Influence of Mass Media on Teenagers

Influence of Mass Media on Teenagers Mass media plays a significant role in today’s world. It broadcasts informationas fast as possible as well provides entertainment to massive audiences. Mass Media comprises of press, television, radio, books and the Internet. Media is one of the most influential aspects of our lives. By creating a certain type of message, media can manipulate people’s attitude and opinions. Over the years, as technological advances have taken place this type of communication has become very easy and feasible to have. Almost every household now owns an internet connection, television or a cell phone etc. This has led to a widespread usage of mass media, especially among the teenagers. The fact that there was a time when the internet, television and cell phones were considered a necessity but now they seem to be more of a commodity teenagers seem addicted to pretty much explains that there is bound to be a downside to the influence mass media has on teens. The teenagers of today seem too engrossed in watching their favourite shows on television or using social media applications on their phones or computers that they are slowly losing touch with reality. They have become addicted. There are many consequences to this unhealthy addiction. One becomes lazy and does not feel the need to get up and do something productive. It leads to obesity and tiredness. It also leads to unhealthy consumption of junk or fast food. I say this from my personal experience, as I always feel the need to have pizza or chips along with a beverage when I’m watching a show or a movie. Teenagers also tend to spend hours over the internet interacting with strangers who could pose as a th reat as it is easy to fake an identity over the internet. They would very much prefer using Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr etc. instead of studying or doing an outdoor activity. Therefore, this addiction can be very destructive. â€Å"A cross sectional study was carried out in Spain in 2003 to define mass media use in teenagers (television, mobile phones, computers, Internet and video games) and to examine its influence on teenagers health and development. The data collected was based on a sample of 884 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 years. The sample was retrieved from high schools residing in six towns in Cantabria (Spain). The results showed that all adolescents had a television at home and 24% of the families owned four or more TV sets. The presence of mass media in teenagers’ rooms was 52.5% for TV sets, 52% for the internet, 57.8% for computers, and 38.7% for gaming consoles. The most frequently found media in their bedrooms were cassette/radio players and compac t disks with percentages of 76.8 % and 67.4 %, respectively. Furthermore, teenagers spent on average 3 hours on television on weekdays and 3.2 on weekends. They spent 0.69 hours on average on weekdays and 1.09 hours on the weekend. On internet they spent on average 0.83 hours on the weekdays and 1.15 hours on the weekend. Other results of the study showed that about 87.2 % of the teenagers owned a cell phone. The average age at which they got their first phone was 13 years old. Almost half the teenagers (46.4 %) took their mobile phones to high school and reported that they had an average of three mobile phones at home. Also most of them (82.1 %) surfed the internet but boys preferred surfing and downloading games whereas girls preferred chatting and sending e-mails. Sixty-two percent of the teenagers had been to a cybercafà © and 40.8 % had visited a pornographic website, especially boys (33.1 % of boys versus 7.7 % of girls; p Mass media is a very powerful tool to influence the minds of anyone, let alone a teenager. Teenagers are in that stage of growing up where everything around them influences them. The way they talk, dress and act depends a lot on what they are exposed to. For example, if a teenager sees his or her favourite celebrity endorsing a product which may or may not be necessary, he or she may want to buy it regardless of how useful the product is. This is a strategy many big businesses use to their advantage as they can easily sell products, even if they are of bad quality. â€Å"Advertising is a very manipulative technique to promote products. Special attention needs to be paid to advertising’s effects. Three product categories are especially important for teens’ health: cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and food. According to the teen marketing experts, adolescents â€Å"admit that advertising is a more important trend source than DJs, VJs, movies, celebrities, or the coolest and weirdest people at school† (P, 1995). We must be alert about the effects of advertising that deliberately exploit the insecurities of adolescents and attempt to â€Å"sell† them the answers to their problems with an abundance of new products. Television is a medium people widely now have easy access to. Nowadays, there are many shows such as Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and Da Vinci’s Demons etc. on television that glorify sex, drugs, alcohol and violence. Online streaming and downloading has made it even more convenient to watch shows and films which means that teenagers have easier access to their favourite shows that contain obscenity. This kind of exposure poses as a threat as many teenagers find sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking and violence to be â€Å"cool†. As a result, many teenagers fall prey to problem of addiction. Drugs, alcohol, smoking and sex are all termed as things that are addictive and if one develops the problem of addiction, life becomes really hard to cope with. It’s like you are moving towards your own destruction. It must be quite a challenge for adolescents not to see portrayals of alcohol in their everyday use of the media. Alcohol appears in more than 70% of prime-time televisi on shows and in 90% of the movies† (Roberts DF, Henriksen L, Christenson PG, 1999). Greater than one third of all main characters drink alcohol, but fewer than 2% are shown as having a drinking problem (N, 1987). Advertising links alcohol with a variety of benefits that appeal to teenagers such as socializing, virility, sexual attraction, romance, escape, and adventure (Atkin CK, Strasberger VC, Comstock GA (eds), 1993), and few consequences (e.g., hangovers, accidents, violence, and embarrassment). Alcohol advertising also often represents slices of life that concentrate on the drinkers and the drinking occasions rather than on the qualities of the product itself, which may be particularly appealing to teens who are using the media for ideas about how to be in the world. Video games are vastly played by the teenagers of today. The video games are highly addictive as well contain a lot of mature content. In US about 97% of the teens play video games. The local video game industry over there brings in nearly a revenue of $12 billion a year. Many studies have shown that video games with violent content are associated with violent behavior. This concern is important because most of the popular video games contain violence. The increase in aggressive behavior is partly linked to the amount of time teens spend on playing video games. (Gentile Anderson, 2003) have stated that playing video games may increase aggressive behaviour because violent acts are frequently repeated throughout the video game. This process of repetition has long been considered as an effective teaching method in strengthening learning patterns. Another study carried out in 2008 took a nationally representative sample of 1,102 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 and their parents. From the results, it was found that 97 percent of the young respondents play video games. Further divided on the basis of gender, 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls played video games. Half the respondents had also played a video game the previous day. This emphasizes on how frequently they are exposed to video games. Even though most parents checked the censor’s rating before permitting their child to buy it, 50 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls preferred games with â€Å"Mature† (M) or Adult-only (AO) rating, which implies a high degree of exposure to obscenity. (Irvine, 2008) This preference is due to the impact of mass media. It is slowly becoming a norm that children are exposed to such stuff at such a tender when they are learning things that shape up their personality. This is why such exposure can be damagi ng. I know people who like go to parties, and smoke just because it is something everyone does or something that you casually see on television or in video games. Since media has the ability to manipulate people’s mind and attitudes, it also influences gender stereotypes. Advertising, news industries and entertainment, usually portray men and women with stereotypes, in which women and girls are likely to be placed in disadvantaged situations, for example passive and submissive roles. This happens a lot in third world countries e.g. Pakistan. Several TV shows and commercials show women usually playing the role of a housewife while men are shown to be more career-oriented, focusing on their occupations. As a consequence, traditional gender roles and power relations have been deeply imputed in people’s sub-consciousness through the mass media which limits the development of human personalities as well as social equality. When youngsters look at advertisements, TV shows or films, they are exposed to images of stereotypical representations. This stereotyping can be seen for all ages. For example, you can see little girls playing with Barbie Dolls and Teddy bears or having tea parties while boys are shown playing with action figures. Male teenagers are usually portrayed as sporty whereas female teenagers are shown as girls who have interest in fashion. Women are more often presented in commercials doing grocery because they are seen as responsible for making daily purchases. Men commonly advertise cigarettes, cars, business productsor investments, whilewomen are shown rather in the commercials with cosmetics, shoes, bags and clothing. Another important distinction is the face-ism phenomenon inthe advertisements, which refers to showing the entire figure in case of a woman and close-up shots in case of a man (Matthews, J.L, 2007). All of this indirectly injects the idea in the minds of the people that girls and boys should be educated differently. It is typical for girls to be tender and have concerns with being beautiful and popular, while boys are encouraged to be tough and consider more about their careers than appearance. Therefore, teenage boys and girls behave and reflect as the expectation of their society and culture instead of the way they really want. If we look at the other side of the argument which talks about mass media as a positive influence on teenagers we can see that mass media is the reason why communication is now so much easier and quicker than in the past. The internet is one of the most widely used mediums nowadays. With the help of social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc. one can communicate with friends and family easily, especially those who live far away at a cheaper cost in comparison to making phone calls or travelling expenses. Mass media also keeps people up-to-date on events happening around the world within a short amount of time. For example, if a famous personality passed away; you will hear this immediately. Media keeps you informed. It also helps in other things like entertainment and gaining knowledge. Also Mass media is a good way to promote positive messages to teens. Since teens are immersed in media culture, it is wise to use that platform as a means to promote information and education about a variety of things that affect teenagers such as mental illnesses, sexually transmitted diseases, drug use or even suicide. â€Å"The More You Know† is an Emmy Award-winning series of Public Service Announcements(PSAs) which broadcasts on theNBCfamily of channels in the US and other locations. Even though not all of the messages given out are geared towards teens, many of these short, 90 minute commercials give messages that educate and inform teenagers of the possible consequences of certain behaviours.â€Å"The More You Know† has dealt with smoking, driving, suicide and even safe sex. Another good example is of Doves Real Beauty Campaign. With this campaign Dove has used their advertising for a greater good. Dove’s Real Beauty Campaigntargets self-esteem and has als o been selecting real women and girls in their campaigns rather than super thin models. They’ve also have taken a multi-media approach using an interactive website and in-person education to encourage girls, particularly to feel good about their bodies and appreciate themselves the way they are (Delp). Yes, media helps us cause awareness quite easily and the â€Å"The More You Know† and Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign are wonderful campaigns to raise awareness and help people with low-self-esteem but many teenagers are still widely exposed to ideal body types which are considered attractive therefore, it is hard to change their mind-set. It is important to be aware of mass media and the impact it has on teenagers, especially for parents, because they need to be aware of how it is affecting their child. If parents are more aware, they can be more understanding and helpful towards their children. The disadvantages are rather more important than the advantages because if one does not think about them then one will also not be able to come up with solutions and there can be severe consequences. Parents firstly need to realize that it is impossible to separate a teens life from media, especially in today’s world. However, parents can take the lead in restricting usage by spending more time with their teens and consistently discussing matters that are affecting mass media and teenagers. Parents should encourage their children for more outdoor activities as well limit the time their teenagers spend on the watching television and surfing the internet. Also since advertising is a very powerful tool, it could be used in a more positive way to put better influence on teenagers. Mass media has both negative and positive influences on teenagers as it can be seen from the points mentioned above. While I do not deny nor disregard the fact that mass media has indeed made lives easier, its negative influences still outweigh the positive ones in my opinion. As the famous saying goes, that everything is good in moderation. Therefore the extensive usage of mass media is now leading to more problems than the benefits it is providing us with. Bibliography Atkin CK, Strasberger VC, Comstock GA (eds). (1993). Effects of media alcohol messages on adolescent audiences. Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews, 527-541. Delp, V. (n.d.). Mass Media and Teenagers. Retrieved from Love To Know Teens: http://teens.lovetoknow.com/Mass_Media_and_Teenagers Gentile, D. A., Anderson, C. A. (2003). Violent video games: The newest media violence hazard. D. A. Gentile (Ed.), Media violence and children. Irvine, M. (2008, September 16). Survey: 97 Percent Of Children Play Video Games. Retrieved from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/16/survey-97-percent-of-chil_n_126948.html Mass media consumption in adolescence. (2005). An Pediatr (Barc), 63, 516-525. Matthews, J.L. (2007). Hidden sexism: Facial prominence and its connections to gender and occupational status in popular print media. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 57, 515-525. N, S. (1987). Drinking, sex, and violence on television: The cultural indicators perspective. 17, 245-260. P, Z. (1995). Wise Up to Teens: Insights into Marketing and Advertising to Teenagers. Roberts DF, Henriksen L, Christenson PG. (1999). Substance use in popular movies and music. Zeiger, S. (n.d.). The Media Affects a Teens Body Image. Retrieved from Love to know teens: http://teens.lovetoknow.com/The_Effects_Media_Has_on_Teenagers_Body_Image

Main Themes in a Farewell to Arms

Written in 1929 by Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms has always been considered a classic piece of literature. A major source of the novel's success is how its themes tied into real life experiences during the First World War. While soldiers of the war fought for their country, they searched for love to escape total chaos and destruction. The two main themes in A Farewell to Arms are the gruesome reality of war and the relationship between love and pain. The first main theme of A Farewell to Arms is the devastation that war brings. Just as the title explains, A Farewell to Arms deals primarily with the process by which the protagonist, Frederic Henry, disconnects himself from the war and leaves it behind. While there are a few characters in the novel who actually support the effort, such as Ettore Moretti, a majority of the characters remain uncertain about the war, angry of the complete devastation it causes, and unconvinced of the splendor it supposedly brings. For example, while Henry and Passini discuss the war, Henry says, â€Å"I believe we should get the war over†¦ It would not finish if one side stopped fighting. It would only be worse if we stopped fighting† (Chapter 9, Page 49). The second main theme of the novel is the connection between love and pain. While the war takes place, Hemingway depicts the true, mysterious behavior of love. Although Catherine mourns for her dead fiance, she quickly begins to seduce Henry. Her intentions for courting Henry are obvious, that is she wants to separate herself from the pain of losing her fiance by finding a new love to fill the void. Likewise, Henry attempts to distance himself from the war as much as possible. By doing so, Henry and Catherine find comfort within each other from the dilemmas that surround them. Just like they fell in love with each other, Henry's feelings for Catherine pass just as quickly as he witnesses her death. As he gives farewell to Catherine's body, Henry says, â€Å"But after I got them to leave and shut the door and turned off the light it wasn't any good. It was like saying good-by to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to he hotel in the rain† (Chapter 41, Page 332). Although Henry and Catherine genuinely loved each other, Henry's heart is now void without the companionship of Catherine. The tragedy of A Farewell to Arms is that their love, although authentic, can never be more than temporary. In my opinion, I enjoyed this novel for a few reasons. First, A Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiography about Hemingway and his time fighting in the Italian campaigns during World War I. Secondly, the novel is able to give perspective of the troubles and triumphs of those soldiers that fought during the war. Finally, the mysterious love that Henry and Catherine have for each other proved to be interesting and unusual. In conclusion, A Farewell to Arms proved to be a masterpiece in my opinion. While addressing the struggles and feats of those soldiers who fought during World War I, we are able to dive into the conscious of a unique fighter who parts himself from the war as much as possible while trying to find true love, even though the reasoning behind finding love was only to help escape from the war.

The Tried and True Method for Persuasive Essay Samples with Citations in Step by Step Detail

The Tried and True Method for Persuasive Essay Samples with Citations in Step by Step Detail What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About Persuasive Essay Samples with Citations When you revise your essay, you've got to make sure its organization is completely appropriate to your intended audience, the paper context, and the objective. Until then, you may use these superb suggestions to help you compose the ultimate persuasive essay for your next college undertaking. Students often stress about trying to find utile persuasive essay tips and searching for ideas since they feel it's an uphill job, but the important thing is to understand the essence and make an appropriate outline first by planning for it correctly. A Real Estate company unlike any other centered on the mission of constructing a network of career-minded pros who strive to cultivate their company and their future. Whenever you choose to ask us for skilled aid, don't hesitate to get in touch with our support managers. A n essay writing service can be an important teaching and learning tool for everybody involved with education. The necessity to enforce laws that were introduced into action is vital in the event the authorities would like to have the gun control policies to have a result. One of such problems involve the minimal enthusiasm of students as soon as it comes to such topic. New Step by Step Roadmap for Persuasive Essay Samples with Citations Today, it's quite apparent that effective communication is among the most crucial and valuable facets of a social relationship, no matter whether this relationship is personal, organization, or possibly a medical one. It's evident that year-round schooling isn't the very best alternative for the school calendar. Thus, persuasive essay encompasses plenty of requirements that ought to be upheld. In such situations, finding persuasive essays is actually tough. The Little-Known Secrets to Persuasive Essay Samples with Citations To begin with, le t's define the forms of argument available and strategies that you could follow. As it is simple to recognize, it all starts with a suitable argument. The major element which produces a persuasive essay in English stand out from the remainder of assignments is the use of reasoning. Start by utilizing simple words. New Step by Step Roadmap for Persuasive Essay Samples with Citations As any guide on the best way to compose a persuasive essay will inform you, your essay has to be organized in paragraphs with a logical progression from 1 paragraph to the next. When you compose a persuasive essay speech make certain that it is both factual and informative. Importantly, you ought to think about how to compose argumentative essay introduction and help it become effective. Know the aim of your essay. Anyway, appropriate citations should adhere to these quotes. There are a lot of suggestions you should follow to make certain that you compose an effective and convincing persuasive essay. There are lots of additional references you should think about when writing a persuasive essay. Providing the reader with the fundamental summary of the organization of the discussion helps to ensure that the stream of thought is understood in the entire essay body. At the conclusion of reading this kind of essay, the audience should clearly understand the matter or controversy and have sufficient info to make an educated decision about the problem. Before making your final decision, however, you ought to take a better look at the beneficial and negative aspects of both situations. For that reason, it's essential to learn how to approach any issue with a strong focus on solving it. Third, buying a persuasive model essay is great for your academic and professional future, as you're more li kely to get the outcomes you're seekinga superior grade, for instance, or the capacity to graduate earlier. There are a sizable number of such companies providing essay writers, but should you decide on this path, due diligence is important to make certain that the job will be finished right. The significance of research in persuasive writing can't be overstated. You may be struggling with a challenging project and lacking the bandwidth necessary to compose a fantastic persuasive essay.

Florida State University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Florida State University is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 37%. Along with the  University of Florida, Florida State University is a flagship campus of Floridas state university system. The FSU campus lies just west of downtown Tallahassee and is a half hour drive from the Gulf of Mexico. Academically, Florida State University has wide-ranging strengths, from music and dance to the sciences, that have earned it a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa. The Florida State Seminoles compete in the  Atlantic Coast Conference. Considering applying to FSU? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/SAT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Florida State University had an acceptance rate of 37%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 37 students were admitted, making FSUs admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 50,314 Percent Admitted 37% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 34% SAT Scores and Requirements FSU requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 65% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 610 680 Math 590 670 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of FSUs admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Florida State scored between 610 and 680, while 25% scored below 610 and 25% scored above 680. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 590 and 670, while 25% scored below 590 and 25% scored above 670. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1350 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at FSU. Requirements Florida State does not require the SAT writing section or SAT Subject tests. Note that FSU participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. ACT Scores and Requirements Florida State requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 35% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 26 32 Math 24 28 Composite 26 32 This admissions data tells us that most of Florida States admitted students fall within the top 18% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to FSU received a composite ACT score between 26 and 30, while 25% scored above 30 and 25% scored below 26. Requirements Florida State does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, FSU superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered. GPA In 2018, the middle 50% of Florida State Universitys incoming class had high school GPAs between 4.1 and 4.5. 25% had a GPA above 4.5 and 25% had a GPA below 4.1. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Florida State have primarily A grade. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Florida State University Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Florida State University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Florida State University, which accepts just over a third of applicants, has a selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. However, FSU has a holistic admissions process that takes into consideration the rigor of your high school courses, not simply your grades. The university requires a minimum of four units each in English and math, three units each in natural science and social science, and two units of a single world language. Youll be more competitive if you exceed these minimums and your academic record includes challenging AP, IB, and Honors courses. Also, an upward trend in your high school grades will be viewed much more favorably than a downward trend. While Florida State does not require an application essay, they strongly recommend that applicants complete the optional essay. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside FSUs average range. Applicants who plan to major in dance, film, music, or theatre should visit the universitys admissions website to learn about audition and portfolio requirements and deadlines for their intended major. In the scattergram  above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that the great majority of successful applicants had B or higher averages, SAT scores (ERWM)  of about 1050 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 20 or higher. About 75% of admitted students had a combined SAT score of 1100 or higher and/or an ACT composite score of 25 or better. Higher numbers clearly improve your chances of getting an acceptance letter, and few students with A averages and well above average SAT scores were rejected.   All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Florida State Universitys Undergraduate Admissions Office.