Influence of the Media essays

Influence of the Media essays Ever since the shooting at Columbine High School, there has been an increased interest in violence and how it affects our children. It has started other school shootings with similar acts of violence, thus, leading parents and even children searching for answers. Answers to why and even how these events could happen. Some look towards gun control, some look towards parenting methods, and some look at the media. For instance, Susan Douglas, author of A Look at Terror with My Daughter, and Stephen M. Wolf, author of Countering Violence, both view the media as a negative influence on children. However, that is, indeed, the true question. Does the media have an influence on violent behavior, or is it just a scapegoat? How would one find out whether or not the media does have an influence on violence? Who better to ask than teenagers themselves? In a Time/CNN poll, that asked 13-17 year olds, what was the believed to have caused the shooting in Littleton, 75% blamed the internet, 66% blamed the movies, music, and television, and 56% blamed video games (Statistics). Does this mean that the media, indeed, does influence violence in our children, maybe, maybe not? However, the startling statistic by the American Psychiatric Association, which states, By the age 18 an American child will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence on television alone, (Statistics) may prove otherwise. One might ask how the media influences violence with its television shows, movies, and videogames. Well, Susan Douglas explains it in an accurate way when she states, Computer and video games, in particular, that require you to enact murders with your own hands yes, just a quick click, not unlike a trigger pull may restructure some peoples individual psychology in quite powerful ways so it becomes easier to do unspeakable th ...

Antarctic Icefish Characteristics and Facts

Antarctic Icefish Characteristics and Facts True to their name, the Antarctic Icefish lives in the icy cold waters of the Arctic - and has icy-looking blood to match. Their cold habitat has given them some interesting features.   Most animals, like people, have red blood. The red of our blood is caused by hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout our body. Icefishes dont have hemoglobin, thus they have a whitish, nearly transparent blood. Their gills are also white. Despite this lack of hemoglobin, icefish can still get enough oxygen, although scientists arent sure quite how - it could be because they live in already oxygen-rich waters and might be able to absorb oxygen through their skin, or because they have large hearts and plasma which may help transport oxygen more easily. The first icefish was discovered in 1927 by zoologist Ditlef Rustad, who pulled up a strange, pale fish during an expedition to Antarctic waters. The fish he pulled up was eventually named the blackfin icefish (Chaenocephalus aceratus).   Description There are many species (33, according to WoRMS) of icefish in the Family Channichthyidae. These fish all have heads that look a little like a crocodile - so they are sometimes called crocodile icefishes. They have grayish, black or brown bodies, wide pectoral fins, and two dorsal fins that are supported by long, flexible spines. They can grow to a maximum length of about 30 inches.   Another fairly unique trait for icefish is that they dont have scales. This can aid in their ability to absorb oxygen through the ocean water.   Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataSubphylum: VertebrataSuperclass: GnathostomataSuperclass: PiscesClass: ActinopterygiiOrder: PerciformesFamily: Channichthyidae Habitat, Distribution, and Feeding Icefish inhabit Antarctic and subantarctic waters in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica and southern South America. Even though they can live in waters that are only 28 degrees, these fish have antifreeze proteins that circulate through their bodies to keep them from freezing.   Icefish dont have swim bladders, so they spend much of their lives on the ocean bottom, although they also have a lighter skeleton than some other fish, which allows them to swim up into the water column at night to capture prey. They may be found in schools. Icefish eat plankton, small fish, and krill.   Conservation and Human Uses The lighter skeleton of icefish has a low mineral density. Humans with a low mineral density in their bone have a condition called osteopenia, which may be a precursor to osteoporosis. Scientists study icefish to learn more about osteoporosis in humans. Icefish blood also provides insights into other conditions, such as anemia, and how bones develop. The ability of icefish to live in freezing water without freezing can also help scientists learn about the formation of ice crystals and storage of frozen foods and even organs used for transplant.   Mackerel icefish are harvested, and the harvest is considered sustainable. A threat to icefish, however, is climate change - warming ocean temperatures could reduce the habitat that is suitable for this extreme cold water fish.

World War one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

World War one - Essay Example Ignoring this law, it is reported that more than 124 000 tons of gas had been produced by the time the First World War was ending2. By using gas bombs and any other chemical weapons, Germans clearly ignored the then laws of war. These are the ones that specifically prohibited the use of chemical weapons. The basis for supporting chemical warfare or supporting its abolition was founded on the ethical issues associated with that kind of war. Presenting a range of premises in support of the use of chemical weapons in World War I, interwar ethical arguments considered it time-friendly, humane as well as economical among other advantages. This essay will present the scenarios before, during and after World War I which illustrate the pros and cons of the employment of chemical warfare and the reasons why the German used it extensively in wars. Gas attacks were some of the feared attacks by the troops in the battle fields. Therefore signs of gas weapons such as artillery shells, which encased the gas, and prevailing wind, which accelerated the spreading of the gas, were dreaded by the troops in gas stricken zones3. The gas attacks used to be major offensive when they would be discharged in massive forms. Attacks using Lachrymatory gases would temporarily disable soldiers in trenches such that attacking them further would be easier. The lachrymatory gases affected the eyes by causing them to tear. There are other gases which were lethal such as chlorine and phosgene. These normally disabled the tissues of the respiratory system thus causing the victim to die. For instance, Mustard gas caused horrors to the victims and was one of the most dreaded chemical weapons. This was partly due to the long period of time it would remain on the ground after being discharged as well as its adverse effects to the victims. Inhaling the gas caused death to the victim. In addition, its other effects included causing of temporary blindness as well as making the

Ordinary Citizens mediated by professional journalists Essay

Ordinary Citizens mediated by professional journalists - Essay Example In this regard, the media plays a crucial linkage role between the social institutions through various genres and narrative styles. This paper will consider the purpose of a specific newspaper article as an example of media discourse to establish the kinds of institutional procedures and practices that may have influenced why the contents of the article may be deemed newsworthy. In addition to that, this paper will examine whether or not any of the article’s contents explicitly refer to the media’s role as a communication medium and how language style and specific instances of terminology have been used to convey the story, among other things. Section One The newspaper article that is under consideration due to its purpose as an example of Media discourse is by Calmes Jackie, and is titled â€Å"The First Lady Refuses to Let a Heckler Go Unscolded† (Calmes, 2013). This newspaper article appears in the New York Times Politics column of June 6, 2013; it is importan t to identify the source publication details of this article for cross reference purposes, to determine validity of the news item content in the source publication. ... inds of institutional procedures and practices; in this particular case, the newsworthiness of this article may have been influenced by the practical and financial concerns. Institutions are shaped by discourse, and they in turn have the capacity to create and impose discourses (Mayr, 2008); in this regard, it cannot always be guaranteed that the news media will be obliged to provide an impartial and balanced coverage of important social and political events that shape the global landscape. Like all other institutions, the news media’s attempt to create a universal image of impartiality and balanced news coverage is always constrained by practical and financial realities such as the need for sustained efficiency. For instance, the news media is often under pressure to increase revenue for shareholders; in this case, the profit motive determines the kinds of events that are considered newsworthy and because of this, newspapers have been accused in the past of trivializing impor tant issues (Reah, 1998). The news media procedures and practices eventually determine what news becomes, thus the news media only offers a partial view of the world that suits the interests of the socially and economically powerful (Bielsa and O’Donnell, n.d). The content of the article explicitly refers to the media’s role as a communication medium because it is deliberately structured by rhetoric and inclusive language that encompasses emotional and moral loading (Timucin, 2010), i.e. through scaffolding, or structuring of sentences and paragraphs to affect readers’ responses. Overall, the article mediates between meaning and socio-cultural reality, for instance, this article seeks to mediate reality by and through language (Talbot, 2007); such encoding is necessary for the purposes of

John Stuart Mill’s Education Essays -- John Stuart Mill Education Essa

John Stuart Mill’s Education John Stuart Mill’s education was intense at all times, but at different stages in his life he learned different things and in different ways. Though his education was unique by all accounts, it embodied many virtues that modern educational systems strive to include. These include: close parent involvement and one-on-one work between students and teachers; exposure to intellectual role models; emphasis on independent thought, logic, and pursuing curiosities; being held to high standards for achievement; being free from invidious comparisons to peers; and learning the value of seeking out peers for intellectual support and stimulation. He also learned, during personal struggles to understand his relationship with his father and to rediscover passion for life after his mental crisis, that the responsibility for his education and his happiness ultimately lay with himself. Most stunning in his account is what he learns about his father during his process of evaluating the way his father educated him, judging his father’s ideas and abilities, and navigating his relationship with his father over time. During his early childhood Mill’s father tutored him in classical languages and history through structured lessons overseen by his father. His father’s patience encouraged him to ask questions and made him understand that his education was a priority. In retrospect he described his early education as an example of how much can be accomplished in a period of life that is generally wasted. Though he was reading Greek by age three, he attributes his achievements not to his own genius but to his learning environment. While the modern reader is inclined to disbelieve this modest assertion, his unique up... ...his education at different stages of his life, but I think I presented it here much as I read it – which is to say, I’m more inclined to praise Mill’s education than my professor and classmates are. I hope I’ve done a good job of explaining why I think his early education prepared him for everything, even his mental crisis, because I consider that personal struggle a vital part of his education. Learning about oneself and having to provide one’s own meaning for life is an important part of education, and the foundation of logical thought, facing and meeting challenges, and persevering with tough tasks, helped Mill through his mental crisis. I still really like Mill, and though I’m obviously no where near the extreme of his life, I identify to some extent with the way he thinks, the way he was raised, and the personal struggles he’s had to work through on his own.

Writing as an Artist

â€Å"Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors.† Rhys Alexander makes an interesting connection between authors and artists in his quote about writing. The idea that writers are indeed artists of a sort, gives us the opportunity to think about how words can become like paint applied to a canvas. The canvas, when one looks further, is actually our reader’s mind. This happens because the reader’s mind becomes the dwelling place where the full color and texture of our written ideas are absorbed and understood. Taking this idea of the artistic endeavors of writing a step further, a writer, like an artist, is most often influenced by the environment around them. Would Monet’s painting of water lilies have turned out so ascetic if the day had been dull and rainy, thus altering his mood to reflect a dull and listless pond? As writers our environment touches on our senses and perceptions, altering our mood and also our writing; thus adding to our strengths and weaknesses, and giving our words the vibrancy and hues we need to paint our â€Å"canvas†. A bedroom is a wonderful safe haven from the chaos of everyday life. In this room we rest, dream and spend time with our own being in simple comfort. These sensations of relaxation and solitude form the basis of why I choose it as my primary writing environment. Here I can mix the ideas, opinions and data I have collected from the outside world and make a work of art that reflects my own inner thoughts of the experiences of which I write about. In my room I can be as creative as I like, without others to criticize or influence my words. Granted, people will do that later once the work is complete; but while it’s being created, it’s completely my own. The comfort of my room strengthens my writing because it adds to my feelings of comfort and security. These perceptions allow me to search deeper and possibly write with more courage about how I feel. If I were to do this anywhere else I would fear that others would judge my words and ideas even before the writing is finished. Then I might not find the nerve to write my own thoughts and opinions, but rather someone else’s. In this sense, solitude and comfort help me paint my verbal canvas with clarity. Solitude and comfort in a bedroom can however be a weakness due to the fact that it at times feels like the â€Å"same old thing† and induces writer’s block. Sometimes the feelings of our surroundings â€Å"lock† us into a repetitive pattern, and soon we find that all of our writings begin to take on similar qualities with no unique flare to make them original. For this problem, sometimes it is best to escape to the outside world and gather more data, or try and capture someone else’s enthusiasm for a topic. When this is not available however, altering a writing environment can help. Open the blinds, let some sunshine in, or maybe even close them and try writing by candle light. These are ways that can improve if not the writing environment itself, at least the writer’s mood. Hanging inspiring paintings or photos on the wall may or turning on music that suits the feelings we are trying to convey may also be helpful. Sometimes writers have to be as creative with their environment as they are with their words. Thus far we have seen that a writer’s environment touches on their senses and perceptions, altering their mood and also their writing; thus adding to their strengths and weaknesses, and giving their words the vibrancy and hues they need to paint their â€Å"canvas†.   I have only minimally explored and shared with you what my environment means to me and how I can improve it if needed. However, I hope that you as the reader have gotten a glimpse of where and why I create my art the way I do. I believe that each of us is inspired by the environment around us, whether it be the crashing of a thunderstorm or the slow steady roll of the ocean waves lulling us to sleep. Works Cited Alexander, Rhys. (author of webpage unknown).

Animal Testing Has Been A Part Of Pharmaceutical - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 725 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Biology Essay Level High school Tags: Animal Testing Essay Did you like this example? Animal testing has been a part of pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and toxicity research for many years. Many innocent animal lives are being taken for the sake of science, when it is unnecessary to do so. Scientists have had the knowledge of human embryonic stem cells for research for years and yet they decide to use sentient animals instead. Even though animal testing has proven beneficial in the past, scientists should use human embryonic stem cells to do research instead of animals because it would not only be cheaper, but it would also be more accurate and morally appealing. If scientists were to start using human embryonic stem cells instead of animals, it would save the american taxpayers billions of dollars. There are so many more important thing that the government should be spending tax money on, but they choose to instead pay for useless, expensive testing. Bethany Hope Rishell states in her article Harming Humans via Animal Analysis: A Utilitarian Critique of Regulatory Requirements and Emphases in the Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, and Industrial Chemicals Industries that a simple toxicity test frequently costs about $30,000. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Animal Testing Has Been A Part Of Pharmaceutical" essay for you Create order She then goes on to state, More complex testing, such as carcinogenicity tests, cost closer $1 million. These numbers do not account for what the scientists that conduct the tests are being paid. These numbers could be easily lowered if scientists decided to start testing on hESCs instead of animals. If these numbers were to be lowered, it would significantly lower the costs of medicine and medical treatments. Another pro to stem cell testing is that it would be a lot more accurate than testing on an animal. Logically speaking, the way humans react to certain things is significantly different than the way a rat or mouse would. So, why would scientist still use animals to test life saving medications and medical treatments meant for humans? According to Rishell, animal testing has delayed finding the cure for certain diseases such as cancer and diabetes. An example of this is when she mentioned, while humans cannot live without insulin regulating their blood sugar, mice, including mice genetically engineered specifically for the study of diabetes, can survive without insulin. This example means that all the time and money spent on testing mice for the cure to diabetes was to no avail. Another example of animal testing being unreliable is when scientists were attempting to test on animals for heart disease and other heart problems, they could not successfully create medications to help cure these diseases. Eventually it was discovered that cardiovascular disease almost never develops in any other species other than homo sapiens. There is no denying that animals cells work very different than that of a humans. Lastly, testing on human embryonic stem cells would be more morally appealing than testing on a sentient animal. The main difference between hESCs and animals is that an hESC cannot feel pain unlike an animal which can. Of course, it could be argued that an hESC is or could be a living person, but animals are already living creatures. This is where the political debate comes in. According to Davor Solter, the author of the article From Teratocarcinomas to Embryonic Stem Cells and Beyond: a History of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, the scientific community is becoming more politically driven. Because there are so many people in politics that believe that hESCs are living humans, they are letting these animals suffer instead. Science should not be about politics, but about doing whatever is needed to come up with medicines, cures, and treatments to help whoever needs it. Morally speaking, everyone can agree that researchers should not inflict pain on something that can actually feel it, and risk the results not being accurate, but instead test on something that cannot feel pain and would give more accurate results. Testing on hESCs give scientists more accurate results and less room for error. Some may argue that animal testing has been beneficial in the past and science should switch practices if the ones they use work. The main problem with this counterclaim is that even though animal testing has gotten science pretty far, as I had previously stated it has not been reliable. The more that scientists discover about the human body and the diseases that can inhabit it the more complex and in depth the research on these diseases need to be