The Persuasive Power of the Media Research Paper

The Persuasive Power of the Media - Research Paper Example In addition to that, the paper seeks to find out which models are most genuine when it comes to explaining the influence of media on society (Wimmer, 2010). Lastly, the paper will apply one of the theories to a current example in the media with the purpose of critiquing the model. The theories Various theories have been put forward to actually explain how media influences people and the power it has to do so. These are Cognitive dissonance theory, Communication accommodation theory, Spiral silence theory, Uses and Gratification theory and Symbolic interaction theory. Cognitive dissonance theory Proponents of this theory argue that experience of dissonance is always aversive and people always tend to ensure that they avoid it completely (Niklas, 2000). Dissonance, in this case, means incompatible believes and actions. In so doing, the theory puts it that people tend to seek and find out something that does not contradict their opinion or belief. They also seek to hear something that i s in line with their thinking and therefore make decisions that do not bring about feelings of dissonance. In explaining the influence that the media has on society, the theory argues that information delivered to the people through the mass media is made to be in line with what those in societies expect. The end process of all this is where the mass media is able to change the beliefs, attitude, and actions of people thereby influencing them. Communication accommodation theory The theory originated from the speech accommodation theory in communication skills. The main interest of this theoretical perspective is to explain what happens whenever two people are communicating and they shift their communication style. The theory argues that whenever people are communicating to others, they will always ensure that they shift their communication style to fit that of others (Stay, 2006). To ensure that this is achieved people always tend to either use convergence or a divergent approach to communicate to the mass.

Hamlet-sin and salvation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Hamlet-sin and salvation - Essay Example It is the difference between seeing purgatory strictly in the terms of the sins that brought the souls there and that talking about purgatory is a way of asking for salvation from the same. It is two opposing ways of reviewing Ophelia’s suicide. Sin and salvation are present throughout the main conflicts of the play, so sin and salvation, in general, is the main dichotomy of the play. Hamlet is about sin and salvation. One of Hamlet’s sin is his act of killing Polonius, which, in turn, led to Ophelia’s ultimate sin and presumptively usurped her chances for salvation. Hamlet kills Polonius in the Act 3, Scene 4, knowing full well what he was doing. He was in Gertrude’s suite, confronting her about how she could be with her own brother in law, when he heard Polonius’ cry from behind the tapestry. At this point, Hamlet plunges his dagger at the tapestry, pretending to kill a rat, but knowing that Polonius was behind the tapestry and was being murdered. This leads to Ophelia’s sin, in that Ophelia goes mad and kills herself because she was grieving for her father, and she was fragile in general. While non-religious people of today understand that suicide is not necessarily a sin, but, rather, a desperate act of a desperate person, this was not the case in the Elizabethan age, as suicide is considered to be the ultimate in sin. That Ophelia’s suicide was considered to be sinful is evident in both the speeches of the gravedigger who was digging her grave, and the priest who was conducting her funeral. For instance, the gravedigger showed evident disdain for Ophelia for killing herself when he stated that â€Å"the more pity that great folk should have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even Christian† (V, i, 24-27). In other words, Ophelia was rich, and allegedly had more freedom to drown herself than the ordinary Christians, implying that most Christians do not have this

Study on phelan mcdermid syndrome

Study on phelan mcdermid syndrome Seventy-five percent of individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have pure 22q deletions, which are either terminal or interstitial. A terminal deletion involves a single break in the long arm of chromosome 22 that removes the distal portion. An interstitial deletion occurs when two breaks occur within the long arm of chromosome 22 and only the segment between the two breaking points is lost. In Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, terminal deletions occur more commonly than interstitial. As is the case for many other terminal deletion syndromes, the pure deletions most often occur on the chromosome that is inherited paternally. The remaining 25 percent of individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have deletions that result from other structural translocations or rearrangements (Phelan, 2007; Bonaglia et al., 2006). The mode of inheritance for 80 percent of affected individuals is a de novo chromosome deletion (Phelan, 2007). A de novo chromosome deletion is an anomaly that occurs in the individual and is not inherited from the parents, who have normal karyotypes (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2010). Thus, the recurrence risk of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome for the future pregnancies of parents with normal karyotypes is highly unlikely. However, about 20 percent of affected individuals experience a familial mode of inheritance in which one parent passes on an unbalanced chromosome. When a familial mode of inheritance is involved, there is an increased risk of having other affected pregnancies. Therefore, it is highly recommended for these parents to receive genetic counseling in order to address future recurrence risks (Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007; Robin, 2008). Individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome share a common phenotype that includes hypotonia, global developmental delay, normal to accelerated growth, severely delayed to absent expressive language, autistic-like behaviors, and dysmorphic features (ONeill, Kniffin, Hamosh, Dolan, McKusick, 2009). The first presenting symptoms of the syndrome, which begin to become evident during infancy, are usually hypotonia, feeding problems, and developmental delay (Phelan, 2008). Typical craniofacial characteristics of individuals with this syndrome include a high forehead, a disproportionately long and narrow head, puffy and drooping eyelids, large ears, a smooth philtrum without Cupids bow, a wide nasal tip, and a pointed chin. (Manning et al., 2004; Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007). Other common physical traits are large, fleshy hands, swollen feet, syndactyly of the toes, and a chronic lack of perspiration that often leads to overheating (Havens, Visootsak, Phelan, Graham, 2004). Althoug h chronic otitis media is common, most individuals with this syndrome have normal hearing (Phelan, 2007). As noted, autistic-like behaviors are present. These include poor eye contact, self-stimulatory actions, tactile sensitivity, and a decreased interest in socializing. It has been suggested that Phelan-McDermid Syndrome is a type of syndromic autism (Phelan, 2008). Additional behavioral aspects present include an increased tolerance to pain, frequent mouthing and chewing of non-food objects, hyperactivity, short attention span, and, at times, aggression (Havens, Visootsak, Phelan, Graham, 2004; Philippe et al., 2008). Most individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome experience a severe to profound intellectual disability (Phelan, 2007). The degree of phenotype expression and severity of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome are dependent upon the size of the deletion (Manning et al., 2004). The size of deletion varies from a very small 100 kilobases to a substantial 9 megabases. One hundred kilobases are equivalent to 100,000 deleted base pairs of DNA, and 9 megabases are equivalent to 9 million deleted base pairs of DNA (Phelan, 2008). Prasad and colleagues (2000) presented case studies of individuals affected by Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Of their case studies, the patient with the largest deletion presented the most severe developmental delay in addition to other comorbid features, such as seizures. Recent findings have suggested that deletion of the SHANK3 gene, which is also called PROSAP2, is responsible for the neurological features of global developmental delay and severely delayed to absent expressive language that are demonstrated in individuals affected by Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (Durrand et al., 2007). The SHANK3 gene belongs to a family of proteins and it is involved in the formation and maintenance of synapses. This gene is located in the critical region for this syndrome, 22q13.3, and a deletion of the SHANK3 gene has been present in all reported cases of the syndrome. In fact, a SHANK3 gene deletion hot spot has been identified in numerous unrelated cases where the breakpoint has occurred in an essentially identical location. However, it is important to note that individuals who have the same type of SHANK3 gene deletion will still present different degrees of severity in their phenotype due to other confounding factors (Bonaglia et al., 2006). The first diagnosed case of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome was documented in 1985 (Prasad et al., 2000), and, since then, there have been more than 500 cases identified worldwide (Unique, 2008). Among the documented cases, the age at which individuals have been diagnosed with this syndrome has widely ranged from prenatally (with the use of amniocentesis) to 46 years of age (Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007). Reportedly, the deletion does not have a gender preference as it is equally frequent in males and females. Because no life-threatening characteristics are associated with this syndrome, overall life expectancy is considered to be normal (Unique, 2008). This syndrome is highly under-diagnosed due to clinical and laboratory difficulties. Therefore, its true incidence is unknown. At the clinical level, healthcare professionals may be unfamiliar with or fail to notice the phenotypical characteristics associated with this syndrome that would warrant a referral for further cytogenetic testing (Phelan et al., 2001). Also, at the laboratory level, the deletion is often subtle and it can be undetected by a routine chromosome analysis. In fact, over 30% of individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have required two or more chromosome analyses to discover the deletion (Phelan, 2008). Thus, enhanced molecular cytogenetic testing, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH), are utilized to verify the presence of the 22q13.3 deletion (Feenstra, Brunner, Van Ravenswaaij, 2006; Sathyamoorthi et al., 2009). FISH and array CGH are used to detect the deletion of a specific genetic segment in the chromosome that goes undetected due to its small size. These tests differ in that FISH focuses on a specific genomic region, while array CGH is able to focus on a specific region and test hundreds of additional genomic regions simultaneously during one experiment (Robin, 2008). By aiding in the detection of the 22q13.3 deletion, FISH and array CGH also assist in the differential diagnosis of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Several of its phenotypical features, such as hypotonia and global developmental delay, are also common features that are found in other disorders. Individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome are often initially misdiagnosed with another condition until further testing is conducted. This syndrome is most commonly misdiagnosed as Angelman Syndrome or Velocardiofacial Syndrome (Phelan, 2008). Management Phelan-McDermid Syndrome is a life-long condition, and its management involves the assistance of several healthcare professionals. Among these professionals are the primary care physician, clinical geneticist, neurologist, physical therapist, and speech-language pathologist. The following are some of the responsibilities of these professionals with regard to this syndrome. In addition to providing routine medical treatment, the primary care physician is involved in noting the clinical presentation of the syndromes phenotype and referring a patient for genetic testing. The clinical geneticist is responsible for performing the cytogenetic testing that is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. The neurologist and physical therapist will often work together to treat the hypotonia (Cusmano-Ozog, Manning, Hoyme, 2007; Phelan, 2008). Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist The hypotonia that begins to become evident during infancy usually results in feeding and swallowing difficulties. Thus, a speech-language pathologist is often necessary for the purpose of feeding and swallowing evaluations and intervention. Several behavioral aspects, such as hyperactivity, self-stimulatory actions, and attention difficulties, are often treated with medication. However, in addition to the physicians pharmacological approach, a speech-language pathologist can also help with the implementation of functional alternatives to these challenging behaviors. A speech-language pathologist will also focus on addressing the negative pragmatic aspects of this syndrome that include aversion to socializing and aggressiveness (Phelan, 2008). Many studies have found that individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome have receptive language skills that are significantly greater than their expressive language abilities. Thus, these individuals often benefit from the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. A speech-language pathologist can implement the use of AAC systems, such as a simple picture card system, so that individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome who have significant language delays are able to better communicate with those around them (Havens, Visootsak, Phelan, Graham, 2004). Picture exchange communication systems (PECs), computer touch screens, and voice based systems are most commonly recommended for these individuals because these systems are compatible with their needs and the presence of hypotonia, which makes it difficult to communicate through other methods, such as sign language (Unique, 2008). In conclusion, individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome exhibit a common phenotype that includes several cognitive, behavioral, and physical aspects. This syndrome is a life-long condition, and its management requires the help of a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The role of the speech-language pathologist in this syndrome is especially important due to the feeding and swallowing difficulties, challenging behaviors, and the significant communicative impairment experienced by individuals affected by Phelan-McDermid Syndrome.

From Communism to Democracy Essays -- Government Politics Essays

From Communism to Democracy More than half a decade has passed since the sweeping political events of 1989 and 1990 in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. On December 26, 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist . In its place are the Russian federation and 14 independent countries. The impact of this change was felt across the globe, from European countries with close economic ties with the USSR to countries as far away as Cuba and Algeria. The former republics experienced the hardest time in their existence, and entered a new period of their history. Independence meant a new life for people, but not many of them expected the results. At the time sovereignty was not clearly stated, and nobody could predict what ramifications would follow. The inhabitants of the region have had to balance the positive and negative aspects of the change. Most countries were left with nothing, and they had to start everything from the very beginning. As Shor in Nations in Transit stated, for many, democracy, freedom of association, and the removal of the Soviet bureaucracy have had a positive impact. But economic uncertainty, hunger, and poverty also increased. The former republics struggle to maintain the value of the money and a decent level of life for the citizens, but the attempt to do so is failing. Many branches of the new economy are still socialized, and reforms are necessary to fulfill a change. People think that a change from communism to democracy should bring a better life, but in reality those countries suffer a period of stagnation. There are many causes for such a situation, which are revealed in different aspects of life and history. The principles of communism p... ...nge, than the reality of raw political power. Economic and democratic reforms are complementary and heavily correlated. Countries with consolidated market economies, guided by the rule of law also made progress in consolidating their transition to democracy. A transition from Communism to Democracy means more freedoms and choices, but it also needs time. Political and economic freedom means more predictable, more transparent, more constitutional, less discriminatory, and less corruption-prone lawmaking and enforcement. An authorian government can hardly engage in economic reforms, or undergo a transition to liberal democracy, without simultaneously undergoing free market economic reforms. Author: Valentin Antoci (ed_valentine@hotmail.com) February 1999 Reproduction of the Text without the author's permition is considered plagiarism and is punishable by law. From Communism to Democracy Essays -- Government Politics Essays From Communism to Democracy More than half a decade has passed since the sweeping political events of 1989 and 1990 in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. On December 26, 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist . In its place are the Russian federation and 14 independent countries. The impact of this change was felt across the globe, from European countries with close economic ties with the USSR to countries as far away as Cuba and Algeria. The former republics experienced the hardest time in their existence, and entered a new period of their history. Independence meant a new life for people, but not many of them expected the results. At the time sovereignty was not clearly stated, and nobody could predict what ramifications would follow. The inhabitants of the region have had to balance the positive and negative aspects of the change. Most countries were left with nothing, and they had to start everything from the very beginning. As Shor in Nations in Transit stated, for many, democracy, freedom of association, and the removal of the Soviet bureaucracy have had a positive impact. But economic uncertainty, hunger, and poverty also increased. The former republics struggle to maintain the value of the money and a decent level of life for the citizens, but the attempt to do so is failing. Many branches of the new economy are still socialized, and reforms are necessary to fulfill a change. People think that a change from communism to democracy should bring a better life, but in reality those countries suffer a period of stagnation. There are many causes for such a situation, which are revealed in different aspects of life and history. The principles of communism p... ...nge, than the reality of raw political power. Economic and democratic reforms are complementary and heavily correlated. Countries with consolidated market economies, guided by the rule of law also made progress in consolidating their transition to democracy. A transition from Communism to Democracy means more freedoms and choices, but it also needs time. Political and economic freedom means more predictable, more transparent, more constitutional, less discriminatory, and less corruption-prone lawmaking and enforcement. An authorian government can hardly engage in economic reforms, or undergo a transition to liberal democracy, without simultaneously undergoing free market economic reforms. Author: Valentin Antoci (ed_valentine@hotmail.com) February 1999 Reproduction of the Text without the author's permition is considered plagiarism and is punishable by law.

The Media Violence Debate

THE MEDIA VIOLENCE DEBATE Introduction Television and video games are favorite ways teenagers spend their leisure hours. Parents and teens themselves have wondered about their effects because of numerous concerns raised with regards to the negative influences that these form of entertainment bring. Many of today’s children grow up with a television at home or even in their own rooms and there have been studies dedicated to the analysis of their impact of a young child growing up to adolescence. Young children are heavily influenced by television and video games, many of which are educational.While there are fun educational shows and games that benefit educational development for young children, the choice of video games and television shows are different when they grow up to be teenagers. This is when the problem begins. The negative influences of television and video games are aplenty. Flipping through the channels would surely show situations of violence, sex scenes and expl icit conversations, alcohol and drug use, cursing and verbal obscenities, bad body image reflections, and more.Visiting a games arcade would not only hurt one’s ears because of the noise of gunshots and obscene shouts from the games played, but also expose one to bloody and highly violent ways of killing people. These situations can affect teenagers differently. With some good things that can be learned from many television shows (documentaries and educational shows, for example) and video games (motor skills development), the negative effects of these forms of media outweighs the positive ones. This paper aims at discussing the effects of media particularly on the debate that has been going on with the ill-effects of media violence.Moreover, it provides a bird’s eye view and analysis on the influences of media violence especially on children. Relevant Research and Authors Featured in The Guardian on June 2001, Rushdie's â€Å"Reality TV: A Dearth of Talent and the De ath of Morality† has caught the attention of many moralists who agree on Rushdie's idea and views on the prevalence and existence of reality TV today. Rushdie has presented so many points in his essay that I fully agree on. First, reality television shows are hard to avoid. Their ratings are a proof how people patronize these kinds of shows.Look how many millions of texters would send in their votes for their favorite â€Å"American Idol. † The success of many reality shows in the 1990's made way for networks to think of more programs – the weirder, the better because people had the tendency to watch reality programs that exude the abnormal. Moreover, these reality shows that feature people who have no talent at all, such as MTV’s hit Jersey Shore, contrast to wholesome programs in the past and yes, some modern ones, that showcase celebrities with real talents or programs that are worth our precious time.Marshall McLuhan is not known by many but to those w ho are into the field of media, he is considered to be the first father and leading prophet of the electronic age. This Canadian born writer and critic wrote mostly on the topic of understanding the effects of technology as it is related to the popular culture and how this affected and influenced man and its relationship to one another and to the community as a whole.The phrase â€Å"the medium is the message† was started by McLuhan and stood to mean the form of a medium is embedded in the message itself thereby forming a correlation on how any message is being understood thus influencing change as time goes by. McLuhan (1964) asserts that â€Å"that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but by the characteristics of the medium itself. † Furthermore, he emphasizes that any newspaper article or television program does not have any content at all unless the people or the society reacts to them.The message s that are presented by oral, print and electronic media are still depending how it would influence the society as a whole and a person in particular. How the contents or messages come through changes the attitude of the viewers or readers. The messages that each kind of media exposes are dependent on person’s view. He compares movies and television in their manner of viewing and content saying that the visual presentation presents different types of influences. Media as a vessel of influential messages is an essential point to consider to every person who is into the broadcast and print industry.Video Games Violence Video games are a lucrative business anywhere in the world today, claiming US$ 10 billion in sales in the United States alone in one year. However, with this increasing sales come serious concerns about their effects on players, especially teenagers. Researches have been conducted to show the effects of video games on teenagers. Results prove that there is indeed a high possibility and likelihood of aggressive and violent behaviors to be manifested in some adolescents who frequently play violent video games.With these findings, public policy options for limiting distribution of these kind of games are being created; however, the creation and spread of more video games seem too many too stop. In 2006, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reported their findings on studies conducted on teenagers who play violent games. These young adolescents show long-lasting effects of abnormal brain functions which include intense emotional arousals and a decrease in their concentration, control, and focus. Television ViolenceAs a child becomes a teenager, his/her hours in front of the television lessens because socialization outdoors, demands of schoolwork, and the lure of other media forms (music, video games, computers, and the Internet) would take a huge percentage of idle time. Watching television is considered to be a relaxing activity wh ich needs less concentration. Rehnstrand (2005) writes that teenagers tend to watch television when they have nothing to do. Yet, even if time spent watching television lessens during these years, parents still have to know what their children are watchingTelevision in moderation is not bad at all. In fact, pre-schoolers can start learning through educational shows, grade school children can learn from nature shows, and adults can be informed with current news. Television can be a source of entertainment as well. However, with the good things, disadvantages cannot be negated. Studies show that teenagers who spend more than four hours daily in front of the television become overweight. They become either more aggressive or become too fearful. Moreover, teenagers develop gender stereotyping and vices from many shows.Direct Effects of Media Violence Researches and studies by professionals in the field of health and psychology have revealed that exposure to media portrayals of violence increases aggressive behavior not only in children but adolescents and adults as well. Reports by mental health institutes state that television, movie, music, the Internet, videogames and printed materials contribute to aggressive behaviors of individuals who are exposed to them. The violence depicted in them is considered risk factors to the developing child, adolescents and to the stability of their families.Individuals who are exposed to media violence often see the world as a sinister place as depicted by television programs. Even cartoon programs for kids are found to contain violence indirectly through their dialogues and actions. Kamalipour et al (2001) stated that with the advent of videocassette sales and rentals, pay-per-view TV, cable TV, videogames, and online interactive media, many more children and adolescents have greater access to media with violent content than had ever been available in previous decades.These depictions make young viewers numb to the ill-effects of violence, aggression, and develop in them fear. Recommendations of Filter Models for Television and Video Games Filtering is a way for parents or others who object to violence in mass media to control what is being viewed and played in their homes. However, it is also categorized by some as censorship. Censorship is an essential and expected element of how people interact instead of cultivating a negative and separate interruption in the regular flow of communication.The major problem centers on where to identify between what is acceptable and which is not, or who is approved and on what criteria to follow. Technology has come up with many types of filtering models, all with one purpose: to opt out parts of a movie or TV program or video game that is not positive for children and teenagers especially. V-chip is used for television receivers that block programs and intended for parents' use for their children . Another is ClearPlay which provides families the choice to watch movie s with less graphic violence, nudity, explicit sex, and profanity.Parental controls and guidance are still deemed to be the best models in filtering violence and other undesirable parts of media. Self-control and discipline are also considered to be essential values that one should have to be able to practice responsibility over the violence depicted different ways. Stimulating or â€Å"Cue† Theories Tate and McConnell (2001) mention about the cue theory, which stated that when angry people are exposed to television or games violence,  those portrayals signal to them to behave aggressively.The elements in the portrayal (guns, particular kinds of characters, etc. ) serve as cues. When these cues are later encountered in real life, viewers are reminded of the  violence, and this reminder increases the likelihood that they will behave aggressively. Viewers who identify with the aggressor in the media  will be more likely to aggress in real life when presented with a simila r situation to that of the media aggressor. And when  the media portray violence as having successful outcome, viewers are more likely to be cued to try aggression as a strategy in real life.Catharsis Hypothesis This hypothesis states that â€Å"If you buy a punching bag, or release your aggression by playing Quake, or by screaming, then you will be less violent and aggressive in day-to-day life, having released your aggression. † According to Greenfield (1984), â€Å"many professionals on this field begged to disagree to this as there are other hypotheses that negate  its formation. However, research testing this catharsis hypothesis found that children who are subjected to media violence showed more overt aggression that analysts blame on lowered inhibitions.More researches show that most deadly effect of media violence is making people numb to the real violence in life. Cultivation Hypothesis The cultivation hypothesis was an approach developed by Professor George Ger bner who used ‘Cultural Indicators' to study whether and how watching television or playing video games may influence viewers' ideas of what the everyday world is like. Theorists assert that television and video games has long term effects  that are  indirect but significant. Gerbner further argues in his theory that television is responsible for shaping viewer's concepts and ideas of social reality.In addition, this theory proposes that mass media is a vital socializing agent that make television watchers believe in the version of reality that it exhibits. Observational Learning This particular theory asserts study findings that exposure to media violence through television, the Internet, and video games greatly influence teenagers’ aggressive behavior. Young children tend to imitate and follow what they see and hear and this theory becomes accurate in their limitations concerning media violence. In addition, it proposes that media violence provides children ideas and views of a world that is really bad and hostile in reality.Considering gender issues when talking about media violence is a serious task that many media watchers are identifying. However, there are also issues that media violence that depicts women has just the same effects of media violence as a whole. Feminists view this differently since they adhere to the fact that there is a grave impact of the degree of media violence if it consists of women issues. Media Influence Media is known to be one source of a steady hindrance in the communication among families, individuals, and society in general.It has played a significant role in shaping and portraying opinions and viewpoints of the public, forming a bond between the nations to the people while reproducing the total image of society. Criticisms as early as the middle of the 20th century suggested that media was able to lessen and restrict a person’s capacity to think and act independently. Occasionally, this is because o f the influence suggestive of the many telescreens and printed writings. The media has indeed a very clear social and cultural effect upon society.This is can be explained upon their capacity to span and touch a huge audience with a strong and influential message. Marshall McLuhan (1964) says â€Å"the medium is the message† as a tool of expounding how the distribution of a message can almost always be more vital than the content of the message itself. It is by the convincing power of media like television, radio, and print that messages span their target audiences. Television and radio broadcasting, for example, have a huge volume of control over what the public watches and hears and the frequency they are viewed.This is an important aspect of traditional media that is challenged by changing the way the audience participates. The Internet today also has made a space for more mixture of opinions in the political, social, and cultural realms and an increased level of participa tion as well. Media Violence in Reality TV The reinvention of reality TV into a more horrible genre is proven by how such sports documentaries are programmed. Sometimes, some programs get too out of bound when the life of participants is being put out for the sake of fun.And it is gruesome how these participants are willing to risk their lives for the money at stake and maybe a shot at stardom, if lucky. In the past decade, we have witnessed how television drama has turned from wholesome to violent and sexually explicit. Moreover, the comedy is becoming worse with puns obviously intended (Halloran, 1975). Along with this, reality TV has turned into a genre that many critics of media assert showcases more violence, more competition, more hurtful episodes, more vanity, and more sexuality as a version of reality.All these are offered to an audience who are willing to gobble these all up. It is a reality as well that many people enjoy reality TV shows as evidenced with the constant rati ngs that show business is doing well. The reasons behind this loyal patronage of reality shows are because people tend to identify themselves with the participants, they enjoy the competition, they are thrilled with the drama that are spiced in these shows (Earles et al, 2002). For the producing networks, it is not at all a sweat to get participants who are willing to undergo such rigid or too easy tasks.The lure of money and instant fame is too tempting to pass. Reality TV shows abound because of the pull it has on the audience share. However, many analysts agree that these kinds of shows that are being aired nowadays are getting ethically and morally questionable – compared to the reality TV series that were harmless and outright wholesome. Furthermore, reality TV shows clearly idolize and worship superficial human aspects like body and facial beauty. This becomes a very bad example for the youth who make up a big bulk of the audience share.Reports say that 3 out of 4 teena gers have reality shows as their favorite TV shows (Rushdie, 2001). Is reality television altering our values in a negative way or is just a reflection of already existing values? Definitely these shows generally impacts audiences in a negative way. In fairness for those shows who do not intend to exude negativism, they still do so. Although subtle or subconsciously, these shows are to blame for the erosion of ethics and morals especially among the young audiences who also enjoy the competition and vanity being portrayed in many of these types of programs.Parental guidance cannot seem to curtail such viewings and minors are taking a peek and sample of the â€Å"badness† involved reality shows. Yes, they entertain audiences because the plots excite the viewers. Remember that real people are writing the scripts and thinking of the plots. The production team is further made of real people. Therefore it follows that the values of the creators are shown, directly or indirectly, in their programs. Graphic Novels as an Agent of Media Violence The American comic book took shape in the late 1930s with the introduction of Superman and then Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and more.Arriving at the end of the Depression and ruing the first few weeks of World War II, comics provided cheap, thrilling entertainment that appealed to both the young and the soldiers (Rehnstrand, 2005). Comic books became a very influential and popular element of the entertainment world. As the medium progressed, it embraced a wide variety of genres like romance, horror, crime, science fiction, war, humor and adventure. Comic book sales soared up after World War II but suffered a setback in the mid-fifties brought about by anti-comic book hysteria.The Comic Books Authority whipped up a lot of no-noes on the plots and illustrations. The medium rebounded back in the 1960's this time with a brand new style of comic story telling. The late 1960's brought about the start of today's graphi c novels which disregards the restrictions of the Comic code? More and more content was created and marketed as graphic  novels. 1986 was a breakthrough year when two critically acclaimed bestselling books were published as graphic novels: Maus, and Watchmen. The late nineties introduced Manga, a type of graphic novel from Japan that was accepted warmly in the United States.Today, like their counterpart in prose, graphic novels cover every conceivable genre including fiction, biography, history, journalism, education, crime, horror, fantasy, romance, adventure, memoir, humor, politics, and many more. After a century of growth, the comics that once started for amusement in newspapers have matured and are beginning to enjoy a place in the literary world. Conclusion Television and video games can be good sources of education and entertainment for anybody at any age or gender. However, teenage is considered to be a crucial age when an individual is quite adamant to become an adult or remain a child.The influence of media on teenagers has resulted on many emotional, social, and psychological dilemmas. Studies and research have been dedicated to analyzing the effect of media, particularly television and video games on teenagers. According to Rhenstrand (2005), playing video games is known to heighten the aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of teenagers. Video games can be more harmful than violent television shows or movies since they are more interactive, requiring the player to identify with the aggressive character.Some scientific studies state that the fewer teenagers play video games or watch television, the less aggressive they are. Attention has been centered on the concern of television and video games’ portrayal of violence, vices (smoking, drugs, and alcohol), and sex. With violence, television is passing the viewing of hurting and killing while video games needs the active participation of players. It is recommended that more research wo uld be conducted on the behavioral outcomes of interactions on violence and sex in video games and the implications of passive participation of teenagers while watching television.However, there should be careful and strict guidelines that the viewing public should follow in order to ensure that their influences would be beneficial, especially for the young viewers. The influence is so great that it has made changes in the way people act and think. These media forms are here to stay, for sure. Let us just hope that it will be innovated to be used as an instrument of change for the better and not for worse. References Earles KA, R Alexander, M Johnson, J Liverpool, and M McGhee. 2002. Media influences on children and adolescents: violence and sex†. Journal of the National Medical Association. 94 (9): 797-801. Greenfield, Patricia Marks. 1984. Mind and media: the effects of television, video games, and computers. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Halloran JD. 1975. â₠¬Å"The Mass Media and Violence. † Forensic Science. 5. 3: 209-17. Kamalipour, Yahya R. , and Kuldip R. Rampal. 2001. Media, Sex, Violence, and Drugs in the Global Village. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. McLuhan, M. 1964.Understanding media; The extensions of man. New York: McGraw-Hill. Rehnstrand, R. 2005. The longitudional effects of media violence (television and video games) on violence in children into adulthood.Starred paper (M. S. )–St. Cloud State University. Rushdie, Salman. 2001. Reality TV: A Dearth of Talent and the Death of Morality. The Guardian. Tate, E. and McConnell, K. 2001. The mass media and violence from McKie, Craig and Benjamin Singer, (eds. ) Communications in Canada Society, 5th edition. Toronto: Thompson Educational (TEP)

Cash Management Essay

Cash management techniques are an important part of managing finances. It is impossible to see your money grow if there are not methods in place to make the most of the money that you have. A good start to cash management is budgeting, which is the process of tracking money in and out to get a better idea of how money is really being spent. A budget identifies where the money is going and where adjustments can be made to decrease expenses or increase revenue. Along with budgeting, it is important to track expenses in order to know how much money is being spent. Expenses can be divided into categories such as office supplies, rent and utilities. Once you have the expenses clearly laid out ways to decrease the expenses can be found which will allow the company to save money. One easy way to save on office supplies is to buy in bulk or buy direct from a distributer. This will get you a lower price for the items then at retail store and can help save money. Another example is with companies that have vehicles. Gas companies offer discount cards which could be used with all their purchases to save money. Additionally, companies that operate fleets of vehicles may benefit from contracting with a gas supplier to get their gas at a greatly discounted rate. Investing is a great way to make your money generate more funds. This can be done by investing the money in various ways to allow it to generate interest. The more money you invest or the higher yield accounts that the money is in the more you will get in return. For individuals, investing in a 401(K) plan at work is a great way to save money for the future. This money can be deducted directly from the paycheck before it is received and invested into the account. Some companies will even match the money that is deposited into the account or match a percentage of the money. This helps the account grow even more. Having the money deducted from the paycheck before it is received is helpful because that money isn’t missed. It was taken out before the check was received and doesn’t have to be calculated into a family’s budget. Companies can invest their money into bonds which will generate interest and return for the company. Additionally, they could invest it in the stock market or other markets and savings accounts where they can get a return for the money. This helps the companies increase their cash and their wealth. In addition to investing, companies need to make sure they are collecting on accounts. When they have accounts that are past due, companies are losing money and this money needs to be regained. The accounting department of a company needs to keep close watch on the accounts and identify the ones that are not being paid. These accounts need to be collected in order to minimize the loss of income for the company. Lines of credit are necessary when there is a decrease in cash flow. This could be due to a slow month with a decrease in revenue or income as well as an increase in expenses. Companies and individuals need a way to cover expenses when the cash is limited. Credit plays an important role at this point. For the individual there are credit cards and home equity loans to help cover expenses when the cash isn’t available. These options however should be used sparingly as it is best not to use credit and credit can be maxed out if an individual is spending more than their income. Companies can use lines of credit to help cover additional expenses or regular expenses when cash flow is limited. One example of credit used by a company is a short term loan. This can provide the business with extra liquid cash that they can use to make ends meet at the time and will have to be paid back in the following months. Like with the individual, if a company is using loans frequently they will find themselves in debt and unable to repay it. At this point the company needs to reevaluate the structure of the company and identify ways to decrease their expenses. Generating additional income is important because you want to maximize the amount of money being brought in while minimizing the money going out. The individual person can maximize the money coming in by working extra hours at work or getting a second job. If a person has a unique skill they can market themselves in their free time to make money from that skill such as sewing or construction. Companies can generate more income by increasing marketing campaigns or expanding into new sales markets to generate more money in return.