Dangerous Hatred in the U.S.

This weeks article was about our President, Barack Obama, and how the health care reform has sparked the debate whether racism is playing a role in it. I found this article to be very interesting because we as a country say we have come a long ways since the time of segregation and racism, but from what the article says it seems we haven't progressed at all. Hard core right wing politicians and some Republicans have been coming up with reasons and, in my opinion, crazy excuses as to why Obama is a racist and that his health care reform is only benefiting African Americans and no one else. It amazes me that people can say things like this when any of the liberal candidates that ran for president would have done the same thing whether they were white, black or any ethnicity.
       It's not a matter of racism that is fueling the health care reform, but it is more about a Democratic way of thinking. Democrats are more about making everything equal between everyone and with the Health Care reform it is trying to make sure that everyone has a fair chance at getting the medical attention they need. Obama is obviously trying to do this and I believe that the only reason why Republicans believe he is racists is because of his skin color. If Hillary Clinton was president of the United States and she did the same thing with health care I bet that no one would be saying she is a racist. I also really like the point in the article that Obama won by 9 million votes last November meaning an awful lot of white people voted for him. To me Obama is not a racist but rather he is doing his job as a president with a Democratic view. I still can't believe people accuse our president of being racist. I mean honestly racism and segregation was so far in the past that there is no reason that it should still be a topic talked about in today's times.
         Overall, accusing our president of being racist for an idea that is politically driven blows my mind, but no matter what happens there will always be those radicals that will be against any President that has to make a tough decision.

Is Hate Speech in the Media Directly Affecting our Culture?

This weeks issue is about hate speech and whether it is affecting our culture. Hate speech can be interpreted a number of different ways, it all depends on who you ask. To me I see hate speech as any form of a degrading word used to describe a person in a negative way. With this definition of hate speech in mind it is quite obvious to see that the media uses hate speech a number of times everyday, which is then directly affecting our culture. With so much trust and dependence on the media it causes us to start and believe that what we see from them is how our culture should act. For example, newspapers will have headlines stating how terrible the Middle East is and how so many of our soldiers are being killed by extremists. Headlines like this then cause our society to believe that everyone from the Middle East is a terrorist, which is completely not true. Also, TV reality shows are all about bashing people with hate speech because it creates drama, which people love to watch. People then see these reality shows and try to mimic what they see, so their lives can have drama and excitement too. Pop culture icons are also a big part of why hate speech is affecting our culture. Lets take Kane West for example. He can say a lot of mean things like George Bush doesn't like black people but because we view Kanye as someone who is cool and important we as a society tend to let it slide and our youth then feels it is OK to act similarly. Hate speech has become an acceptable thing to do in our culture which 20 years ago was unheard of. It is sad to see that people will put other people down to make themselves feel better. Hopefully our culture realizes that hate speech is only making us worse and nothing is gained from it, so that we can change and make ourselves a culture of friendliness not hatred.

Do Media Represent Realistic Images of Arabs?

The media now-a-days has the tendency to over exaggerate stereotypes and the views of other cultures. One culture in particular that the media tends to stereotype is the Arab race. In my opinion the media does not even come close to providing a balanced view of Arabs, especially since 9/11. For example, shows such as 24 portray Arabs as terrorists planning to attack the U.S.. In other shows such as The Gaurdian and The Practice they have had episodes that portray Arab looking characters as terrorists. It's not only TV shows that show negative images of Arabs, but also news coverages of Muslims center mainly on events, groups and individuals from the Middle East, in response to crises, war and conflict, making it seem that there is nothing good from these people. In the chapter issue we read that Beckerman argues the point that through blogs many Arabs show that there are humane voices in a sea of confusion. The only problem with his argument is that blogs have a limited reach compared to the easy access of the evening news or the headlines from online accounts. Also the media always tend to look and focus on the negative issues that are going on in the Middle East. For example, a  recent headline stated, 'Saudi security forces kill Islamic militants' but Saudi Arabia is a self-described Islamic country whose security forces are 'Islamic'. Perhaps a better headline might have eliminated Islamic. That is another issue with the media. They are so uninformed about the Middle East that they usually will fail to differentiate and just assume that everyone is the same and is a potential terrorist. Being an American it is ingrained into our minds that any one looking like they are from the Middle East is considered a terrorist. For example, we will walk on a plane and see a man wearing a turban we will automatically think that he could be a potential terrorist. It is wrong to do this, but with the media continuing to spew out negative images and headlines about the Middle East it is hard for us to think otherwise because of the trust we put in our news reporters. Hopefully, one day we can see past the media and really see that Arabs are no different then anyone else and that just because they look like the terrorists we see on TV doesn't mean they are one.

Do Media Cause Individuals to Develop Negative Body Images?

This weeks issue is about negative body images and whether the media plays a role in it. The two sides of the argument give solid reasons and explanations as to why the media does or doesn't create negative body images, but from what i have seen and experienced I would have to say that the media does cause people to develop negative body images. Everywhere we look now a days we see pictures of people who are fit, good looking, smiling, perfect skin and the list goes on and on. with this image always being a constant figure in our lives we start to believe that is the way we have to look. From this idea people try to achieve the look of these models and sometimes they take it over the top by turning to options such a anorexia and bulimia. For example, we hear of movie stars all the time suffering from these diseases because of the constant pressure they get from the media to look perfect. Also health magazine ads tell men and women that a healthy body is attainable if they buy these certain products and pamper themselves. With all this negativity around obesity being fat becomes something to be feared of causing people to go to great lengths to try and fix themselves(surgery, extreme dieting, working out, and worst of all not eating). It's not only magazines that are causing people to have negative body images. Us as a society is awful at judging people by their weight and their looks. Everyday it seems like we watch television shows that have have guys and girls judging each other by their looks which then instills the idea into our minds that we have to look a certain way to be liked by others. The media continues to spew out information and ads that show good looking, fit people using their products or wearing a certain clothing brand even with all the negative research that shows that it causes people, girls especially, to develop negative body images. So the only solution it seems right now for this problem is to limit people, younger generations the most, exposure to media, promote healthy eating and moderate physical activity, and encourage participation in activities that increase mastery and self-esteem. Funding for high-quality, visible advertising campaigns promoting healthy life styles may increase awareness. Hopefully, one day we can eliminate this idea about body image and what is the right way to look, because when it comes down to it no one is perfect and we all have flaws. We need to accept who we are and not try to be something were not.

Do Television Shows Today Affect the way People Act in Society? RA 3

Television over the past couple of decades has become a major role in households all over the world. With this in mind I wanted to research and find out if the television shows that we so dearly love can affect the way people act in society. When I first asked myself this question I had to think about it a while, but then I realized that the shows I watch everyday influence the way I act, what clothing styles I like to wear, and even the way I talk to friends. For example, teens are watching shows like Jersey Shore where they see guys and girl’s party till 4 in the morning or another show My Super Sweet Sixteen where kids see sixteen years olds throw elaborate and outrageously priced birthdays. People watch these shows and they start to believe that this is what is right and that to be cool you must act like the people on TV. People then try to follow in the footsteps of these shows by trying to act like the characters they see on TV, which then affects the rest of society.  With TV’s growing importance to society there have been a number of studies done to see the affects it has on people. Corey Sipe of Associate Content has conclusive evidence that agrees with my hypothesis. He stated, “At one time television shows couldn’t even show two married people in the same bed; they had to have separate beds but into today’s shows immorality is reinforced in shows that are similar to soap operas but air in the evening such as Fox’s Beverly Hills 90210. These shows portray characters cheating on their spouses and openly brought up issues about sex that were taboo twenty years ago. Since 90210 first aired we are seeing divorce on the rise, more people are cheating on their spouses, and we are seeing a country that was founded under God being transformed into a society where promiscuous sex and violence dominate today’s television shows”(Sipe 2006). Overall I believe my survey will show that television shows now-a-days do affect the way people act in society and that it is also in a negative way.

                When conducting this survey and asking my sample size the question of whether TV has affected the way they act may seem very similar to other studies done in the past. To make sure that I get honest and real answers that isn’t similar to past studies I plan on asking other questions such as, what shows do they watch, how often they watch them, and have they ever felt like the show has persuaded the way they thought about things. By asking these other questions I will be able to target a more specific answer to the main question. Also, from these other questions I will be able to see what shows tend to affect people the most and whether it has a negative or positive effect on people. For example, if someone says they frequently watch shows like Desperate Housewives and they tend to believe that divorce and having scandalous affairs is a normal thing in society then I can obviously make the correlation and say that this person is affected by the show and in a negative way.  By having my survey be a little different than past studies by having a few more detailed questions, in my opinion, will give me much more honest and unbiased answers  that will prove that TV does affect the way people act in society.

                After organizing my questions and strategy of how I will conduct the survey I will then go out and start applying the survey to my sample size. My population for this survey will be California residents of all ages and my sample size will be northern California residents of all ages. The reason why I am choosing northern California residents is because, in my opinion, southern California is much more a materialistic region and my results would definitely be lop sided with the majority of people saying that television does affect the way they act. To get my results I will be surveying people with a hard copy of the questions where they will answer the questions on a piece of paper by circling yes or no and filling in the information. By doing it this way I feel I will get the most accurate results because if I ask them verbally they may answer the questions untruthfully because they don’t want to be embarrassed or judged. That is why if I do the survey through paper they can keep their answers anonymous and answer the questions truthfully giving me the best possible results.

                From the research that I have already done and seen I would have to say that my results will be very one sided with most of the surveys suggesting that television does affect the way people act in society. Once I get enough people to take my survey roughly around 50 to 70 people I will then use bar graphs to show how the data proves or disproves my hypothesis.

                By researching this question further I believe I will get a strong amount of the surveys showing that TV does affect the way people act which means my hypothesis should be correct. Television is such a big part of our lives today that I can’t imagine our lives without it. In my opinion everybody is influenced by television one way or another, but we will see what other people have to say when they take the survey.  

Do Video Games Encourage Violent Behavior?

With video games becoming so popular in the last 10 years there as been a number of concerns about how they affect people. One of the main concerns that people have with video games is that it may encourage violent behavior. In my opinion, I do believe video games encourage violent behavior. When I was a kid growing up I remember playing on the playgroud and we used to imitate Power Rangers and fight each other. Now-a-days though video games like Grand Theft auto and Call of Duty all involve violent behavior with guns. These games reward players with points the more they kill. Obviously, from an older person perspective I know the difference between whats right and whats wrong, but when younger generations from the ages of 13 and younger start playing these games they might see it and think that these acts of violence are ok. Think of it in a different way. Kids watch their parents do certain habits such as the way they speak, the way they drive, the way they dress and kids then pick up on these habits and start doing them thinking that is right. With this in mind what will kids start to do if they believe that what they see in video games is acceptable? It is a natural habit for us to see something and follow and obtain the same habits and when it comes to kids who are absorbing information like sponges it is crucial that they stay away from video games because they can be influenced easily and pick up on the violent behavior.

A study for the American Psychological Association's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology concluded that video games can increase a persons aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior. Their findings were that students who reported playing more violent video games in junior and high school engaged in more aggressive behavior. The study concluded that video games are more harmful than than violent television and movies because they are interactive, very engrossing and require the player to identify with the aggressor. I believe no matter how much people see video games as encouragment to violent behavior, video game makers will still make violent games and people will continue to play them. Hopefully, parents of kids will limit or even ban their kid's from playing any video games because of the negative effects it could have. It may sound like a stretch to do this, but I think kids should read books or enjoy the great outdoors rather than sit in front of a TV all day that encourages violent behavior. Either way video games are here to stay and we must cope with what it brings to our society.

Is Advertising Good for Society?

This week we were asked about advertising and if it is good or bad for society. This was a tough question to answer because there are so many different forms of advertising and also both sides of the argument have legitimate reasons for why advertising is good or bad. After thinking about how advertising has affected me I came to the conclusion that advertising is good for society. The reason I say advertising is good is because it informs us of what products, businesses, places, technology and other things that the world has to offer us. For example, when the iPhone first came out there were a ton of commercials about it letting us know of its capabilities and how the technology of phones has changed forever. If it wasn't for advertising the iPhone wouldn't have been able to be successful as it is know and because competitors wouldn't have known about it either they wouldn't have been pushed to make a similar or better product. By having advertising in our society it creates competition between businesses and brands. When a certain company advertises their new latest and greatest product, competitors will see this and start on building or marketing a new product that will be similar if not better so that they do not fall behind. With businesses going back and forth like this trying to make the products they have even better it helps grow the world to be even better than it already is. The majority of things we see and use today would have never came about if it wasn't for advertisement because businesses would have never strived to make better products since they wouldn't know about competitors and their products. Advertisements do get us to buy products we don’t need, but at the same time it does give us a choice or at least a sense of having a choice. Advertising is essential for businesses because it helps get there products recognized and bought buy consumers, which in turn means more money flow and a better economy. Advertising helps people to spend their money on goods and products which then helps business to pay their employees who then go back out and spend it on goods and services. It is a never ending cycle and advertising is at the center of it all. Without advertisements people wouldn't know what to spend their money on and if you thought the economy is bad now just think if there were no commercials. Money flow would be stagnant and businesses would fall apart and eventually the economy wouldn't even exist!!!(little over the top, but you get the point). Because we as a society rely on T.V. and other media outlets so much that if there was no advertising at all we would be completely lost. As you can see from the examples above advertising is essential for our society and we cannot live without it.