware online filter bubbles by Eli Pariser (2011). [Video file]. Web.

Over the past few years, information technology seems to have reinvented peoples idea of public relations completely. Not only has modern media provided the methods to maintain constant contact with the people who are hundreds of miles away from the message sender, but also created the environment for evolution of new public spheres. Though the latter may seem flawed, they will help build an entirely new principle of public relations, which the seminar planned below will demonstrate.

The objectives of the given seminar are to define the significance of information technology and the emergence of public spheres on people and their political and social awareness, as well as locate the definition for the notion of a public sphere.

Speaking of the methods, with the help of which the seminar will be conducted, it will be desirable that the seminar should take place in a relatively small group of students. Thus, it will be possible to have every single member of the group involved into the discussion process. As for the organization of the seminar, it can be suggested that a short restatement of the key theses should be provided at the start. Afterwards, a discussion of the basic postulates and terminology should occur. As soon as the key terms have been clarified and the key issues have been discussed, it will be necessary to proceed with the discussion of the key issues that public relation specialists may have in the era of information technology.

It is crucial that the participants of the seminar should be able to embrace both the threats that new forms of media pose to public relations and the opportunities that modern media opens in front of public relations experts. Finally, an observation of the actual communication patterns in a public sphere should be carried out. For this purpose, a few discussions of a specific issue in several minor public spheres will be chosen. The topic that these discussions will revolve around will presumably concern a topical political or social dilemma; thus, the participation of all students will be guaranteed, since each of the seminar members will most likely be eager to provide their own opinion on the issue in question. It is crucial to make sure, though, that the discussion of public relationships and the role of new media in them should not switch to the debates on the political or social issue in question.

Seeing how the topic of the seminar concerns the effects of an implementation of information technologies in peoples lives, it seems unreasonable to omit the practical application of the knowledge acquired in the course of the lessons. Therefore, among the methods that will be utilized during the seminar, an experiment carried out with the help of several social networks will be used as one of the key tools.

Media and Knowledge Society: Answering Questions

No matter what one may say about the ethical issues that the use of new media implies, one must admit that modern media represents the information society of the XX century in a very graphic manner. It is very easy to use, and it does allow for a very quick information acquisition, processing and transfer (Gandy 2002).

Despite the aforementioned ethical concerns, new forms of media clearly are the best tool for raising issues and exploring the promise of the knowledge society. Being the product of their time, new media tools can be used to analyze a particular issue from several aspects. Seeing how new media tools, including social networks, have made media available to masses, it has become possible for all existing opinions regarding a specific event to be heard. Thus, new media clearly contributes to objectivity and information sharing, which help explore the promise of the knowledge society and raise the related issues.

It should be kept in mind, though, that the number of public spheres in the world in general and in each society in particular is not large. As Calhoun explains, the Internet and other communications media in general can be considered a public sphere: such an international public sphere clearly already exists (Calhoun 2007, p. 156). Therefore their actual number has not been defined yet, but it can be assumed that the Internet is the major public sphere, where smaller ones are located.

As it has been stressed above, it is the possibility to embrace every existing viewpoint on the issue that makes an online public sphere so powerful and significant. As Calhoun stresses, the specific environment of a public sphere predetermines that different ideas could be heard and different opinions could be voiced. Because of the possibility for users to remain anonymous, these spheres provide a perfect place to debate alternative and often controversial opinions.

In public sphere, the voices of individuals are clearly the strongest, and the Wikileaks is a graphic example of that. Providing secret and uncensored information, it offers an objective evaluation of the governments actions. Since Wikileaks exposes the sometimes controversial actions of the government, the latter is understandably against it. Still, it is important to stress that a public sphere can be used with criminal or malicious intent, such as playing havoc, etc. The lack of control over the effect that information has on public sphere users is a serious concern for governments.

Reference List

Calhoun, C 2007, Information technology and the international public sphere, in A Sales & M Fournier (eds), Knowledge, communication & creativity, Sage, London, UK, pp. 131155. Web.

Gandy, O H 2002, The real digital divide: citizens versus consumers, in A Leah Lievrouw and S M Livingstone (eds), The handbook of new media: social shaping and consequences of ICTs, Sage, London, UK, pp. 448600. Web.

Introduction

The human body is a dominant subject in contemporary social discourse. Besides being a symbol of individual identity, the body, as presented in the media, is a powerful tool for understanding beauty embodied in its various visual forms. Contemporary marketing communications predominantly feature socialized slender visual forms. In the essay, Dove is advised to produce bold, startling, and appealing images of women in his campaign (Orbach, 2005, p. 387).

The body images in the Dove campaign represent cultural scripts present in the modern consumer society. Therefore, the body is a social script that reflects socialized views and opinions about beauty or attractiveness. In the essay, the Dove campaign features female body images of different shapes and sizes. In modern societies, slender or thin female bodies often symbolize beauty as opposed to an outcome of disordered eating. However, as evident in the Dove campaign, thinness is not always a representation of attractiveness because beauty has no universal standard. This paper argues that media depiction of the thin ideal body is unrealistic, as conceptions of the attractiveness of the body form depend on cultural contexts and social situations.

Body Symbols in Media Marketing

The media imagery relies on existing cultural forms to create meaning. It mirrors cultural values and attitudes common to a particular group, and thus, has a big influence on the human conception of the ideal body form. Media outlets, particularly films and television, predominantly used slender models, thus, idealizing the thin body image. Media ads often lack plus-size models, underscoring the medias idealistic nature, rather than realistic inclination.

Ads contain images and language that borrow from the local cultural contexts. According to Berg (2000), advertising must be adapted to the prevailing cultural and linguistic standards of the social group (p. 56). In this view, to understand the meaning attached to the media images, the advert must be analyzed in the context of the specific culture the same way interpreting a particular text requires contextual knowledge. Therefore, idealized body images in the media mirror the cultural meanings and values of a particular group.

In Western societies, body image idealization focuses on physical attributes. In females, slenderness and firmness are considered the core characteristics of feminine attractiveness (Berg, 2000). The media ads feature the thin ideal, which is a social construct with a big influence on young women. Because the media shapes public opinion, the target audience read or interpret slenderness as the perfect body and strive to attain a thin body. In this regard, media portrayals of the female body provide a script to young women who ape the thin models or celebrities they see on the media. To attain the ideal body, women undergo dieting or anaplasty ignoring the adverse effects of such drastic actions.

Despite the thin ideal being a dominant issue shaping social discourse, not all women can attain it. The images belong to models or celebrities who put up make-up to conceal their imperfections. The intention is to look attractive and fit the idealized body image. Thus, the beauty portrayed in the media is idealistic and non-existent in the real life. According to Malson and Burns (2009), media ads contain stereotypical feminine images that emphasize on the external appearance and shape.

In female magazines, the dominant message conveyed by the images is attaining physical attractiveness. Although, the models go through a stylist before posing for a picture, not all women can attain the images portrayed. In this respect, Dove in the essay uses feminine images in their sumptuous variety that swagger the entire visual field to appeal to a wider audience (Orbach, 2005, p. 388). Thus, beauty goes beyond the socialized feminine slenderness portrayed by the media.

Although the media portrayal of the thin ideal is evidently unrealistic, it mirrors reality in modern societies. Media outlets convey dominant ideologies existing in society. Thus, the thin ideal is a representation of the feminine body considered attractive in the society. It serves as a social script of cultural conceptions of feminine beauty and attractiveness. In addition, the media acts as an instrument of social change, as exposure to thin idealized images shapes the behavior in young women. In this regard, media images convey visual messages that the audience considers socially acceptable and shuns others. For example, media ads rarely feature heavy women, as they are considered unattractive. In contrast, the thin ideal is attractive and glamorous. However, since people are biologically different, not all women can attain thin, slender bodies.

The thin ideal body portray messages about what the target audience can do to attain an attractive appearance. However, beauty is not exclusive to thin body shapes. As Orbach (2005) points out, bold and appealing feminine images in advertisements meet the expectations of the audience. Contrary to the argument that a slender image depicts the ideal body, other physical attributes, including skin and hair color, can represent beauty. Thus, besides slenderness, several other physical attributes influence the conception of the aesthetic value of the body.

Ideal Body Conception and Its Effects

As aforementioned, the media portrayals of the feminine body convey messages about socially acceptable attractiveness and beauty. Since the media mirrors the values and attitudes in a society, the ideal body is a cultural construct. In addition, exposure to idealized images has a big influence on the social behavior of the target audience. In particular, young women strive to attain a slender body, which is portrayed as attractive by the media.

The unrealistic standards of beauty can affect the body image of young women. Therefore, since the dominant message in media depictions is that the thin ideal is attractive, women who cannot attain it are negatively affected by such ads. Malson and Burns (2009) assert that media exposure to idealized images leads to low self-esteem and dissatisfaction in women. The implication here is that young female viewers who cannot attain the perfect body shape can become distressed and resort to unhealthy behaviors, such as dieting. Some take up smoking to reduce weight while others undergo anaplasty to attain the socially acceptable physical appearance.

The body is a visual text, conveying social standards on appearance and attractiveness. According to Berg (2000), the media portrayal of the female body in the 1990s was the powerful force behind the thin ideal stereotype (p. 47). Furthermore, feminine magazines advertising weight loss products have been found to increase unhealthy eating behaviors in young readers (Berg, 2000). This finding indicates that the body is a visual text that conveys powerful messages that influence social behavior. Women also undergo painful procedures in a bid to conform to the beauty standards seen in media portrayals of the ideal body.

Women also develop negative feelings about ones physical appearance after exposure to socialized media images. Grogan (1999) asserts that the exposure to slender media images subjects viewers to feelings sadness, guilt, and distress, which lead to low self-esteem. Thus, adolescents interpret body representations in the media as the ideal body shape. Since the body images are misrepresented, they harbor distorted ideal body conceptions. They develop unfavorable perceptions about their physical appearance, leading to feelings of low self-esteem.

The body, as a visual text, also influences individual identity and body image. Viewers internalize the body imagery displayed on the media, leading to negative criticism of ones appearance. Body images concentrate on appearance, rather than on individual qualities. By internalizing the body images seen in the media, adolescent viewers develop unfavorable views about their appearance (Grogan, 1999). A negative body image is associated with binge eating and anorexia in women (Berg, 2000). Thus, the media images expose women to distorted messages about an ideal appearance, leading to poor body image. Nevertheless, body representations serve as a powerful marketing tool for reaching specific customers.

Media representation of the female body contributes to the objectification of the feminine body. In the essay, the female body is objectified when Dove decides to use images depicting feminine bodies of all shapes in his campaign to appeal to a wider audience. The intention here is to display images that meet the tastes and preferences of many viewers. His action underscores the argument that the attractiveness of the female body lacks a universal standard. Cultural contexts contribute to the objectification of feminine bodies. Thus, while feminine slenderness may be considered beautiful, some people may associate it with disordered eating.

The body also has implicit social meanings that borrow from specific cultural contexts. According to Malson and Burns (2009), society discriminates against people considered unattractive while adoring those with flawless physical appearances. In this view, attractiveness has many social benefits, which explains why many young women would go to great lengths to attain an attractive figure. They experience the pressure to conform to stereotyped body types. In the essay, success in the campaign is pegged on producing attractive images of female models, indicating that not all images can gain social acceptance. Ideal images must be within the confines of the social definition of beauty.

Socialized Messages Associated with the Body

The media is the primary channel young girls learn about the ideal body. According to Berg (2000), television programs depict female models as thin and slender, influencing young women to associate thinness with success. In addition, judgmental family members or relatives convey an implicit message to girls that thin is beautiful. As a result, young girls develop an interest in their appearance. Through media depictions and parental/family sentiments, they learn to value their appearance.

The socialization process leads to ingrained attitudes about body shape and size. Thus, external messages associated with certain body attributes can influence young girls conceptions of beauty. If certain attributes, such as skin color or body weight, are depicted in a bad light, girls learn that such features are not attractive. The attitudes breed low self-esteem about oneself.

Girls also associate feminine slenderness to perfection. Socialized attitudes have shaped the view that a perfect body is thin. Young girls view images of media personalities, socialites, and celebrities learn that perfect life is linked to slenderness. Magazines often carry images of successful celebrities, who, incidentally, have slender bodies. In this respect, the bodys appearance can be equated to socioeconomic success. However, such socialized attitudes often encourage discrimination against plus-size women.

Society portrays a thin body as the ideal body shape. The media often carries thin images alongside weight loss products or workout videos. People learn that they can alter their body to attain a thin figure if they exercised more or used weight loss products. Others undergo surgery to alter their bodies into the ideal shapes and sizes. However, though weight loss and workout programs are popular, especially among women, they ignore the role of genetics in determining external appearance (Malson & Burns, 2009). Thus, not all people can be thin or slender like the model images depicted in the magazines and television programs.

The female body is also a symbol of social power. Malson and Burns (2009) argue that womens perceptions of beauty depend on societys conceptualization of what constitutes an attractive appearance. They evaluate their looks based on socially constructed ideals and values. In this respect, their self-worth and social power depend on the extent to which their bodies conform to these ideals (Malson & Burns, 2009, p. 118). Therefore, attractive women feel more socially powerful and confident than plus-size ones. As a result, anorexia is a more common disorder among women than binge eating.

Conclusion

Society values certain physical attributes over others. Feminine slenderness or the thin ideal is considered a symbol of beauty in modern societies. Media portrayals of the body images reinforce the view that an ideal body is always thin. However, the findings show that socialized media messages are often distorted, causing negative effects on the self-image of young audiences.

References

Berg, F.M. (2000). Women Afraid to Eat: Breaking Free in Todays Weight-Obsessed World. Hettinger, ND: Healthy Weight Network. Web.

Grogan, S. (1999). Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women, and Children. New York, NY: Routledge. Web.

Malson, H., & Burns, M. (2009). Critical Feminist Approaches to Eating Dis/Orders. New York: Routledge. Web.

Orbach, S. (2005). Fat is an Advertising Issue. In C. Alfano & A. Obrien (Eds.), Envision in Depth: Reading, Writing and Researching Arguments (pp. 386-389). London: Longman Publishing. Web.

Introduction

Technological developments have been seen by the global society as a solution to many of the socio-economic problems in the world. Technology is supposed to make human life enjoyable by addressing issues that limited the ability to do some specific things. The invention of digital technologies has widely been considered a breakthrough in addressing many of the problems of communication around the world. People can now access internet, the fact that has improved means of communication. The social media has not only helped people socialize beyond the rigid geographic borders, but has also helped in promotion of democracy (Klimkiewicz 2010, p. 67).

The recent revolt experienced in the Arab World was directly fuelled by the social media. Digital television industry is also revolutionizing the access of information by members of the public. However, the issue about online freedom has emerged in the recent past. People have been complaining of the infringement into their online privacy by internet experts with criminal minds.

People trusted the online technologies so much that they had been using it to store some of their highly classified information. Unfortunately, they have realized that the online technologies are longer safe as hackers get into such online stores and access the information that is considered private. Many people have complained about privacy infringement in one way or the other by ill-minded internet gurus. According to Bennett and Strange (2011, p. 164) children are no longer safe in the digital world as they can easily get access to adult contents on the internet that may pollute their minds. They are largely influenced by what they constantly see in the television channels and even the social media. There have been claims that some agencies are using the internet to monitor every activity of some people in the global society. In this study, the focus will be to analyze the online freedom in relationship to the way digital television industries attempt to regulate our experiences of the Internet

Advancements in Communication Technological

There has been a massive development in the field of communication technology over the past few decades. It is becoming a reality to have a world that is highly integrated by having advanced communication systems. Use of letters and faxes was no longer seen to be desirable in a world that needed real-time communication. The advances that were made towards the digital communication technologies were seen as the best way of managing the increasing need for improved communication systems. The society had utopian visions about what advancements in the field communication bring. According to Klimkiewicz (2010, p. 67), there was a general conviction among the proponents of technology that the world will be an ideal place for every humanity because of the free flow of information.

Everyone will be an author because it will be easy for people to share their thoughts and views with others without the restrictive rules that limit the ability of individuals to express their ideas. Similarly, everyone will be able to access any information that he or she finds desirable by a simple click of a button. Such is a desirable world that many people in the past only dreamt about. However, advancement in communication technology was promising to make this dream become a reality. It was promising to make the world an integrated global village where communication can flow freely from one part of a global society to the other. The online communication systems have enabled people to socialize without any restrictions rigidly defined by geographic borders. This is what many have considered ideal in a world that has become increasingly thirsty for information.

The question of relevance of these new approaches of communication has risen in the recent past. People have been asking whether it is the right direction that should be taken in the field of communication. It is especially so after it was realized that the online freedom that was so much admired in the new technology could have just been an illusion. When developing communication technologies, the proponents of the new communication paradigm argued that the approach will bring freedom in the access to communication. People no longer had to rely on the bureaucratic media stations that would twist information to their own interests or to the interests of the government.

With the advanced communication systems such as online news and the mass media, the society will be opened to limitless information. The freedom is what many desired. They saw the new technological advancements as an opportunity to get free access to information without any form of manipulation from the governments or other agencies that may want to hide or distort some information.

According to Amos et al. (2012, p. 78), the truth is that advancements in communication technology did offer people the freedom. The freedom to access information in various fields is now a reality. The freedom to have news reported without distortion is also a reality. However, there has been an argument that the new desirable approach of communication has taken away some form of freedom from its users. It would be interesting to understand how this has happened. The research paper analyzes the way in which our freedom has been taken away by these new media.

The Social Media

The social media is part of the digital technologies that has massively improved communication in the recent past. According to Chingamuka and Glenwright (2012, p. 34), the social media has brought a new trend in communication that goes beyond other means of communication. Facebook has over 750 million fans across the world visiting the site almost on a daily basis (Amos et al. 2012, p. 46). It has largely been viewed as a forum that brings together people from all walks of life in an interactive environment where they can share their views without any form of restriction. Using Facebook, people can freely share their ideas with other members of the society without the fear of intimidation.

It has enabled people to share information on various issues irrespective of ones age, social class, race, religion, or other demographical factors. It is part of the ideal world that the proponents of this form of communication had during its development process. They envisioned a world where all demographical and geographical boundaries would be broken to allow a free flow of information from various parts of the world. Facebook has helped to partly achieve the vision.

YouTube, on the other hand, has enabled people share graphical information from various parts of the world. Having over 600 million users, YouTube has also become a powerful means of communication that people uses to get the desired news. In fact, Powers and Xiao (2008, p. 64) consider YouTube as an important component of digital television industry. People can watch news from various television channels through YouTube. It also allows users to share videos and other heavy graphics. An individual can capture an event or any news that the public may be interested in and post it on the YouTube. It means that the field of reporting is no longer limited to large bureaucratic news agencies in the world. An individual can use a simple cell phone to record the event, and then post it into the social media with some little description of what took place, and the news will reach the world audience. Viewers are also given freedom to choose what they want to watch. People no longer have to follow rigid programs of VOA or any other news agencys program.

They can watch what they want when they want it through YouTube (Bennett & Strange 2011, p. 321). It was the freedom that many people in the past desired, but were not lucky enough to achieve it. Tweeter, just like Facebook, provides a forum where people can share different views in the society. Largely seen as a more professional means of communication than Facebook, Tweeter is largely used to facilitate debates among people on various contentious topics. LinkedIn strives to bring together professionals in different fields into a world where they can share their views. Lawyers can easily form a society where they can share ideas in order to improve their profession and advance in their field. Medical practitioners, architects, engineers, marketers, surveyors, and many other professionals can easily link together through the medium.

Despite some of the positive benefits that the social media seeks to offer, there has been a re-evaluation of the level of freedom that it seeks to offer. It is common to see an individual talking over a mobile phone telling the person on the other end that he or she is in New York City while the truth is that he or she is in Washington. It is part of freedom that some people enjoyed. However, it may not exist when one uses a Smartphone to communicate through Facebook.

The location of the individual will be clearly revealed. It means that if one had the intention of tracing another person for ill motives, the best way to identify his or her location would be to engage him or her in a discussion through Facebook. Facebook has also been viewed as a means through which democracy can be achieved in various parts of the world. It helped in elimination of the dictatorial rule in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. However, there has been a concern as to when such revolutionary information flow ceases to be pro-democracy. Such forms of communication may bring anarchy in the world as it may radicalize the society (Bennett & Strange 2011, p. 72). It means that instead of achieving freedom that comes with democracy, it may lead to intolerance and criminalized activities as people seek to achieve their personal gains or other religious satisfactions as proposed by radical groups in the social media.

The content of a message in the social media has been an issue that has made people rethink the real definition of freedom. Minors have been subjected to massive pollution of the mind through the social media.

There is been no way through which the social media can confirm the age of their account members. A 12-year old girl can easily open a Facebook account. Using such accounts, she will get many friends, some of whom may be interested in causing damage in her life. In such forums, such minors get easily influenced with the contents they see others post on their walls. They get to chat with individuals who do not know them and do not care about their wellbeing. They get subjected to adult contents at very early stages in their lives, making them prone to practices that may hurt them physically or psychologically (Gillespie 2007, p. 41).

YouTube is probably the worst threat to young adolescents who are thirsty for information. At this stage in life, these youngsters are always interested in getting information about their body systems in order to get an explanation to some of the biological changes they are experiencing. Given that parents are always unwilling to discuss some of these issues with their children, the youngsters find the social media as the best alternative to address them. In social media, they get access to adult content that pollutes their mind. The problem is that they rarely realize that such contents are not only addictive, but also have massive psychological impact on their lives that can affect them in various ways. When they become addicts of such undesirable contents, they lose their freedom to access information freely on the social media.

Instead, they become prisoners of such contents. They will always be looking for opportunities to get access to such undesirable information. They know that what they watch is abhorred by the society, so they have to hide. It gives them the impression that they are committing a crime, and this explains why they hide when doing it (Barlow 1990, p. 78). They get trapped in some form of prison where they are forced to do what they consider an act that is abhorred. It clearly demonstrates how the mass and social media, largely thought to be a source of freedom from both political and social angles, can turn out to be a form of prison where one loses self-freedom. In such cases, what the conscience approves of, and what an individual does is different. It demonstrates that the freedom of the mind is lost, as one is faced with constant antagonistic reasoning.

Firms spend millions of dollars in the mass and social media in order to build their brand name and earn reputation in the market. It takes them years of hard work and excellent service delivery in order to achieve success. However, some have suffered a great deal due to what many perceive as freedom in social media. A case in point was Dominos Pizza. On April 16, 2009, a video prank was uploaded on YouTube showing employees of Dominos Pizza handling food in unhygienic way and serving customers such unhygienic food. The prank was so disgusting, especially when the cooks took some of the ingredients to their nose as one of them explained everything, that when it reached the media, the firm was almost brought to its knees. Customers could not believe that this is what the reputable firm had been doing to its customers.

According to the reports from the firms top management unit, the incident was the worst blow that the firm has ever experienced since it started its operations. When talking about freedom, it would be necessary to define its meaning in light of this incident. The society wanted freedom of expression and communication, and this is exactly what the social media offer. But to Dominos pizza, the social media and its freedom is the worst thing that could ever have happened in the world. They used a lot of money and many years of hard work to build a strong brand. They would use a lot of money on the mass media to reach out to the customers. Then all over sudden; an amorphous form of communication that is unregulated comes up with an information that is misleading about the firm.

The information was brought in such a powerful way that the firm was almost forced out of the market. It had to spend millions of dollars to convince the world that it was a prank. However, the effort has not been able to get it back to its glorious position of a successful firm that had total trust of its customers. Some customers have confessed that they have avoided Dominos Pizza outlet because of the memory they have of the video. The claim that social media offer freedom to the users and to the society is a big lie to Dominos Pizza. It believes that social media is a recipe for anarchy and having been one of its worst victims, no one can tell this story better than the firm. The freedom to abuse others rights and freedom can never be considered as a valid form of freedom. If others are put at risk with the freedom that is offered, then the real essence of that freedom is completely lost.

The Digital Television Industry

The digital television industry has experienced a massive growth over the years. The research by Klimkiewicz (2010, p. 66) shows that the number of people who watch television in the global society has increased tremendously. In the United Sates, it is estimated that over 98% of the total population get to watch television regularly. There has been a shift from the use of analogue television to digital television as technology gets more advanced. As the number of people who watch television increases, so does the power of this medium of communication. Powers and Xiao (2008, p. 85) say that the television industry has the responsibility of protecting the constitution and interests of every member of the society.

They have a role to collect information on various issues relevant to members of the society and report it in a clear manner without any form of distortion with the aim of influencing the society to take actions against some of the undesirable act. The media is the best watchdog of the people over the government. Sometimes top government officials may engage in activities that are unethical, and that are focused on benefiting only a few members of the society. It is the responsibility of the media to dig deep into such issues and make concrete reports to the society. It not only helps in deterring such acts by government officials, but also helps in fuelling the need to investigate corrupt dealings that could have resulted in massive loss of public wealth.

People have considered television industry to be the true image of freedom in the modern society. Freedom of the members of the society has closely been tied with the freedom of the press. According to Barlow (1990, p. 57), freedom of the press has actively been supported by various non-governmental organizations across the world. They claim that press is the only impartial watchdog of government that can analyze its activities and that of other corporate bodies entrusted with specific tasks. In both developed and developing societies, people respect and trust information presented by media stations.

They believe that such pieces of information are impartial and only seek to bring truth to light. The notion has been supported by the difference with which people with authority and members of the society view the press. Government officials and other people in the position of authority are very suspicious of the press. The presence of the press to them is a sign that any slight misstep will directly be communicated to members of the society. This is very undesirable to them because it limits their ability to be creative in their actions. When such creativity fails to bring the expected result, and public money is spent beyond the expected levels, then the officials will be expected to have a proper explanation because the information will reach the public.

On the other hand, the public has come to consider media as the only means of getting true information on the manner in which their government is spending their money. They believe that media offers them an opportunity to hold government accountable in every activity it conducts on behalf of the people (Gillespie 2007, p. 36). To many, this is the truest form of freedom that people can achieve. The ability to hold government accountable for any of its actions takes power from government officials and hands it over to the people. This is one of the best ways of achieving freedom. However, Klimkiewicz (2010, p. 55) says that many people have failed to look at the issue from a holistic angle. People have not been able to investigate what the television industry takes from them in terms of freedom. They are so much preoccupied with the benefit they get that they are yet to know what they lose. The loss may be negligible in the face of many people because there is yet to be a comprehensive report on it. It is important to understand ways in which digital television industries attempt to regulate our behaviour.

Way in Which Digital Television Industry Attempt to Regulate Our Behaviour

In the recent past, some people started claiming that there is no sovereignty where people gather. The claim holds that the freedom of people has been taken away from them by media stations that are ready to report on any issue that may be of interest to other members of the society or government. It brings the question of how free people are in the face of the mass media. According to Chingamuka and Glenwright (2012, p. 83), one thing that many people have ignored for a very long time is the effect of digital television industries on people. These scholars say that many people in the society consider television industry as a source of information, education, and entertainment. These are benefits that the society gets from this industry. However, it is important to understand what has to be paid in return.

The amount of money spent in buying television sets, and the cost of power consumed by the television may not be the only cost that we have to pay in order to enjoy the benefits that have been mentioned. We could be paying more without our realization. The cost could not be in monetary or any other material form, but still a heavy price anyway. Some people have argued that we have to give up our freedom in order to enjoy the benefits brought by television industry. It is necessary to analyze ways through which digital television industry attempts to regulate our behaviour.

According to Klimkiewicz (2010, p. 43), digital television industry is one of the leading factors that influence our behavioural patterns. The world is changing rapidly and with it comes numerous changes in our social life. These social changes are only brought to our attention through the television channels. As changes take place in various spheres of life, there has been an effort by members of the society to learn to adapt to these changes (Lessig 2004, p. 41). For instance, the field of fashion is entirely shaped by the media. The fashion shows organized by television channels are very popular amongst various people in the society. In developed countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and France, people are very sensitive about fashion. They take time to monitor the changing trends in the field in order to ensure that they remain trendy in their dressing. This is majorly supported by the television channels. It means that people will heavily be influenced by media about what they wear.

According to the research by Amos et al. (2012, p. 69), sometimes we are so much influenced with the media that we fail to give our own beliefs a chance to define our actions. The trend is very common among the youths. They rely on the media to define what they wear. They refer to this trend as the western culture because it is believed to have come from the West. This culture is passed to other societies around the world through the television industry. Sometimes it is worrying what some members of the society have to wear in the name of keeping it trendy. The culture of women wearing trousers started in the West, and many traditionalists abhorred the habit, considering women were wearing trousers sluts.

However, the consistency with which the habit was practiced in the society, and the coverage it received from the television channels made it be an acceptable trend in the society. The culture was endorsed by celebrities across the world. Currently, a new habit is cropping in where ladies wear revealing dresses because it is what the media, especially television channels, presents to them as trendy dress code. The problem is that sometimes people are forced to go against their own will to wear such revealing dresses. Powers and Xiao (2008, p. 28) note that, some people are always forced to dress funnily because of peer pressure. The need to be accepted by peers and the constant messages in the television channels makes them believe that this is what the society considers normal. The negative dressing code is always clothed in a misleading claim of rights and freedom of women.

It is a womans right to wear any form of dress as long as it is decent enough not to cause any psychological torture to men when they interact with them in social forums. However, the freedom or right ceases to exist when a woman is forced to wear clothes that make her conscious guilty when she walks along the streets. The freedom changes into a prison where people are forced to act against their wish.

Digital television industry closely regulates our activities in the online media. The online media always acts as backup information to what we get in the mass media. We always go to the media in order to confirm some of the information we gather from the mass media. It means that the mass media will closely define what we look for in the online media. It limits our capacity to have independent thoughts, and look for information regarding the thoughts in the online media. In the view of many scholars such as Chingamuka and Glenwright (2012, p. 62), this is another form of prison that this freedom presents to the society. It is the paradox that the freedom in the media presents to people. It takes away the ability to have independent thoughts and define reasoning from a rigid front, based on what is presented in the television channels.

The Digital Media Theory

Scholars have tried to explain the role of digital media and how it defines the culture of people around the world using contemporary digital media theories. The New Media Theory has widely been used by various scholars to help explain how the digital media affects cultural practices. It seeks to investigate the contemporary media as a complex rhetorical and ecological context (Chingamuka & Glenwright 2012, p. 51). Klimkiewicz (2010, p. 42) says, The merger of media and new media creates a global social sphere that is changing the ways we work, play, write, teach, think, and connect. The scholar says that media dictates our life from a very early age.

The way a child plays at that young age and with all the innocence in life is closely defined by the media. They try to act as some of their heroes in television shows. As they grow and start learning, they write and think based on what they see on the media. When we become adults and become teachers, we teach, connect, and think in line with what the media exposes to us. What we may consider our own independent thoughts are always largely defined by media.

As Powers and Xiao (2008, p. 77) put it, the capacity to have independent thoughts has been taken away from us, and in its place, we are left to think based on what the media presents. This unfortunate scenario is made worse by the fact that the same media has convinced us beyond any reasonable doubt that we are more independent in our thoughts and from the political sphere than ever before. It takes away our freedom to think and makes us believe that it is the best way of achieving freedom in the society. In the past, people would be enslaved by their masters who defined what they did and how they approached every activity, but they had the liberty to think independently. Now in the modern society, media has taken the freedom to think and gone ahead to define what we do and how we relate (Lessig 2004, p. 17).

This is the worst form of prison that can ever exist in the world. All the freedom and rights are taken away by the media that now dictates what we have to do, and what makes it worse is that everyone is convinced that this is the best form of freedom. It becomes almost impossible to convince them otherwise, unless this is done through the same media.

Role of Online Regulation and Potential Freedoms This Regulation Might Curtail

Some members of the society have realized the dangers forced by the modern-day enslavement, and have tried to come up with online regulation policies to help control what people can access from the media (Bennett & Strange 2011, p. 314). It is common to see such regulations on television shows where some programs can only be aired at night. Others are rated R or X in order to limit their accessibility to minors. This is done in an attempt to protect young minds from getting affected by the adult contents. Sometimes the government may come up with regulations that prohibit accessing or distributing some specific information.

The regulation is expected to curtail the revolutionary minds that may radicalize the society. A case in point was when the Chinese government prohibited some online contents from being accessed by its citizens. However, the regulations have played a limited role in controlling accessibility of these classified materials to the minors or revolutionary information to adults. The minors can still access even worse contents from the internet where their ages cannot be detected, and revolutionary materials can still flow through various online media.

List of References

Amos, M, Harrison, J, Woods, L & Clemens, N 2012, Freedom of expression and the media, Nijhoff Publishers, Leiden. Web.

Barlow, J 1990, Crime & puzzlement, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Cambridge. Web.

Bennett, J & Strange, N 2011, Television as digital media, Duke University Press, Durham. Web.

Chingamuka, S, & Glenwright, D 2012, Gender, popular culture and media freedom, Gender Links, Johannesburg. Web.

Gillespie, T 2007, Wired Shut: Copyright and the Shape of Digital Culture, MIT Press, New York. Web.

Klimkiewicz, B 2010, Media freedom and pluralism: Media policy challenges in the enlarged Europe, Central European University Press, Budapest. Web.

Lessig, L 2004, Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity, Penguin Press, New York. Web.

Powers, J & Xiao, X 2008, The social construction of SARS: Studies of a health communication crisis, John Benjamins Publishers, Amsterdam. Web.

Introduction

Academics and professionals claim that most Americans guess their responses to survey questions; have narrow, weak opinions about the US government policies; and are easily influenced by the media based on standard narratives, politicians, corporations, or advocacy groups. Public opinion reflects public views on various government agendas and political affairs. It is extremely important for various reasons.

First, opinions influence the political actions of the public. Second, it tends to influence and account for behaviors of different political actors, political parties, and aspirants. Politicians evaluate public opinions to determine what citizens expect from them. Finally, it generally tends to influence certain policies and their outcomes. Public opinion and the media are extremely important topics, which relate to everyday affairs covered under public opinion and issues (the subject chapter) that Americans of all social classes face today. In fact, one must assess and understand the diverse characteristics of American public opinions to comprehend the actions of the US government both domestically and globally (Soroka 27-48). The Web site, Huffington Post has been chosen for this task.

Analysis

Various American public opinions shape current affairs (Bianco and Canon 124). Americans have demonstrated that public opinions have different characteristics. Ideological polarization, although not common, is now associated with Donald Trump and his campaign team. Trump, for instance, has been able to propagate issues that have gained widespread recognition because of his radical stand on issues that most people disagree about, but they are only a small fraction of major issues that exist.

For instance, banning Muslims traveling to the US, the issue of President Obamas birth certificate, and other controversial topics are political issues with strong dissent across the political divide. Public opinion reflects how Americans view their government and other representatives, their performances, and the assessment of specific policies. The view on specific policies generally influences voting patterns for incumbent leaders.

A lack of trust has consistently been associated with the Hillary candidature after the e-mail scandal. In the end, low-levels of trust can hamper the governments attempts to implement new policies. It also captures policy preferences, specifically what citizens want the government to accomplish. Policy mood is known to influence the federal budget on defense, immigration, environment, and race-related affairs among others.

Finally, the US government is generally influenced by public opinion, notwithstanding the weaknesses of such opinions. While political leaders strive to shape public opinion, they are ultimately influenced by what citizens want in the end. Events, family values, group identity, and politicians and political actors have continued to act as sources of opinions for most Americans.

Media are the most influential tools for the construction of public opinion in America (Gaur 136). Hence, Huffington Post and other media sources, such as television, magazines, and the Internet, play a critical role in shaping citizens views (Baum and Potter 39; Hadeshian 1). Media shape thinking and views held by individuals. Consequently, they remain powerful political arsenals used to advance and attain certain objectives. Media effects have emanated to describe how media shape Americans opinions and actions. These effects are reflected in filtering, slant, priming, and framing of coverage to influence public thoughts (Bianco and Canon 124).

The above-mentioned media effects do not necessarily mean that every coverage is purposefully twisted and meant to influence the public in a specific way. Instead, space and time constraints could also cause unintentional media effects (Stecula, Soroka, and Wlezien 457). As such, Huffington Post may not be a good tool for learning about American politics, although it is a great source of current affairs, which reflects public opinion on issues.

Works Cited

Baum, Matthew A., and Philip B.K. Potter. The Relationships Between Mass Media, Public Opinion, and Foreign Policy: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis. Annual Review of Political Science 11 (2008): 3965. Print.

Bianco, William T., and David T. Canon. American Politics Today. 3rd ed. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 2013. Print.

Gaur, Megha. Role of Media in Public Opinion Formation. Masters International Journalof Management Research and Development 2.3 (2014): 136-143. Print.

Hadeshian, Seta. Public Opinion  The Role of Media. 2006. Web.

Soroka, Stuart N. Media, Public Opinion, and Foreign Policy. Press/Politic 8.1 (2003): 27-48. Print.

Stecula, Dominik A., Stuart N. Soroka, and Christopher Wlezien. Its (Change in) the (Future) Economy, Stupid: Economic Indicators, the Media, and Public Opinion. American Journal of Political Science 59.2 (2014): 457474. Print.

Introduction

Imaginary worlds created by the movie and game industry are fascinating. Modern technologies allow creating masterpieces of science fiction, fantasy, historical movies, and others as well as real video games that can give much more than movies can. Video games are interactive; they provide a gamer with an opportunity to interact with the environment in various ways. Some games provide total freedom of actions, including minimal or no punishments for breaking social norms accepted in society. In other words, gamers can hunt and kill, rob and torture imaginary people without any restrictions. The Grand Theft Auto series is among such products of the gaming industry. The latest game in the series, Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) (Rockstar Games) is the example of the video game, providing the opportunity to behave in such a manner and indirectly promoting it. Modern video games can pose a threat to society by providing gamers with a feeling of overindulgence.

Summary

It is the story of three different people that unite to pursue their dream. Michael De Santa is a middle-aged retired bank robber who has serious issues with the family relationship and dark history. Franklin Clinton is an African-American man, a potential gang member who wants to achieve success in life by any means but being a good person, though. Finally, Trevor Phillips is a redneck with mental issues and a former partner of Michael in the bank robbing business.

The story makes a gamer live a part of the life of each character and does it rather exquisitely (Miller and Paola). It is an open world with missions that each character or a group of them must finish to proceed through the storyline until the end. The story itself is a cliché about the old friends who have become enemies and then become friends again. Through the storyline and beyond it Michael, Franklin, and Trevor rob people, kill people, destroy the property of people, and go free in the end.

Evaluation

It should be noted that playing GTA V is interesting. Moreover, the fact that the world of the game is open makes it even more attractive. The game provides the opportunity to do almost anything and most of this anything in unreachable for the regular people. Aside from fancy life, a gamer can steal any means of transportation and drive, fly, and dive wherever possible in the game. GTA V has excellent graphics, so the game environment looks astonishingly real. Another key to success in attracting gamers is the live environment. The virtual people in GTA V drive to work and back home every day, socialize in strip clubs, sunbathe at the numerous beaches, entertain, and just walk the streets.

Police cars patrol, aircraft take off and land at the local airport, and hundreds of other things happen that are not related to the characters activities. In some situations, even robberies on the streets can be noticed. The freedom of action is not full, of course. Any of the main characters cannot get a job somewhere in the city or outside it and live such a life. It would take too many resources to program such an environment, and it is not the task of the game. The idea was to provide gamers with an environment that could be used for actions that a regular person could not do in real life. GTA V allows gamers to kill, crush, and destroy without being punished.

Critique

The problem of the game is the feeling of overindulgence it provides in full. A gamer can kill anyone in the game, ride a few miles on the highway running away from police, and that is it. They lose interest in the situation, and the same can be done again. It is possible to beat someone to death, and nothing will happen. Maybe, police will show after a while. It would not be that noticeable if it were some military-focused game. However, GTA is the game that imitates the real world, so it has to provide the same understanding of social norms as in the real world. It does not happen, though. Such a state of things can make some people act irrationally in real-life too. Considering it, the game makers should be more careful with their products and implement adequate procedures of punishment in the future products.

Conclusion

Modern video games can be dangerous to society. The paper has critically evaluated one of the recently released video games Grand Theft Auto V to conclude that this game is an example of the irresponsible attitude of the authors to the social consequences it can provoke. The paper is full of violence, so it should not be given to children of all ages. It requires careful attention of the gamers who wants to feel the total freedom of actions, including full law disobedience because it can be dangerous in real life.

Works Cited

Miller, Brenda, and Suzanne Paola. Tell it Slant: Writing and Shaping Creative Nonfiction. New York: McGraw Hill Professional, 2004. Print.

Rockstar Games. Grand Theft Auto V, ver. 1.0.0. New York: Rockstar Games, 2013. Computer program.

Summary

The two films, Frontline: The Warning and Too Big To Fail, were inspired by the events of the global financial crisis of the year 2008. They present different financial themes that were witnessed during the crisis. Specifically, the Too Big To Fail film focuses on the US Secretary of States actions aimed at containing the crisis. The actions involved pre-negotiated settlements with big business and the stock market. Despite these efforts, the situation boiled over and spread to other sectors. The introduction of the credit flow to banks and other financial institutions through mandatory capital injection salvaged the situation.

However, the unemployment rate increased despite the continued merger of big banks that were declared too big to fail (Swerdlow scene 1). On the other hand, the film Frontline reveals the inactions of government officials, especially in terms of regulation of the market derivatives that were responsible for running the financial system. The film presents the dishonesty of government officials who have become corrupted by the big money. These officials believe in the power of big money more than in honesty in their job and would rather influence the government institutions to function to their advantage (Kirk scene 3). This paper presents a comparative analysis of the two films. Besides, the paper discusses the film which portrays a more accurate representation of the events of the financial crisis.

Comparative analysis

The two films present a similar account of the infamous 2008 global financial crisis and how the past events could help in explaining the synopsis of the global meltdown. They give the notion that goalpost shifting of different financial problems became serious during the crisis since capitalism is not interested in finding permanent solutions. Rather, the capitalist market is comfortable when the crisis is shifted to another region. Although I had an idea of the possible catalysts of the 2008 global financial meltdown before watching the films, they presented a clear account of the events before the crisis and put them into perspective, especially in terms of how the American financial market operates at the macro level.

Both films subject the financial market in America to a microscopic analysis in order to highlight the glaring imbalances as a result of subjecting the markets to capitalistic orientation. In the films, the producers carried out a comparative analysis of the 2008 financial crisis and similar events in the past. The findings were analogous, indicating that capitalism was the root cause of all the past financial crises in the US that spilled to other regions. In the view presented in the two films, capitalism can only survive if it grows in order to have a functional facet. In the process of growth, capitalism shifts financial problems to different geographical locations. The shift occurs because capitalism is functional only when it grows and is successfully managed, irrespective of the direction. In the films, the growth of capitalism is negative in the markets where it is functional and the shortfalls have to be shifted to another geographic location. The constant shift brings about the global face of capitalism and the eventual financial crisis whenever it fails to grow in the market.

Film which portrays a more accurate representation

The film Too Big To Fail presents a more accurate representation of the events of the 2008 financial crisis. The film reviews the underlying financial derivatives and actions of institutions that catalyzed the occurrence of the crisis. The film clearly presents the underlying factors that have conspired to give financial crisis the global face as a result of capitalism. The film cleverly relates the 2008 financial crisis to an institutional failure in one market as having the potential to spread like a bush fire to other geographical regions. This is because an institutional failure under the capitalistic markets is not static and confined to one region since there is a constant inter and intra market trade. To further clarify the institutional failure as catalyzing the crisis, the functionality of capitalism is purely based on its successes in implementation.

These successes should be sustainable for the market to remain sound and economically viable. In the event of improper institutional regulation, there is bound to be a ripple effect on the market forces that operate at the macro level. If the situation of institutional failure persists, there is no alternative but to shift the capitalistic shortfalls to other geographic markets. The shift often occurs suddenly because of the interrelatedness of different markets, as influenced by institutions mandated to manage the financial market indicators such as the balance of payment. Unfortunately, if the shift is too sudden, there is a very high chance of an instant spillage of high magnitude to the primary and secondary markets as seen in the actions of the banks that have merged together. If unchecked, because of persistent institutional failure, a financial crisis of a different kind might occur to complete the recurring cycle, which often takes different shapes with the same results. For instance, in the film, the compulsory capital injections and mergers salvaged many banks and big companies with the negative result of increased unemployment.

Works Cited

Kirk, Michael, director. The Warning: Frontline. PBS Films, 2009.

Swerdlow, Ezra, director. Too Big To Fail. HBO Films, 2011.

The primary discipline presented in the film is sociology. The documentary sought to establish the point at which people accept or fight inequality. During the study, 15 males were selected to participate as guards and prisoners in a simulated prison. On the first day, the participants acted individually and normally (The Experiment BBC Prison Study Part 1, 2016). The guards did not want to appear aggressive as they would be seen as dictators.

On the other side, the prisoners wanted to be promoted, and thus they conformed to the expected standards. However, on the third day, when some prisoners were promoted, the remaining participants formed a tighter group. By day six, the prisoners revolved, broke out of their cells and occupied the guards positions. Afterward, all the participants decided to form an egalitarian social system. However, the prisoners who led the revolt wanted to establish an authoritarian system and control the rest. The study was discontinued after eight days (Reicher & Haslam, 2006). It emerged that when leaders fail to show strong leadership skills, people may revolt.

In this case, the guards failed to offer leadership; hence the prisoners rebelled and rose to power. Additionally, when people are denied freedom, they riot, as shown by the prisoners. The film also revealed that when people fail to form strong social systems, they are likely to be subjugated and exposed to extreme leadership styles like totalitarianism. This was evident on day eight when the weakened social bond formed through an egalitarian system started to weaken. At that point, some participants wanted to exercise tyranny and rule over the rest.

The secondary disciplines in the film included psychology and leadership. In psychology, law-abiding citizens underwent mental torture by being exposed to a prison environment. Some participants showed cognitive dissonance by dissociating themselves from the rest. On the other hand, the experiment was a good example of failed leadership. The guards were expected to assume their roles, lead, and govern the prison. However, they failed in this task which explains why the prisoners revolted and seized power.

I discovered that the methodology used in this sociological discipline was an experimental case study. It qualified as an experiment because different interventions, which acted as independent variables, were introduced at different stages of the study. Similarly, it was a case study for it involved the study of defined individuals to act as representatives of a larger group.

The film had several assumptions. First, it was assumed that 15 participants would be representatives of a larger population. However, a sample size of 15 individuals is small, and the results cannot be extrapolated to other set-ups.

In addition, only male participants were used with the assumption that their female counterparts would behave the same if exposed to the same conditions. It was also assumed that the guards and prisoners behavior would be similar to that of such individuals in real prisons. However, the participants were aware that this was just an experiment that would be aired on reality television. Therefore, the guards held back because they did not want to appear as authoritarian. On the other hand, the prisoners were aggressive as they knew they would not face any consequences for their actions.

The film lends itself well to an interdisciplinary approach because the issues addressed cut across different academic disciplines. For instance, the subject of leadership is taught in psychology, sociology, business studies, and other fields like political science.

References

Reicher, S., & Haslam, A. (2006). Rethinking the psychology of tyranny: the BBC prison study. The British Journal of Social Psychology, 45(1), 47-53.

The Experiment BBC Prison Study Part 1. (2016). Web.

One of the most critical and vulnerable stages of human development is adolescence. This period is true for any boy or girl and, factually, is the most susceptible to changes, broadly affecting the psychological level of the human being (Craig & Baucum, 2001). In the modern culture, both audio and visual media exercise a great amount of influence on the mind of the adolescent. Earlier, video games alone were considered a potential threat for the rapidly altering mind of an adolescent. At present, however, media encompassing both print and television play a significantly negative role in deteriorating adolescents minds.

Formerly, young developing minds changing rapidly were victimized by violent games on the gadgets. Now, this role is shared by films, advertisements and miscellaneous television programmes showing extreme cruelty and dangerous life-threatening activities of various types, exposing female body as a commodity, as well as making emphasis on sexual content. All these features and many others are continuously broadcasted on hoarding, television, and radio commercials, and are heavily misguiding the minds of adolescents to potentially disturbing realities.

Though, the topic under consideration cannot be called proven as it is still under debate. The literature describing the aforementioned subject does not fully establish a viable link between media and the adolescent behavior. However, one cannot deny the potentially negative impact made upon us. Little children are seen to be imitating dangerous stunts and various adult behaviors which are televised daily. Furthermore, these incidents and their life-threatening consequences are also reported by the media itself.

In regard to psychological development, one cannot ignore the contribution of Bandura and Walters (1963), psychologists who were specialist in social studies. According to them, media will be considered as the third viable source of influence on the adolescent mind, in succession to family and society. In fact, the process of acquisition can be considerably shortened by the provision of social models (Bandura & Walters, 1963, p. 3) compared to these observations instead of watching or learning about a certain behavior. In connection to Bandura & Walters (1963) social learning theory, learning through observation or modeling gives us enough evidence with the help of listening and watching other people around. In this case, memory acts as a storage device which captures all actions and ideas other people performing on a daily basis.

Role models prevail in all kinds of cultures, and it is through these role models that adults, adolescents, and youngsters learn various behavioral patterns (Bandura & Walters, 1963). In most cultures, the bulk of adult behaviors is imitated, and this fact has no clear and justifiable explanation. In Western cultures, parents are susceptible to providing their children with gender-based toys which are miniatures of actual appliances used by adults. These children grow up with such toys and acquire adult behaviors easily (Bandura & Walters, 1963).

Evidently, physical images portrayed on television, especially in advertisements, are merely an endeavor to reign over the adolescents minds. The media constantly display various idealistic images for a perfect body which have extreme pressure over the lives of adolescents or their expectations about different ways of life. This fact proves that young people have a lot of pressure in their lives.

So, the idea of being perceived by someone as likable is depicted in various literary sources. However, what matters the most is how the teens and adolescents determine this concept and try to change themselves to be acceptable in the modern society, and especially by their peers (Wentzel & McNamara, 1999). No doubt, media awareness is the only means that can keep these young minds from being permeated to be someone that they are not; all because something or someone on television screens makes them think that they are acceptable the way they are.

References

Bandura, A. & Walters, R. H. (1963). Social learning and personality development. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Craig, G. J. & Baucum, D. (2001). Human Development (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Wentzel, K. R. & McNamara, C. C. (1999). Interpersonal relationships, emotional distress, and pro-social behavior in middle school. Journal of Early Adolescence , 19 (1), 114-125.

The Main Problem

The main problem the filmmaker addresses is the impact of human activities on their environment. The environment includes the external physical environment and the internal environment: the human body. The various parts of the movie show how different actions that human beings do on daily basis impact the environment.

Some of the activities promote sustainability while others create environmental problems. The filmmaker highlights problems such as waste disposal, overeating, consumption of unhealthy foods, the use of chemicals on our bodies and wastage of natural resources.

The Central Claim the Film Makes

The filmmaker uses the movie to argue that human beings take all the actions they do for granted. She implies that they do not know that the small amounts of harm they cause to their bodies and the environment accumulate to cause drastic effects on both the physical environment and their bodies.

All the episodes of the movie present crises involving human beings and their environment. She calculates the quantity of different resources that human beings spend in a single day and multiplies what she gets by the lifetime of human beings. Her calculations give approximate quantities that human beings spend throughout their lives.

Relevant Evidence Used to Support the Central Claim

The filmmaker calculates the cumulative amount of every small quantity of resources that human beings use in their daily activities. For example, she argues that each person uses a total of 43, 371 soda cans in a lifetime. According to her, people do not realize that throwing away soda cans can be harmful to the environment. She implies that people do not think about such habits because they throw one can after some time.

She also calculates the amount of water each American uses throughout his or her life. Her calculations reveal that every American takes a total of 28, 433 showers in a lifetime. According to her, all those showers use more than 700, 000 gallons of water. This example also illustrates the profoundness of the effects of accumulating human activities. It is easier for people to see the seriousness of their actions when they see the cumulative effects of those actions compared to when they consider each activity in isolation. The filmmaker takes advantage of this knowledge to pass her message to her audience.

She also talks about beauty in enhancing her argument. According to her, Americans spend more money on beauty than on education, yet they do not realize it. Her calculations reveal that every American uses 156 toothbrushes, 389 tubes of toothpaste, 656 bars of soap, 272 sticks of deodorant, 35 tubes of hairstyling jaws and 198 bottles of shampoo in a lifetime. She provides all these details with the purpose of letting her audience know that all the beauty chemicals they use accumulate somewhere and cause negative effects on the environment.

She also argues that each American sends 20 gallons of waste products to the sewage. This amount is equal to 567, 575 gallons in a lifetime. She further argues that though treatment centers work on the human wastes, the solid wastes must be scooped out. She insists that this waste must also have a place to lie. She satirically asserts that no one cares about where this waste goes. She shows a picture of the solid wastes accumulated at one point, causing a serious problem on the ground on which they stand.

She also defends her claim by arguing that Americans throw away a total of 60 million plastic bottles every day. When she converts the days into seconds, she concludes that they throw away 694 plastic bottles in one second. She further argues that the soda and beer aluminum and steel cans thrown away are sum up to one hundred million in a day. The cans occupy a very large space, tampering with the decomposition process. These statistics and many other facts demonstrate the truth in her argument that the cumulative effects of all human activities are catastrophic.

The figure below shows my ecological footprint derived from my last weeks activities. Each activity and item has a figure that represents its effect on the environment.

I left a great footprint on earth within this last week. I spent many resources both constructively and unconstructively. The overall result implies that I need to reduce the amount of resources I use every day. The negative figure shows that I did not use the resources sustainably. I know that I will need to pay more attention to some areas than others when addressing the wastage of resources indicated in by the results of my analysis.

Areas that make up the majority of the wastage include living in a medium-sized house, using a medium-sized car, using electrical appliances and forgetting to switch off the plugs when leaving the house. I can reduce the deficit by moving to a smaller house, using my bicycle instead of cars, minimizing the usage of electrical appliances and remembering to switch off all the plugs before leaving the house.